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I'm trying to exclude a folder from antivirus scanning, and I'm wondering if it's necessary to tell the antivirus (MSE) to exclude both "folders" in order to truly exclude the actual folder?

For example (running Windows 7 x64):

Let's say I have a symbolic link D:\symlink\ that points to C:\destination\. In Windows, if I were to browse to D:\symlink\, it would appear that I'm still browsing within the \symlink folder on the D:\ drive, even though I'm actually browsing data on C:.

So if I tell the antivirus to exclude the symbolic link (D:\symlink\), will the antivirus "know" to also not scan the destination folder (like if it's merely scanning C:)? Or conversely, if I tell the antivirus to exclude the destination folder, but not the symbolic link, will the antivirus be able to still scan the destination folder through the symlink "door"?

I realize the simplest route is "Why not just exclude both to be safe?". But I'm curious from a theoretical standpoint.

2 Answers 2

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You have to exclude both since for antivirus your symbolic link appears as a separate folder. Antivirus is not aware of the fact that it is just symbolic link to another place. This is up to file system layer to see is it real folder or symbolic link.

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  • Not true: reparse points are easily detectable by any program.
    – kreemoweet
    Aug 14, 2013 at 18:58
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Since symbolic links are easily detectable, there is nothing that either prevents or requires any program from treating them differently or the same as normal directories. Therefore, it depends entirely on how the program is coded as to whether you need to specify one or two exclusions.

You could find out by experimentation how MSE behaves.

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