Full Scan and Difference in Number of Files Reviewed Within an Hour

John Rami

I ran a full scan and 900,000 files were reviewed. About an hour later I ran another full scan and only 275,000 were reviewed. Why is there a difference in the number of files reviewed? Thanks.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/98283/full-scan-and-difference-in-number-of-files-reviewed-within-an-hour

Here are some potential reasons for the difference in the number of files reviewed in your Bitdefender full scans:

1. Caching and Optimization:

• Bitdefender's cache: It keeps track of files it has already scanned and deemed safe. If they haven't changed since the last scan, it won't rescan them, reducing the number of files reviewed in subsequent scans.
• Initial scan optimization: The first full scan might take longer and scan more files as it builds its cache and analyzes your system comprehensively.

2. Excluded Files and Locations:

• Scan exclusions: Check if you've intentionally excluded specific files or folders from scans. These won't be counted in the total number of files reviewed.
• System-protected files: Bitdefender might not scan certain system-critical files or locations to avoid performance issues or conflicts.

3. Archive Scanning:

• Deep scanning: If the first scan included deep scanning of archives (e.g., ZIP, RAR files), it would scan files within them, increasing the count. The second scan might have skipped archives if they weren't modified.

4. File Changes:

• New or modified files: The difference could reflect actual changes in your system, such as new files being added or existing ones being modified.

5. Software Updates:

• Definition updates: Bitdefender might have received updated virus definitions between scans, potentially changing the files it considers necessary to scan.

Regards