Is it best to have the on access scanner running all the time for the virus protection to be most effective??
Well, yes, for most users it's best to leave it running all the time... Otherwise you'd always forget to turn it on when needed. - And you know, bad luck always strikes when you expect it the least...
Vlk
(Hopefully I got the nested quotes trimmed just right
)
I might be wrong, Vlk (wouldn't be the first time) -- but I've gotten into the habit of pausing the Standard provider when I'm installing something new, or checking Windows Update. Maybe avast is unique, but it's quite common to see installation instructions advise you to turn off a-v while installing so it doesn't interfere.
There's still essentially the same problem you mentioned, remembering to resume the Standard provider afterwards -- but many installations want a re-boot anyway, and of course that'll bring back the Standard provider (if I only paused it, rather than stopping it).