Scanning without using the GUI

[RF]

Hi - Is there a way to start a full scan in Avast other than by going through the skinned user interface?

[igor]

Well, you can use the unskinned one    (ashSimp2.exe)

In the Home version, you can use the "quick scanner" - ashQuick.exe and pass the area to scan on the command-line, e.g.
ashQuick.exe C:\ D:\
In the Professional version, there's a full-featured command-line scanner available.

[RF]

Thanks for the quick reply. As I mentioned a few days ago on another thread, I use Windows 98SE and am having a problem with the GUI freezing after I open it. It can't launch anything and can only be closed with CTRL-ALT-DEL. This is not a problem for pattern and program updates because I can right click the tray icon for those, but until there is a fix I need to find a different way to launch a full scan. Unfortunately I couldn't get either of the two alternatives you suggested to do that.

One thing I haven't tried is to do a scan in Windows Safe Mode. That may make a difference, and I'll likely try that later on. If that doesn't work, I was able to do a scan last week through the GUI by making it the very first operation I did upon boot-up, so I probably will be able to muddle through. If that doesn't work I have no problem with a re-install but I noticed one poster said that that didn't help him. so perhaps someone can provide clarification on whether that is effective.

[DavidR]

Check This out it gives you some more info on using the ashquick.exe even setting it up as a schedule - HOWTO: Scheduled Automatic Scans avast! Home Version!

The major disadvantage of using ashquick.exe is, it will scan every file of the hdd, partition, folder or file that you set it to scan; even those files not considered a potential threat, this can take a long time. It is possible to add certain folders to the exclusions list for say your media files, etc. This could leave you vulnerable if that folder got infected as it wouldn't be scanned by the on-demand scanner as you have excluded it.

[RF]

OK, that's a good possibility. I always do a total deep scan anyways, so I'm used to the time it takes (about 23 minutes for my set up).

[RF]

For what it's worth, when you boot up 98SE in Safe Mode, there is no problem accessing or exiting the GUI, and I was able to do the few things I tried off of the GUI menu without the system freezing up (although in Safe Mode a lot of avast options are grayed out). So there was no problem initiating a scan and you can set the level, but in Safe Mode it's too slow a process to be practical.

Back to "Normal" Mode. As a point of information, I disabled GoBack (Roxio 3.2 GoBack Deluxe), and it had no effect on the problem, so if there is a driver conflct, GoBack is not the culprit, at least if my experience is typical.