AntiVirus Software and AutoCAD 2006

[trmfp]

We have been experiencing a problem on our 60+ workstations since we upgraded to AutoCAD 2006 since we upgraded. All of the Pull Down Menus including AutoCAD default menus are excruciatingly slow. Until recently we have just run with it hoping the service pack release would fix it and see that there were several questions, but no answers to the same problem. After installing the Service pack 1 for AutoCAD 2006 which was released 8/24/05, I decided it was time to sit down and do some testing. I find that when I turn off the AntiVirus software the menus pop-up like they used to in AutoCAD 2005 and previous versions. I have installed trial versions of Mcafee, Symantec, and Panda AntiVirus software and they all give me the same result. Services started = Slow AutoCAD / Services Stopped = Normal AutoCAD

I am going to do more testing, but don't necessarily feel comfortable disabling any of my AntiVirus options as they are there to protect me, but if it will help speed up the process I will seriously consider it. Also, why has AutoDesk not addressed this issue? I have browsed several articles on AutoDesk's Forums with not one reply or the reply stating that all files should be moved to the local drive.

Oh! That brings up another point, this problem only happens when our Menu Files, Fonts, Etc. are run from our central server location. If I setup a standalone profile for one of our laptop users, they do not experience any speed related problems.

Please feel free to reply to this if you have any ideas or information that will make my research a bit easier.

Thanks,

Steven L. Gear
Network Administrator
Larson Binkley, Inc.

[Wanderer]

i'm going to move this from the cad management forum to this one as I believe it will be better served here.

thanks



We have been experiencing a problem on our 60+ workstations since we upgraded to AutoCAD 2006 since we upgraded. All of the Pull Down Menus including AutoCAD default menus are excruciatingly slow. Until recently we have just run with it hoping the service pack release would fix it and see that there were several questions, but no answers to the same problem. After installing the Service pack 1 for AutoCAD 2006 which was released 8/24/05, I decided it was time to sit down and do some testing. I find that when I turn off the AntiVirus software the menus pop-up like they used to in AutoCAD 2005 and previous versions. I have installed trial versions of Mcafee, Symantec, and Panda AntiVirus software and they all give me the same result. Services started = Slow AutoCAD / Services Stopped = Normal AutoCAD

I am going to do more testing, but don't necessarily feel comfortable disabling any of my AntiVirus options as they are there to protect me, but if it will help speed up the process I will seriously consider it. Also, why has AutoDesk not addressed this issue? I have browsed several articles on AutoDesk's Forums with not one reply or the reply stating that all files should be moved to the local drive.

Oh! That brings up another point, this problem only happens when our Menu Files, Fonts, Etc. are run from our central server location. If I setup a standalone profile for one of our laptop users, they do not experience any speed related problems.

Please feel free to reply to this if you have any ideas or information that will make my research a bit easier.

Thanks,

Steven L. Gear
Network Administrator
Larson Binkley, Inc.

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Not really recommended, but for experimental purposes try adding AutoCAD and it's related directories / folders to the "Ignore List" of the Anti-Virus Software you are using.

Have a good one, Mike

[trmfp]

Okay, one piece of the puzzle is solved. By disabling only the Tamper Protection portion of the Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Editon 10.x software I can safely say the menus are now loading much more quickly. It is strange that the only place we have ever noticed this is in AutoCAD 2006, 2005 ran without issue after we upgraded to the 10.x version from Symantec. It was only until we upgraded AutoCAD to version 2006 that we began to see a problem. Anyway, it is fixed and I am very pleased. Too bad that no one from Symantec or AutoDesk were able to quickly figure this problem out. It took me all of a couple of minutes of testing and comparing. I will try now to move onto the McAfee and other software vendors to see if the same type of fix exists.

For those wondering what the Tamper protection service is, this is something new that was introduced in the 10.x version of Corparate AV from Symantec. Basically it monitors it's own processes against attacks so that your AV can continue to function with some of the nasty worms and trojans out there blocking their services and processes from loading. This is something that I can live without, but I plan to bring it to the attention of symantec to make sure they are aware of it's negative impact on the AutoCAD application.

You can turn this off in the software per each machine, or by using the Administration console and turning it off for all managed computers. You can also disable the service in Windows to keep it from loading when the computer starts. The service name is "Symantec SPBBCSvc"

If anyone else has anything to add, I'm all ears....

Steve

[trmfp]

For the official skinny on symantec's tamper protection go here:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/4c7874c886a9bb0c88256fc700654267/da6de28995fb32f488256fd500691e9f?OpenDocument&prod=Symantec%20AntiVirus%20Corporate%20Edition&ver=10.0&src=ent&pcode=sav_ce&dtype=corp&svy=&prev=&miniver=sav_ce_10