cmdagent.exe uses 100% CPU [CIS v4.x NOT RESOLVED!!]

Comodo Internet Security - CIS Resolved/Outdated Issues - CIS
#1

Ok, I have noticed that COMODO has changed a little the Graphical User Interface, and added a few more features on the newest version release. I would like to know if the 100% CPU cycles Choking has been fixed for this release?

Is this release a new 100% redo of the project? Or is COMODO using part of the same code from the previous releases that was responsible for the 100% CPU nightmare?

A few months ago I had to stop using COMODO after COMODO performed awfully when I installed it on more than 75 of my PC Repair customer’s PC, I had to go back to their house as an EMERGENCY situation to uninstall Comodo Antivirus and install something else like AVG or Antivir because CMGAGENT.EXE was taking 100% of CPU cycles.

I first learned of CIS when my previous antivirus that I was using was also causing a few headaches, it was Avast, the problem Avast was having at that time is that their free “licenses” were getting expired too prematurely when it supposed to last for one year, it was lasting like for 2 weeks, 1 week, 3 weeks, it was happening randomly. I think there was a bug on their licensing servers, or they were just “purging” their free license customer’s list in an attempt to get more “paid” customers. That’s when I realized I had to move on and search for a more stable antivirus solution, and that’s where I learned about CIS.

Currently I only install Comodo firewall while omitting installing the Comodo Antivirus portion. As long as you just install the firewall portion of COMODO only, there wont be a CMDAGENT.EXE bothering you either immediately or later on. As for the antivirus, I either use AVG or Avira Antivir.

I also recently checked on Avast again, it seems that they also updated their Graphical User interface. I did a test install of them, and it looks like, instead of requesting a product key for free users by email like it was in the older days, now all what the user has to do is type in their email address on the installer and “supposedly” the software gets activated for the year right on the spot. This looks like a more stabler approach of Avast as it looks like they have modified a great deal of their code which, hopefully should solve the license problems that versions 4.8 and priors where having.

Since I see that CMDAGENT.EXE has been giving users problems since the longest, I would like to see what’s the experience from other user’s regarding this new version of COMODO. Has the 100% CPU hugging stopped for good?

When I get confirmation that this problem has stopped for good, then I can probably resume installing CIS on my customer’s PC

#2

I too had problems with 100 % CPU from cmdagent. Apparently the early February release fixed the problem and I have not had any problems with or without automatic updating of the virus databases. Cmdagent will use about 35% of the CPU when logging in for a minute or two, and does not scan every file when doing a search by file name like it used to.

#3

At me it consumes 70 - 85% CPU, that’s unbearable. I’m back to Avira and PC Tools Firewall Plus and my PC is smooth, no CPU consumption. Until they find out how to fix the CPU usage CIS is not going to be installed on my machine.

My specs:

Intel Celeron D 3,06 GHz, XP Home SP3 32bit, Foxconn Motherboard, nVIDIA 9600 GT 512 MB, 2 GB DDR Ram Dual Channel.

#4

Anathaen, Thank you so much for giving me an idea how COMODO antivirus is behaving still on some systems. I guess I will not be installing COMODO Antivirus on my customers PC, and since the 100% CPU hugging issue has been a long term issue for COMODO without no ETA on when they plan to fix this once and for all, I will abandon COMODO for sure this time. BUT, I will continue installing COMODO Firewall, JUST the firewall portion of CIS on my customer’s PC since the 100% CPU problem is not related to the CIS Firewall what so ever, just the CIS antivirus. For antivirus, I will install Avast, Avira or AVG (Depending on customer’s situation and system spec’s => Avast for 512MB of RAM or higher customers, AVG for 256MB of RAM or less and Avira 384MB or RAM (Circa))

#5

If you want a good antivirus with no pop-ups I’d suggest you, until they fix CIS, Avira. It has no pop-ups at all and strong anti-virus protection that also prevents rootkits and spyware and most of all, it’s lightweight.

Don’t go with Avast. I’ve got a 5 year experience with Avast and everything went through it. AVG isn’t an option either. Nor is NOD or similar ■■■■ to say it, as it is. They just charge you for things they can’t even handle.

Avira all the way. It has the most stable rating, i.e. always second amongst all the other anti-virii and only because the raters get paid to put it to second place, though everybody knows Avira rocks.

#6

Avira also has the by far the most false positives ratings.

Look at the pdf here

#7

Depends on the settings also. If you use the recommended settings you don’t get that many false positives. CIS also has a LOT of false positives.

#8

I just couldn’t help but notice this wonderful error… (:HUG) O0

#9

not shocking news but thought i’d report, latest build, clean install sp3, 100% cpu usage cmdagent.exe
making system somewhat useless to me, 2 gig ram and 2.1 ghz cpu

something isn’t kosher here and I really respect and like comodo, just any more feedback on what is causing this issue. please note I’ve reboot ad nauseum, its uninstalled NOW so I can get online.

#10

CFP.exe consumes 99% of CPU and the only solution is to restart CIS. And anything is ok for a short time and after that cfp.exe is back to 99% of CPU. INTOLERABLE after so many version of this software. GUYS you are not at version 1.0 BETA or ALFA. YOU ARE AT VERSION 4.0 in year 2010!!! WAKE UP GUYS, WAKE UP!!!

#11

Got the same as the guy above me. Continuous 85 - 99% CPU usage and most of all it occurs whenever I try to launch any app, be it ICQ, be it Skype, whatever, even the lightest of apps make my PC freeze temporarily, sometimes permanently because of CIS. I’m running out of patience and am very close to uninstalling the product for good.

Shouldn’t it be the way with every new version you improve? COMODO does the opposite.

#12

please note I would have liked to give a more responsive and detailed bug report but literally it took me 2 hrs to try and uninstall comodo the system was lagging that bad. I am not saying its a bad product just giving feedback. there is a loop someplace that the program is getting lost in or not jumping past as comodo is one of the slickest pieces of software I’ve seen, I was a fan of the original sygate, I hate bloatware, I want lean, I want responsive I want rule sets and function, this is comodo, we are so adamant on this cpu bug for that reason, its like having a Ferrari get passed by a civic and you are going WTF?!?

Regards,

Robert 8)

#13

.
I am not currently having this problem, but did in the past. And you are right…trying to uninstall with the CPU pegged is nearly impossible.

But then I don’t have cmdagent in the process list–only cfp.exe. Whassup?

#14

Make sure to let Task Manager to “show processes from all users”. When cmdagent doesn’t show up there Run Diagnostics. Diagnostics can be found under Miscellaneous (v3.x) or More (v4).

#15

.
Show all users in Task Manager brought cmdagent into the list-SYSTEM is the user.

Diagnostics finds no problem, but now that I see cmdagent, there really is no problem.

Does diagnostics write a logfile somewhere?

#16

I did have both cmdagent and cfp in task manager

cfp was loafing
cmdagent was pegged at 99 to 100% regardless how I handled it

right now i am a little leary to reinstall the latest build as well fighting to get the pc to respond again is not my idea of a relaxing weekend.

#17

Make an image backup before re-installing. If it messes up, restore the image.

#18

Dear developers!
When will the problem with the CPU load by more than 90%? ??? ??? ???
This problem is already half a year of anti-virus is not completely resolved … : (
In the screenshots below shows the situation on all the computers where your antivirus:
Srinshot with a clean computer, the antivirus is installed first time without any updates (CPU load more than 90% process cmdagent.exe):

http://s006.radikal.ru/i215/1003/99/bcf9065f66a6t.jpg

http://s44.radikal.ru/i103/1003/1c/302b0eab060at.jpg

Screenshot after the upgrade to the latest version of the database (the situation has not changed):

http://s003.radikal.ru/i202/1003/4f/a9dcdc655599t.jpg

Thnx!
P/S/ instruction https://forums.comodo.com/feedbackcommentsannouncementsnews_cis/workaround_for_the_99_cpu_problem_with_the_latest_virus_db_updates-t46150.0.html
does not help

#19

yeah… same problem here i’m using comodo v v4.0.4167.742.
cmdagent.exe keeps on hogging all the cpu ive got even whilst im not dooing anything.
the workaround did not work for me either (nor did reinstalling comodo/OS’s…) .
i’m using:

Hardware:
intel core 2 quad q8300 [at]2.5 Ghz
8gb kingston ram
nvidea GeForce 275

Software:
windows 7 professional x64/ultimate x64 (both legal, fresh installs)
spybot S&D
comodo internet security

i’d really prefer to keep on using comodo, but if this problem persists ill have to find protection elsewhere.

thanks in advance.

#20

I had the same problem with cmdagent.exe eating up the CPU and hanging around 85%-90%. Disabling the anti-virus I drop down to 20% while running a malware scan with STOPzilla and 54 other processes ranging from file servers, download agents, and other media applications. With all I have read regarding this I cannot rationally use this software. I actually didn’t have this problem with v3. However I was very perturbed that I could not update via the auto updater when apparently only 4 updates were released. This error really rocks my faith in comodo anti-virus. Back to Avira here. I will stay away from comodo for some time after this. A new build and they didn’t bother to rectify an issue that has had much discussion is just bad sense. Maybe this is the method to have people upgrade to a paid version. Its also rather disparaging that there is very little feedback from comodo in this thread.