Manage Avira USB Drive Scans for the Windows Environment

Manage Avira USB Drive Scans for the Windows Environment

For some reason, Avira has not documented how to manage scanning of USB devices mounted onto Windows systems.  Avira has posted the document “Enable automatic USB drive scanning in Avira Security for Mac” but there nothing searchable for the Windows Environment.

There have been several requests for Avira to make this available from various options within the Windows interface, but they have not obliged the user community so far.  So after a number of best guesses on my part, I have found the solution.

So here goes…

Enable automatic USB drive scanning in Avira Security for Windows

USB drives are a convenient way to store and transfer files between computers, but this also makes them an easy carrier for malware.

Attackers can use USB drives to infect computers with malware, or an infected computer can transfer a virus to a clean USB drive when plugged in. Infected USB drives can then spread their malware to other computers.

To avoid the risk of infection via USB drives, it is recommended that Avira Security automatically scans each USB drive that is plugged in.

Enable automatic USB drive scanning for Windows:

1. Find the executable “avconfig.exe” in C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\Antivirus
2. Launch avconfig.exe
3. Click “Device Protection” on the left
4. Check “Enable Device Protection” on the right
5. Click the “Apply” button on the bottom
6. Click the “OK” button on the bottom

You’re done!

To "Disable" automatic USB Drive Scanning, run this same procedure but "Uncheck" the box in Step 4