FAQ

The AVG test may report a warning - potentially dangerous object on some files, which may be infected or pose a potentional threat. Typical examples of such detection are hidden files, cookies, suspicious registry keys, password protected documents or archives, etc.

Note:
In case some file is reported as Information, you can find more information about such detection in FAQ topic 1618.

Warning does refer to a file that cannot be scanned (password-protected archive), or to potentially suspicious files (hidden files, cookies, etc.). Such files do not present any direct threat to your computer or security. Information about these files is generally useful in case there is an adware or spyware detected on your computer. If there are only Warnings detected by an AVG test, no action is necessary.

This is a brief description of the most common examples of such objects:

• Hidden files
  The hidden files are by default not visible in Windows, and some viruses or other threats may try to avoid their detection by storing their files with this attribute. If your AVG reports a hidden file which you suspect to be malicious, you can move it to your AVG Virus Vault and send it to us for analysis.
• Cookies
  Cookies are plain-text files which are used by websites to store user-specific information, which is later used for loading custom website layout, pre-filling user name, etc. More information is available in the FAQ dedicated to this detection.
• Suspicious registry keys
  Some malware stores its information into Windows registry, to ensure it is loaded on startup or to extend its effect on the operating system.
  

If you wish, you can adjust the AVG test settings in such way, that only the warnings you are interested in are reported:

• open AVG User Interface
• click on Computer scanner
• click "Change scan settings"
• alternatively, you can change these settings in menu Tools - Advanced settings

More information about the files detected by AVG is available in the FAQ section covering viruses.

If you want to enable/disable scanning for rootkits option in AVG test configuration, you can do it this way:

1) From AVG User Interface

• Launch AVG program
• Activate "Computer scanner" option from navigation panel located at left hand side
• Click on "Change scan settings" link under the scan you want to modify
• Mark/un-mark the "Scan for rootkits" option in offered list

If you want to modify this settings permanently, click the "Save the current settings" button. Otherwise this settings will be applied only for this test that will be launched now from this dialog.
This way can be modified settings of "Scan whole computer" and "Scan specific files or folders" scans.

2) From advanced settings

• Launch AVG program
• From top menu "Tools" select option "Advanced settings"
• In the left navigation tree open the "Scans" option by double-click on its name
• Select the scan you want to modify
• Mark/un-mark the "Scan for rootkits" option in offered list
• Click "OK" to confirm the settings

This way modified settings will be changed permanently.
Here you can modify settings of "Scan whole computer", "Scan specific files or folders" and "Shell extension scan" scans.

The priority of the scan process defines how fast will the scan run, and how much system resources will it use. In other words, you can set the scan to run as fast as possible while slowing down your computer noticeably, or you can choose that you wish the test to run using as little system resources as possible, while prolonging its run time.

There are three options for the test priority in AVG:

• Fast scan = shortest scan time, highest usage of system resources
  The Fast scan does not leave any time gaps between reading files on the computer, and the scanning runs in multiple threads to utilize even multi-core processors. The Fast scan is recommended when the computer is not used or no other demanding application is running at the same time.
  
• Slow scan = longest scan time, lowest usage of system resources
  The Slow scan leaves time gaps between reading individual files, so that other applications can access the data on the computer with minimal delay. The scanning itself also runs with lower priority, in single thread, and with lower memory demands.
• Automatic scan = both scan time and generated system load depend on current computer load
  In the Automatic mode, AVG is adjusting the scan priority and gaps between files based on current system load, thus minimizing the impact of the test on the system, while finishing the test in shortest possible time.

The scan priority can be set for both running and scheduled test:

• Running test
  Please adjust the slider in the window of currently running test (AVG User Interface -> Computer scanner -> running scan).
• Scheduled test
  In Computer scanner, please double-click on the scheduled scan and switch to the tab "How to scan". After setting the priority, please click the "Save" button to store the configuration.

To exclude some folder from one AVG test or from a test schedule, please proceed as follows:

• To edit excludes in one test:
• Open AVG User Interface by double-click on AVG icon on your desktop or in the tray notification area.
• Click on Computer scanner -> Scan specific files or folders.
• To edit excludes in test schedule:
• Open AVG User Interface by double-click on AVG icon on your desktop or in the tray notification area.
• Click on Computer scanner -> select Scheduled scan -> button Edit scan schedule.
• Switch to tab What to scan -> select Scan specific files or folders.
• Tick all drives you wish to be scanned.
• To exclude e.g. folder "C:\Program Files", please expand drive C:\ (using the + button, or by double-click on its icon) and un-tick the folder "Program Files".

• Alternatively, you can leave all drives and folders selected and add into the text box above the selection tree:
• ![path];
  e.g. !C:\Program Files; will disable scanning of the Program Files folder.
• In case you wish to disable recursion in some folders (so that the contents of that folder are scanned, but not subfolders), please type the following:
• -[path];
  e.g. -C:\Windows\System32; will scan all files in the System32 folder, but not its subfolders. All other folders in C:\Windows will be scanned completely.
  

AVG scan is able to detect files which may not be infected, but are suspicious. These files are reported either as Warning (described in FAQ 1215), or as Information. The severity Information can be reported for one of the following reasons:

• Run-time packed
  The file was packed with one of less common run-time packers, which may indicate an attempt to prevent scanning of such file. However, not every report of such file indicates a virus.
• Run-time packed recursive
  Similar to above, however less frequent amongst common software. Such files are suspicious and their removal or submission for analysis should be considered.
• Password protected archive or document
  Password protected files can not be scanned by AVG (or generally any other Anti-Malware program). For more information, see FAQ 790.
• Document with macros
  The reported document contains macros, which may be malicious.
• Hidden extension
  Files with hidden extension may appear to be e.g. pictures, but in fact they are executable files (e.g. picture.jpg.exe). The second extension is not visible in Windows by default, and AVG reports such files to prevent their accidental opening.
• Improper file path
  If some important system file is running from other than default path (e.g. winlogon.exe running from other than Windows folder), AVG reports this discrepancy. In some cases, viruses use names of standard system processes to make their presence less apparent in the system.
• Locked file
  The reported file is locked, thus cannot be scanned by AVG. This usually means that some file is constantly being used by the system (e.g. swap file).

If you wish, you can adjust the AVG test settings in such way, that only the information you are interested in are reported:

• Open AVG User Interface.
• Click on Computer scanner.
• Click Change scan settings.
• Alternatively, you can change these settings in menu Tools -> Advanced settings.