From nmap help:
-sV: Probe open ports to determine service/version info
--version-intensity : Set from 0 (light) to 9 (try all probes)
--version-light: Limit to most likely probes (intensity 2)
--version-all: Try every single probe (intensity 9)
--version-trace: Show detailed version scan activity (for debugging)
From my understanding, you don't have the option to select which probes you want to execute. If I'm right, then the only option would be compiling nmap.
If you download the code, there is a file called: nmap-service-probes
, which contains a list of regexp which are used to identify the services. I don't know how nmap uses this file, but I guess that if you remove any other than the ones you want, it will only search for those probes.
As of disabling "pre-scanning", take a look to the --disable-FEATURE
argument of configure
(in case you go on the way of compiling nmap). Not sure if that is useful but it may take you in some direction.
My recommendation is to wait and see if someone knows a way to achieve it without compiling it. If not, you have this option.