Computer running at 100 Precent nearly all the time and not sure if its Advast?

[Virus Buster]

Hello, sorry for the trouble but I been having a problem. The past few weeks I find from the moment the computer turns on if I open Task Manager I see the CPU is using 100 percent, regardless of if anything else is on.

I am using a Windows Ten, I try to keep both my computer as updated as frequently as I can, long with Advast. For a few days after the Windows update things seemed normal but today it was back to being slow. I did a full virus scan and can't pick up any problems there, and at the moment I don't notice any other problems so I'm hoping its not the result of a virus or Malware, but all I know is that when its slow Task Manager said in the Details section that two sections of Advast were using 40 CPU, more then anything else on the computer.

The first day after the update it said the CPU was 0, but today its back to this. I don't know what this means or how big a issue it is but having the computer be sluggish to do most things is really making things difficult so I was hoping someone had a idea on what the root of this issue is.

Advast is the only virus defense program I have at the moment so its not clashing with another program so I don't have much of a idea on what to do.

[Asyn]

- Which Avast..? (Free/Premium/One)
- Which version/build of Avast..?
- OS..? (32/64 Bit..? - which SP/Build..?)
- Other security related software installed..?
- Which AV(s) did you use before Avast..?

[Virus Buster]

Thank you. Well, I'm using Advast Premium at the moment, um, the build is, 21.96698.704, the one from November 2? The OS? Sorry, I know its a Windows 10 , to be precise its a Windows 10 home, and the OS is 19043.1387.

I use to have Malware bytes installed, thought it and Advast could work at once but learned the hard way that's not the case so I removed it, its been that way for a while now.

And I started with a free Advast trail run or something but that was years ago.

Well, hope that helps narrow it down or something.

[Asyn]

First, be sure to get rid of all remnants of any prior installed AV(s)..!!
-> https://support.avast.com/article/11/

Then:
1. Download Avast Premium Security: https://files.avast.com/iavs9x/avast_premium_security_setup_offline.exe
2. Follow instructions: https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (Run this tool for all prior installed Avast versions..!!)
3. Reinstall Avast with the downloaded installer from point 1.
4. Reboot.

[Virus Buster]

Thanks for the response.

I had assumed remnants of previous versions of AV were removed when I updated or by using Clean Up Premium but I suppose it does explain why I see many versions of Avast running at the same time when I use Task Manager.
Before I go through with it I just have a few questions. Should I uninstall things like Driver Updater and Clean up Premium or is that not required? Also, hope its not a dumb question but Avast has caught virus/ Malware in the past on my computer, will uninstalling it put my computer at risk or is there any measures I should take?

Sorry, just want to make sure I don't make things worst and all by mistake.

Well hope it all works out.

[DavidR]

Thanks for the response.

I had assumed remnants of previous versions of AV were removed when I updated or by using Clean Up Premium but I suppose it does explain why I see many versions of Avast running at the same time when I use Task Manager.
<snip>

The highlighting in the quote is mine and what I will try to answer.

Seeing many entries in the task manager doesn't mean you have many avast avast versions, but that it is performing multiple tasks.  This indicates the tasks being run (and is normal) not different versions.  See attached image example of my task manage entries for Avast.

[Virus Buster]

Thanks for the help. Just curious, what does your Task Manager say the CPU is for those Advast sections in the detail section of Task Manager? The one between user Name and Memory? For me at least two sections of the Advast UI.exe says under the cpu that the number is constantly between 30 to 40. I don't know what it means but the few days over the last update I saw it was zero and the computer was running at normal speed, and then it got slow again and I saw those numbers so it just seemed related.

[DavidR]

Just look at my last screenshot, I expanded it to show the CPU, RAM & Disk usage.

Looking in another area of the Task Manager screen (Details) shows more (attached image), but generally I don't see high activity for the Avast UI.

Perhaps when you see this you could attach a screenshot as it is hard to imagine exactly where you see this.

[Virus Buster]

Thanks for that. The situation has taken a turn that I'm confused about. Today the computer took a while to start, and when it loaded the Behavior Shield was turned off when I did not turn it off. However when I turned it back on I see the computer, as of now is back at normal speed, the CPU is now at far less of a full level.

Sorry, not sure if this means my computer is under attack or it was a glitch or something, I suppose I should see how it reacts starting the next time to see if this is  a new pattern or if it gets slow again, though I suppose a shield turning off when you did not turn it off is never a good thing.

[DavidR]

I would think that the chances of your being under attack are low, the reason I say this is that the behaviour shield is just one element of the protection. 

First you would have the web shield for anything coming down from the internet and before anything is launched it would be scanned by the file system shield, the behaviour shield I feel is an extension of the file system shield and there is also Cyber Capture if a file isn't recognised it uploads it to avast for further analysis.

I don't know if the behaviour shield being off, might have resulted in numerous attempts to start it, but even then I would have thought that should have generated some sort of avast notification (not sure if that would include the inability to start).  The behaviour shield should generate a report if you enabled a report, you could check it and see.

See attached image for the location.

[Virus Buster]

Thanks for the advice.  I checked the report and, can't make out anything that seems to indicate any clues to a answer. Well, it seems normal for now so, I guess I'll see how it looks in the next few days and see if anything changes. Thanks for the support so far.

[DavidR]

You're welcome.