Avast New User Questions

mchain · 2015-06-16T23:35:01.000Z

An useful link to check a specific file to see if it is malicious: https://www.virustotal.com/

Upload the file in question and scan it with more than 40+ virus scanners before you install any new downloaded programs or run email attachments.

You can also check a new website for malicious content or blacklisting by selecting the URL tab. Not necessary to visit the site beforehand; use google to capture the url you want to visit.

[EDIT:] Scanning a file at virus_total_dot_com is exactly the same as On Demand Scanning using avast except that it uses many more antivirus scanning engines for detection.

Spiritual2016 · 2015-06-17T00:39:01.000Z

‘On Demand Scanning’ is the same as scheduling a full system scan since it scans programs/files after they have run manually and cleans the system after it is infected

‘On Access Scanning’ happens automatically in real-time using the default settings and scans programs/files before they have run and blocks malicious files before they get a chance to run on the system

Since Avast has built-in automatic ‘on access scanning,’ there is no need to set-up on-demand daily full system scans, even though I can if I choose to.

Do I have all of that correct?

Like I said, I have always scheduled a daily full system scan so I was unaware of this terminology.

*Unrelated, once signed in, is there a way to ‘view my posts’ so that I do not have to scan all of the threads?

mchain · 2015-06-17T04:08:47.000Z

If an user runs a daily full scan and a file or process/program is detected, then there is a risk of PEBCAK (Acronym for: Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard) and if the user doesn’t know or understand what they are doing for example, they may choose to delete a necessary file falsely detected instead of quarantining it so they can recover it later. If they delete instead of quarantining, they may be looking at having to re-install Windows if it is an essential Windows file they deleted.

Problem here is the user chose to delete the file instead of quarantining it, so if the file later proves to be clean if it was quarantined, it canb[/b] be restored.

Deletion is permanent and the file, once deleted by any antivirus program, is irretrievably lost.

Which is why the link to virus total was provided. (Link is also useful for scanning email links embedded in the email text body.)

So there are risks in running daily full scans not often considered.

On-demand scans inspect all files located locally on the hard drive being actively scanned by the antivirus program and compares them to known clean static definitions.
On-access scanning is done automatically by the antivirus program as they are called, run, or opened in normal operation.

Running a daily full scan is overkill, imo, and brings with it possible risks noted above.

Also, there are risks an user can take when online that a daily full scan will not be able to cover or fix, so it is imperative the user does not do things on the internet they should not: Visiting less-than-reputable sites, for example. One of these sites may very well have an exploit on it known as a ‘zero-day exploit’ for which there are no known definitions by any antivirus program, so a full scan will not uncover or reveal an infection after the fact. This would be true even if it is run on a daily basis, as it will not have the necessary definition(s) needed to detect it in the first place.

It is On-Access scanning that provides the needed protection as it will kill any known malicious process or file as it attempts to enter and run on your system, and it is not the static scheduled daily full scan you are considering putting in place that will provide you with needed protection.

It is always better to prevent malware from installing and running in the first place vs. having to manually remove malware after the fact and clean up the damage it caused later, which is what a daily full scan will find after the infection happened if it has the definitions for it.

mchain · 2015-06-17T04:28:08.000Z

Sporty78 post:10:

*Unrelated, once signed in, is there a way to ‘view my posts’ so that I do not have to scan all of the threads?

If logged in, click the Profile>Summary button above to view all your current posts you’ve created or are currently monitoring. To make things easier, click Attachments and other options when you create a new topic or are replying to a current topic and click the box ‘Notify me of replies’.

You’ll then either be notified via email account or by clicking ‘Show new replies to your posts’ located just to the left of your user name.

Hope this helps.

Spiritual2016 · 2015-06-17T07:18:40.000Z

Since ‘On-access scanning’ is running automatically in ‘real time’ during normal operation and preventing malware from installing and running in the first place, I will turn off the daily full scan.

I originally created a ‘custom scan’ so I went into ‘Scan For Viruses,’ clicked ‘Settings’ beside the Custom Scan Setting that I created, went into ‘Scheduling’ and unchecked the ‘Schedule This Scan’ option, and clicked ‘OK.’

Since the Custom Scan was still listed, I went back into ‘Settings, Scheduling’ and ‘Schedule This Scan’ is still unchecked and the original ‘Schedule Type,’ ‘Time.’ and ‘Days’ settings are greyed out but are still visible-Why aren’t they cleared?

After clicking ‘OK,’ I noticed that the Custom Scan was still listed with ‘Delete Scan’ beside it so I deleted it.

Pondus · 2015-06-17T08:50:34.000Z

If you want scan and use screensaver then you may activate screensaver scan

Spiritual2016 · 2015-06-17T19:56:03.000Z

Can someone please answer this:

I turned off the daily full scan by unchecking the ‘Schedule This Scan’ option and clicked ‘OK.’

I wanted to double-check that it was turned off so I went back and the ‘Schedule This Scan’ option is still unchecked and the original ‘Schedule Type,’ ‘Time.’ and ‘Days’ settings are greyed out but are still visible-Why aren’t they cleared?

DavidR · 2015-06-17T20:41:21.000Z

Personally I don’t think it necessary to clear them when you have unchecked the schedule scan.

Some may just want to switch it off for a short time and subsequently enable it again, they would then need to reset the schedule timings.

Spiritual2016 · 2015-06-17T21:02:12.000Z

I agree that the settings should not be cleared for the reason you mentioned but ‘how’ can the settings be cleared once the ‘Schedule This Scan’ option has been disabled?

DavidR · 2015-06-17T21:39:42.000Z

Sporty78 post:17:

I agree that the settings should not be cleared for the reason you mentioned but ‘how’ can the settings be cleared once the ‘Schedule This Scan’ option has been disabled?

Change or delete the scheduled timings before unchecking the schedule scan.

So you would have to first enable the scheduled scan option before changing/clearing the timings.

Para-Noid · 2015-06-17T22:48:00.000Z

Personally I wouldn’t worry about unticking anything at all. The settings aren’t taking up any real HDD space.
I would leave them alone just in case you want to run that scan in the future. I have a custom “full system scan”
which I run once a month. If I unticked all of my settings then the next time I run that scan I would end up having to
reset those settings. There there for when I need them next time.

I am with the others when it comes to daily scans, they are nothing but overkill.
If you absolutely want to run a daily scan use the quick scan. Then once a week or
every other week run a full scan. As I said above I run monthly custom full scans but
many others might run a boot scan after a major release as in v2014, v2015 or v2016 and won’t
run another scan till the next year. “To each their own”.

Spiritual2016 · 2015-06-18T05:28:21.000Z

A Few More Questions:

Regarding On Access Protection, will a pop-up message be displayed if/when a malicious file is blocked?

If so, does the pop-up message remain until an action is taken/confirmation is given or does the message just pop-up briefly then disappear since it ‘blocks’ automatically and it can be ‘checked’ later somehow?

mchain · 2015-06-18T19:17:16.000Z

Sporty78 post:20:

One more question about On Access Protection:

Will a pop-up message be displayed if/when a malicious file is blocked?

If so, does the pop-up message remain until an action is taken/confirmation is given or does the message just pop-up briefly then disappear since it ‘blocks’ automatically?

If either Web Shield or File System Shield (Your On-access scanners) issues a block or notification, default setting within avast is to have it hang in the lower right-hand corner for twenty seconds.

If the pop-up disappears before you can completely digest what it says, or read the options provided, simply right-click the avast icon in the system tray and select ‘Show last popup message’. You can pin the popup by clicking the pin icon upper right if needed. (Note: If you reboot your system, show last popup message will be grayed out and unavailable.)

You should also be able to click a button within the popup that will call your browser and display more information while it is up. The option would then present itself to use virus total to investigate, if you wish, using the information provided.

Pondus · 2015-06-18T19:41:42.000Z

1. Regarding On Access Protection, will a pop-up message be displayed if/when a malicious file is blocked?

you can test and see how it works with EICAR test file ... not a virus, just a test string that trigger the function

EICAR test file http://www.eicar.org/85-0-Download.html

Spiritual2016 · 2015-06-18T19:49:34.000Z

What is ‘Virus Total’ and what it be necessary to check it or is it just additional information since Avast already takes care of blocking it?

Is 2015.10.2.2218 the latest ‘regular’ Program Version or is 2015.10.3.2219 the latest Program Version but only in beta mode and should not be relied on yet?

Second, will the Beta Program Version 2015.10.3.2219 be installed during the next automatic update, installed during the next manual update, automatically/manually installed as an update once it is out of ‘Beta’ mode, or will the new version have to be installed as a separate file only when it is out of Beta mode

bob3160 · 2015-06-18T20:13:08.000Z

Sporty78 post:23:

What is ‘Virus Total’ and what it be necessary to check it or is it just additional information since Avast already takes care of blocking it?

Is 2015.10.2.2218 the latest ‘regular’ Program Version or is 2015.10.3.2219 the latest Program Version but only in beta mode and should not be relied on yet?

Second, will the Beta Program Version 2015.10.3.2219 be installed during the next automatic update, installed during the next manual update, automatically/manually installed as an update once it is out of ‘Beta’ mode, or will the new version have to be installed as a separate file only when it is out of Beta mode

What is Virus Total : https://www.virustotal.com/en/about/
Will the beta version be installed during the next automatic update? : Only if you are a regular Avast beta tester.
If not, the answer is NO.
Latest version of Avast is 2015.10.2.2218. The Beta version will not be release for general use till it’s ready.
At that time it will no longer be a beta build.

Pondus · 2015-06-18T20:15:13.000Z

www.virustotal.com / www.metascan-online.com are two very usefull online tools

they are multi antivirus engines that you can use for checking suspicious files
Virustotal can also check URLs for blacklisting. Metascan can also check IP for blacklisting

see example here, just checked a fake mail attachment

https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/087044ca9be10f23f3af9c4f15a41b11c33b939df11944c4a2d87151136425bc/analysis/1434658616/

https://www.metascan-online.com/en/scanresult/file/cd4cb5f45ce54ca5be3547f014130b06

DavidR · 2015-06-18T20:24:07.000Z

@ Sporty78
VirusTotal is a web site that you can upload suspect files to and have multiple different virus scanners (over 40+). This can confirm a detection is good or a possible false positive.

Version 2015.10.3.2219 is a beta version, you won’t get this unless you elect to download it and install over the top of your existing. So Beta versions aren’t installed on regular program updates, unless you have previously installed the beta version.

Beta testing is not to be entered into lightly, especially on a non-testbed system. Whilst I don’t know your experience level other than from your posts in the forums, my advice would be to stick on the regular program update channel.

Spiritual2016 · 2015-06-18T20:34:41.000Z

Okay, I do have the latest version then-I just wanted to check.

When Version 2015.10.3.2219 becomes ‘mainstream’:

-Will it be updated automatically or manually

-Will it update over Version 2015.10.2.2218 or will Version 2015.10.2.2218 have to be uninstalled before Version 2015.10.3.2219 can be installed?

-Is it necessary for a novice to run ‘Virus Total’ or is it only meant as additional information for inquiring minds?

bob3160 · 2015-06-18T20:38:02.000Z

Sporty78 post:27:

Okay, I do have the latest version then-I just wanted to check.

When Version 2015.10.3.2219 becomes ‘mainstream’:

-Will it be updated automatically or manually

-Will it update over Version 2015.10.2.2218 or will Version 2015.10.2.2218 have to be uninstalled before Version 2015.10.3.221 can be installed?

-Is it necessary for a novice to run ‘Virus Total’ or is it only meant as additional information for inquiring minds?

Unless you’ve changed the default settings, you’ll most likely receive a popup letting you know there is a new version available for download or,
a notice within the User Interface advising you of the availability.
Virus total is usually used for a second opinion so you could call it a service for inquiring minds.

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