How often do YOU scan?

[Avastfan1]

Dear Forum Members,

Would be interested to hear how often YOU scan your PC. Also if you scan in safe mode and from an administrator account.

My scan setup is as follows:
- Avast Pro boot time scan: Monthly
- MBAM quick scan: Every second day
- SAS quick scan: Once a fortnight
- Spybot scan: Once a fortnight.
- HJT log analysis: Once a month

I scan them all (except for the boot time scan) from a restricted-user account in normal boot mode.

I use Window$ XP SP3 with ZA Pro, Avast Pro and MBAM resident. The others are on-demand scanners.

Thanks!!

Avastfan1

[YoKenny]

My scan setup:
- avast! Pro boot time scan: monthly
- I don't use SpyBot S&D anymore as it has become a bit long in the tooth of late.
- I don't use SAS but then I haven't needed to.
- MBAM updated daily followed by a Quick scan
- HJT log analysis about once per month

I only have an Administrator account.

I don't use ZoneAlarm as I use Vista Firewall Control. 

[.: L' arc :.]

-= My scan sched:
     Avast!                               everyday [before going to school or overnight while sleeping]
     Malwarebytes                     weekly
     SUPERantiSpyware              whenever I feel that my pc is slow..
     Bazooka                             everyday.. just for fun..

[Lisandro]

I do not follow rigid rules, just, maybe, an on-demand scanning archive included each two months.
When I suspect of an archive, use www.virustototal.com and when the computer behaves weird, use MBAM and SA scanning also.

[DavidR]

I do a weekly system maintenance and that includes scans with avast (standard no archives); SAS (Quick scan) I have the Pro version so it is also resident; MBAM (quick scan) and that is the sum of my routine security scans and they take very little time.

You don't want to be a slave to your system, it is there to serve you not the other way round.

[FreewheelinFrank]

I scan from time to time, but it's mostly nostalgia for Windows- I just miss watching all those file names from A to Z flicking across the screen.

I have to leave a few viruses lying around just to make it interesting.

  

[MikeBCda]

My schedule's the same as David's, my weekend "housecleaning".  I'll typically follow the scans with registry cleanup (JV16), purging Comodo's rules for no-longer-there stuff, clearing the Events logs, creating a new restore point and clearing all older ones, and finishing up with a defrag.  Oh, and once a month or so trim down avast's setup.log so it doesn't get outrageously big.

[bob3160]

Boot scan right after the system is set up after that,
I scan only when I feel something isn't running right.
Since everything is being scanned every time it runs or before it ever gets onto the system.
I don't feel regular scanning is needed. 

[CharleyO]

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I run scans at various times with no real schedule except that I get around to running each tool once a month.

avast!
MBAM
Spybot - S&D
Spyware Terminator

Rarely is anything found which is a little surprising since I sometimes visit somewhat questionable site while doing research for postings on the forums.


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[Wheresthelove]

I do once or twice every few months or so. That's because i hardly ever download anything or surf the web for that matter. I just don't have the time... work 10 to 12 hours a day.

1) Paying off a car loan
2) Going to college and lots more, but do you guys think i should scan more often just incase??? I also don't see the need for Spyware Blaster if Firefox is your main browser. ( in my opinion, Spybot Search&Destroy is sufficient enough.... thats if you use firefox as your main browser ) What do you guys think?? I would love hear your opinion.

[CharleyO]

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I think it is enough but I know there will be others who think not.

Anyway, I would suggest to also use MBAM now and then updating it before each scan.


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[Wheresthelove]

Charley0, i am planning to take a class for malware removal. Is an online course that is completely free of charge. It could take somewhere around 8 months to a year or more to complete, depending how much time you can put in to it. Would recommend this?? Also, from what i see your pretty good with Hijack logs.

Did you self taught yourself or got help? By the way, don't stop helping people with Hijack logs, lol.

[bob3160]

I also don't see the need for Spyware Blaster if Firefox is your main browser. ( in my opinion, Spybot Search&Destroy is sufficient enough.... thats if you use firefox as your main browser )
Personally I think that Spyware Blaster is much better product than Spybot S&D regardless of which browser you fancy.  

[CharleyO]

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hi Wheresthelove,

Mostly self-taught on the HJT logs with a lot of help from others on this forum ... Polonus, David, oldman, Essexboy and many others. And, I do use an analyzer which helps though sometimes the entries can be mis-analyzed. So, I research most entries that are found questionable or bad. This research has also taught me about other aspects of malware. Occationally while researching an entry, I am led off on a tangent where I sometimes have a "light bulb" moment ... lol !


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EDIT:

By the way, I think you should take an on-line course. It took me many years on this forum but I have always been the "do it yourself" type which is why I learned to build my own computers.
Maybe Polonus or someone else can post a good course to take.

[YoKenny]

I also don't see the need for Spyware Blaster if Firefox is your main browser. ( in my opinion, Spybot Search&Destroy is sufficient enough.... thats if you use firefox as your main browser )
Personally I think that Spyware Blaster is much better product than Spybot S&D regardless of which browser you fancy.  

SpywareBlaster supports both IE and Firefox



Spybot S&D has become a bit long in the tooth just the same as Ad-Aware.