Avast is a popular antivirus software worldwide that has been keeping our computer systems free of viruses ever since it was first launched in 1995. Not only does it provide excellent security levels, but it also comes in a free version where you can enjoy basic antivirus protection.
However, there might arise certain situations where you need to disable Avast antivirus temporarily. For example, while installing some specific drivers, applications, etc. Many times some software goes unrecognized due to your Avast being on. In such cases, you need to disable Avast for some time.
Again, you may want to disable it completely to test a new antivirus program. Rather than uninstalling and reinstalling it, you can disable it.
This blog will tell you how to disable Avast on your computer via step-by-step tutorials. Read on to find out!
How to Turn Off Avast (Temporarily or Completely Disable it)?
Step1. Enter the Avast shield control
First, you need to go to the Avast tab located in the taskbar in the bottom right-hand corner of your desktop. Then, right-click on the Avast icon and choose the “Avast shield control” tab. A drop-down menu will open up.
Step 2. Select the duration you want to disable Avast for
The menu gives you several options like “Disable for 10 minutes”, “Disable until computer is restarted,” “Disable permanently,” and “Diable for 1 hour”.
Choose the option that meets your requirements.
Step 3. Confirm
A pop-up window will open, asking you to confirm your actions. You will get 60 seconds to confirm whether you wish to disable Avast. So, you need to click OK to disable Avast. If you don’t choose an option, Avast will deny the action automatically.
Step 4. Check if Avast has been disabled
To check whether Avast has been disabled, open the Avast interface. If it has been disabled successfully, you’ll be shown a message that all shields are disabled.
Note: If you want to restart the Avast shields, click on “Turn On” from the main window.
How to Disable Individual Shields
Turning off all the Avast shields might be overdoing it. For most blocked websites or email attachments, you must disable a specific shield rather than turning the entire antivirus off.
Step 1. Open your Avast user interface. Click on the Avast icon from the System tray or type in “Avast” in the Windows Start menu.
Step 2. Go to “Protection” on the screen’s left side and click “Core Shields.”
Step 3. Now, navigate to the shield you want to disable and toggle it off. For example, if you want to access a blocked website, turn off the “Web Shield.” Again, if you’re going to open a file, then turn off “File Shield.”
Once you have disabled the required shield, try opening the file or visiting the website.
How To Disable Avast Antivirus from System Tray?
Step 1. First, locate the Avast icon in the bottom right corner of your screen on the System Tray and right-click on it.
Step 2. Then, click on “Avast Shields Control.”
Step 3. Now, choose how long you want to keep your Avast antivirus disabled. You can keep it disabled for 10 minutes, 1 hour, or even permanently.
Step 4. Select “Yes” to confirm your action.
Note: To enable Avast again, right-click on the Avast icon from the System Tray. Hover on “Avast Shields Control” and click “Enable All Shields.”
How To Disable Avast from Settings?
Step 1. Open the orange Avast icon from the System Tray or your Desktop or Start menu.
Step 2. Click on “Menu.” You’ll find it in the upper-right corner of the main window of Avast.
Step 3. Click on “Settings”
Step 4. Then, click on “Protection.” This is the second option in the left panel.
Step 5. Now, click on “Core Shields.” This will show the menu for different types of shields.
Step 6. Then, you can toggle the switch next to “Core Shields” to disable all the shields in Avast antivirus. You can also disable individual shields by unchecking the checkbox next to the specific shield tab. The various shields provided by Avast antivirus are:
- File Shield
- Behavior Shield
- Web Shield
- Mail Shield
Step 7. Then, choose the duration you want to disable the shield(s).
You’ll get a pop-up alert asking you to confirm your choice. Click on “Ok, Stop” to disable Avast.
How To Disable Avast on Mac?
Step 1. Go to Avast Security and open it via any of the following methods:
- From the menu bar, click on the “Avast Security” icon and then click on “Open Avast Security.”
- Click on “Go” from the menu bar and then on Applications from the drop-down menu. Double-click the “Avast” icon.
Step 2. Click on “Menu” and then on “Preferences.” You will be shown the three points of Avast Shield.
Step 3. Now, click on “Core Shields” and then “Disable” for all the shields you wish to disable.
How To Disable Avast Email Signature?
The email signature setting of Avast gets turned on automatically when you install Avast. After a while, this could annoy you because each outgoing email will have the tagline: “Virus-free.”
So, we understand if you want to disable the Avast email signature. And here are the steps you need to follow to do the same:
Step 1. Right-click on your Avast antivirus icon. Now, click on “Open Avast User Interface.”
Step 2. Go to the top right corner and click on “Menu” followed by “Settings.”
Step 3. In the General section on the left-hand side, find the “Enable Avast Email Signature” setting. Then, uncheck it.
Step 4. Click “OK” to close the Avast settings.
How to Disable Avast Pop-Ups?
Step 1. Open your Avast user interface. Then, click on “Menu” and then select “Settings.”
Step 2. Click on “General” from the panel located towards the left. Then, click on “Notifications.”
Step 3. Click on the box next to “Use Silent Mode.” This will disable all notifications.
Conclusion
While it’s not that good of an idea to disable your antivirus program, certain situations call for disabling or uninstalling your antivirus. If your Avast antivirus is blocking any software installation or website, it makes sense to disable Avast.
This blog addresses the different methods of executing the same. However, we recommend you disable your antivirus only if it’s vital. Otherwise, you’ll risk your system for no good reason.