Can I run F-Prot for DOS in XP's DOS window?

[Zvi Netiv]

There seems to be some agreement that, successfully running F-Prot
depends more on the OS you are running, rather than the file system.

Not "more", but uniquely.

Presumably the Dos emulation of win 2k or XP knows how to read
filenames in the NTFS format and deliver them to dos programs?

There is no filename "standard" that is special to NTFS only. Long filenames
were introduced with the advent of 32 bit operating systems and are not bound to
the file system. The LFN standard also sets the conventions how long filenames
are to be represented under older OS that do not support LFN and how to assure
compatibility between the two.

I converted my win 2K to fat-32 anyway so I could have some decent
freeware tools to handle the disk and some compatibility with
prior programs and versions of windows.

I wonder if using the Dos-Box emulation under XP would help
F-prot?

It was already explained in several posts of this thread that it will not help.
The DOS box under ALL Windows versions, including those that still have DOS in
the basement (Win 9x AND Me, although the latter pretends as if there is no DOS
in its cellar) is not true DOS. Under NT / W2K and XP, it's even less "true"
DOS than under 9x/Me.

Other dos programs that do not run correctly under
XP's shell, command.com, or cmd.exe -- seem to run OK under
the better Dos-Box emulation.

I now do a lot of the work that I previously did under Win 98, for the reason
that you mention, under XP's 4NT shell (the same as 4DOS, but for W2K/XP). The
only real difference between the two DOS shells is direct disk access, which is
not allowed under NT/W2K/XP. Antivirus software need that service to inspect
boot and partition sectors.

If you have a fat-32 file system, I do not see why you
can not simply start your PC with a floppy running
some version of real mode dos 7x, and use F-Prot with
no problems: The program should have no problem with
filenames in this case.

FYI, a boot disk for Windows 98 is DOS 7x. Besides of being pointless (you can
always use the Windows version of the scanner from safe mode with command
prompt), scanning from DOS boot is limited to a path length of 64 characters,
which is exceeded on many PCs.

Is it that the dos version of F-Prot does not know
the virus signatures of programs that run only under
XP? No - that could not be true, since the data
tables are the same as for the shareware version, yes?

F-Prot for DOS and Windows use exactly the same virus definition files.

In case you didn't see it, then here is advice from the horse's mouth (Frisk):
Under XP / W2K and NT, rather use the command line scanner FPCMD.EXE, available
from the Windows version instead of F-PROT.EXE.

Regards, Zvi

 

[Franklin]

Bottom line: F-Prot for DOS, proper, won't fit your purpose,
but the command line F-Prot scanner (FPCMD) for Windows will.
Just import FPCMD.EXE from the Windows version and use it
instead of F-Prot.exe. For command line syntax run FPCMD -HELP.

Zvi, I used your suggestion and got F-PROT FOR DOS working in XP
by using FPCMD.EXE from the Windows version. Thank you!

One problem I have still got is that I have to open a command line
(DOS-emulation) window at the individual directory which I wish to
scan and then run FPCMD.EXE with all its switches.

It would be better to right click on a directory and select
"FProt" from the context menu. This document explains the basics
of how to do this by tweaking [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
in the registry. But the command switches in the document seem
out of date. http://www.uzipaz.com/eng/f-prot.html

Do you know how I might keep the DOS window on display after the
command has run?

At the moment, as a registry value for
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\F-Prot\command\\default
I have got:
"C:\Program Files\FProtWin\fpcmd.exe" "%1" -list -ai
-archive=99 -packed -dumb

Any ideas on what I might need to modify? Anyone?

 

[Zvi Netiv]

Bottom line: F-Prot for DOS, proper, won't fit your purpose,
but the command line F-Prot scanner (FPCMD) for Windows will.
Just import FPCMD.EXE from the Windows version and use it
instead of F-Prot.exe. For command line syntax run FPCMD -HELP.

Zvi, I used your suggestion and got F-PROT FOR DOS working in XP
by using FPCMD.EXE from the Windows version. Thank you!

One problem I have still got is that I have to open a command line
(DOS-emulation) window at the individual directory which I wish to
scan and then run FPCMD.EXE with all its switches.

It would be better to right click on a directory and select
"FProt" from the context menu. This document explains the basics
of how to do this by tweaking [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
in the registry. But the command switches in the document seem
out of date. http://www.uzipaz.com/eng/f-prot.html

Do you know how I might keep the DOS window on display after the
command has run?

At the moment, as a registry value for
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\F-Prot\command\\default
I have got:
"C:\Program Files\FProtWin\fpcmd.exe" "%1" -list -ai
-archive=99 -packed -dumb

Any ideas on what I might need to modify? Anyone?

Frankly(n), I think that you are wasting a lot of time and efforts on an
unimportant issue.

Nevertheless, to keep the DOS shell window open after the task terminated,
assign the task to a batch file rather than to FPcmd directly. The last line in
the batch should be a "pause" command. The only parameter to pass to the batch
is %1, the switches to FPCMD can be left to the batch. That simple.

Regards, Zvi

 

[Howard Schwartz]

Indeed, dos extensions like lfsdos provide the long filename api for
programs that support it, which the gnu dos programs do. Extenders like
cwsdpmi.exe provide 32-bit support. However, I doubt the f-Prot people
are interested in changing their free dos program, so it can read
long filenames. There are easy workarounds for those who care:
One program, ldir.com creates puts in a file, a list of long filenames
and their shorter dos equivalents, for those who want to translate.

By the way: You CAN put F-Prot and its data files on a floppy, using
any of several dos 7x startup disks: some compress F-Prot tightly and
then expand it to a ramdisk created by the startup disk. Others, create
the ramdisk with a first startup disk, and automatically uncompress
additional programs, when you insert additional floppies with
applications you want in the ram disk.

 

[Howard Schwartz]

There is no filename "standard" that is special to NTFS only. Long
filenames were introduced with the advent of 32 bit operating systems
and are not bound to the file system. The LFN standard also sets the
conventions how long filenames are to be represented under older OS
that do not support LFN and how to assure compatibility between the
two.

I was not referring to the `standard'. I thought the NTFS master file table
stored filenames of whatever sort (long, short, etc.) in a different want
than the Fat tables of old. Not true? If true, would a program need to know
how to read the new table? Probably not, since it would query the bios
which would know how to do this? I admit I am out of my league here -
excuse the ignorance.

 

[Stan Brown]

Nevertheless, to keep the DOS shell window open after the task terminated,
assign the task to a batch file rather than to FPcmd directly. The last line in
the batch should be a "pause" command. The only parameter to pass to the batch
is %1, the switches to FPCMD can be left to the batch. That simple.

Another way, not involving a separate file, is to put
cmd /k
in the shortcut to the left of the fpcmd or fprot command. That
says "open a command prompt, execute the following command, and
wait for further commands from the user."

 

[Mel]

On Fri 15 Apr 2005 23:42:40, MEL wrote:
<

[,,,]

My problem with Mwav (escan.exe) affected a couple of programs
start-up entries, neither of which specify the full path.

One is MS Intellipoint: message from Mwav's log:-

"ERROR!!! Invalid Entry POINTER = point32.exe (in key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run). Removing it."

You mean that it just went ahead and did it without asking for
confirmation? That would be enough for me to ditch it.

It did, one of the reasons I use Antidote.

Also, although Antidote has fewer scan options, I find them
more useful.

One minor problem with it: the list view for the scan results is
very small, right clicking on it gives the option to save the results.
Unfortunately with Windows 98 this can cause an invalid page fault
- I'm told this hasn't occured on a machine running XP.

 

[Zvi Netiv]

I was not referring to the `standard'. I thought the NTFS master file table
stored filenames of whatever sort (long, short, etc.) in a different want
than the Fat tables of old. Not true?

Under the FAT file system, names are stored in blocks known as "directory". The
FAT itself holds just pointer chains to clusters, nothing else . The link
between a file entry in a directory block and its clusters chain in the FAT is
the number of the first cluster. MFT is a totally different system.

If true, would a program need to know
how to read the new table?

Not at all. It's the operating system that provides file and directory
services. The problem from which F-Prot for DOS suffers (under NT based OS) is
the selection of the wrong 32bit extender at a very early stage. Fact that
other DOS scanners don't have that problem.

Probably not, since it would query the bios
which would know how to do this?

Another wild speculation of yours. ;-) The BIOS provides no file services
whatsoever, not even under DOS. It's the operating system that takes care of
these. Besides, BIOS routines play no role under NT based systems, they are
replaced by the OS own.

Regards, Zvi

 

[MsOsWin]

I run F-Prot from desktop Icons to check specific folders or drives,
for example my floppy drive:

C:\F-PROT\F-PROT.EXE A:\ /ARCHIVE /PACKED /BEEP /DUMB

i have links to download update defs. then i extract to a shortcut (to teh fprot program). then i go to a folder with a batch that
reports, append to a file.

i've been runnig it on XP without ever thinking about the ntfs difference.

frprot always runs in a dos or dos-like window, i guess. it always runs it's own full size DOS-text window. (no mouse, you have
to use tab, esc, enter keys, and type in paths if you want fprot to be particular. which is why i made up a short command-line
BAT, just as you wrote a command-line shortcut)

 

[James Egan]

i've been runnig it on XP without ever thinking about the ntfs difference.

How many times does it have to be said? It is NOTHING to do with ntfs.
The problem is with the XP operating system NOT the ntfs filesystem.


Jim.