Exclude files/folders

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

I have tried working with exclusions but have failed.

Could someone who has the time please give me step-by-step instructions on how to exclude, say, a file named c:\joe\junk from being scanned at startup and in real-time. I had gone to settings and entered that path. Didn’t work.

In file system shields, I unchecked “scan files when opening…writing” and in Exclusions I checked W/R/X

Also would like to exclude firefox . Entered c:\program files\mozilla firefox* in basic setting exclusions and checked W/R/X in file system shields. Again, the Avast orange ball spins when I open Firefox for the first time.

In sum, I don’t want Avast to do anything with these 2 items. Possible?

Many thanks

2

Well, judging just by the fact that the avast! icon spins… isn’t very conclusive. Firefox may load other files on startup (e.g. from Windows folder, or elsewhere). Watching the “Last file scanned” field of the File system shield, or even enabling “OK items” to be written into the report file (though this may have impact on the machine speed), would be better.
Generally yes, entering the folder into the list of File system shield exclusions, with * appended, is OK - provided the file is then accessed using the same (long, in this case) path.

3

Thank you. But how do I exclude a file from being scanned?

4

For a single file, just enter the full path (this time without the * at the end, of course).

5

Igor - thank you. That’s what I had done but it is still being scanned. Thus my request for all the steps needed. I am obviously overlooking some items to check/uncheck in Avast.

I went to Basic settings (where I have indicated this file to exclude: c:\joe\junk); in file system shield, I have left the check marks on that first page and in exclusions I have checks in the Read/Write/Execute choices.

These choices don’t work, so I ask what am I doing wrong? Again, I do not want c:\joe\junk scanned.

Thanks.

6

What exactly is c:\joe\junk - a file or folder?
How do you know it’s scanned?

7

It is a file. When I open it via a desktop shortcut, the orange ball spins (as it is now when writing this…) When I open it from explorer, the ball spins…

Again, thanks for your patience and time with me.

8

The spinning doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s this particular file being scanned - avast! might be scanning some of its dependencies (DLL files it loads, for example).

9

Okay. Thanks, Igor