Does FS AV scan all partitions of a drive?

My latptop (ASUS) comes with Retail Windows 8.1 - so I do not have a physical OEM CD to use if I need to format my drive and reinstall Windows. But instead, I have to use Windows new built in "system reset" option where Windows will overwrite and then reinstall a fresh factory version of Windows 8.1 by pulling data from the recovery area on the drive.


I've read, however, that some malware can escape the main partition and get inside of other areas of a C drive, essentially making the Windows reset pointless. Since I don't have a way of securely over-writing my entire drive (in case I got a virus), I have to rely on this factory reset option.


Does F-Secure Anti-virus look inside all areas of a drive where malware/viruses could possibly hide?


Best Answer


  • Recovery Partitions are always on other drives,mostly invisible.So if you can see them you can scan them.But I think an AV will check all partitions that are exists with a full system scan.

  • UkkoUkko Posts: 3,160 Superuser



    Here also can be next points around situation:


    -> I'm not sure about "regular/common" background for scanning current "recovery partition" by scanners...

    But F-Secure should be (and have this) with technologies, which can to detect something malicious under current part of system.


    -> Any "additional partition" probably hidden for "system" and it's can be hard to create something not nice by malicious files. Such as:

     - probably it's can be by any exploits (by vulnerability of any software; by administrators rights as default; or something another... or all of that in one action).

     - probably it's can be by something around "third-party" - such as.... not really likely, but can be.

     - something really targeted and hard-designed by malicious creators;


    -> Basically F-Secure here can be good with "prevent" situations, when something can be wrong. Such as - multi-layers protection with default system protection-background. With that setting... not really likely to get something wrong with current partitions as recovery ones (which hidden and protected against random and not hard actions by malicious things). It's mean.... before question about "scan partition" and reason for that... should be question "but how it can be with something malicious" (and able to prevent it or not). If something wrong already happened.. it's mean... can be something not nice already (with another places too).


    But.. your question was about F-Secure AV (which can be with less layers of protection) and certainly about scan-process. So... here will be interesting to read answer by F-Secure team.


    But basically.. here can be scan for current places under "rootkit"-checking with Full Scan-process.

    Also maybe real-time scanning can to goes under current areas.... but it's required probably system-rights (so... potentially F-Secure able to scan all partitions, but not always and not really powerful.. such as... just check for detect something, which can be suspicious and malicious).


    With settings around "advanced scan options" probably F-Secure also can to detect anything around "result of malicious things under hidden system partition" and already after that.... it's can be tips or advices around "how to fix this". If it's possible to detect specific types of malware and already known... what can be created/changed by current malware's actions.


    But... also maybe can be another things... such as... with rootkits can be more dangerous "places", which not so hard to use (for malware-creators) and can be ignored by security-software. But probably F-Secure should to detect/check and scan all of them. Such as rootkit-technologies-scanning, advanced-scanning and etc.

    For prevent or detect something under "system cache of libraries", valid and system steps for malicious actions, other common rootkit-steps and many other about modern-things. Anyway... sorry for my reply.


    Will be so good.. if here will be answer by F-Secure about your question! It's very interesting to read.

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