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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: 3ogdy on January 26, 2022, 01:48:26 AM

Title: How to schedule a scan with the free version?
Post by: 3ogdy on January 26, 2022, 01:48:26 AM
Hi everyone,

I noticed the scheduling options for each type of scan (Full System in particular) are missing. I remember these were available in the free edition.

When did they get removed and how do we schedule scans?

I fix computers for a living and I use your software.
Not everyone knows, remembers to or bothers with running scans, that's why I'd configure this for other people.  :-\
Title: Re: How to schedule a scan with the free version?
Post by: DavidR on January 26, 2022, 03:39:22 AM
What Avast version are you using  ?
Avast Free or the New Avast One (free).  I don't use Avast One, which is I feel more simplified in terms of tweaking done by experienced users.

Personally I find on-demand scans are much depreciated with an on-access antivirus installed.  Avast scans newly created (downloaded, etc.), modified or executed, outside of that most files would be dormant.  So the worth in scanning them I feel is depreciated.

It is still there in Avast Free 21.11.2500 (build 21.11.6809.528), open the UI > Protection > Virus Scans > in the Other Scans, there should be some default options and you can also create a custom scan.
Title: Re: How to schedule a scan with the free version?
Post by: 3ogdy on January 27, 2022, 11:45:24 AM
Thank you! I didn't think I had to create a custom scan for it to work, since Full System Scan was already available in the program.

I understand they've deprecated the actual scans and, given how many TB of data we store, I can see why.

I had just downloaded avast! Free for someone remotely right from avast.com, so I was trying this on the latest version. I'm using the exact same software on my PC, so checking it out at home I realized I had to come here and ask about it.

At least the option is still there, so everything's OK in the world. :D ;D (not exactly, given the times we live in :) )
Title: Re: How to schedule a scan with the free version?
Post by: bob3160 on January 27, 2022, 05:10:39 PM
Thank you! I didn't think I had to create a custom scan for it to work, since Full System Scan was already available in the program.

I understand they've deprecated the actual scans and, given how many TB of data we store, I can see why.

I had just downloaded avast! Free for someone remotely right from avast.com, so I was trying this on the latest version. I'm using the exact same software on my PC, so checking it out at home I realized I had to come here and ask about it.

At least the option is still there, so everything's OK in the world. :D ;D (not exactly, given the times we live in :) )
Full System Scan is a one time option. Since anything new or changes etc is automatically check,
there really isn't any reason to run full scans on a repeated basis.
Scheduling is therefore considered a custom scan. :)
Title: Re: How to schedule a scan with the free version?
Post by: DavidR on January 27, 2022, 07:55:18 PM
@  3ogdy

Yes the Full System Scan is there, anything else you would have to create it. The problem being you can't just click on the Full Scan to change settings as it simply runs the scan.

Having created a new custom scan (use an existing scan option), name it, you should then be able to change the settings.  They would need to be in the Custom scans section to be able to access further settings, using the three dots ... to see settings (attached images, for the quick scan which I have in the Custom section)

Again I really don't feel on-demand scan are necessary, but going further, if you are going to set them up to run at scheduled duration, you need to set it.  How would you know what duration would suit them or even if they want a scheduled scan (surely you aren't going to ask each of them) ?

They would need to be in the Custom scans section to be able to access further settings, using the three dots ... to see settings