Avast is among the most powerful antivirus software in the market today.

It protects your computer from malware and actively checks your system for infected or suspicious files.

The software’s core function is to find and remove files users download from unknown sources.

However, in many cases, these files are important to users, but Avast doesn’t know that.

Therefore, it deletes these files along with viruses and malware thinking that they’re potentially harmful.

Where Does Avast Quarantine Files?

When Avast detects an infected file after running a system scan, the antivirus program movies the detected file to the Virus Chest.

The Avast Virus Chest is a secure location for storing the deleted files and is completely isolated from all program files on the operating system.

As long as the files are in the virus chest’s quarantine folder, users can’t access them from their previous location or any other software application.

In essence, the quarantine tab on Avast blocks all potential threats that may affect your user interface or system performances until you decide on further actions.

Step 1

To check for an infected or suspicious file in the virus chest Avast, double-click on the antivirus program on Windows, or right-click on the desktop icon and select ‘Open.’

Step 2

Once you open Avast, you should see the Protection tab on the left below the Status tab.

Click on it, and you should see Virus Chest in the right-top corner of the central panel.

How to Unquarantine Files Avast

Now that you know where quarantined files end up on Avast, you can identify and recover deleted files from the Virus Chest easily.

However, you need to understand that Avast antivirus doesn’t delete these files completely since the company understands that system is prone to giving false positives.

In such cases, you can proceed to the recovery right away and return the files to their original location on your hard disk.

However, you should only restore files if you’re 100% sure that the recovered files don’t possess any security threats.

Here’s how to recover deleted files from your PC:

Step 1

Open Avast antivirus from the desktop or start screen. Depending on the version you’re running (2015, 2017, 2018, or the latest version, etc.), click on “Scan” or “Scan for Viruses.”

Step 2

Click on the Virus Chest or Quarantine tab once the scan is complete, and look for the infected or corrupted file you want to recover.

Step 3

Next, right-click on the file you want to restore on your computer’s hard disk under the three dots of the nested menu.

To ensure the file is authentic and not a threat, carefully check the file’s data, including its name and original location on the hard disk to avoid restoring viruses. To make sure the file doesn’t end up in the Virus Chest again, click on “Restore and Add Exception” instead.

According to Avast’s threat landscape report, Trojans comprised nearly 67% of all malware programs for windows.

How to Access Avast Virus Chest to Recover Quarantined Files

The Virus Chest’s location on the user interface depends on the version you’re using.

On older versions, it’s located right on the main screen so users can quickly access deleted files or programs that weren’t harmful.

Newer versions allow users to right-click on the desktop icon and select “Virus Chest” from the system tray.

A third way to access the Chest is by right-clicking on the Avast icon on the taskbar and selecting either Virus Chest or Quarantine.

What Do I Do If Avast finds Infected or Suspicious Files?

When AVG and Avast antivirus detects an infected, suspicious, or corrupted file, it automatically commences repair protocols to remove the viruses.

However, not all files are repairable so as a precaution, the program moves the files to the Virus Chest by default.

If the files can’t relocate to the quarantine tab, the program will automatically delete them from your PC.

Moreover, if you feel like you have come across a suspicious file that the antivirus failed to pick out during the scan, you can add it yourself.

This practice is quite common, especially among PC owners who usually download game files from unknown sources.

Quarantined files are usually categorized as idp.generic viruses or potential threats, and in most cases, the virus turns out to be a false positive.

Whether it’s a false positive or a virus, you should report it before discarding the file by using the following steps:

Step 1

Open the Virus Chest on the Quarantine tab.

Step 2

Right-click on the file and select ‘Submit to Threat Lab.’

Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected] with your attached virus files. Just make sure to include ‘Undetected Malware’ in the subject line. To upload larger files, you can upload them directly to Avast Servers.

How Do I Remove Files from Avast Virus Chest?

By removing files from the Virus Chest, all information related to the program or document, such as name, size, and location on the hard disk will be erased permanently from the Avast folder on Windows Explorer.

Moreover, there’s a possibility that the file may be removed from your computer.

In such cases, you can use recovery tools to restore the file.

Here’s how to remove files from the Chest:

Step 1

Open the virus chest.

Step 2

Select the suspicious or infected file and click on delete.

Since 2021, Avast Threat Labs have monitored 37 fake cryptocurrency websites in Brazil, the US, UK, and Nigeria.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The increased computer usage caused by life changes during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of antivirus software in the new normal. According to research by CSO, over 60% of IT and Cybersecurity professionals reported an increase in threats since 2020.

However, not all programs are as equipped as Avast to help distinguish threats from false positives.

Using the virus chest and automatic quarantine protocols, you can rest assured that your PC or device is safe from malware and other threats.

For more Cybersecurity developments and How-to’s, visit Techie Trickle.