Scanning files not possible?

[Pallas]

I have a question about Avast Home 4.7 (4.7.1098).
How come, it is not possible to scan files, which are not placed in a folder?
When I have a single file on a USB stick and I would like to check it for viruses, I have to create a folder and put the file in there.
Because otherwise Avast doesn't see the file.

I thougt that it was possible in the past to scan not only folders... 

[DavidR]

Does explorer see the file when as you say it isn't in a folder (which isn't correct) ?
I guess so as you wouldn't otherwise be able to move it into a sub-folder of the root folder.

When you put a USB stick in a USB port it is recognised as being in, G:\ (or whatever drive windows allocates), so that file is in a folder, the root folder of that drive.

What is the file name ?

[Pallas]

The explorer does see the file in the window on the right-hand side.
Right now I have some hundred pictures on the USB stick and a freeware which I downloaded and would like to scan.
The freeware is a zip-file. Now I can only scan the whole USB stick (drive E:\).
If I want to scan only the zip file i have to create a new folder first an put the file in there.
Maybe I get something wrong...

[DavidR]

Well .zip files aren't scanned by default in the standard shield as they are of negligible risk.

Archive (zip, rar, 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.

What type of scan are you using ?

If as you say you can see the file in explorer, right click on it and select 'scan select areas for viruses.' This should scan either, dick, partition, folder or file, depending on what you right click on. There is a brief pop-up to say it has been scanned and it closes, this is the avast quick scan (ashQuick.exe) there is list of files scanned displayed, etc. That is the idea of the quick scan to let you get on with whatever it was that you were doing.

If the scans finds an infected file, all hell breaks loose with an audible and visual alert and avast asks what action you want to take. So if no alert nothing has been found.