Avast: few questions in regard to Standard Shield's settings

[satyr]

1. I am curious; what if the "Scan executed programs" checkbox is cheked but the one below that says 32-bit/64-bit Windows (Win32/Win64) executables un-checked, or further, what if "Scan executed programs" checkbox is checked, but all the three others un-checked ??


Which files would be then scanned in these cases ??


2. Additionally I am wondering about the Normal, High and Custom slider-options in all three Shields settings. I mean, what if the slider is set to Normal or High and then I manually change some settings with pressing the "Customize..." button ?? Normally, the slider would remain at Normal or High anyway (though with the settings that I've changed previously applied anyways), but once it also occured that the slider went from Normal or High to Custom by itself automatically after customizing the settings (IIRC it was when I changed the configuration for the Standard Shield in particular)


(/EDIT: Well, I noticed now that the slider under "Standard Shield" does remain on Custom, however, the one under "Web Shield" doesn't nomather what I try ...


thanks in advance, satyr

[DavidR]

1. By default they are all ticked I believe, they are on mine.
- You could test by clicking on an .exe file or old windows program (16 bit program) or a dos program if you have one and see if it is scanned.

2. Normal is the default, you can configure it further using Customise but if you don't raise the basic level of sensitivity the slider will remain as it was.

The web shield will only change if you choose scan files of a certain type (default I believe, Normal) if you add additional file types to the default list (effectively Custom) or to scan all file (effectively High). Mine is on scan all files so that it scans firefox's extensionless browser cache which is effectively High.

[satyr]

Thanks much DavidR for a quick and unambiguous reply !!


satyr

[DavidR]

No problem, welcome to the forums.

[satyr]

OK, I see now that for example the Web Shield's slider remains at "Custom" only if I un-check the "Use intelligent stream scanning" option. But curious, do any "URL Exceptions" for instance that I've added apply if I check the "Use intelligent ... checkbox, and thus the slider auto-slides back to Normal position (or High for that matter)


thanks again, satyr

[DavidR]

I think Inteligent streaming isn't the issue, but switching off intelegent streaming would be a custom setting.

I have only one URL Blocking entry *.pif and my settings remains as before as the URL blocking doesn't change the level of sensitivity, it just doesn't scan that URL. As I have mentioned, I set mine to scan all files so that it scans firefox's extensionless browser cache which is effectively High.

If I change that to scan files of a certain type then I see mine change to Custom.

No matter what the slider says what you should be concerned with is what is inside the Customize as that is what is or isn't scanned.

[satyr]

OK, one more question: does Avast "use" those paths that you add under "On-Access Protection Control" window under Standard Shield -- Costumize... settings (i.e. Resident task settings, the Advanced tab) in a "directory-recursive" manner, or they (the paths) and the whole excluding principle applies only to singe directories ??


P.S., Oh and if we are already talking about the Standard Shield; if you want to also see the screenshots of that "UI glitch after adding a URL a common bug" that I've metnioned in the A few questions about Avast Web Shield's "URL Exceptions" thread ...


satyr

[DavidR]

OK, one more question: does Avast "use" those paths that you add under "On-Access Protection Control" window under Standard Shield -- Costumize... settings (i.e. Resident task settings, the Advanced tab) in a "directory-recursive" manner, or they (the paths) and the whole excluding principle applies only to singe directories ??

Sorry I don't understand what you mean by directory-recursive manner, if you are talking about the use of wildcards and how they would effect scanning (directories/sub-directories, etc.), I think that has been well covered in the link to your other thread.

Your first point of taken as a HDD path (not a URL).

1. What is the difference between adding (if any):
http://arstechnica.com/
and
http://arstechnica.com/*

Igor's answer could also be related to HDD paths.

Quite a big one. The first one excludes really just the main page, the second one any pages on arstechnica.com (i.e. it's probably what you want).

So c:\directory\sub-directory\* would exclude everything on the sub-directory but c:\directory\* would exclude every file in c:\directory, every sub-directory and all files in those sub-directories. So you need to exercise care in the use of wildcards only to exclude what you absolutely need to.

This would be easy to test, create a test-directory, sub-testdirectory2, sub-sub-testdirectory3, populate it with some files, set a test exclusion to just exclude the sub-subtestdirectory files and scan. Then bring the exclusion back one level and scan again and see if it still excludes the sub-subtestdirectory and its files .

[satyr]

Thanks much DavidR for a quicky reply ....

So c:\directory\sub-directory\* would exclude everything on the sub-directory but c:\directory\* would exclude every file in c:\directory, every sub-directory and all files in those sub-directories.

Yeah, this means that excluding engine is "directory-recursive".


satyr

[DavidR]

Your welcome.