Avast Service High CPU

Antivirus tools that are solely created to get rid of malware and virus attacks from happening to your PC or laptop do take plenty of CPU memory to actively take forward numerous operations. Avast Antivirus program has been topping the list of most-downloaded and used antivirus software application for Windows PC in recent years. Starting from background scanning, computer cleanup, and regular virus removals, Avast antivirus keeps the viruses at bay. Such processes can turn useful at any given moment, yet, if at all avast service high CPU usage is detected, then you need to fix it as soon as possible before encountering random run time errors while working with different software applications. 

Recently if your computer has been responding slowly then you need to check with avast behavior shield CPU usage using the ‘Task Manager’. To quickly fix this particular issue, we have listed a wide variety of solutions list that you must try one after another to never let your CPU’s memory get clogged up.

What makes the avastsvc.exe program file cause high CPU usage?

Avastsvc.exe is the program file of Avast that tends to run under the ‘Processes’ section in Windows Task Manager. If you have a closer look at this particular file, it shall be consuming high memory values that can further let the CPU usage value hit 100 in various instances. The following is a list of reasons that can let you understand the sole reason behind experiencing Avast service high CPU usage errors. 

• The Avast installation file must have excluded certain antivirus tool during the installation process
• Continuously using the PC for long hours
• An important Avast system file has been removed unknowingly
• Running too many Avast components in the background
• An issue happening with the pre-loaded Avast Settings 

Possible ways to quickly resolve Avast service high CPU usage

Removing unused components from ‘Avast Settings’:

If you are unaware about what is Avast behavior shield, then it’s to learn the basics. Avast makes use of different components to perform real-time action when it comes to scanning and removing viruses and malware from your personal computer or laptop. Such components are grouped and known as the Avast behavior shield. As every other component requires vast memory space to run actively in the background, you might run out of CPU memory anytime. Wisely disable the unused Avast components by following the below-mentioned steps.

1. Make a right-click on the Avast application icon from the System Tray and then select ‘Avast User Interface’ from the loaded configuration list.
2. Alternatively, you can click on the ‘Start’ button from the Task Bar and then type ‘Avast’ within the search bar to open up the ‘Avast User Interface’.
3. From the loaded window, navigate to the ‘Components’ tab from the left panel.
4. A list of components that have been selected in-default shall be listed
5. Make a left-click on the downward faced arrow located on the sides of the component that you no longer make use of 
6. A new set of actions shall get displayed, from which you need to choose ‘Uninstall Component’.
7. A prompting window shall load-up asking for your permission to start and complete the uninstall action
8. Click upon the ‘OK’ button to start uninstalling the Avast behavior shield component that has been hogging up the CPU memory.

Restart the PC and check if the CPU memory usage is back to its normal state or not. If the CPU memory is still congested with Avast applications, then follow the upcoming solution.

Fix ‘Avast using too much CPU’ disk or memory usage errors by a Command Prompt tweak

By following the below-mentioned steps, you are about to reduce the overall scan frequency levels of Avast program to bypass Avast service high CPU disk or memory usage. You need to run Windows Prompt in administrator mode to tweak certain settings.

1. Click upon the ‘Windows logo’ button from your computer connected keyboard
2. The Start menu shall load up, from which you need to make a click on the ‘Search’ box using the mouse.
3. Type ‘Command Prompt’ to let the Start menu automatically search and load the relevant program list.
4. From the provided search result, right-click on the Windows Prompt program icon, and select ‘Run as Administrator’ from the showcased configuration list.
5. The Command Prompt window shall open up in Administrator mode providing every other permission to change Windows system and installed software settings
6. Type in the exact folder that has the Avast antivirus software installed
7. In default, Avast gets installed to this drive location.
8. After entering the above-mentioned local drive location, type Avast5.ini and press the ‘Enter’ button
9. This action shall open up the file within Command Prompt window
10. Now, type as mentioned in the below image and press the ‘Enter’ button.
11. Make sure to save the file before exiting the Command Prompt window.

Restart the PC and check if the Avast service high CPU usage type of issues has been resolved or not. If Avast is using 100 disk usage spaces then probably you need to update Avast to the recently released versions as mentioned in the next solution. 

Updating the Avast Program and Virus Definitions:

If clearing Avast behavior shield memory components and tweaking the Avast program files has not solved the Avast service high CPU usage issue then you need to update Avast to the newly updated program and virus definitions file using an active Wi-Fi internet connection. 

1. Make sure your PC has been connected to a LAN or Wi-Fi internet connection
2. Double-click upon the Avast antivirus shortcut icon from the Desktop to open the user interface.
3. From the opened ‘Avast’ window, click upon the ‘Settings’ icon.
4. A new window shall pop-up
5. Select ‘Update’ section from the left panel.
6. Now, the available virus definition and program update files shall be showcased.
7. Click upon the Update button on both the ‘Virus Definitions’ and ‘Program’ section to start the update processes.
8. Wait until the update gets finished
9. You will be prompted to Restart the PC, click upon the ‘RESTART NOW’ button to perform the system restart action.

After restarting, start using the newly updated Avast program version and check if the Avast service high CPU disk and memory usage bug has been resolved or not. If updating Avast virus definitions and program versions have normalized the CPU usage of Avast antivirus software, then it was probably a bug in the Avast program file that has been clogging up the CPU memory. 

If these steps didn’t work out for you, then follow the next fix that involves closing the Avast Screensaver scanning option.

Closing Avast Screensaver scanning option:

If you are unable to fix Avast using too much CPU memory errors even after rightly following the above-mentioned solutions then you need to try closing the Avast Screensaver scanning option that has the potential to run actively in the background. The Avast Screensaver scanning option cannot be turned on or turned off through the Avast User Interface. To permanently fix Avast service high CPU usage, follow the upcoming steps.

1. Make a right-click on any file present in your Desktop or a local drive and then select ‘Scan file with Avast’ from the loaded context menu.
2. Avast shall start scanning for viruses present in the file in a new pop-up window
3. Before the scanning gets completed, you can witness the number of scans that are being done to the file
4. Locate Avast Screensaver scan from the list and then make a right-click on it
5. Select the ‘Stop’ button to eradicate the on-going background scanning and to permanently stop Avast Screensaver from running in the background as well

Now open up Task Manager and check with the CPU disk and memory usage. If the levels are normal then disabling Avast Screensaver scan from running in the background has resolved the issue.

Repairing Avast through Control Panel:

If at all Avast was not said to be properly installed, then you might repeatedly experience Avast service high CPU levels. Repairing the installed Avast files can solve this issue.

Open up Control Panel using one of the below-mentioned steps:

1. Press the ‘Windows logo’ button along with the ‘R’ button from the keyboard to load the Run dialog box, in which you need to type Control and then press the ‘Enter’ button to load the Control Panel.
2. Click on the ‘Start’ menu and then select ‘Control Panel’ within the loaded program menu.

After opening up the Control Panel, follow the upcoming steps:

1. You need to click upon the drop-down box present nearby the ‘View by’ option and select ‘Category’ from the list.
2. Click upon the ‘Uninstall a program’ option under the ‘Program’ section.
3. You will be redirected to the ‘Programs and Features’ section, where every other software application that has been installed to your PC shall be listed.
4. To bypass Avast using too much CPU memory, you need to find and make a right-click on the Avast installed file
5. A new context menu shall get showcased nearby, allowing you to take two different actions, one is to uninstall the Avast program, and the second is the repair it using Windows Installer
6. You need to make a left-click upon the ‘Repair’ option.
7. The Windows Installer shall load up and make use of the Ethernet or the Wi-Fi internet connection to repair for the installation package that can quickly fix the errors with the previously installed Avast file.
8. If you have the latest Avast installation file downloaded to your PC, then click upon the ‘Browse’ button, locate from the local drive and load up the .msi installation package file to get rid of the Avast installation errors.Follow the instructions provided on-screen to repair the Avast antivirus program and to avoid witnessing Avast using 100 disk memory space type of error. Restart the computer after repairing Avast with Windows Installer and check if it still uses high disk and memory space. If the CPU usage has turned normal, then repairing the Avast file has completely resolved the entire issue.