Slow opening programs

DWK · 2024-08-09T14:26:58+00:00

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I've seen various posts about Bitdefender causing their computer to be slow, but I haven't seen anyone with my specific problem. My issue is some program take 30 seconds to open. In some cases, it's only the first time I open them. After that, it's fine. The problem goes away if I turn off Shield. I also found the problem is better if I enable "Scan only new and modified files", but ironically Bitdefender keeps disabling that setting after updates. When it's enabled, the slowness is more random but keeps happening. Biggest issue has been with Firefox (browser), XYplorer (file explorer), and PDF-Xchange (PDF viewer). It's worse on one computer, but still slow on others. All are Windows laptops, either Win 10 or 11. In fact, the beefiest laptop is the slowest. When I'm waiting 30 seconds for the program to open, I see bdservicehost taking 45-50 CPU. I've sent logs and allowed Bitdefender to remotely access my computer. No one is denying the issue, but there's not a fix. I uninstalled Bitdefender and installed another vendor's software, and having no issues. Thus, I don't think it's hardware related. Other than this, it's been a great product. Is this only occurring for me, or are others seeing it? Any suggestions?

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MANuuuuuuu

I have the exact same problem, no solutions except disabling some of the security options like Scan scripts and Scan command line. But by disabling them there is no reason to use and pay for Bitdefender.

DWK

Thanks for the reply. I'm also struggling with disabling functionality at the risk of losing protection. Another person responded (post since removed) saying to add an exception. I tried that and it didn't help. I have another ticket open about exceptions not working which has been confirmed but not yet fixed. If anyone else has a suggestion for a targeted fix (exclude a file, not an entire feature), I'd appreciate it.

JanGr

Same problem here! It takes 5-30 seconds to open some programs. It only happens on first open after PC start. VLC player takes "only" 5 second but PDF-XChange 20-30! I run a fully patched W10 Pro and have a lot of memory and disk space. A second open is quicker but still takes a second or two. I used another antivirus before (the one with "Russian" connection!) and never had such problems.

I will start playing with different settings and will post my findings here.

JanGr

Hi again!

I did some tests deactivating one function at a time and found a culprit, at least in my case. When I switched on "Scan only new and modified files" all delays disappeared! In my relatively secure home environment I can live with that choice. However it's still a mystery that security scan of a single program can take 20-30 seconds. Hopefully Bitdefender-team will find a real solution in near future.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/342222#Comment_342222

(A) Scan Only New and Modified Files: This setting significantly speeds up scans, as Bitdefender checks only the files that have changed since the last scan. This is a reasonable choice in a secure environment where the likelihood of encountering new threats is low.

(B) 20-30 Second Scan Delay: Even with the above setting enabled, scans can still cause noticeable delays. This indicates that Bitdefender’s scanning process, even for single programs, is quite thorough. The delay can be attributed to several factors:

Deep File Analysis: Bitdefender might be employing advanced heuristics and behavioral analysis to detect even subtle signs of malware, which takes time.
Cloud Scanning: The program might be sending file information to Bitdefender’s cloud servers for further analysis, contributing to the delay.
System Resource Usage: Antivirus scans inherently consume CPU and other system resources, which can impact performance.

@camarie, is there anything to add here?

Regards

DWK

Just to clarify, Scan Only New and Modified Files does make a significant difference. The problem kept coming back but then realized it was because Bitdefender updates would reset (disable) that setting. After watching closely, I concluded this setting makes a big improvement but the problem still happens randomly even when enabled. It's not a complete solution, but does make it better.

Also, I assumed adding an exclusion would stop whatever is causing the slowness since it should ignore the program. However, the slowness still occurs when excluded. I think that's a different bug.

I'm also not sure if the slowness is related to scanning the program, or the file the program is opening. For Firefox, it's the program being scanned. When double clicking on a PDF, both the program and file are being loaded. I noticed the size of the PDF files doesn't change the time to open. It's 30 seconds regardless if the PDF is 50K or 20MB. Thus, it seems to be the program, not file.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/342228#Comment_342228

My comment was in response to @JanGr specific comment, as you can see since I only quoted his comment before answering. Furthermore, for an answer to your post/comment, @camarie will get back to you, as he is one of the software developers at Bitdefender.

Regards

camarie

I am no expert in the scanning area, but I think Flexx is right. It is probably related to the OnAccess feature that is triggering scans. I think, however, it is the file scan - the executable must have a some form of caching/signature check, otherwise all executables will crawl - that takes a longer time. The engines loaded are the same not mater the file size. But, again, I am no expert - and this is why I will forward this to my team, maybe they can come up with a more precise explanation than I can.

camarie

So I talked to the guys and:

the setting that does not sometimes persist/reset after update: an issue is filed and scheduled for the next release
20-30 seconds: reproduced. We will look first in logs why it takes that time (most likely we will have to report it to the team doing scan after we evaluate what exactly happens in product).

caroza

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/342261#Comment_342261

Is there by any chance an update on this? It's still happening - seems to be worse with programs that Win 11 installs as apps, eg my password manager. Many thanks!

DWK

I first reported the problem over a year ago. I've never seen a commitment to fixing it. I ended up switching to a different vendor. If it does get fixed or a fix is targeted for a release date, I'd appreciate someone updating this post. I'd consider coming back when fixed. It was very frustrating to me. After spending $2000 for a new computer, I wasn't going to have it slowed by a $49 security software. Happy with my new software, but would come back if I knew there was a commitment to reasonable performance.

caroza

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/347480#Comment_347480

I was hoping that as they've reproduced it in the lab there would be some progress. I've got it bundled with router security so I'm reluctant to get rid of it (plus my previous supposedly reputable s/w started running constant nagverts). Oh well..

JanGr

I can confirm it. The software was updated couple of times but the problem is still there. For me it is mostly about PDF-XChange Editor. The first time I open it after a fresh start it takes around 20 seconds! For now I continue with Bitdefender but when time comes to pay for another year I will look into alternatives. Pity because I'm quite happy with Bitdefender otherwise.

Vashtiian

It took me 2 days to figure out that this was causing every one of my problems. The second I got rid of it, everything got better. Judging how this is a year old and it's still not fixed, I'll be moving to a different brand as well.

caroza

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/347490#Comment_347490

They contacted me about the post here, logged a ticket and have requested some diagnostics which I've sent. So hopefully we'll see an improvement!

JanGr

Good news! Since yesterday there is no delay in opening of PDF-Exchange Editor. So I'm satisfied for now.

Thank You Bitdefender!

camarie

Appreciate the feedback, glad it worked out.