optimal effective/efficient scheduled scanning

What's the optimum scanning strategy when it comes to trading off duration of scan (efficiency) versus effectiveness of scan?

All AVs allow to scan different parts of your system e.g. system, C:, all hard drives...

The more they scan, the longer it takes.

Based on your knowledge of where malware resides what is your scanning strategy?

I want to limit the scans but know I am not losing that much effectiveness with my approach.

Ian

 

Then whether you need to do scans or not at all come into question, as on-access scanner will read most active infections depending on settings.

If you want to scan, mainly need to scan files in c:\Windows\System32, c:\Windows\System32\drivers and temp folders. If you have autoruns enabled, then also scan files in c:\ directory and c:\recycler.
I do this every month-ish.

Of-course, you should scan the whole computer now-and-then. I personally do so only a few times a year. I also exclude the SystemVolumeInformation folder from scans.