What does these boot time scans mean?

[avastreally?]

everytime i do a boottime scan i get this

09/17/2013 21:15
Scan of all local drives

File C:\Windows\Installer\3a9224.msi|>01_Columns Error 42144 {OLE archive is corrupted.}
File C:\Windows\Installer\3a9224.msi|>ISSetupFile.SetupFile18 Error 42144 {OLE archive is corrupted.}
File C:\Windows\Installer\3a9224.msi|>ISSetupFile.SetupFile17 Error 42144 {OLE archive is corrupted.}
Number of searched folders: 26419
Number of tested files: 424915
Number of infected files: 0

anything to worry about?

[Coolmario88]

I found this old topic on the avast! forums and it may help! http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=96088.0 

[iroc9555]

Nothing to worry about. Just some Microsoft installer packages that avast! tried to open to read and could not so avast! reports the error.

Avast! boot scan is a special scan that should be run only if avast! asks for, or if you really think, you have a malware.

Sorry Coolmario88. I started to write and was interrupted. No harm done since your link goes to one of my replies.

[avastreally?]

Thanks you guys for the help
btw any of you guys use google chrome ?
i have the latest update but i realize it uses tons of cpu, 2 chrome process uses 80% of cpu , and when this happens, chrome extensions crash and the computer start acting funny, but after restart is goes back to normal but keep the pc on long enough the process repeats
alot of chrome users are experiencing this according to the internet recently
i wanna use firefox, but i heard about firefox being hacked so i dont want to add my password manager and anything weird happens

[iroc9555]

You are welcome.

No, I do not run Chrome. Sorry I can help you there, but you can try to installe it again. Look for Google Chrome install procedure.

... i wanna use firefox, but i heard about firefox being hacked ....

All browsers are under attack by hackers and all can be hacked at any time and that is why they are constantly updated and upgraded, to cover those holes hackers find. Now there are some browsers being attacked more because they are used more.

Browser are like a good pair of shoes you use them because you feel more comfortable with them. It is a matter of taste.

[avastreally?]

Thanks 

[Undead-Divine-Assassin]

What on earth does that statement mean about an Avast boot time scan being special and should only be run if Avast asks for it or malware is suspected?

Many types of malware don't want to be found so they try not to draw attention to themselves whilst going about whatever nastiness is their intention. A boot time scan ie. a scan done before the OS loads should be an essential part of any regular PC maintenance regime because it can pick up the malware you had no idea was there otherwise hidden once the OS is running.   

[DavidR]

For your information avast runs an anti-rootkit scan 8 minutes after boot, generally to remain hidden a rootkit is used/involved.

So the boot-time scan isn't something that is required to be run on a regular basis.

[iroc9555]

What on earth does that statement mean about an Avast boot time scan being special and should only be run if Avast asks for it or malware is suspected?

hmmm... let's see.

... A boot time scan ie. a scan done before the OS loads should be an essential part of any regular PC maintenance regime because it can pick up the malware you had no idea was there otherwise hidden once the OS is running.   

With this stament you are saying that it is not a regular quick scan or a general full scan, so is it not a special scan ? Now if you want to run it as a " regular PC maintanance regime " is up to you; However, since this scan analyzes most of the files in the system if not all, it has more probabilities of giving F/P detections or scan errors like avastreally reported. Users less computer savvy tend to delete whatever an AV alerts and this behavior get them into trouble. So if it is not necessary to run a boot scan, they should not do it. Now this is only my point of view.

[Undead-Divine-Assassin]

The question about whether a boot time scan is 'special' is just semantics. You could use the same argument to say a Quick Scan is special because its not a Full Scan.

If a boot time scan is not a potentially useful tool why provide it? If you suspect malware is on your sytem Avast active and other scan types have failed and are continuing not to deal with it assuming something is there. What I was talking about is when there is nothing apparently suspect ie. there's no evidence. A boot time scan may expose and be able to deal with it. Isn't that what it is there for? 

I'm not saying use it every week but once a month just to see if anything turns up. Can't hurt and if it happens to be a false positive then so be it  However I find it a rather strange argument that because it might result in more false postives it is a reason not to use it.