100% CPU Usage

Discussion in 'ESET NOD32 Antivirus' started by Daegalus, Apr 25, 2008.

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  1. lepicane

    lepicane Registered Member

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    Could somebody please post a link to the version of ESS before 667 (657, I think).

    After upgrading to version 667 and using it for about a week ekrn.exe would go up to 100% when updating the virus definitions (nothing else installed in the meantime). Same thing with upgrade to 669, but from install.

    Uninstalled 669, rebooted, deleted all ESET folders from C: and any reference to ESET in the registry, rebooted, clean install of 669 and same problem....cannot update as ekrn.exe is at 100% and update hangs. If I kill ekrn in the task manager, the update aborts and I can use ESS without a problem, well until I or it needs to update...

    Thanks,
     
  2. lepicane

    lepicane Registered Member

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    UPDATE

    For those that are experiencing this update problem AND have a mirror update folder set up, make sure you delete all the files in the mirror update folder before updating ESS 669.

    Once I've done this, it updates without a problem and ekrn.exe is 'normal'.

    I noticed that the update would never complete and yet the *dat files in the program directory and in the 'C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ESET\ESET Smart Security\Updfiles' all had today's date, and yet the GUI was showing never updated and defnition dates from 1st July o_O

    I use ESS with the maximum (Blackspear's) settings.
     
  3. seraph787

    seraph787 Registered Member

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    I was getting %100 usage from NOD32 after downloading even small zip files with firefox 3. To fix it just disable firefox 3 automatic file scanning. This is technically already done by NOD32 anyway with scanning and file creation.

    When Firefox auto-scans on completion I think it might cause NOD32 to clash with itself and when and when two unstoppable forces collide everything stops.

    To disable the auto scanning just go to about:config and toggle
    "browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone"
    Should solve most issues with scanning files with firefox
     
  4. Bakker

    Bakker Registered Member

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    Found another cause for high CPU initialization on a few pcs:

    (These PCs are fresh XP installs with all SP's and Updates, nothing else but NOD32)

    After installing the SQL 2005 Management Tools (SQL Client), mscorwin.exe causes 100% cpu usage continuesly. I can let it run for an hour and it'll still do it, even after a reboot it causes 100% cpu. The only option is to kill the mscorwin processes and to disable the .NET Runtime Optimization Service v2.0.50727_X86 service.

    The funny thing is, that if i install the SQL client before NOD32, this never happens, not even when the mscorwin.exe processes pop up for other reasons. Filemon only shows me that it starts reading a logfile from the same directory that mscorwin.exe is in over and over and over. (Forgot the name)
     
  5. halcyon

    halcyon Registered Member

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    Reading all these issues, it sounds like v3 wasn't properly compatibility/stress tested - at least not to the extent v2.X series was.

    I wonder if ESET has any ETA or plan on how soon they will have these fixed?

    It's not like we are talking some obscure esoteric software here: Firefox, SQL Management tools, Windows Indexing Service, etc.

    These are very widely used and common software, for which a 100% cpu hogging incompatibility should be a show-stopping do-not-release-the-code-yet type of bug.

    But here we are, with v3 almost eight months later (plus the time used for betas) and these issues are not still fixed?

    Eset, oh Eset, what has becomest of thou?
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2008
  6. ram130

    ram130 Registered Member

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    any updates? did they fix dis?
     
  7. Roadkil

    Roadkil Registered Member

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    100% cpu usage frustration!!

    when will the 100% cpu usuage be resolved?? It defeats the purpose of heuristics to disable the sole thing that nod32 prides itself on. I just got brought down to my knees by 100% usage and even after a reboot it jumped right back up to 100%. I really love Nod32 but this is starting to get pretty bad. I'm running 3.0.699.0. A non-smart a** response would be appreciated as well as not the usual typical tech support answer of "uninstall, delete directory and reinstall" would be greatly appreciated.
     
  8. Marcos

    Marcos Eset Staff Account

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    Re: 100% cpu usage frustration!!

    If you enable advanced heuristics / runtime packers on file access, you must be aware of the adverse effect on scanning speed. Code emulation is simply a time consuming operation. In most cases, we limit emulation to several seconds. The slowdown shouldn't occur with normal files, only with files that are somehow protected to prevent emulation (usually malware). It's like complaining that one cannot run calculation intensive programs (e.g. real-time movie rendering, weather simulation, etc) on his home pc - you simply cannot expect this to work and you must expect delays. There's simply no way to remedy this than buying better hardware (e.g. big server clusters for various simulations). Becase code emulation is a time consuming operation, it is used only for newly created / modified files. This provides same protection on a clean computer as if the options were enabled on file access.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2008
  9. ram130

    ram130 Registered Member

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    Re: 100% cpu usage frustration!!


    dude....who di hell cares...its not suppose to be doin dat, thats the point. we need it fix, now. Stop go around the ting and giv us background info like we fool. Yo dem need to fix it, we shouldn't have to be disabling the antivirus most advertise features to get what we want. It defeats the purpose, in other words what will need it foro_O tell me why doesn't 90% of all other anti virus programs do thiso_O?for more than 5minso_O? plzzz ansa:mad:
     
  10. Marcos

    Marcos Eset Staff Account

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    Re: 100% cpu usage frustration!!

    Using Advanced heuristics / runtime packers on file access is a new feature of version 3 that didn't exist in v2. These are intended only for those who don't mind delay when accessing files. As of the next version, the user will be warned that enabling these options may have adverse effect on computer performance when scanning certain files.
     
  11. trjam

    trjam Registered Member

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    But, here is what I dont understand, when I enable them, my CPU usage is normal. It works fine.
     
  12. Marcos

    Marcos Eset Staff Account

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    It depends on the files you scan. Especially certain malware can take more time for advanced heuristics to emulate it.
     
  13. trjam

    trjam Registered Member

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    well I use Blackspears settings and see the save as target file doesnt tick Advanced Heuristics and packers, but I tic both and honestly see no slow down. It all works fine. I think a users PC drivers may be a issue and not the software.
     
  14. Roadkil

    Roadkil Registered Member

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    So pretty much what they are saying is "its not a bug it's a feature" to make a CLEAN system unusable till it decides it's done. Or solve the problem by disabling btheir most advertised feature.
     
  15. trjam

    trjam Registered Member

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    who is the question for, me or Marcos. Nice name.:cautious:
     
  16. Marcos

    Marcos Eset Staff Account

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    Nobody says to disable advanced heuristics or runtime packers on file access. These options were not present in v2 and were added to v3 only for those who don't mind higher impact on system performance. Should these options cause troubles to users who don't realize the impact on the performance, it'd be probably better to remove them and leave it as it was in v2.
     
  17. Irasys_net

    Irasys_net Registered Member

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    I had issues of 100% CPU Usage mainly on:

    • Installation of new programs.
    • Changes in Windows configuration.

    The disable of advanced heuristics trick didn't work, so today I've uninstalled the Spyware Doctor that comes with Google Pack.

    Fortunately, all the issues have gone.

    The funny thing is that Spyware Doctor was installed BUT DISABLED, so initially I thought that it hadn't nothing to do with the issue.

    Ciao.
     
  18. John2222

    John2222 Registered Member

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    I've been quietly following this thread looking for a hopeful answer.

    But, I'm surprised at the wording above that 100% CPU usage is considered just "higher impact"?

    100% is merely higher? What would significant impact mean?
     
  19. Roadkil

    Roadkil Registered Member

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    I guess a complete system crash instead of just being handcuffed and unusable until it decides its done would qualify.
     
  20. joby

    joby Registered Member

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    NewCoventry,

    i actually found your advice to work instantaneously - no reboot required, thank you!

    I excluded the thinkpad folder and it worked, cpu utilization is down to 4%!

    I took your hypothesis and tested it further, by removing the thinkpad folder exclusion, and excluding "C:\Program Files\ThinkPad\ConnectUtilities" instead. this has the same effect. So it most definitely is one of the program(s) or file(s) in the Access Connections suite causing the conflict.

    maybe that will be of use to someone at eset.

    -joby

     
  21. Marcos

    Marcos Eset Staff Account

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    We'd appreciate if you could do the following:
    - tell us the exact notebook model you use
    - set the real-time protection to scan files with standard extensions instead of all files. Does it make a difference?
    - with the folder not excluded from scanning, look at the counter of scanned file and tell us if it's rising up quickly
     
  22. Just_me

    Just_me Registered Member

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    Re: 100% cpu usage frustration!!

    Hi,

    I have been following this thread for a while now. Every 3.xxx version of NOD had this 100% CPU behaviour on my Vista 64 Business, after I updated to 3.067. Going back to 3.065 which worked before the update did not help. Right now I went back to 2.7 and even that has a tendency to use up to 50% of the CPU, causing the machine to run at full force thus making my settings for energy saving worthless and the computer noisy since the fans run at maximum speed. This is not just an "adverse effect on computer performance" this is a major issue.

    Could it be a special problem with Vista 64? I never had any trouble with NOD since 2005 as long as it ran on 32 bit Windows (either XP or Vista).

    Greetings
     
  23. Roadkil

    Roadkil Registered Member

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    Re: 100% cpu usage frustration!!

    Its not an adverse effect its a feature that they are not going to fix .
     
  24. ram130

    ram130 Registered Member

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    Re: 100% cpu usage frustration!!

    Its a feature they love so much that it runs 50% of thier customers machince in high cpu. Its not a problem at all marcos, but get your head together please!. LIsten and listen to me good ....having 100% is NOT KOOL!! WHY DONT U TRY RUNING A GAME, MSN, BROWSER and applications WHILE UR ANTIVIRUS IS FIGHTING WITH IT FOR CPU...U NOTICE ANY TING?? ...i dnt kno but the stuttering sound and the glitchy(10fps) graphics does not mean any thing u kno marcos....its still playable i mean i need protection that makes my system run like a 500mhz u kno...so its a good ting none the less. We like the feature, really we do....without more than 40% cpu its really good u kno....really good...so good that i'm upgrading my protection to Avira.....Eset have listen to the people....
     
  25. artsky

    artsky Registered Member

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    Re: 100% cpu usage frustration!!

    sadly I have to reboot my computer several times a day because of this problem :(
     
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