What Does a Boot Scan Do?

Cyber threats can be hidden in a variety of ways. While most antivirus programs can detect malware through regular scans as well as real-time protection and boot-time scans, a boot-time scan provides a more rigorous sweep against stealthy threats.

A boot scan is a short review of your computer before Windows begins. This lets the software identify hidden malware without disrupting normal operations. Avast’s boot scan feature has many options to deal with the threats discovered during the scan, such as fixing the files right away or moving them to a Disease Chest or quarantine, and deleting them.

The process of running a boot scan can take a long time. It’s best to disable all non-essential start-up programs and unplug USB or external hard drives. This will minimize the risk of conflict and allow the scan to concentrate on the internal storage. It is also a good idea to plan some time during which you will not be using your computer for any other purposes so that boot scanning can happen without interruption.

To enable a scanning feature for webpage the boot time, select Settings (the gear icon) within the Avast interface. Select Protection > Scan settings, and choose the option Boot-Time Scan. Then, configure the options according to your preferences and click OK. The Avast Boot-Time Scan is a powerful tool to help protect your computer from threats and create a more pleasant computing environment.