How can I turn off checking files for viruses?

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi;

I’m getting this 100% false alarms. I’m a developer and it is constantly identifying .tmp files the compiler or an installer creates as containing viruses. And clicking the allow it to run doesn’t work. So basically the scanning files never protects me and is constantly stopping me from getting work done.

How can I turn that part off?

thanks - dave

2

You can right click avast tray icon and pause shields

Best is to report it to avast lab so they can fix it https://support.avast.com

3

If you have a folder exclusively for these .tmp development files you could exclude scanning of *.tmp files in that folder.

4
  1. I’ve done the report false positive for 6+ months now - and I still keep getting this. 6+ months now - and I still keep getting this.
  2. It’s not a single folder - it occurs in every project I have.
  3. I do the temporary pause but that’s a pain to keep setting.

Since this has never found an actual virus (I’m pretty careful about what I run), is there a way to permanently turn this off?

thanks - dave

5

Well, if you feel comfortable enough you can always take DavidR’s suggestion one step further and go into the settings for the File Shield and exclude ".tmp" files. This should prevent ALL.tmp files on your computer from being scanned. I myself wouldn’t recommend it but again, if you are comfortable with that AND depending on the way you use your computer, that should alleviate the problem. Obviously your decision.

6

Hi;

I found what I think are the file shield settings - settings, exclusions. How do I tell it to exclude all files in all folders? It only provides a means to set a specific file.

thanks - dave

ps - If the scanning ever is improved so it rarely provides false positives I’ll turn it back on. But at present it’s been 100% false positives and no real viruses.

7

Go to “Settings” → “Active Protection” then click the “Customize” link for the File System Shields. Click “Exclusions” then click “Add” and type in “*.tmp” (without the quotes). Keep clicking “OK” to back out of all the screens. Again BE CAREFUL with this exclusion . . .

8

Hi;

Ok, I turned off *.tmp, *.exe, & *.dll. That should do it. I figure this is safe as I’ve had this on for 2 years and it’s been 100% false positives.

thanks - dave

9

I certainly wouldn’t advise that (but it is your system), but excluding all *.tmp, *.exe, & *.dll files rather than in specific folders leave a gaping hole in your defences. You could be allowing that traffic in from external sources.

10

You excluded .exe and .dll files ???
Then you don’t need Avast or some other Antivirus.

11

Agreed, with those exclusions, one really has no use for an Antivirus as all significant protection is seriously compromised. ???

12

I do still need Avast - to check attachments in emails and websites.

The problem with scanning files is twofold. First, it has never found an actual virus so there’s no benefit in my case for the scanning. If it caused no problems I’m still happy to have it but that leads to issue number 2…

It is hitting false positives all the time. Some days none but some days 20 - 30. When I tried to install ReSharper 9.0 it hit 6. I turned it off and re-ran the installer but still a pain to have to do that. It hits it for programs we run during our build process that we wrote. It hits it for programs I’m compiling to run. Last week it suddenly decided that one of the CodeWright DLLs was a virus (a program that is over 10 years old).

It’ll be nice if some day scanning works. But at present the track record is 0 help and a giant PITA.

13

Kind of unusual for you to hit so many false positives with out seeing a rash of posting in the forum.
But, it’s your computer and your problem if this backfires on you. It certainly isn’t anything I would do.