Memory usage

[Inf0Byt3]

It seems that PCTAVSVC.exe (the antivirus scanning engine) is consuming 39000 kb of memory. I guess that is a bit too much, considering the fact that if the user interface is started, the memory footprint jumps over 50 MB. I think there should be found a solution for this issue (something like generic signatures for different malware variants for example), like with the PCTools Firewall . BitDefender had exactly the same problem, and they had to tweak the signatures a bit to minimize the memory consumption.

[Simon Clausen]

Hi Inf0Byt3, yes there is an updated version in development at the moment, which should be out in February, which will substantially lower the idle memory usage.

Simon

[PC-Pete]

Hi

One of the first things I checked after installing PCTAV was memory footprint. Inf0Byt3's reported 39000KB was a shock so I re-checked.

According to Norton Utilities 2002:

PCTAVSVC.EXE 12.2MB , 4.74MB non-shared

PCTAV.EXE (tray icon) 21.1MB , 9.5MB non-shared
(opening user interface makes no apparent difference)

More concerning though is that when the tray icon is 'exited', active scanning ceases! Is this meant to happen? It's just too easy to deliberately or accidentally make the PC unprotected.
So if PCTAVSVC.EXE is the scanning engine, what's it doing if its not stopping viruses?

Pete

[c_edge]

Hi PC-Pete,

The memory usage is quite standard to most antivirus/spyware products. Majority of programs that are exited from the system tray are completely shutdown.

When you have the PCTAV GUI open, and click the red cross on the top right corner this will exit the GUI but AV is still be running in the background, e.g. it has been minimised to the tray. What do you mean by deliberately/accidentally exiting PCTAV?

c_edge

[PC-Pete]

Hi c_edge

Firstly, I agree with you about memory usage being "standard" (I prefer 'typical') for XP OS AV/AS apps. That was not my point.

However, "Majority of programs that are exited from the system tray are completely shutdown."
This is true except for all the other AV programs I currently use! e.g.
CA EZAntivirus 7 / VET (and going back, InoculateIT PE)
AVG 7.5 Pro (6 & 7 also)
Avast 4.7
For all of these (and there may be others as well) closing or not loading the tray icon does not stop on-access file scanning.

Examples of accidental and/or deliberate exiting of AV?

When my teenage son and his friends start playing any CPU/graphic intensive PC game, the first thing they do is close all the "unnecessary" tray icons to free as much RAM/CPU cycles as possible. Leaving aside the issue of whether this is really helpful, many of them are using AVG Free or Avast Home, so they now 'know" that closing the tray icon of an AV program is okay because it doesn't stop the on-access scanning.

Many of my family and work colleagues are not very accurate "mousers". Not only that but sometimes they right-click when they should left-click....and they don't pay attention to little pop-up dialogs. I'm frequently asked why the Start Menu has suddenly jumped to the side of their screen, or why the icon for 'ISYS Search' or some other package has "disappeared" from the system tray.

Pete

[Inf0Byt3]

Well my best suggestion would be to SEPARE the Guard system from the main user interface. The other AV's can be successfuly closed and the protection remains active because they are VERY modular. For example Alwil's AVAST has separate processes for the HTTP stream scanner, Guard, Update Service, etc, so you only run what you need. This helps you not waste resources with the main interface graphics, loaded modules, etc.

When my teenage son and his friends start playing any CPU/graphic intensive PC game, the first thing they do is close all the "unnecessary" tray icons to free as much RAM/CPU cycles as possible. Leaving aside the issue of whether this is really helpful, many of them are using AVG Free or Avast Home, so they now 'know" that closing the tray icon of an AV program is okay because it doesn't stop the on-access scanning.

Hehe i do this all the time. I even close explorer's process.

@Mr. Clausen: Thanks for the great news!

[charlespt]

I'm using PC Tools antivirus and I notice the same.
The PCTAVSvc.exe uses 40 000kb of memory
This issue has to be resolved.

[AChen]

Hi charlespt,

The memory usage issue will be resolved in the Feb release of PCTAV.