Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Wittmann on January 28, 2019, 05:48:56 PM
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I have done many scans, but the Scan History is empty.
Why is this ?
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You don't say what avast version you have, nor where you are looking for Scan History.
Any information has a direct link to those details.
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You don't say what avast version you have, nor where you are looking for Scan History.
Any information has a direct link to those details.
Sorry.
I am on the free version.
Program version = 19.1.2360
Program build =19.1.4142.454
Virus definition version = 190129-0
My history = Protection>Virus scans>Scan history
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OK, first do you have the 'Generate report file' option enabled in the UI > Protection > Settings - Relevant scan (Full Virus Scan, etc.) Generate report file enabled.
Whilst this is generating a text based report file, I don't know if this isn't were the data is extracted or not.
Mine (on my win10 system) shows No Scan History, which is correct as I haven't done any on-demand scans for a considerable time. I have kicked off a Full Virus Scan so I will have to wait to see if it shows it in history.
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OK, first do you have the 'Generate report file' option enabled in the UI > Protection > Settings - Relevant scan (Full Virus Scan, etc.) Generate report file enabled.
Whilst this is generating a text based report file, I don't know if this isn't were the data is extracted or not.
Mine (on my win10 system) shows No Scan History, which is correct as I haven't done any on-demand scans for a considerable time. I have kicked off a Full Virus Scan so I will have to wait to see if it shows it in history.
My Avast -
Generate report file is enabled on Virus scans and Core shields.
I assumed this would generate a history and Scan History means exactly what it says.
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I too would assume that if the Generate Report File was enabled but I can't make the assumption that the Scan History uses that.
OK My scan has completed and there is an entry in the Scan History for the Full Scan. It found one of my old password file tools, which I hadn't excluded. So it appears to be working as it should for me.
Did any of your previous scans actually detect anything ?
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I too would assume that if the Generate Report File was enabled but I can't make the assumption that the Scan History uses that.
OK My scan has completed and there is an entry in the Scan History for the Full Scan. It found one of my old password file tools, which I hadn't excluded. So it appears to be working as it should for me.
Did any of your previous scans actually detect anything ?
Nothing has been detected on my many scans, only "clearance" stuff which I have no interest in.
But in my book, even a negative scan should be recorded in history. History is an event log.
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I have just run another scan (Targeted this time round) and no detections. This however is listed in the Scan History.
I would suggest that you try an avast repair and see if that resolves the problem. However, I don't know if that would restore access to old scans that were/should be in the Scan History.
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I have just run another scan (Targeted this time round) and no detections. This however is listed in the Scan History.
I would suggest that you try an avast repair and see if that resolves the problem. However, I don't know if that would restore access to old scans that were/should be in the Scan History.
Will a repair affect my Avast settings or status ? It says it takes a few minutes.
I like the idea of trying it. I have only by a few days left the trial period and resorted to free,
I have a new month old PC and everything has had to be installed from scratch.
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As far as I'm aware it doesn't change your avast settings, I have used it on a number of occasions and I can't recall it ever having changed my settings.
That said there is nothing to stop you using the Back up your Avast settings function in the Troubleshooting section before using the Repair App function (in the same area).
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That said there is nothing to stop you using the Back up your Avast settings function in the Troubleshooting section before using the Repair App function
Caveat: if you are using the latest beta (19.2.2362), it seems that export settings is broken (again :-\)
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I have just run another scan (Targeted this time round) and no detections. This however is listed in the Scan History.
I would suggest that you try an avast repair and see if that resolves the problem. However, I don't know if that would restore access to old scans that were/should be in the Scan History.
I repaired my Avast and then ran a Smart scan - still no record in history.
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That said there is nothing to stop you using the Back up your Avast settings function in the Troubleshooting section before using the Repair App function
Caveat: if you are using the latest beta (19.2.2362), it seems that export settings is broken (again :-\)
wittmann44 is using Program version = 19.1.2360 as in Reply #2.
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I have just run another scan (Targeted this time round) and no detections. This however is listed in the Scan History.
I would suggest that you try an avast repair and see if that resolves the problem. However, I don't know if that would restore access to old scans that were/should be in the Scan History.
I repaired my Avast and then ran a Smart scan - still no record in history.
I have just done a Smart Scan (nothing found) and that doesn't appear to create an entry in the Scan History. I don't know if it is because this is somewhat different from the other on-demand virus scans in that it runs multiple different scans combined and how they would be represented in the Scan History.
Have you run any other on-demand scans ?
If not try those and see if they are recorded in the scan history.
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Hi guys, Smart-Scan doesn't show up in Scan History, that's normal.
All other on demand scans should be listed there, though. Cheers
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Hi guys, Smart-Scan doesn't show up in Scan History, that's normal.
All other on demand scans should be listed there, though. Cheers
That is what I suspected, given the multiple different scans, which aren't necessarily infection related.
It just shows how often I do on-demand scans (almost never), much depreciated in a resident on-access antivirus.
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It just shows how often I do on-demand scans (almost never), much depreciated in a resident on-access antivirus.
Same here, I only run them for testing purposes.
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I carried out a full virus scan. It took quite some time but gave an all clear result.
It was logged in scan history.
Conclusion -
Avast do not log in scan history any Smart Scans that are negative,
but do log other scans which are negative.
Whether they log Smart Scans that are positive, I do not know.
IMO all scans should be logged in scan history.
Thank you all for your comments and help.
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Well I told you that a negative Smart Scan doesn't get recorded, so I also ran a smart scan testing for a positive detection, see below.
In all honesty on-demand scans are very much depreciated in on-access scanners these days, in all AVs not just Avast.
For the most part it is dormant/inert files are being scanned, the other active files are going to be scanned by the resident shields when they are activated. Yes there is a difference in the so called Smart Scan as it is also scanning for non-virus activity/weakness. But why would you need to record smart scans that don't detect anything is beyond me.
I have said/suggested that the multiple scans run by the smart scan don't really fit well with the layout of other on-demand scan. Yes there is a possibility Avast could just record the antivirus element of the smart scan.
Test for Positive detection o Smart Scan:
I have also found that the Smart Scan isn't that smart, I salted my C and D drives with the file that was detected previously in my Full Scan, but it wasn't detected in either C or D drives. Why I haven't the slightest idea.
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@ DavidR
Thank you for that reply David and also the effort you have put into this matter, it sums it all up to perfection.
I am totally happy now with the Avast scan history situation.
👍 👍
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You're welcome.
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I would add now that this matter has been explained, that I have had Avast Free now for many years, probably around 7
and combined with Sandboxie I have had no problems. Avast certainly is a good AV.