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ExamSoft and VirusScan Instructions

Some students using the ExamSoft software have noticed a problem when trying to take an exam on their computer. When they tell ExamSoft to restart their computer to launch the exam, the shutdown process takes an abnormally long time (five to ten minutes, or longer). Then, when they finally get into the exam, when they finish and tell ExamSoft to restart the computer again, the shutdown process again takes a long time to complete.

This is a known issue with ExamSoft, and has been identified as a conflict between ExamSoft and McAfee VirusScan, the anti-virus software provided by the University of Washington to students. Fortunately, the problem only affects a small percentage of computers, and there is a simple workaround for those that do have a problem.

If you experience these long delays when using ExamSoft, you can avoid them by temporarily disabling McAfee VirusScan for the duration of your exam. Normally, turning off your anti-virus software is not a good idea, but since ExamSoft locks down your computer during this time, the security risk is minimal. To disable the McAfee software, do the following:

NOTE: VirusScan 7.x users should disregard the steps referring to "Buffer Overflow Protection", a feature that is only present in VirusScan version 8.x.

  1. Right-click the McAfee shield icon (at the bottom right of your screen, near the clock), and select 'VirusScan Console...'
  2. Right-click 'Buffer Overflow Protection' and select 'Disable'.
  3. Right-click 'On-Access Scanner' and select 'Properties'. In the Properties window, on the 'General' tab, clear the check box next to 'Enable on-access scanning at system startup' and click 'OK'.
  4. Restart your computer. McAfee VirusScan should come up disabled. (The Windows Security Center may warn you at this point that there is a problem with your anti-virus software.)
  5. Start ExamSoft and take your exam.
  6. After the exam is complete and your system has restarted, be sure to go back in to the VirusScan console and re-enable both the Buffer Overflow Protection and the On-Access Scanner at system startup.