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Is my antivirus software up to date?
How do I find out what software I am using for virus
protection?
I don't have Virex on my Macintosh, how do I get it
installed?
How do I find out what version of Virex I have
installed on my Macintosh?
I don't have the latest version of Virex on my Macintosh.
How do I get it installed?
How do I find out if my virus definition file is
up to date?
I have the latest version of Virex, but my definition
file is not up to date. How do I update it?
What can I do about virus warnings that come in my email?
How do I scan a specific file?
Is there more I can do to protect myself from computer
viruses?
How can I protect my home computer?
I have another question regarding viruses. Can you help?
All campus Macintosh users who are not using Mac OS X should be using Virex to protect their computers from viruses. The latest version is version 6.1.
The latest definition file as of January 28, 2004 is 01/01/2004 - a new definition file is released at the beginning of each month, and is named appropriately.
If you are up to date, please make sure that you keep your virus definition file up to date by loading the new virus definition file each month.
If you do not have this software installed or it is not the latest version,
please contact the IT Services HelpDesk
. One of our technicians will come and install it for you. Top
There are several standard packages that have been used in the past on the
Macintosh computers on campus. The most common ones are: SAM, Dr. Solomon (Macguard)
and Virex. If you have no clue as to what you have, the easiest way to find
out would be to look in your control panel folder (Apple menu) and see if SAM,
Macguard or Virex is there. If you need help doing this please - contact
IT Services and ask for assistance. Top
If you don't have Virex installed on your computer,or you don't have the latest
version (6.1), please contact
IT Services . One of our technicians will come and install it for you. Top
Open the Virex control panel (in the Apple menu, choose Control Panels and then select Virex Control Panel), press the Help button and then the Technical Information button and you should see a window similar to that shown below. The information that you are looking for is in this window.
If you do not have version 6.1, please contact
IT Services . One of our technicians will come and install it for you.
If you have version 6.1, but your definition file is not up to date then you
need to update your definition file. Top
Run the Virex application and press the eUpdate button at the top right of the Virex window:
It will go out to the Virex site and bring in the latest definition file and
install it for you. These files are updated at the beginning of every month,
so you will need to follow this procedure every month in order to keep
your viral protection up to date.
We encourage you to set up your Virex application to download
eUpdates from UWRF. Top
On occasion we receive dire warnings in our email about computer viruses. These messages are almost always hoaxes. They are passed from person to person because they were written to sound plausible.
Please do not forward warnings about viruses that you receive via email to others. If you have questions about whether a warning is real or a hoax,we recommend a visit to one of the following web sites:
| McAfee web site | ||
| VMyths web site | ||
| Datafellows F-Secure site | http://www.datafellows.com/ |
Virex checks files that you copy or open automatically as you use your computer. It is not normally necessary to scan files as it is done for you. But it is wise to scan files you are unsure of as an extra precaution now and then. If you are sent files via email or on floppy disk from an untrusted source, you may wish to scan these for an extra measure of security. This type of on-demand scan is easily accomplished with Virex.
When Virex is installed it installs an icon on your desktop called Virex DropScan as shown below:
To scan a specific file, a folder of files or a disk, just drag the file/folder/disk on top of the Virex DropScan icon. The files will be scanned and you will be told if there are any viruses found.
If you do not have the Virex DropScan icon on your desktop then you will have to run the Virex application program. There should be an alias to this in your Apple menu called Virex - as well as the control panel.If not, you will need to do a Find on your hard drive to locate the application - it is most likely in your Utilities folder.
Run Virex. From the Virex menu bar, choose Repair and then Folder or File...and locate your file/folder that you want to be scanned. Choosing Repair rather than Diagnose means that if it finds a file with a virus it will try and repair it.
Most computer viruses are spread through email or by floppy disk. Sometimes there is good reason to be suspicious. Files or programs that come unsolicited and offer to entertain us are much more likely to contain computer viruses. Files which have come from someone else's computer on a zip or floppy disk may also be infected.
If you are suspicious and don't need the file, just delete it. If you think
you may need to open a file and are unsure whether it is safe, scan
it first. Trust your instincts! There may be good reason to be suspicious.
It's not worth risking your computer data and productivity for a few moments
of entertainment. Top
As a University employee you can use the Virex software on your home computer.The software is copyrighted and must be used only by UW-River Falls students, faculty, and staff. Go to our web page:
http://www.uwrf.edu/services/download/antivirus.php
and follow the links to download the application and the latest definition
file for this use. Top
If you would like assistance with any of this, please contact
IT Services. Top
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