Avast is a strong internet security software and antivirus suitable for small businesses, education institutions and individuals. In fact, the Avast Free Antivirus has remained the top-rated anti-virus software on CNET for a long time. Even though it provides adequate protection for Mac OS and Windows computers, the program is likely to flag and block some of the program files you want to install in your computer after falsely identifying them as a security threat.
One of the options of installing the blocked software programs involves turning off Avast Temporarily. The task is easy on Windows PC because you just need to right click on the Avast icon on the system tray and install the program that Avast has blocked.
The other method involves finding the blocked file path to the executable file and the third option involves unblocking the program on Avast. To find the blocked file path, right click on the icon of the blocked program.
Copy the path from the dialog that shows up. Add the path to the clipboard. On Mac OS, you just need to press Command-I. After that, the program’s information will pop up. Copy the path.
To unblock the program, open Avast and click on “Settings”. Paste the file path in the File path field. Click Add for the antivirus to exclude the program from the protection shields. Turn the Avast shields on after adding the file exclusion.
Also Read: How To Add An Exception To Avast
Unblocking a program
Avast has its settings that allow users to whitelist programs. Also known as the Exclusion setting, the whitelist allows users to add websites or programs that the antivirus consider as unsafe but the user knows that they are safe.
After that, the antivirus will not treat such programs as a threat and you should, therefore, be confident about a program before you add it to the exclusions list. After adding it to the exclusion list, Avast will not scan it anymore. Here is how to do that.
- Launch the Avast Antivirus on your computer by clicking on its icon from your computer’s taskbar system tray. You can open the program from your desktop too.
- After the homepage of the program is visible, move the cursor to its left column and click on the Settings option situated at the left bottom corner.
- On the new window that pops up, the General tab will open by default on the left window. Switch to the right side and expand the Exclusions section. To do that, you just need to click the down arrow.
- Click on the “Add” button situated below the File Paths tab. That will highlight a search box.
- Now, click on the Browse option situated beside the greyed box. Navigate the file location and choose it accurately to allow the program through the Avast antivirus.
- Click on the Ok button so that Avast can enlist the program in the Exclusion list.
- If you do not know the program’s location, right-click on its icon. Choose Open file location on the context menu. If you realize that the program is a threat later, you can remove it from the list.
Disable Avast temporarily
As we stated above, you can install a program that Avast blocks by disabling the antivirus temporarily. To do that, follow these steps.
- Open the primary Avast user interface. Proceed to Protection and click on Core Shields. Alternatively, you can click on Settings and then on Components. There, you will find the Avast shields (Behaviour Shield, File System Shield, Web Shield and the Mail Shield).
- Find the shield you want to disable and click on Switcher. After that, Avast will display four options – 1 hour, 10 minutes, permanently or until the computer restarts. Click on the length of time you would want to disable Avast.
- After disabling the shield successfully, the switch will change to OFF and the primary window turn yellow with a message “File Shield is now Off”. If you want to re-enable it, click on the “Turn on” button and the message “You’re protected” will appear.
Also Read: How to Disable Antivirus Protection on Your Mac
Disable Avast completely
Disabling the Avast shields completely mean turning the Avast Antivirus off completely. So, you have to be sure that you know what you are doing. To disable it:
- Navigate to Windows taskbar and right-click on the orange Avast icon. Look for the “Avast Shields Control” and choose the disable permanently option.
- Avast will ask you to confirm regardless of the option you choose. Confirm by clicking on “Yes”.
- To be sure that the antivirus is disabled, open the main window. The status option should be red saying that “All antivirus shields are off”. Click on the Resolve button to reactivate”
Conclusion
If Avast blocks almost every program you want to install, you can uninstall it completely. Even though this is highly discouraged, it might help. Avast is the best antivirus program in the market. So, you have to be careful when disabling the shields.
