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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: vidzqui01 on July 30, 2007, 03:37:04 PM

Title: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: vidzqui01 on July 30, 2007, 03:37:04 PM
How can i make scan continue when a virus is detected without giving a response?
I can't leave the computer on while scanning because the scan stops when there is a virus and i can't attend to it every single time there's a virus. Is there an option wherein the scan is like AVG anti spyware which accumulates the detected spyware then just gives the options at the end of the scan?

thanks in advance.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: chocholo on July 30, 2007, 03:47:18 PM
This feature is available in our avast! Professional. Additionally you can use advanced user interface, scheduler for scans and more in the Professional version.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: vidzqui01 on July 30, 2007, 03:52:07 PM
Ok thanks. I shall download professional. Btw, when scanning some files, the scanner hangs. When I look for that file manually, it's not there. Maybe it could have been deleted already? this is another reason why i can't make non-stop scanning. any bright ideas?

thanks again.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: xiaochugang on July 30, 2007, 04:17:49 PM
hi chocholo, I don`t know if setting in the home editon can help ....
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: vidzqui01 on July 30, 2007, 04:22:24 PM
Woah...sorry, even though I have chinese blood, i can't understand chinese writings.
could you kindly translate that pic? if not, it's ok.
thanks for the effort though
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: DavidR on July 30, 2007, 04:52:38 PM
hi chocholo, I don`t know if setting in the home editon can help ....


They don't help as they don't have anything to do with on-demand scanning that vidzqui01 asks, they are on-access settings giving only the option to send to the chest. Personally I prefer the interactive input requirement, I want to know what is going on in my system.

@ vidzqui01
On the first detection you can tick the Don't show this again and chose the No Action option. That will allow you to finish the scan without further input and you will get a list of detections requiring action at the end.

However, with the resident protection and the various different providers after you have done a boot-time scan and a thorough scan with archives (takes some considerable time) your system should be clean and on-demand scans should turn up very little in the way of detections.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: xiaochugang on July 30, 2007, 04:55:23 PM
Woah...sorry, even though I have chinese blood, i can't understand chinese writings.
could you kindly translate that pic? if not, it's ok.
thanks for the effort though
I dare not to make sure it`s setting.
because we both use home edition ,right?
like chocholo said use pro  ;)
but I just like home(it`s free! ;))
the way that I used is for stand shield .
not for scan ..
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: MeDIeVaL on July 30, 2007, 06:11:43 PM
How can i make scan continue when a virus is detected without giving a response?
I can't leave the computer on while scanning because the scan stops when there is a virus and i can't attend to it every single time there's a virus. Is there an option wherein the scan is like AVG anti spyware which accumulates the detected spyware then just gives the options at the end of the scan?

thanks in advance.

I think the better way to continue the scan by select delete all or move all when avast pick up the 1st virus. There's every virus that have been pick up by avast! will be automatically delete and you'll get the result at the end of the scan.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: DavidR on July 30, 2007, 06:18:03 PM
I beg to differ.

Deletion is never a good first option you have none left. Move all doesn't send to the chest so the files are outside the protection of the chest, it also doesn't store the information on the original location in case you need to restore it for any reason.

I wouldn't advice any specific action without knowing, the infected file name, its location and the malware name, only then should you choose an action.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: vidzqui01 on July 31, 2007, 12:00:36 PM
Well, I don't really need/want/care to know what virus it is and what's infected.
What I actually really want is for it to be like AVG anti-spyware.
I can just leave it scanning, and when it's done, all the infections are there.
My computer is getting slow. Virus scans take a long time to finish.
With the scan stopping everytime a virus pops up, it adds up to the time to finish.
I'm not always available on the computer so I really can't finish a scan.
All I need to do is delete/repair everything.
And..I can't afford the one's you have to pay for =P

I think I'll go with the suggestion of DavidR
but one question..
Is the don't show this again option only for that scan?
Will it show up again on the next scan?
Well, I probably guess it can be fixed in the settings, right?

uhm, need help with my last question..

when scanning some files, the scanner hangs. When I look for that file manually, it's not there. Maybe it could have been deleted already? this is another reason why i can't make non-stop scanning. any bright ideas?

thanks a lot to those who are willing to help me
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: xiaochugang on July 31, 2007, 12:31:17 PM
I can`t understand .
"My computer is getting slow. Virus scans take a long time to finish."
Is the setting that you choose are not very good?
Is it every time that you scan the computer by Avast will detect virus?
It`s incredible! 
I scan my computer yesterday ,about 40GB and avast finish it in 15 minutes
you should set quick scan,and when virus pop up should tick don`t show this again(like DavidR`s saying)
good luck and enjoy Avast!
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: DavidR on July 31, 2007, 03:54:09 PM
<snip>
I think I'll go with the suggestion of DavidR
but one question..
Is the don't show this again option only for that scan?
Will it show up again on the next scan?
Well, I probably guess it can be fixed in the settings, right?

The don't show is for that scan only. However, as I said before after a short time (and first thorough scan with archives) that choice/requirement will be almost never seen as first there has to be a detection.

The avast 4 home version is very close to the same avast 4 pro version it isn't crippled like many other free versions in relation to their paid option. So the major difference is the interactive requirement of the Home version, there has to be a difference between Home and Pro and this is one, the programmers have to eat too.

when scanning some files, the scanner hangs. When I look for that file manually, it's not there. Maybe it could have been deleted already? this is another reason why i can't make non-stop scanning. any bright ideas?

Any examples of these files and more importantly their location ?

I keep seeing reference to deleting as an option, I really wish everyone would get out of using the nuclear option for the first choice. Repair is also not something that can happen in every case either, only files that have been infected by true viruses or worms may possibly be repaired, because the infected element in the infected file can be removed. However the greatest majority of detected files are completely malicious, so nothing to repair. Move to the chest is by far the best option 'first do no harm' and then investigate.

Routine on-demand scanning:
Thorough is by its design very thorough and perhaps a little overkill for routine use, were a Standard scan without archives should be adequate.

Archive (zip, 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.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: Lisandro on August 04, 2007, 04:33:31 AM
when scanning some files, the scanner hangs. When I look for that file manually, it's not there. Maybe it could have been deleted already? this is another reason why i can't make non-stop scanning. any bright ideas?
How exactly does it freeze? Does it happen always approximately at the same place/folder of the scan?
Do you see a hard disk activity (when it freezes)? Is only the program frozen, or the whole computer (possibly with mouse cursor)?

Additionally, you can go to the program settings and turn on the creation of the report file (with "OK files" to be included as well in the report). This way, you can find out where the scan really stopped (it's going to be close to the end of the report).

After avast! disappears, check the end of the report file - the "troublesome" file is likely to be close to the end (close in the sense that this particular file will probably not be written in the report, but the previous one will be the last line, so it shouldn't be hard to guess). We would certainly like to have this file - if it really causes problems to avast! - so that we could fix the problem.

The report file created (if you turned it on in program settings) will be (default location) at <avast4>\Data\Report\Simple User Interface.txt
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: vidzqui01 on August 04, 2007, 08:03:11 AM
it hangs...uhm..for example, scanning this file, it stops. not the computer or avast or anything. it just freezes on that file but avast itself doesnt hang. anyway, i was able to do a complete thorough scan (thank God!) anyway, thanks for the help guys.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: Lisandro on August 04, 2007, 01:31:33 PM
scanning this file, it stops
Which file?
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: vidzqui01 on August 04, 2007, 02:49:13 PM
I forgot but i remember that a lot of it was in the System Volume Information folder.
Btw, after i had successfully done a system scan, i still can't open my drive C by a simple double left click. i have to right click the press open. this was because of a virus or a worm or whatever. after the thorough scan, it still is that way.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: Lisandro on August 04, 2007, 05:46:04 PM
I forgot but i remember that a lot of it was in the System Volume Information folder.
Btw, after i had successfully done a system scan, i still can't open my drive C by a simple double left click. i have to right click the press open. this was because of a virus or a worm or whatever. after the thorough scan, it still is that way.
If a virus is replicant (coming and coming again), you could follow the general cleaning procedure:

1. Disable System Restore on Windows ME (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q264887) or Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;%5BLN%5D;310405). System Restore cannot be disabled on Windows 9x and it's not available in Windows 2k. After boot you can enable System Restore again after step 3.

2. Clean your temporary files. You can use CleanUp (http://www.stevengould.org/downloads/cleanup/) or the Windows Advanced Care (http://www.iobit.com/AdvancedWindowsCarePersonal/index.html) features for that.

3. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast. Start avast! > Right click the skin > Schedule a boot-time scanning. Select for scanning archives. Boot. Other option is scanning in SafeMode (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315222) (repeatedly press F8 while booting).

4. It will be good if you download, install, update and run AVG Antispyware (http://www.ewido.net/en/). Some users recommend SUPERantispyware (http://www.superantispyware.com), Spyware Terminator (http://www.spywareterminator.com/) and/or a-squared (http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/) (take care about false positives).
If any infection is detected, better and safer is send the file to Quarantine than to simple delete than.

5. If you still detecting any strange behavior or even you're sure you're not clean, maybe it will be good to test your machine with anti-rootkit applications (http://www.antirootkit.com/software/index.htm). I suggest AVG (http://www.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-rootkit/us/crp/0), Panda (http://research.pandasoftware.com/blogs/research/archive/2007/04/27/New-Panda-Anti_2D00_Rootkit-_2D00_-Version-1.07.aspx) and/or F-Secure BlackLight (http://www.f-secure.com/blacklight/try_blacklight.html).

6. Also, if you still detecting strange behaviors or you want to be sure you're clean, maybe making a HijackThis (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/files/hijackthis.php) log to post here and, specially, scan and submit to on-line analysis the RunScanner (http://www.runscanner.net/) log would help to identify the problem and the solution.

7. After you're clean, use the immunization of SpywareBlaster (http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html) or, which is better, the  Windows Advanced Care (http://www.iobit.com/AdvancedWindowsCarePersonal/index.html) features of spyware/adware cleaning and removal.

8. Finally, when you're clean, check for insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector (http://secunia.com/software_inspector/) to update insecure applications and avoid reinfection.
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: vidzqui01 on August 05, 2007, 08:08:56 AM
wait..nose bleed...too much info...  :'(

i'm not much of a computer expert but i shall try.
some other time though, cause i have a lot of school work to do.
thanks a lot though  :D
Title: Re: How can i make scanning non-stop when a virus is detected?
Post by: Lisandro on August 05, 2007, 03:44:13 PM
wait..nose bleed...too much info...  :'(
Start doing them, step by step and feel free to ask for further help if you need 8)