Hoe do I set Avast Home Edition to automatically move infected files to the chest?
Thank you
These automated options are only available in the Pro version. This is a limitation of the Home (free) version that it has interactive input requirement, there have to be differences in the Home/Pro version and this is one of them, the programmers have to eat ;D
You also don’t say under what circumstance, on-demand scan or on-access scan as the two are essentially different ?
On-Access Scan - You only have a limited option in the Home (free) version, to send the infected file to the virus Chest (silent mode, with general answer no, see #### below).
My own feeling on this is you should use the default interactive action. This way you know exactly what is going on with your system. If you are getting so many warnings, that you want to automate this process, I believe you should review your security practice - filter emails at source, delete from server rather than download them, review the sites they visit, etc. – See AvastForumGenHelp3.txt
See the avast help file, Resident Protection: Standard Shield Provider Settings - “Advanced” Page.
Click on Standard Shield and then on Customize.
Go to Advanced tab and select Silent Mode and the General answer No.
Leave the file in the chest for a few weeks (it can do no harm from there) to ensure no adverse effect from being moved to the chest. Then scan the file again in the chest to ensure it is still detected as infected and if so delete it from the chest.
On-Demand Scan - In the Home version you can check the option “Don’t show this window again” when the first virus warning appears, select the “No action” button. This way, no action will be taken and you will given the results at the end of the scan (and you can perform actions from there). Over time this will become less of an issue, as the resident, on-access scanners are designed to intercept infection before it gets into your system.
- There was one suggestion to place something like the eicar virus test file at the start of the first drive to be scanned in a file like ~a-eicar.com that should soon be detected and you can do the option “Don’t show this window again” when the first virus warning appears, select the “No action” button. So you should have a list of files waiting your action.
Thank you for your response. Sorry that i wasn’t more clear.
My issue is when I force a complete virus scan. If I’m not at my desk to choose an action the program sits and waits. I then come back (the next morning) and the scan is still waiting. Waste of time. If I understand you correctly…I should re-scan and then choose no action when the scan finds an infected file. After that…scans will complete and I’ll be able to make decisions at that time. The next time I run a scan and an infected file is found…the scan will complete itself and I’ll be able to make decisions at the end again? Do I have that right?
Thanks again
No, you would have to wait for the first detection (that is why the eicar test file was mentioned) and select the “Don’t show this window again” when the first virus warning appears, select the “No action” button and it will complete with a list of any detections for to make the decision to take. You have to do that each and every time.
As I said the longer you have avast the less likelihood there is of an actual detection on the on-demand scan.
Thorough is also by its design very thorough (it scans all files) and perhaps a little overkill for routine use, were a Standard scan without archives should be adequate. Archive (zip, rar, etc.) files are by their nature are inert, you need to extract the files and then you have to run them to be a threat. Long before that happens avast’s Standard Shield should have scanned them and before an executable is run that is scanned.
I have only ever done a Through Scan with Archives once shortly after installation just to ensure a clean start state, but with XP for example avast will do a boot-time scan after installation if you select it, this I believe will be quicker and reasonably effective. Like everything in life things are a compromise.
I have no idea the frequency you are considering doing this weekly I would say is the absolute minimum, some suggest fortnightly some doing a thorough scan monthly. It isn’t something that is need every day, that is the whole point of the resident on-access scanners.
OK. So…if I utilize the eicar test file…put it on top of the tree and choose “no action” when it is detected.
Thank you…I’ll look for the eicar test file.
The eicar site.
There are four downloads near the bottom of the page. “Eicar.com” will do fine. You’ll have to pause the webshield to download it.
After it is detected, be sure to also tick the “do not show me this warning again” box, as DavidR said above.