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Macintosh Antivirus

There are two versions of Virex available for Macintosh operating systems at this time.

If you have a Mac OS X system, use the latest VirusScan 8.5 for Mac package.

If you have a Mac OS 9 or earlier system, use the latest Virex 6 package.

VirusScan 8.5 for Mac (available since December 2006)

Supported on

Mac OS X versions 10.4 (Tiger)

Both Intel and PowerPC architectures are supported in this release.

10.5 (Leopard) not yet supported: Antivirus software is not currently available for Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard). The Security Office is evaluating a new version of VirusScan for Macintosh and expects it to be available by 11/16/07.

Installation

Important: You must have an administrator user name and password in order to install and update Virex. Even if you are logged in as an administrator, you will be prompted for an administrator's user name and password during the installation and configuration processes.

Download the VirusScan 8.5 for Mac package from the CITES Software WebStore. Double-click the WebStore file (.app) in order to download the installation package, which is provided in a .zip file. Uncompress the .zip file, open the folder that it contained, and double-click the .dmg file to start the installation. Then follow the prompts provided by the installation package. (If you have an older version such as Virex installed, VirusScan 8.5 will uninstall the previous version.)

After installation, you'll need to reboot. Then you should run Disk Utility and configure your software to run and to check for updates on the schedule you prefer. Since the VirusScan for Mac package cannot be campus-modified, the manufacturer's directions and help pages remain your most detailed source of configuration information.

For answers to frequently asked questions and known issues about VirusScan 8.5 for Mac, see the Macintosh Antivirus FAQ .

Configuring VirusScan 8.5 for Mac to automatically update and scan for viruses

Launch the VirusScan application (found under Applications). Under the View menu, select Scheduled Tasks.

When you first open the VirusScan Schedule Editor, the list of tasks will be empty; follow these instructions to add scheduled items that will scan your hard disk and check for updates every night.

New scan task

  1. Click the New Scan Task icon. A new window (shown here) will appear.
  2. Enter "Scan full disk" for the task name.
  3. Select "Daily" for the recurrence frequency.
  4. Click the set button to select a date and time. In the calendar window that appears, select a day and time for your scans to begin occurring.
  5. Click in the empty Scan Items box. A choosing window will appear. Select the icon for your hard drive (often the second from the top in the left pane) and click Choose.
  6. A single character ( / ) will appear in the Scan Items box. This means that everything on your hard drive will be scanned. Click OK.
  7. You'll return to the main Schedule Editor window, where your new task will be listed.

New eUpdate task

  1. Click the New eUpdate Task icon. A new window (shown here) will appear, and most of the editable fields will be grayed out. Click the lock in the lower left hand corner to make changes, and enter the computer's administrator name and password in the authentication window that opens.
  2. Enter "Daily update" in the Task Name field.
  3. Select "Daily" for the recurrence frequency.
  4. Click the set button to select a date and time. In the calendar window that appears, select a day and time for your scans to begin occurring. (Select a time that is slightly earlier than your scanning time, so that Virex has the latest available definitions when performing the nightly scan.)
  5. Click OK.
  6. You'll return to the main Schedule Editor window, and your new task will be listed.

Configuring VirusScan to get updates from on campus

  1. In the main VirusScan window (shown here), click on the Preferences icon. Many items will be grayed out; click the lock in the lower left hand corner to make configuration changes, and give the administrator user name and password when prompted.
  2. Click More Options to expand the list of available options.
  3. Place a check mark beside Customize eUpdate server settings.
  4. Click the Customize button to configure on-campus update settings. In the window that appears (shown here), enter the following settings:
    • Type: FTP
    • Server URL: antivirus.cites.uiuc.edu
    • Port: 21
    • Username: anonymous
    • Password: [Leave the default password provided by McAfee.]
    • Account:
      [Leave this line blank.]
    • Directory: [Leave the default path provided by McAfee.]
  5. Click OK and close the Preferences window. Now when eUpdate checks are run, they will search the on-campus antivirus server.

Running a virus scan

After launching the VirusScan application (shown here), click on the Scan & Clean button.

More help

For additional help with VirusScan 8.5 on Mac OS X, contact the CITES Help Desk.

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Virex 6.2

Supported on

Macintosh OS 9 and earlier

Installation

Download the Virex 6.2 package from the CITES Software WebStore. Double-click the installation file and follow the prompts.

After installation, you'll need to configure your software to run and to check for updates on the schedule you prefer. Since the Virex package can not be UIUC-modified, the manufacturer's directions and help pages remain your most detailed source of configuration information.

Scheduling updates for Virex 6.2

Configuring Virex to get updates from on campus

  1. In the main Virex window (shown here), click on the Preferences icon. Many items will be grayed out; click the lock in the lower left hand corner to make configuration changes, and give the administrator user name and password when prompted.   
  2. Click More Options to expand the list of available options.   
  3. Place a check mark beside Customize eUpdate server settings.   
  4. Click the Customize button to configure on-campus update settings. In the window that appears (shown here), enter the following settings:         
    • Type (if shown): FTP
    • Server URL: antivirus.cites.uiuc.edu
    • Port: 21
    • Username: anonymous
    • Password: [Leave the default password provided by McAfee.]
    • Account:
      [Leave this line blank.]
    • Directory: [Leave the default path provided by McAfee.]
  5. Click OK and close the Preferences window. Now when eUpdate checks are run, they will search the on-campus antivirus server.

Running a virus scan

After launching the Virex application (shown here), click on the Diagnose button.

More help

For additional help with Virex 6.2 on Macintosh OS 9 or earlier, contact the CITES Help Desk.

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