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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: greg.auping on January 22, 2019, 05:52:30 PM

Title: Protection for USB drives
Post by: greg.auping on January 22, 2019, 05:52:30 PM
I am an Avast Free user. Does this protect /scan any USB or portable drives I may access via my desktop? Also how simple is it to use? We have a number of desktops running in my environment on this version of Avast. Please comment and make any recommendations. Thank You.
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: Pondus on January 22, 2019, 06:12:33 PM
Quote
Does this protect /scan any USB or portable drives I may access via my desktop?
Yes  >>>  https://blog.avast.com/2012/09/27/how-do-i-scan-a-flash-drive-for-viruses-using-avast/


Quote
Also how simple is it to use?
If you have installed it you should know ....

Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: Pondus on January 22, 2019, 06:16:19 PM
No security program have 100% detection or zero false positives

Recomended USB protection tool: MCShield  >>  http://www.mcshield.net/
It is free, install and forget ... surf that website for info

This is not a antivirus but a special tool designed to target those malwaretypes that jump disk


Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: bob3160 on January 22, 2019, 08:27:18 PM
I am an Avast Free user. Does this protect /scan any USB or portable drives I may access via my desktop? Also how simple is it to use? We have a number of desktops running in my environment on this version of Avast. Please comment and make any recommendations. Thank You.
By default, it will scan anything you open or access on a flash drive, Memory card or external HD.
If you expect more than that, you need to change the settings.
(Reporting Pondus because you didn't like his answer isn't going to change the answer even if it isn't what you wanted to hear.)
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: greg.auping on January 23, 2019, 04:28:55 PM
Further review has determined the Free version does not automatically scan all items opened from a flash drive, a target scan must be run manually.
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: Pondus on January 23, 2019, 04:42:04 PM
If you plug in a full 256GB USB stick (or larger) do you want it to auto scan all that evry time?

Any file you open / read / move / save ..... is scanned by realtime protection


Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: DavidR on January 23, 2019, 04:57:37 PM
<snip>
Any file you open / read / move / save ..... is scanned by realtime protection

That isn't entirely correct.

Only files that are likely to be a threat if infected would be scanned. e.g. text files for instance.  Others might include zip/archive files, certain image files, etc.  This would be pretty much be the default settings (or any customisations) in the File System Shield.
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: bob3160 on January 23, 2019, 05:08:55 PM
<snip>
Any file you open / read / move / save ..... is scanned by realtime protection

That isn't entirely correct.

Only files that are likely to be a threat if infected would be scanned. e.g. text files for instance.  Others might include zip/archive files, certain image files, etc.  This would be pretty much be the default settings (or any customisations) in the File System Shield.
If you open a compressed file, it will be scanned before you have access.
You're correct that by default, that file type isn't scanned by Avast when you first connect that USB drive.
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: monia456 on January 24, 2019, 04:54:45 PM
Thanks
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: bob3160 on January 24, 2019, 05:06:19 PM
Thanks
You're welcome. Follow the advice Pondus offered and install McShield.
It will check for the part your AV doesn't check by default and then your AV takes over for anything you open on that drive.
(Layered Protection)
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: =Snake= on January 24, 2019, 06:36:25 PM
Follow the advice Pondus offered and install McShield.
What I offered in the other thread! That's not fair.
 :'(  :-X
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: bob3160 on January 24, 2019, 06:56:08 PM
Follow the advice Pondus offered and install McShield.
What I offered in the other thread! That's not fair.
 :'( :-X
Many of us have recommended it going all the way back to 2013. :)
Title: Re: Protection for USB drives
Post by: =Snake= on January 24, 2019, 07:36:39 PM
Many of us have recommended it going all the way back to 2013. :)
I see.
BTW: Last year, I bought a USB drive (64 GB) and tried to use it under XP. But that old os only meant, it
         should be formatted! So: Too much is too much ...
 :)