Troubleshoot Avast Service High CPU with 5 Ideal Solutions

Antivirus tools are resource-demanding as they need to perform real-time operations like background scanning and computer cleanup. But, it is concerning matter if the antivirus software suddenly starts consuming too much CPU power.

Several Avast users have discovered that this antivirus is constantly consuming 50% of their CPU power. Therefore, you can’t continue your work due to high CPU usage on your computer. 

So, if you are also facing this issue, then some immediate action is required to fix Avast service high CPU. Thus, you must know the possible causes of Avast service high CPU usage and apply the corresponding solution. 

Solutions to Fix Avast Service High CPU:

Go through the fixes given below and keep trying them one after another. 

Fix 1: Remove Avast Cleanup

Avast Cleanup acts in real-time order to free some resources allocated by apps running in the background of your computer. Thus, it can put pressure on the CPU and consume its power. Hence, we would suggest you uninstall this Avast component to rule out this probability. 

1. Go to the Start menu and click the Avast icon in the system tray.
2. As the Avast user interface opens up, navigate to Settings and click the Components tab. 
3. Locate Avast Cleanup and click the downward arrow next to it. 
4. Choose ‘Uninstall Component’ from the drop-down menu and click ‘OK’ to begin the uninstallation process. 
5. Restart your PC and ensure that the CPU usage is back to its normal state. 

Note: If the CPU usage continues to be high, then repeat the above steps for the component named Behavior Shield. 

Fix 2: Change the Scanning Frequency

Use this solution to change the Scan frequency to the maximum value. Moreover, it will prevent Avast from conducting the background check and monitoring. Thus, Avast will scan the system for once only. Though it might lead to some security issues, the CPU usage will be back to normal. So, let’s give it a try by using the following steps:

1. For Windows 10, use the combination ‘Windows key+X’ to open the menu. 
2. Look for the Command Prompt(Admin) option and select it to open a Command Prompt window with Administrative privileges. 
3. For other Windows versions, type ‘cmd’ in the Windows search bar and press the ‘Enter’ option.
4. Right-click on ‘cmd’ in the search result and select the ‘Run as administrator’ option. 
5. Type ‘C:\ ProgramData\AvastSoftware\Avast’ in the elevated Command Prompt and press Enter to navigate to the required folder. 
6. Open the file named ‘ avast5.ini’ and insert the command line ‘[GrimeFighter]: ScanFrequency=999.’
7. Click on the ‘Save’ button to save this file and restart the system to check the CPU usage. 

Fix 3: Install the Latest Version of Avast

Older versions of antivirus programs often become unresponsive and tend to consume more CPU. The same problem can occur with your Avast antivirus as well. So, update it to the latest version available as discussed below. 

1. Click on the Avast icon in the system tray to access the Avast User Interface. 
2. Move to the Update tab and you will find two buttons. 
3. One of these update buttons is to update the virus definitions database and the other one will update the antivirus itself. 
4. You can click on any button and resolve the Avast service high CPU usage. However, most users have fixed the problem by updating the virus definitions database. 
5. Still, we would ask you to click both these buttons and do the related updates.
6. Wait for the time being as long as Avast checks for the selected updates and then follow the on-screen prompts. 

Proceed to the next solution if the CPU usage remains unchanged. 

Fix 4: Stop the Avast Screensaver Scanning

In some cases, the Avast screensaver continues the scan though it is not running on your PC. This problem can cause high CPU usage and thus, you must do something to stop this scanning. 

1. Right-click a random file located on your computer and select Avast scan from the context menu. 
2. Windows displays a scan result window indicating the list of scans running on your computer. 
3. So, locate the Avast Screensaver scan in the list and click the ‘Stop’ button beside it. 
4. Use your computer for a couple of minutes to check the CPU usage. 

Fix 5: Repair Your Avast Antivirus                                          

If something is wrong with Avast installation, then it can increase the CPU usage as well. So, you will need to repair Avast from the Control Panel. This method might change the settings in the meantime and hence you would have to readjust them manually. Here’s how can we repair the Avast antivirus tool. 

1. Make sure to log in to Windows by using an administrator account. Otherwise, it won’t be possible to delete programs using your personal account. 
2. Go to the Start menu and open the Control Panel window from the menu. 
3. If you can’t find Control Panel, then look for it in the Windows search box. 
4. Click the View As tab on the Control Panel window and select ‘Category’ from the submenu. 
5. Navigate to the ‘Programs’ section and click the ‘Uninstall a program’ link. 

Alternatively, you can open the Settings app from the Start menu and click ‘Apps.’ Locate Avast from the list of programs installed on your PC and tap the ‘Uninstall/Repair’ button. Soon the uninstall wizard opens on your computer screen and displays two options: Repair and Remove. Select the ‘Repair’ option and click ‘Next’ to fix problems hidden with the installation of Avast. 

Click ‘OK’ on the confirmation popup and Avast will restart with its default settings. Click the ‘Finish’ button when Avast has loaded the default settings. Now, restart the system and check the status of CPU usage. 

Hopefully, you will no longer have to struggle with Avast service high CPU. Remember that you can repeat the same methods to fix Avast service high CPU Windows 10 promptly as well.