Boot-time scan - "Areas to scan" missing options

[javapraca]

Hi,

It was possible to perform boot-time scan of specific directories, thanks to very useful and time-saving option called "Areas to scan" - visible on the the screens below or the screen in section "3. Manage different aspects of your scan" under or the following link:
https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/132/#idt_020

Now it seems that the option is gone. Any clues how to set the areas in the boot-time scan now?

[Pondus]

Why do you need to run a boot-time scan?
It does not have better detection. Are you infected?

[javapraca]

I need to scan just a few system directories where viruses may reside (Windows, Program Files, etc.) and skip the rest of directories on the system drive because they are full of files and data. Today I run boot-time scan and after 20 minutes it did not pass even 1% and it usually took about 40 minutes to boot-scan all the necessary system directories. I do not need to scan all the cluttered directories on my system drive.

PS. Yes, my computer might have been infected and some viruses (like rootkits) can be detected by antiviruses only during boot-time scan.

[DavidR]

Provided avast hasn't got rid of it, a rootkit scan is done 8 minutes after boot.

The images from that support article appear to be different to the latest avast 19.5.xxxx version.  Did you capture these images from your system or from that article ?

See my image from within the AvastUI > Menu > Settings > Virus Scans - Boot-Time Scan tab.
I have made some changes to speed up any such scans.

[igor]

You can still use a command-line tool sched.exe (present in Avast program folder).
For example: sched.exe /A:"C:\Program Files;C:\Windows"

[DavidR]

You can still use a command-line tool sched.exe (present in Avast program folder).
For example: sched.exe /A:"C:\Program Files;C:\Windows"

Yes they could, but do you not feel it would be more graceful were it to be in the UI, as it used to be when you first elected to run the Boot-Time scan, you got a screen to select what you wanted scanned.

Personally I have never used sched.exe, I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

[javapraca]

Provided avast hasn't got rid of it, a rootkit scan is done 8 minutes after boot.

Should I start the boo-time scan and stop it after 8 minutes then? I would not even see the scan's report when the scan is aborted. I do not think it should work this way.

The images from that support article appear to be different to the latest avast 19.5.xxxx version.  Did you capture these images from your system or from that article ?

See my image from within the AvastUI > Menu > Settings > Virus Scans - Boot-Time Scan tab.
I have made some changes to speed up any such scans.

I gave the screens as an example what is missing in today's boot-time menu - please see the description above the screens. My current boot-time menu looks exactly like yours.

[javapraca]

You can still use a command-line tool sched.exe (present in Avast program folder).
For example: sched.exe /A:"C:\Program Files;C:\Windows"

Thank you very much for this info. I did not know about this option and it definitely helps in my case.

[javapraca]

So from my understanding - "Areas to scan" option is gone and the only way to scan particular directories (during boot-time scan) is through sched.exe.

I think this option was very useful though.

Do you know how to suggest Avast's developers to restore this option? Is there an official channel to pass such suggestions?

[DavidR]

Provided avast hasn't got rid of it, a rootkit scan is done 8 minutes after boot.

<snip quotes>
Should I start the boo-time scan and stop it after 8 minutes then? I would not even see the scan's report when the scan is aborted. I do not think it should work this way.

The boot-time scan isn't really a routine scan, essentially it is there to do a scan to take care of issues that couldn't be dealt with when windows is running.  Commonly after Avast makes a detection when in normal windows running, it may suggest that you run a boot time scan.

If you need/want to run a boot-time scan, I wouldn't give any consideration on what avast may be running at that time.

So from my understanding - "Areas to scan" option is gone and the only way to scan particular directories (during boot-time scan) is through sched.exe.

I think this option was very useful though.

Do you know how to suggest Avast's developers to restore this option? Is there an official channel to pass such suggestions?

If you right click on the avast tray icon and select the About Avast option, on that screen you will/should see a big Submit Feedback button, that would be one option.