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Is it possible to make an anti-virus program -- or an O.S. -- that can scan a computer when it's in sleep mode or another low-power mode?

  • Considering the fact that my Windows 7 computer sees fit to update itself and restart itself while it's in sleep mode, can't the same be done with anti-virus software?  Sleep mode or low-power mode seems to be the perfect time to run diagnostic scans.  I understand that the computer is basically powered down during this time, but can a system be created to exploit this "down time" rather than only scanning during "up time"?

  • Answer:

    During sleep, no. You may fundamentally misunderstand what it means for a computer to be "asleep".  There is no hard drive activity.  A virus scan during sleep would have no access to data. It looks like more broadly you think it's a good idea to schedule system maintenance for a time when users aren't trying to access the system -- say, when *you're* asleep.  That *is* a good idea but not a new one.  Your virus scanner probably already has a built-in scheduling option; take a look.

Robert Kaspar at Quora Visit the source

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Let separate terms. Scanning for virus means scanning the "running " memory of your PC, plus checking all your filesystems (specially, the hard disk ones) for virus and other malware patterns. CPU and disk activity takes a lot of energy, somewhat the opposite of what your computer should do when suspended. But you could load a screenless "thin " OS that could use less battery than windows in that time (but the computer wont be suspended, and could be risky to move it while is being scanned, because disk heads), or if your computer is a virtualized one, do that scanning in the main computer while the VM is suspended. Or, of course, run an OS that don't require antivirus to be somewhat secure.

Gustavo Muslera

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