What's the point of doing regular scans with the product you already have real time protection?

mmmory

Level 2
Thread author
Verified
Nov 4, 2013
72
I mean, if you install your security product right after you install your operating system and keep its real time protection enabled all the time, what's the point of doing regular scans or allowing idle time scans of the same product? Shouldn't real time protection detect the threats anyway? I think it's just a waste of time and computer resources doing regular scans or letting it do idle scans with the same product.

Products like malwarebytes free, hitman pro and other on demand scanners are excluded of course. I, personally don't make any system scans or idle scans if I already have my product enabled at the very beginning of my windows install and never got any problems so far. I only use second opinion on-demand scanners when I get suspicious.

Also, some products will force user to do those scans. For example gdata will show security is at risk when you disable idle scan and there is no way to change it. Norton is also has to do quick scans every week, otherwise its security status turns red. What's your opinion on this?
 

aztony

Level 9
Verified
Oct 15, 2013
501
what's the point of doing regular scans or allowing idle time scans of the same product? Shouldn't real time protection detect the threats anyway?
I would agree with that. I used to in the past, but now I simply do a weekly manual scan with Malwarebytes, and or, Hitman Pro just to ensure nothing slipped by the primary AV.
 
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KaptainBug

Level 12
Verified
Dec 26, 2013
562
Its true. I did read about this in howtogeek, that its unnecessary to run a full scan when you have realtime enabled. I don't have the link to post it.
 
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cruelsister

Level 42
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Apr 13, 2013
3,133
I think almost all here would agree with you, and it is an important point to bring up.

You'll fit in well here!
 
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I

illumination

After the initial install of the product it is essential to run a "full" scan for dormant malicious files. Full system scans are also essential in case new signatures or behavioral patterns get pushed, to detect dormant malicious files that may have evaded the real time prevention. They can also be used to check removable media like pen drives and external hard drives.
 

Koroke San

Level 29
Verified
Jan 22, 2014
1,804
After the initial install of the product it is essential to run a "full" scan for dormant malicious files. Full system scans are also essential in case new signatures or behavioral patterns get pushed, to detect dormant malicious files that may have evaded the real time prevention. They can also be used to check removable media like pen drives and external hard drives.

I agree with u brah :) sometimes my AV real time missed to detect malware which a full PC scan can detect. that's why i do a weekly scan :)
 

viktik

Level 25
Verified
Well-known
Sep 17, 2013
1,492
Realtime protection does not ensure that your computer is free from all malwares that security software can detect. many times malware slips from realtime protection until it is executed.

So better do a regular scan to make sure all malwares that can be detected by security software gets caught and do not have chance to get executed.
 
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Dubseven

Level 14
Verified
Aug 12, 2013
694
With Tiranium Anti-Virus Real-Time engines, we use an memory system that refreshed to zero every 3 days and let Tiranium to do an Startup and run-time fast scan to make again the memory and that allow us to detect all malwares if anything bypassed our security.

You can do this also with others anti-virus just with a "Quick-Scan" manually (1 per week-end recommanded).

Some malwares are undetected in the database when you run it but if you do a scan with your anti-virus another day, you will be able to detect all newest malwares on the database :)
So, the real-time is not 100% secure.
 
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