Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: genericusername on December 05, 2009, 03:28:30 AM
-
I realize this is probably a repost, but I'm a new user of avast! and am clueless on how to handle this.
The results of a thorough scan show 1204 listed files that were unable to be scanned. They were either in an AVG (which I recently uninstalled) IDS folder, a SuperAntiSpyware Quarantine folder, and the majority of the files were fonts in the Local Settings/Temp/ folder.
Should I be worried? Will any of this slow down my computer?
Thanks
-
Home or PRO?
-
@ happle
It doesn't matter what version.
@ genericusername
Files that can't be scanned are just that, not an indication they are suspicious/infected, just unable to be scanned.
Many programs (usually security based ones) password protect their files for legitimate reasons such as AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy, there are others (and avast doesn't know the password or have any way of using it even if it did know it).
When you run scans with the above programs and you delete harmful entries that they detect, a copy is kept (in quarantine/restore/backup) in case you need to reverse what you did. These are usually password protected, you should do some housekeeping and delete old backup/recovery/quarantine entries (older than two weeks or so), this will reduce the numbers of files that can't be scanned.
By examining 1) the reason given by avast! for not being able to scan the files, 2) the location of the files, you can get an idea of what program they relate to. You may need to expand the column headings to see all the text.
If you can give some examples of those file names, the locations and reason given why it can't be scanned might help us further ?
If you don't select archives (which are inert by nature), you won't get such a big list.
To ensure all AVG remnants are gone - AVG8.x Remover, download tool from here, http://www.avg.com/download-tools (http://www.avg.com/download-tools) there is a 32bit and 64 bit windows version, ensure you use the correct one.
-
So if the archive "unable to be scanned" files can not be scanned, they really can't harm my computer?
???
-
How can they, archives are inert.
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. Like everything in life things are a compromise.
-
So the files are pretty much safe where they are? Unless I activate them?
:-\
-
Files that can't be scanned are just that, not an indication they are suspicious/infected, just unable to be scanned.
-
So the files are pretty much safe where they are? Unless I activate them?
:-\
Yes they are fine.
-
uh, yeah, im getting this problem too, only its for EVERY file i scan (i dont mean when i scan individual files, i mean when i scan my hard drive). either its archived, password protected, or a decompression bomb, whatever that is. i have home and i have the scan archived files checked off in the avast launcher. also ran it as administrator
-
I somehow doubt it is for every file you scan as on an on-demand scan there would be tens of thousands of files scanned if not more depending on your scan sensitivity settings and I doubt you are getting tens of thousands of files not scanned.
Read my first reply above about why files can't be scanned and why that isn't an indication they are suspect or infected.
- Decompression Bomb, a file that is highly compressed, which could be very large when decompressed. This used to be a tactic long ago to swamp the system, also see http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=15389.msg131213#msg131213 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=15389.msg131213#msg131213).
The name really is the most dangerous thing about this and I wish they would change it or simply not report it, a real PITA.
-
more like 20 of thousands...
(http://i46.tinypic.com/2e50bwj.png)
(http://i49.tinypic.com/f3g9y1.png)
i hope those pics make more sense to you then they do me.
yeah the decompression bombs only come up for certain game iso's (i like to buy them, then use virtual drives / NO-CD patches to keep the cd's in mint condition) so that makes sense.
but heres the thing, most of these files ive been able to scan before, and im 90% sure they're virus free. im just wondering if this is a windows 7 security thing im missing. on XP i could scan iso's and zip's and rar's and practically anything else without this ever happening.
-
A lot yes, but I would say still no where near all those scanned.
avast can do nothing about password protected files, as I said in my first reply in this topic. So I would presume Steam is protecting its data. I can't see your second image, not displaying fully on my browser, so I don't know if there is another common branch being blocked by password, etc.
You can however reduce this figure at a stroke, don't scan archives as they are inert and don't represent an immediate danger. I would also suggest you don't d a thorough sensitivity scan, it is overkill.
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.
-
ok, that makes sense. thx for the info :)
-
You're welcome, Happy New Year.
-
same to you :)