NIS 2013 scans more files/folders than I have on my PC??

jmb2142 · ‎10-14-2012

I've recently built a new PC running Win 7 Pro 64-bit. I went to download NIS 2012 but it was no longer available so I wound up with 20.1.1.2 (2013?). After installation, I immediately ran a full system scan. The scan completed with 946,000 items scanned. After 5 days of installing additional applications, I scanned again - 985,000 items scanned. Three more days go by and my apps have all been installed and configured the way I like. Just before I am about to use Norton Ghost to make a backup images, I run one more scan. This scan (using same parameters as prior scans) only scans 228,000 items. At this point, I am worried. I run LiveUpdate for NIS 2013 and rerun the scan - 988,000 items scanned.

I then proceeded to make my backup image with Norton Ghost (2002). After the backup is completed, I run another Full System scan - it only scans 228,000 items. I immediatly rerun the scan 3 more times. The first two rescans scan about 228,000 items. The final rescan scans 1,032,000 items. I finally wonder just how many files I have and go look at my hard drives. I have a total of about 178,000 files in 30,000 folders.

Does anyone know how NIS is scanning almost 4 times the number of items that are on PC and why it is doing so intermittently? I have concerns that if NIS can't tell how many files there are to scan, how can it possible protect them all?

Jonathan

SendOfJive · ‎02-07-2009

Hi jmb2142,

Norton will skip any unmodified files that were found to be clean in an earlier scan, as long as there has been no virus definitions update since the prior scan. That is why your file count was lower on subsequent scans than the original scan. Norton also skips trusted files. Variations also occur due to items included in archive files, etc. You can't really correlate the number of "items" that Norton scans with the number of files on your system. If you scan with an on-demand scanner, like Malwarebytes', you will get an entirely different number, yet again. As long as the counts are consistent when first scanning after a new virus definition update has been installed, you shouldn't be concerned.

jmb2142 · ‎10-14-2012

SendOfJive wrote:
.... As long as the counts are consistent when first scanning after a new virus definition update has been installed, you shouldn't be concerned.....

That's just it, they aren't consistent. I ran four scans in a row and the first three scans showed about 200K items when the last one showed about a million. I've been checking the results details where it shows the actual number of files and folders (including the number of skipped files) for the file counts and they are still about 4x the amount of files I actually have. I never had this problem with NIS 2012 on my older PC.

SendOfJive · ‎02-07-2009

Check your Norton HIstory. Did you receive a definitions update prior to the last scan with the large file count? Again, the Norton file count will not match whatever other measurement you are using due to the fact that Norton is counting items, not files - an archive might be one file containing many items.

When I say the counts should be consistent, I mean over time - not in rapid succession. Scanning repeatedly brings in the file skipping that will cause counts to vary.

jmb2142 · ‎10-14-2012

Are you saying that when I look at the detailed results under the "Items Scanned" subsection listed as "Files & Directories" that "Files & Directories" actually means something else?

I did check the history, a liveupdate session did occur between the two scans that had differing item counts. However, the total number of items (including the Skipped & Trusted Files) do not even come close to each other.

Scan A (228,668 Items Scanned)

Files & Directories = 221,005 (this is approximately what Windows reports to me as well)

Registry Entries = 704

Procs & Startup = 6372

Network & Browers = 583

Other = 4

Trusted Files = 5979

Skipped Files = 172,849

FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 407,496 Items accounted for

Scan B (1,032,767 Items Scanned)

Files & Directories = 1,025,302

Registry Entries = 704

Procs & Startup = 6172

Network & Browers = 58

Other = 4

Trusted Files = 0

Skipped Files = 0

FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 1,032,767 Items accounted for

The difference is 625,271 less items scanned in scan A, ~~but 804,294 less "Files & Directories" - which makes even less sense~~.

Ignore the 804,294 comment - I forgot to add the skipped and trusted files to the total files & directories. The 625,271 item difference is still a concern of mine though.

DaveH · ‎01-06-2010

It's scannning the contents of compressed files.

Turn off that option if your more concerned in having the numbers match what windows says.

jmb2142 · ‎10-14-2012

I'm not so much concerned with matching the windows' file count - I was just using that measurement as a base reading for comparison. I am concerned with the total number of items being so dramatically different intermittently. Even with the lower item number scans, I assume it's scanning compressed file contents because the number of "Files & Directories" plus "Skipped Files" is much more than what Windows says I have.

Again, I did not observe this problem with my older PC which had NIS 2012 on it. Other than a few software drivers for different hardware and the version of NIS, both my older PC and my current one have the same software loaded on them. I would expect NIS to behave similarly.

JimtheESL · ‎12-27-2010

Why use 2013 RIGHT NOW, anyway? Everyone knows you don't use certain pieces of software shortly after release since they're glitchy. Give it six months.

jmb2142 · ‎10-14-2012

JimtheESL wrote:
Why use 2013 RIGHT NOW, anyway? Everyone knows you don't use certain pieces of software shortly after release since they're glitchy. Give it six months.

Thanks for the most useless response to my post looking for assistance.

As someone who has used multiple releases of Norton, Windows, Mac OS and iOS - I am more than aware of this. I didn't WANT NIS 2013. When I went to Norton to get NIS for my new PC, that's what I got.

Thankfully, I finally found (in other threads on the forum) links to the Norton Removal Tool and to download NIS 2012 (19.5.1.2). I am much happier now that I have 2012 and that it is working properly.

Edjr60 · ‎02-21-2011

jmb2142 wrote:

Thankfully, I finally found (in other threads on the forum) links to the Norton Removal Tool and to download NIS 2012 (19.5.1.2). I am much happier now that I have 2012 and that it is working properly.

Now that you are back to NIS 2012, are you fully updated to version 19.9.0.9 ?

Ed