I am a long time Avast user & the past 2 times I have scheduled a boot time scan, it says it needs to download files to run the scan. I do not allow it to, & it still scans & the Avast program itself shows up to date, & in fact has updated twice since this started. Is this normal & should I allow it to install the new files, or is Avast itself infected?
yes it is normal with latest version
why do you run a boot scan … any problems?
I run it once a month as an added level of protection, unless the daily scan shows anything & requests the boot scan, then I run it also. Thanks for the response.
Boot scan does not give any better detection, and there is no need to run a daily scan
Your avast have realtime protection, meaning evrything that goes on in your computer when on is checked/scanned in realtime
Manually scanning for malware after it gets on your system is like letting the horse out of the barn. It is too late by then.
And has still allowed 2 infections this week to get through… & they came from the State Of NY official site. According to a reply I got in e-mail directly from AVAST, the boot time scan should NOT be asking me to download anything.
What kind of infections? Post a screenshot if able.
Boot time scanning cannot prevent infections. It is the real-time scanning that can. Do you have that enabled?
Yes, real time is enabled & said it stopped the infection both times, yet on the regular scan, found them again (& after being cleared from the computer, not just quarantined)… I am aware the boot scan does not prevent an infection, it helps clean anything before windows can fully start & prevent a virus from being detected or cleared. I have been using AVAST for many years & have been using computers since card readers & phone cradle modem Basic / COBOL days. When AVAST does detected on a full scan, it “recommends” a boot scan. When that is scheduled, it asks to download a 40meg file… that is what I was questioning in the first place. Both times AVAST “caught” the infection from the NYS site, it was a redirect virus. I have since unloaded & reloaded AVAST, as well as preformed a system restore to before the request to download the 40meg file started. When I “test” scheduled a boot time scan, it has returned to asking to do that 40meg download. When checking for actual AVAST program updates, it says I am up to date (& auto updates are on) I am also now having issues with AVAST & the latest version of Firefox. (PLEASE don’t tell me to use Chrome… I will NOT… I’ve used it, don’t like it) I am still using Win-7 as an OS… & no, won’t go to 10. In fact, I really would love to go back to XP. I dislike 8 & 10 so much that my next build will probably go to Linux.
Yes the boot-time scan can and when possible/is needed does download files.
When there is a Internet connection it checks for the latest malware definitions and download them if there are newer ones than on your system.
If there is no Internet connection, it scans with the definitions that are present on the system.
I suggest to follow these instructions > https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0
you still have not said what infections …malware name given by avast?
I guess it was PUP detections, and pup is default off except for in boot scan
Start a new topic in V&W and post your logs there: https://forum.avast.com/index.php?action=post;board=4