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Version 3.00
Copyright (C) 1990, 1991
by Alejandro L. Abello
the High-flying Hard-lander
SHARE-WARE NOTICE:
Virus Central is distributed as share-ware. You are granted the
limited license to use the program for a trial period (about
three weeks) and are encouraged to share it with friends and
associates, provided that copies are distributed in their
complete and unmodified form, no amount is charged for the
program (with the exception of a distribution fee not to exceed
$5.00), and it is not distributed as part of a promotional
package. Registration is required for continued use of Virus
Central beyond the trial period.
The program and this manual are provided "AS IS" and without
warranties as to performance of merchantibility and any other
warranties expressed or implied. In the course of testing the
program for compatibility and suitability to purpose, the user
of must assume the entire risk of using Virus Central.
The Virus Central program and manual are provided "AS IS" and
without warranties as to performance of merchantibility and any
other warranties, expressed or implied. In the course of testing
the program for compatibility and suitability to purpose, the
user must assume the entire risk of using Virus Central.
While much care was made in the preparation of the Virus Central
program and manual, the author shall assume no responsibility
for defects in the program and/or errors or ommisions in the
manual.
** TABLE OF CONTENTS **
================================================================
INTRODUCTION................................................. 1
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:......................................... 2
INSTALLATION................................................. 2
USING VIRUS CENTRAL.......................................... 4
Screen Lay Out............................................ 4
A) Virus Central CGA/EGA Screen Orientation............ 5
B) Virus Central LITE Screen Orientation............... 5
General Notes On Mouse Use................................ 5
Options From The Main Menu And User's Screen.............. 6
The Screen Saver.......................................... 6
Configuration Option Locking.............................. 7
Additional Notes: CGA vs. EGA vs. LITE.................... 8
THE VIRUS/NET SCAN MENU...................................... 10
THE CLEAN UP MENU............................................ 13
THE INFORMATION SCREEN....................................... 14
THE SET UP MENU.............................................. 16
THE PROGRAM SUB-MENU...................................... 16
THE VIRUS/NET SCAN SUB-MENU............................... 18
THE CLEAN UP SUB-MENU..................................... 18
THE VIRUS LIST SUB-MENU................................... 19
SAVE OPTIONS.............................................. 21
THE DOS SHELL OPTION......................................... 22
THE QUIT OPTION.............................................. 22
THE CLEAN UP SEQUENCE........................................ 23
COMMAND LINE SWITCHES........................................ 24
The /NOMOUSE Switch....................................... 24
The /IGNORE Switch........................................ 24
The /AUTO Switch.......................................... 25
The /EGARAM Switch (EGA version only)..................... 25
The /EMSRAM Switch (EGA version only)..................... 25
The /SWAPFILE Switch (EGA version only)................... 26
The /MONO Switch (LITE version only)...................... 26
The /COLOR Switch (LITE version only)..................... 26
The /QUICKCGA Switch (LITE version only).................. 27
TEMPORARY FILES.............................................. 28
IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE.......................................... 29
================================================================
V I R U S C E N T R A L
Version 3.00 CGA/EGA/LITE
Copyright (C) 1990, 1991
by Alejandro L. Abello
the High-flying Hard-lander
INTRODUCTION
Virus Central is a shell program that simplifies the use of
ViruScan, NetScan and CleanUp, all from McAfee Associates. It
provides a menu oriented environment that does away with the
need to memorize command line parameters. It is ideally suited
for locations that devote a computer to checking incoming
diskettes for virus infections (i.e. the computer lab of a
college). The user interface is graphics/text based and works
well with a mouse, although keyboard use is equally pleasant. As
an added bonus, Virus Central has a built-in screen-saver that
clears the screen after a specified amount of time to prevent
screen image burn-in.
The single most powerful feature of Virus Central is its Clean
Up sequence. As a disk is scanned using ViruScan or NetScan,
infections detected are noted and placed in a queue. After the
scan is completed, Virus Central executes CleanUp and passes the
information stored in the queue to the program, effectively
automating the process. This feature is invaluable for cleaning
disks with multiple file infections.
This manual has been prepared to familiarize you with Virus
Central. Although already fairly easy to use, I suggest you take
some time to go over this text to learn more about the program.
I have tried to be as thorough as possible in order for users to
fully benefit from Virus Central. A special note should be made
that the samples of the menus in the text are replicas of the
menus that you will see on the screens of Virus Central LITE.
The menus used in Virus Central CGA/EGA are similar, but not
exactly alike.
I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. John McAfee, who
reviewed and tested a preliminary copy of the program, and whose
kind words convinced me of its potential; Mr. Aryeh Goretsky,
whose comments and suggestions were invaluable in the further
development of the project; and all the guys 'n gals in the
College of San Mateo's computer lab (Charlotte, Mike, John,
Mark, Dave, Tonette, Robin, Stan, Steve, Yulin, and Andy), for
pushing the project to a higher ground.
THANK YOU, ALL!
Alejandro L. Abello
The High-flying Hard-lander
Page 1
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
To get the most from Virus Central, your system should have the
following:
* The ViruScan, NetScan, and CleanUp programs, from McAfee
Associates. NetScan will only be needed if you are running
the program in a networked environment, but ViruScan and
CleanUp is required.
* IBM AT or compatible - Virus Central will work fine on a 4.77
Mhz PC compatible, but it will be slow (as can be expected
when graphics are used). It functions decently on 10 Mhz
Turbo XT machines, but is still pretty sluggish.
* 512k RAM minimum (Virus Central CGA/EGA)
= OR =
384k RAM minimum (Virus Central LITE)
these memory requirements could easily go up if you have
memory resident programs installed, or if the memory
requirements of ViruScan, NetScan and CleanUp increase.
* MS-DOS/PC-DOS 2.1 or later.
* A hard disk drive - it may be possible to run Virus Central
off of two floppy disk drives or even a RAM drive, but it
was intended to run off of a hard disk.
* CGA compatible video adapter/display (Virus Central CGA),
= OR =
EGA compatible video adapter/display (Virus Central EGA),
= OR =
Any video adapter/display (Virus Central LITE)
* A mouse (optional).
INSTALLATION
Virus Central requires 2 program files to operate, along with
ViruScan and CleanUp. The files are:
CENTRAL.EXE - The main Virus Central program
CENTRAL.CFG - The configuration file for Virus Central
To install, simply copy these two files to the same directory on
your hard disk as ViruScan, NetScan and CleanUp (which I presume
are all in one directory). Make sure that you have set the DOS
"PATH" variable to that directory, so that you may execute the
program from any other directory. Virus Central (or, simply,
"Central") normally searches the path for the configuration
file.
The distribution copy of Central is configured for a machine
Page 2
that has three local disk drives (A, B, and C), the three drives
are designated as the "Quick-Key" disk drives, the ViruScan,
NetScan and CleanUp programs are installed in the root
directory of the hard disk ("C:\"), the Stoned virus is
specified as the default virus, and the list of viruses are
those recognized by CleanUp 80. If you wish to make changes to
this configuration, refer to the "Set Up Menu" section in this
text for more information.
There are some instances where you may wish to rename the Virus
Central program file, CENTRAL.EXE, to something else,
particularly to safe guard it from viruses that search for and
infect specific files. You can give Virus Central any legal file
name you wish, but the file name of the main program and the
configuration file must be the same. For example, if you rename
"CENTRAL.EXE" to "VC.EXE," then "CENTRAL.CFG" must be renamed to
"VC.CFG." The configuration file must always have the extension
"CFG." You may, also, rename the ViruScan, NetScan and CleanUp
programs, if you so choose, but make sure to specify the new
file names in the configuration file. Refer to the "Program
Sub-Menu" section in this text for more information.
Page 3
USING VIRUS CENTRAL
To use Virus Central, simply enter "CENTRAL" at the DOS prompt.
Central normally looks for a mouse driver, and, if a driver is
installed, initializes the program's mouse handling routines. If
your mouse driver is installed and you prefer to use Central
without the mouse, enter "CENTRAL /NOMOUSE" instead.
Aside from the /NOMOUSE command line switch, there are other
command line switches which you may want to use when running
Virus Central. For a list of these switches, and explanantions
as to their uses, refer to the "Command Line Switches" section
in this text.
Screen Lay Out
Assuming everything works alright, Central's user screen will
appear. The main menu, located on the top row of the screen,
presents you with six options:
Virus/Net Scan : allows you to modify the options of ViruScan/
NetScan and execute the program
Clean Up : allows you to modify the options of CleanUp
and execute the program
Information : displays information about selected virus
Set Up : allows you to modify the configuration of
Virus Central and save them to disk
DOS Shell : loads up a copy of the DOS command processor
Quit : terminates Virus Central and returns to DOS
Aside from the above mentioned options, there is a small diamond
character on the upper-left corner of the screen, used for
manually invoking the screen-saver with a mouse.
================================================================
IMPORTANT!
Because the main menu options "Virus/Net Scan" and "Clean Up"
are directly related to the "ViruScan," "NetScan," and
"CleanUp" programs, respectively, it will be the notation of
this manual to refer to "Virus/Net Scan" and "Clean Up" (with
spaces between the words) as the program options of Virus
Central, and "ViruScan," "NetScan" and "CleanUp" (without spaces
between the words) as the actual programs of McAfee Associates;
the executable files "SCAN.EXE," "NETSCAN.EXE," and "CLEAN.EXE"
================================================================
Page 4
A) Virus Central CGA/EGA Screen Orientation
On the lower-right portion of the screen are four boxes,
indicating the "Quick-Key" scan disk drives; function keys [F1]
to [F4] assigned to "scan" user selected disk drives. On the
upper-right portion of the screen is a small box containing the
ID of the current virus (by default, this is "[STONED]").
On the lower-left, occupying a majority of the user's screen, is
the ViruScan/NetScan/CleanUp window, which I affectionately
refer to as the "black box." Output from ViruScan, NetScan and
CleanUp, which normally goes to the text screen, is diverted to
this window, so that you never have to leave the Central user's
screen. This window has a text resolution of 80 x 22 characters;
three lines had to be sacrificed to make the black box fit right
on the screen, but this is hardly a problem.
B) Virus Central LITE Screen Orientation
On the bottom row of the screen are four messages, indicating
the "Quick-Key" scan disk drives; function keys [F1] to [F4]
assigned to "scan" user selected disk drives. On the upper-right
portion of the screen is a small box containing the ID of the
current virus (by default, this is "[STONED]").
In the very middle and occupying a majority of the screen is the
ViruScan/NetScan/CleanUp window, which I affectionately refer
to as the "black box." Output from ViruScan, NetScan and
CleanUp is redirected to this window, so that you never have to
leave the Central user's screen. This window has a text
resolution of 78 x 21 characters; four lines had to be
sacrificed to make the black box fit right on the screen, but
this is hardly a problem.
General Notes On Mouse Use
Most of the options in Virus Central are mouse selectable. To
select an option with a mouse, position the mouse cursor (a
black arrow in the CGA and EGA versions or a solid block in the
LITE version) over the desired option and press any key on the
mouse. This mouse selection process of positioning and pressing
will, from here on, be refered to as "clicking," and any phrase
that goes "click on..." or "clicking on..." will refer to this
procedure.
Some options, such as the Quick-Keys on the user's screen, are
enclosed in little boxes. These options are mouse selectable by
clicking anywhere inside the box.
When entering a string, such as the overlay extension list in
the Virus/Net Scan menu, or a number, such as the color setting
in the Program sub-menu, a mouse may be used to select the
Page 5
option, but cannot be used to position the cursor for editting
or entering the string/number.
Options From The Main Menu And User's Screen
Options are easily selected using the keyboard or a mouse (if
one is available). When an option is available, it is shown on
the screen as bold characters. When an option is not available,
it is "fuzzed" out, and attempts to select it will fail.
There are three ways to select options from the main menu. You
could use the left and right arrow keys to move the cursor over
the desired option and press [Enter] to select it. A quicker way
is to press the letter key corresponding to the underlined
letter of the option (i.e. press [V] to select the Virus/Net
Scan option). The third method would be to click on it with the
mouse. Note that the Virus/Net Scan, Clean Up, and Set Up
options produce their own menus, and even sub-menus.
Function keys [F1] to [F4] are defined as Quick-Keys; pressing
one of these function keys will scan a disk drive using ViruScan
or NetScan using the parameters set in the Virus/Net Scan or Set
Up menus. By default, disk drives A, B, and C are set up as
Quick-Key disk drives, where:
[F1] executes ViruScan on drive A,
[F2] executes ViruScan on drive B,
[F3] executes ViruScan on drive C, and
[F4] is not assigned a drive.
The Quick-Key disk drive assignments may be changed from the
Set Up menu's Program sub-menu. It is advisable to designate
floppy disk drives as Quick-Keys since floppy disks are the ones
most often checked for infections. You may also wish to set up a
network disk drive in a Quick-Key; Central checks to see if the
disk drive is defined as a local or network disk drive and
executes ViruScan or NetScan accordingly.
The Screen Saver
One of Virus Central's most attractive features is its built-in
screen-saver. The screen-saver prevents Central's graphics/text
screen from "burning into" your monitor by blanking your screen
and displaying psychedelic, seemingly random graphics. Pressing
any key or mouse button returns you to the program, at the point
you left off. Normally, the screen-saver is automatically
triggered by Central after a set number of minutes of "idle
time" (3 minutes, by default). For our purposes, idle time is
defined as a period wherein Central awaits keyboard or mouse
input and is not executing any other task. From the user's
screen, you can manually invoke the screen-saver by pressing the
[B] key or by clicking on the diamond character on the
Page 6
upper-left corner of the screen. The number of minutes of idle
time Central waits, the "time lapse," may be set from the Set Up
menu's Program sub-menu.
Configuration Option Locking
Normally, all of Virus Central's main menu options are available
at the press of a key or the click of a mouse button. There are,
however, situations wherein you would prefer to make the options
that modify the configuration of the program inaccessible;
specifically, the Virus/Net Scan, Clean Up, and Set Up options.
For example, if the program were used in the computer lab of a
school, you certainly wouldn't want the curious and/or
mishievous hacker types messing around with the program's
settings, would you?
For this reason, the Virus/Net Scan, Clean Up, and Set Up
options can be "locked." In the locked state, indicated by a
small "padlock" in the upper-right corner of the screen,
attempts to access any of these options will prompt the user to
enter a password, and will continue to prompt the user until the
valid password is entered. When the correct password is entered,
option locking is turned off (the padlock will disappear) and
the program will proceed with the selected menu option. Pressing
[Esc] during the password prompting will return you to the main
menu.
From the main menu, pressing [Ctrl-Home] will toggle option
locking on or off, although you may also set it on/off from the
Set Up menu's Program sub-menu. Note that if the lock is
currently on, you will be required to enter the password to turn
it off. Also, option locking is not available if there is no
password specified in the configuration. For more information,
refer to the "Set Up" menu section.
Be aware that this feature does not guarantee total protection
from tampering. I, personally, can think of at least a dozen
ways to get around it, and I'm sure skilled hackers can devise
other ways. It is simply a feature to discourage "casual"
tampering of the program's configuration. You should still
practise caution, particularly if "rogue" elements with streaks
of genious lurk nearby.
Page 7
Additional Notes: CGA vs. EGA vs. LITE
The CGA, EGA and LITE versions of Virus Central are virtually
identical in terms of functionality and use. In fact, the only
differences that casual users may perceive between the three
programs are in the screen displays, program sizes, and the
speeds of operation. There are, however, a few more subtle
differences that you should be aware of:
1. The EGA version will work on EGA compatible machines (most
VGA systems are EGA compatible). The CGA version will work on
CGA compatible systems, which means it will work on most EGA
and VGA machines, too. The LITE version will work with either
monochrome or color video systems.
2. Both the CGA and EGA versions use a 640 x 200 graphics mode,
but the CGA version can only display in two colors, while
the EGA version can display in up to 16 colors (although only
a few colors are actually used). The LITE version uses the
80 x 25 character text display, which is the most common, and
displays in color or monochrome, depending on the attached
hardware.
3. Although the EGA program is slightly larger than the CGA
version, in terms of executable code, the programs use just
about the same amount of conventional memory. The LITE
version, by virtue of design, uses the least amount of memory
(over 100k bytes less than its graphics based brothers).
4. The EGA version requires more memory when running for video
buffering (about 128k bytes). Since the program needs to
reserve a certain amount of conventional memory for ViruScan,
NetScan, and CleanUp, a special approach was used. The
program will apply one of three methods for video buffering,
depending on which one is available and/or which is the
quickest. This "three-point" approach, in the order the
program prefers, is as follows:
a) If your EGA card has more than 128k of video RAM, the
program will use the extra memory for video buffering.
b) If your computer is equipped with LIM 4.0 expanded memory,
Central will check to see if it can use it; there has to
be at least 8 free pages (128k) and the page frame base
address has to be outside the 640k barrier (a segment
between A000h and F000h). This method is slightly slower
than using the extra memory on the video card, but is
slightly more efficient.
c) If your current disk drive has at least 128k of free
space, Central will create a temporary swap file for video
buffering. The swap file, whose file name is CENTRAL.SWP,
will be deleted when you terminate the program. This is
the slowest video buffering method and practically
Page 8
requires a hard disk drive.
Note that Virus Central will use only one of the video
buffering methods; it will not "mix" the approaches to try to
maximize the use of available memory.
5. The screen saver patterns are different on the three programs,
although a couple of them are variations on the same theme.
To all the CGA users who had fallen in love with the "PACMAN"
screen, my apologies; I tried and tried, but I could not get
it to translate properly.
6. The EGA version was written using the same code as the CGA
version, only the video drivers are different. The CGA
versions source code has its roots in Virus Central LITE.
For this reason, the CGA, EGA and LITE versions will
progress with the same release numbers (eg. 3.00).
7. The "Color Setting" field in the "Program" sub-menu has been
disabled (temporarily) in the EGA and LITE versions.
Page 9
THE VIRUS/NET SCAN MENU
Selecting the Virus/Net Scan option from the main menu pops the
Virus/Net Scan menu. This menu allows you to set the parameters
of the ViruScan/NetScan program and execute it. Although you can
execute ViruScan/NetScan using the Quick-Keys, this menu allows
you to scan a drive not designated as a Quick-Key drive.
The Virus/Net Scan menu has 22 fields that affect the execution
of ViruScan and/or NetScan, and only two options; "Okay," which
accepts any changes made and executes ViruScan or NetScan, and
"Cancel," which cancels any changes made and returns to the main
menu. It looks something like this:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────┐
│Disk Drive....................... : [-A-] │F10: Okay │
│Skip inside scan of LZEXE files.. : NO ├───────────┤
│Overwrite & delete infected files : NO │Esc: Cancel│
│Scan memory for all viruses...... : NO └───────────┤
│Scan all files................... : NO │
│Scan listed overlays............. : NO │
│Skip memory scan................. : NO │
│Scan multiple floppies........... : NO │
│Scan network using error handler. : NO │
│Scan subdirectories.............. : NO │
│Add validation codes............. : NO │
│Remove validation codes.......... : NO │
│Check validation codes........... : NO │
│Search for extinct viruses....... : NO │
│Generate Scan report............. : NO │
│Use external virus data file..... : NO │
│Pause on full screen............. : YES │
│Attempt automatic Clean Up....... : NO │
│Overlay extension list........... : .OVL .OVG .OV1 .OV2 │
│Report file name................. : NUL │
│External virus data file name.... : │
│File path to scan................ : │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
All of these fields, with the exception of "Attempt automatic
Clean Up," correspond to the command line parameters of the
ViruScan and/or NetScan programs. To select a field, use the up
and down arrow keys to position the cursor and press [Enter] to
select it. You may also click on a field with the mouse to
select it.
The first field specifies the disk drive to scan. When this
field is selected, you will be presented with a string of
letters, indicating the available disk drives. Select a disk
drive from the list by using the left and right arrow keys to
position the cursor over the letter of the disk drive you wish
to scan and press [Enter] (i.e. position the cursor over "B" if
you wish to scan drive B:). A simpler way would be to press the
letter key corresponding to the desired drive (i.e. press [B] to
Page 10
scan drive B:). Note that the string displayed on the screen is
only five characters wide. The list of available disk drives may
actually be longer; use the left and right arrow keys to scroll
through the available disk drives. Central does not allow you to
specify more than one drive letter at a time, although ViruScan
and NetScan can handle it.
================================================================
NOTE: Virus Central determines which scan program to use,
ViruScan or NetScan, by the disk drive specified. If the disk
specified is from the local disk drive list, then ViruScan will
be used. If it is from the network disk drive list, NetScan is
used. For instructions on specifying the local and network disk
drive lists, refer to the "Set Up" menu section.
================================================================
The next 17 fields "toggle" the parameter options; you either
want them when ViruScan/NetScan executes (YES) or you do not
want them (NO). When you position the cursor over these fields
and press [Enter], or click on them with the mouse, the setting
of the fields change from "NO" to "YES," and from "YES" to "NO."
The first 16 of these fields correspond to the ViruScan and/or
NetScan command line parameters as follows:
Skip inside scan of LZEXE files -> /NLZ
Overwrite & delete infected files -> /D
Scan memory for all viruses -> /M
Scan all files -> /A
Scan listed overlays -> /E
Skip memory scan -> /NOMEM
Scan multiple floppies -> /MANY (*)
Scan network using error handler -> /UNATTEND (*)
Scan subdirectories -> /SUB
Add validation codes -> /AV
Remove validation codes -> /RV
Check validation codes -> /CV
Search for extinct viruses -> /X
Generate Scan report -> /REPORT
Use external virus data file -> /EXT
Pause on full screen -> /NOPAUSE (**)
(*) The /MANY parameter is disabled (fuzzed out) when NetScan
is to be used and the /UNATTEND parameter is disabled when
ViruScan is to be used.
(**) The /NOPAUSE parameter turns off the pause on full screen,
which the ViruScan and NetScan programs normally do.
Because of awkward phrasing, I chose to present the field
in reverse; that is, if "Pause on full screen" is NO, the
/NOPAUSE switch is used.
The last toggle field, "Attempt automatic Clean Up," specifies
whether or not Central will execute the Clean Up sequence right
after the scan is completed, without prompting you to begin the
Page 11
sequence. Regardless of the setting here, Central will create a
queue of detected infections.
The next field is the overlay extension list. This is a string
specifying the extensions of overlay files that ViruScan or
NetScan will examine if the "/E" parameter is specified. The
extensions should begin with a period, followed by the three
character extension, and separated by spaces (i.e. ".OVR .OVG
.OVL"). The maximum length of this string is 40 characters.
The next field is the file name of the report file to be
generated if ViruScan or NetScan finds any viruses, and if the
"/REPORT" parameter is specified. This can be any valid file
path with a maximum length of 40 characters. By default, this is
set to "NUL." Unlike the ViruScan/NetScan program, which
overwrites an existing report file, Central will append the
newly created report to the old one, and stamp the report date
and time for your reference.
The next field specifies the external data file that contains
the additional virus identification strings. If the "/EXT"
parameter is specified, Central will use the data in this file
to check for additional viruses. Refer to the ViruScan/NetScan
documentation for specifics.
The last field in the menu sets the file path that ViruScan or
NetScan will check. This is normally blank, in which case the
entire disk is checked. But if you wish to localize the scan to
a single directory, or even a single file, set this string to
the file path you wish to scan. Do not specify the drive, since
it is already specified in the first field of this menu.
Once you have all the parameters set, select the "Okay" option
by pressing [F10] (or clicking on the "Okay" box) and Central
will execute ViruScan with the set data. Note that the changes
made to the fields will become the current settings and will
remain active.
If you change your mind and decide that you do not wish to
execute ViruScan or NetScan, select the "Cancel" option by
pressing [Esc] (or clicking on the "Cancel" box) and Central
will return to the main menu. Any changes made to the fields in
the Virus/Net Scan menu will be lost; all settings reverting to
their previous states.
Page 12
THE CLEAN UP MENU
Selecting the Clean Up option from the main menu pops the Clean
Up menu. This menu allows you to set the parameters of the Clean
Up program and execute it.
The Clean Up menu has 11 fields that affect the execution of
CleanUp and only two options; "Okay," which accepts any changes
made and executes CleanUp, and "Cancel," which cancels any
changes made and returns to the main menu. It looks something
like this:
┌──────────────────────────────────┬───────────┐
│Disk Drive............. : [-A-] │F10: Okay │
│Check all files........ : NO ├───────────┤
│Clean listed overlays.. : NO │Esc: Cancel│
│Skip memory scan....... : NO └───────────┤
│Clean multiple floppies : NO │
│Generate CleanUp report : NO │
│Pause on full screen... : YES │
│Virus Name............. : Stoned │
│Overlay extension list. : .OVL .OVG .OV1 .OV2 │
│Report file name....... : NUL │
│File path to clean..... : │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
All of these fields correspond to the command line parameters of
the CleanUp program. To select a field, use the up and down
arrow keys to position the cursor and press [Enter] to select
it. You may also click on a field with the mouse to select it.
The first field specifies the disk drive to clean. When this
field is selected, you will be presented with a string of
letters, indicating the available disk drives. Select a disk
drive from the list by using the left and right arrow keys to
position the cursor over the letter of the disk drive you wish
to clean and press [Enter] (i.e. position the cursor over "B" if
you wish to clean drive B:). A simpler way would be to press the
letter key corresponding to the desired drive (i.e. press [B] to
clean drive B:). Note that the string displayed on the screen is
only five characters wide. The list of available disk drives may
actually be longer; use the left and right arrow keys to scroll
through the available disk drives. Central does not allow you to
specify more than one drive letter at a time, although CleanUp
can handle it.
The next six fields "toggle" the parameter options; you either
want them when CleanUp executes (YES) or you do not want them
(NO). When you position the cursor over these fields and press
[Enter], or click on them with the mouse, the setting of the
fields change from "NO" to "YES," and from "YES" to "NO."
These six fields correspond to the CleanUp command line
parameters as follows:
Check all files -> /A
Clean listed overlays -> /E
Skip memory scan -> /NOMEM
Clean multiple floppies -> /MANY (*)
Generate CleanUp report -> /REPORT
Pause on full screen -> /NOPAUSE (**)
(*) The /MANY parameter is disabled (fuzzed out) if the
specified disk drive is on the network disk drive list.
(**) The /NOPAUSE parameter turns off the pause on full screen,
which the CleanUp program normally does. Because of awkward
phrasing, I chose to present the field in reverse; that is,
if "Pause on full screen" is NO, the /NOPAUSE switch is
used.
The next field is the name of the virus CleanUp will remove from
the disk. Selecting this field pops a sub-menu, displaying a
list of virus names. Use the up and down arrow keys to position
the cursor over the desired virus name. You may also select a
virus name by clicking on it with the mouse (click on the up and
down arrows on the menu to scroll through the list). When you
have selected a virus name, select the "Okay" option from the
sub-menu, either by pressing [F10] or clicking on the "Okay"
box, to make this the current virus. If you change your mind,
select the "Cancel" option from the sub-menu, either by pressing
[Esc] or clicking on the "Cancel" box, and the virus name
selected will be ignored. In either case, you will return to the
Clean Up menu.
The next field is the overlay extension list. This is a string
specifying the extensions of overlay files that CleanUp will
examine if the "/E" parameter is specified. The extensions
should begin with a period, followed by the three character
extension, and separated by spaces (i.e. ".OVR .OVG .OVL").
The maximum length of this string is 40 characters.
The next field is the file name of the report file to be
generated if CleanUp finds any viruses, and if the "/REPORT"
parameter is specified. This can be any valid file path with a
maximum length of 40 characters. By default, this is set to
"NUL." Unlike the CleanUp program, which overwrites an existing
report file, Central will append the newly created report to the
old one, and stamp the report date and time for your reference.
The last field in the menu sets the file path that CleanUp will
clean. This is normally blank, in which case the entire disk is
checked for the infection. But if you wish to localize the
process to a single directory, or even a single file, set this
string to the file path you wish to clean. Do not specify the
drive, since it is already specified in the first field of this
menu.
Once you have all the parameters set, select the "Okay" option
by pressing [F10] (or clicking on the "Okay" box) and Central
will execute CleanUp with the set data. Note that the changes
made to the fields will become the current settings and will
remain active.
If you change your mind and decide that you do not wish to
execute CleanUp, select the "Cancel" option by pressing [Esc]
(or clicking on the "Cancel" box) and Central will return to the
main menu. Any changes made to the fields in the Clean Up menu
will be lost; all settings reverting to their previous states.
Page 13
THE INFORMATION SCREEN
Selecting the Information option from the main menu pops the
virus information screen. This option takes the information in
the virus list and displays it on the screen in a titled,
formatted, and clear manner. This is helpful if you wish to know
more about known viruses, particularly those that have invaded
your system.
In the CGA and EGA versions of Central, the Information option
does not create another window or menu on the screen. Instead,
it clears the black box and displays the virus information in
there. When selected, the information screen looks something
like this:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────┐
│Virus Name........... : Stoned │F10: List │
│Virus ID............. : [STONED] ├───────────┤
│Disinfector.......... : CLEAN-UP │Esc: Return│
│Increase in file size : N/A └───────────┤
│ │
│Characteristics : │
│ * Infects Fixed Disk Partition Table │
│ * Infects Floppy Disk Boot Sector │
│ * Virus Remains Resident │
│ │
│Damage done by virus : │
│ * Corrupts or overwrites the boot sector │
│ * Directly or indirectly corrupts file linkage │
│ * Affects system run-time operation │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
When you first select the Information option, the virus
information displayed is that of the default virus (usually the
"Stoned" virus), but subsequent use will display the last
selected virus. None of the fields displayed are modifiable from
the information screen, and there are only two options, "List"
and "Return."
To display information on another virus, select the "List"
option by pressing [F10] (or clicking on the "List" box) and
Central will pop a sub-menu,displaying a list of virus names.
Use the up and down arrow keys to position the cursor over the
desired virus name. You may also select a virus name by clicking
on it with the mouse (click on the up and down arrows on the
menu to scroll through the list). When you have selected a virus
name, select the "Okay" option from the sub-menu, either by
pressing [F10] or clicking on the "Okay" box, to display the
information about this virus. If you change your mind, select
the "Cancel" option from the sub-menu, either by pressing [Esc]
or clicking on the "Cancel" box, and the virus name selected
Page 14
will be ignored. In either case, you will will return to the
information screen.
If you wish to return to the main menu, select the "Return"
option by pressing the [Esc] key (or clicking on the "Return"
box). The black box will be restored to the state it was in
before the Information option was selected.
Page 15
THE SET UP MENU
Selecting the Set Up option from the main menu pops the Set Up
menu. From here you can configure Virus Central to your
computer and set the default parameters for ViruScan/NetScan and
CleanUp. If your computer does not conform to the default set
up, this should be the first option from the main menu that you
select before anything else.
There are five options in this menu, the first four of which pop
individual sub-menus. To select an option from this menu, use
the up and down arrow keys to move the cursor over the desired
option and press [Enter]. Alternatively, you can click on an
option with the mouse. When you are done making changes, you can
return to the main menu by pressing [Esc], or clicking anywhere
outside the menu borders.
THE PROGRAM SUB-MENU
The Program sub-menu configures Virus Central to your computer.
If your machine is configured differently from the default
settings, be sure to make the necessary changes in this menu.
The Program sub-menu has 11 fields that affect the execution of
Virus Central and only two options; "Okay," which accepts any
changes made, and "Cancel," which cancels any changes made.
Either option returns you to the Set Up menu.
The program sub-menu looks something like this:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│Virus Scan/Net Scan/Clean Up directory path : C:\ │
│Virus Scan program file name............... : SCAN.EXE │
│Net Scan program file name................. : NETSCAN.EXE │
│Clean Up program file name................. : CLEAN.EXE │
│Password................................... : │
│Lock configuration options................. : NO │
│Local disk drive list...................... : ABC │
│Network disk drive list.................... : ┌───────────┤
│Quick-key Scan / Clean disk drives......... : AB │F10: Okay │
│Color setting.............................. : 16 ├───────────┤
│Screen saver time lapse (minutes).......... : 3 │Esc: Cancel│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────┘
To select a field, use the up and down arrow keys to position
the cursor. You may also click on a field with the mouse to
select it. With the exception of the "Lock configuration
options" field, all other fields in this menu contain editable
data. For this reason, you do not have to press [Enter] to begin
editing/entering data. In this sub-menu, the cursor is always in
an "edit ready" position.
The first field specifys the directory path to the ViruScan,
Page 16
NetScan and CleanUp programs. For example, if these programs are
in a directory called "VIRUS" in the C: drive, this field should
be set to "C:\VIRUS\" When Central first executes, it checks
this specified directory for the two programs. If it cannot find
them there, it will search the other directories in the DOS
PATH, which can take a little longer. It is a good idea to have
the ViruScan, CleanUp, and Virus Central programs all in the
same directory, to make it easier for Central to locate the
necessary program files.
The second field is the ViruScan program file name. This is a
string specifying the file name of the ViruScan program.
Normally, this is set to "SCAN.EXE." If you have renamed the
ViruScan program to something else, modify this string to
specify the new file name of ViruScan.
The third field is the NetScan program file name. This is a
string specifying the file name of the NetScan program.
Normally, this is set to "NETSCAN.EXE." If you have renamed the
NetScan program to something else, modify this string to specify
the new file name of NetScan.
The fourth field is the Clean Up program file name. This is a
string specifying the file name of the Clean Up program.
Normally, this is set to "CLEAN.EXE." If you have renamed the
Clean Up program to something else, modify this string to
specify the new file name of Clean Up.
The fifth field is the password. This is an alphabetic string
designating the word Central will accept when it requests for a
password. You can only specify one password, and if this is left
blank option locking will not be available.
The sixth field toggles configuration option locking on or off.
In the locked state, attempts to access the Virus Scan, Clean
Up, or Set Up options will require the entry of the above
mentioned password. Again, this feature can only turned on if a
password has been specified.
The seventh field is the local disk drive list. This is a string
that specifys the drive letters of all local disk drives on your
machine. For example, if your machine has three disk drives,
labeled A:, B:, and C:, the local disk drive list should be
"ABC." This string can contain the capital letters "A" to "Z,"
excluding those that are currently in the network disk drive
list. Bear in mind that you should only specify "local" disk
drives; drives which are physically connected to the computer
and are not allocated as network resources. Do not specify
network disk drives and RAM drives.
The eighth field is the network disk drive list. This is a
string that specifys the drive letters of all network disk
drives available to your machine. For example, if your machine
has access to two disk drives, labeled D: and E:, the network
Page 17
disk drive list should be "DE." This string can contain the
capital letters "A" to "Z," excluding those that are currently
in the local disk drive list. Bear in mind that you should only
specify "network" disk drives; drives which are accessed by your
computer through network software and/or hardware, including
those physically connected to the machine that are allocated as
network resources.
The ninth field is the Quick-Key disk drive list. This is a four
character string specifying which of the available disk drives
will be assigned as Quick-Key disk drives. Choose any four from
the local and network disk drive lists. For example, if you wish
to designate the disk drive A:, B:, C:, and E: as Quick-Key disk
drives, the Quick-Key disk drive list should be "ABCE." You may,
if you wish, specify less than four disk drives; the remaining
Quick-Key(s) will be inactive.
===== COLOR SETTING FIELD DISABLED ON EGA & LITE VERSIONS! =====
The Color Setting field sets the color of the display. This is
a number from 0 and 16. On true CGA systems, the color setting
affects the foreground color and leaves the background color
always black. On most EGA and VGA systems, however, changing the
color setting has funny results; the background and foreground
colors change in, mostly, funny combinations. Normally, you are
only allowed to use values from 0 to 15, but color setting 16
was provided to force a white-on-black screen.
================================================================
The last field sets the screen saver time lapse. This is the
number of minutes of idle time Central waits before invoking the
screen-saver. This is a number between 1 to 60. A safe setting
is about three minutes. Setting the time lapse to zero (0)
disables the screen saver.
THE VIRUS/NET SCAN SUB-MENU
The Virus/Net Scan sub-menu allows you to set the parameters
for the Virus/Net Scan option from the main menu. This sub-menu
is the same as the Virus/Net Scan menu, except that the "Disk
drive" and "File path to scan" fields are disabled, and you
cannot execute ViruScan or NetScan from here. Refer to the
"Virus/Net Scan Menu" section on using this sub-menu. Selecting
the "Okay" option accepts all changes made to the fields and
makes them current, while selecting "Cancel" restores the fields
to their previous settings. In either case, you will return to
the Set Up menu.
THE CLEAN UP SUB-MENU
The Clean Up sub-menu allows you to set the parameters for the
Clean Up option from the main menu. This sub-menu is the same as
the Clean Up menu, except that the "Disk drive" and "File path
Page 18
to clean" fields are disabled, and you cannot execute CleanUp
from here. Refer to the "Clean Up Menu" section on using this
sub-menu. Selecting the "Okay" option accepts all changes made
to the fields and makes them current, while selecting "Cancel"
restores the fields to their previous settings. In either case,
you will return to the Set Up menu.
THE VIRUS LIST SUB-MENU
The Virus List sub-menu is a maintenance feature for updating
and modifying the virus list used by the Clean Up menu and
Information screen. You can add, edit, or remove virus names,
IDs, and individual virus information from the list. It is a
good idea to use this feature whenever new versions of the
ViruScan and CleanUp programs are released, keeping the virus
list up to date. The virus list can contain up to 16,000
viruses. Also, Central requires the first 30 viruses as the bare
minimum, so you will not be able to edit or remove the first 30
viruses on the list.
The Virus List sub-menu is the same one used in the Clean Up
menu and Information screen, except that it has three more
options for adding, editing, and removing viruses from the list.
It looks something like this:
┌──────────────────────────────────┬───────────┐
│┌──────────────────────────────┬─┐│F1 : Add │
││Ping Pong │^│├───────────┤
││Ping Pong-B │▒││F2 : Edit │
││Slow │▒│├───────────┤
││Stoned │▒││F3 : Remove│
││Sunday │▒│├───────────┤
││SURIV03 │▒││F10: Okay │
││V800 │v│├───────────┤
│└──────────────────────────────┴─┘│Esc: Cancel│
└──────────────────────────────────┴───────────┘
If you select the Add, Edit, or Remove option, the left side of
this menu changes, displaying the name, ID, and information
fields of a virus entry. For example, if you select the Add
option the box will look something like this:
┌──────────────────────────────────┬───────────┐
│┌────────────────────────────────┐│ │
││ Virus To Add │├───────────┤
│└────────────────────────────────┘│ │
│ Name........... : █ ├───────────┤
│ ID............. : │ │
│ Disinfector.... : ├───────────┤
│ Characteristics : .......... │F10: Okay │
│ Size Increase.. : ├───────────┤
│ Damage......... : │Esc: Cancel│
└──────────────────────────────────┴───────────┘
Page 19
You get the same thing if you select the Edit or Remove options,
the data contained in each field will also be displayed, but the
"Virus to..." message at the top will specify the selected
operation.
Virus entries are formatted similarly to the way they appear in
the VIRLIST.TXT file, which comes with ViruScan, NetScan and
CleanUp. Each line of the virus list in VIRLIST.TXT contains the
information needed by Central's virus list; the virus name, ID,
disinfector name, characteristics, increase in file size, and
damage done, in that order. For example, the "JoJo" virus
appears in VIRLIST.TXT like this:
JoJo [JoJo] Clean-Up . . x . x . . . . . 1701 O,P
The corresponding entry in Virus Central's virus list looks like
this:
Name........... : JoJo
ID............. : [JOJO]
Disinfector.... : CLEAN-UP
Characteristics : ..X.X.....
Size Increase.. : 1701
Damage......... : OP
With the exception of the virus name, Central forces all the
other fields to capital letters (if any). Note that in the
"Characteristics" and "Damage" fields the data is compressed;
spaces/commas are removed.
To add a virus to the list, select the Add option (by pressing
[F1] or clicking on the "Add" box), and enter the data for each
field. When they are entered, select the "Okay" option (by
pressing [F10] or clicking on the "Okay" box) to add the virus
name and info to the virus list. If you change your mind and
decide that you do not want to add it to the list, select
"Cancel" (by pressing [Esc] or clicking on the "Cancel" option).
In either case, you will return to the Virus List sub-menu.
To edit a virus on the list, use the up and down arrow keys to
position the cursor over the name of the virus on the list (or
click on it), then select the "Edit" option (by pressing [F2] or
clicking on the "Edit" box). Use the up and down arrow keys to
move between fields, and edit the desired data. When done,
select the "Okay" option to update the virus name and ID. If you
change your mind and decide that you do not want the virus
changed, select "Cancel." In either case, you will return to the
Virus List sub-menu.
To remove a virus from the list, use the up and down arrow keys
to position the cursor over the name of the virus on the list
(or click on it), then select the "Remove" option (by pressing
[F3] or clicking on the "Remove" box). Select the "Okay" option
Page 20
to remove the virus from the list. If you change your mind,
select the "Cancel" option. In either case, you will return to
the Virus List sub-menu.
When all changes are made, select "Okay" to make the changes to
the virus list current. Selecting "Cancel" restores the virus
list to its previous state. In either case, you will return to
the Set Up menu.
SAVE OPTIONS
Selecting "Save Options" from the Set Up menu writes the current
settings of Virus Central to the CENTRAL.CFG file, and these
changes will also be in effect the next time you execute
Central. If you have modified any of Central's settings and you
do not save them using this option, you will be warned and given
the opportunity to save them when you select the Quit option
from the main menu.
Page 21
THE DOS SHELL OPTION
The DOS Shell option from the main menu loads up the DOS command
processor. This returns you to the text screen where you may
issue DOS commands and even run other programs. Virus Central
remains resident in memory and, as such, limits the amount of
memory available to you in the DOS shell. To return to Central,
enter "EXIT."
THE QUIT OPTION
The Quit option terminates Virus Central and returns you to DOS.
Page 22
THE CLEAN UP SEQUENCE
Virus Central's most powerful feature is the Clean Up sequence.
As a disk is scanned using ViruScan or NetScan, infections
detected are noted and placed in a queue. After the scan is
completed, Central executes CleanUp and passes the information
stored in the queue to the program, effectively automating the
process. This feature is invaluable for cleaning disks with
multiple file infections.
The queueing process is, for all intents and purposes,
automatic; Central will always enqueue infections detected by
ViruScan or NetScan. There are points, though, that you should
be aware of about the feature:
* The queue can hold up to 150 individual infections. If there
are more than 150 on the disk (that is one messed up disk!),
ViruScan or NetScan will continue to scan, but Central will
ignore those passed the limit.
* Central will always enqueue detected infections, even if
ViruScan or NetScan is executed with the "overwrite & delete
infected files" option.
* The Clean Up sequence works on individual files; that is, it
executes CleanUp on each file where a virus was detected, even
if the same virus was discovered on more than one file.
* Since the Clean Up sequence executes CleanUp on individual
infections, some of the options are not used; specifically,
the /A, /E, and /MANY options. It does, however, always use
the /NOMEM option, and uses the /REPORT and/or /NOPAUSE
options if they are set in the configuration.
* If ViruScan or NetScan detects infections, and the "attempt
automatic clean up" option is off, you are asked if you wish
to initiate the Clean Up sequence. If you decide not to, the
queue is not cleared. It will prompt you, again, if you wish
to initiate the sequence when you attempt to scan or clean
another disk.
* The Clean Up sequence may be interrupted by pressing [Ctrl-C].
It may be restarted later on, but the infection being worked
on at the time of the interruption will be removed from the
queue, whether or not CleanUp actually cleaned it.
Page 23
COMMAND LINE SWITCHES
Although Virus Central was developed to do away with the need to
memorize the complicated command line switches of ViruScan,
NetScan, and CleanUp, it does have its own set of command line
switches to "over-ride" some of its characteristics.
Switches are specified at the command line when you first run
Virus Central. For example, if you executed Virus Central in
this manner:
CENTRAL /NOMOUSE /IGNORE
the program will disable all mouse drivers (whether or not one
is installed), and skip the pre-initialization system checks.
Switches can be specified in any order or in uppercase or
lowercase, but they must be separated by spaces and must begin
with a slash (/).
There are currently nine command line switches. Some of these
switches are specific to the version of Virus Central you are
using (EGA or LITE). Indeed, the CGA version only recognizes
three of the switches. If you incorrectly specify an invalid
switch, Central will ignore it.
The /NOMOUSE Switch
This switch prevents Virus Central from using the mouse driver,
even if one is installed. Normally, the program will use it
automatically. Some users, though, prefer not to use it and
would rather not see the mouse cursor on the screen. In other
cases, the installed mouse driver does not work properly with
the program, causing some funny things to happen. If either case
happens, use the /NOMOUSE switch.
The /IGNORE Switch
This switch forces Virus Central to skip the video and DOS
version system checks. Normally, the program will check the
video hardware and DOS version number for compatibility. Some
VGA adapters, however, are mistakenly perceived to be monochrome
adapters, particularly those that emulate the Hercules graphics
card. Also, some OEM versions of DOS return false version
numbers, fooling Central into thinking it is not compatible (the
program requires DOS 2.1 or greater). If either case happens,
use the /IGNORE switch. Be aware that, if you do use this
switch, you should be certain that your system IS compatible.
Page 24
The /AUTO Switch
This switch enables Virus Central's "auto-scan" mode. Upon
execution, the program will immediately scan a list of specified
disk drives. Used primarily for batch files, the switch has the
following syntax:
/AUTO={disk drive list}[,QUIT]
"Disk drive list" is a string specifying the disk drives you
wish to scan. For example, if you executed the program like:
CENTRAL /AUTO=AC
Central will run ViruScan or NetScan on drive A, and then scan
drive C.
The optional ",QUIT" parameter makes the program return
to DOS after it has scanned the drives on the list (useful if
you run Central from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file). For example, if
you executed the program like:
CENTRAL /AUTO=C,QUIT
Central will run ViruScan or NetScan on drive C, and then return
to DOS.
Note that there should be one continuous line with no spaces in
the middle. Also, the auto scan mode uses the settings for
ViruScan and NetScan that you defined in the "Set Up" menu with
one exception; the /MANY switch is always turned off.
The /EGARAM Switch (EGA version only)
This switch forces Virus Central EGA to use the extra memory on
the EGA card for video buffering. Normally, the program will use
the extra memory if it detects it during the system check. Some
video adapters, however, return a false reading, causing Central
to use a disk swap file, instead. This, of course, slows down
the program. If this happens and you know that your video card
has more than 128k bytes of memory, use the /EGARAM switch in
your command line when executing Virus Central. Be aware that,
if you specify this switch, you are responsible for making sure
that it is available; the program disables the system check that
determines if extra EGA memory is available or not.
The /EMSRAM Switch (EGA version only)
This switch forces Virus Central EGA to use LIM 4.0 expanded
memory for video buffering. Normally, the program will use
expanded memory if it is available and there is insufficient
memory on the EGA card. In some cases, it may be wiser to use
Page 25
expanded memory over EGA memory because it is somewhat more
efficient. Also, if you have a machine with lots of extended
memory, there are a good number of utility programs (many of
them share-ware) out there that let you convert extended memory
to expanded memory. If you prefer to go this route, use the
/EMSRAM switch. Be aware that, in order for Central to use
expanded memory properly, there should be at least 8 free pages
and the page frame base address should be beyond 640k.
The /SWAPFILE Switch (EGA version only)
This switch forces Virus Central EGA to use a disk swap file for
video buffering. Normally, the program will use a swap file if
there is insufficient memory on the EGA card or unable to use
expanded memory for video buffering. Some video adapters,
however, return a false reading, causing Central to try to write
to non-existent video memory. The results, although not always
predictable, are never good. If this happens, use the /SWAPFILE
switch in your command line when executing Virus Central. The
swap file is given the file name CENTRAL.SWP, is created in the
current directory, and is deleted when you terminate the
program.
The /MONO Switch (LITE version only)
This switch forces Virus Central LITE to display in monochrome,
even if the computer uses a color video. Normally, the program
will detect the attached video hardware and display accordingly.
Some video adapters, particularly monochrome EGA and VGA cards,
"appear" to be color cards when checked, so the program uses
color attributes when displaying text. If this happens, use the
/MONO switch.
The /COLOR Switch (LITE version only)
This switch forces Virus Central LITE to display using color
text attributes. Normally, the program will detect the attached
video hardware and display accordingly. Some VGA adapters,
however, are mistakenly perceived to be monochrome adapters,
particularly those that emulate the Hercules graphics card. If
this happens, use the /COLOR switch.
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The /QUICKCGA Switch (LITE version only)
This switch is primarily for CGA systems; it forces Virus
Central LITE to write to the screen without checking vertical
retrace. Normally, on CGA systems, the program checks vertical
retrace before writing to the screen. This prevents ugly "snow"
from appearing, but slows down screen output considerably. If
you are one of the fortunate few who owns a CGA adapter that
does not have the snow problem, use the /QUICKCGA switch to
increase the speed of screen output.
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TEMPORARY FILES
Virus Central sometimes creates temporary files during program
execution. The reason the program "sometimes" creates them is
because it does not need to do so all the time; the temporary
files are created if and only if Virus Central needs to use
them. When you terminate program execution and return to DOS,
Virus Central erases the temporary files. However, in the rare
instance that the program terminates improperly and the
temporary files are left on your disk, you should be aware of
what they are.
As a general note, Virus Central temporary files will always
have the file name "CENTRAL" and a specific extension. Unlike
the CENTRAL.CFG file, whose file name may be changed, temporary
files always use the file name "CENTRAL." Also, temporrary files
are always created in the directory current when the program is
initially executed.
CENTRAL.SWP
This file is created by Virus Central EGA when there is
insufficient RAM for video buffering, or if the /SWAPFILE switch
was used in the command line. Used as a "last resort" for video
buffering, this file is created at the beginning of program
execution and is present until the program is terminated, and is
exactly 131,072 bytes long (128K).
CENTRAL.VLT
This file is created when the "Virus List" option is selected
from the "Set Up" menu. It holds a temporary copy of the virus
list. The file is of varying length and is erased when the
option is popped back.
CENTRAL.^^^
This file is created to temporarily hold the reports generated
by the ViruScan, NetScan and CleanUp programs. When the /REPORT
option is used by any one of these programs, they will either
create a new report file or overwite the existing one. What
Central does is route the report to the temporary file first,
and "append" it to the existing report (if there is one) when
ViruScan/NetScan/CleanUp is done.
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IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE...
That's about all there is to know about Virus Central. If a
point was missed or something is unclear, whether about the
program or registration, feel free to contact me at this
address:
Alejandro L. Abello
2937 Sherwood Drive
San Carlos, CA. 94070
Tel. No.: (415) 369-1811
You may also contact me at the above telephone number. If I am
not home, please leave a message and I will get back to you
(provided I can call collect). Please ask for me by my name,
"Alejandro" or "Jing" (my nickname), since I am the only one at
home who knows anything about the program. Also, please call
during reasonable hours of the day (9:00am to 5:00pm PST).
Be forewarned that I will not entertain truly technical
questions; the ones that may divulge precious trade secrets. The
inner workings of Virus Central must be considered sacred. And,
in fairness to me, unregistered users should not expect full
product support, although I will greatly appreciate it if you
bring to my attention features of the program that do not
function properly or are improperly documented.
HAVE FUN!
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