Free Avast Security For Mac How To Change Scheduled Scans

  

Avast Security Pro (for Mac) costs $59.99 per year for one license or $69.99 for three. The Pro edition adds ransomware protection and real-time notification when new devices connect to your network. The Avast cleanup activation code is also a program that maintains the total security of your own body. It finds and scans both the storage along with the multimedia documents onto your notebook or PC and simplifies the machine by taking away the unwanted files. View previous scan reports. Open Avast Security and select Reports from the left panel. Click the arrow next to one of the following options to expand the section: Virus Scan Reports: displays results of Full System Scan, Removable Volumes Scan or Custom Scan. Home Network Security Scan Reports: displays results of Home Network Security Scan.

Avast Antivirus provides a range of scans to protect your PC from malware. You can also create your own scan and specify the parameters. Refer to the sections in this article for details about the following Virus Scans:

  • Smart Scan: a comprehensive scan that detects malware, out-of-date software, browser add-ons with poor reputations, network threats, and performance issues.
  • Full Virus Scan: a predefined, in-depth scan of your system that checks your storage drives and memory for malware (including rootkits).
  • Targeted Scan: scans the folders you select when you initiate the scan.
  • Boot-Time Scan: scans your PC during the next system startup before any malware is launched. Running a Boot-Time Scan during startup improves the chances of detecting and removing malware before it can attack your PC.
  • Custom scans: scans your PC according to the parameters that you specified for your scan.
  • Explorer Scan: scans specific files or folders directly from your desktop via File Explorer.

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Run a scan

  1. Open the Avast user interface and go to ProtectionVirus Scans.
  2. Run your preferred scan:
    • Smart Scan: Click the Run Smart Scan button.
    • Full Virus Scan: Click the Full Virus Scan tile.
    • Targeted Scan: Click the Targeted Scan tile, then select the file or folder you want to scan, and click OK.
    • Boot-Time Scan: Click the Boot-Time Scan tile, then click Run On Next PC Reboot.
    • Custom scans: Click the Custom scans tile, then click Scan Now on the panel for the scan you want to run.
To run Explorer Scan, right-click a file or folder on your desktop or in File Explorer, then select Scan selected items for viruses in the menu that appears.

Create a custom scan

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To create a custom scan: Is avast good virus protection.

  1. Open the Avast user interface and go to ProtectionVirus Scans.
  2. Click the Custom scans tile.
  3. Click Create A New Scan.
  4. Define the scan parameters. The following parameters are available:
    • Scan name: type a name for your scan into the text box.

    Customize your scan

    • Scan type: select either Full Virus Scan or Targeted Scan depending on what you want your scan to check on your PC.
    • Frequency: define how often your scan runs.

    Advanced settings

    • Sensitivity (Medium by default): the higher the sensitivity, the higher the protection and potential for false positive malware detection. Lower sentivity reduces the potential for false positive detections, but may reduce the effectiveness of the scan.
    • Scan for potentially unwanted programs (PUPs): enables Avast to scan for programs that are stealthily downloaded with other programs and typically perform unwanted activity.
    • Follow links during scan: enables Avast to scan other files used by the files being scanned for potentially harmful content.
    • Test whole files: enables Avast to scan entire files rather than only the parts typically affected by malicious code.
    • Scan priority: use the drop-down menu to set your Scan priority (Medium priority by default).

    Scan areas

    • All Harddisks: enables Avast to scan all hard drives on your PC.
    • System drive: the options in this section apply to data that is stored on physical devices such as hard drives and USB sticks.
    • All Removable media: enables Avast to scan applications that launch automatically when you insert a USB or other removable device into your PC. Scanning removable media may take a long time due to speed limitations.
    • Rootkits: enables Avast to scan for hidden threats in the system.
    • CD-ROM & DVD drives: enables Avast to scan CD and DVD drives for malicious content.
    • Modules loaded in memory: enables Avast to scan applications and processes that launch after system startup or run in the background.

    Packers and Archives

    • Scan most common used types: archive commonly used file types such as .zip, .rar, and other executable or installer archives.
    • Scan all types of archives: the scan analyzes all archive files, which significantly increases the scan duration.
    • Don't scan archives: disables Full Virus Scan from scanning archive files.

    File Types

    • Content based types (slow): scans files that are typically most vulnerable to malware attacks.
    • Name extension based types (fast): scans files with only risky extensions, such as .exe, .com, .bat.
    • Scan all files (very slow): scans all files on your PC for malware.
    • Perform automatic actions during this scan: tick this option to enable it, then define the automatic action Avast will perform when an infected file is found.
    • Shut down computer after scan finishes: enables Avast to shut down your PC after your scan completes.
    • Generate report file: enables Avast to create and store a report file automatically after the scan completes.
    • Exceptions: click View exceptions, click Add Exception, then locate a file, folder, or web page that will not be scanned by your new custom scan.

Parameters for new Custom scans will save automatically and can be reconfigured at any time. To run a new Custom scan, go to ProtectionVirus ScansCustom scans, then click Scan Now next to the scan you want to run.

Process scan results

After a scan completes, Avast displays all found issues. You can resolve the issues directly on the results screen, or configure each Virus Scan to resolve issues automatically upon detection.

Some detections may require a separate paid license to resolve.

Smart Scan

To learn more about resolving found issues after Smart Scan completes, refer to the following article:

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Other Virus Scans

You can define how each scan automatically reacts to a found issue.

  1. Open the Avast user interface and go to MenuSettings.
  2. Click Protection in the left panel, and ensure Virus Scans is selected.
  3. Click the scan you want to define automatic behavior for.
  4. Scroll down, tick the box next to Perform automatic actions during this scan, then select which action you want Avast to perform when an issue is found. The following actions are available:
    • Fix automatically: Avast attempts to repair the file. If unsuccessful, the file is moved to the Virus Chest. If that fails, Avast deletes the file.
    • Move file to Virus Chest: Avast sends the file directly to the Virus Chest where the file cannot harm your system.
    • Delete file: Avast permanently removes the file from your PC.

If you want Avast to do nothing when an infected file is found, untick the box next to Perform automatic actions during this scan (not recommended). To manage unresolved scan detections at any time, go to ProtectionVirus ScansScan history.

Special cases

For incomplete scans, an error message indicating the reason the scan was unable to complete is visible on the scanning screen. Although there are many different reasons a scan may be unable to complete, some of the most common reasons are:

  • Archive is password protected: indicates that the file is password protected. Some programs use password protected archives to store their data even if you did not set the password. Depending on your scan settings, only the 'wrapper' file is scanned while the archive content is not.
  • Archive is corrupted: indicates that the file may be corrupt because it was only partially downloaded or saved to your harddisk, or that it is a special type of archive.
  • The process cannot access the file because of another process: indicates that another process or program was accessing the file during the scan.
  • The file is a decompression bomb: indicates that the file was too large to be decompressed for malware analysis. Decompression of large files generates vast amounts of data which can cause your system to be unstable or cause it to crash.
Files that are stored in archives cannot harm your system unless they are decompressed.

Adjust scan settings

Avast premiem for mac. Although customizable settings are available for some Virus Scans, we recommend you only modify settings for Custom scans. To configure scan settings:

  1. Open the Avast user interface and go to ProtectionVirus Scans.
  2. Click Settings (the gear icon) in the top-right corner of the Virus Scans screen.
  3. Select the scan you want to adjust settings for.
  4. Configure your preferred settings.

For more information about Virus Scan settings, refer to the following article:

Create and use Rescue Disk

If you suspect your PC is infected with malware and all other Virus Scans (including the Boot-Time scan) were unable to resolve the issue, you can use Rescue Disk. Rescue Disk enables you to scan your PC when your system is not running. This method significantly increases your chances of detecting and removing malware because the malware is detected before it is able to counteract.

For more information about Rescue Disk, refer to the following article:

Review scan history

How

To review scan history:

  1. Open the Avast user interface and go to ProtectionVirus Scans.
  2. Click Scan history.
  3. Hover your cursor over a scan panel, then click the down arrow to see the scan details.

Click the red X in the top-left corner to return to the main Virus Scans screen.

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While it's unlikely you'll ever run into malware for the Mac, you may want to consider an antivirus tool anyway—if not to protect yourself, but to protect your Windows-using friends from any malware you may inadvertently send their way. We think that Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac is the best choice, and it's free.

Update: Our previous recommendation for Mac Antivirus was 'nothing.' We know many of you choose to use nothing, but we also know you don't come to the App Directory to not get any suggestions at all. Besides, malware is starting to become a bit more prevalent on the Mac, and even the safest browsing habits don't protect you completely. So, we now officially recommend Sophos as our Mac antivirus of choice.

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Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac

Platform: OS X (10.4+)
Price: Free
Download Page

Features

  • Compact, easy-to-use interface that can be used for custom on-demand scans of files, folders, and drives, or scheduled, periodic full scans of your Mac.
  • Also scans files on your Mac for known Windows malware, trojans, and viruses, and deletes or quarantines them so you don't risk spreading them to someone else via network share, USB drive, or email.
  • Deletes or quarantines known threats, gives you the option to quarantine anything suspicious that may be a new threat or dangerous file.
  • Runs quietly in the background, scanning emails, downloads, and any other files on access, stopping you from opening them before they can do any harm.
  • Light on system resources while running in the background.
  • Installs like any other Mac application, and uninstalls just as easily—no complicated packages or components to manage or configure.
  • Sophos' 'Live Antivirus' feature updates your app the moment new threats are detected or found in the wild. The feature also performs real-time lookups to see if files accessed are in the SophosLabs database, even if they're unfamiliar to the app.
  • Supports OS X up to 10.8 and back to 10.4, and is completely free for all versions.

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Where It Excels

Sophos actually has an excellent breakdown of the history of malware for the Mac going all the way back to 1982. The fact that the article exists should remind Mac users that while they're not the primary target for malware authors, they're by no means invulnerable. The size of the article however should issue some confidence that the risk—while present—is by no means critical.

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Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac stands out in a somewhat crowded field of Mac antivirus apps because it doesn't just scan your Mac's files and folders on demand, but it does it quietly in the background without tapping your already precious system resources in the process. The utility also keeps its own constantly-updating database of Windows viruses, trojans, and other threats, so if you inadvertently download a Windows virus or trojan that won't harm you, you don't run the risk of sending it off to someone else by forwarding the message, or you won't infect other computers on your network (or any Windows partitions or virtual machines you run on the same hardware) via shared drives. Sophos is smart enough to tell you 'Hey, this won't hurt you, but we're going to quarantine/delete it so you don't accidentally email this attachment to someone else.' That's a huge benefit—and it keeps you from being that guy no one likes.

Another banner feature Sophos offers that its competition doesn't is its live, real-time access to SophosLabs. 'Live Antivirus,' as it's called in the app, gives you an added layer of protection. The app automatically identifies and quarantines suspicious files, installers, and other packages that may not be well known threats yet, but definitely exhibit behavior suspicious enough that Sophos is looking into them.

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Best of all though, in our testing, Sophos was one of the most resource-light antivirus apps on the Mac, which is impressive considering the features it offers.

Where It Falls Short

Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac isn't perfect, however. Even though it's pretty resource light, it wasn't the lightest in our tests. It just hit the sweet spot between resources and features. Also, support for Mountain Lion came a few months after its launch, so Sophos wasn't exactly right there with those people who upgraded on launch day.

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The Competition

ClamXav 2 uses the open source ClamAV virus scanning engine. It can also detect both WIndows and OS X malware, scan on demand or on a regular schedule, and it's probably a bit more lightweight and easy on system resources than Sophos. It's compatible with OS X 10.5 or higher. The only trouble with ClamXav is that its definitions come a bit more sporadically than we'd like (daily, usually, sometimes, if they feel like it) and while performing scans is easy, tweaking all of the settings and getting the app scanning proactively is a little more effort than I'd like to see. Still, it's an excellent alternative, and one of the first you should check out if Sophos isn't cutting it for you.

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Avast! Free Antivirus for Mac is the Mac version of our current favorite for Windows, and for good reason. The researchers at AV Comparitives found that Avast detected 100% of the Mac malware that went through it, an honor that few other utilities won (they didn't test Sophos, unfortunately). It's free, it works, it's lightweight, but the only catch is that it only scans for Mac-specific malware, which won't matter to you if you're in an all-Mac ecosystem, but if you, like most of us, share the world with Windows users, thinking of them doesn't hurt.

Avira is another free utility worth a look. It also picked up 100% of the Mac malware that passed through it with no false positives. Avira's UI and options are perfect for non-technical users, and it offers strong protection against known Mac threats. Again, there's no Windows protection in the app, and both the scheduling and custom scan options are a bit anemic, so power users may want to shy away from it. If you're installing it on your non-technical friend or family-member's Mac however, it's a great option.

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For more suggestions, make sure to check out AV Comparitives' full 2012 report on Mac antivirus tools—there are more in there we didn't list here.

We're not trying and settle the antivirus-versus-no-antivirus debate; it's been raging for years and isn't going to stop now. For a great and thorough perspective on the issue, check out my old colleague Neil Rubenking's take at PC Mag's SecurityWatch blog, and The Safe Mac's approach to the topic.

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Whatever you do though, it's probably not necessary to plop down money for a Mac antivirus suite. The threats don't warrant you dropping money on software to keep you safe, and too many of them do more harm than good (especially the ones looking to get your money). They're just not worth it, especially when there are more effective, robust, free options like the ones above available to you.