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Checking single files with F-Prot for DOS on a Windows 95/98 machine:

Warning: I have received some reports that this won't work with Windows ME because the report window can't be closed after the scan. I have received other reports that it works fine with Windows ME. Since I don't have a Windows ME system to check, it is up to you to decide whether to try this or not. If it doesn't work for you, don't say that you haven't been warned.

To be done once:

  1. Go to F-Prot directory (C:\FP\ on my computer) and right-click on the file "F-PROT.EXE". Select "Create Shortcut".
    See Screenshot 1.
  2. The shortcut has been created. (The ".pif" will probably not show on your system unless you have made the registry changes necessary for some special hidden extensions to be unhidden. Some of those special extensions are also the ones used by a number of viruses and worms to masquerade as harmless files. "MyDogRover.jpg.pif" (an imaginary example) which can be an executable file can appear as the harmless file, "MyDogRover.jpg" without the registry changes mentioned above -- even when you have turned off the hiding of file extensions.)
    See Screenshot 2.
  3. Open a window to the "C:\WINDOWS\SendTo" directory.
    See Screenshot 3. The steps:
    1. Double-click on "My Computer",
    2. double-click on "C:",
    3. double-click on "WINDOWS", and
    4. double-click on "SendTo".
  4. Drag and drop the shortcut to F-Prot to the SendTo directory.
    See Screenshot 4.

To check a file once the steps above have been taken:

  1. For an example, I have selected a file in my Download directory to show how to check a single file. (The file was an email attachment and I renamed it from "CLICK.EXE" to "CLICK.XEX" so it can't be run by accident.) You should not actually select the file at this stage. It could be dangerous if it had an executable extension and you accidentally double-clicked. I just did it (very carefully) to show you the file to be tested.
    See Screenshot 5.
  2. Right-click on the file and you will get a menu.
    See Screenshot 6.
  3. Select "Send To" on the menu to get a list of things or places to which the file can be sent.
    See Screenshot 7.
  4. Select "Shortcut to F-PROT".
    See Screenshot 8.
  5. ... and click on it to check the file. In this example case, the file checked was infected. Click on the "X" in the title-bar of the window to close the window.
    See Screenshot 9.

An easier but possibly riskier alternative:

I have been recently informed, it is also possible to create a shortcut to F-Prot on the desktop and check a single file by dragging and dropping its icon onto the F-Prot shortcut icon. I have tried that and it works. You may find that easier. However, I will stick to my version for one reason -- an injured hand causes me to accidentally double-click at times when I intend to click once. An accidental right double-click will still just present me with the menu that includes the Send-To selection. An accidental left double-click could run an infectious file when all I intended was to drop it on the F-Prot icon.

Unhiding special extensions:

A member of my computer club is working on a web page that will include screen-shots of the steps necessary to unhide some special (and dangerous) file extensions such as ".pif" and ".shs" that are normally hidden by Windows 95/98/etc. even when you have told Windows to display file extensions. Until the web page is available, you can grab the zipped file, unhide.zip containing the screen-shots of the steps I used to unhide those special extensions. Please don't bookmark the location of the file. It will be removed and this paragraph will be replaced with a pointer to the web page currently under construction as soon as it is finished.

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