Does Avast have Real Time Scanning? I run Belarc and this is what it tells me.
avast! antivirus 4.7.871 [VPS 0635-2] Version 4.7.871
Realtime File Scanning Off
Is there a way to switch it on please.
Sure it does. Click on the avast! tray icon to open the On-Access Protection console and check the status of the providers (I guess you’re interested in Standard Shield).
Maybe Belarc isn’t detecting the status correctly?
After 109 posts Barr_y I would have thought you would know that one ;D
avast is a resident on-acces scanner, which means real time, before you open a file avast scans it (depending on the file type and its potential for harm).
Belarc is usually quite accurate, so it looks like the Standard Shield isn’t enabled, what does the on-access window show (double click the avast icon) ?
Is there a red circle with bar over the avast icon ?
Thank you for replies, but I am only going on what I am reading from Belarc. It tells me real time scanning is off. I have seven providers, five which are running. The ones I do not use I have terminated, i.e. Internet Mail, and outlook/Exchange, because I only have Outlook Express, and B9 takes care of my email. So what is it supposed to say in Belarc with the others switched on
I like that remark with grin David, you obviously remember me. 
Outlook Express requires Internet Mail provider :
Why did you disable this provider?
Belarc should detect if Standard Shield provider is ON.
All others are not ‘specifically’ the real time scanning.
How is the state of Standard Shield provider?
I would take avast’s email scanner over B9 any day, in fact I bought B9 a sister program to mailwasher pro some years ago and haven’t used since installing avast, even though I paid for it.
I only have 4 providers enabled, standard shield, internet mail, web shield and network shield and as you can see from the image I posted mine is shown as on. The only program being monitored by belarc is the main scanning engine ashServ.exe (standard shield) process.
Does ashServ.exe show up in the Task Manager, processes ?
Sorry I don’t quite understand your reply Tech. Outlook Express is on it is Outlook/Exchange I turned off in Avast, because I have B9 looking after my mail, and I do not have Outlook/Exchange.
To David yes ashserve.exe (standard shield) is showing in the Task Manager processes, and I haven’t made any alterations to anything. All boxes are ticked in Scanner [basic] In scanner [advanced] it doesn’t have a dot in all files just files with selected extensions. In blocker it has a tick in default extension set, and a dot in [allow the operation] in advanced nothing is ticked. If you think Avast mail scanner is better than B9 could you give me a reason, I may switch it off in favour of Avasts Mail Scanner. I paid for it a long time ago as well, that is why I use it at the moment.
PS. Have just discovered that if I go into Security Center and switch it to Manual after disabling it, then restarting it Avast shows up in the Security Center, saying it is up to date. But if I switch it to Automatic reboot my computer this is what it tells me.
"VIRUS PROTECTION
avast antivirus 4.7.871 [VPS 0635-2] reports that it is turned off. Yet I know it is on because it is spinning in the Taskbar. If I turn off the protection in Avast, then turn it back on it gives me the green light in Security Center and Belarc shows this
avast! antivirus 4.7.871 [VPS 0635-2] Version 4.7.871
Realtime File Scanning On
When I turn off or reboot my computer it goes back to showing I have no Antivirus. How is this a real mystery?
Well, I would suggest to check whether Standard Shield is really working, e.g. using the EICAR test file. Create a file called eicar.com on your disk, copy&paste the Eicar test string inside and save it. Now, avast! should pop up a virus warning (well, it depends on the settings of your Standard Shield… maybe you’ll have to execute the file).
If this happens, then everything is OK (on avast!'s side). I really don’t know how Belarc detects the antivirus status, so I can’t help here.
Hi igor thank you for that information but when looking at the EICAR test file I read the warning at the bottom which said
“EICAR cannot and will not provide any help to remove these files from your computer. Please contact the manufacturer/vendor of your AV scanner to seek such help”
So first I would like to know what I need to remove these test files. Belarc seems to detect the real time scanning only when security center recognizes Avast.
It seems that Avast has a switch attached to it that tells my Security Center, it is not switched on when rebooting. Stopping the 5 providers I have running then restarting it again clears that up, so does clicking the Restart on my Security Center even though it is on Automatic and started.
There won’t be any additional files - just the one you create.
If avast! pops the virus warning and you click on “Delete”, avast! deletes the file for you.
If it doesn’t, you can manually delete it, e.g. using Windows Explorer.
Thank you Igor. Have tested the file and it seems to activate the virus warning of Avast OK. I will have to see now after a reboot when Security center doesn’t recognize my Avast. Will modify this post if it does.
Right, when I reboot, Security Center doesn’t acknowledge Avast is present, but using the eicar file in a zipped folder or an ordinary folder, my Avast finds and warns me of the virus. The same if I monitor Avast myself, it still finds the virus. So my conclusion is Avast is doing a great job for me as always.
Problem is Security Center can’t find Avast after reboot, only if I close Avast then restart Avast and Security Center, although I know both are working automatic. Can anybody solve this problem?