List of Problems experienced during test: ----------------------------------------- For automatic tests on huge viral databases, and for automatic processing of large scanner log files, a set of test conditions is prerequisite for scanners to participate in a VTC test. (See: 4TESTCON.TXT). Generally, few scanners could not been persuaded to run under VTC test conditions. These scanners have not been included in the test report. In some cases, scanners were "specialised", esp. for detection of macro viruses; in one case (Virus Buster), the specialised macro virus detection tool was not available (from distributor). Some scanners could be tested *without any problem*. Such benevolent behaviour was esp. observed with: ALERT, AVAST, AVScan, DrWeb, F-PROT, F-MacroW, F/Win, Norman Virus Control, ViruScan, Virus Hunter. Some more scanners had only minor problems which were easily detected and cured with some "manual" assistance. This esp. included: AVP, DSAV, NAV and TNT. In most other cases, serious problems were observed during some test. Scanners were either not suitably running under SIMBOOT and crashed, or problems appeared with the (rather large) file virus database. In some cases, scanners crashed upon detecting some specific virus; in few cases, "manual" operation instead of automatic (batch) operation helped solving some of these problems. Such curative action was also applied when possible in cases where log files were inadequate (e.g. needed manual operation for export). In detail, the following problems have been encountered with different scanners during the tests. ALERT/Look: No test problems. Remark: as we have no insight into how the products work, we have no explanation why the most actual version shows a decrease in detection rate and quality for boot viruses. All 3 versions have been tested and evaluated with identical procedures. AVAST!/Alwil: No test problems. Remark: as we have no insight into how the products work, we have no explanation why the most actual version shows a decrease in detection rate and quality for boot viruses. All 3 versions have been tested and evaluated with identical procedures. AVG/Grisoft: Problems in boot test: product did not work with SIMBOOT. Image scan succeeded. AVP/KAMI: No test problems with AVP 2.2. Problems in boot test: AVPlite did not work with SIMBOOT. Image scan succeeded. AVScan/H+B EDV: No test problems. DrWeb/Dialogue SC: No test problems. Report files have sometimes CR in the middle of the virus name. DSAV/DrSolomon: No test problems in macro and file scanning. In boot test, one file (joshi-b.boo) was not read; in single test, virus properly identified. F-PROT/Frisk Software: No test problem. F/Win / Kurtzhals: No test problem. Integrity Master/Stiller: No test problem with macro viruses; in boot test, scanner didnot work with SIMBOOT, but manual processing was successful. In file test, scanner stopped after scanning 3,200 directories. IBM AV/IBM: No test problem with file and macro viruses (Scanner correctly notified that NT-compatible directory name "Screen+1" was inconsistent with DOS naming requirements; this was not detected by any other scanner). Problems in boot test: IBM AV did not work with SIMBOOT. Manual attempts failed. InVircible/NetZ: No macro viruses detected. No problems with file test. Scanner did not generate a report file for boot test. Norton AV/Symantec: No problems with test of macro and boot viruses. In automatic file test mode, scanner crashed after having processed the smaller (CARO) directory, upon entering the larger one (NYETCARO). In manual mode, file test succeeded in 2 steps. Norman VC/Norman Data Defence: No test problem. PCVP/CSE: No test problems for boot and file test. Macro scanner (ScanMac) can only scan for whole drive; no parameter known esp. to generate reports. Scan/McAfee: No test problem. Sweep/Sophos: After automatic boot test, scanner report was not editable. Image scan succeeded. No test problems for boot and file viruses. TBAV/ThunderByte: No test problem with TBAV706. No macro and boot test problem with TBAV707 but file test crashed upon detecting several files. TNT/Carmel: Problems with report generator: actual version did not support automatic export of log; manual action was required to export report for evaluation, but even then, long path names were abbreviated which interfered adversely with report script. Problems in boot test: product did not work with SIMBOOT. Image scan succeeded. VDS/Adv.Res.Group: No problems with macro test. In boot and file test, scanner attempted to move all viruses to C:\VDS-CELL. Virex: No problem with macro and boot test. File test terminated abnormally. Virus Buster/Leprechaun: No problems with file test. In boot test, scanner does not work with SIMBOOT. Scanner does not detect macro viruses; in macro test of special module DocCheck, product attempted to access documents in write mode which was rejected by the NT database server (all files "read-only"). Virus Hunter/Dialogue Sc: No problems with file and boot test (recent version). Scanner didnot detect macro viruses. Virus Track/On Technology: No test problems in file and macro virus test. In boot test, scanner didnot run under SIMBOOT. Special macro detection module "Macro Virus Track" is an on-access scanner (to be implemented under WORD) and could not be tested. XScan/Anyware: No problem with file test. Boot test failed as scanner didnot work under SIMBOOT. No macros detected. Test protocols for file viruses sometimes contained only parts of pathnames, which prohibits automatic evaluation.