This article explains the rules for using wildcards when creating exclusions with ENS, MOVE AV Multi-Platform, or VSE.
Using wildcards when creating exclusions
Wildcards (?, *, **) are helpful in creating exclusions, but certain rules apply. See examples below.
- The question mark (?) wildcard is used to represent a single character in the exact position where it is placed in the path or file name.
- The asterisk (*) wildcard is used to represent one or more characters, and does not cross a folder boundary.
- The double asterisk (**) wildcard is used to represent one or more characters, and does cross folder boundaries.
- System Environmental Variables such as %SystemRoot% can be used in exclusions. User Environmental Variables such as %UserProfile% can't be used, because the on‑access scanner runs under the Windows Local System account.
To show the difference between the * and ** wildcards, C:\Users\Will* will match path names such as C:\Users\William, C:\Users\Willamina, and C:\Users\WillAnderson. It will not match any subfolder of those names. C:\Users\Will** will match the previous folders and all their subfolders.
Wildcard examples
| Example |
Comments |
|
**\Temp\test.docx
|
Exclude a specific file in a folder named Temp anywhere on the system. |
|
**\test.docx
|
Exclude a specific file anywhere on the system.
|
|
\**\test.docx
|
Exclude a specific file in any folder on a specific drive. The drive letter must be included in the wildcard.
In this example, any test.doc files on the D: drive are excluded:
D:\**\test.doc
|
|
Users\**\Documents\Microsoft User Data\
|
Exclude any folder under Users and any folder under User Data (select also exclude subfolders).
|
|
C:\Documents and Settings\**\Favorites\
|
Exclude the Favorites folder for all users.
|
|
C:\**\Favorites\
|
Exclude any folder named Favorites on drive C.
|
|
**\Temp\**
|
Exclude the Temp folder in any location, on any drive.
In this example the following directories would be excluded:
- C:\temp
- D:\windows\temp
- c:\documents and settings\Administrator\Local Settings\temp
|
|
**\Temp\*.tmp
|
Exclude any file with a .tmp extension in a folder named Temp anywhere on the system.
|
|
**\*.html
|
Exclude any file with an .html extension anywhere on the system.
|
C:\Windows\Temp*\inifile?.*
|
Exclude all files named inifileX, where X is any valid character for a file name, in any folder name beginning with Temp under C:\Windows.
|
|
\**\*.tmp
|
Exclude all files with the .tmp extension (*.tmp) in any folder on a specific drive. The drive letter must be included in the wildcard.
In this example, any *.tmp files on the D: drive are excluded:
D:\**\*.tmp
|
