Feature Suggestion: Allow scheduled scan with no one logged in.

[Guest]

I often leave my machine on, but I always log out, as a generally good
security practice.

It would be really valuable if I could schedule a scan to occur even when no
one is logged in (like with Task Scheduler). In the same vein, it would be
handy if I had the option to "wake computer for this task", when scheduling a
task that would occur with no one logged in.

While we're at it: It would be nice if the auto-update for the anti-spyware
application could run on a scheduled basis, regardless of whether the user is
logged on. In fact, if I'm running a scheduled scan, it woudl be kind of
handy if I could check a "check for updates first" option, so that my scan
job would try to auto-update Microsoft Anti Spyware before running the scan.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I think you'll get your wish on both of these with beta2.

 

[Guest]

Great news! Thanks, Bill.

-- Jeremy

I think you'll get your wish on both of these with beta2.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

The update feature won't please everyone. Essentially, it will use
AutoUpdate, Windows Software Update Services. So--the design and
expectation is that this will be automatic with no user interaction required
or expected. In the Vista version which has been discussed publicly, there
is a manual trigger for an update check, but it is somewhat hidden. They
really want folks not to be so fixated on definition versions and speed of
acquisition.


--

 

[Guest]

That's not exactly ideal. It should over the office ok, as we use SUS here.
However, it does not seem to help me out at home. Example: My daughter's
computer is a WinXP Pro machine. (we do not operate a domain at home). She
runs as a regular user, and I rarely use the machine.

Now, the windows update is set to automatic, but it only seems to run if I
log on with admin privileges.

Would I be correct in assuming that since I don't run an SUS server at home,
and since we do not run as local admins, that our home PCs will not see any
benefit from the scheduler enhancements in beta 2?

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I have one office that I work with that runs as limited users. I've never
been there on first Tuesdays, but my understanding is that the patches
arrive and are called out, and the user is offered the prompt to do a RUNAS
with administrator credentials to do the installation.
They are in a domain, but without WSUS, and each user normally runs as a
limited user, but also knows the admin credentials. (5 people, good trust
level.)

I'll admit to not doing this at home, myself <sheepish grin>

I'm not yet in a position to test this behavior and report publicly on the
results. However, when I can, I will do so, and also bug the behavior if
not usable. However, since this is largely an OS level issue, I am not sure
what can be done if it doesn't work well, in terms of XP.

--

 

[Guest]

Well, of everyone at my house, I am the worst about running with least
privileges <g>.

As to the scheduler: There probably are some limits as to what can be done.
I suppose that what I would hope for would be the ability to supply the
credentials that the scheduler should use at the time that I am scheduling
the scan. Since it will happen unattended, I suppose that you would also
have to specify what you wanted the software to do when it found spyware
(maybe options for log or quarantine).

I would compare it to the way that I handle get my disk defragmenting chores
-- I have a task in the Task manager that logs in with admin rights every
night to run the defragger.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Scanning won't be a problem. Beta2 will include a component running as a
service. Presumably that piece will be running as a system service,
communicating with UI which will run with whatever privileges the current
user has. This should help with both scheduling and administrator/limited
user issues.

The only piece I am uncertain about is the definition updates.
--