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Force Patch Scan

This page describes how the scan-now.txt marker file is used to trigger a patch scan and how to interpret its contents. The file is evaluated by the patching process to determine whether a new scan is required based on its last modified time.​

Behavior

  • A scan is initiated when scan-now.txt exists and its modified time is later than the last recorded scan time on the system.​

  • The file does not need any specific contents; the logic relies on the file’s last modified timestamp to decide whether to run a new scan.​

For example:

  • File modified date: 10/14/2025 9:42:56 PM.

  • The presence of this file initiates a scan if the file's modified time is later than the last scan time.

Script

# Force Patch Scan

cmd.exe /d /c echo Scan invoked on %DATE% %TIME% from package >> ..\..\Patch\scans\scan-now.txt

  • /d prevents cmd.exe from running AutoRun commands so that only the echo statement executes.

  • The echo line appends a one-line entry with the current date, time, and the text “from package” into ....\Patch\scans\scan-now.txt, creating the file if it does not already exist.

Notes

  • Requires Administrator privileges

  • Best used when:

    • Troubleshooting systems that intermittently miss scheduled scans.

     

  • The scan-now.txt file grows over time, providing a simple history of when the force-scan command ran from different packages or runs.

Log file details

  • Location: ....\Patch\scans\scan-now.txt relative to the script or package working directory.

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