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Microsoft Anti-virus




Microsoft Anti-Virus ('''MSAV''') was an Antivirus program introduced by Microsoft for its MS-DOS Operating System . The program first appeared in MS-DOS version 6.0 and last appeared in version 6.22. The first version of the antivirus program was quite rudimentary, had no update facility (though a single update became available), and could only scan for about 1,000 viruses. '''Microsoft Anti-Virus for Windows''' ('''MWAV'''), included as part of the package, could be run under Windows 3.x .


HISTORY

Microsoft Anti-Virus was supplied by Central Point Software Inc. (later acquired by Symantec Corporation in 1994 and integrated into Symantec's Norton AntiVirus product) and was essentially a stripped down version of the Central Point Anti-Virus (CPAV) product which, in turn, Central Point Software Inc., had licensed from Carmel Software Engineering in Haifa, Israel. Carmel Software sold the product as Turbo Anti-Virus both domestically and abroad.

Microsoft Anti-Virus for Windows was also provided by Central Point Software. This product became noted as determining that the upgrade program of Windows 95 was detected as a Computer Virus , something which was embarrassing to Microsoft {Link without Title} .


FEATURES

Both the MS-DOS and Windows versions of the latest product had common features; the "Detect and Clean" strategy of Microsoft Anti-Virus could scan for and detect 1,234 distinct viruses. Other features included the detection of Boot Sector and Trojan Horse -type viruses which was the typical virus problem at the time.

The program also had an anti-stealth and .


WINDOWS XP AND VISTA

With the acquisition of GIANT Company Software and the release of Windows Defender (formerly Microsoft AntiSpyware), and the acquisition of RAV Antivirus from GeCAD Software , Microsoft has once again entered the antivirus market with: