Re: Word Mac Virus - Really curious
Bruce Johnson wrote: On Mar 7, 2009, at 11:33 AM, Stephen Weber wrote: She might want to try a brand name antivirus like Norton or McAfee (If McAfee makes it for macs), I know McAfee for the PC scans before for viruses before installing. I use McAfee for my laptop and Norton for Mac OS 9. I have all the auto scanning and auto protection off for Norton, to save System resources. She doesn't. Both of those products are crap-piles you pay for. Since there are no OS X viruses in the wild, you're paying for protection from something that cannot ever harm your computer. I wouldn't let Norton's anything have a foothold on my computer... Come on folks, get with the program. Bruce has been talking about Norton, etc, for a while now. Come on people, let's put our mac hats onthe day I run an anti virus on my mac...well, I tell ya, something is happening to the universe. I simply won't. I this the OP should tell her friend to get Open Office. Ditch Word. As regards fixing the current problem...take the machine to someone who can start that poppy using a Firewire, get in the HD, delete word, copy the .doc files, install Open Office and let OO deal with them. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to g3-5-list-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Word Mac Virus - Really curious
On Mar 6, 2009, at 6:26 PM, Anne Keller-Smith wrote: This from another list. Wondering if it's something that can cause trouble within Word on a Mac or just something that is on a Windows Word file and the Mac user passes it thru to another Windows user without being affected. I guess the Mac OS doesn't get affected in any case. Anyone have the low down on what this is about? hi everyone: a friend just called me in tears - she a new Mac user (new laptop). apparently she has a Word macro virus, and she needs to be sending out some Word documents. ??? If she does have a Macro virus she must have a really, really OLD version of Word. Since Office 97/98 Word has always popped up a dialog when opening a document that contains macros, blocking their loading, and offering to let the user immediately save it without the macros. After that, Word Macro viruses vanished in the wild...I haven't seen one that did not come from a very old archived file in years and years. Why the hell Microsoft couldn't apply that lesson to the rest of Windows, I'll never know. If she's getting a report from someone else that the file has macros in it, she should look in the Macros menu with that document open, and see if there is anything there...it could well be that the whole thing is a false positive from some flaky Windows AV app, especially if the victim has been infested with one of the fake AV apps going around on the Windows side. Those are bad. They'll grind your system to a halt, kill your current AV, open back doors on your computer and then they demand that you pay $40-$60 to 'upgrade' to the 'Pro' version which will remove things. Of course, the only virus infecting the PC is usually that software. 99.99% of Word Macro Viruses can only harm Windows systems. anyone have more clues i could offer her (being a PC person myself)? good anti-virus programs for a Mac? ClamXAV http://www.clamxav.com/ -- Bruce Johnson Wherever you go, there you are B. Banzai, PhD --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to g3-5-list-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Word Mac Virus - Really curious
She might want to try a brand name antivirus like Norton or McAfee (If McAfee makes it for macs), I know McAfee for the PC scans before for viruses before installing. I use McAfee for my laptop and Norton for Mac OS 9. I have all the auto scanning and auto protection off for Norton, to save System resources. From, Stephen maryland...@gmail.com On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: On Mar 6, 2009, at 6:26 PM, Anne Keller-Smith wrote: This from another list. Wondering if it's something that can cause trouble within Word on a Mac or just something that is on a Windows Word file and the Mac user passes it thru to another Windows user without being affected. I guess the Mac OS doesn't get affected in any case. Anyone have the low down on what this is about? hi everyone: a friend just called me in tears - she a new Mac user (new laptop). apparently she has a Word macro virus, and she needs to be sending out some Word documents. ??? If she does have a Macro virus she must have a really, really OLD version of Word. Since Office 97/98 Word has always popped up a dialog when opening a document that contains macros, blocking their loading, and offering to let the user immediately save it without the macros. After that, Word Macro viruses vanished in the wild...I haven't seen one that did not come from a very old archived file in years and years. Why the hell Microsoft couldn't apply that lesson to the rest of Windows, I'll never know. If she's getting a report from someone else that the file has macros in it, she should look in the Macros menu with that document open, and see if there is anything there...it could well be that the whole thing is a false positive from some flaky Windows AV app, especially if the victim has been infested with one of the fake AV apps going around on the Windows side. Those are bad. They'll grind your system to a halt, kill your current AV, open back doors on your computer and then they demand that you pay $40-$60 to 'upgrade' to the 'Pro' version which will remove things. Of course, the only virus infecting the PC is usually that software. 99.99% of Word Macro Viruses can only harm Windows systems. anyone have more clues i could offer her (being a PC person myself)? good anti-virus programs for a Mac? ClamXAV http://www.clamxav.com/ -- Bruce Johnson Wherever you go, there you are B. Banzai, PhD --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to g3-5-list-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Word Mac Virus - Really curious
On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: After that, Word Macro viruses vanished in the wild...I haven't seen one that did not come from a very old archived file in years and years. Why the hell Microsoft couldn't apply that lesson to the rest of Windows, I'll never know. They did, it's called UAC -- Best Regards, John Musbach --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to g3-5-list-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Word Mac Virus - Really curious
I'm using Vista right now (I don't have a Apple Laptop so when I'm away I have to bring my Vista Laptop), in Vista there are a couple things that Microsoft has built into Vista that helps stop malware if it gets past the security software There's that UAC which was mentioned by John, Windows Defender which is a anti-malware program, Address Space Layout Randomization, the Portable Executable has been updated. Function pointers are obfuscated by XOR-ing with a random number, so that the actual address pointed to is hard to retrieve. From wikipedia The Windows Vista binaries include support for stack-overflow detection. Also there is now full support for Data Execution Prevention. Windows Vista is pretty locked down, I would feel save browsing the internet and such right out of the box without installing additional security software. Stephen On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 11:32 AM, John Musbach johnmusba...@gmail.comwrote: On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 11:13 AM, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: After that, Word Macro viruses vanished in the wild...I haven't seen one that did not come from a very old archived file in years and years. Why the hell Microsoft couldn't apply that lesson to the rest of Windows, I'll never know. They did, it's called UAC -- Best Regards, John Musbach --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to g3-5-list-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Word Mac Virus - Really curious
anyone have more clues i could offer her (being a PC person myself)? good anti-virus programs for a Mac? Anne Keller Smith Down to Earth Web Design ClamXAV http://www.clamxav.com/ iAntiVirus http://www.iantivirus.com/ V Mabus --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to g3-5-list-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
