I just installed Avast Home 4.8 and I am overwhelmed with so much stuff which don’t really answer my questions or I am too blind to see.
Please can you “old” guys tell me is Avast automatically checks for virus and Antispyware?
When does it do this?
Does it automatically delete spyware?
Thank you for any help.
Hi Toekick!
With avast! you have both on access and manual scans…
on access means that every times you open a file this file gets scanned by avast! or every internet-page you visit is scanned by avast’s webshield. 
additionally to that you can perform a manual scan of you harddrives.
to do a manual scan start avast! via the desktop icon, select the drives, set the sensitivity and start the scan - such a scan should be performed regularly 
if a virus or spyware is detected it asks you via a window where you can select if you want to put it to chest (best choice for the beginning) or you want to delete the file or ignore it…
i hope this helps - if you have more questions feel free to ask!
yours
onlysomeone
"avast! antivirus v4.8
represents a multi-award winning solution to virus protection, with anti-spyware and anti-rootkit software built in for added security."
You can use other free programs to do that too such as:
Spyware Blaster found here: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
Spyware Terminator found here: http://www.spywareterminator.com/
RoRo 8) 8)
Not quite right, roro, Spyware Blaster helps immunize the system/browser from spyware/known bad activex, it doesn’t remove it.
Avast has antispyware capability, and scans for root kits automatically after every startup. It’s pretty good in that regard.
I couldn’t personally recommend SpywareTerminator any longer, but haven’t used it for a while. Got a bit annoyed with the bulk of development going into the toolbar rather than the program. Maybe it’s improved.
My choices for antispyware programs would be Superantispyware, and MBAM. (Although I have a few others, too.)
Toekick, did you have any other AV before installing Avast? What is you operating system (XP, Vista…)?
I’ve found Avast has helped keep my PC malware free for about two years, now. It automatically scans every executable file that runs, and, if the webshield provider is on, scans websites before anything can be downloaded from them, which can be very useful. It also has a pretty good help file.
Any more specific info needed?
Thank you Tarq57. I was mistaken. I just checked out Avast at the website and updated my post.
I will check out the Superantispyware and MBAM. Would you still recommend Spyware Blaster?
Ro Ro 
Yeah, sure, SpywareBlaster is good, works, uses no resource, and the developer is well regarded. Especially useful to anyone using IE browser.
Sure
Welcome to the forums, Toekick.
If you leave avast as it was installed with the default settings, it will work very well for you on a daily basis. The others have provided you with other information and if this is not enough info or you have other questions, please post again.
You will find on this forum many very helpful and knowledgeable people.
Please come back often, learn more, and maybe help others.
Thank you all of you guys. Your information is great and you all make me feel welcome.
To answer Tarq57:
I have Windows XP Home SP3. I used to have AVG for years, but found out it did not eliminated spyware, which apparently was causing my DSL connection to slow down and just virtually stop. After numerous phone calls to Telus.net (IP Provider) they said I needed to get rid of AVG and install eProtect, their own antivirus/spyware software. I did that and found this eProtect had a life of its own, running at odd times no matter what schedule you set it at and also continuously was adding 0KB files to my recycle bin. To make matters worse, it did not solved the problem of DSL daily slow downs. So I got rid of that and installed Avast, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will solve my problem. I was thinking if the slow down could be due to my DSL modem? It is a Speedtouch, no routers, direct connection to the phone line.
For sure, an infected computer will be slower…
But ISP loves to through the guiltiness over the infection and, a lot of times, the slowness is due to a bad connection service…
As Tech indicates, it’s as likely to be your ISP running short of bandwidth as anything else, but just to help eliminate the possibility of spyware etc, download http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php , install, update and run a scan. Quick scan is usually adequate with this one.
Let us know if it finds anything.
Check your contract with the ISP. Most don’t actually guarantee a particular speed…comes across to me as verging on false advertising…but if you run a few speedtests and present them with those figures after a period of time, and those figures prove that you never get the advertised speed (and enough other customers do the same) it might just prompt them to act.
PS, a tool you can run to be sure that AVG is fully removed (hopefully) http://www.grisoft.com/ww.download-tools
This is getting interesting. Why do I need to download and run a spyware program such as malwarebytes? Doesn’t Avast check for spyware? That was the whole reason in choosing Avast, because it claims to do both, virus and spyware.
Re the ISP provider, I am so tired of dealing with them and getting nowhere. They keep saying there is nothing wrong with the speed after of course they tweak at their end. They also say if it slows down to power off and on the modem. That of course helps, but it is stupid. Anyway, I have a couple of questions re Avast.
Is there a way to schedule scans, like once a week, daily, etc. Can’t seem to find where to do that.
And second question, at times when I turn my computer on, it goes to a blue screen and starts scanning, this takes about 30 minutes before it finally finishes and proceed to the Windows Welcome screen etc.
Any ideas, suggestions, thanks
Yes
Please run the AVG removal tool- conflicts can cause slowness and other hard to find problems
and
Yes A stand alone anti spyware/ anti malware program (s) are essential
Yes Spyware blaster is good
so
download, update and run MAlware Bytes Anti Malware
MBAM will compliment - not compete with Avast
check any baddies found and
Click Remove Checked- a backup will be made
post the results here
then we’ll talk more about prevention
What Firewall?
Hosts file?
Run Secunia Software inspector
if your java is out of date run javara before updating
we can also deal with scheduled scans- someone can post how to fake it with the non pro version
Blue screen scan- can someone else answer these two?
sounds more like BO-Clean or something
Not a software is perfect, not a software detects everything… you can have a second opinion…
You can’t schedule in Home version. Only in Professional.
Howto do with Home version: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=3796.msg27225#msg27225
Drawbacks on Home version: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=29962.msg246925#msg246925
Only if you schedule a boot time scanning…
Are you saying that each boot the scanning is being performed?