How to Enable Avast’s PUP or Potentially Unwanted Programs Scanning Option

Avast free Antivirus is a feature packed antivirus solution that gives your system complete security from online and offline threats. Added features like Auto Sandbox, Webrep, Site Blocking and PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and suspicious files scanning makes it a unique security tool.

Here the topic is how to enable PUPs and suspicious files protection in Avast Free Antivirus (avast 6.0.), because this option is not enabled by default. Here is how to enable it.

Before going to the subject, you may like to know what are PUPs. They are small software program usually got into your system without your permission via programs downloaded from the internet. For example, search bars. In most cases, they are not malicious (however, there are exceptions) and they do a lot more good for the vendor than they do for you.

To enable PUP (potentially unwanted programs) and suspicious files scanning option, open Avast interface, go to ‘Real-time Shield’ and click "Expert Settings".

Under "sensitivity" option, enable "Scan for potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) and click OK to save the settings.