Consumer Products > Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier)

More files(additonal 30 - 40 files) can't be scanned as usual by full virus scan

(1/2) > >>

Harry S.:
Hi all,

In short, I would like to report that for full virus scan, lots of files can’t be scanned. I use Avast for a very long time and I know it is normal to have unscanned files. However, compared with past experience (say 2 weeks ago), 30 – 40 ‘new’ files can’t be scanned now.

Background:
Avast free antivirus: ver 24.2.6105 – build 24.2.8918.827
Virus def: ver 240327 – 4
Settings in Geek Area: Reported items include hard errors, soft errors and skipped (I have these settings for a very long time and I haven’t changed it)

Window 10, 22H2 (OS 19045.4170)

Findings
Compared with scanning results 2 weeks ago, additional 30 - 40 files can’t be scanned, for example:

C:\Users\Home Members\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Skype.exe [E] 1920

C:\Users\Home Members\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\python.exe [E] 1920

C:\Windows\Logs\waasmedic\waasmedic.20240323_150221_894.etl [E] 2

C:\Windows\System32\WDI\ (Skipped the long number code)\snapshot.etl [E] 3

As far as I remember, similar abnormal findings happened long time ago and was reporting here by other users. The issues were solved by Avast that time. While it is normal to have files not being scanned, it will be safer if full virus scan could scan as many files as possible. Please kindly review whether improvements could be made with the new version and new definition of Avast, or the mentioned incident is caused by other party (say MS window).

Thank you and have a nice day. Happy Easter to you all.

Harry S.:
For your reference only.

As far as I remember, similar abnormal findings happened long time ago and was reporting here by other users. The issues were solved by Avast that time  --->2017 incident, https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=209475.0

Pondus:

--- Quote --- As far as I remember, similar abnormal findings happened long time ago and was reporting here by other users. The issues were solved by Avast that time. While it is normal to have files not being scanned, it will be safer if full virus scan could scan as many files as possible. Please kindly review whether improvements could be made with the new version and new definition of Avast, or the mentioned incident is caused by other party (say MS window).
--- End quote ---
As explained in this forum and avast blog many times, this is normal and happens to all malware scanners so not a avast problem

If you search kaspersky/eset/malwarebytes/f-secure……….. forums you find it asked and explained there also

https://blog.avast.com/2014/02/28/how-do-i-handle-files-that-avast-cant-scan/

https://community.f-secure.com/common-home-en/kb/articles/5471-some-files-cannot-be-scanned-why

Harry S.:
Thank you for your reply, but for the reported case, I am not sure whether this could be considered as ‘normal’ or a general case. My rationale behind is if the amount of the unscaned file is kept at a steady level, this may not raise any doubt. However, since there is a sudden and obvious increase in the numbers of file that can’t be scanned (in my case, 30 – 40 files now, 4 times the usual amount that cannot be scanned), I suspect something in-between has changed

That’s the reason why I hope Avast could verify whether something could be done, or the issue is caused by other factors outside Avast. In case just like the 2017 incident and the root cause lie on Avast’s side, they could trace the cause and keep the amount of unscaned files as small as possible, not further increasing.

DavidR:
The fact that a file can't be scanned doesn't mean it is infected or malicious, just that it can't be scanned.

The .etl files are log files and I wouldn't have thought log files (being essentially inert) would have been scanned, so I would have wonder what your scan settings were.

Extract from a very old topic post, reply.

--- Quote from: essexboy on January 29, 2014, 07:07:01 PM ---
--- Quote ---ETL files are log files that have been created by the Microsoft Tracelog software application. This Microsoft program creates event logs in the binary file format. These logs are created from the kernel in a Microsoft operating system.

The ETL logs can contain information about disk access and page faults, logging high-frequency events and recording the performance of the Microsoft operating system. This information can be used to analyze and adjust voice response software applications.
--- End quote ---
As it is only a log then you can delete it

--- End quote ---

As for the others in the AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps location a search returns some hits this is an extract from a Microsoft forum reply.

--- Quote from: Extract ---WindowsApps is a hidden folder where Windows 10 keeps installed apps from the Store. If you are not using any of the app that are showing up, I would request you to uninstall the application. You can remove the programs/applications that you do not need. There are 2 ways you can remove Windows applications:
--- End quote ---
.

As for running this scan:
- With a resident (on-access) scanner the need for on-demand scans is much depreciated. For the most part dormant/inert files are being scanned, the other active files are going to be scanned by the resident shields when they are activated.

In this case .exe files when run would first be scanned by the File System Shield.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page