Avast- Can't scan individual files? Or it Just Won't show Results

Hi, I’ve been using Avast as a AV after switching from AVG, both of which are free. I’m just trying it out and I thought it was good until last night. I download a lot of stuff, usually in zip files before i extract them. However, I noticed that when you right click on a file to scan it, (as I did with AVG) Avast runs the scan but doesn’t give you the results. It doesn’t tell you whether the files are clean or infected, instead it just quickly closes the window without letting you know. This is beyond stupid, whats the point of running the scan if it won’t tell you? So last night I downloaded a zip file which is a program, I right click on the icon and than ran the scan for that particular zip file. Same thing happens, runs the scan and it quickly closes without letting you know if it’s clean or not. So i thought it was safe/clean, because it gave no warning. Well when i unzip the file than I finally get the ******* warning, how stupid is that? So for the first time I got a virus and never had one when i was using AVG. Can someone who uses Avast explain to me why it won’t give you the results on a scan, so that you know before even opening a file (zip too, Win-RAR) if it’s infected. I thought Avast was better than AVG but the right click scan option is really flawed and fucked if it doesnt let the user know the condition of a file.
**Please do not confuse this with the full system scan or single file scan option on the Avasst interface. I’m talking about when you right click on a file, folder, zip, and scan with Avast from there.

Thanks to all

Hi bishop101,

I know, I find it slightly annoying, and IMHO, it should be on by default.

To enable it:
right click avast! tray icon -->program settings -->tick ‘show results of explorer scan’

If there was no warning, then avast! thought it was safe…

What was the warning it gave when you unzipped the file?

-Scott-

This is called the quick context scan (ashQuick.exe) and it is basically there to do a quick scan and let you get on with what you were doing quickly.

If there are no detections no problem, believe me if there are any detections, you will know about it as all hell breaks loose (as you found) with an audible and visual alert.

So you can do as Scott suggests, but you then need to acknowledge the scan having completed. I too have that option set, nosey I guess ;D

Why it doesn’t alert on the scan of the zip but does when you actually extract the files, is beyond me and I haven’t heard of that in the forums before.

When you download a zip, the web shield should also have scanned it, so that is doubly strange. What was the source of the download, http or https ?

How did you remove AVG as this could well be a classic case of conflict ?
AVG8 Remover, download tool from here, http://www.avg.com/download-tools there is a 32bit and 64 bit windows version, ensure you use the correct one.

Thanks for the help. Scott the warning I got was, I heard a siren, a verbal notice and than I got a window showing me it had found a Trojan/worm…

Dave- I removed AVG through the control panel… The file was from RapidShare, that’s why I like to scan my downloads before opening them. Usually they all come in Win-Rar or zip file. Like I stated the explorer scan window would just scan and as soon as it finished just close without letting me see any figures, I heard or saw no warning so I thought it was safe. I use Maleware with Avast too, is that okay?

Once again thank you guys, I find Avast to be a very good program except for that one quirk, re-configured that specific setting.

I would suggest running the avg8.x removal tool also to ensure there are remnants.

Some .rar files prove troublesome if they are multiple layer, but as you found, before you can run them they have to be extracted and the act of extraction creates new files and these new (uncompressed files) should be scanned by the standard shield and alert if infected.

So Archive (zip, rar, etc.) files are by their nature are inert, you need to extract the files and then you have to run them to be a threat. Long before that happens avast’s Standard Shield should have scanned them and before an executable is run that is scanned.

So this is an exception rather than the rule where the this .rar has got through both the web shield and the context menu scan. Even with the show results it may still have got through, but you may have gotten an indication of what was scanned or not.

Hi bishop101,

Ugh. I just had this same problem today–I had to re-install Avast. It pissed me off really bad, because I did not have this annoying issue before. I took the Pros’ advice–the users that posted above–and it still didn’t work for me. I found a way to run the scan in the interface. Not as convenient, but it works.

User interface > Select folder to scan.

Select what you want to scan from the menu–it takes a little longer to navigate than you and I would like, but it gets the job done; once you do that, Avast notifies you if a threat is found (or not) in the user interface.

I know this thread is old, but I hope it helps people who have the same problem I did. Bleh. Annoying!

There really is little value in responding to a topic which is almost two years old, other than increasing your post count.

Well, that was a little below the belt. .

What good is it to reply to a reply to a topic that that is almost two years old. . other than to increase your count post?! ;D Just kidding!

I really have no interest in increasing my count post. I replied to this thread out of sincerity. If I have the same issue almost two years later, and the original solution does not work for me, I’m sure there’s other people in the same situation. .If there’s not any now, then maybe there will be. Heh heh!

Well as this thread is two years old, it isn’t relevant now, as it is for avast 4. So no need to post.