Auto Scan Is Not Working?

Chimel

Auto scan is enabled, but after rebooting today, BDAV told me the scan has not been run for 8 days.

See screenshot.

I definitely want to know if the scan has not been run for 1 day, not waiting 8 days.

How can I check if the scan is running and what is the percentage of my system that has been scanned?

I thought with the new 2012 version the scan was supposed to run automatically during idle time.

I left my computer running overnight several times, there was plenty of idle time to scan it.

System: Windows 7 x64 Ultimate + SP1 and all updates, Firefox 5.0, BDAV Plus 2012 build 15.0.27.319

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nikki605

Auto Scan is not the same thing as Quick Scan or Full System Scan, listed by clicking on the Scan Now button. Auto Scan is running during idle times. The message refers to the Full System Scan not being run for 8 days.

If you click through the message's path, it will run the Full System Scan as mine did on Aug. 8th:

Regards,

bd127

I am sure that Autoscan is activated on my system and I too saw this warning 4 days ago. I came to the conclusion that it must mean that a manual scan has not been performed and that makes sense as the IS2012 AV control panel now says Last Scan 4 days ago.

Given that the help states "With Auto Scan turned on, there is hardly any need to manually run scans for malware." the scan warning is unexpected and confusing.

Chimel

Gary, what do you mean? We have to run the scan manually when Auto Scan is enabled?!?

My BDAV Plus 2011 was scheduled to run the Full System Scan automatically every day, I never had such a problem.

BDAV Plus 2012 is supposed to be all about smart automation, so I expect improvements, not regressions.

Actually, my BDAV Plus 2011 was even configured to run the Deep System Scan daily, which included the boot sector and seems to have disappeared from BDAV Plus 2012. If BDAV Plus 2012 does not scan for rootkits anymore and if the scans are manual, I am much more exposed than with the previous version and I feel much less secure.

I ran the scan manually of course, but I do NOT want to do that manually every day or every 8 days when Auto Scan is enabled for that very purpose.

I understand that some new customers don't understand anything to antivirus and want an app that just "works," but there are too many behavior changes and things that have disappeared from the GUI for the sake of simplification, and without any form of notification or communication from BitDefender, including critical features such as scan scheduling, that we discover randomly after days of use. Not a happy papy.

I really would like to see an overview of the changes between 2011 and 2012 right now. This documentation is essential for existing experienced users and sorely missing.

BitDefender should also track how customers are using their products via usage logs or something, so they know the potential impact when they introduce a change in a feature and can address it better.

nikki605

Gary, what do you mean? We have to run the scan manually when Auto Scan is enabled?!?

My BDAV Plus 2011 was scheduled to run the Full System Scan automatically every day, I never had such a problem.

I may be able to answer that better around Aug. 16 (8 days from my last full System Scan). Or, I could push my system clock ahead.

As I said, the 2 scans are different. BD 2012 is a totally redesigned product from it's predecessors. Users who upgraded from previous versions will probably have the most questions because it is natural to compare the differences between the versions.

Regards,

Chimel

I don't think even new users would want to be forced to run the scans manually in addition to the automatic scans.

And it also will look totally redundant for these new users who won't know the difference anymore than experienced users. Other people in this forum have already complained about the lack of documentation for Auto Scan.

I totally understand the 2 types of scans are totally different features, although the "Auto Scan" name makes it extremely confusing, what I mean is that I don't understand why the normal scans are not run automatically too if not running them causes an error message.

This is the worst rollout of any BDAV version BitDefender ever did, with absolutely no upgrade path information provided.

nikki605

Today is Aug. 16, and as we have been discussing, I received the message that 1 issue needed to be fixed:

I clicked on the Tools button (top-center) and this was the next screen:

I clicked the Start button and a Full System Scan started:

It's running now.

Regards,

Chimel

Hi Gary, this is exactly what I reported, and why I reported it:

If Bitdefender makes it a requirement to run the full system scan, it should allow the user to schedule it automatically, not force the user to run it manually every 8 days like you and I did.

It also renders in my mind the auto scan somewhat useless, as I assume that the full system scan is required because it does more useful things than the auto scan and better protects my system.

I have no idea what the differences between these 2 types of scan are, I don't even know if the rootkit scan is now included in the full system scan. It used to be part of the "deep" system scan in BDAV 2011 but there is no such scan category anymore in BDAV 2012.

I suppose the Auto Pilot mode might take that decision automatically for me and start running the full system scan, but unfortunately I can't enable Auto Pilot or just check if it starts the scan because it also enables the browser toolbar. I noticed you don't have it enabled either.

mitza97

I suppose the Auto Pilot mode might take that decision automatically for me and start running the full system scan, but unfortunately I can't enable Auto Pilot or just check if it starts the scan because it also enables the browser toolbar. I noticed you don't have it enabled either.

No, Auto-Pilot not take decision to start full scan automatically even after 8 days. Although I think he should...right ? :mellow:

Chimel

Thanks for the confirmation, @mitza97.

According to the user documentation, which is just a few vague lines, I'd say he should too:

"enjoy silent security"

"protected without being bothered"

"takes all security-related decisions for you"

"you will see no pop-ups, no alerts"

"In Auto Pilot mode, Bitdefender automatically ... quietly manages ... Antivirus protection, provided by on-access scanning"

"The Autopilot provides a hassle-free experience by making optimal security-related decisions without input from you. This means no pop-ups, no alerts, nothing to configure"

I don't really care about the distinction between an alert and a warning, that's playing on the words if an action is required.

rootkit

The situation was fixed with the latest build.

Please update.

http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?sho...mp;#entry125523

http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?sho...mp;#entry118945

Thank you.

Chimel

As I also mentioned in http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?showtopic=30092, the situation is not fixed at all:

I ran a full system scan manually a few days after installing it.

Today I received the same fateful message as back in August "The PC was scanned for virus 8 days ago."

Bitdefender should either fix Autoscan so it's not totally worthless, or restore the scheduled scans so users are not forced to run scans manually because of Bitdefender design. All was working fine till v. 2011, without the need to run scans manually, this is a huge regression.

As I understand, v. 2012 is evolving toward more simplicity for first time users. But they purchased Bitdefender so that it can run the scans and handle all the security tasks for them, not to be forced to run scans manually every 8 days.

Also, since you recommend running a scan right after installing Bitdefender, please ask the devs to make it part of the setup process, not a recommendation found in this forum's thread.

2 feedbacks:

- When a bug is as important and easy to repro, can you actually verify yourself before posting it's been fixed?

- I noticed that in several threads you copy and paste the same generic "the situation was fixed" text.

But in several cases, there was more than one issue reported by the original poster or discussed in the thread.

So it's not clear what "the situation" is, it would be better if you could mention which bug(s) exactly you are referring too.

Chimel

Note that this bug was supposed to be fixed in 15.0.33.1409.

I am only reporting about it again because the fix is not working, so that you can forward this info to the devs and they fix it for good.

Maybe they fixed it only for when a manual scan has never been run at all, or only in Auto Pilot context, maybe enabling/disabling Autoscan resets some counter, maybe Autoscan does not work at all (there is no indication it does), I don't know, but the message still occurs even though the system should have been fully scanned automatically several times during idle times this past week.

maxrockpro

I would like to reply Vignesh Raja from this thread: http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?showtopic=30092 The thread is related and locked.

Yes, Norton does cause a lot of issues after install, couldn't install BD 2012 even after running the Norton Removal tool. Hence, I did a clean OS reinstall before seeking BD forum help.

I repeat:

I dont want to do manual scan. Fix the scan speed and re-include scheduler or just remove the manual scan option if you can guarantee 100% effectiveness of the new auto scan technology.

My system: Intel i5 Quad 3.10Ghz, 8Gb RAM, 360Gb HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate SP1.

rootkit

Hello

Sorry for the delayed reply.

I will provide a final answer about this issue by Monday in the afternoon.

Thank you for your patience and for the cooperation with BitDefender team.

Have a nice weekend.

megaduu

very good well done

Chimel

Just punting to make sure this is still in the radar. I am pretty sure the devs are busy working on many more bugs.

Feel free to comment on this thread if things are not clear enough, or to involve us for beta-testing the fix before releasing.

In summary:

- Confirm that Autoscan provides the same protection level as the On-access scanning setting.

The documentation does not say anything about the protection level offered by Autoscan, please update it.

- If it does not, can it be fixed so it does?

- If it does, then the only difference between Autoscan and on-demand scans is that Autoscan runs constantly in cycles during low usage times. Therefore the orange alert "This PC was scanned for viruses 8 days ago" should never be triggered.

The bug discussed in this thread deals only with the case where Autoscan is enabled.

rootkit

Welcome back Chimel

Let me answer to your questions.

1. The Autoscan does not provide Real time protection. Is just a layer of protection(not level) used in the On-Demand scanner . Is permanently scanning your machine when is not used or when some resources are available. If you turn off the On-Access scanning module, this module will be able to clean the malware from your machine only when those files will be scanned. Is just like a Full System scan that runs in the background with limited resources (CPU+memory).

All the necessary information for the users is available here:

http://download.bitdefender.com/windows/de...serguide_en.pdf

(page 46-47)

Is not a bug, the Dev team doesn't have anything to fix.

I've already talked to Dev Team regarding this subject. Is some cases, the issue was resolved with that update that I posted last month.

Anyway, regarding that update, when you receive that orange warning, please turn on the Auto Pilot and let me know if the issue is automatically resolved.

Thank you.

Chimel

Sorry if was not clear, I know Autoscan has nothing to do with real time protection, I was asking if Autoscan is using the same protection level as is defined in the On-access scanning settings during its cyclic run, or if it's using some sort of hard-coded list of settings.

For instance, if I change my default scanning mode to Agressive, or if I customize the Normal mode to include boot sectors or network shares, will Autoscan include these items in its cyclic scanning as expected?

The PDF link returns an HTTP error 403 (no permission), or 404 (does not exist) when replacing .com with .co.uk.

Can you summarize in this thread the difference between the protection coverage offered by Autoscan and by on-demand scan?

I don't mean how and when it runs, but what files and items such as boot sectors are scanned or not.

As far as customers understand and expect, both are scanning the same items as defined in the On-access scanning settings.

I have been running Auto Pilot for 2 days now, the result is inconsistent:

- The icon in the Notification area will sometimes appear as normal "B" color with the small "A" for Auto Pilot, or as an orange "B" letter with no small "A". This is for instance how it shows after I rebooted this morning.

So, like the Bitdefender toolbar, it does not memorize its setting after rebooting. It does show that Auto Pilot is enabled in the Security Center home page though, just not in the Notification area. If I manually disable and reenable Auto Pilot, the correct icon displays again. Not sure if it's a known bug, but I am using the latest BDAV Plus 2012 update.

- In the Security Center home page, the huge orange alert is always present, even with Auto Pilot and Autoscan enabled.

It disappears only if I run a manual scan (which I shouldn't have to, that's what Autoscan should be there for), but even so, it reappears every 8 days. This has always repro on my computer, not sure what the devs fixed.

If Autoscan does not work as defined in the On-access scanning settings, it should either be fixed, or it is totally worthless to me and I want the scheduled scans back so I can run them every day automatically instead of every 8 days manually, which is not acceptable.

rootkit

Welcome back.

Auto Scan doesn't have "the same protection level as is defined in the On-access scanning settings during its cyclic run". Imagine a user putting those settings to Aggressive. That machine will encounter a massive slowdown after that.

Auto Scan has some low to medium settings for the scanner.

I have corrected that link. Sorry about that.

http://download.bitdefender.com/windows/de...serguide_en.pdf

(page 46-47)

In the near future, the Auto Scan module and the On Demand Scanner will be redesigned. I can not provide you more details about this for now.

Thank you.

Chimel

Thanks, Cristi.

Well if Autoscan was using the On-access scanning mode set by the user, and if it was set to Aggressive (which I have been using before), users wouldn't experience any slow down because Autoscan is supposed to run only when enough resources are available.

The section about Autoscan in the link is the same as the one in the Help document or other online documentation.

It does not contain any information at all about the protection level it provides.

Your mention of "some low and medium settings" is the first time I read something useful about it, albeit very vague.

I think it should be clearly detailed in the Help, it would help users understand why the manual scan is required every 8 days.

Well, not the "manual" part of it of course, this should be automated or scheduled, especially in case Auto Pilot is disabled.

I'll see in 7 days if the orange alert comes back with Auto Pilot / Autoscan enabled.

About Autoscan redesign, I think it should provide the highest protection level there is, because it's not impacting the user when it's running anyway, and this would totally eliminate the need for manual on-demand scans, regardless of Auto Pilot settings.

If Autoscan is enabled (and provides full protection coverage), no manual scan of any sort should be needed, and no orange alert.

rootkit

Welcome back Chimel

Thank you for the feedback about the Auto Scan module.

About Autoscan redesign, I think it should provide the highest protection level there is, because it's not impacting the user when it's running anyway, and this would totally eliminate the need for manual on-demand scans, regardless of Auto Pilot settings.

If Autoscan is enabled (and provides full protection coverage), no manual scan of any sort should be needed, and no orange alert.

I will forward tour request to the appropriate team.

Take care.

Chimel

Cool, thanks, Cristi. That would be a fantastic improvement and put back Bitdefender in the lead.

It used to be highly praised in the media till 2011, but I currently cannot recommend the 2012 version to anybody.

Hope all the few remaining major issues can be fixed quickly before some new antivirus compared review is published! ^-^

rootkit

Hi Chimel

I have updated information regarding the scanning warning.

From the last update, the issue has been fixed the following way:

- the alert for not scanning the computer is now only a warning (orange);

- it will only appear if the user does not have Auto Scan enabled and no fullscan was run for the past 2 weeks;

Thank you.

Chimel

The first part seems incorrect, the alert was always orange, see my screenshot in the first August 11th post of this thread.

So I hope they got the second part right. I'll wait 2 weeks instead of 1 to see if it repros.

That's a long time to wait for a confirmation, have you guys tried it on a machine changing the date manually?

rootkit

Hi Chimel

Even if we change the date on that machine, Bitdefender uses our server to remember the date, not the one from Windows.

Thank you.

Chimel

If you change the date manually, you need of course to stop time synchronization in the Date and Time Control Panel or altogether disconnect the computer from the Internet or your intranet's time server, or it will be reset instantly.

Unhappy

Chimel, I too am having all sorts of problems with this InternetSecurity 2012. It gives me a warning a scan hasn't taken place in days when I open the console but I would not know that otherwise. No place to shedule a full scan as in 2011 version. I am told it scans when system is idel. My system is idle a good deal, and it still says it hasn't scanned in days. Now, I get message my AutoScan is off, even though the button is On. Fix this issue just fails. Autoscan comes and goes for no known reason. Help has not been forthcoming. I am considering transfering my license back to 2011 which was very reliable. 2012 isn't an improvement in my opinion.

Chimel

@Unhappy Camper: We'll see in a few days if the warning about the manual scan disappears when Autoscan is enabled, although I don't know how it works for IS 2012, as I am using Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2012.

As for the Autoscan getting constantly on and off even when it's been enabled, check this thread to reduce the number of Autoscan events. Hopefully Bitdefender will do something about it, especially the screensaver, since it's the perfect low usage time to scan the system, not to disable Autoscan.

craigt3365

I've been a BD user for years. Just upgraded to Internet Security 2012. I have to express my extreme disappointment at not being able to schedule my own scans. I have 7GB of disk to scan, so it takes a long time. I use to have it take off every night around 2am. Can't force that action any more.

Plus, that little status display is gone. Since BD freezes on a regular basis, it was my way of knowing whether it was working or not. So I could reboot and get things back in order. I can't find that feature anywhere.

Seriously considering going back to the 2010 version or changing products.

Chimel

@craigt3365 The scheduled scans are not necessary anymore, since BDIS 2012 scans the computer constantly, whenever you are not using it intensively, when Autoscan is enabled. So you can now switch off your computer at night and save the planet.

By the way, to close this thread: It's been more than 15 days since the last manual scan, so I can confirm that there is no message asking to perform a manual scan anymore when Autoscan is enabled. Glad to see Bitdefender is listening to their customers.

Issue solved.

craigt3365

Thanks man! I leave the PC on as I download a lot of torrents. Here in Thailand, Cable TV ######. I like to schedule the scans for late at night as they tend to bog the PC down a bit.

But I'll give this version a try...especially based your comments that all seems to be well.

Again, Thanks!!!!

Craig

rootkit

By the way, to close this thread: It's been more than 15 days since the last manual scan, so I can confirm that there is no message asking to perform a manual scan anymore when Autoscan is enabled. Glad to see Bitdefender is listening to their customers.

Issue solved.

Hi Chimel

Thank you very much for your feedback.

Since the initial situation is revolved, I declare this topic closed.

Thank you again for your patience and cooperation.

Have a great weekend.