Method to improve anti-malware scan responsiveness and effectiveness using user symptoms feedback

A symptom analysis server comprising:

• interface circuitry;
• machine readable instructions;
• and
• programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to:
• in response to a performance issue on a user computing device, determine a symptom associated with the performance issue based on a user input from the user computing device, the user input corresponding to highlighting of an area of a display associated with the performance issue, a window having been generated by an operating system of the user computing device;
• identify a portion of files on the user computing device for a targeted anti-malware scan based on positive results of malware scans from other user computing devices that experienced the symptom;
• and
• indicate the portion of files to the user computing device to facilitate a targeted anti-malware scan of the user computing device based on the portion of files.

A method for improving anti-malware scan performance, the method comprising:

• determining a symptom associated with a performance issue on a user computing device based on a user input from the user computing device, the user input corresponding to a user highlighting an area of a display associated with the performance issue, a window associated with an operating system of the user computing device;
• identifying a portion of files on the user computing device for a targeted anti-malware scan based on positive results of malware scans from other user computing devices that experienced the symptom;
• and
• transmitting a scan parameter to indicate the portion of files to the user computing device to facilitate a targeted anti-malware scan of the user computing device based on the portion of files.