AVG AntiVirus Free watches files, running behavior, removable media, and web activity for known or suspicious threats. It combines real-time shields with scans that the user starts for a drive, folder, device, or the next boot. AVG AntiVirus Free can block access, attempt a repair, or move a detected file into Quarantine. It does not replace a backup and does not prove that every unusual file is malicious; the result still needs the right response.
Pick the scan
Smart Scan checks several common problem areas in one run. Deep Scan reads storage drives and memory more thoroughly, while File or Folder Scan limits the work to a chosen location. USB or DVD Scan targets attached media. Boot-Time Scan runs during the next startup, before ordinary programs load, which gives AVG AntiVirus Free a chance to inspect threats that resist a normal session.
Scan depth changes the time and disk activity. Asking AVG AntiVirus Free to unpack every archive takes longer than scanning common installers. Scanning every file also takes longer than choosing content-based or extension-based types. A broad scan makes sense after a serious detection, but it can occupy the machine for much longer than a targeted check of a downloaded installer.
Smart Scan can list outdated programs, browser add-ons, network issues, or performance items beside malware results. Some performance fixes open AVG TuneUp instead of resolving the issue inside AVG AntiVirus Free. The scan result should therefore be read by category rather than treated as one list of infections.
Read the action
When a scan finds an infected file, the configured action matters. The automatic repair sequence first tries to remove malicious content from an otherwise usable file. If repair fails, AVG AntiVirus Free can move the file to Quarantine, and a more aggressive setting can delete it. Choosing Delete removes the chance to inspect or restore the item later.
Quarantine separates the file from the rest of the operating system. Other processes cannot run it or read it in place. The user can submit a suspicious item for analysis, extract it to another location, or restore it. Restoration carries real risk because the original detection no longer protects the file once it returns to an active location.
Exceptions bypass checks
An exception can apply to a file, folder, website, or command. A broad exception can remove that item from every scan and shield, not merely silence one alert. AVG AntiVirus Free lets the user narrow some file exceptions to selected protection components, but the default decision still deserves inspection.
Restore and add exception performs two actions at once: it returns the quarantined file and tells future shields to ignore it. That shortcut helps with a confirmed false positive, but it also creates a durable blind spot if the judgment was wrong. Removing the exception restores normal checking; deleting the Quarantine record alone does not do that.
Check active protection
Passive Mode keeps AVG AntiVirus Free installed while disabling active shields. Updates and manual scans continue, but the program no longer monitors the computer continuously. The mode helps prevent two antivirus engines from competing for the same activity, and changing it requires a restart. A gray tray icon or the status shown on the home screen identifies the state.
Virus definitions update automatically while the computer has a connection. An offline machine cannot receive new definitions, so a manual scan can only use the threat knowledge already stored. Checking the update time before scanning a newly downloaded file avoids treating an old database as a current result.
