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VirusScan for Macintosh 8.6

VirusScan for Mac application icon

Table of Contents

About VirusScan for Mac 8.6
Downloading VirusScan for Mac
Installing VirusScan for Mac
Configuring VirurScan for Mac
Updating the Virus Definition (DAT) File
Scanning Your Computer for Viruses

About VirusScan for Mac 8.6

This release of VirusScan for Mac supports Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later Tiger. It also supports the latest Intel microprocessors as well as the Power-PC microprocessor.

VirusScan for Mac is a commercial software product that helps keep your Macintosh computer free of viruses, Trojan horses and other malicious code.  It is a native Macintosh OS X  application with "drag and drop" features.  You can use VirusScan for Mac to diagnose and clean a file, a folder, or an entire volume.  You can also use it to view a complete report of the results.

VirusScan for Mac was developed by McAfee, Inc. and it has been site licensed for distribution to the San Francisco State University campus community.  Faculty, staff, and students are also licensed to install and use this software on their personal computers.

VirusScan for Mac provides on-line HTML help in its main windows and in its preferences dialog boxes.  It also provides access via Internet connection to McAfee's online Virus Information Library which contains comprehensive information about new and existing virus threats.

NOTE:

This guide provides the information you need to acquire, install, configure, update, and use the VirusScan for Mac anti-virus software to scan your computers for viruses.

New Features

What Has Changed?

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Downloading VirusScan for Mac

Download the compressed file version of the Mac OS X disk image file, VirusScan8.6.dmg using a Web browser. You may use Safari, Firefox, or Netscape to download the file onto your desktop. Internet Explorer will not download the file correctly. To download the file, perform the steps below:

  1. If you are accessing the SFSU campus through a dial-in modem, make a PPP connection to SFSU.   If you are on the SFSU campus in a computer lab or office, you should already have a direct Internet connection.
  2. Start a Web browser such as Safari, Firefox, or Netscape and go to the Anti-Virus Information Web page at:  http://www.sfsu.edu/~doit/helpdesk/av.htm#virusscan-mac
  3. Click on the button labeled, Download VirusScan for Mac 8.6 under the Mac OS X 10.4.x platform in the table. and under the Download column.  The Download Software Web page will open.
  4. Enter your SFSU identification number in the SFSU ID field.
  5. Enter your 4-digit Personal Access Code in the Personal Access Code (PAC) field.
  6. Select Yes or No in the pull-down menu in response to the prompt, Will this software be installed on a state-owned computer?
  7. Click on the Login button. The process to download the disk image file, VirusScan for Mac 8.6 installation file to your computer will begin. Upon completion, the Mac OS X disk image file, VirusScan 8.6.dmg, VirusScan 8.5 Disk Image icon will be save onto your computer's desktop. Also, that disk image file will uncompress and save its contents onto your desktop. The VirusScan8.6.dmg contains the VirusScan installer script file,VirusScan.pkg, the VirusScan Uninstall.command script file and a Documentation folder that contains the License.rtf, and ReadMe.rtf documents.

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Installing VirusScan for Mac

VirusScan for Mac is designed for a computer with the following configuration:

Before you install VirusScan for Mac, make sure your operating system is up-to-date and the previous version of Virex (or VirusScan for Mac) is uninstalled. If you have a version of VirusScan for Mac or Virex already installed on your computer, the VirusScan for Mac installer displays a message and aborts its installation.

To uninstall Virex, use the uninstaller supplied with your current version of Virex or VirusScan for Mac. Do not uninstall Virex using the uninstaller supplied with another version of Virex (or VirusScan for Mac).

Once you have downloaded the VirusScan for Mac 8.6 Disk Image file, VirusScan 8.5 Disk Image iconperform the following steps to install it:

  1. Double-click the VirusScan installer script file, VirusScan.pkg to launch the installation process. The Install VirusScan for Mac window will open and prompt you with a check to see if the program can be installed on your computer. Click the Continue button.
  1. At the Welcome to the VirusScan Installer screen, read the introductory text, then click Continue.
  1. At the Important Information screen, read the Release Notes for VirurScan for Mac 8.6. Click Continue.
  2. At the Software License Agreement screen, read the End User License Agreement. Click Continue.
  3. Click the Agree button to agree to the terms of the software license agreement and to continue installing the software.

Agree to Terms

  1. At the Select a Destination screen, select the drive on which you want to install VirusScan. Click Continue.
  2. At the Easy Install on "Macintosh HD" screen, click Install to perform a basic installation.
  1. You will be prompted with the Authenticate dialogue box. Type your password in the Password field, then click OK.
  2. You will be prompted with the Configure On Access Scanner window, where you may modify the scanning settings. Click Continue.

  1. Click Close.
  2. Next you will be might be prompted to restart the computer. Click Restart to continue.

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Configuring VirusScan for Mac

Once you have installed VirusScan for Mac, check the configuration by performing the following steps:

  1. Locate the VirusScan for Mac application icon, Virex application icon on the Macintosh Hard Disk, in the Applications folder.
  1. Double-click the VirusScan for Mac application icon, Virex application icon to start up the program. The VirusScan for Mac application window will open.
  2. Click the Preferences VirusScan for Mac Preferences Button button.  The Preferences dialogue box will open.
  3. Click the lock button, so that you may change the Preference settings. You will be prompted with the Authenticate dialog box. Enter the password for the account with Administrator permissions.
  1. Click the More Options button. The Preferences dialogue box will expand.

    2. Click the Fewer Options button to condense the Preferences dialogue box.

  2. If necessary, click on the check-box next to the setting that you want to modify to select or to deselect that option.
  3. You may click on the pull-down menu that displays On Access Scanner to select the other scanner category, On Demand Scanner :
    VirurScan for Mac Preferences Window Scanner Menu
  4. When you are done, click the Close button to close the Preferences dialogue box.
  5. Click on the VirusScan for Mac menu and select the Quit VirusScan for Mac command to close the application window.
 VirusScan for Mac Preferences Window

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Updating the Virus Definition (DAT) File

Every month, hundreds of new viruses appear, so you should ensure that your computer is always protected by keeping your anti-virus software up to date.  McAfee regularly develops an updated virus definition file (DAT) file and makes it available on the McAfee Web site for users to download to combat new virus threats as they emerge.  Each DAT file brings new detection and cleaning capabilities to VirusScan for Mac.  McAfee updates the DAT file on its Web site about once a month.

You may configure VirusScan for Mac to update the DAT file three different ways -- automatically, manually, or by using the VirusScan for Mac Schedule Editor.  The VirusScan for Mac Schedule Editor enables you to schedule automated updates of the DAT file very easily.

IMPORTANT

You MUST be logged in as an Administrator to update the DAT files using eUpdate. If you are not and you attempt to use eUpdate, you will receive the error message, VirusScan for Mac is unable to connect to eUpdate server. So, log out of your computer and log in again using an account with Administrator permissions.

  1. The default setting of VirusScan for Mac is set to check for DAT file updates automatically when the program starts up. See the Preferences setting, Automatically check for virus definition updates in the Configuring VirusScan for Mac section above.
  2. To set VirusScan for Mac to allow you to manually check for DAT file updates, do the following:
    1. Start up VirusScan for Mac and deselect the Automatically check for virus definition updates setting in Preferences.
    2. Click the eUpdate button, eUpdate button. The window will display the last time the eUpdate was performed.
    3. Click the Start button, Start eUpdate button to initiate the eUdate process.
  3. To setup VirusScan for Mac to use the VirusScan Schedule Editor, do the following:
    1. Start up VirusScan for Mac and deselect the Automatically check for virus definition updates setting in Preferences.
 
    1. Click the View menu and select the Scheduled Tasks command. The VirusScan Schedule Editor dialogue box will open.
    2. Click the New eUpdate Task button. An Untitled Task dialogue box will open.
    3. Click the Click lock to make changes button. The Authenticate dialogue box will open.
    4. Enter the Password to your Administrator account, then click the OK button.
    5. Type a name for this task (e.g., Auto DAT Update) in the Task Name field.
VirusScan for Mac Schedule Editor Window
    1. Click the Set button next to the Date & Time label. A calendar and time setting dialogue box will open so that you can establish the starting date and time for the Automatic DAT Update task to be performed.
    2. The current month, day and time will be the default setting.
    3. Make adjustments to the Start Date and Start Time settings, if necessary. Note that the Start Time is displayed in military time (the 24-hour clock).
    4. Click the OK button to close the dialogue box.
    1. Click on the pull-down menu next to the Recurrence field and select Monthly. A calendar will be displayed in the dialogue box.
    2. Leave the No end date radio button selected.
    3. Click the OK button to close the task dialogue box. Verify the information in the task entry that you just created.
    4. Click the Close button to close the VirusScan for Mac Schedule Editor dialogue box.
    5. Click the Close button to close the VirusScan for Mac window.
Auto DAT Update dialogue box

After you have completed updating the DAT file, it is recommended that you perform a complete scan of your hard disk immediately, to check for any new viruses.

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Scanning Your Computer for Viruses

Once you have installed VirusScan for Mac, you should scan your computer's hard disk for viruses.  You should also scan your computer's hard disk for any new viruses after updating the VirusScan for Mac DAT file.  Perform the following steps to scan your computer's hard disk, a folder or a file.

  1. Make sure you quit all applications, and disable the screen saver program, if one is enabled.
  2. Start up the VirusScan for Mac application.  The application window will open.
  3. Click on the Scan & Clean button to place VirusScan for Mac in that mode. The application window will display a small window with the prompt, Drop items or click here.
  4. You may use the drag-and-drop technique to "drop" the hard disk icon, a folder icon, or a file icon into that window to have VirusScan for Mac scan that item for viruses.
  5. Click the Start button Start button to initiate the scan.
Virex application window - Scan & Clean option


Alternatively, you may click on the sub-window, as is stated, and a Finder browser window will open. Navigate to the item (e.g., file or folder) that you want to scan. Then click the Start button to initiate the scan.

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Last Modified: 30 Apr 2008
doit@sfsu.edu