Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: SUGE WHITE on June 05, 2008, 03:11:38 AM
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I ran the "thorough" scanner and it took a VERY long time. ???
1. Is this going to be the case every time?
2. In my log reports I had system restores and a bunch of "protected" areas that showed up. Some of my system restores showed up as viruses. I wasn't able to scan the "protected" areas either. Is this common.
Thx for your help
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Hi
The Thorough Scan is very thorough, especially if you have "Scan archive files" checked and shouldn't be necessary all the time. This thread (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=30407.0) may also be helpful.
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Hi All,
Can someone please explain what 'archive' files are? :-\
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A friend of mine knows, Google, http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=what+is+archive+file (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=what+is+archive+file).
A single file that contains a collection of different files and/or directories. Archive files are often used to transport collections of files ...
Often called a Zip file.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_(file_format) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_(file_format))
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2. In my log reports I had system restores and a bunch of "protected" areas that showed up. Some of my system restores showed up as viruses. I wasn't able to scan the "protected" areas either. Is this common.
Thx for your help
Thanks but what about my #2 question?
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Without seeing what was detected in System Restore points, impossible to know what the malware is (was) and even then maybe not possible. If you have had malware in the past, the chances are high that it would have created itself in a system restore point, that's a common trick. Usually the final part of a malware cleaning procedure is to delete all restore points, but only once the computer is clean, and running correctly (ie it is reasonably certain that system restore won't be needed at that point.)
What I would do, if everything is working well, is to disable system restore, reboot, turn it back on. Future restore points (you won't know for a day or two) should be clean.
Regarding protected files, this is normal. Such files are often encrypted and/or password protected. Some antispyware applications use this to keep there definition files under lock and key, so to speak. Avast has no way of opening them, and it doesn't matter. Unless you see a password protected file that you or a known program did not put there, you can treat them as safe.
Very commonly seen with users of Adaware, and Spybot S&D. Also MS Crypto keys etc.