Hello all,
I am new here and really enjoying this forum!
When setting up Boot scan it allows the user to select a path to scan on boot up. Is there any reason to scan the entire drive (takes long time), or does it make more sense to set the path to scan selected folders such as the windows system files. For a boot scan I am only interested in scanning those files that are used in windows and cant be cleaned after windows loads -correct?
I hope you don’t mind if I add on to your question. I am using the home 4.7 edition.
I am using a wireless keyboard which must not load during the boot up process until after the Avast scan is complete. So I don’t have the ability to hit “esc” to cancel the scan. Where did you find the setting to allow you to change the boot up scan options? I would like to minimize the scan time during boot up also.
Thanks
Tom
trnsprt
A setting, if availible, would be in the bios. Bootscan runs before any windows drivers are loaded.
@ poweruser
Under normal circumstances it isn’t necessary to do a boot-time scan only when you have an infection that you can’t deal with, typically in use or protected by windows, etc. In those cases you should have a good idea what folders they are in (based on an avast detection it couldn’t deal with). There is no guarantee that that is the only location effected, that file could be masking others, so a full scan though it will take longer may be better.
@ trnsprt
In the BIOS settings (keep pecking at the delete key on boot) there should be a setting to Enable USB Devices before boot, or words to that effect, I can’t recall what section it is in in my BIOS and many have a different layout, so It is a case of checking these settings. You may have a further problem when in the BIOS you may not be able to use your keyboard for the very same reasons.
It really gets me when system builders that supply USB keyboards don’t change the BIOS settings to be able to use them before boot. If that is the case you may have no other option but to borrow or use an old PS2 keyboard to either change the BIOS settings or use for the boot-time scan.
David… can Avast reliably detect viruses even in files not normally accessible -such as those protected and in use by windows, with normal full scan? I guess I was under the mistaken impression that maybe they might be missed unless scanned using boot scan.
Thanks!
No. There isn’t antivirus that will be able to scan inside password protected files.
Boot scan could scan ‘access denied’ (files in use) but can’t do it with password protected files either.
A normal scan will attempt to scan the files but there are many legitimate reason why it may not be able to do so, password protected or encrypted file or folder, certain files in use, etc. The fact that they can’t be scanned doesn’t mean that they are infected (so there may be nothing to clean), but if you have suspicions, adverse behaviour, etc. you have to look further and a boot-time scan is one option, another type of scanner, anti-spyware, etc. another an on-line scan as a secondary check.
If a file can be detected by a boot-time scan can also be detected under normal circumstances, when a file opens, prior to it loading avast would scan it, if it is a little fast (unlikely) it may load before avast runs during boot, avast also scans memory (programs that have been loaded) during initial boot and if a virus is found in memory avast will suggest you do a boot-time scan. So there are a number of checks that should reduce this likelihood.
Many thanks David and Tech… you are both much appreciated for your knowledge and willingness to share!
No problem, glad that we could help.
A belated welcome to the forums.
Thank everyone for the help. That was a pretty obvious solution!
Take Care
Tom
Obvious is often overlooked ;D
Stick around and browse the forums, especially the sticky topics at the top of each of the forums, not to mention the avast help file. They provide a wealth of information to help you get the best from avast.