starting boot scan

ok ok i am not a total noob but i cannot figure out how to schedule/start a boot scan in the free edition. plz help. Thank you

If you have XP, vista32bit or Win2k, you could enable a boot time scan. Right click the avast icon, select Start avast! Antivirus, a memory scan will take place followed by the opening of the Simple User Interface, Menu, ‘Schedule boot-time scan…’ Or see http://www.digitalred.com/avast-boot-time.php.

Why is it that you feel you need to do this ?

system is running at 100% processor when a week ago it wasn’t

I wouldn’t say that is a first step I would take, I would suggest checking the Task Manager and see what Process is responsible for the High cpu % and report here.
Whilst it is a worthy second action in case there is any malware running and if there is an unknown process responsible for the cpu %.

What has changed in the last week, any programs added, windows update, etc. ?

What other security software do you have ?

well it wasn’t actually my first step. my first step was to run the regular av. came up with nothing. nothing much has chged. i think. i know i know. something had to have chged. i am going to the same websites i was going to except now my wow did a minor update. and now i am looking at different federal websites for school that i applied to.

task mgr says that system idle and firefox are the two programs using the most. i have comodo fw and avast home. and a dlink router that is not wireless. pass thru is off.

Mainboard : HP HP System Board
Chipset : Intel i815E/EP
Processor : Intel Pentium III EB @ 1000 MHz
Physical Memory : 512 MB (2 )
Video Card : VISIONTEK Xtasy RADEON 9250 PCI
Hard Disk : WDC (320 GB)
DVD-Rom Drive : PHILIPS SPD2415P
CD-Rom Drive : LG CD-RW CED-8080B
Monitor Type : FWUD32131067U - 17 inches
Network Card : 3COM Corp, Networking Division 3C905C-TX Fast Etherlink for PC Management NIC
Operating System : Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional 5.00.2195 Service Pack 4
DirectX : Version 9.0c

System Idle Process is the amount of ‘free’ cpu % remaining and the higher the better.

If your total excluding system idle process were at 100% you would be virtually unable to do anything. So excluding the system idle process what is the actual cpu % being used ?

Your system whilst not a speed freak is more than up to the general tasks, but during some activity (such as scanning files, etc.) you will notice some spikes of high cpu % activity but it should return to normal in a short time.

kattykaty, I use IE8 beta2 with IE7Pro and Google Chrome on a system much like yours without much difficulty and it even runs WinPatrol. Woof Woof.

I hear that FF has become the latest bloatmobile so why don’t you try either IE8 or Google Chrome?

I wouldn’t touch google’s chrome with a long stick at present there are too many security issues and a number of privacy ones, not to mention it really is too early in its life cycle, even less than IE8 beta 2.

I wouldn’t recommend beta products for the novice user either (kattykaty’s first post being relevant) stick with regular released versions of established browsers will save you going grey or pulling your hair out ;D