How to scan actively only for viruses?

[Terry209]

I have 3 HDs / partitions and a virus scan takes over 10 hours so I start it and then forget about it but multiple times I now had the problem that I check back many hours later expecting a lot of progress just to see a pointless Web scan (no idea what is scanned) or a malware scan I do not want have been executed and avast has been idling for hours requiring additional user input.

Is there a way to perform a smart scan without requiring any additional input other than starting to scan for viruses (fine if either viruses scan comes first or is the only scan) without having to actually turn off the other passive shields?

I cannot find any settings about this, every setting is just about what the active virus scan does or what the shields do passively, but nothing that can let me turn off active scan for web / malware without turning off these passive shields entirely.

[Pondus]

https://support.avast.com/en-eu/article/Antivirus-PC-virus-scan/

FAQ https://support.avast.com/

[Terry209]

No, that does not help at all.
Did you not read my post?

All those scanning options do not let me turn off web and malware scan coming first, these ONLY let me change some stuff about the virus scan.

[Pondus]

Did you not read my post?

I dont use avast so can only refer to what is found in FAQ

Is there a way to perform a smart scan without requiring any additional input other than starting to scan for viruses (fine if either viruses scan comes first or is the only scan) without having to actually turn off the other passive shields?

Why not just run a Full virus scan ?   (and not the smart that is not so smart)

[rocksteady]

There is no way of selecting parts of Smart Scan like you used to be able to do many versions back.
You would be better off creating your own quick scan and schedule that if required.
You can then remove the scheduled smart scan which now tends to be scareware pointing to paid avast products.
These days with always-on avast shields protecting you, there is little need to constantly run scheduled antivirus file scans.

[DavidR]

@  Terry209
Personally I feel that on-demand scans really are of little value with an on-access resident antivirus - and I extend that to the Not so Smart Scan.

With a resident on-access antivirus like avast, the need for frequent on-demand scans is much depreciated. For the most part the on-demand scan is going to be scanning files that would be otherwise be dormant or inert. If they were active files then the on-access file system shield would be scanning them before being created, modified, opened or executed.

I used to have avast set to do a scheduled weekly Quick scan, set at a time and day that I know the computer will be on. But I have ceased this practice for some time now, based in the above.

That said the choice has to be yours, I have just run a Not so Smart Scan and it didn't take that long. I feel that much of this scans reason for being to to hope you will purchase other Avast products based on what it finds in the Advanced (my backside) Issues element.

You could however create your own Custom Scan and base that on either the Full Virus or Quick Scans, so you don't get all the other stuff you don't want.

[Terry209]

No.
That simple.

I mentioned that right away, Custom Scans won't let you turn off the scans for other stuff besides viruses either, so all your images are totally pointless.

If you don't know the answer, just don't post.

[DavidR]

You have the options in front of you in this topic, either do a Virus Scan or use the Smart Scan with it lack of flexibility.  or don't do an on-demand scan at all.