Suggestions for avast! 8

[danny96]

- Could avast! make a feature that while scanning you can see which threats were already detected without any need to wait until end of scan? (Like AVG or GData has)
- Could avast! show It's message (like shows phishing filter) when It does block a harmful webpage It's own screen instead of browser's error message "Error. Connection aborted"? (Like all antiviruses has - Panda, Avira, AVG, Norton, Kaspersky etc..... - so why not avast!?)

These features are small so they could be even available in next Avast! 7 patch.

[DavidR]

If you check the avast settings, that is already available I believe. Avast is high;ly configurable so you have to check through its various settings.

Open the Scan that you want to run, Settings, Actions, if you check the 'Automatically apply actions during scan (check this box to select an action)' option.

[danny96]

If you check the avast settings, that is already available I believe. Avast is high;ly configurable so you have to check through its various settings.

Open the Scan that you want to run, Settings, Actions, if you check the 'Automatically apply actions during scan (check this box to select an action)' option.

Hi, DavidR, thank you for your reply but,
You understood me wrongly. I want avast! to let me see which threats were detected during the scan. Instead of "Infections found: 1" there will be chart with for example EICAR TEST.EXE infection EICAR TEST NOT VIRUS!!! I didn't mean automatic actions during scan 

[Gargamel360]

About 1;.....why?   I mean, do you sit there and watch a scan?  When I see most people scan (and on the rare occasion I scan) they go find something else to do while the scan is in progress.

About 2;  There is already the toaster pop-up (that can be re-summoned by right-click>show last popup) so you want 2 ways of giving the same message?

[DavidR]

I honestly can't see what purpose this would serve having a graphical representation of what has been found up to that point in the scan rather than display the list of detected files at the end of the scan.

I certainly don't sit watching a scan in progress, I set it to run on a schedule and generally I won't be sat watching the scan (even though a Quick scan doesn't take long on my system), I see the results when I get back to the system.

For me it would be like watching paint dry, sitting waiting watching a scan.

The other aspect is if you are regularly getting detections on your on-demand scan, you really should review your browsing/security practice as detections in on-demand scans should be rare as that is the whole point of a resident antivirus and the on-access shields.

If you set the action to Ask, guess what, it wouldn't take any automatic action other than display the notification. Actions 1. Ask, 2. No Action, once you slip in No Action into 2nd place you don't get a 3rd option.

[danny96]

About 1;.....why?   I mean, do you sit there and watch a scan?  When I see most people scan (and on the rare occasion I scan) they go find something else to do while the scan is in progress.

About 2;  There is already the toaster pop-up (that can be re-summoned by right-click>show last popup) so you want 2 ways of giving the same message?

1) I have to watch the scan because It's actually scanning REALLY slow and It don't let me do anything while scanning.
2) Replace popup with that screen message.

[Gargamel360]

1: I meant things to do AFK     If you are so wired into your PC that you cant think of anything to do without it,  just do what I did....abandon scanning with your resident AV, it is scanning all the time anyway.

2: Ok, that might not be possible though (without some kind of browser add-on) because Avast! is sitting between your browser and the Web.  So all your browser understands is it is unable to connect.
 

[danny96]

1: I meant things to do AFK     If you are so wired into your PC that you cant think of anything to do without it,  just do what I did....abandon scanning with your resident AV, it is scanning all the time anyway.

2: Ok, that might not be possible though (without some kind of browser add-on) because Avast! is sitting between your browser and the Web.  So all your browser understands is it is unable to connect.
 

1) Resident protection really NEVER leave something it can detect?
2) OK thanks.

EDIT: Also has avast! blacklist synced with virustotal,mal0de database etc?

[Gargamel360]

1) Resident protection really NEVER leave something it can detect?

No, not NEVER, as that is a pretty strong word, implying 100% certainty.    But it is a decision I am comfortable with.  In all the time I did scan with my installed AV in the last 3 years, I have only had one type of detection from an on-demand scan....false positives, and PUP detections for programs I knowingly installed.   But I have had plenty of real-time, legit detections in those 3 years.

My personal view (and many tests [ ] of Avast! over time support this notion) is that Avast! is firstly a prevention anti-virus.   Its best point being, it is really good from stopping you from getting infected to begin with.  And if you do get infected, the resident protection is often still going to alert you (even if the malware itself is undetected) by its Network Shield.   

I still scan, just not with Avast!, I use MBAM or SAS for scanning, as I feel that using a scanner with a separate definition database gives me the most benefit per minute spent scanning. 

edit;

EDIT: Also has avast! blacklist synced with virustotal,mal0de database etc?

I'm not sure about that, if they draw off other sources, or if the blacklist is based solely on Avast! detection.

[DavidR]

Don't lose sight of the fact that with a resident on-access antivirus like avast, the need for frequent on-demand scans is much depreciated.

For the most part the on-demand scan is going to be scanning files that would be otherwise be dormant or inert. If they were active files then the on-access file system shield would scan them before being created, modified, opened or executed.

[Jack 1000]

My Recommendations for Avast 8

Automatic licensing and registration in ALL versions of Avast. (Like MSE)  No need to fill out forms for license keys anymore!  It's embedded with Avast's cloud services technology!  This would really add the one thing to Avast that would put it above MSE in all areas.  Renewal is all done through the cloud service.

A MINIMUM of one to two months of Avast 8 only being updatable through the GUI before it is pushed out as an Auto version update or "AsK" pop-up.  This will get major bugs worked out and there will be no system tray prompts or auto updates of the program until the bugs are worked out.  The world thinks that Avast 7 was released via update system tray notification too soon.  Don't make the same mistake with Avast 8!

Jack

[Gargamel360]

Automatic licensing and registration in ALL versions of Avast.

Well, they would still want your email address at least, at some point there would be something to "fill out"....MSE has that advantage, probably because you have already "registered" with them by running a legit copy of Win.

  The world thinks that Avast 7 was released via update system tray notification too soon. 

You will have to introduce me to The World one of these days, as conversing directly with The World pretty much bypasses a lot of college courses involving statistics and data management.   Heck, with a steady one-on-one with The World, you could make Google's analytics obsolete in short order. 

If by The World you mean People Complaining, the squeaky wheel is always noticed first, because the well-oiled wheel makes no noise.  There was (and yeah, this is just a rough estimate based on this forum, people I know, and other 'troubleshooting" spots around the Web) just as many squeaky wheels with ver. 6 & 5.

Okay now, not to let my smart arse derail you, at its core I see what you mean, but a better alternative would be a longer and more organized Beta period.

[biidaaban]

Automatic licensing and registration in ALL versions of Avast.

Well, they would still want your email address at least, at some point there would be something to "fill out"....MSE has that advantage, probably because you have already "registered" with them by running a legit copy of Win.

  The world thinks that Avast 7 was released via update system tray notification too soon. 

You will have to introduce me to The World one of these days, as conversing directly with The World pretty much bypasses a lot of college courses involving statistics and data management.   Heck, with a steady one-on-one with The World, you could make Google's analytics obsolete in short order. 

If by The World you mean People Complaining, the squeaky wheel is always noticed first, because the well-oiled wheel makes no noise.  There was (and yeah, this is just a rough estimate based on this forum, people I know, and other 'troubleshooting" spots around the Web) just as many squeaky wheels with ver. 6 & 5.

Okay now, not to let my smart arse derail you, at its core I see what you mean, but a better alternative would be a longer and more organized Beta period.

WOW okay, we'll all just roll along quietly and keep our ideas to ourselves. When the wheels all fall off, do you mind if we point you out to anyone asking? BTW, I had some questions about my avast! SUITE, but I'll go squeak elsewhere...

[MikeBCda]

The self-protection module ... ver. 7 finally managed to add an indication in the main UI that self-protect's been disabled, and a link to re-enable it from there without having to go into Settings.

But self-protection apparently still isn't considered part of "fully protected" status, and therefore doesn't trigger the "!" warning in the tooltray icon when disabled.  I for one think this still needs added.

[Gargamel360]

WOW okay, we'll all just roll along quietly and keep our ideas to ourselves. When the wheels all fall off, do you mind if we point you out to anyone asking? BTW, I had some questions about my avast! SUITE, but I'll go squeak elsewhere...

If you have a problem, start your own topic, and I or someone will be glad to help you.

A support forum is the very place "squeaky wheels" (in context I meant to use, meaning people having a problem with their Avast!) are supposed to come to.  I don't know what in my reply made you think you are not welcome to ask for help or give feedback.