Not Connected With Any Avast! Account

[VFN]

How do I connect and what does it do?

Also, when updating to 7 "participate with Avast! community" was unchecked. What does that do and since unchecked what will that mean?

Hopefully these questions weren't specifically asked. If so, my apologies.

Thanks kindly.

[DavidR]

The avast community feature passes information on suspect files, detections, etc. back to avast for analysis. Should those prove to be infected/malicious, they can be added to the virus definitions and quickly passed back to avast users either through the streaming updates or regular updates.

When left unchecked that information won't be passed up to avast, but you won't be left out in the cold and would benefit from this early analysis (from other community members) and updates.

The information passed up to avast is anonymous, so you should have nothing to worry about by being an avast community member helping to improve detections.

[VFN]

So if the check had not been unchecked for "participate" in updating to version 7, I would be connected to the community and the "Not Connected With Any Avast! Account" would say connected? In other words, those two are directly related?

I also ask because I see that to "connect with the avast community" I have to create an account.

Thanks again.

Edit: I see that under settings > Community you can check Participate with Avast! Community. So what does "Connect with an Avast account" do?

Edit: Seems that "Participate" is what is described by second poster and "Connecting With An Avast! Account" essentially gives Avast! your email.

[DavidR]

The avast account and community are two different things.

The avast account is a portal to manage/monitor your avast installations. If you only have one avast installation of a single system you don't really need it.

[VFN]

Thanks a lot for your replies.

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

[FlyingRobot]

The avast community feature passes information on suspect files, detections, etc. back to avast for analysis. Should those prove to be infected/malicious, they can be added to the virus definitions and quickly passed back to avast users either through the streaming updates or regular updates.

When left unchecked that information won't be passed up to avast, but you won't be left out in the cold and would benefit from this early analysis (from other community members) and updates.

But now, WebRep and FileRep pass information to avast even if the community feature is not enabled.  When and to what degree does that make the above statement a "technicality"?

For example, you open a file.  FileRep sends information about that file to avast.  That information allows avast to determine the exact file you have (because it was previously entered into the avast database) and according to the database the file is a known malicious.  That information is returned to the avast program and the user is alerted.  Although the community feature is turned OFF, information about a suspect file and its detection on your machine is passed back to avast. 

If, on the other hand, the avast database had iffy information on the file and the local avast program autosandbox determined that the program was malicious, perhaps the community feature would have to be turned on in order for detection related information to be passed back to avast?

[DavidR]

As an avast user not an avast employee,  I'm not privy to the inner workings of the community process. But I would think that it would be a reasonable assumption that since the shields are under the control of the avastSvc.exe service then the data gathered (whatever that might be) would be transmitted collectively and not by each individual shield.