Auto-virus protection

The StartPortableApps.exe in the root and all the app launchers (FirefoxPortable.exe, etc) already perform a CRC check as they are run. If the CRC is wrong, they will refuse to run and show an error. So, if a given drive were infected by a virus, you'd know as soon as you try to run the first thing.

The two times that I have used my USB portableApps in a public PC it got infected. I think there should be a way to detect the Virus in the host machine memory and if there is prevent from running the main portableApps menu.

I mean the main beauty of this wonderful concept evaporates as soon as you start trying to run an app and the only thing you get is a directory list.

To use it with your work windows laptop no problems normally you have a good antivirus software and will detect that your USB is infected.

Thanks

The autorun file should be checked too. And the user should be able to modify it only from the menu. Because viruses are more likely to use this one to spread.

If a program changes it, the menu should:
1) Ask the user if he changed it and protect the new file or to repair it.
Or
2) Repair the autorun and inform the user where to go in the options to change it if he was responsible for the change.

hey john, it'll b really cool if you all could make a built in virus scanner in the next PA release like building Monday's alpha. make it so that it....like scans the auto runs and other files that viruses are most likely to store themselves on the flash drive. You can do it so that it does a scan during PA launch and probably during use in the background, and a quick scan on exit. but make it so that the user sees nothing or doesn't have to select any options...in other words, its fully in the background. but you could like have a small notification on the PA menu that its running or active, and the user clicks it and sees the options available.....but only if he chooses. hope u understand what i mean; i dont really understand how the PA platform works...and i wont even if u explained it to me, but its just a really wanted, needed suggestion.

You must insert your USB, pressing the shift key. In this way, windows does not open the USB and you are able to scan your USB before asking the file explorer to show the USB's content.

This way, I have discovered reincident infections and blocked them. Most are *.ini and *.com files. Issue from a cmd window: "attrib *.*" on USB root and this instruction will show you hidden troyans.

Denis J Navas

First, create a folder named autorun.inf (if you have a file named that, you'll have to delete it and lose the functionality you gained from it, but it's worth it not getting infected. I also don't have it hidden that way I'll know if it every gets changed). If you have a folder named "autorun.inf", viruses cannot create a file named autorun.inf. If you need the autorun feature, John Haller has an app that will autostart your menu when you plug in your drive (this app has to reside on your local machine, but I think it is worth it). I also use one of the mods that has an autostart feature built in that automatically launches whatever programs I want when the menu launches. I had to rename it to "StartPortableApps.exe" for John Haller's app to launch it, but that is no big deal. Now, this is very low security and rather robust malware will work their way around this, but it prevents just about all the everyday things you come across.

If you have some other method that works better, let us know.