Kernel Panics caused by latest Sophos AV update?

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Level 1

54 points

Kernel Panics caused by latest Sophos AV update?

My iMac on Mountain Lion 10.8 has experienced Kernel Panic which appears from th log to be due to Sophos AV which was recently updated automatically. As a result the iMac has slowed to a crawl and is virtually unusable. Use of the Recovery partition has established that the disk directory structure is OK and a permissions first aid sweep has turned up no problem with permissions. I have initiated Sophos Remove but after a full day it is showing no signs of having completed its task. Any suggestions for the next move?

Posted on Aug 24, 2012 5:36 AM

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Answer 1

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,494 points

Aug 24, 2012 5:52 AM in response to Tom James

Sophos like most anti virus software tends to create more problems than it solves. Follow the developers instructions for removing their software and then re-try, your KP's will probably go away. Apple advises the best protection is keeping your system up-to-date by using Software Update, using Anti Virus software is totally unnecessary, slows down your system and as mentioned tends to create problems such as KPs. Just don't use it!!

Please read Viruses, Trojans, Malware - and other aspects of Internet Security and also the XLab's Kernel Panics article for complete information on KP's.

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Answer 2

Tom James Author

Level 1

54 points

Aug 24, 2012 6:40 AM in response to rkaufmann87

I hear you, and I removed it from my MacPro laptop as soon as I saw it was causing a problem on the iMac. However, your answer does not really tell me how to deal with the real issue of a "zombied" iMac which is failing to remove Sophos AV using the Sophos Revoval application and has so far produced over 30 Crash Reports arising from the software's attempt to auto-update.

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Answer 3

Tom James Author

Level 1

54 points

Aug 24, 2012 7:52 AM in response to Tom James

The zombie has been removed......I rebooted in safe mode and that enabled the Sophos Removal Application to complete the task. A further restart in normal mode after Sophos had disappeared seems to have restored the iMac to normal operations, fingers crossed. Thanks to rkaufmann87 for his response.

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