Thanks for the information, everyone.
Wish I had realized before that you can scan an individual file (or directory -- am assuming that's something like "My Documents").
Although I'd seen that "Scan for Viruses" option with the right click, it never really registered with me what that meant -- it was sort of like, I saw it once, wondered what it was, then never really "saw" it again after that. Guess it's because for years I used only computers at work or at school and never had to worry about virus protection.
I've tried the right clicking on a file deal and it worked!
when you select scan your computer in the AV program, it'll give open a window with a list of your folders (just like any other Open or Save As menu) and you select what you want to scan.
Haven't noticed that possibility, as mine just shows something like "Complete Computer" and then shows two folders below that, the C drive and the CD/DVD drive. Not sure if it allows you to open up the C folder and select items inside, but will check that out in the future. (My antivirus is Symantec.)
Last time I did a virus scan I noticed there was some log or something you could read and it listed all sorts of things that it COULDN'T scan. Not sure what that was all about.
OK, I found my notes on this. First there was a note that said "Symantec antivirus cannot access D drive." This shouldn't be a problem since that's just the DVD drive. But this part seemed strange: "Event Log -- 'Scan Omission' ". This listed oodles of files that "can't be accessed."
Should this concern me?