I sent an email with a word document attachment created by myself and was told by the recipient that it contained a virus. how are we able to see if we have a virus or Trojan we have an imac. can we carry out some system check?
iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
I suspect your recipient's computer is in error.
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection
An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.
Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.
See these Apple articles:
Mac OS X Snow Leopard and malware detection
OS X Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
OS X Mountain Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
If you require anti-virus protection I recommend using VirusBarrier Express 1.1.6 or Dr.Web Light both from the App Store. They're both free, and since they're from the App Store, they won't destabilize the system. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for these recommendations.)
I'm sorry to hear this.
Is the recipient on a PC? Macs are much less likely to get viruses and the virus may only be active on a PC. There isn't any real way to check, but you could run the most recent software update as a precaution.
Again, I am sorry to hear this and have had the same concern at some points in time.
If you are still worried, you can call apple (1-800-MY-APPLE), or find your nearest Apple retail store. If none of these are a option, please visit apple.com/support.
Cheers,
Josh
The most expedient way to resolve the question is to ask the recipient to identify the alleged virus or Trojan by name or description.
Downloading or installing some third party product may identify false positives and is likely to cause problems. Take no action unless it is justified.
Run Software Update. Your profile indicates OS X 10.7.3 which has been superseded.
thanks I suspect this hasn't really come from us however feel need to check. I will do a check for updates
Thanks
If the document in question really was created on your system, and wasn't touched between your system and the recipient's, it's possible you could have a Word macro virus on your system. See:
(Microsoft's tech support document seems to be missing this morning... thus the link to a Google cache of that page.)
Note that, although that page does say at one point that you should install anti-virus software, I don't recommend doing that to deal with a Word macro virus problem. Use the other advice on that page to deal with it.
Download and run ClamXav
We have downloaded ClamXav for the mac book so will try this in the imac thanks
First, ClamXav isn't the best by a long shot. If you insist on scanning your machine with anti-virus software, get a copy of VirusBarrier Express from the App Store. It's free, and has far better detection rates than ClamXav.
Second, you shouldn't allow any anti-virus software to remove anything for you. If you actually find malware, you need to be careful about removing it. See How to remove infected files.
Anti-virus software is not going to solve this problem for you. If you have a Word macro virus in your system, you need to remove it according to the instructions I posted earlier. Note that the page in question seems to be working again on Microsoft's site, so here's the direct link instead of a Google cache link:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291824
If you don't have a Word macro virus, then the problem is undoubtedly not related to malware on your computer.
thomas_r. wrote:
First, ClamXav isn't the best by a long shot. If you insist on scanning your machine with anti-virus software, get a copy of VirusBarrier Express from the App Store. It's free, and has far better detection rates than ClamXav.
That's true if we're talking OS X malware, but I don't think either of us can necessarily say that about the Windows malware detection rates.
If you are not running Windows on your machine then you really don't have to worry about Viruses. Your Mac can in fact pick up a trojan or Malware. I suggest you follow both Kappy and John Galt's suggestions.
Donald Morgan wrote:
If you are not running Windows on your machine then you really don't have to worry about Viruses.
Except that if you regularly exchange files with Windows users, making sure they didn't contain Windows malware would be the neighborly thing to do, recognizing that the Windows user has primary responsibility for that.
Yes we ran ClamXav on the mac and this did show a few Trojans we have no other software on this we only use for email and surfing the net. Not sure how to remove with these or indeed if we ready need to?
I do feel after research and the feedback here that it is highly unlikely the virus came from our imac and was possible coincidental that it occurred when we sent the email.
abs67 wrote:
Yes we ran ClamXav on the mac and this did show a few Trojans we have no other software on this we only use for email and surfing the net. Not sure how to remove with these or indeed if we ready need to?
For help with removal come to the ClamXav Forum for fastest, most efficient information.
Malware isn't a Virus.
However if someone sent you e-mail that contained a virus and you forwarded it to another user then it would appear that the virus was and originated from you when in actuality it came from the user that sent it to you.
So in that case you need to contact the user that sent it to you. If however it was forwardedd by him or her there could be 8 to 10 forwards and in that case it is hard to say where the virus originated.
This is yet another reason why a user must be very very careful when opening and sending forwards from people you do not know.
Donald Morgan wrote:
Malware isn't a Virus.
Well no, but the opposite is true. Viruses are Malware, but that's all very technical and means little to a user. I'm not sure what that has to do with the remainder of your posting, all of which I agree with.
How to tell if you have a virus on imac
