3 feature requests: screen saver + modular exclusion lists

[element33]

1. Being a practical guy, I want my screen savers all black. In the Avast screen saver settings, in the "Underlying screensavers" list, I see all sorts of 3D screen savers, but not the simple "Blank" option, which I see in Win7 Screen Saver settings. Can "Blank" be added?

2. What does "Loop scans" in Avast screen saver do? I don't see any explanation in Help. I assume the Avast screen saver will start a new scan as soon as it finishes one. I think a more sensible approach would be to have a user-defined minimum time interval between scans, say 1-60 days. The screen saver would finish a scan and then wait that long before another one. This way, hard disks won't get thrashed every time the screen saver comes on. BTW, what happens if "Loop scans" is unchecked? Will the screen saver do just one scan, then stop? Isn't it basically the same as "Scan Now"?

3. Being lazy, I don't like having to enter the same set of folders/files in all those "Exclusion" lists in Avast: File System Shield->Expert Settings->Exclusions, GUI->Settings->Exclusions, Scan Now->Screen saver scan->Settings->Exclusions. I wish folder lists were modular. That is, I could isolate the set of folders that is common to several exclusion lists (~90% in my case) and save it as a text file. Then in any of the exclusion lists, I could just point Avast to that text file and Avast would add all folders in that file automatically. The text file could have a special extension, so that Avast knows it's a folder list, not a file to be excluded (or maybe each exclusion list would have a special "folder list" entry just for such files). This could also be done within Avast, without text files. There would be a user-defined "Common folder/files list" and each exclusion list would have a check box "Use common folder list".

Win7 x64, Avast 6.0.1000

[DavidR]

1. Once you set avast as your screen saver I believe you can pretty much choose other screen savers (image1), I don't use it, but there is Windows XP (my OS) that is pretty much black (image2), obviously you don't have XP. You can choose My Picture Slideshow, which you would have had to have pre-set a folder in the standard screensaver setup (image3).

Now all you need do is select the folder to use and populate it with a black image, etc. it is just being a bit creative if you just want black.

2. As its name suggests once the scan completes it will restart the scan.

3. The avastUI, Settings, Exclusions are for all on-demand scans and that would include the screensaver scan.

The resident scanners are not included in this global setting.

[element33]

avastUI, Settings, Exclusions are for all on-demand scans and that would include the screensaver scan

Really? The note reads: "[these exclusions] will apply only to on-demand scans (manual and scheduled)". No mention of the screen saver. I wouldn't qualify the screen saver as "on-demand", since the user doesn't control when it happens. Also, if Settings->Exclusions applies to the screen saver, why is there a separate exclusion list in Screen Saver scan->Settings (blue link)->Exclusions? (enable Screen Saver in the GUI to see its settings).

[DavidR]

The screensaver is user initiated, e.g. you have to create it, it won't run of its own volition. So I certainly wouldn't class it as on-access as nothing is opening this files that you are scanning with the screensaver scan.

The Scan from Windows Explorer also has Exclusions but the Global Exclusion also covers that also, as it too is an on-demand scan.

I don't know why the duplication is there, perhaps it is more to do with the all of the scans in the Scan Computer being on-demand scans and the AvastUI, Settings Exclusions avoids having to enter exclusions in every one.

[doktornotor]

I have already noted many times here that the "Loop" choice of wording sucks and lacks proper description/documentation. Wrt exclusions, proposal already takes to $elsewhere 

[DavidR]

I have never felt that when loop is used in conjunction with scanning and there are plenty of definitions that could fit the bill, but this one specifically relating to computing is best.

loop - (computer science) a single execution of a set of instructions that are to be repeated.

However, the screensaver section of the Help Center could do with expansion as there is nothing about the options/parameters.

[Lisandro]

1. Being a practical guy, I want my screen savers all black. In the Avast screen saver settings, in the "Underlying screensavers" list, I see all sorts of 3D screen savers, but not the simple "Blank" option, which I see in Win7 Screen Saver settings. Can "Blank" be added?

It's a pity that the C:\Windows\System32\scrnsave.scr is not listed into avast ones...