To keep the data on the computer safe, most of you choose to install an antivirus program to ensure security by detecting and removing some malicious software and viruses.
On the market, there are many antivirus programs. And as far as we know, Avast is one of the widely used and most reliable apps since it can keep your computer clean and offer help in many ways.
But sometimes you may encounter the issue of the slow computer when using this antivirus program. Then, you ask: is Avast slowing down my computer? Now, get the answer from the following part.
MiniTool System Booster TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Does Avast Slow Down Your Computer
To some extent, an antivirus can have some influence on the overall speed of your machine.
Since the antivirus program performs automatic scans, the CPU usage can keep constant. While installing a new app or downloading a file from the Internet, Avast can perform a scan.
And it compares the network drive with several known malware signatures and behaviors during each scan. As a result, the list of malware types is growing greatly and the databases that Avast uses are large.
Luckily, the security company has noticed this problem and now they use the provider’s server to power the processes instead of the customer’s. Besides, there are some other reasons for Avast slowing down computer. For example, an additional tool or component that isn’t really needed is installed when you install Avast.
Also, the software can update automatically after turning on your computer. If you choose remote assistance, this can slow down your PC. So, the option should be unchecked when not required regularly.
In a word, the answer to this question “does Avast slow down your computer” is yes. Avast can slow down your computer.
Well then, what should you do if Avast slows down your computer? There are some methods you can find to speed up the computer. Now, let’s see them.
Solutions to Avast Slowing Down PC
Option 1: Load Avast After Windows Services
This is one of the easy and ideal solutions if the slow PC issue is triggered by Avast. Sometimes, this antivirus program and Windows services conflict with each other, leading to PC slowing down.
If you load Avast after Windows services, then everything will turn on after loading Windows. Just follow these steps to do this work.
Step 1: Run Avast Free Antivirus in your system.
Step 2: Click the Menu button to choose Settings.
Step 3: Under the Troubleshooting tab, ensure the option of Delay Avast startup is checked. In some old versions, the option is Load Avast services only after loading other system services.
After selecting the option, Avast services start only after your other computer services have started. Then, it may be helpful to fix Avast slowing down computer.
But this operation can leave your computer unprotected during startup. That is, the PC may get infected during that time. So, use this with discretion.
Option 2: Disable the Background Updates
You should know Avast can impact the computer speed because of its background updates. Avast may start downloading the latest version while you run the PC and want to check something on the Internet.
This behavior can slow down the PC. Besides, this situation can also occur when you are playing the game on the computer or working on the Internet. How annoying it is!
To get rid of this trouble, you can choose to disable the background updates to improve the computer’s performance by following these instructions below.
Step 1: Run this antivirus program on your computer.
Step 2: Go to Menu > Settings > Updates.
Step 3: Under the Virus definitions section, click More options and you can choose Ask when an update is available or Manual update.
If there is an available update, this program will show a notification and you only need to click the Update now button.
Option 3: Free up Disk Space
If your hard drive is full, you should free up the disk space since it can be the reason for Avast slowing down PC.
To get free space, you can choose to delete some unnecessary files, images or videos, remove the Recycle Bin, etc. Here, you can use Avast Cleanup to scan for your computer, find and remove unwanted files.
Option 4: Add the Memory to Computer
Sometimes the issue of Avast slowing down the computer happens since the machine has insufficient memory.
Some old computers have low RAM and memory, so they cannot run the latest and advanced software including Avast. If your computer becomes slow, ensure it has at least 4GB RAM and 500GB hard drive to run any new program.
As to memory, you can add RAM to your computer. In our previous post – How to Get More RAM on Laptop—Free up RAM or Upgrade RAM, you can know some tips on getting more memory.
As to the disk, you can choose to upgrade your small disk to a large one. Also, this post – How to Upgrade to Larger Hard Drive Without Data Loss may be what you need.
Some Other Tips to Speed up PC
If Avast slows down the computer, there are some other easy methods you can try to speed up the machine.
Uncheck Avast Community and Data Sharing
Step 1: Run Avast and go to Settings > General > Privacy.
Step 2: Ensure these two options – Participate in the Avast community and Participate in data sharing are not checked.
Switch off the Mail Shield
If you are not using any email client on the computer, you can choose to switch off the Mail Shield. Just go to Settings of Avast to find the Mail Shield component and choose Stop permanently to disable it.
Remove Avast Tools
Avast has many tools that you don’t use. When this antivirus program slows down your PC, you can remove these tools from the PC.
1. Just open Control Panel and go to Uninstall a program under the Programs section.
2. Right-click the Avast tool and choose Uninstall.
Now, we have shown you the answer to the question of “does Avast slow down your computer’ and how to fix the slow issue caused by Avast. In the next part, let’s see some common and useful tips to fix the slow PC caused by other reasons.
What to Do If Slow PC Is Caused by Other Reasons Rather Than Avast
Upgrade to SSD
If the Windows is running on an HDD, it may run slowly. If you install Avast, it may be much slower. To get rid of this situation, you can choose to upgrade your disk from HDD to SSD.
How can you do this work? Professional PC cloning software – MiniTool ShadowMaker can be used to clone the hard drive to SSD. At first glance, you find it is a Windows backup software. Also, it can be used for disk upgrade since it offers a feature called Clone Disk.
Now, get MiniTool ShadowMaker Trial Edition by clicking the following button and install it on your computer.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 1: Run this cloning software by double-clicking the icon.
Step 2: Go to the Tools window, click Clone Disk.
Step 3: Choose the HDD as the source disk and your SSD as the target disk. Then, click OK and Yes to start the cloning operation.
Step 4: After finishing the clone, shut down your PC, remove the HDD, and install the SSD to the original place. Then, you can boot your PC from the SSD. Just enjoy the fast speed.
Make Sure the OS Is Up-to-Date
If the operating system is too old, the performance of the computer is low. Thus, make sure your operating system is the latest version.
In Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security and click Check for updates in the Windows Update page. Then, Windows will start downloading available updates. Restart the PC to finish the operation.
Uninstall Some Unnecessary Programs
Some outdated programs may lead to errors and incompatibility issues, making the PC slow. Thus, you should uninstall some old and unnecessary programs from the computer.
Fix Disk Errors
If the disk is logically or physically damaged, PC can also slow down. You can use chkdsk to find & fix the logical errors and shield bad sectors. Just run Command Prompt with admin privileges, then type chkdsk x: /f and chkdsk x: /r in turn and press Enter after each one. (X is the drive letter)
A Suggestion: Back up Your Computer
After knowing the answer to the question of “does Avast slow down your computer” is yes, you choose to fix the issue. But some of you may directly remove Avast and don’t use antivirus software. Or you choose to install another antivirus program.
If you keep the PC safe by only the antivirus program, it is not enough since viruses always exist and the program may cannot completely block them. Thus, we have a suggestion for you: back up your important data or create a system image to avoid data loss or system breakdown due to viruses.
To do this work, MiniTool ShadowMaker can also help you. It is useful to back up files & folders, Windows system, disks, and partitions.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Here are some related articles:
Bottom Line
Does Avast slow down your computer? The answer is yes. And in this post, you know how to fix Avast slowing down PC, some tips to speed up your PC, and a suggestion to protect the machine.
If you have any idea about this topic or have any question when using our software, leave it to the Comment part or send an email to [email protected].
Does Avast Slow Down Your Computer FAQ
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.