Using the Avast 5 Free Version, I wondered what you would recommend as an optimal weekly Scan: Quick Scan, Full Scan, or Custom Scan?
Looking at Quick and Full Settings I notice that under Packers, the default seems to be restricted to 3 Packers and recommends a Custom Scan to include the rest. Is the default Setting adequate, or which Setting would you recommend for the weekly Scan using Custom? If so what Settings for Custom Scan do you recommend?
The reason I ask is that although I don’t tend to surf dangerously, of the 4 security measures running on my laptop, whenever something really nasty tries to download, AVAST is the one to raise the alarm : Threatfire reacts to some things that Avast misses usually FPs, pre-installed Windows Defender also works quietly in the background but never reacts to anything important, the Free version of SuperAntiSpyware which I activate for its scan catches only harmless cookies.
A good example was: I inadvertently downloaded something called the YouTube Downloader Bar with an update of the YouTube Downloader, which obviously must have contained a “sleeper” because some days later, whenever it tried to activate itself Avast told me loud and clear and blocked the process. Threatfire wasn’t aware of it, nor did my regular SAS quick scan show it. I immediately ran an Avast Quick Scan and located this YouTube Downloader Bar, and although it would not open it, repair it or send it to the Chest, it enabled me to simply delete it.
Back to my question – Avast is the best gear I have had as a first line of defence (I am wondering whether to junk Threatfire and SAS), but would like your opinion on the best Scan to scan for any other “sleepers” that may have come in under the radar.
after i installed it, i did a full scan with default settings. After that i activated the screensaver scan and thats it…but that`s me…
OBS: the default settings on the screensaver scan is " lop " i removed that…
Back to my question – Avast is the best gear I have had as a first line of defence (I am wondering whether to junk Threatfire and SAS), but would like your opinion on the best Scan to scan for any other “sleepers” that may have come in under the radar.
Basic > Special scans> Screen Saver scan – With you now. I was on the scan interface not the "front page " Settings. There is no Start button so presumably it starts when in Low energy or screen saver mode?
This Vista laptop of mine was bought in Germany. In the shut-down menu you have the option “Energie sparen = low energy or Sleep mode” or something. I thought that this was perhaps the same as when the cummputer goes into Screensave-mode when you leave it on in your absence.
Generally, it is recommended to do a full scan monthly. You don’t have to go as far as scanning weekly, that’s a bit overkill and unnecessary. Avast focuses more on prevention than the cure, but there has been cases where a virus slips through and gets caught with a manual scan because there wasn’t a virus definition in the database at that time, so it’s just to make sure. Install Malwarebytes to backup avast. If you stay away from the computer long enough for the screensaver scan to finish then you could use that instead. As for the scan settings, the avast! Team has recommended you use the default settings.
Generally, it is recommended to do a full scan monthly.
???
If you do a boot scan right after you've first installed avast!, and your system has been confirmed as clean.
a full scan really isn't needed at all since avast! scan'a all files added ,opened, transferred, etc. to your system. IMHO.
Once Clean, your system should remain clean. :) (There are a few possible exceptions but the normal on demand scanning would still pick up these exceptions.)
Yes. the thing was as I said in my original post this YouTube Bar-thingie stuck a “sleeper” in my system. Whenever it tried to activate itself Avast stopped it. Still, I had to run an Avast scan to find it.
SAS scan was no help at all. Is Malwarebytes more effective? I will consider Malwarebytes as lomng as it can sit passively until called upon, like SAS.
This Vista laptop of mine was bought in Germany. In the shut-down menu you have the option "Energie sparen = low energy or Sleep mode" or something. I thought that this was perhaps the same as when the cummputer goes into Screensave-mode when you leave it on in your absence.
This has to do with saving energy so your battery last longer, i have turned of all saving when in power mode
If you stay away from the computer long enough for the screensaver scan to finish then you could use that instead.
If the screensaver scan is interupted, it will continue where it stopped when it is starting again. ( new in avast 5. I think Igor said this in a post if i remember correct )
I could express myself a lot quicker (and therefore contribute more) if someone could tell me how to make screenshots.
PS - have just installed Malwarebytes and started a Quick Scan and within seconds it found 2 Infected Files in the Registry. Hope these are not Fps or vital parts of Windows??
I could express myself a lot quicker (and therefore contribute more) if someone could tell me how to make screenshots.
I think Bob posted a How to guide somwhere in here.....
PS - have just installed Malwarebytes and started a Quick Scan and within seconds it found 2 Infected Files in the Registry. Hope these are not Fps or vital parts of Windows??
I think I will ditch SuperAntiSpyware, In the 6 months I have used it (about once every 2 weeks) it only came up with harmless cookies. It is deadweight on the hard disk compared to this Malwarebytes jugging by what the latter found and what SAS overlooked. I always thought SAS and their other products even LOOKED tacky. I only installed it because one of our “Überevangelists” suggested it.
When you click the Reply button, there is an Additional Options link, this expands the options to attach a file, that can be an image file or a text file (.log or .txt). Also see How to post an Image.
As you can see in my above post, this Trojan.BHO found its way into the Registry and was probably wiating for me to do some online banking. Malwarebytes dealt with it. SuperAntiSpyware never picked it up. I think it may be linked to the trojan that got in through the YouTube Downloader Bar, which only Avast blocked but did not repair (could not open the file so I deleted it).
