Starting Comodo AntiVirus Scan with Microsoft Task Scheduler

I like to run my anti-virus scan in the middle of the night. However, because CIS doesn’t have a true scan log, or even something that says “Last Scan Completed on . . .”, I have no proof the scan ran unless it found something.

However, it would seem to me that starting the scan via the Task Scheduler in my Vista OS would be a good workaround, as this would show history. Does anyone know how to set that up?

Obviously, you go into task scheduler and select “run new task.” But, what do you actually select from there to make the Comodo Antvirus Scan go?

You could give System Scheduler a try. I prefer it to the Windows scheduler because it has limited macro capabilities. So you can have it open an application and click buttons for you.

I haven’t tried to control CIS with it, but you just might be able to set the scheduler up to run a manual scan. You might need to leave the GUI open to a certain tab when you go to bed, but it would at least give you a little bit of automation.

It has a free and paid version, but the free version does everything I want.

Thanks for the reply.

Honestly, I don’t want to download a new program unless I know it will do what the I need it to do. I’ll research it, but I wonder if the default MS task scheduler would accomplish this. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough to try and set it up.

When you go under MS Scheduler, you can select to create a new task.

From there, I can find CIS in the Program files. But, what is the name of the .exe file that I would select to get a full scan scheduled?

But, what do you actually select from there to make the Comodo Antvirus Scan go?

hi guyz,
similar problem for me. I use Free Download Manager 3.x and want to enable CIS to scan after D/L. The problem is what is the “.exe” to run the scan? and any switches?

Entering “C:\Program Files\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cavscan.exe” doesn’t do anything at all. Or atleast FDM log reports 'lauching antivirus" & then “succeeded” and AFAIK nothing else happens

thanx

Have you tried using cavscan.exe followed by the drive, such as

“C:\Program Files\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cavscan.exe” C: E:

I haven’t tried it myself but this is what I did when using Avast free in order to get a scheduled scan.

John

"C:\Program Files\COMODO\COMODO Internet Security\cavscan.exe" C: E:

No use. FDM flatly rejects it - says ‘Name is invalid. Please check it’
It happens even if I just enter ‘C:’ after the ‘…exe’
or even if I put the whole inside dbl quotes

I dearly want to find out how to scan from another program becuz I use ‘Sylpheed’ email client - and would like to use the same option therein too = to scan emails after they arrive.

My Vista task manager allowed me to choose the cavscan.exe file as the action, with c: as the “argument”

Task Scheduler accepted it, but nothing happened . . . though task scheduler says it ran successfully. We’re getting close . . .

If there are no command line arguments written into CIS, you aren’t going to get it to run a scan by using non-existent arguments. The task scheduler told you the task ran successfully because it was able to open cavscan, not that it was able to tell it to do anything.

If you don’t want to try System Scheduler, you can give AutoIt a try. It’s a much more powerful application than System Scheduler. Instead of simply feeding blind mouseclicks as System Scheduler does, AutoIt can actually read which tab is open. It’s obviously a bit harder to write scripts for as a result…

Well, maybe I should reconsider the System Scheduler you mentioned earlier. Would you be willing to attempt to use it to start a Comodo Anti-virus full scan and report back on the success/failure? Also note, I’m unclear on whether the free version of this program works on Vista.

I’m unclear whether the free version runs on Vista either. I guess you could email and ask them, or just try it and see.

I was able to make it run a full scan by feeding it this string in the sendkeys window.

{DOUBLECLICK=1171,1007}{WAIT=1000}{LEFTCLICK=688,292}{LEFTCLICK=476,383}{LEFTCLICK=809,656}

The double click command double clicks the icon in the task bar. Then it waits for 1000 milliseconds for the GUI window to open, then it clicks on the AV tab button. It then clicks the “Run a scan” button and then the “Scan” button in the scan window. (It defaults to whichever scan profile you ran last, but you could select a different type if you wanted)

The only questionable part of this operation is double clicking the icon in the status bar because the icon may not always be in the same place. You could however just have it click a shortcut on your desktop. As long as that hasn’t moved, it will be able to open the GUI.

As for the tabs, it really doesn’t matter which tab is open, because you can click the AV tab button from any other tab.

System Scheduler comes with a little drag target to help you determine your x,y click coordinates.

Oh, and you’ll always want your GUI in the same spot, so don’t move it around or you’ll have to change your click coordinates.

Can’t you use scheduled scan feature of CIS (in antivirus)??? I think, with CIS 3.8 the scan result window now stays on (irrespective of whether CIS detected something or not) till you close it.

No, with the scheduled scan, the window doesn’t stay up upon completion.

Since writing my last post, I think I have confirmation that it does work with Vista. In thinking about the information you have set forth, I would also have to schedule it to log me in (I have an automatic log out after X minutes) – seems doable. And you’re right, the desktop icon would probably be more reliable than using the tray icon.

One thing, though, even using the a desktop icon does not guarantee the Comodo window opens in the exact same spot (since it opens in a “half window” style, which can move all over the place). This is solved if Comodo would open to full screen, but I have been unsuccessful in doing that . . .

Do you use CIS 3.8.65951.477??? Because in 3.5 the scheduled scans used to close on its own.But, in 3.8 this issue seems to have fixed and now I can use scheduled scan and the window does not close till I manually close it. I have scheduled my scan for lunch time and I can always see the ‘results’ window, irrespective of whether there is any detection or not.

Ahhhh , but if you schedule it for a time when the computer is locked or logged out, when you return, is the results screen waiting on you? Not in my experience ;D

I downloaded the (free version) System Scheduler and utilized the mouse click commands. Pretty cool!

Unfortunately . . .

The free version does not allow processes to run when logged off, nor will it automatically log you back in. Thinking the paid version would be worth the money (to run other applications as well), I tried to download it. Comodo tagged at least one of its files as a “backdoor” trojan.

Can you spell i-r-o-n-y.

All this because Comodo doesn’t include a “Last scan completed” line. I’m beginning to think I can trust that it ran :smiley:

Does the paid version have a macro recorder? If it does, that is likely what Comodo flagged. A macro recorder is a keylogger, even though it is benign.

Or, since Comodo is a bit false positive happy at the moment, did you check the file with Virustotal.com and send it to Comodo?

I also tried to get Comodo to open maximised but was unable. However, with a bit of testing, the window doesn’t appear to move as long as you haven’t moved it.

Yea, that was likely the culprit when I tried to download the paid version. I couldn’t figure out how to get Comodo to trust it, so I just canceled the download.

The download just kept giving me the option of skipping the file in questions (which it called ‘not recommended’), retry (which didn’t work), or abort the download. Meanwhile, the Comodo bubble that popped up noted the “backdoor” virus/trojan, but gave me no obvious way to accept it as safe.

Plus, I couldn’t figure out why Comodo had a problem with the paid version and not the free one . . .

The free version doesn’t actually have a macro recorder. You write your own macros manually, so it doesn’t have a .dll that is going to be watching for keystrokes.