Avast is one of the most popular antiviruses in the world that is appreciated for its completeness – protects your computer from viruses and malware by constantly checking all online and offline activities – combined with a simplicity of use that makes it the preferred choice of many novice users.
Why disable Avast and Enable Passive Mode?
There are users who do not like to leave anti-virus active, as that means they will always be running and consuming resources – competing with games, for example. While this is essential to provide adequate security, some people prefer to update and scan their systems only when they are interested.
Other users, who use more than one antivirus on the computer, but for obvious reasons the two programs can not protect the device at the same time. Because they are designed to scan deeply from all corners of the operating system, two programs running at the same time would start fighting over the domain, slowing down the machine. Thus, both need to be disabled so that they can live in a certain harmony.
In general, a Passive Mode virus scanner continues to receive updates and definitions of new threats, but the entire virus scanning process becomes manual. Avast recommends extreme caution while disabling an antivirus because they will no longer function as designed.
In this guide, you will find out exactly how to use Avast Passive Mode, so it only runs scans only when you want.
Steps to Disable Avast
The procedure to disable Avast by putting it in passive mode is quite simple:
- Open the Avast interface by double-clicking the desktop icon, or by right-clicking the tray icon on the taskbar.
- Click the Menu (☰) button and select Settings.
- Click the Troubleshooting tab.
- In the first position, you will find an option to Enable Passive Mode, check this option.
- Avast will ask the user to confirm the change, click the Yes button.
- The antivirus then prompts you to restart Windows, then click the Restart Now button.
And ready.
Once Windows restarts, Avast will switch to Passive Mode and will no longer perform automatic checks on the system. To reactivate Avast (Disable passive mode), repeat the procedure and click on the green checked option and uncheck it.
Be careful when you disable antivirus
The manufacturers’ recommendation is that the user does not disable the antivirus because it is already prepared to protect the computer automatically. If you put Avast in Passive Mode, the responsibility of scamming and cleaning the system periodically becomes yours, and we do not always remember to do so. So, act at your own risk.