Free Ransomware Shield

[fishswimthesea]

The free Ransomware Shield appears to work only with the hard drive containing the operating system. It would be helpful if it could be adjusted to cover other hard drives in the computer.

[RejZoR]

You can protect any folder on any drive for as long as you're not picking the entire drive, but any folder on it instead.

I've just tried selecting folder on second partition which is located on the same drive as the OS and avast! Free accepted it. I've also selected a folder on entirely separate drive (I have two drives in my system) that doesn't have OS installed on it and folder was also accepted in Ransomware Shield. Make sure you're not selecting entire drive. But if you do that you get warning about it anyway.

[fishswimthesea]

Thank you for your response. It looks like avast adapted to my computer on its own. When I first looked at the free Ransomware Shield last week, it was protecting only the hard drive with the operating system. But when I looked at it again a few minutes ago, it was also protecting my other hard drive.

[RejZoR]

Yeah, it protects few default Documents folders and over time adds some more where it detects a lot of files that might be affected by ransomware. However, you can freely add any folder you'd like to protect on your own and it can be located anywhere.

[DavidR]

You can protect any folder on any drive for as long as you're not picking the entire drive, but any folder on it instead.

I've just tried selecting folder on second partition which is located on the same drive as the OS and avast! Free accepted it. I've also selected a folder on entirely separate drive (I have two drives in my system) that doesn't have OS installed on it and folder was also accepted in Ransomware Shield. Make sure you're not selecting entire drive. But if you do that you get warning about it anyway.

I'm not entirely sure this is working as it should.

After previous Smart Scans I get the usual some files are prime targets for attack, blah, blah.  Now this used to be code for buy the bloody Ransomware product (Avast Premium). 

Now the Ransomware module is in the free version and having added some of my data folders to the list of protected folders I shouldn't be getting this from the smart scan or are they continuing with the scareware cr4p on what is supposedly a protected area/files.

[RejZoR]

No, even if you don't even do that Smart Scan or whatever it is, avast! will just add some folders on its own. I've complained about t because it's undesired behavior even if casual users would want it, but I gave up and I just manually remove them when they are added and they don't seem to return afterwards.

[DavidR]

No, even if you don't even do that Smart Scan or whatever it is, avast! will just add some folders on its own. I've complained about t because it's undesired behavior even if casual users would want it, but I gave up and I just manually remove them when they are added and they don't seem to return afterwards.

It isn't so much the usual default OS locations that most savvy users don't use (I got rid of those also).

But having added some folders that I would like to be covered (and test), this doesn't appear to being honoured as these files continue to be flagged by the Smart Scan (test failed).  Note I'm only running the Smart Scans for testing purposes, otherwise I wouldn't bother.

So I have to wonder if the protection is really there or not.