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What is a boot scan and why would you want to run one on your computer
A boot scan, also known as a system integrity check, is a utility that checks the state of your computer’s boot sector. It is basically a quick inspection of your computer in an idle state and before it loads any operating system. Most importantly, it will be able to detect whether or not malware has been introduced that could potentially damage files on your hard drive. It is the simplest way to detect a malware infection. The boot sector is a sector of your hard drive where all operating system files are located in preparation for your computer to load itself up.
When your computer boots up, it will load the lowest level operating system files into areas of memory, including the Boot sector. The Boot sector is like a safe that holds all the operating system files in preparation for loading them into RAM (Random Access Memory), where they will be executed and become active.
This can happen even before your Windows 7, 8 or 10 operating system has been loaded. This is why a boot scan is such an important tool for your security. The quicker a program can be detected, the quicker it can be destroyed. There are different methods of detecting malware, and a boot scan is one of them.
In order to run a boot scan on your computer, you will need to download and install an anti-virus scanner on your Windows computer. You can also download an anti-virus scanner that runs and can be used on your computer without the need to install it.
How to start a boot scan on Avast
A boot scan, also known as a system integrity check, is a utility that checks the state of your computer’s boot sector. It is basically a quick inspection of your computer in an idle state and before it loads any operating system. Most importantly, it will be able to detect whether or not malware has been introduced that could potentially damage files on your hard drive. It is the simplest way to detect a malware infection. The boot sector is a sector of your hard drive where all operating system files and drivers are stored. For more information, refer to our previous article on how to start a boot scan on Avast.
Before scanning your computer, determine if you have saved the boot scan files in the default location. If so, select “Run as administrator” in the right-hand pane of the program that you opened and provide your credentials to save these files in this location. Otherwise, open a batch file or use a tool such as notepad or another text editor to create a new batch file named “bootscan.bat”.
What to do if the boot scan finds any viruses or malware on your computer
If Avast detects any viruses or malware on your computer, it will prompt you to perform a “Reset Antivirus” and it will remove the virus(es) located. Note that if the virus(es) are not removed, it means you should stop running Boot Scan & Perform a Full scan before continuing to install programs or access the internet. It’s also important to restart your computer immediately to ensure no further viruses are present on your computer.
In other words, if you don’t want to remove all viruses, it is important to perform a “Reset Antivirus” following the temporary removal of any virus(es) on your computer that Avast finds.
NOTE: If you have already completed any “Full scan” and it found new viruses and malware, but you don’t want to do a “Reset Antivirus”, you can immediately restart your computer without doing anything else.
Below are the steps to perform a “Reset Antivirus”:
1) Make sure your computer is connected to the internet.
2) Click on the “Scan” tab, then click on “Boot scan” and let it run.
How to fix the problems that the boot scan found on your computer
If Avast detects any problems during the boot scan, you will be prompted to repair the program(s) that are no longer working. If you are inexperienced in using computers, it is highly recommended that you follow Avast’s automatic detection and removal of virusesmalware for both your safety and convenience. If you are an expert user, you can disable Avast’s malware scanner and use the manual removal procedures that we have provided below instead.
Note: If the previous updates did not fix this issue, then it is likely that the malware has infected your Avast program files and that you will need to reinstall Avast. Please refer to this article for instructions on how to uninstall Avast for Windows or Mac.
