Feature Request: Add to Exclusion on Detection

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

When Avast detects virus it automatically moves to chest, and alerts you with popup (bottom right). As of now, only option is “report as false positive”. Can you please add option to mark as safe, add to exclusions, and return to original location?

Thanks!

2
When Avast detects virus it automatically moves to chest
It depends on the settings you have selected what should be done when something is detected and what is possible,
3

Fair point. Above is default though. I install Avast for customers many many times a week, and this feature would make life a lot easier.
Obviously this scenario is involving FP’s…

4

I have long since changed my default settings, so it is somewhat hard to recall the exact default settings for the various shields.

The default actions also depend on what shield has made the detection and some have very restricted actions (Web Shield) Abort Connection and Ask.

For experienced users it isn’t an issue for them to set everything to Ask as the first action and No Action as the second action, but for less experienced it has to be somewhat more moderate.

  1. Fix Automatically, I think is never going to have any impact.
    As far as a Fix goes, I’m thinking the only thing that could possibly be fixed would be a true virus (and we don’t see many of those now).
  2. Move to chest, possibly the best and safest option, as you have other options remaining. First do no harm.
  3. Repair, I don’t see much use for repair, a bit like fix above. I also don’t know what it could actually repair.
  4. Ask, I’m in favour of this but really for experienced users.
  5. Delete, as far as I’m concerned Delete is a very poor option as you have zero options left.
  6. No Action, this isn’t as strange as it might sound. It just leaves the file in place, but it won’t let it run.

Reference your suggestion to “mark as safe, add to exclusions, and return to original location” personally I feel is a dangerous option for the lessor experienced user.

For some considerable time avast has resisted suggestions to have a one click option to exclude and run files as it could well mean accidental use with potential serious consequences for the user. They would have to be 100% certain that the file is clean and for many users they couldn’t guarantee that.

The user can go to the virus chest and elect to Restore and add to exclusions, to do this is is a deliberate act not one that could be used accidentally.

5

But it is made so awkward even to add those files as exclusions even then. Having to send stuff to the virus chest then make it an exclusion is just plain annoying.

Look at how Malwarebytes does it. If files are reported during a scan I think they’re automatically quarantined but afterwards at the end of the scan you’re given the option to add them to an Ignore list. There is no problem doing that either, just check the file > OK and its done.

AVAST doesn’t give you that simple option, no, its either Do Nothing, Delete or Send to the virus chest. Once in the chest there’s no (obvious) simple option to add them to the exclusion list there either. In fact you get every other option but that. Maddening.

6

Well avast is catering for the user base as a whole not necessarily for experienced users, who are to the most extent able to take care of themselves and set their Actions accordingly. However, most avast users would be unable to make the decision or test to ensure that they are certain it is 100% clear.

There is a simple means of adding a file to the exclusions from the virus chest. Open the chest, right click on the file name and select ‘Restore and add to exclusions.’

7

I didn’t know that there was a Restore & Add to Exclusions option.

Is that a new feature and if so when it introduced?

8

Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted :wink:

That option has been there for some considerable time.

9

lots of info in FAQ section, with nice pictures >> https://www.avast.com/faq.php?article=AVKB21#idt_06

10

Thanks for the info.

However its not clear from that link ^ whether the restore and add exclusions virus chest option is available with Avast Free. All info about that feature seems to be under the Avast Premier umbrella.

Can someone confirm whether it is or not?

11

There are already too many infected systems out there.
The easier you make bypassing a detected malware, the more quickly you’ll increase the infected systems.
Most people aren’t experts. Most people, when given the option, will always white list
a program if the option is available.
Most of the folks I speak to are grateful that Avast is keeping them safe even if once in a while,
one of those programs that are detected might be a false positive.
Better safe than sorry. :slight_smile:

12

You don’t need any further confirmation than what I gave in my Reply #5 above. Look at my signature and you will see that I use avast free. I have two other systems and they too are on avast free.

13

That would be a yes then. :slight_smile:

Thanks.

14

You’re welcome.