How often should I do a scan?

General Topics
1

How often should I schedule a full scan, and a quick scan?

2

It’s up to you but I would say at least monthly. I have mine set to do a full scan on the first day of every month. You may feel better doing it more often. I would say scheduling a weekly quick scan and a monthly full scan should be sufficient. You can always do a manual one at any time if the need arises.

3

Or use the screensaver scan, then you want have to think about doing it…

4

+1

5

My last full (boot scan) occurred when I installed avast!5.
Since then I’ve only scanned the system once.
avast! already scans everything before I run it the first time so why get bogged down with a lot of scans.
+1 to the screen saver scan since by doing that it doesn’t interfere with your normal computer usage.

6

Ok, thanks! I’m going to have it do a quick scan every week, and a full one every month. Whats the screensaver scan? I have never heard of it. ???

7

The same as an on-demand scan that only starts when your screen saver is running.

You will be surprised what information you find in the avast Help file (Help Center option in the avastUI), see image extract.

8

+ 1

+2

9

Thanks! I ever knew about this feature! I just set it up, and thanks DavidR for the pic, it really helped! ;D

10

You’re welcome.

11

I didn’t know what the screen saver scan was all about so never tried it. I don’t run a screensaver at all though so I guess it wouldn’t work. I just have the machine set to turn off the monitor after 15 minutes and go into standby after 30 minutes of inactivity. Hibernate is disabled since I don’t like that feature taking up 2 gigs of my hard drive space.

12

I don’t use a screen saver either, never saw the point if I’m not there, I have my monitor and standby timings a bit tighter than your also. There is also a scan when idle option that does much the same, if you don’t have it loop all the time it would run through your system in those 30 minute periods until finished.

13

Dch48 and David.
Seems that the scrensaver scanning is not for you.
But for us, that enjoy screensavers (and have the avast scanning then…).

14

I agree, the screensaver scan is very handy :stuck_out_tongue:
But I rarely do manual scans; the real-time shields and the sandbox keep me covered, I never had an infection with avast running.

15

I really can’t see the purpose of a screen saver, I don’t sit in front of my monitor watching the screen saver, I’m normally not there so for me its just wasting power. My monitor turns off after 5 minutes, hard disks after 15 minutes and into standby after 20 minutes, I’d rather save the power/planet ;D

16

There used to be a purpose for screensavers way back when you could get burn in on the monitor if the same thing was displayed for too long of a time. That was eliminated many years ago so now screensavers are just eye candy without a real purpose.

17

I do enjoy some eye candy though.

I have Hybernate active as it is part of my APC battery backup application.

18
I really can't see the purpose of a screen saver, I don't sit in front of my monitor watching the screen saver
you don`t have to watch it David.... ;).....i don`t, but i know it is there doing the job when i am watching fotball wm.... ;D
19

I don’t watch paint drying either, but I know it is drying all the same. If you feel the need for a scan to be run in this cyclic manner then the scan when Idle fits the bill.

I don’t use either as I don’t thing there is a huge requirement for either of those on-demand scans. This may well have been the case with avast 4.8 home when you couldn’t schedule a scan. But now you can do that with avast 5 free, so either scheduling a Quick/Full/Custom scan to take place at a convenient time further depreciating the value of these cyclic scans.

Just my 2p worth (excuse the pun on saving power/planet/cash), each to their own.

20

My screensaver is a little bit more exciting and refreshing than that ;D