If you see your antivirus cannot scan some files, obviously you will freak out. We use antivirus as the principal state of defense. Everyone is not a computer expert. There are uncountable files, folders, and processes running on a computer. So most of the users cannot recognize all types of files on their computer. 

As you are here, you must have faced this type of issue. We know Avast is one of the best antiviruses out in the market. If Avast cannot scan some files, it would be suspicious for us. You will be surprised knowing it is normal. 

So how can it be normal when your antivirus can’t scan some files? What if they are viruses? Well, most of the time they are not viruses. We are going to inform you about these files and why Avast cannot scan them. Let’s get into the details.

Here Are The Reasons Why Can’t Avast Scan Some Files:

It is a very frequent complaint about Avast. For a normal user, unscanned files are harmful. The funny part is, people even think that these files are so dangerous that the antivirus can not delete them. If you are one of them, then you should cool down. You do not need to consider the files dangerous. 

If you take a look at the detailed report after scanning, you will see a page that pops up named warning. There you will find information about the unscanned files. Besides the name of the programs, there are the reasons given. Mostly there should be two types of files. The common two types of errors are-

1. The archive is password protected

2. The file is a decompression bomb

If you want to figure out whether these error files are risky or not, you have to gather some knowledge about them. We are here to help you out. For better understanding, we will explain to you one by one.

Error – 1: Archive is password protected

This error is normal. These kinds of files are not risky at all. The files are protected with encrypted passwords. It makes the files unreadable. You must need the password to access one. They are so highly protected that any antivirus cannot read what’s inside without a password.

That is the reason Avast showed them on this list. These kinds of files are common on any computer. There is a probability to find a few of them. You do not need to worry if you find more. Anyone can create a similar archive and send it to you.

Error – 2: The file is a decompression bomb

The first thing that might come to your mind after seeing this is danger. Jokes apart. But the name of the error is creepy. So what is a decompression bomb? A decompression bomb is an extremely compressed file. If you decompress such a file, it will take a very high amount of space. 

This large amount of space usage can slow down your PC. Decompressing can cause a mess like a bomb and That’s why it is named a bomb. When it is compressed, the chance of bothering you is minimal. But a decompression bomb is not harmless. It can indirectly open a door to your device for malware and viruses.

These programs were included in the old windows system for keeping the large files. Your current Windows system may have stored some of them. So you do not need to be over conscious about it. It is not necessary to delete them. But if you want, you can.

How can you delete the files Avast can not scan?

You can easily get rid of a password-protected archive or a decompression bomb. For deleting you have to open the file location. You can find them on that page where Avast reported to you about the leftover files. You just point your mouse over the file and it will show you the file location.

Once you get the file location, you can easily go there and delete the exact file. Before deleting, you must check whether this file is important for further usage or not. You know if you delete any system file, it will affect your regular usage.

What should you do if you cannot delete the unscannable files?

You can try advanced scanning. Sometimes it works and helps you to detect and delete unscanned files. Another way is updating your Avast. If your Avast version is backdated, you can update it to get rid of this problem. It is necessary to keep your antivirus up to date.

Every update algorithm fixes the previous lackings. So you can hope that your issue will be solved in the next update. At last, if you do not get any results, you should contact the Avast developers. Because of being a top antivirus developer, Avast must care about its customers.

Whenever they notice the files Avast cannot scan are harmful, they will respond immediately. You may not know that every antivirus provider always searches for new viruses. They want to research it to develop a reverse algorithm for curing it.

It will keep their product one step ahead. There is always a competition going on. The one who first sorts out the solution always wins. If there is any limitation in your antivirus, then it is their headache, not yours.

Our need is to make sure that our device is safe. But at the same time, we have to care about our privacy. Now you know the reasons why Avast quit scanning some files. It doesn’t mean Avast is unable to provide you with the best security. Maybe you are using another antivirus and that one has no such issues.

Showing what you wish to see is an ancient trick to attract customers. If your antivirus does not show the unscanned files, you have to think about its efficiency. It can be a limitation of your antivirus. In the case of the unscanned files of Avast, you can take any action from the specific file location.