Virus Recovery Database "not done yet"

[Liz]

While posting about another question, I notice that I am missing the second 'i' icon in my taskbar which I had on my old computer.  Also I see that my VRDB says 'not done yet'.  I read about what this is in 'Help' but it didn't say how to 'do it' or how to get my icon back (I think these two things are connected?).

Also, another very newbie question (I should know this by now  ), but how often should I run a scan of my whole computer, and should it be a thorough scan, etc....I always assumed the resident protection checks pretty much everything, so I don't think to do this one.  Can I set it to perform automatically every so often, and how?

thanks
Liz

[Lisandro]

While posting about another question, I notice that I am missing the second 'i' icon in my taskbar which I had on my old computer.  Also I see that my VRDB says 'not done yet'.  I read about what this is in 'Help' but it didn't say how to 'do it' or how to get my icon back (I think these two things are connected?

For the 'i' icon (VRDB): http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=14356.msg121337#msg121337
Check your avast4.ini file settings. Click 'Settings' in my signature and browse for the VRDB section.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=1647.msg10271#msg10271
[VRDB]
MergeIcons=0
Disabled=0
ShowTaskbarIcon=1

Also, another very newbie question (I should know this by now  ), but how often should I run a scan of my whole computer, and should it be a thorough scan, etc....I always assumed the resident protection checks pretty much everything, so I don't think to do this one.  Can I set it to perform automatically every so often, and how?

No, only in Professional version (see picture here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=13315.msg112285#msg112285).

In Home version you can check the option "Don't show this window again" as soon as the first virus warning appears, and click on "No action" button. This way, nothing will be done and you will be presented the results at the end (and you can perform actions from there).

Well, that's the way it is, I am afraid; you may call it a limitation of the Home Edition of avast!. In the Professional Edition, you can configure the task to perform automatic actions (or, don't do anything).
In the Home version, you may check the "Don't show again" checkbox in the Virus warning dialog - but only after the first virus has been found (because you won't see the virus dialog until then).

Or you can use Silent Mode:

Left click the 'a' blue icon.
It will start On-access protection

Click on Internet Mail and then on Customize.
Go to Advanced tab and select Silent Mode and the default answer No. This will send the file (email) to Chest.
But take a look here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=28088.msg229736#msg229736

Do the same for the and Outlook/Exchange plugin.
The answer Yes in Silent Mode keeps the virus in the file or into the message (attach) and continue the scanning. You can't configure 'delete the infected file' in the Home version.

You can do the same for Standard Shield provider, but it won't be a good idea...

Silent mode in the case of the WebShield provider simply means that avast will keep pressing the "Abort connection" button for the user automatically.

[Liz]

Thanks, Tech!  I tried 'repair' and 'change' in Vista but neither worked (your exact instructions could not be followed in Vista, 'remove' wasn't an option, for example), so I uninstalled and reinstalled (and updated to most current version).  I got my blue I ball back and ran the 'generate VRDB now' and now have it set to 'generate VRDB when screensaver is running'.

MY OTHER QUESTION--My Avast screen says 'Date of last Scan'--'None done yet' (I have a new computer since July and have never done a full computer scan).   How often should I run a full scan of my computer?  And should I can 'quick, standard or thorough'?  This is the newbie question I was asking above that I should already know!


Liz

[Spiritsongs]

   Hi Liz :

     It is usually recommended to run a "Through" Scan the 1st time, then run
     "Standard" Scans thereafter .

     Regarding VRDB : Do you use a screensaver ? If not, I believe with that
     Setting your VRDB will NOT "re-generate" the usual every 21 days !?
     Since you have initially "generated" the VRDB, you MAY want to consider
     "merging" the "a" icon & "i" icon" into one to save space in your System
      Tray !?

[DavidR]

<snip>
MY OTHER QUESTION--My Avast screen says 'Date of last Scan'--'None done yet' (I have a new computer since July and have never done a full computer scan).   How often should I run a full scan of my computer?  And should I can 'quick, standard or thorough'?  This is the newbie question I was asking above that I should already know!

I have only ever done a through scan with archives once shortly after installation just to ensure a clean start state, but with XP for example avast will do a boot-time scan after installation if you select it, this I believe will be quicker and reasonably effective. Like everything in life things are a compromise.

Archive (zip, etc.) files are by their nature are inert, you need to extract the files and then you have to run them to be a threat. Long before that happens avast's Standard Shield should have scanned them and before an executable is run that is scanned. Thorough is also by its design very thorough and perhaps a little overkill for routine use, were a Standard scan without archives should be adequate. I do an on-demand scan (Standard, no Archives) weekly as part of my regular system maintenance.

[Liz]

SS, thanks for your reply!

I have now merged my two icons, good idea.

I do use a screensaver, but I changed the setting to generate when the computer is idle anyway, because it is idle more than the screen saver is running.

Thank you, too, DavidR!

I will do a thorough scan, and afterward I think a standard scan once a week.

Thanks again, both of you!

Liz

[DavidR]

Your welcome.

[Spiritsongs]

   Hi Liz :

      Since "viruses" are rare nowadays, I rarely run an Avast Scan, perhaps
      once every 3 months . Since nowadays spyware, trojans,worms,
      keyloggers, rootkits, generic Dialers, etc are more common, I run Scans
      from my antiSPYWARE programs AVG AntiSpyware & SUPERAntiSpyware 
      about once every 10 days .