40	Chapter 3: Using interactive Scan
		Using scan settings files	41
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DON’T SKIP!
Add Codes tells interactive Scan to add validation/recovery codes to the validation database file, if Save Code to External Data File is selected, or to standard executable files, if Append Code to File is selected. The Scan command line equivalents are /AF and /AV, respectively.
Check Codestells interactive Scan to check validation/recovery codes that have previously been added to the validation database file, if Save Code to External Data File is selected, or to standard executable files, if Append Code to File is selected. If a validated file has been modified, interactive Scan reports it. You can save this information in a report by selecting the Include Modified Files check box on the Reports page of the Notebook, as described in “Using scan settings files” later in this chapter. The Scan command line equivalents are /CF and /CV, respectively.
Remove Codestells interactive Scan to remove validation/recovery codes that have previously been added to the validation database file, if Save Code to External Data File is selected, or to standard executable files, if Append Code to File is selected. The Scan command line equivalents are /RF and /RV, respectively.
If you install new software on your system, including a new DOS version, you’ll need to update validation codes to include these new files. The fastest way to do this is to Remove Codes first, scan your system, then select Add Codes and scan your system again.
Excluding files from validation

The Validation Exceptions page of the Notebook contains a list of files to exclude from the validation checking options you select on the Validation page. For more information, see “Generating a scan report” earlier in this chapter. You can also create the exception file as an ASCII file using a text editor. For more information, see Chapter 4. For an example of an exception list file, see Chapter 4. The Scan command line equivalent for excluding files is /EXCLUDE {filename}.
If you set up validation codes, subsequent scans can detect changes in validated files. This can trigger false alarms if the executable files are self-modifying or self-checking (most programs that do this will tell you to turn off your anti-virus software before running them). Therefore, when using validation codes, specify an exception list to identify such files and exclude them from the validation. The exception list is an ASCII text file.		Exceptions Fileis the name of the file containing the list of files to exclude. Either type the file name and path in the text box or choose Browse and select it from a list.
 Choose to save changes to the exceptions file.
Choose to select a file and add it to the list.
Type the name and path, if needed, of files to exclude.
or
Type or select an exceptions file name.
		Files to Exclude from Validationis the list in the exceptions file of self-modifying or self-checking files to exclude, including path names, if needed. To add a new file to the exceptions list, type the name and path in the data entry box, or choose Add and select it from a list. To delete an entry, select it in the list, then press [Del]. To save changes, choose Save.
Using scan settings files
You can save the scan settings and the selected items in a settings (.INI) file. That way, you don’t need to select scanning options and items individually every time you want to scan—you just load the settings file. You can save default scan settings in VSCAN.INI (interactive Scan reads this file and uses these settings when it loads), or you can save them in a file with a different name. For details about the contents of a settings file, see the “WSCAN.INI” topic in on-line help.
1	Selecting a profile overrides the saved scan settings for the duration of the profile scan. For details, see “Loading and using profiles” later in this chapter.
Saving scan settings
To save scan settings, choose File|Save Settings. You’ll see the Save Settings dialog box. 
 Select a different file type, if needed.
Type a new name for the settings file you want to save.
Loading scan settings
To load a scan settings file, choose File|Load Settings. You’ll see the Load Settings dialog box. 
Select a different file type, if needed.
Type or select the name of the settings file you want to use.
		The Scan command line equivalent is /LOAD.
Loading and using profiles
A profile is a simplified way to scan your system using scan options stored in a profile load file. Using profiles automates repetitive scanning tasks and makes it easier to scan your system 
1	Before using profiles, they must be defined in the VSCAN.INI file. If no profiles are available, you (or your system administrator or information systems staff) must create them, then reload interactive Scan. For instructions, see “Technical Note 1: Setting up profiles” later in this chapter.

To select a profile, choose File|Profiles or click the Profiles icon. You’ll see the Run Profile dialog box.
		Choose the profile you want. Interactive Scan loads the associated profile file, then scans your system using those settings.

Scheduling scans
You can schedule interactive Scan to automatically scan at a future date and time. Thereafter, interactive Scan runs the scan at the scheduled time if the workstation is running and interactive Scan is loaded (even if you’re using another application at the time). In this way, you can scan your system un-attended and ensure that scanning occurs on a regular basis. For each scheduled scan, you can specify when to scan, what to scan, and which scan options to use. interactive Scan saves the information for each scheduled scan in a separate .INI file.

To schedule future scans, choose Scan|Schedule, or click the Schedule icon. You’ll see the Schedule dialog box.
		Active Schedulescontains a list of scheduled scans stored in separate .INI files. To add the currently selected items and settings to the Active Schedules list, choose Add, which creates a new .INI file in the current directory. To remove a scheduled scan, select it in the Active Schedules list, then choose Delete, which deletes the associated .INI file from disk.
Frequencyis the regular interval (Daily, Weekly, or Monthly) at which you want interactive Scan to perform automatic scanning.
Date/Day of Week/Monthis the day on which you want to scan. If the selected 
Frequency is Weekly, select the day of the week (Sunday through Saturday). 
	If the Frequency is Monthly, select the day of the month (1 through 31). If the Frequency is Daily, this list is unavailable.
Time of Dayis the time of day at which the automatic scan will occur (midnight to 11:00 pm).
Local Drivestells interactive Scan to scan all local drives on the workstation. The Scan command line equivalent is /ADL.
Network Drivestells interactive Scan to scan all local drives on the workstation. The Scan command line equivalent is /ADN.
Selectdisplays the Scanning Selection dialog box from which you can select drives, directories, and files for the currently selected scheduled scan only. For more information, see “Selecting drives, directories, and files to scan” earlier in this chapter. Selecting items from within the Scheduler dialog box does not change the items currently selected for scanning in the main application.
Optionsdisplays the interactive Scan Notebook from which you can select scanning options for the currently selected scheduled scan only. For more information, see “Selecting scanning options” earlier in this chapter. Selecting these options from within the Scheduler dialog box does not change the scanning options currently selected in the main application.

Using the scan activity log
The activity log keeps track of the dates and times you scan your system, as well as associated messages regarding the items scanned and infections found. It provides an audit trail that you can use to verify regular scanning or, if you encounter an infection, to determine the last time the system was scanned for viruses and which items were found to be infected.
1	To update the activity log with each scan, the Maintain Activity Log check box must be selected on the Reports page, as described in “Generating a scan report” earlier in this chapter.
Viewing the activity log

To view the activity log, choose Scan|Activity Log or click the Activity Log icon. You’ll see the Activity Log dialog box.
		To see details about the items scanned and viruses found for an individual scan, select the entry in the Summary of activities list, then choose Details. You’ll see the Activity Log–Details dialog box.
	 To print the detail information, choose Print from the Activity Log–Details dialog box. To close this dialog box, choose Close.
To print the activity log, choose Print from the Activity Log dialog box. The Print dialog box appears, as described in “Printing a report or activity log” later in this chapter. Select the options you want, then choose OK.
To clear the activity log, choose Clear Log from the Activity Log dialog box. You’ll see a dialog box asking you to confirm deletion. Choose Yes to delete the activity log file.
Specifying a different log file name
The default file name for the activity log is VSCAN.LOG. To specify a different log file name or path, use an ASCII text editor to change the LogFile variable in the [Maintain] section of the VSCAN.INI file, as shown in the following example.
[Maintain]
LogFile=c:\mcafee\logfile\myscan.log

Printing a report or activity log
You can print the report you have created on the Reports page of the Notebook, as described in “Using scan settings files” earlier in this chapter. You can also print the activity log, which is described in “Using the scan activity log” earlier in this chapter.
1	To print a report file, choose the Print Report button on the main window.
1	To print the activity log, choose the Print button on the Activity Log 
dialog box.
1	To print the virus list, choose Print in the Virus List dialog box.
You’ll see the Print dialog box. Select print options, then choose OK.
		You can change the printer settings for specialized printing needs. To set up the printer, choose File|Print Setup or choose the Setup button on the Print dialog box. You’ll see the Print Setup dialog box. Select print setup options, then choose OK.
 Displaying a list of known viruses
The virus list describes the many known viruses that interactive Scan detects, identifies, and disinfects. It tells you whether interactive Scan can remove the virus and provides additional information about the virus and the types of files it infects. The virus list information is stored in the NAMES.DAT file. The Scan command line equivalent is /VIRLIST.

To display the virus list, choose Help|Virus List, or click the Virus List icon. You’ll see the Virus List dialog box.
	
Scroll through the list using the scroll bars and select a virus to learn more about it. To scroll quickly, type the first letter of the virus you want to find.
Infectsdescribes what the selected virus infects:
1	Files, if selected, indicates that the virus infects files. If the virus targets files with specific extensions or files of a specific type, the extensions appear to the right of the check box.
1	Boot sectors, if selected, indicates that the virus infects the boot sector of 
a disk.
1	MBR, if selected, indicates that the virus infects the master boot record of 
a disk.
1	Can be cleaned, if selected, indicates that interactive Scan can remove the virus from infected files.
Featuresdescribes behaviors of the selected virus:
1	Memory resident, if selected, indicates that the virus is a memory resident program that, like a (TSR) or a device driver, remains active in memory while the computer is running.
1	Encrypted, if selected, indicates that the virus attempts to evade detection by self-encrypting.
1	Polymorphic, if selected, indicates that the virus attempts to evade detection by changing its internal structure or its encryption techniques.
1	Virus size describes the amount, in bytes, that the virus increases the size of a file it infects.
Printing the virus list
To print the virus list, choose Print in the Virus List dialog box. You’ll see the Print dialog box. Select the options you want, then choose OK. For more information, see “Printing a report or activity log” earlier in this chapter.
Getting help
Interactive Scan provides extensive on-line help for all of its features. You can obtain context-sensitive help for menus, icons, and dialog box objects, as well as general help for conceptual and background information.
1	To get general help, choose Help|Contents. You’ll see the Contents page of the on-line help system.
		1	To get general help for a dialog box or window, choose its Help button.
1	To get help on using the on-line help system, choose Help|Help on Help or press [F1] while in the Help window.
Technical Note 1: Setting up profiles
Before you can select profiles from the Run Profile dialog box, described in “Loading and using profiles” earlier in this chapter, the profiles must be defined in the VSCAN.INI file. Once defined, you must restart interactive Scan for your changes to take effect.
1	Contact your system administrator or information services staff before attempting this procedure yourself. They might want to perform this procedure for you.
To set up or modify a profile, you need to use a text editor that can read and save VSCAN.INI as an ASCII text file. You also need to create the scan load file you want to use for each profile, as described in the discussion of the “/LOAD” option in Chapter 4.
The Run Profile dialog box uses the following variables defined in the VSCAN.INI file.Here’s an example of settings for the header variables in the VSCAN.INI file.
 Description (for Profile1)
Label (for Profile1)
Header2
Header1
		Header1=Profile Engine v1.0
Header2=Select a profile to run, please
Here’s an example of settings for one of the buttons in the VSCAN.INI file.
[Profile1]
Label=Hard Disk
Description=Scan disk C:
File=c:\mcafee\profile1.prf
[Profile1]begins the section for the first button (the next button is Profile2, and so on).
Labelis the short word or phrase that appears in the button.
Descriptionis the text that provides additional information about the profile and appears to the right of the button.
Fileidentifies the name and path of the settings file. If interactive Scan cannot locate the specified file, the button is dimmed (unavailable).
You can specify these settings for up to four profiles.
For more information about the VSCAN.INI file, including other settings, see the “VSCAN.INI” topic in on-line help.