Virus Central v1.23 * The following files are on the Virus Central distribution disk: CENTRAL.EXE - Virus Central executable program CENTRAL.CFG - configuration file CENTRAL.DOC - Virus Central user's manual REGISTER.DOC - registration information form (share-ware version only) README.1ST - late breaking news! (this file) * Some portions of the Virus Central user's manual use the IBM extended characters. Be aware of this if the printout of the manual looks funny. * The virus list contains the viruses that apply to CleanUp 67. If a newer version of the CleanUp program is released, you may add on the newer viruses to this list. Whenever new versions of Virus Central will be released, the virus list will be amended to reflect the most current version of CleanUp. * You may use the VALIDATE.COM program (included with your copy of ViruScan and/or CleanUp) to test the integrity of Virus Central. Take note that the share-ware and registered user's versions of the program yield different results, because of the share-ware notice on the latter. Here are the validation results of the share-ware and registered user's versions of Virus Central: Share-ware version: File Name: CENTRAL.EXE Size: 76,752 Date: 10-7-1990 File Authentication: Check Method 1 - AE2E Check Method 2 - 004A Registered user's version: File Name: CENTRAL.EXE Size: 75,328 Date: 10-7-1990 File Authentication: Check Method 1 - 4865 Check Method 2 - 194F ** Release Notes / Bug Fixes ** As can be expected with ANY program, particularly the first releases, there will ALWAYS be bugs. Virus Central is no exception. To date, 4 bugs have been reported, and corrected, since the initial release of the program. I have decided to do away with my earlier practice of attaching letters to the version numbers of new releases since it causes confusion. I will, instead, adjust the version number to reflect the magnitude of modification. Virus Central Release Notes: v1.00A (08/02/90) A bug report (would you believe, the day after Virus Central was first released as a share-ware program) found that the program would flat-out refuse to run on MS-DOS 4.01. I realized early on in the project that Virus Central required at least MS-DOS 2.1 to run properly, so I installed a routine to check the DOS version before anything else. I tested the program using DOS 2.1, 2.11, 3.2, and 3.3, and they all worked fine. I never tested Virus Central using DOS 4.01 because I do not have a copy of that version. After I received the report, I examined the DOS version checking routine again, found the error, and fixed the problem. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.00B (08/08/90) Two bugs were reported, again relating to Virus Central's initialization routine. The program still refuses to run on some systems using DOS 4.01, although the earlier problem was corrected (a DOS bug, perhaps?). Another problem was that Virus Central would sometimes mistake a VGA card for a Hercules graphics card, particularly those that auto-sense and emulate. Both these problems were related to Virus Central's pre-system checking, which I still believe is a necessary step. I did not remove this feature, but I added an option to get around it. To bypass the pre-system check, from the DOS prompt, enter: CENTRAL /IGNORE When using the "/IGNORE" option, Virus Central does not check the system for compatibility. You should only use this option if you are sure that your system is compatible, but the program refuses to run. You may still specify the "/NOMOUSE" option, if so desired, by putting before the "/IGNORE" option in the command line (e.g. "CENTRAL /NOMOUSE /IGNORE"). v1.03 (08/17/90) A bug in the string input routine prevented the [Del] key from working when it was on the last character of a string or number. This was, surprisingly, easy to fix, and I am embarrassed that it got away from me, in the first place. Also, the Virus List in the CENTRAL.CFG file was updated to reflect the new ones in ViruScan/CleanUp 66. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.23 (10/07/90) << MODIFIED CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT >> Another bug was fixed. Well, not really a bug. Well, sort of. Since it's initial release, Virus Central has had a side-effect that I have been aware of, but, up until now, have not been able to remedy. Because Central redefines a certain interrupt service routine (ISR), the DOS clock would occasionally stop, causing it to lag behind. This is a problem common to many memory resident type programs (Central uses some routines that are based on TSR techniques). Since I was aware of the problem and knew exactly what was causing it, I did not consider it to be a bug. It was, however, an annoying problem. A complete rewrite of the routine solved the problem, and increased the speed of screen output to the black box by 20%. This version of the program also adds support for the validation codes, extinct viruses, and scan report features of ViruScan. Take note, the configuration file format has been modified, and the configuration file used by earlier releases will not work right. A section has been added to the documentation describing the new format. Many users requested an option that would disable the screen saver from automatically kicking in. Since I have always felt that the screen saver is Central's most charming asset, I was extremely reluctant to do this. But I aim to please. Setting the screen saver time lapse to zero (0) disables it from kicking in automatically, although you may still invoke it manually (pressing the [B] key from the main menu, or clicking on the diamond in the upper left corner). To my embarrassment, I realized that I misspelled the name of the ViruScan program all over the manual, spelling it "VirusScan." This is hardly a bug, but it was worth correcting. Sorry, John. The virus list has been updated for ViruScan/CleanUp 67. And, just to get fancy, an openning screen has been added to the program, displaying the Virus Central trade mark.