High CPU usage of Avast Service

Antivirus tools tend to consume a lot of resources because they perform many operations in real time, as background scan, virus removal and equipment cleaning. These processes are quite useful, but they can be annoying after finding out that the antivirus tool consumes almost all the CPU power.

Avast was experiencing this issue and its users reported that Avast was constantly experiencing it and that the CPU usage was consistently above the 50%. This can interrupt whatever you are doing on your computer and can get quite annoying after a while. There are several different ways to solve this problem, so make sure you follow the article to solve the problem.

How to stop Avast service due to high CPU usage?

• 1. Quitar Avast Cleanup

• 2. Signal adjustment command

• 3. Update Avast to the latest version.

• 4. Avast screensaver scan though it shouldn't $ 0027t

• 5. Repair Avast from the control panel

• 6. Deshabilitar Mail Shield

• 7. Disable update notifications

• 8. Remove unnecessary Avast plugins

1. Quitar Avast Cleanup

It seems that the component most responsible for this problem is Avast Cleanup, acting in real time to free up some resources allocated by other background applications. Anything that does your job in real time can be heavy on the processor, so sometimes it is better to just uninstall this component.

1. Open the Avast user interface by clicking on its icon in the system tray or by locating it in the Start menu entry.

2. Go to Settings and click the Components tab, which should be the second.

3. Click the down arrow next to the component you want to remove (Avast Cleanup in this particular example), click Uninstall the component and then click OK to confirm the uninstallation of the component.

4. Restart your PC if Avast asks for that option to confirm the changes. Check if CPU usage is back to normal.

Note: If this doesn't work for you, you can repeat the same process for the component called Behavior Shield. If this fixes the problem, you can try turning it on again and the cpu usage should remain unchanged.

2. 2. Configuration command

This solution is quite simple and will really change the scan frequency to the maximum value. This will disable the background check and monitoring and will only occur occasionally. This can cause some security issues, but the CPU usage is guaranteed to return to normal.

1. Use the Windows key combination + X to open the menu where you need to select the Command Prompt option (Administrator). You can also right click on the start menu to get the same effect, or just search for command prompt, right-click and select Run as administrator.

1. Enter the following command to navigate to this next folder where you can perform more actions:

 C: ProgramDataN-Software AvastN-avast 

1. Open the avast5.ini file and insert the following command online:

[GrimeFighter] : ScanFrequency=999

1. Save the file, restart your computer and see if the error is resolved immediately.

3. Update Avast to the latest version.

Some older versions of Avast are not responding, as it is recommended to always keep both your antivirus and the virus definition database updated so that the antivirus tool works correctly. Updating Avast is easy and it's easy to follow the steps below.

1. Open the Avast user interface by clicking on its icon in the system tray or by locating it in the Start menu entry.

2. Navigate to the update tab and you will notice that there are two update buttons. One of these buttons is related to updating the virus definitions database and the other is related to updating the program itself.

1. Most users have reported that updating their virus definitions has solved the problem, but it is better to update both the database and the program by clicking both update buttons, being patient while Avast checks for updates and continues. the on-screen instructions to follow the process.

2. Check if CPU usage is back to normal.

Note: In some cases, if Avast has been affected by malware, it may not be able to update it properly and show unknown error during update.

4. Avast screensaver scan though it should $ 0027t

In some cases, is related to Avast screensaver, which seems to keep scanning even though the screensaver no longer works. Even though it doesn't happen consistently but often enough, the problem is still there and it is causing high CPU usage to no avail. The worst thing is that it does not appear in the Avast interface. Here's how to solve the problem:

1. Right-click on a random file located on your computer and choose to scan the file with Avast from the context menu.

1. A window with the results of the tests should appear and you will be able to see a list of the tests that are currently running.

2. Locate Avast Screensaver and click the Stop button next to it to stop and check if your CPU usage has returned to normal.

5. Repair Avast from the control panel

If there is a problem with the Avast installation, it is better to fix it by navigating to the Control Panel and fixing it. This solution worked for many people, but be aware of the fact that you may need to readjust the settings that have changed in the meantime.

1. First, make sure you are logged in with an administrator account, as you will not be able to remove programs with any other account.

2. Click on the start menu and open the control panel by searching for it. Alternatively, you can click gear icon to open settings if you are using windows 10.

PROFESSIONAL SUGGESTION: If the problem is with your computer or laptop, you should try to use Reimage Plus, which can scan repositories and replace damaged and lost files. This works in most of the cases when the problem originates due to system corruption. You can download Reimage for By clicking here

1. In the control panel, select View as: Category in the upper right corner and click Uninstall a program in the Programs section. Clicking on the option “Uninstall a program”

2. If you use the Settings app, by clicking Applications, a list of all programs installed on your PC will immediately open.

3. Find Avast in Control Panel or Settings and click Uninstall / Fix.

4. Your uninstall wizard should open with two options: Repair and Remove. Select Repair and click Next to correct the installation of the program. Uninstall Avast from the control panel

5. A message will appear asking you to confirm the process. Avast will most likely restart with the default settings that were working before the error started to occur.

6. Click Finish when the uninstall process is complete and restart your computer to see if the errors continue to appear.

6. Deshabilitar Mail Shield

Sometimes, Avast's Mail Shield feature can hamper your performance and lead to high CPU usage. Therefore, in this step, deshabilitaremos Mail Shield. For that:

1. Launch Avast from the system tray and press the button “menu”.

2. Select option “Setting” and click on the tab “Protection”. Clicking on the option “Setting” from the menu

3. On the Protection tab, select option “Core Shields” and scroll down to click on the tab “Mail Shield”.

4. Uncheck all options on this tab and click “Indefinitely” if Avast requests a time period.

5. After that, restart Avast and check if the problem persists.

Note: Everyone else “Shields” in the menu Central Shields must be activated. It was reported that, if it is affected by malware, the web shield may not turn on. Therefore, be on the lookout for vulnerability due to certain features being disabled.

7. Disable update notifications

In certain cases, high CPU usage may be triggered if Avast Antivirus tries to send an update notification, but it slips due to triggering this error. Therefore, in this step, we will disable update notifications. For it:

1. Open Avast and wait for it to load completely.

2. Click on the icon “Menu” in the upper right and select “Setting”. Clicking on "Settings" in the menu

3. In settings, click on the tab “Performance” in the left pane and then select the option “Software Updater”.

4. In the software updater settings, uncheck the button “Notifications about new updates” and then click “X” to close the window.

5. Now check if the problem persists.

Note: It is also recommended to perform a full reinstall of Avast after completely removing it from your computer.

8. Remove unnecessary Avast plugins

Avast comes with many additional quirks and features that greatly increase its functionality.. However, for most users, these additional features are not necessary and add to the use of resources by the antivirus. Therefore, in this step, we will modify the Avast installation by uninstalling some of these features. To do this, follow the guide below.

1. Press “Windows” + “R” to open the run prompt.

2. Write “Control Panel” and press “Enter” to open the classic control panel interface. Access the classic dashboard interface

3. Click on the option “See for:” and select “Category”.

4. Now, Click the button “Uninstall a program” below header “Programs”.

5. Here, right click option “Avast Antivirus” from the list and select “Uninstall”. Clicking on “Uninstall”

6. Wait for the request to be processed and in the window that opens click on the option “Modify”.

7. In the next window, uncheck all unnecessary options except the following.

   File Shield

   Mail shield

   Web shield

   Behavior shield

8. Click the button “Change” and wait for the installation to process.

9. Once the process is finished, check if the problem persists.

SUGGESTION: If none of the methods have solved your problem, we recommend that you use the Reimage repair tool, which can scan repositories to replace damaged and lost files. This works in most cases, when the problem originates due to a system corruption. Reimage will also optimize your system for maximum performance. You can download Reimage for By clicking here