Can I schedule a full scan?

ptoye

I'm trialling F-Secure SAFE on a Windows 10 machine. I want to schedule a full scan weekly, but can't see how to do it. I can do it manually, but that setting doesn't seem to be available for a scheduled scan. Or does that use the same setting as a manual scan?

ptoye

Hello @Ukko

Why sorry for your reply? I don't understand that!

My comment was really that the list of potentially infected files seems a bit out of date.

It's good to know that unchecking the 'faster' buttons really does check everything available.

Ukko

Hello,

Hello @Ukko

Why sorry for your reply? I don't understand that!

Well, just because someone may not want to know the other user's opinion. Instead, someone would prefer to receive an official response from officials. So, just in case (and for the reason that my sentences are not very easy to understand).

But thanks and glad you find the replies helpful.

My comment was really that the list of potentially infected files seems a bit out of date

Yes, indeed.

But quoted text is from "Help / Guide" - where already some changes like ""The files with the following extensions are examples of file types that are scanned when you select this option"" (what you also noticed / mentioned. so it doesn't mean it's complete). Perhaps, there are reasons do not list all of them (in this reference material). For example, it is difficult to keep up to date; for security reasons; or to simplify the text. With some I think there was a generalization of terms (like doc, docx, htm, html - if this is the case).

Anyway, I am sure that this concern can be noticed and picked up by F-Secure Teams to think about.

Thanks!

Ukko

Hello,

I am only an F-Secure user.

I want to schedule a full scan weekly,

You should probably be able to do this.

There is Online Guide about: Scheduling scans | SAFE | Latest | F-Secure User Guides

 I can do it manually, but that setting doesn't seem to be available for a scheduled scan. Or does that use the same setting as a manual scan?

Could you check if by following mentioned guide - you can manage to set up "Every week (Scan your computer on selected days of the week. Select the weekday from the list.)" scheduled scan?

Scheduled scan is almost as a full scan (you can tweak some options, which are described in guide). However, there could be differences. For example, automatically applied actions or even a bit more higher count of files.

Thanks!

ptoye

@Ukko Thanks. I'd already found that page, but it doesn't mention full scans. That why I asked the question!

I'm doing a manual full scan now and will follow that up with a scheduled scan and then I'll compare the results and report back - probably in some hours time.

Ukko

Hello,

Thanks for your response. Yes, I see your point.

I'd already found that page, but it doesn't mention full scans

It is almost like a full scan. But need to define what is a "full scan". At least, scheduled scan should scan all drives. With checked options - scanning inside zipped files and so on. It runs (perhaps) as a command line / script tool. Actions are default. Perhaps, equal set of engines used too.

I'm doing a manual full scan now and will follow that up with a scheduled scan and then I'll compare the results and report back - probably in some hours time.

So, there will be differences. Not sure in which way. And both of them are useful from time to time.

Thanks!

ptoye

@ukko Thanks again. F-Secure uses the term 'full computer scan' in the 'Viruses and Threats' page - that's what I meant by 'full scan'. The scheduled scan is still running, so it's obviously dong more than the 'quick scan'.

ptoye

Very interesting. The manual 'full computer scan' scanned 366,534 items. The scheduled scan scanned 856632. I thought this was because the scheduled scan runs as an admin user and has access to more of the system files, but it's quite a difference. So I ran a full manual scan as the admin user and it scanned 433,789 items - 470,789 when I told it to scan within compressed files.

So it seems that a scheduled scan finds far more items to scan than full computer scan - interesting, but at least it means that a scheduled scan is seriously thorough.

Jaims

Hi @ptoye

• Virus scan scans only the parts of your system that contain installed applications. It can find and remove unwanted applications and harmful items on your computer in a shorter time.
• Full computer scan scans all internal and external hard drives for viruses, spyware, and potentially unwanted applications. It also checks for items that are possibly hidden by a rootkit. The full computer scan can take a long time to complete.

For a scheduled scan you can choose from 3 types of scanning: 

• Select Run scanning on low priority to make the scheduled scan interfere less with other activities on the computer. Running the scan on low priority takes longer to complete.
• Select Scan only known file types to scan only files that are most likely to be harmful, for example executable files. Scanning only known file types makes the scanning faster. Leave the option unchecked to scan all files. The files with the following extensions are examples of known file types: com, doc, dot, exe, htm , ini, jar, pdf, scr, wma, xml, zip.
• Select Scan inside compressed files to scan files that are inside compressed archive files, for example zip files. Scanning inside compressed files makes the scanning slower. Leave the option unchecked to scan the archive file but not the files that are inside it.

ptoye

Hello @Jaims

Thanks - this is fairly clear from the help pages which I've read. It seems from my experiments that unsetting 'Scan only known file types' does in fact scan a very large number of files. But I notice that, for instance, .docx is not in the list of examples of known file types. OK, the help page says that these are examples and is not exhaustive, but it's a notable omission! It looks (but is not explicitly stated in the help pages) as if unchecking it does in fact scan everything.

I agree that there is a question as to whether it's worth while doing that - personally I tend to work in paranoia mode even if scans take an age.

Ukko

Hello,

Sorry for my reply.

But I notice that, for instance, .docx is not in the list of examples of known file types. OK, the help page says that these are examples and is not exhaustive, but it's a notable omission! 

Maybe it was meant by the 'doc' example (as htm too for htm/html). However, there really is only a "small" piece of the list of known file types that are most likely to be harmful... and such an omission (or generalization) would be appropriate.

Or is this based on your experience with the scan result? Where the malicious .docx was not detected/scanned with checked option.

It looks (but is not explicitly stated in the help pages) as if unchecking it does in fact scan everything.

It should mean it (to scan almost "everything"). There are some remarks about (because): use of "Scan only file types that commonly contain harmful code" with /faster/ ; So, when the option is unchecked, not only that, but everything else (available) is scanned.

What about higher number of scanned files with scheduled run. Maybe, cloud-design with less usage there. So, any 'whitelisted' (surely) things still scanned (not skipped) and recently scanned items (surely safe) with re-scan and other things that can be 'lighter' with cloud-design benefits to scan process.

Thanks!