Dr Web 5.x beta info

I recently email Dr Web technical support to ask them a couple of questions about some features I thought were missing, namely quarantine, the ability to copy infected files (in case of false positive), and password protection. This is the response I got:

Both features about quarantine will be implemented in the future
version DrWeb, not in the 4.xx. DrWeb v5 now is in the development.
Public beta-version can be in this year.

That's great news!!!!

 

Yes, thats true.

It is also undergoing some limited testing.

The beta CAN be in this year. It does not mean it WILL be.

 

I understand what you're saying. But still you have to admit that it's nice to be given info about a beta. I'm glad I went to Webby from NOD32; where they are just tight-lipped (aka asses) about beta information. Very nice of the doc.

 

I guess, but all I really care about is whether current bugs are fixed, version numbers really don't mean anything. As long as companies continually improve their product, its just fine.

Its your choice, and I do hope you are enjoying your license of Dr.Web (It really is a good AV)

Eset has very good reasons for not releasing beta information. But this is not the thread to discuss it.

Well, I'll say their support has improved a lot in the past 6 months.

 

Some good news for you guys: I have received information that Dr.Web 5.0 may be released at around November-December this year.

Among new features are improved scanning speed due to further optimizations and an improved quarantine feature (quarantined files will be encrypted like in other AVs).

 

I hope that they also update interface

 

I'm pretty sure the interface will also be changed, since early work on Dr.Web version 5.0 (earlier versions of Virus Chaser) had a nice interface.

 

I'm waiting for the beta Hope it will be something new in its interface and some new heuristic updates....

 

Basically the current heuristics engine is quite good. I suspect Dr.Web will try to work on reducing the false positives for a while.

I'm not sure if there is a generic unpacker in Dr.Web's heuristic engine. If its not there, version 5.0 should introduce it.

 

I have gotten used to the interface and I hope it does not change drastically.
Although I do not spend much time looking at it either.
It makes DrWeb more unique to me.

 

Well, I think Dr.Web will most probably have a different GUI because Virus Chaser 5.0 (not the current version 5.0a) was written by the Dialogue Science team and it had quite a different GUI as compared to Dr.Web 4.xx, also it had the internal numbering of v5.

 

It has been suggested that the interface for Dr Web 5.0 will be somewhat like an ealier version of the one used with VirusChaser. I think it would be best to hold out until we know more information, but my initial response is that I do not like that idea. Not one b ut. I liked Dr Web in part because of the simplistic interface. Now they're changing it in the name of improvement. One of the name reasons I chose Dr Web over VBA32 was the "look and feel" of Dr Web. With this new information I might have to rething that decision.

 

only thing about the gui is that i'd only need one icon at systray instead of 3

 

Even if using SpIDermail and the Scheduler you can still select only having the 1 major icon loading up in the system tray

 

I never used it but I assume you're refering to Virus Chaser, correct? I despise the extra icons for the different modules but of course I don't use the SpIDermail or Scheduler function so it's not a big deal. I would, however, hope that the multiple icon feature goes away and all the modules be incorporated into the main GUI because I anticipate using the HTTP scanner once they get the kinks ironed out.

 

No. Dr Web. This is one of the minor irritations that they sorted out. With the Scheduler, for example, you have an option whether to show the tray icon or not.

 

With SpIDermail as well. I am sure they will do the same with SpIDerGate when it comes out of beta.

 

I see... I see! (literally) I didn't know that was now an option. Thanks for the info.

edit: uhh, probably a stupid question but how do you access the modules once hidden?

 

From the Start Menu

 

Ha! Too easy! I was thinking that because the .... ah, nevermind, that doesn't make sense now that I think about it. It's too early here - need more coffee. Thanks.

 

This might sound kind of like a wishlist for Dr Web version 5. But I would like to know if these things are going to be added to v5.

The ability to have various levels of hueristics (a la VBA32) This would be really cool
Faster on-demand scans; the current speed sucks. This is a must.
Fixed memory management; especially after completed scan
Unified GUI; no more modules
Command line scanner changes; I don't like how the defintions are loaded and listed by default when a scan is initiated.

Are there going to be any detection or engine improvements?

 

I like the present interface (aka GUI).

In the famous words of Scarparelli: "Ehhh, no make-a screwy da Gui!"

 

Thanks for the question!
Various levels of heurestics - don't quite understand what exactly you mean, should we copy the VBA32? I know we shall have VERY GOOD heurstics which means very few false alarms and very high unknown detection rate.

Faster on-demand scans; the current speed sucks. This is a must.
Surely yes. You will be as surprised as we are.

Fixed memory management; especially after completed scan
In research, probably yes

Unified GUI - yes. No more Graphic modules.

Command line - no changes, but if you are irritated, welcome here - support.drweb.com/request - just ask the way to get rid of this irritation

 

@Severyanin
Can you provide any more details about expected release dates. Will it be like end of 2006 or might it slip to 2007? Also, when will Spidergate come out of beta?

 

More likely it will be around November 2006 - April 2007 period. No idea about SpiderGate though