How to Set up McAfee VirusScan 4 (Win 95/98) to AutoUpdate by Wesley Fryer Last updated 11-4-2000 These instructions assume: You are using Windows based computers running McAfee Antivirus version 4.03. Your computers are networked with ethernet cards, and the network control panel is already set for a Windows logon or a Netware Client logon. Why do I want to do this? New computer viruses are invented all the time, and there is not a 100% solution for protecting your computer and network (short of trading in your Windows PCs for Macs, which almost eliminates these risks!). To proactively protect against virus threats, you must regularly update the "virus definitions" that your virus protection program knows about. As new viruses are discovered, your virus protection program only becomes enabled to catch and clean these viruses once the "virus definitions" are updated. In a school environment, where there are many computers to support and configure, the process of updating "virus definitions" can be VERY time-consuming if it is done manually: one computer at a time. If you try and setup an autoupdate from a fileserver (like a Novell server), you can run into the problem that each client computer must be logged on successfully to the network for the autoupdate procedure to work. With the steps described below, Windows computers do NOT have to be logged on to a network, they just have to be turned on. The solution is do follow these steps, so you can: Download new virus definitions to a single computer on a regular basis (like once per week). Set up all the client computers on your network to automatically copy the "virus definition" updates at night and restart, so the updated virus protection is available. PART A: Steps for setting up the computer that will host / share the autoupdate file Choose a computer on your network that will act as a "server" for other computers, and share the new "virus definition" file. In the network control panel under IDENTIFICATION, note the computer's name. This name will be used when you configure client computers below. Turn file sharing on that computer and restart (directions available). Create a new folder on the C: drive and share the folder. Example: Create a folder named "Installers". Download the newest, zipped "virus definition" update file from the internet and save it into this new folder you created and shared. It is very important that you download the correct update file, otherwise this will not work. Download the file from: http://www.nai.com/asp_set/download/dats/mcafee_4x.asp PART B: Steps for setting up client computers that will copy the autoupdate file automatically: Do these steps on each computer you want to autoupdate the "virus definitions" each week. Run the McAfee Virusscan Scheduler program. If you have not changed the folders in your START menu, you can launch this program by choosing START- PROGRAMS - MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN - McAfee Virusscan Scheduler. Double click AUTOUPDATE: Click CONFIGURE: Select the default configuration, titled "Network Associates" and then click the EDIT button: Click the checkbox beside ENABLED so it is NOT checked (it is disabled). It should look like this: Click OK to close that window. Click the ADD button to create a new configuration (specific for your network): Give your custom configuration a name like "Localcomputer" and make sure the checkbox beside ENABLED is checked. Under SELECT TRANSFER METHOD, choose COPY FROM A LOCAL NETWORK COMPUTER: Underneath SELECT A COMPUTER AND A DIRECTORY, click BROWSE:  Navigate in the Network Neighborhood to the computer and folder that you setup in PART A above, after it is selected click OK: Click the ADVANCED UPDATE OPTIONS tab at the top of the window and make sure REBOOT SYSTEM IF NEEDED is checked under AFTER A SUCCESSFUL UPDATE: It is necessary for your computer to restart for the new virus definitions to be available. Click OK to close the configuration Window. Click the tab SCHEDULE at the top and specify when you would like this autoupdate to be performed. This example is to autoupdate at a random time between 8 pm and 9 pm each Thursday: Click OK to close the configuration window. Configure the computer to automatically run a full virus scan of the hard drive later the same day after the "virus definitions" are updated. Do this by: Double clicking SCAN DRIVE C: in the MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN SCHEDULER. Click the SCHEDULE tab at the top of the window. Choose the time you would like McAfee to scan your C: drive for viruses. The following example is set to scan every Thursday night, starting at a random time in the hour following 11 pm: Click OK to close the SCAN DRIVE C: configuration window. Double click AUTOUPDATE again: Make sure the PROGRAM tab is selected at the top (it should be by default):  If you have already saved the latest "virus definitions" update into the host computer's shared folder, click RUN NOW to update the computer immediately: After the update is completed, you will be asked if you want to restart your computer now. Click YES. (If configured as described above, when the autoupdate runs it will automatically reboot the computer). You're finished! Now just: Configure the host computer to copy the "virus definitions" file from the shared folder on the C: drive (it will have a different configuration than all the other client computers on your network). Repeat all the steps on PART B above on all the computers on your school network (or create a "ghost image" of the computer you have configured and "reghost" your school computers). Remember to download a new "virus definitions" file each week the day before the autoupdate will run, and save it in your chosen host computer folder. Return to the Tools for the TEKS Technology Exchange homepage or © Copyright 2000 by Wesley A. Fryer. Please utilize these materials under academic fair use guidelines and drop me a line at if you find it helpful. :) Tools for the TEKS home | Article Archive | Technology Workshops Mailing List | Feedback | Tools and Techniques | Technology Idea Exchange Contact me using this webform. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.