One more question about On Access Protection:
Will a pop-up message be displayed if/when a malicious file is blocked?
If so, does the pop-up message remain until an action is taken/confirmation is given or does the message just pop-up briefly then disappear since it 'blocks' automatically?
If either Web Shield or File System Shield (Your On-access scanners) issues a block or notification, default setting within avast is to have it hang in the lower right-hand corner for twenty seconds.
If the pop-up disappears before you can completely digest what it says, or read the options provided, simply right-click the avast icon in the system tray and select 'Show last popup message'. You can pin the popup by clicking the pin icon upper right if needed. (Note: If you reboot your system, show last popup message will be grayed out and unavailable.)
You should also be able to click a button within the popup that will call your browser and display more information while it is up. The option would then present itself to use virus total to investigate, if you wish, using the information provided.