horrible lag

[Demondeacondemo]

until a few days ago, i was using kaspersky AV, after it expired, i thought id try avast, and have had nothing but trouble ever since.  Im using 5.0.594, Mozilla Firefox, Intel Dual core, windows XP Pro.  My problem isnt so much speed, as horrible lag, about every 8 seconds, it lags for about 4 seconds, (my username is also a direct result of this lag) -.-  Ive been finding a number of complaints on the internet, but as of yet havent found an explanation, or fix, (other than turn off the web monitor, or switch to another brand).   Are there any fixes, or suggestions other than those 2?  Thanks in advance.  (besides the lag, im also getting a lot of instances where Firefox just stops responding to anything, for as long as 30 seconds, then comes back on, and resumes the aforementioned lag sequence.

[DavidR]

How did you get rid of Kaspersky ?

You may need to ensure that all remnants are gone also - Download and Run this utility to remove all traces of Kaspersky from the registry:
http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208279463. You might want to print the instructions on the page for use off-line.

Also see http://www.askvg.com/ultimate-collection-of-uninstallers-removal-tools-for-all-popular-anti-virus-software/ for others not listed above or the above doesn't work and or http://uninstallers.blogspot.com/.

You will note from my signature that I'm basically running the same setup as you but no Kaspersky and I have no such problem.

[SafeSurf]

Demondeacondemo,

If you are still having problems after going through the Kaspersky (KAV) uninstaller, KAV tends to leave little nasties behind but you can find them in Safe Mode. 

To see if all remnants of KAV are gone, go to Safe Mode (hit F8 repeatedly on boot) > Search > Click on All Files and Folders > Type in KAV in the top box for the first search > Click Advanced Options > Make sure all boxes on the bottom are checked off except "Case Sensitive" > Click "Search" on the bottom of this window and your machine will do a search.  If anything comes up, you can right click on it to view the Properties to make sure it is related to Kaspersky (KAV).  When in doubt...double check before deleting.  There may be a file with zero bytes that you will be unable to delete remaining.

Repeat the process but use as your search words Kaspersky this time, and on your third try use the name of your product (example KAV2009).

Please let us know if you have any additional questions.  I have done difficult removals of KAV/Kaspersky products in the past.  Thank you.

[Demondeacondemo]

ok, i downloaded the KAV remover, and used that, then i did as you suggested, (safe mode, and searches), finally, i even removed, and re-installed avast.  No change, however with the web shield running, i cant even load Firefox at all, as soon as i turn off the web shield, Firefox will load.  but now, even with the web shield off, im experiencing lag, (but at least it will load with the real time monitor off).  The lag seems to be ONLY on browsing, as an experiment, i began running, and using both photoshop, and corel draw, loading "heavy" image in both, and experience NO lag, just seems to be browsing.  Im going to dload IE and test that, but Firefox is really having trouble with the avast installed.  (hope this isnt a marketing scheme to get people to use Chrome...lol)

[SafeSurf]

I'm not sure why you re-installed Avast.  Did you go through this procedure....?

How to uninstall of Avast and CLEAN install[/b]:
1. Save a copy of newest version of Avast (5.0.594) for the version you need and save it to your HDD:
Free – http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_free.exe
Pro  –  http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_av_pro.exe
AIS  –  http://files.avast.com/iavs5x/setup_ais.exe
2. Download the Avast Uninstall Utility, aswClear5.exe http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility and save it to your HDD (it has uninstall tools for both 4.0 and 5.0).
3. Disconnect from the Internet at this time.
4. Uninstall Avast through "Add/Remove Programs" through Control Panel. 
5. Boot into Safe Mode and run the Avast Uninstall Tool.
6. Reboot twice.
7. Clean your computer up (clean up cache, temporary Internet files, etc.).
8. Install the newest version of Avast and reboot.
9. Get Internet access and update Avast definitions.
10. Register your copy or add the license key for Free, Pro or AIS.
11. Reset your settings, if needed.

My question to you is did you reboot after you re-installed?  If not, do so now and see if this fixes your problem.

[ziucqea]

@ DavidR
@SafeSurf
I don't think your suggestions wiil help him solve his problem. As you have been doing in this forum, your suggestions are simply installing and uninstalling, which had never solved any similar problems before. So can you post only after coming up with a decent solution? So that neither you nor Demondeacondemo  would waste time (eithther posting suggestions or trying them out).

[SafeSurf]

@ ziucqea,

You misunderstood me.  I asked the OP why he re-installed when I did not ask him to.  Then I asked him if he followed the procedure outlined in my post.

Please read the posts carefully as I was addressing how to remove KAV and it was the OP's decision to re-install, not mine.  Since he/she had done this, I asked him to reboot, which usually resolves the problem, but now I need to wait for the OP's response.

[DavidR]

@ DavidR
@SafeSurf
I don't think your suggestions wiil help him solve his problem. As you have been doing in this forum, your suggestions are simply installing and uninstalling, which had never solved any similar problems before. So can you post only after coming up with a decent solution? So that neither you nor Demondeacondemo  would waste time (eithther posting suggestions or trying them out).

Where did I suggest he uninstalled avast, answer nowhere, I am ensuring he has removed all remnants of KAV, which is 'essential' to ensure there is no conflict.

As far as your comment "As you have been doing in this forum, your suggestions are simply installing and uninstalling, which had never solved any similar problems before." This is total bull droppings as if you take time to read many forum posts, removing a previous AV or remnants has resolved many problems such as this as low level drivers conflict in many different ways.

So if you are going to make comments, make sure you get your facts straight.

Interesting that you don't even offer a suggestion at all.

[rdmaloyjr]

Demondeacondemo,

Installing avast! after Kaspersky or Avira has been on a computer can be a pain due to legacy keys left behind.

DavidR & SafeSurf have given you very good advice.

Some people have been reporting Firefox causing problems.  I gave up on Firefox along time ago.

You could uninstall Firefox and install Opera.  Opera is an excellent and very fast browser.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_opera/

[Demondeacondemo]

Ok,
For the record, uninstalling, and re-installing was completely my doing, but alas, no change.  I have made a few discoveries however from just messing around, the lag is absolutely coinciding with the "a-globe", on the task bar spinning, (ie scanning), seems to happen ever 10 seconds or so, just as noted previously, next i opened the interface, and watched it for when the computer lagged, and for when it completely froze for extended periods of time.  During these times, Avast is scanning a crap load of javascript files (sessionstoreXXXX.js files, one after another, after another, etc..).

[DavidR]

I don't know what your session store settings are that might cause these to be constantly created and updated, that is what causes avast to scan them as .js (javascript) files can be used as a means of attack. So you might want to reconsider what it is that you are preserving in the session store function.

If you accept the limited risk (limited by including the path to the folder they are in and only excluding those files), then you could exclude the sessionstore files form the file system shield using this mask, type the <path to the folder>\sessionstore*.js and the * wildcard would cater for multiple different sessionstoreXXXX.js files.

[Demondeacondemo]

im not sure either, i havent changed any firefox settings since installing Avast, and removing Kaspersky, although now that i think of it, Firefox did update some of my add-ons, is it possible one of those is doing something in the background causing the problems?

[DavidR]

Well I haven't excluded those files on my system, but an explorer search of my system for sessionstore only brings up nsSessionstore.js. So I don't know what would be generating all those session store files on your system.

I use the Tab Mix Plus add-on and that has a Session manager that I would guess deals with all of that without sessionstoreXXXX.js files.

That's me for the night after 4:25am here.

[Demondeacondemo]

ok, well, i found the folder containing the session files, (just under 2500 of them in there), deleted all the ones with numbers next to them, leaving the original, and the backup files, and deleted the rest.  Ive now been trying to tax the system with programs, and tabs, (15 open), plus photo shop, and coreldraw and no lag at all, even when the Avast is actively scanning..so im still not sure what caused the files, but i will be keeping a close eye on that app folder from now on.

[SafeSurf]

Just out of curiousity, how many add-on's do you have in FF; too many will slow down FF?  Are you running anything like NoScript (NS) and BetterPrivacy (BP) to help block/clean some flash and LSO's? 

Are you cleaning out your system with something like CCleaner http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner - a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool.  It removes unused files (cache, temporary Internet files, etc.) from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.  It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history.  Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner.  When installing, uncheck the Yahoo toolbar.

You may also want to do a good defrag since you have stressed your machine, and this may speed things up.  Puran_Defrag FREE (there are others as well) also does a boot scan and fills in spaces http://www.puransoftware.com/Puran-Defrag.html.

Let us know how things go.