By default, Symantec Client Security scans all files during a virus scan. For scans other than Auto-Protect scanning, you can select to scan only files of a specific file type or with specific extensions. Scans by file type and extension are available when you select the following objects and scan types:
■ Client object: Manual scan, scheduled scan, and client Auto-Protect
■ Server object: Virus sweep, manual scan, scheduled server scan, and server Auto-Protect (Windows only)
When you scan by file type, Symantec Client Security reads each file’s header to determine the file type. For example, if you enable document scanning,
Symantec Client Security scans all documents even if you name them with nonstandard extensions, such as Document3.mlt instead of Document3.doc.
Note: This option doesn’t apply to NetWare servers; it applies only to Windows-based computers.
141 Scanning for viruses and other threats
Configuring scan options
When you scan by file extension, Symantec Client Security does not read the file header to determine the file type and scans only files with the extensions that you specify. Table 3-6 describes the recommended extensions.
Table 3-6 Recommended file extensions for scanning File extension Description
386 Driver
ACM Driver; audio compression manager
ACV Driver; audio compression/decompression manager
ADT ADT file; fax
AX AX file
BAT Batch
BTM Batch
BIN Binary
CLA Java Class
COM Executable
CPL Applet Control Panel for Microsoft Windows
CSC Corel Script
DLL Dynamic Link Library
DOC Microsoft Word
DOT Microsoft Word
DRV Driver
EXE Executable
HLP Help file
HTA HTML application
HTM HTML
HTML HTML
HTT HTML
INF Installation script
INI Initialization file
142 Scanning for viruses and other threats Configuring scan options
JS JavaScript
JSE JavaScript Encoded
JTD Ichitaro
MDB Microsoft Access
MP? Microsoft Project
MSO Microsoft Office 2000
OBD Microsoft Office binder
OBT Microsoft Office binder
OCX Microsoft object linking and embedding custom control
OV? Overlay
PIF Program information file
PL PERL program source code (UNIX)
PM Presentation Manager Bitmaps Graphics
POT Microsoft PowerPoint
PPT Microsoft PowerPoint
PPS Microsoft PowerPoint
RTF Rich Text Format document
SCR Fax/screensaver/snapshot, script for Faxview/Microsoft Windows
SH Shell Script (UNIX)
SHB Corel Show Background file
SHS Shell scrap file
SMM AmiPro
SYS Device driver
VBE VESA BIOS (Core Functions)
VBS VBScript
VSD Visio
VSS Visio
Table 3-6 Recommended file extensions for scanning File extension Description
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Select file types and extensions to scan for viruses
For all scan types, you can select files to scan by program type and extension.
For scheduled and manual scans, you can also select files to scan by extension and program type at the folder level.
To select files to scan by extension
1 In the Scan Options dialog box for the scan that you want to configure, click the appropriate Selected button.
2 Click Extensions.
3 In the Selected Extensions dialog box, you can select one of the following:
■ Add: Add your own extension by typing the extension and clicking Add.
■ Documents: Add all document extensions.
■ Programs: Add all program extensions.
■ Use Defaults: Add all extensions and program types.
4 Click OK until the Symantec System Center console appears.
To select files to scan by program type
1 In the Scan Options dialog box for the scan that you want to configure, click the appropriate Selected button.
2 Click Types.
3 In the Selected Types dialog box, select one of the following:
■ Document files: Scan document files regardless of their extensions.
■ Program files: Scan MS-DOS and Windows program files.
4 Click OK until the Symantec System Center console appears.
VST Visio
VXD Virtual device driver
WSF Windows Script File
WSH Windows Script Host Settings File
XL? Microsoft Excel
Table 3-6 Recommended file extensions for scanning File extension Description
144 Scanning for viruses and other threats Configuring scan options
To select files to scan by folder for manual scans
1 In the Symantec System Center console, right-click the object that you want to scan, and then click All Tasks > Symantec AntiVirus > Start Manual Scan.
2 In the Select Items dialog box, select the folders to scan.
3 Click Options and select the extensions and types to scan for the selected folders.
4 Click OK until the Symantec System Center console appears.
To select files to scan by folder for scheduled scans
1 In the Symantec System Center console, right-click the object that you want to scan, and then click All Tasks > Symantec AntiVirus > Scheduled Scans.
2 On the Server Scans tab, in the Server scans list, select a scan.
3 Click Edit.
4 In the Scheduled Scan dialog box, click Scan Settings.
5 In the Select Items dialog box, select the folders to scan.
6 Click Options and select the extensions and types to scan for the selected folders.
7 Click OK until the Symantec System Center console appears.
When you make selections in the tree, the icons change as listed in Table 3-7.
Table 3-7 Tree view icons Icon Description
Symantec Client Security will scan all of the files in this folder and also all of the files in subfolders.
Symantec Client Security will scan one or more items that you’ve selected in the folder or one of the subfolders.
Symantec Client Security will scan the selected file. This is available only from the client or server interface.
Symantec Client Security does not scan the folder or subitems.
145 Scanning for viruses and other threats
Configuring scan options