Why Is My Antivirus Scan So Slow And Taking So Long? Solved

Antivirus software is essential for protecting your computer from Malware viruses And other online threads. Many major antivirus programs, such as Avast, ESET, Symantec, AVG, Avira, and Casper Sky, optimize their scanning ability as fast as possible.

However, the antivirus process can sometimes take a long time, leading to frustration and reduced protection. In this article, we will understand why your antivirus can be so slow and take so long to complete, and we will also provide solutions to help improve its performance.

Why Is My Antivirus Scan So Slow And Taking So Long?

It could be due to storage problems, outdated antivirus, unavailable resources, a slow internet connection, RAM not working, background applications running, obsolete system drivers, outdated antivirus, temporary system files, and a corrupt registry. 

• Older Version
  The latest Threads and viruses can easily bypass even the most up-to-date antivirus software, so you must update it frequently. Even when running a fast scan, some older versions of antivirus software may fail to pick up on the test as readily or effectively as they should.
• Outdated software
  Outdated software may have security flaws and take longer to scan; for example, if a scan of your antivirus program takes 6 hours, updating it will reduce that time to 1.5 hours.
• Disk Fragmentation
  The antivirus software takes more time to scan your system when your hard disk is fragmented. Any time information is stored on a hard disk but is not written as tightly together as it has to be retrieved, this is known as fragmentation. Virus scans require more time due to the antivirus software.

The slowness of your computer’s performance and your antivirus check may be due, at least in part, to the slowness of your internet connection. The rate at which your antivirus software downloads updates from the internet can slow the rate at which it scans for threats.

Antivirus software needs to scan every file to detect threats, so checking an extensive file system will take significantly longer than watching a minor file system when you have a lot of data on your computer. Any sort of scan, whether a quick one, a full one, or a deep one, will take a long time.

The official antivirus check can tax RAM and CPU, especially on a low-end PC. Your computer’s performance and any antivirus software installed on your system may be negatively impacted.

Too many other programs vying for system resources simultaneously can slow antivirus checks. The longer it takes for the antivirus software to update and scan everything, the slower the scan will be.

Some Malware can hide in files that are not visible to the user, making the antivirus take longer. These hidden files could have been obtained in various ways, including through unauthorized access, downloading from questionable websites, or other means.

Scanning times increase with the age of your hardware. Due to age and use, it may have become physically unstable or broken. Antivirus software may have trouble running on older or obsolete hardware.

Since each antivirus tool consumes system resources, running numerous at once can slow down the scam process. Common sense dictates that a single antivirus program is sufficient to protect your computer from malware. To detect and eliminate viruses, a single good antivirus program is sufficient.

Scanning data that isn’t crucial to your computer’s security can slow the antivirus process. Here, essential means unrelated, and these are the files frequently appended to others, swelling the size of the data to the point where an antivirus scan may take longer than necessary.

We’ll look at strategies that can boost your antivirus program’s efficiency individually or in tandem. Allows for a more rapid and effective scan. So, let’s examine how they overcame these problems.

You can speed up virus scans by keeping your anti-malware program current. Doing so is the first step toward enhancing the effectiveness of the antivirus program. Go to the software’s official website and use the update function to check for updates and install them.

How To Deactivate Background Apps To Speed Up Antivirus

You can quickly turn off background programs that you barely use. First, click the “start” and go to “settings.” Then, find the “Privacy” option and select “background apps.” Turn off the apps that you are not using currently.

You should use the disk cleanup utility to delete your computer’s temporary files, system files, and other junk files. Disk cleaning will help to free up space and improve scan performance. It will enhance your antivirus scan speed and efficiency.

Moreover, you can switch on the real-time protection option to protect your computer from threats. Real-time protection will help you detect and block malicious files before they can cause any harm to your system.

How To Disable Real-Time Scanning To Speed Up Antivirus

Select Start and search for the “Windows Security” app. Then, select the Windows security app from the search results. Next, go to “Virus and threat protection” and select Manage settings. Then, switch real-time protection to off. You should keep in mind that scheduled scans will continue to run.

Users may have more than one antivirus product installed. Forcing a reshuffling of available means. One should get rid of all but one antivirus program. It will make room for more efficient use of system resources, which will benefit your antivirus check.

There are optional extras in some antivirus programs. The settings menu allows you to deactivate any extraneous functions. Windows can have extra, unnecessary functionality. Web browser, media player, instant play, and much more!

External apps might create high CPU or memory utilization by using system resources. These programs can be resource hogs that can slow your computer down and even cause your antivirus software to stop working correctly.

Your computer must meet minimal specifications for your antivirus software to function correctly. You should verify your machine is current with the newest antivirus software and install any necessary updates. The speed of your antivirus scan and your machine’s overall performance will improve.

How Often Should You Run Antivirus Scan on Your PC?

It is important to regularly scan your computer with an antivirus program to protect it from malware and other threats. However, exactly how often you should run a scan can vary depending on your computer type and the antivirus software you use. 

We recommend you run a full system scan at least once a week. That is because new viruses and malicious programs can be released into the wild nearly daily, so scanning only once per month or even less often may not be enough to catch all potential threats. 

Running a complete system scan every two weeks might be more suitable if your computer has slower hardware and cannot handle more frequent scans. It’s also important to note that some antivirus programs will offer “real-time” scanning options, which scan files as downloaded or opened but do not perform a full system scan. 

While this type of scanning provides some protection, running a full system scan periodically in addition to real-time scanning is still advisable. In addition to scheduling regular scans, manually initiating scans when needed can be beneficial (for example, when installing new software or downloading files). 

It ensures that any newly installed applications or downloaded files have been scanned and checked for potential risks before use. Finally, if you use multiple devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones, they should all have up-to-date antivirus software installed and be scanned frequently. 

As with desktop systems, how often you scan each device can depend on its hardware capabilities and the specific antivirus program. Ensuring that your devices are regularly scanned with an updated antivirus program is essential for maintaining good security and protecting against potential threats. 

While exact scan frequencies will vary depending on individual circumstances (including hardware capabilities), running a full system scan at least once per week can provide excellent protection against emerging threats while minimizing the performance impact from frequent scans.

Conclusion

Antivirus scans are an essential part of protecting your computer from malicious attacks. However, scans may take a lot of time, sometimes annoying. You should consider these reasons and carefully follow the solutions to solve this problem. By following these steps, you can ensure your computer works at its best during an antivirus scan.