MSAV--Notes

CHKLIST.MS files

Microsoft Anti-Virus creates a CHKLIST.MS file in each directory you scan
for viruses. The first time you scan a directory, Microsoft Anti-Virus
records in the CHKLIST.MS file checksums for each program. During subsequent
scans, it compares new checksums with the originals to determine if program
files have changed. A difference in checksum values indicates a possible
virus infection.

Real symptoms versus false alarms

Damaged programs, some memory-resident programs, and conflicts among device
drivers can cause your computer to act as if it were infected by a virus
when it is not. If you suspect your computer is infected, consider the
possible causes for the symptoms you observe. Instead of a computer virus, a
hardware or software problem is likely to be producing errors.

Check All Files option

When the Check All Files option is selected, AnitVirus for MS-DOS checks
only files with the following extensions: .386, .APP, .BIN, .CMD, .DOM,
.DLL, .DRV, .EXE, .FON, .ICO, .OV*, .PGM, .PIF, .PRG, .SYS.

MSAV.INI and the MSDOSDATA environment variable

When you start Anti-Virus for MS-DOS, it uses an initialization file named
MSAV.INI to configure the program. To determine the location of the MSAV.INI
file, Anti-Virus for MS-DOS first searches for the MSDOSDATA environment
variable, which specifies the path to the initialization file. If this
environment variable is not defined, the program searches for the MSAV.INI
file in the directory from which you started Anti-Virus for MS-DOS. If the
program does not find the file, the program creates it using default values
and places it in the directory.

The MSDOSDATA environment variable is useful if you share the MSAV.EXE file
with others, but use your own configuration for Anti-Virus for MS-DOS. For
example, suppose the MSAV.EXE file is located in the root directory on drive
P, a read-execute-only network server, and you want Anti-Virus for MS-DOS to
use your own configuration when it starts. To specify that it use the
MSAV.INI file located in the DOS directory on your drive C instead of the
initialization file located on network drive P, add the following line to
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

        set msdosdata=c:\dos

To start Anti-Virus for MS-DOS, type the following at the command prompt:

        p:\msav

Changes you make to the configuration of Anti-Virus for MS-DOS are saved in
the MSAV.INI file located in the DOS directory on drive C.

Using the /N switch

If you specify the /N switch, MSAV displays the contents of an MSAV.TXT
file, if it exists and it is located in the directory that contains the
MSAV.EXE file. MSAV then scans the current drive or the drive you specify.
MSAV does not use the graphical interface. If MSAV detects a virus, it
returns exit code 86 instead of displaying a message on your screen.