'Archive Password protected .. meaning?

HI ran a quick scan and a bunch of files came up with recommendation to ‘move to chest’…I clicked ‘apply’ and only one file was removed. All others state that password protected. What do you suggest I do to
a) make certain these are dodgy files
b) check file content (in case something desperately important)
c) move them to chest
Many thanks
SKD

Meaning…, avast doesn’t have the password so can’t extract the files for scanning.

Nothing to do.

Files that can’t be scanned are just that, not an indication they are suspicious/infected, just unable to be scanned.

Many programs (usually security based ones) password protect their files for legitimate reasons, there are others (and avast doesn’t know the password or have any way of using it even if it did know it).

By examining 1) the file name, 2) reason given by avast! for not being able to scan the files, 3) the location of the files, you can get an idea of what program they relate to. You may need to expand the column headings to see all the text.

If you can give some examples of those file names, the locations for those password protected files that can’t be scanned might help us further ?

This question seems very much related, so hope it doesnt require posting separately, but guess can do if no reply here.
Scan log shows rows of ‘File names’ and ‘Status’…

\System Volume Information_restore{id#s…}A0020813,exe|>name\filenames.extns
Error: Archive is password protected. (42056)

What action is needed for such a result ?

What action is needed for such a result ?
none ;)

a password protected backup in a restore point, avast is just telling you it could not scan it and why

Thank you for the reply !
So, all is safe, ie in such cases with restore point files, and no action needed ?
Are there cases where such files, ie ‘password protected’ files (restore point files, etc) could be ‘infected’, and would Avast be able to detect/fix ?

when the program that use that flle unpack it then it will be scanned by the realtime protection

Thanks much for the followup.
Sounds good, makes sense.

Quick related question… is a ‘boot scan’ able to get to those ‘password protected’ files ?

No, for exactly the same reasons as other scans, avast doesn’t know the password and even if it did there is no process for using it to unpack.

Only when the file is unpacked by the program that set the password can avast scan the contents of the archive (as they are unpacked to the hard disk).

NO …

Thanks much for the help !