Resolution to MS Antispyware VM hang

[kenw]

I have resolved a problem with Microsoft Antispyware, wherein it would
experience runaway growth in virtual memory.

The growth was so severe that the system would virtually hang, and be very
difficult to even reboot properly. If Task Manager wasn't already running
it would not launch. On my system with 384MB of RAM, virtual memory would
grow to over 2GB (!), nearly all of it used by the antispyware process.

I observed that Antispyware appeared to get stuck on the registry scan for
Gator. Some time ago, I had deliberately left a null Gator entry in my
registry, locked against deletion, thereby preventing Gator from
re-infecting the system.

Once I removed that entry from the registry, the problem disappeared.

I'm posting this here because I want to report a resolved problem, and I'm
unwilling to jump through Microsoft's hoops to sign up for a beta
newsgroup. If MS chooses to take note, that's up to them.

/kenw

Ken Wallewein
K&M Systems Integration
Phone (403)274-7848
Fax (403)275-4535
(e-mail address removed)
www.kmsi.net

 

[Chris Catt]

Hi, 'If MS chooses to take note, that's up to them'. I doubt very much that
they will, wrong newsgroup, MS don't read these posts, the issue was of your
own making and, after all, it is a beta.....
ChrisC

 

[ceegee]

I have resolved a problem with Microsoft Antispyware, wherein it would
experience runaway growth in virtual memory.

The growth was so severe that the system would virtually hang, and be very
difficult to even reboot properly. If Task Manager wasn't already running
it would not launch. On my system with 384MB of RAM, virtual memory would
grow to over 2GB (!), nearly all of it used by the antispyware process.

I observed that Antispyware appeared to get stuck on the registry scan for
Gator. Some time ago, I had deliberately left a null Gator entry in my
registry, locked against deletion, thereby preventing Gator from
re-infecting the system.

Once I removed that entry from the registry, the problem disappeared.

Hin Ken,

I had the identical problem of a total hang from virtual memory
problems with MS Antispyware. I also had a registry entry that I could
not delete though it was no effort on my part that made it so.

I didn't pay any attention to where Antispyware was scanning when the
problems occurred, so can't verify that part.

My hard drive recently crashed and had to be replaced so the entry is
now gone and I am tempted to try the MS Antispyware Beta again just to
see if your hypothesis is valid though I swore after this last go
round that I'd never install a beta again. We'll see.

Ceegee

 

[ceegee]

On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 17:12:45 GMT, (e-mail address removed) wrote:

I had the identical problem of a total hang from virtual memory
problems with MS Antispyware. I also had a registry entry that I could
not delete though it was no effort on my part that made it so.

I didn't pay any attention to where Antispyware was scanning when the
problems occurred, so can't verify that part.

My hard drive recently crashed and had to be replaced so the entry is
now gone and I am tempted to try the MS Antispyware Beta again just to
see if your hypothesis is valid though I swore after this last go
round that I'd never install a beta again. We'll see.

Ceegee

Just a follow up to my above post. I did install the beta again. The
first time I ran it, I turned off my antivirus software and just ran a
quick scan. It actually got through without a hitch. The second time,
I bit the bullet and left the antivirus software running and did the
deep scan. That also completed.

Don't know if that is some kind of confirmation for your hypothesis,
Ken, but at least it would seem to be, at least in our two cases.

Ceegee

 

[kenw]

Great! And even if Microsoft doesn't pay attention, it's in Google now.

/kenw

Just a follow up to my above post. I did install the beta again. The
first time I ran it, I turned off my antivirus software and just ran a
quick scan. It actually got through without a hitch. The second time,
I bit the bullet and left the antivirus software running and did the
deep scan. That also completed.

Don't know if that is some kind of confirmation for your hypothesis,
Ken, but at least it would seem to be, at least in our two cases.

Ceegee

Ken Wallewein
K&M Systems Integration
Phone (403)274-7848
Fax (403)275-4535
(e-mail address removed)
www.kmsi.net

 

[Kelly]

It is because you set it run upon boot.

--
Happy Mardi Gras,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[ceegee]

It is because you set it run upon boot.

Hi Kelly,

Don't think so. I'd been online for awhile before I decided to
download and install it. If you think it would constitute a better
test, I could leave the system up for several hours and try it again.

Ceegee

 

[Kelly]

What I meant was.....

After running MSA, with it being set to run upon boot, it will be listed
twice in the Task Manager. Thus causing some systems to run very slowly.

Which registry listing are you speaking of? Are these two related?

--
All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[ceegee]

What I meant was.....

After running MSA, with it being set to run upon boot, it will be listed
twice in the Task Manager. Thus causing some systems to run very slowly.

Which registry listing are you speaking of? Are these two related?

Sorry, I misunderstood. I did not have MSA set to run at boot during
any of my testing with it.

Ken, the op, had a gator registry listing that was null but that he
locked hoping to prevent reinfection. I had an Altnet registry entry
that I was unable to delete.

Ceegee