Everyone knows about the importance of cybersecurity applications for modern computer systems. However, some users are reluctant to use antiviruses because of various performance issues. Avast is well-known for its controversial antivirus software and different attitude to it from the customers. One of the main complaints about it is Avast service high CPU usage, which can happen from time to time. It is essential to have a constant protection from external threats, so identifying and fixing such issues are very beneficial skills for a modern user.
What can lead to high CPU usage?
More advanced PC users know how to monitor the system’s performance and the consumption of computer’s resources by different applications. You need to open a Task Manager by pressing the “Ctrl, Alt, Delete” combination of keys and choosing it from the list. “Performance” and “Processes” are the tabs that you need to study. The first one shows how much of the resources are consumed by programs that are running, and the second one gives a complete list of the processes that work at the moment. If you have faced some issue with slowdowns after installing Avast Antivirus, you want to pay your attention to Task Manager to find out, whether it is this application that causes the problems.
If you are sure about it, the next step is to identify the root of the faulty performance of Avast Antivirus. Some of the potential causes:
- Outdated version of Antivirus or operating system, which can cause incompatibility issues.
- Too many background scanning processes running simultaneously.
- Malfunctions of computer hardware or its insufficient power resources. Newer versions of Avast can be quite demanding, especially when it comes to unoptimized Windows PCs.
- Clashes with other programs that use similar amounts of CPU resources and need to run in the background too.
Fixing the issue of high CPU usage
Even though the issue is quite important, there is no need to worry. If the reason for the slowdowns is one of the listed above, the solution to it is basic.
Tips on how to solve the issue:
- Try updating Avast to the latest version through the Control Panel or using the official website. Otherwise, the outdated versions may work incorrectly and even cause some critical errors.
- Make sure that only features that you need are turned on. Most of the additional functions require background scans, which may be too demanding.
- Try turning off Avast completely to see if the problem with high CPU usage disappears. If not, there is certainly a program that has some issues with working simultaneously with Avast.
Conclusion
Avast Antivirus is a great cybersecurity software so you want to be able to fix issues with its performance instead of deleting it. If the root of the problem is outside of the given list, it is better to ask a specialist or to reach out to the support team, to get rid of it.