PING: Susan Bugher & Art Kopp re: F-Prot for DOS PWL Desc.

[DC]

Important FYI for you, dear. pricelessware.org states...

<q>
F-Prot Antivirus for DOS (freeware) (free for personal use) OS:
Win3x/9x/XP, OS2, or UNIX, LINUX or Macintosh workstation running a DOS
or Windows emulator.
</q>

....when the true system requirements are:

http://www.f-prot.com/products/home_use/dos/
<q>
F-Prot Antivirus for DOS will run under Windows 3.x, Windows 95, 98, ME
or UNIX, LINUX or Macintosh workstation running a DOS or Windows
emulator.
</q>

Yeah, it will work on XP, to a degree, so long as you don't intend to scan NTFS
volumes (which is the default file system config for 99.999% of XP setups).

Can it be said that it will run on an exclusively FAT32 WinXP setup? I
don't know. I would prefer to let Art Kopp comment on that, if he
wouldn't mind.

 

[null]

Important FYI for you, dear. pricelessware.org states...

<q>
F-Prot Antivirus for DOS (freeware) (free for personal use) OS:
Win3x/9x/XP, OS2, or UNIX, LINUX or Macintosh workstation running a DOS
or Windows emulator.
</q>

...when the true system requirements are:

http://www.f-prot.com/products/home_use/dos/
<q>
F-Prot Antivirus for DOS will run under Windows 3.x, Windows 95, 98, ME
or UNIX, LINUX or Macintosh workstation running a DOS or Windows
emulator.
</q>

Yeah, it will work on XP, to a degree, so long as you don't intend to scan NTFS
volumes (which is the default file system config for 99.999% of XP setups).

Can it be said that it will run on an exclusively FAT32 WinXP setup? I
don't know. I would prefer to let Art Kopp comment on that, if he
wouldn't mind.

I can't speak from experience since I only use Win9x/ME. There have
been many discussions on this subject on the virus lists. Some dealing
exclusively with the NTFS situation and others questioning why Frisk
excluded NT based OS entirely even when they might be FAT32. Frisk
hasn't commented along these lines on the virus lists that I've seen.
You might contact him directly and ask him

I'm pretty sure I've seen posts by people using F-Prot for DOS on
FAT32 and XP who claim they find no problems. I think some use a dual
boot arrangement, maintaining Win 98 with its DOS boot capabilities,
etc. along with XP.

Doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to test and make sure
F-Prot definitely scans all directories and files. Use the /dumb
switch to cause it to scan all files (and the /sub switch) and see if
the final statistics report agrees with what you know to be the
correct numbers. I wouldn't do this (or bet on it) in Windows though.
I'd do it after cold booting using something like a Win 98 boot
diskette.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg

 

[Roger RamJet]

Important FYI for you, dear. pricelessware.org states...

<q>
F-Prot Antivirus for DOS (freeware) (free for personal use) OS:
Win3x/9x/XP, OS2, or UNIX, LINUX or Macintosh workstation running a DOS
or Windows emulator.
</q>

...when the true system requirements are:

http://www.f-prot.com/products/home_use/dos/
<q>
F-Prot Antivirus for DOS will run under Windows 3.x, Windows 95, 98, ME
or UNIX, LINUX or Macintosh workstation running a DOS or Windows
emulator.
</q>

Yeah, it will work on XP, to a degree, so long as you don't intend to scan NTFS
volumes (which is the default file system config for 99.999% of XP setups).

Can it be said that it will run on an exclusively FAT32 WinXP setup? I
don't know. I would prefer to let Art Kopp comment on that, if he
wouldn't mind.

I have used F-Prot for DOS on FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS systems and it has
worked perfectly. I don't know who told you that F-Prot wouldn't work
on NTFS volumes, but they are wrong.

 

[Roger RamJet]

<snip.

I have used F-Prot for DOS on FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS systems and it has
worked perfectly. I don't know who told you that F-Prot wouldn't work
on NTFS volumes, but they are wrong.

Err, I guess I shouldn't make a broad statement like that without
proof, so here it is :
http://members.shaw.ca/sincnet/fprot.jpg

 

[Bjorn Simonsen]

Err, I guess I shouldn't make a broad statement like that without
proof, so here it is :
http://members.shaw.ca/sincnet/fprot.jpg

Does not prove much, no mention of file system there Maybe you guys
are talking past each other? My guess is that F-prot for DOS will
check NTFS volumes if run from a command window under win NT/2k/XP
(the OS handles the NTFS filesystem), but not when run from Win9x or a
DOS/Win9x boot disk/floppy (the OS does not understand NTFS without
help - like from NTFSDOS by www.sysinternals.com).

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen

 

[Big-pallooka]

Does not prove much, no mention of file system there Maybe you guys
are talking past each other? My guess is that F-prot for DOS will
check NTFS volumes if run from a command window under win NT/2k/XP
(the OS handles the NTFS filesystem), but not when run from Win9x or a
DOS/Win9x boot disk/floppy (the OS does not understand NTFS without
help - like from NTFSDOS by www.sysinternals.com).

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen

Couldn't get it to work on two XP systems I tried it on, guess I know why
now (DOH!) Both were NTFS.
Regards
Dave

 

[null]

Does not prove much, no mention of file system there Maybe you guys
are talking past each other? My guess is that F-prot for DOS will
check NTFS volumes if run from a command window under win NT/2k/XP
(the OS handles the NTFS filesystem),

Preferably in Safe mode only but some experts have warned that F-Prot
DOS doesn't always behave correctly even in this case. KAVDOS32 has
been reported to be more reliable for use in this Safe mode situation.
But remember that using a av scanner in Windows is not ideal in the
first place. So this is of limited value in any event.

but not when run from Win9x or a
DOS/Win9x boot disk/floppy (the OS does not understand NTFS without
help - like from NTFSDOS by www.sysinternals.com).

Even that has been reported to not alway be reliable. There is no
really reliable or universally recommended way to use F-Prot for DOS
to scan NTFS partitions.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg

 

[Bjorn Simonsen]

Couldn't get it to work on two XP systems I tried it on, guess I know why
now (DOH!) Both were NTFS.

I've copied below a message with batch suggestion from someone loading
NFTDOS and F-prot in a batch file running from what seems to be a
bootable DOS or win98 CD that boots into DOS mode. (can not offer a
google link for the message - poster used X-No-Archive: yes).

Notice you need NTFDOS for this to work, and you probably will have to
adapt the batch file to your own environment, unzip program, ramdrive
program (poster using XMSDSK), f-prot commandline, drive letters and
so on. At least it should give you an idea on how this can be done.

You can download a free READ-ONLY version of NTFDOS from
<http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/NTFSDOS.shtml>.

I guess the READ-ONLY version of NTFSDOS should work with F-prot if
you use F-prot for virus *detection only* (not removal as it can not
write to the NFTS volume; remember read-only version of NTFDOS). Also
notice sysinternals offer a similar NFTS Win98 driver - this is if you
boot into the Windows GUI and want access to NFTS volumes from there.
See link on above page.

For an alternative to NTFSDOS, you may want to have a look at
the freeware (but also) *read-only* NFTS driver from
<http://www.ntfs.com/>.

Now to the message I've copied:

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 04:57:29 GMT, Yvonne posted
<[email protected]>
to <alt.comp.anti-virus>:

<copy of message follows>

I did a similar project last year, with F-prot. This is the
autoexec.bat on my bootable CD:

@echo off
@echo F-Prot virusscanner for NTFS volumes. Please download the
latest
virus definitions from the F-Prot website and copy these to a floppy
disk first.
pause
LH MSCDEX /D:MSCD0001 /L:X
LH XMSDSK /Y W:8192
SET RAMDISK=W
SET CDROM=X
@echo copying files from cd to ramdisk ....
copy %CDROM%:\*.* %RAMDISK%:\
@echo please insert the disk with virus definitions in drive a
pause
@echo copying new virus definitions ....
%RAMDISK%:
a:\pkunzip -e -o B:\*.zip
ntfspro
@echo Ready to start F_PROT. Type F_PROT /? for available options
@echo e.g.: F_PROT X: /disinf /dumb /archive,
@echo where X: is the drive letter NTFS is mounted on (see above)

Basic instructions came from a magazine article).

</copy of message>

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen

 

[Bjorn Simonsen]

Even that has been reported to not alway be reliable. There is no
really reliable or universally recommended way to use F-Prot for DOS
to scan NTFS partitions.

Thanks for the info, didn't know this. Nor have I tried using F-prot
on NFTS volumes my self.

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen

 

[Roger RamJet]

Thanks for the info, didn't know this. Nor have I tried using F-prot
on NFTS volumes my self.

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen

I am seriously starting to wonder if this thread isn't really some
sort of diabolical make work project for SysAdmins. One more try:
http://members.shaw.ca/sincnet/fprot2.jpg

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BBQ=AB?=]

I am seriously starting to wonder if this thread isn't really some
sort of diabolical make work project for SysAdmins. One more try:
http://members.shaw.ca/sincnet/fprot2.jpg

Scanning one file on one NTFS partition under one Windows OS does
not tell us anything. There have been numerous reports in a.c.v of
various problems with using F-Prot for DOS with NTFS partitions,
both from command shells within Windows OS's and from within a true
DOS environments. AFAIK, no one has fully understood the nature of
the problems (or at least no one has put forth a well-accepted
explanation for them). But no one other than you disputes the fact
that there are problems.

Below is what happens when I try a scan of all files on my
system partition, including all subdirectories, under WinXP Home SP1
using a command shell. My system partition is NTFS - I think it's
the NTFS version that shipped with WinXP Home, but I am not certain
about that. There are a /lot/ more than 215 files in the partition.

Search: c:
Action: Report only
Files: "Dumb" scan of all files
Switches: /ARCHIVE /PACKED
No viruses found in memory.
Hard disk boot sectors were not scanned.

Results of virus scanning:

Files: 215
MBRs: 0
Boot sectors: 0
Objects scanned: 211

Time: 0:03

No viruses or suspicious files/boot sectors were found.

 

[DC]

I am seriously starting to wonder if this thread isn't really some
sort of diabolical make work project for SysAdmins. One more try:
http://members.shaw.ca/sincnet/fprot2.jpg

This proves nothing.

Scan the entire drive. Report back the number of files scanned. I know
that, on my 120GB of NTFS HDD, I have more than 1749 files.

It is not reliable. Period.

Prove it to yourself: google alt.comp.virus for threads on f-prot+ntfs.