McAfee VirusScan
40 McAfee Office
What does the VShield scanner do?
McAfee desktop anti-virus products use two general methods to protect your
system. The first method, backgrou nd scanning, operat e s continuously,
watching for viruses as you use you r computer for everyday ta sks. In the
Viru sScan pr od u ct, the VShie ld scanner p erforms th is function. A second
method allows you to initiate your own scan operations. The VirusScan
application generally handles these tasks.
Depending on how you configure it, the V Shield scanner can monitor any file
that arrives on or leaves your system, whether on floppy disk, over your
network, in file attachments that accompany e-mail messages, or from the
Internet. The scanner looks for viruses as you open, save, copy, rename or
oth erwise modify your files, and it probes your computer's memory during
any file activity. The scanner starts when you start your computer, and stays
in memory until you shut it or your system down. The scanner also includes
optional features that guard against hostile Java applets and ActiveX controls,
and that keep your computer from connecting to dangerous Internet sites.
The VShield scanner consists of five rel ated modules, each of which h as a
spe cia lized fu ncti on. You can configure s e ttings for all o f these modules in the
VShield Pr operties dialog b ox. The VShield m odules are:
• System Scan. This module looks for viruses on your hard disk as you work
withyourcomputer.Ittracksfilesasyoursystemorothercomputersread
files from your hard disk orwrite files to it. It can also scan floppy d isks and
network drives mapped to your system.
• E-Mail Scan. Th ismodulescanse-mailmessages andmessageattachments
that you receiveviaintraofficee-mail systems, and via the Internet. It scans
your Microsoft Exchange or Outlook mailbox on your M icrosoft Exchange
server, and older cc:M ail e-mail systems.
• Download Scan. Thi s module s cans file s that you dow nload to your
system from the Internet. If you have enabled the Intern et mail option in
the E -M ail Scan module, this will incl ude e-mail and file attachments that
arrive via SMTP or POP-3 e-mail systems.
• Internet Filter. This module looks for an d blocks hostile Java classes and
ActiveX controls from downloading to an d executing from your system as
you visit Internet sites. It can also block your browser from connecting to
potentially dangerou s Internet site s that har b or malicious software.
• Security. This module provides password protection for the remaining
VShield m o dules. Y ou can protect any or all individual module property
pages a nd set a password to preven t unauthorized changes.
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