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Optimizing McAfee VirusScan

In the ever-changing world of the Internet, hardly a day goes by without a new virus being discovered. The breakneck pace of information technology means that even a slight hesitation in staying current can result in the regrettable consequences of a virus-infected system. Fortunately, McAfee includes a feature that allows you to not only update the program itself and apply the latest patches, but also keep current on the latest viruses that are out there.

McAfee stays current on new virus threats via 'virus definitions'. Virus definitions help identify which programs have viruses by telling VirusScan what characteristics to look for and how to differentiate the malicious code from the innocuous code. Virus definitions, as well as the program itself, can be updated automatically in different ways depending on the VirusScan version used. Or if updated definitions are needed immediately, an update can be run on demand.

Automatically Scanning for Viruses

Most importantly, McAfee VirusScan can automatically scan your computer on a regular basis. This allows you to keep your computer safe automatically, without waiting through a lengthy scanning process whenever you want to check for the latest viruses.


McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1

  1. Double-click on the VirusScan Console icon in your system tray at the lower right corner of your screen (the icon looks like a magnifying glass with a small clock on top of it).
  2. Double-click on the 'Scan My Computer' option in the list.
  3. Click the 'Schedule' tab.
  4. Check the 'Enable' box.
  5. Select the frequency on which you want the scanning to occur from the drop-down menu.
  6. If desired, select the variation you want in your scanning patterns with the 'Enable randomization' option.
  7. Click the "OK" button.

McAfee VirusScan 7.0

  1. Right-click on the VirusScan icon in your system tray at the lower right corner of your screen (the icon looks like a blue shield with the letter 'V' emblazoned on it in red).
  2. Select the 'VirusScan Console...' option from the menu.
  3. Double-click the 'Scan All Fixed Disks' option.
  4. Click the 'Schedule...' button on the right side of the window.
  5. Check the 'Enable (scheduled task runs at specific time)' box.
  6. Select the frequency that you want the scanning to occur from the drop-down menu under the 'Schedule' tab.
  7. If desired, select the variation you want in your scanning patterns with the 'Enable randomization' option.
  8. Click the "OK" button.


Automatic Updates


McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1

  1. Double-click on the VirusScan Console icon in your system tray at the lower right corner of your screen (the icon looks like a magnifying glass with a small clock on top of it).
  2. Double-click on the 'AutoUpgrade' item in the list.
  3. Click on the 'Schedule' tab in the window that opens and check the 'Enable' box.
  4. Choose how often you want to update your program (generally it is a good idea to update at least once a week).
  5. Check the 'Enable randomization' box to make the update run at a random point within the specified time window after the designated update time (this step is optional, though it reduces the load on the update servers by not connecting at the same time every update).
  6. Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window.

McAfee VirusScan 7.0

  1. Right-click on the VirusScan icon in your system tray at the lower right corner of your screen (the icon looks like a blue shield with the letter 'V' emblazoned on it in red).
  2. Click the 'VirusScan Console...' option from the menu.
  3. Double-click on the 'AutoUpgrade' item in the list.
  4. Click on the 'Schedule' button from the window that opens.
  5. Check the 'Enable (scheduled task runs at specific time)' box.
  6. Click the 'Schedule' tab.
  7. Set the time that you want to schedule the task, as well as the frequency (generally it is a good idea to update at least once a week).
  8. Check the 'Enable randomization' box to make the update run at a random point within the specified time window after the designated update time (this step is optional, though it reduces the load on the update servers by not connecting at the same time every update).
  9. Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window.
  10. Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window to exit out of the AutoUpdate program.


On-Demand Updates


McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1

  1. Double-click on the VirusScan Console icon in your system tray at the lower right corner of your screen (the icon looks like a magnifying glass with a small clock on top of it).
  2. Double-click the item titled 'AutoUpgrade'. This is used to schedule regular updates of VirusScan, but can be run on demand if need be.
  3. Click the "Run Now" button in the lower right corner of the 'Task Properties' box that pops up.
  4. After AutoUpgrade completes, click OK and exit out of the VirusScan console.

McAfee VirusScan 7.0

  1. Right-click on the VirusScan icon in your system tray at the lower right corner of your screen (the icon looks like a blue shield with the letter 'V' emblazoned on it in red).
  2. Select the 'Update Now...' option from the menu.
  3. After the update completes, click 'Close' (or wait 30 seconds since VirusScan closes automatically).