Specify on-access scanning file extensions

If you use role-based administration:

  • You must have the Policy setting - anti-virus and HIPS right to perform this task.
  • You cannot edit a policy if it is applied outside your active sub-estate.

For more information, see Managing roles and sub-estates.

You can specify which file extensions are scanned during on-access scanning.

  1. Check which anti-virus and HIPS policy is used by the group(s) of computers you want to configure.

    See Check which policies a group uses.

  2. In the Policies pane, double-click Anti-virus and HIPS.
  3. Double-click the policy you want to change.
    The Anti-Virus and HIPS Policy dialog box is displayed.
  4. In the On-access scanning panel, beside Enable on-access scanning, click Configure.
  5. Click the Extensions tab, and then configure the options as described below.

    Option

    Description

    Scan all files

    Scan all files regardless of the filename extension. If you turn on this option, the other options on the Extensions tab are turned off.

    Scanning all files will affect computer performance, so we recommend that you only turn on this option as part of a weekly scheduled scan.

    Scan only executable and other vulnerable files
    • Check all files with executable file extensions (for example, .exe, .bat, .pif) or files that have the possibility of being infected (for example, .doc, .chm, .pdf).
    • Quickly check the structure of all files, and then scan them if their format is that of an executable file.

    Additional file type extensions to be scanned

    To scan additional file types, click Add, and then type a file extension such as PDF in the Extension box. You can use the wildcard ? to match any single character.

    To stop scanning a file type, select its extension in the list, and then click Remove.

    To change a file type, select its extension in the list, and then click Edit.

    Scan files with no extension

    Files with no extension could be malware, so we recommend that you leave this option turned on.

    Exclude

    To exclude specific file types from on-access scanning, click Add, and then type a file extension such as PDF in the Extension box.

    To start scanning a file type, select its extension in the list, and then click Remove.

    To change a file type, select its extension in the list, and then click Rename.