3. USING COMMAND ANTIVIRUS

The Task List shows the scan tasks currently available to protect your computer from viruses. You can work with this list in any of the several ways provided by Windows 95 described below. These include a drop-down menu, a pop-up menu, buttons, and a toolbar.

Command AntiVirus for Windows 95 allows you to control the visual display of available scanning tasks. This section covers ways of viewing the scan tasks by sizing column headers, sorting the display order, changing icon size, showing the list or detail views, and changing task names. Scans can be selected and either launched or modified from this window.

Task List

Sizing the Columns

The column headers can be resized by dragging the Split bar to the left or right.

Sort Order of Scan Tasks

The order in which the task names are displayed can be changed by clicking on a Column header. Clicking on the Last results header will group together all the scans that found a virus. Clicking on the Next scan on header will sort the tasks based on next scheduled scans.

Icon Size of Scan Tasks

Tasks can also be displayed in the task list as large icons with the name under each one or small icons with the task name alongside each one. Select View from the Menu Bar or use the Toolbar buttons to switch between large and small icons.

Neither the large icon view nor the small icon view displays the column headers. However, those views maximize the use of the area for visibility of tasks as shown below.

Large Icons

List or Details View of Scan Tasks

Tasks can be listed or they can be shown with details. Select View from the Menu Bar or use the Toolbar buttons to switch between List and Details.

Select List to display the tasks using small icons and task names in a column. Column headers are not shown.

Details will display your task list using small icons, task names, results of the last scan (if a virus was detected) and the time of the next scheduled scan. This is the only option that shows column headers.

Changing Task Names

You can rename any of the tasks by clicking once, pausing and clicking again. This opens a text box around the existing name that you can modify. If you make an error while typing, simply press the escape key and the entry will revert to its original form. Task names can be up to 255 characters. This allows you to create task names that adequately describe the scan task.

When you install Command AntiVirus, you will notice that there is a yellow C icon located in the tray at the bottom of your screen. You can open the program by moving your mouse pointer over the yellow C icon and then either double-clicking or clicking the right mouse button and selecting Launch Command AntiVirus.

Command AntiVirus Icon

There are many ways to launch or execute Command AntiVirus operations. For example, if you like using the Command buttons or the toolbar, each is readily available. You can also point and click on one of the menu titles and drag the pointer to the available items. Alternatively, accessing an item can be accomplished by pressing ALT+ the underlined letter. To execute one of the existing scan tasks from the task list, simply highlight and click on Execute.

The next section, Task Menu, covers task operations.

Main View with Pop-up Menu

You can use the Command buttons on the right to Execute the highlighted task, modify the properties of the highlighted task, or add a new task. These buttons also provide quick access to virus descriptions.

While any task is highlighted, you can quickly access a pop-up menu by pressing the right mouse button. This menu allows you to execute the task, create a new task, modify the properties of the selected task or delete it.

You can access the Task drop-down menu with the mouse or a keyboard. The menu provides the ability to perform any of the operations available for creating, modifying, deleting or executing tasks.

The Toolbar shown below is accessed with the mouse. It provides the ability to perform any of the operations available for creating, modifying, deleting or executing tasks.

Help

Within Command AntiVirus for Windows 95, you can activate a shortcut menu that allows you to perform fast and efficient virus scans of selected folders or files. The items to be scanned can be located in Windows 95's Explorer, on the desktop or withing program groups.

Shortcut Menu Scan

To perform a scan from the shortcut menu, use a right mouse click to highlight a file name or folder to scan. A Windows 95 shortcut menu containing a Command AntiVirus Virus Scan option will appear. Select that option by using either a right or left mouse click. The scan will begin immediately.

1. Select the "New Task" button and name the task R-Mouse. It is necessary to use this task name ony. The name is not case sensitive, but cannot include spaces.
2. Select the desired "Action to take" from the available options.
3. Anything entered in the Drive/paths to scan box will be ignored: selected file(s) are scanned instead. Options in the Files box can be modified as usual.
4. When complete, simply right-click on the folder/file (either on the desktop or in Explorer) that you want scanned.

Another way to scan files quickly is to use the drag and drop feature in Command AntiVirus for Windows 95. To use this feature, you must have the Command AntiVirus interface opened on your desktop. From Explorer or from the desktop, click on the object you want scanned and, while holding the mouse button down, drag the files or folders anywhere over the Command AntiVirus window and then release the button. When the mouse button is released, the scan starts immediately and a report window appears when the scan is complete.

1. Select the New Task button and name the task DragDrop. It is necessary to use this task name only. The name is not case sensitive, but cannot include spaces.
2. Select the desired Action to take from the available options.
3. Anything entered in the Drive/paths to scan box will be ignored and the selected file(s) are scanned instead. Options in the Files box can be modified as usual.
4. When complete, click on the folder/file (either o the desktop or in Explorer) that you want scanned and drag it into the open Command AntiVirus window.

The file created is named DragDrop.FPT.

The Task Menu offers the ability to Execute a predefined task, create a New task, Delete a task, or Edit an existing task. Further, the Task menu allows you access to Properties in order to review or modify an existing task or Exit from the program. To access the Task drop-down menu you can either point to it and click or press ALT + T.

You select a task by clicking and highlighting it first. When Execute is chosen, the task will begin. The screen below shows the results of a scan.

Scan Report Window

You will receive a report when the scan is completed. Use the scroll bar on the right to view the entire report. You can use the File menu to save a copy of the report, print the report or send a copy of the report through your e-mail system. You can also use the Edit menu to copy it to the clipboard for pasting into another document.

If a virus is found during the scan and the Action to take setting is Report only, a screen like the one shown below will inform you of the infection. Press OK to continue so that you can manually disinfect.

Virus Found

Choosing New from the Task menu allows you to create a new custom task. A box will appear where you must provide a name. It will then display the Properties menu where you can establish the task parameters.

Selecting Delete from the Task menu allows you to remove a predefined task.

The Edit item on the Task menu allows you to Cut, Copy or Paste a task. For example, if you highlight ScanHard, then Copy it and click on Paste, it will create a new task entitled Copy of ScanHard. You can then rename it or change the properties.

The Properties menu allows you to modify a predefined task. You can select the Action to take, Drive/paths to scan, Files to scan and Schedule when the scan will take place.

Properties Menu

Scan method

Secure scan

This is the default scanning method that searches for code that has been established for thousands of viruses and their variants.

Action to take

If Command AntiVirus finds a virus, you can have it perform one of the actions listed below.

Report only

This will inform you when a virus is detected; however, no other action will be taken. You can choose Report only in order to verify the type of virus before disinfection.

Disinfect

Disinfecting files automatically causes the least disruption to the user. If disinfection is not possible, Command AntiVirus will ask if you want to delete the file.

Disinfect/query

The Disinfect/query option will identify a virus and ask if you want to disinfect it.

Delete

Choosing Delete/query will identify a virus and ask if you want to delete the infected file.

Rename

Selecting Rename will automatically rename an infected file by putting a "V" in place of the first letter of the extension. For example, .COM becomes .VOM and .EXE becomes .VXE.

Rename/query

This option will identify a virus-infected file and ask if you want to rename it. If you choose Yes, it will rename the file as described above. If you choose No, you will then need to either disinfect or delete the file.

Remove all macros if a variant is found

If this option is selected, all macros are removed from any file containing a new or modified variant of a macro virus. If this option is not selected, and the Action to take is Disinfect or Disinfect/Query, files that contain remnants or are variants or macro infections are renamed.

This option is available only when the Action to take is Disinfect or Disinfect/Query.

Drive/paths to scan

You can provide a specific list of drives or paths to scan. For example, you could establish a task that would perform a scheduled scan twice a day on the directory used to store files downloaded from other computers.

Browse

The browse button opens a dialog box that allows you to select the folder you want to scan.

Include sub-folders

This option searches all subdirectories on a selected drive.

Select all floppy drives

This option searches all floppy drives.

Select all hard drives

This option searches all logical hard drives on the local workstation, including compressed drives.

Select all network drives

Select all drives

This option searches every drive that you have access rights to.

Files to Scan

The list of available file options are described below. The recommended choice is Standard executables. You also have the option of selecting All files but they are mutually exclusive. The compressed file options can be checked individually depending on your needs. Choose the documents option only if you have Microsoft Word 6.0 or later.

Standard executables

These are the files that normally would be attacked by a virus. These extensions include .386, .COM, .DLL, .DRV, .EXE, .FON, .OV?, .SYS, .VXD.

All files

This option will scan all files. It is not a recommended option as it increases the probability of getting a false positive from a random string of characters in an otherwise harmless data file. Further, All Files takes much longer than using the other scanning options and it is unlikely to find additional viruses.

Packed files

These are files that have been compressed with PKLITE, DIET or similar programs.

ZIP files

These are files that have been archived using PKWare's ZIP compression utility.

Documents (.DOC)

This option checks for the species of macro viruses which can infect Microsoft Word document files by modifying the default template.

Boot Sectors

The most common viruses infect the boot sectors and master boot records of hard drives. Selecting this option causes these areas to be scanned.

User-defined Virus Strings

Occasionally a new virus spreads before we can release an update to Command AntiVirus. You can enter a string of characters (in hex) that provides your current version with the ability to detect the new virus. For more information, see the Preferences Menu section.

Using the Schedule option

Scheduled execution of the selected task can be a very useful antivirus tool. After you have defined a scan, you can use Schedule to assign the time for the scan to occur.

Command AntiVirus for Windows 95 does not need to be opened for a scheduled scan to occur. F-Agent, however, needs to be running. This can be confirmed by looking for the yellow C icon on the Taskbar. When the schedule time is reached, the report window will open and the scan will begin.

You can create schedules for several different scans, but they can not be run concurrently.

Schedule Menu

Enable scheduling

Choosing Scheduled Scan frequency

Select how often a scheduled scan should occur. You can select only one option.

Daily

Select the Daily option if you want a scan to take place each day.

Weekly

When you select the Weekly option, you can then select the day or days on which you want a scan to occur.

Monthly

If you select the Monthly option, you will then have access to the drop-down dialog box which allows you to select the day of the month you want the scan to occur.

Time to scan

Specify time of day in 24 hour format with 00:00 indicating midnight. Scheduled scans will be skipped if the computer is not on during the time you have entered.

Scan after inactivity

You can choose to scan after a specified period of inactivity.