Author Topic: What is actually scanned in predefined scan "Select folders to scan"?  (Read 3494 times)

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ZoAm

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Hello to all. It seems that I can't find information to some elementary questions. What is exactly scanned in the following scenario:

Use predefined scan "Select folders to scan", and select some subdirectory, for example "c:\Documents and Settings". Now deselect some subdirectory, for example "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users". At that moment, parent directory, "c:\Documents and Settings", will no longer be listed in "Selected paths" window. Does that mean that files in directory "c:\Documents and Settings" will not be scanned any more? It seems that, generally, for whatever directory level have deselected subdirectory, files in that directory (or its parents directories) will not be scanned any more, although they were previously selected. I am not quite sure, but I think I have missed virus that way. Can somebody confirm this? What are the selection rules for arbitrary combinations of selected and deselected directories on several levels of subdirectory structure?

There is also another, related question. Is there easy way to scan only files and not any of the subdirectories? It is almost impossible to fill long exclusion list of all subdirectories which will only be used for single test scan, and then doing that again and again for next directory.

Why do I need it? Sometimes, because of timing or other restrictions, it is necessary to avoid immediate full scan of everything. Because of that, first thing I have to do is understand what was affected with some infection and, if possible, to learn at least something of virus behavior. For that, I do many small scan tests (what user rights were used for infection or, for example, to see if single temporary cleaned directory will be infected again), which must be very fast. Exhaustive scan is not necessary at that point, but it is imperative that I know exactly what subset of files and directories I am actually scanning. I can't find that in the manual. If I am right about my assumption, it is dangerous, nonintuitive behavior.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2011, 02:45:18 PM by ZoAm »

Offline MayuraDeSilva

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Oops... You just right click your file and select scan ..... (with avast logo).

AND if you wanna scan parent directory, just select that and no more sub-directories @ selected files/folder scan. So whole parent directory will scan. if you wanna scan only a sub-directory just check that, it will check your destination, not whole path.

Hope you got it.

Cheers...

ZoAm

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I am sorry, but my question was different. If I have directory with many files and many large subdirectories in it, how do I exclude some of these subdirectories, while still scanning all files in that directory and remaining subdirectories (using predefined scan "Select folders to scan" and without having to go to "Settings" and "Exclusions" every time I do that)? There are lots of these exclusions and they are different every time.

I use "Select folders to scan" menu, click Start, and select some directory from open directory tree. Now I want to exclude some sub directory of that directory (i.e. some directory which is in the originally selected directory). I click at the plus sign next to selected directory (directory with check mark), and erase check mark next to some sub directory of the originally selected directory. At the moment I erased check mark from any subdirectory, files in the originally selected (containing) directory are not selected any more, and will NOT be scanned. If I am right about that, that is nonintuitive and undocumented behavior. So, my question was what are the rules of selection when we have arbitrary combination of selections on several levels of directory hierarchy?

Also, how do I scan only files inside some directory (on that directory level only), and not files in any of the it's subdirectories (because it may take many hours to do that)? Not one file in directory, but all of them, including some I possibly may not see in Windows explorer. If I select any directory, it will always scan all of its subdirectories also (if exclusions are not defined in Settings, and that is extremely time consuming to do every time for ALL subdirectories of the directory you wish to scan at the moment).

Offline MayuraDeSilva

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I am sorry, but my question was different. If I have directory with many files and many large subdirectories in it, how do I exclude some of these subdirectories, while still scanning all files in that directory and remaining subdirectories (using predefined scan "Select folders to scan" and without having to go to "Settings" and "Exclusions" every time I do that)? There are lots of these exclusions and they are different every time.

I use "Select folders to scan" menu, click Start, and select some directory from open directory tree. Now I want to exclude some sub directory of that directory (i.e. some directory which is in the originally selected directory). I click at the plus sign next to selected directory (directory with check mark), and erase check mark next to some sub directory of the originally selected directory. At the moment I erased check mark from any subdirectory, files in the originally selected (containing) directory are not selected any more, and will NOT be scanned. If I am right about that, that is nonintuitive and undocumented behavior. So, my question was what are the rules of selection when we have arbitrary combination of selections on several levels of directory hierarchy?

Also, how do I scan only files inside some directory (on that directory level only), and not files in any of the it's subdirectories (because it may take many hours to do that)? Not one file in directory, but all of them, including some I possibly may not see in Windows explorer. If I select any directory, it will always scan all of its subdirectories also (if exclusions are not defined in Settings, and that is extremely time consuming to do every time for ALL subdirectories of the directory you wish to scan at the moment).


Its better if you can attach screenshot of your selected directories (to see how you selected them).

To scan files only in that directory level, you have to do it manually. You can't use selected folder menu anyway. Just go to specific directory and select all (Ctrl + A), and Click on unwanted files/folders you may need to exclude from scan while pressing Ctrl key. Then right click on remaining selected files/folders you wanna scan and click 'Scan selected items for virus'.

Hope this will help somewhat.

Cheers...

Offline igor

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If I have directory with many files and many large subdirectories in it, how do I exclude some of these subdirectories, while still scanning all files in that directory and remaining subdirectories (using predefined scan "Select folders to scan" and without having to go to "Settings" and "Exclusions" every time I do that)?

Sorry, it's not possible (from the "Select folders to scan" task; the context menu scan, as suggested by Mayura, should work - though only if the excluded folders are on the top level).

So, my question was what are the rules of selection when we have arbitrary combination of selections on several levels of directory hierarchy?

The rules are simple - the area selection dialog works with full folders only. So it's always full folders, possibly on different levels of the tree, that are scanned.

Also, how do I scan only files inside some directory (on that directory level only), and not files in any of the it's subdirectories (because it may take many hours to do that)?

Sorry, also not possible (again, context menu scan should work).
« Last Edit: May 02, 2011, 02:11:22 AM by igor »

ZoAm

  • Guest
Thank you.

So, area selection dialog can select only full folders, either everything in them, or nothing.  I am sorry to hear that because it drastically reduces usability of the area selection dialog. Any attempt to be completely flexible and select only some of the folders, which is easily assumed to be the whole point of the unfolding tree-like dialog, will automatically exclude all files at that level, and all upper levels, and there is simply no way to test files at certain level without being forced to test every possible folder level below them. Upper level files cannot be included; lover level files cannot be excluded. I suggest at least an entry about that in manual.

If I use manual selection with Ctrl-A and scan from context menu, will that selection also include hidden and system files in that directory?

Offline MayuraDeSilva

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If I use manual selection with Ctrl-A and scan from context menu, will that selection also include hidden and system files in that directory?

Nope, unless if you selected to show hidden files and protected operating system files under Folder Options...

Cheers...