AvastSvc.exe utilising 90+% of CPU

[robjobs]

AvastSvc.exe process is utilising all CPU on my pc. Occurs when browsing and using multiple windows/tabs.

Running: 
Program: 5.0.677
Definition: 101021-0
Auto-update of definitions and programs.

File system shield settings:  Scan files on opening and writing checked and 'scan all files' are unchecked.

MS Windows XP home SP3
Not aware of any other Virus programs running.

Please advise of solution.

[YoKenny]

What are your CPU specifications and how much RAM does the system have

[robjobs]

Sorry previously I was not very clear. 
My PC has been working fine for many months and has been running Avast free version for over a year.
Within the last ~3 weeks, after using the PC for a few hours the AvastSvc.exe starts utilising very high percentages of CPU- blocking use of the PC for intended functions.
Currently AvastSvc.exe is not using any CPU.

FYI
Intel Pentuim 1.6Ghz
2Gb RAM

[Lisandro]

The guidelines for solving of the problem of using too much CPU has always been the same:

1. Check if the avast tray icon is spinning (while CPU usage is high)
2. If it is, click it (wait for the dialog box to open), and check which file is being scanned (spinning icon means a scan is in progress)
3. Find out which of the providers is scanning the file for each of the Shields.

[robjobs]

Ok the System tray icon is NOT spinning, but the AvastSvc.exe is still utilising 90+% of CPU.

Thought that Windows Indexing was blocking AvastSvc.exe, but have disabled indexing service and problem still exists.
This issue occurs after appprox 2-3 hours of PC usage - normally explorer browsing and Outlook emailing.

[robjobs]

Anyone have a solution please?

[Nesivos]

If you have not done so already you might try and open "Windows Task Manager"

Go to "Options" and make sure that "Always on Top" has a check mark next to it.  You can do this by clicking it. 

Make sure that "Show Processes From All Users" is checked.  It is at the bottom left.

Move the Windows Task Manager to some out of the way place on the monitor as it will now stay on top while you are using the computer.

Place your cursor over AvastSvc.exe, click one time lightly so that it is highlighted.   Observe the CPU and Memory usage for AvastSvc.exe.

Go about doing what you were doing on the computer keeping one eye on the highlighted AvastSvc.exe line CPU and Memory usage.

When either the memory or CPU usage go up excessively look note what you are doing on the computer at the time.  For example what website you might be at etc.  Also look to see if the Avast Orange ball is rotating.

Doing all of this might enable you to determine exactly what you were doing on your computer at the time that the memory and CPU usage of AvastSvc.exe went up. 

Also make sure to note if the memory and CPU usage stay high even after you have completed doing what you were doing when the memory and CPU usage went up.  Note how long it is before the memory and CPU usage are released after you finish the task that you were doing when the memory and CPU usage went up.  Also note if the Avast Orange ball continues spinning and if it is, if continues to spin until the memory and CPU usage of AvastSvc.exe returns to normal.

For example I use the paid version of 5.X along with Firefox 3.6.12 on my current surfing computer.  I have noticed that when I visit two websites in particular that are loaded with tons of Flash files and Java scripts that the memory usage of FF as well as its built in addin Plugin-Container.exe go through the roof.  Plugin-container.exe is supposed to keep your FF from crashing when it encounters a bad Flash file.   The problem is that once FF and Plugin-container.exe start using all of this memory they do not release it after I exit those two pages.   I haven't had the time yet to try and figure out the best way to solve the problem other than avoiding those two web-sites.  More is needed.  In the meantime I just exit FF and wait for it to release the memory.  The I reload it.  It is a pain but until I get up the energy to research the problem further it will have to do.

The point is is that by looking at the Windows Task Manager as I described above but with respect to FF and Plugin-container.exe I was able to get a starting point for solving the problem.  You might want to consider taking this approach with your problem regarading AvastSvc.exe.  I now have at least a pretty good starting point for solving the problem with FF and Plugin-Container.exe once I decide to put in the time to try and solve it either alone or with the help of a Forum and web searches.

Good luck

[Nesivos]

My response got me to take the next step to solving my FF problem.

The problem is on a XP SP3 computer with 2GB RAM which is still my main surfing computer.

I just tested these websites on my Media computer which is has on it W7 64bit and 4GB memory.  I am also using FF 4.0B6 on it. 

No problem with the memory and CPU usage.

Unfortunately FF 4.0B6 does not at this point have all the FF addons updated for it so I am reluctant to bother installing FF 4.0B6 on my XP computer.  Therefore I don't know if the problem has to do with XP vs W7 or with FF 3.6 vs FF4.0 or a combination of both. 

I do however have a good idea of what I will do next which is probably nothing until I can replace my computer with XP on it with another W7 64bit computer which I have been planning to do for a few months anyway.  Hopefully by around the first of the year.

My advice to home users who spend a decent or more amount of time of their home computers is to dump XP and Vista and if you want to stay with Windows go to W7.    XP was very good in its heh day it is an outdated operating system that is starting to cause more problems than it is worth.   A lot of the MSFT updates for programs like IE and DirectX do not work on XP.  So there are also security issues around staying with XP because a lot of the updated programs that have better security features built it do not work on XP or if they do work they do not work in a user friendly mode.

[YoKenny]

My advice to home users who spend a decent or more amount of time of their home computers is to dump XP and Vista and if you want to stay with Windows go to W7.    XP was very good in its heh day it is an outdated operating system that is starting to cause more problems than it is worth.   A lot of the MSFT updates for programs like IE and DirectX do not work on XP.  So there are also security issues around staying with XP because a lot of the updated programs that have better security features built it do not work on XP or if they do work they do not work in a user friendly mode.

Now if DavidR reads this he will get upset but at least he knows how to keep his PROFILE up to date.

Windows 7 was the best update I ever did. 

[Nesivos]

My advice to home users who spend a decent or more amount of time of their home computers is to dump XP and Vista and if you want to stay with Windows go to W7.    XP was very good in its heh day it is an outdated operating system that is starting to cause more problems than it is worth.   A lot of the MSFT updates for programs like IE and DirectX do not work on XP.  So there are also security issues around staying with XP because a lot of the updated programs that have better security features built it do not work on XP or if they do work they do not work in a user friendly mode.

Now if DavidR reads this he will get upset but at least he knows how to keep his PROFILE up to date.

Windows 7 was the best update I ever did. 

I agree.

I also avoided using W7 Beta otherwise known as Vista

[DavidR]

My advice to home users who spend a decent or more amount of time of their home computers is to dump XP and Vista and if you want to stay with Windows go to W7.    XP was very good in its heh day it is an outdated operating system that is starting to cause more problems than it is worth.   A lot of the MSFT updates for programs like IE and DirectX do not work on XP.  So there are also security issues around staying with XP because a lot of the updated programs that have better security features built it do not work on XP or if they do work they do not work in a user friendly mode.

Now if DavidR reads this he will get upset but at least he knows how to keep his PROFILE up to date.

Windows 7 was the best update I ever did. 

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, I'm happy with XP Pro (along with millions of others, the OS that refuses to die) and have been for many years. Vista for MS was an unmitigated disaster, never even getting to 20% OS market share when XP is still at around 58-9% and before it got sorted out along comes win7.

At that point many moved directly to win7 as did many disappointed Vista users, but for most people the only time they are going to consider an OS change is when they buy a new system. I bought a new system about two years ago and there was absolutely no way I would get Vista, so I purchased XP Pro again, I have it on two systems.

So it will be at least a year before I consider a new system and at that point I would decide what to do about an OS. By that time win8 will be poking its nose out from under the covers as it was unofficially leaked that it is due around 2012.

Will I stick with XP Pro until April 2014, now there's a thing, I see no feature in win7 that I absolutely must have, though hardware developments in the interim period may change that, as XP is unlikely to support all of them. But I don't know if I need the next generation of massive hard disk with its method of data storage.

Decisions, decisions, decisions, but I certainly won't be rushed into it. I had at one time considered waiting Vista SP1 before jumping on that particular bandwagon and look what happened there and along came win7

[Union_Thug]

....I have noticed that when I visit two websites in particular that are loaded with tons of Flash files and Java scripts that the memory usage of FF as well as its built in addin Plugin-Container.exe go through the roof.  Plugin-container.exe is supposed to keep your FF from crashing when it encounters a bad Flash file.   The problem is that once FF and Plugin-container.exe start using all of this memory they do not release it after I exit those two pages....In the meantime I just exit FF and wait for it to release the memory.  The I reload it.  It is a pain but until I get up the energy to research the problem further it will have to do...

Hello Nesivos, I stumbled across this post after your reply to my topic here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=65951.new;topicseen#new 

I have had plug-in container disabled with no noticeable performance hit since it's less than auspicious debut in FF 3.6.4 : http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1929497
To disable plugin-container.exe for all plugins, all 5 dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.* preferences must be set to "false" in about:config ... like this: (Firefox 3.6.6)


The first dom.ipc.plugins.enabled preference is already set to "false", by default. You don't want to set it to "true" since that would enable plugin-container for all other plugins! More information here:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins

The above info is posted more for the benefit of anyone researching plug-in container problems, not as much for yourself as you are probably already aware of this workaround, judging by your informed replies in this & other posts I've read thus far.