Virus Central v3.00 * 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 UPDATE.EXE - Virus List Update Utility UPDATE.DOC - documentation for UPDATE.EXE 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 80. If a newer version of the CleanUp program is released, you may add on the newer viruses to this list.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: CGA version Share-ware Registered ================================================ File Name..........: CENTRAL.EXE CENTRAL.EXE Size...............: 92,869 90,894 Date...............: 7-20-1991 7-20-1991 File Authentication Check Method 1: A71A F4CF Check Method 2: 01A4 033D ================================================ EGA version Share-ware Registered ================================================ File Name..........: CENTRAL.EXE CENTRAL.EXE Size...............: 109,272 107,387 Date...............: 7-20-1991 7-20-1991 File Authentication Check Method 1: 48BF 545B Check Method 2: 19AC 1E00 ================================================ LITE version Share-ware Registered ================================================ File Name..........: CENTRAL.EXE CENTRAL.EXE Size...............: 80,278 78,439 Date...............: 7-20-1991 7-20-1991 File Authentication Check Method 1: BEB1 0432 Check Method 2: 1DE4 0530 ================================================ ** 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. MANY bugs have been reported since Virus Central 1.00, and I have found a few, myself. As the program is further developed and bugs are ironed out, the version numbers will increase. 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: (Release notes are from the most recent - backwards. Outdated notes have been shortened or removed) ---------------------------------------------------------------- v3.00 (07/20/91) << MODIFIED CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT >> This release marks a first in Virus Central's short history; a revision made to the program that was first approved by its registered user base. Registered users were sent vote forms and asked to approve the replacement of "Clean drive ..." Quick-Keys with the more powerful "Scan drive ..." Quick-Keys. Well, the overwhelming majority approved the change, so goodbye "Clean" keys! You can now set up to four "Scan" Quick-Keys, which is really more powerful since you usually scan the disk and rely on Central's Clean Up sequence to do the dirty work. Chances are, the "Clean" Quick-Keys will not even be missed. Another interesting change, that should be welcome to a lot of you, is that Virus Central now supports NetScan. Before you go looking on the screen for another menu, let me warn you that there isn't one; the old "Virus Scan" Menu has been renamed to "Virus/Net Scan" menu, as both ViruScan and NetScan are accessed from this menu. This "shared" menu approach minimizes clutter on the screen and improves program efficiency. The last, but certainly not the least, revision to the program is the addition of an "Auto Scan" mode. The Auto Scan mode makes it possible to specify a list of disk drives for Virus Central to scan immediately after execution. You can even make Central automatically return to DOS after it completes scanning (and disinfecting, if necessary) these disk drives. This feature makes it easy to launch the program from a batch file, possibly from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The remaining changes to the program were very minor bug fixes. Since not too many people called in to complain about them, I figure not too many people noticed. v2.50 (04/26/91) << MODIFIED CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT >> -Over 60% of Virus Central source code was modified. -Configuration file format was radically revised from the slow text file format to the much quicker random access file format. -The virus list limit was increased from 300 viruses to 16,000. -The alleged "bug" with v2.00 UPDATE utility was fixed. -Virus Central I made its debut in U.S. share-ware as Virus Central LITE. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v2.00 (02/10/91) << MODIFIED CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT >> -Initiated the use of overlays in program code to maximize the use of available memory. -Added a provision to allow the program to work if users arbitrarily changed the file names of ViruScan, CleanUp, and Virus Central itself. -Added the "Information" option in the main menu, which displays specific details about a selected virus. -Added a feature to "lock" main menu options that may be used to tamper with the program's configuration. -Overhauled program's text output routines, as many users called in with compatibility problems. -Modified the UPDATE utility to accomodate the newer configuration file format. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.40 (12/01/90) << MODIFIED CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT >> -Added support for ViruScan and CleanUp 71's newer command line parameters. -Improved, as in speeded-up, Virus Central EGA's screen output. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.30 (11/25/90) -The debut of Virus Central EGA and the Virus List Update Utility! -The command line switches, /EGARAM, /EMSRAM, and /SWAPFILE, were added. -The minimum number of required viruses in the configuration file was increased from 20 to 30. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.24 (11/05/90) -Corrected bug that messed up string input on the "File path to scan" field of the Virus Scan menu. -Changed program title in the upper left corner of the black box from "Virus Central ][" to "Virus Central CGA" (an omen of the Virus Central to come). v1.23 (10/07/90) << MODIFIED CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT >> -Fixed bug (well, sort of a bug) that caused DOS clock to slowdown. -Modified program and configuration file format to support new features of ViruScan 67, and updated virus list. -Added option that would disable the screen saver from automatically kicking in. -Corrected misspellings of "VirusScan." -Added openning screen, displaying Virus Central trade mark. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.03 (08/17/90) -Fixed bug in string input routine -Virus list updated for ViruScan/CleanUp 66. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.00B (08/08/90) -Incorporated "/IGNORE" switch to get around Virus Central's problems detecting DOS 4.01 and VGA graphics. ---------------------------------------------------------------- v1.00A (08/02/90) -Unsuccessfully tried to correct detection of DOS 4.01.