Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: coffent on February 09, 2023, 06:41:55 PM
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How can I prevent Avast from automatically running a scan of the files on my computer, either after some period of time or when I open an executable file that it hasn't seen before? Thanks.
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Turn off File Shield, or run Avast in Passive Mode.
That does however negate pretty much the entire idea behind having Antivirus though.
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How can I prevent Avast from automatically running a scan of the files on my computer, either after some period of time or when I open an executable file that it hasn't seen before? Thanks.
Would care to clarify ?
1. Avast is an on-access antivirus, e.g. if the file isn't active then it doesn't scan,
2. If file is active then it would be scanned, but I don't think it would continually scan the same file of it is run multiple times a day.
3. Avast doesn't automatically run on-demand scans unless the user initiates them or are set to run automatically.
Running an on-demand scans Smart or otherwise on a resident on-access antivirus is a much depreciated requirement.
Have you made any changes to scan settings ?
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Thanks for your suggestions. I still have Web Shield and Mail Shield turned on, so (I think) anything coming into my computer from the outside world will be checked.
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Unless you download something that Avast can't scan with Web Shield. I don't know what Web Shield can or can't do but normally File Shield would scan compressed archives when you tried to extract them. If Web Shield lets a file pass, and File Shield is not active to catch something sketchy, then all bets are off. So proceed with caution.
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Thanks for your suggestions. I still have Web Shield and Mail Shield turned on, so (I think) anything coming into my computer from the outside world will be checked.
In all honesty, the web shield and mail shield are too late in the process (they aren't really looking for the same things), whatever gets on to your system. I'm also not sure if the Behaviour Shield would also be impacted by disabling the File Shield or not.
Content that makes it down past the Web and Mail Shields won't be scanned by the File System Shield when they are active.
Have you made any changes to the default options in Avast Antivirus ?
I really think you should try to clarify, exactly what is being scanned, is the Smart Scan really running as by default (as far as I'm aware) it shouldn't. I haven't seen a Smart Scan on my system other than if I run it (usually as a result of a question in the forums).
So I just ran a Smart Scan and towards the end it asks if you want to run a scheduled scan ensure that is unchecked.
Personally the Smart Scan is more a vehicle for offering more Avast paid programs.
Another option would be to do a clean reinstall of Avast including running avastclear, restarting your computer and reinstalling Avast.
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Thanks again for the suggestions.
There are two reasons I was dissatisfied with the standard way Avast seems to work:
(1) Smart scan runs at odd intervals without my starting it. It will suddenly put up a screen saying it's running.
(2) DavidR is probably right - it probably doesn't repeatedly scan the same file. A problem occurs that I frequently write my own executable programs, and the first time I run them or recompile them Avast insists on scanning them.
Neither problem is a show-stopper - just annoying. However spurred on by these exchanges I think I've found fixes to both problems:
(1) I've turned Protection > Core Shields > Enable CyberCapture to Off
(2) Apparently the Smart scan app is set up to run every month (by default?). After some searching, I was able to turn it off (Protection > Custom scans > Smart Scan > Delete).
Hopefully these changes will cure the problems and still leave me with reasonable protection.
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(2) DavidR is probably right - it probably doesn't repeatedly scan the same file. A problem occurs that I frequently write my own executable programs, and the first time I run them or recompile them Avast insists on scanning them.
That's the New, Modified or Executed function of an on-demand antivirus at work.
If these executables are created, modified and or run from the same location then you could exclude that location from scans. Safer than disabling CyberCapture.