ive asked this question before in other threads but nobody from avast ever gave me a response, so could somebody from avast actually clarify what the “use fast cheksums” option does, it says its faster but less secure to have it enabled so thats why im interested in the details of its function.
Thanks.
Hi firzen: I don’t know how quickly anyone from Avast will respond as I’m sure they are overwhelmed with the newest beta build issues. :-\
Hi,
A checksum is data generated and stored for an application or file. There is one checksum that is stored for the application so it can be compared to. If a regenerated checksum for an application does not match the stored value, then it will be considered a new application. So basically, checksums are used for application identification purposes. The reduction of the level of security is minimal imo. Generating complete checksums may take a while (it may seem like the app is hanging when you launch it), so quicker ones are used. This can reduce the boot-up time for applications.
GG
thanks for the response, would the lag time be very noticeable if i disabled fast checksums?
You’re welcome.
Yes, using fast checksums is significantly faster. You could try it out yourself to see if you mind it.
GG
ok thanks, so im guessing most firewalls use fast cheksums by default?