Avast
Skip to main content
  • For home For home Products for PC and mobile phone protection
  • For partners For partners Partner with Avast and boost your business
  • About us About us Careers, media, contact
  • Blogs Academy, Blog, Decoded, Forum
  • New Zealand
For home
  • Security
    • Free Antivirus
      Basic protection for all your devices
      Free Antivirus
      Basic protection for all your devices
      Free Antivirus
      Basic protection for all your devices
      Free Antivirus
      Basic protection for all your devices
    • Premium Security
      Complete protection against all internet threats
    • Ultimate
      Our best security, privacy, and performance apps in one package

    Looking for a product for your device? Free Antivirus for PC, Free Security for Android, Free Security for Mac, Free Security for iPhone/iPad

    Looking for a product for your device? Free Antivirus for PC Free Security for Mac Free Security for Android Free Security for iPhone/iPad

  • Privacy
    • SecureLine VPN
      Encrypt your connection to stay safe on public networks
    • AntiTrack
      Disguise your digital fingerprint to avoid personalized ads
    • Secure Browser
      Secure, private, and easy to use web browser
    • Secure Browser PRO
      Unlock the full potential of Avast Secure Browser and fully encrypt your online activity
    • BreachGuard
      Protect your personal info from being exposed and sold
    • Online Security & Privacy
      Privacy and security browser extension from Avast
  • Performance
    • Cleanup Premium
      Boost your computer’s speed and performance
      Cleanup Premium
      Boost your computer’s speed and performance
      Cleanup Premium
      Boost your computer’s speed and performance
      Cleanup Premium
      Boost your computer’s speed and performance
    • Driver Updater
      Automatically update drivers with a single click
  • Store
  • Home
  • Support
  • Store
  • Account
For business
  • Products
    • Small & Home
      Office
      1-10 devices
      Protect up to 10 devices, including laptops, mobile, computers, and tablets with Small Office Protection.
    • Small Businesses
      11+ devices
      Essential, Premium, or Ultimate Business Security managed from integrated, cloud-based Business Hub platform.
    • Specialized products
      • Patch Management
      • Cloud Backup
      • Premium Remote Control
      • Antivirus for Linux
      • CCleaner

    Not sure which solution is right for your business?

    Help me choose
  • Business partners
    • Partnership opportunities
      • MSPs
      • Resellers
      • Distributors
      • Affiliates
    • Solutions for MSPs
      • Business Hub Security Platform
      • Cloud Network Security
      Shop by vertical
      • Education
    Become a partner
    Partner locator
  • Resources
  • Trials
  • Store
  • Home
  • Contact sales
  • Support
  • Store
  • Account
    • Business Hub
    • CloudCare
    • Partner Portal
For partners
  • Smart Life
  • Mobile Security
  • VPN
  • Threat Intelligence
  • Knowledge Center
About us
  • About Avast
  • Careers
  • Privacy
      • Privacy
      • Expert guides
      • Privacy blogs
  • Digital trust
  • Press center
      • Press releases
      • Events
      • In the news
      • Media materials
      • PR contacts
  • Awards
  • Contact us
  • Blogs
  • Avast Blog Read about recent news from the security world
  • Avast Academy Expert tips and guides about digital security and privacy
  • Avast Decoded In-depth technical articles regarding security threats
  • Avast Forum Discuss with the community

List of available regions

Main regions
  • Worldwide (English)
  • Europe (English)
  • América Latina (español)
AMERICAS
  • Argentina
  • Brasil
  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (français)
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • EE.UU. (español)
  • México
  • USA (English)
  • América Latina (español)
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
  • België (Nederlands)
  • Belgique (français)
  • Česká republika
  • Danmark
  • Deutschland
  • España
  • France
  • Italia
  • Magyarország
  • Nederland
  • Norge
  • Polska
  • Portugal
  • Schweiz (Deutsch)
  • Slovensko (česky)
  • South Africa
  • Suisse (français)
  • Suomi
  • Sverige
  • Türkiye
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • Ελλάδα
  • ישראל
  • Казахстан
  • România
  • Россия
  • Україна (українська)
  • Украина (русский)
  • المملكة العربية السعودية
  • الدول العربية
  • Europe (English)
ASIA & PACIFIC
  • Australia
  • India
  • इंडिया (हिंदी)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Malaysia (Bahasa Melayu)
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines (English)
  • Pilipinas (Filipino)
  • Singapore
  • Việt Nam
  • 日本語
  • 대한민국
  • 简体中文
  • 繁體中文
  • ประเทศไทย
  • Worldwide (English)

Adjusting settings for Avast Antivirus Core Shields

Core Shields are the main protection components in Avast Antivirus. The Core Shields are: File Shield, Behavior Shield, Web Shield, and Mail Shield. All Core Shields are enabled by default to ensure maximum protection for your PC.

Some settings for the Core Shields can be adjusted according to your preferences, such as the sensitivity level for malware detections, what happens to detected malware, and customized settings for each shield. Refer to the sections in this article to learn how to adjust the available settings for your Avast Antivirus Core Shields.

Open settings

To access the settings screen for all Core Shields:

  1. Open Avast Antivirus and go to ☰ Menu ▸ Settings.
  2. Select Protection ▸ Core Shields.

Adjust sensitivity

You can change the sensitivity of the Core Shields from the default Medium sensitivity.

  • High sensitivity increases the protection and potential for false positive malware detections.
  • Low sensitivity reduces the chance of false positive detections, but may also reduce the effectiveness of the Core Shields.

To change the sensitivity of your Core Shields:

  1. Open the settings screen for all Core Shields.
  2. Click and hold the green marker, then slide it to your desired sensitivity setting.

Configure behavior settings

Configuring behavior settings allows you to specify what you want the Core Shields to do when they detect malware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). There are also additional behavior settings you can adjust for increased protection.

To configure the behavior settings, open the settings screen for all Core Shields, then refer to the steps in the sections below:

Malware

  1. Select the Malware tab.
  2. Select your preferred option:
    • Fix automatically (recommended): When malware is detected, Avast Antivirus tries to repair the file. If repair is not possible, the file moves to Quarantine. If that fails, the file is deleted from your PC.
    • Ask: Avast Antivirus asks you to decide what to do each time malware is detected.

Potentially unwanted programs & tools

  1. Select the Potentially unwanted programs & tools tab.
  2. The default setting is for Avast Antivirus to notify you each time a potentially unwanted program is installed on your PC. When Notify me about potentially unwanted programs is ticked, you can select from the following actions:
    • Resolve automatically (recommended): When a potentially unwanted program is detected, Avast Antivirus manages the program by moving it to Quarantine or deleting it from your computer, without any action required from you.
    • Ask me what to do: Avast Antivirus asks you to decide what to do each time a potentially unwanted program is detected.
  3. Optionally, tick the box next to Scan for Tools if you want Avast Antivirus to also detect applications that can be used for accessing, controlling, or potentially harming your computer. When ticked, you can select from the following actions:
    • Resolve automatically: Avast Antivirus manages detected applications and no action is required from you.
    • Ask me what to do: Avast Antivirus asks you to decide what to do with detected applications.

Additional behavior settings

Optionally, tick (enable) or untick (disable) the following additional behavior settings:

  1. Enable CyberCapture: Provides additional protection that analyzes unrecognized files. When enabled, select from the following actions:
    • Automatically send files to Threat Labs: Sends all unrecognized files to Avast Threat Labs automatically.
    • Ask me to send files to Threat Labs: You are prompted to decide what to do each time an unrecognized file is detected.
  2. Enable Hardened Mode: Recommended for inexperienced computer users who want to further secure their PC. Hardened Mode uses information based on reputation services to determine which executable files are safe to open.
  3. Enable Anti-Rootkit Shield: Monitors hidden malicious threats in your system. Unticking this option may resolve potential compatibility issues that can cause system crashes.
  4. Enable Anti-Exploit Shield: Detect and block attempts to run malicious threats or processes in the system memory that can exploit vulnerable applications on your PC. Unticking this option may result in potential compatibility issues that can cause system crashes.

Manage individual shield settings

File Shield actively scans all programs and files on your hard drive as they are opened, run, modified, and saved. If malware is detected, File Shield prevents the program or file from infecting your PC.

  1. Open the settings screen for all Core Shields, then scroll to Configure shield settings.
  2. Select the File Shield tab, then optionally tick (enable) or untick (disable) the following settings:
    1. Enable File Shield: Scans any file added to or opened on your PC. To temporarily disable File Shield, untick the box, then select a time duration, and click OK, Stop. File Shield automatically enables again when the specified time duration elapses.
    2. Scan auto-run items when removable media is attached: Scans files that are programed to run automatically from removable drives (for example, a USB key) when they are connected to your PC.
    3. Choose file types to scan:
      • Files with recommended extensions: Only scans file types recommended by Avast Antivirus.
      • All files: Scans all file types.
    4. Scan programs when executing: Scans programs, scripts, and libraries each time they are run.
    5. Scan files when opening: Scans each time you open a file.
    6. Scan files when writing: Scans when files are being created or modified.
    7. Generate report file: Automatically generates reports of scan results.

Behavior Shield monitors programs installed on your PC for suspicious behavior that may indicate the presence of malicious code.

  1. Open the settings screen for all Core Shields, then scroll to Configure shield settings.
  2. Select the Behavior Shield tab, then optionally tick (enable) or untick (disable) the following settings:
    1. Enable Behavior Shield: Warns you if any application behaves suspiciously. To temporarily disable Behavior Shield, untick the box, then select a time duration, and click OK, Stop. Behavior Shield automatically enables again when the specified time duration elapses.
    2. Generate report file: Automatically generates reports of scan results.

Web Shield actively scans data that is transferred when you browse the internet to prevent malware from being downloaded and run on your PC.

  1. Open the settings screen for all Core Shields, then scroll to Configure shield settings.
  2. Select the Web Shield tab, then optionally tick (enable) or untick (disable) the following settings:
    1. Enable Web Shield: Blocks web attacks & unsafe downloads. To temporarily disable Web Shield, untick the box, then select a time duration, and click OK, Stop. Web Shield automatically enables again when the specified time duration elapses.
    2. Enable HTTPS scanning: Includes scanning of encrypted websites.
    3. Enable QUIC/HTTP3 scanning: Scans communications sent and received via Google's QUIC protocol.
    4. Protect against botnets: Prevents botnets from using your computer to attack other computers.
    5. Enable Script scanning: Prevents browsers and other applications from running potentially malicious scripts. This includes remote threats from the web and outside sources.
    6. Enable automatic changing of online fingerprint: Prevents websites from tracking your activity by scrambling your online fingerprint each time you visit a web page.
    7. Enable site blocking: Allows you to block access to specific websites. To block access to a website from your PC, click Show blocked websites ▸ Add website, then enter the website address. Click Close to confirm the addition and return to Web Shield settings.
    8. Generate report file: Automatically generates reports of scan results.

Mail Shield scans for threats in your incoming and outgoing email messages. Scanning applies only to messages sent or received using mail management software, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird.

  1. Open the settings screen for all Core Shields, then scroll to Configure shield settings.
  2. Select the Mail Shield tab, then optionally tick (enable) or untick (disable) the following settings:
    1. Enable Mail Shield: Blocks dangerous email attachments. To temporarily disable Mail Shield, untick the box, then select a time duration, and click OK, Stop. Mail Shield automatically enables again when the specified time duration elapses.
    2. Scan inbound emails (POP3, IMAP4): Scans all incoming emails sent using an SSL/TLS encrypted connection.
    3. Scan outbound emails (SMTP): Scans all outbound emails sent using an SSL/TLS encrypted connection.
    4. Add a signature to the end of sent emails: Includes a message for the recipient in an outgoing email confirming that the email has been scanned for malware and is clean.
    5. Mark in subject of mail containing a virus: Specify a specific word or phrase in the text box that will automatically be added to the subject of any email containing a virus.
    6. Scan attachment when attaching (MS Outlook only): Scan outgoing email attachments sent with Microsoft Outlook.
    7. Generate report file: Automatically generates reports of scan results.

Disable all Core Shields

All Core Shields are enabled by default. To ensure your security, we recommend keeping all Core Shields enabled and only disabling them for temporary troubleshooting purposes. To temporarily disable individual shields, refer to the relevant tab in the Manage individual shield settings section above.

To temporarily disable all Core Shields:

  1. Open the settings screen for all Core Shields.
  2. Click the green (ON) slider, then select a time duration to disable all Core Shields.
  3. Click OK, Stop.

All Core Shields are now temporarily disabled. The Core Shields automatically enable again when the specified time duration elapses. To manually enable all Core Shields, click the red (OFF) slider so that it changes to green (ON).

Further recommendations

For information about advanced settings for each of the Core Shields, refer to the following article:

  • Using the Avast Geek settings area in Avast Antivirus
  • Avast Premium Security 22.x for Windows
  • Avast Free Antivirus 22.x for Windows
  • Microsoft Windows 11 Home / Pro / Enterprise / Education
  • Microsoft Windows 10 Home / Pro / Enterprise / Education - 32 / 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows 8.1 / Pro / Enterprise - 32 / 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows 8 / Pro / Enterprise - 32 / 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic / Home Premium / Professional / Enterprise / Ultimate - Service Pack 1 with Convenient Rollup Update, 32 / 64-bit


Updated on: 02/06/2022

Was this article helpful?

Need additional help?

Contact us
Avast logo
New Zealand
For home
  • Support
  • Security
  • Privacy
  • Performance
  • Blog
  • Forum
For partners
  • Mobile Carriers
Company
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Press center
  • Digital trust
  • Technology
  • Research Participation
Avast logo © 2025 Gen Digital Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy policy Products policy Legal Report vulnerability Contact security Modern Slavery Statement Do not sell my info Subscription details