Completely Ignore Drive?

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Is there a way to completely ignore a specific drive by drive letter? I have a backup drive that I like to eject regularly, but Avast stops that from happening. The only way to eject this specific drive safely is to disable Avast. Disabling Avast temporarily, isn’t a problem, but it’s one extra step I don’t want to take.

The drive is always the “L:” drive. What’s the best way to get Avast to completely ignore this drive?

Right now, I have all of my backup drives listed under Exceptions (“D:*”,“F:*”,“L:*”,“M:*”) but Avast clearly still has its hooks in the drive, as it’s impossible to eject the drive without disabling Avast.

Thanks!

Details:
Windows 11 Pro (23H2)
Avast Premium Security (24.4.6112 - Build 24.4.9067.835)
Items installed:

  • File Shield
  • Behavior Shield
  • Sandbox
  • Data Shredder
2

I assume you are referring to a removable drive?

3

I do regular Windows 10 system and data backups into 3 different portable SSD drives (one Crucial 1TB and 2TB SSDs and SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD) I have never had to set an exclusion.

That said, I just wonder if this might be related to the backup software being used as mine are essentially Windows System and Data backups (so may not be considered suspect so the backups go through).

4

So, you’re saying that you cannot eject the drive - and when you “disable Avast”, it suddenly can be ejected? How are you disabling Avast, from the tray icon or somehow differently?
If so, could you please try to open the UI and temporarily stop shields one by one, to find out which one “locks” the drive (doesn’t have to be just Core shields, it could be WebCam Shield, Ransomware Shield, Remote Access Shield… the overall number of them should correspond to the number the tray icon shows you for disabling)? I don’t see why any of them should keep a drive open… so it would be nice to narrow it down.
Thanks.

5

For me this behaviour of Avast hanging on to a USB drive preventing ejection when requested has been common, not just recent versons, particularly on large removable drive. Avast seems to have priority over the USB eject command. I either leave the drive connected and try to eject later, or restart the PC.

6

Well, it’s not like Avast intentionally holds the drive locked (at least in my opinion :)).
If the “lock” can be broken by stopping a particular shield, it might help us find out what/where is preventing the eject.