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The options you may wish to change (theyвЂ™re disabled by default) are: Scan whole files, Scan all Time Machine backups, and Scan archives.

There is one set of settings you may wish to change вЂ“ click the Menu button in the top-right corner of the Avast window, and select Preferences from the list of options.

Scan for viruses avast mac for mac#

Avast wants you to buy their software so youвЂ™re completely protected, but again вЂ“ if youвЂ™re going to pay for security software, I recommend Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac over Avast.Д¬lick the Skip for now link in the bottom-right corner of the Avast window. If Avast did identify something bad, follow the steps it suggests in order to remove any infected files.

If thatвЂ™s the case, click the Next button.

With a bit of luck, hopefully nothing was found.

ItвЂ™s probably a good time to go grab a cup of coffee or tea.

The actual scan can take a while вЂ“ the length of time is determined by the number of files you have and the overall speed of your Mac.

Avast will do a quick check to make sure you have the very latest virus definitions installed and everything is completely up to date.

Now letвЂ™s scan your Mac for viruses, malware and/or adware.

Confirm that all 3 вЂњcore shieldsвЂќ have been turned on, and then click the вЂback arrowвЂ™ located in the upper-left corner of the Avast window.Д¬heck Your Mac for Viruses, Spyware & Malware.

Toggle the File Shield switch from OFF to ON.

When itвЂ™s open again, youвЂ™ll probably see a big вЂњThis Mac is not fully protectedвЂќ message.

Avast will close down and reopen itself.

A message will pop up letting you know that Avast wonвЂ™t have those access permisions until it has been restarted, so click the Quit & Reopen button.

Place a check in the box next to Avast Security

Scan for viruses avast mac full#

If it isnвЂ™t already selected, click Full Disk Access from the column of options on the left side of the window.

This time the Privacy & Security window will open up with the Privacy tab displayed.

Click the OPEN SYSTEM PREFERENCES button.

Avast needs to be able to access all the files on your Mac so that it can scan them, which means it needs to be granted full disk access.

Confirm that it says DONE! above the CONTINUE button, and then click that same CONTINUE button.

Click the OPEN CONFIRMATION DIALOG button.

To gets started, click the CONTINUE button.

With the installation complete, now itвЂ™s time to setup and configure Avast вЂ“ which mostly consists of granting various permissions.

After you click вЂњNextвЂќ a bunch of times, click the Close button on the last of the installation screens.

If youвЂ™re asked to allow Avast Security.app permission to access your Downloads folder, click the OK button.

Scan for viruses avast mac install#

You do not need to install it, and can skip that step entirely. During the installation, you may be asked if youвЂ™d like to install Google Chrome.Then, click the Allow button next to the System software message (see screenshot below).

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Click on the вЂlockвЂ™ icon in the bottom left corner and enter your password when prompted. This will open the Security & Privacy section of the System Preferences.Click the Open Security Preferences button when you see that message. If youвЂ™re using macOS Catalina or Big Sur, youвЂ™ll get a warning message about a System Extension being blocked.

Click the Allow button when asked if program can be run to determine whether Avast will work on your Mac.DMG file and double-click Install Avast Security.pkg Once the download has completed, open the. Installing and setting up Avast isnвЂ™t particularly complicated, itвЂ™s just a bit more involved than a regular вЂњdrag to the Applications folderвЂќ type of installation.Installing & Setting Up Antivirus Software With all of that said вЂ“ if what youвЂ™re looking to accomplish is to scan your Mac for viruses and malware, Avast (and this guide) is for you. It offers more features than Avast and itвЂ™s less expensive.

If youвЂ™re going to shell out your hard earned money, I would recommend Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac. Ransomware on a Mac is still quite rare, but it does happen, and if you regularly install software that doesnвЂ™t come from the Mac App Store the odds of being infected go up. However, the free version does not offer ransomware protection. This guide uses the free version of Avast Security вЂ“ which includes a full antivirus/malware scanner. None of the free apps offer complete coverage. If you have critical, canвЂ™t-live-without stuff on your Mac, itвЂ™s worth paying for security software. HereвЂ™s how I feel about Mac security software вЂ“

Scan for viruses avast mac how to#

This detailed guide will show you how to install, configure and use free software to scan your Mac for viruses, malware and spyware.