Guides for

• New Students
• Students
• Faculty
• Staff
• IT Staff

Search the UBIT site

Questions and comments about this should be sent to: cit-webmaster@buffalo.edu
Privacy Accessibility Statement
Last updated:
Copyright © 2006
All Rights Reserved.

Documentation

Using Norton AntiVirus 10 for Mac

Introduction

Norton AntiVirus protects your computer from harmful programs it recognizes as viruses. It also quarantines infected files before they can affect your machine. This version of Norton AntiVirus works with Mac OS X version 10.3 and higher.

Computer Viruses

A computer virus is malicious code that attaches to important areas within computer files, such as executable files and the boot areas of floppy and hard disks.

There are numerous ways viruses can affect your computer:

• Infected floppy disks, CD-ROMs, jump drives, and other removable storage devices.
• Infected files from local networks.
• Downloading infected files from email, the Internet, or peer-to-peer file-sharing software.

What viruses do:

• Take control of your computer, causing it to behave erratically.
• Hide in macros that infect and spread throughout Microsoft Word and Excel documents.
• Cause serious damage to your files (damage data, delete files, and possibly erase your hard drive).

What viruses do not do:

• Infect or damage your computer's hardware (e.g., keyboard or monitor).
• Viruses may cause your hardware to behave in strange ways, but they will not physically damage them.

Tips for Avoiding Viruses

• Make sure that Norton AntiVirus File System Realtime protection is turned on (enabled) at all times. This is an auto-protect security option for Norton AntiVirus.
• Keep your virus protection up to date by running LiveUpdate.
• Buy legal copies of all software you use and make write-protected backup copies.
• Scan all files you receive from other people.

Using Norton AntiVirus LiveUpdate

1. Note

   You must establish an Internet connection before running LiveUpdate.

   Select your computer's Applications folder, then double-click to select Norton AntiVirus.
   
2. You may receive the following window if your Virus Definitions are out of date. Click Update Now.
   
3. Click Update Everything Now.

   Note

   Follow these same steps periodically to perform a LiveUpdate to keep your definitions up to date.

   
   
4. LiveUpdate will check for available updates.
   
5. If updates are available, LiveUpdate will automatically download and install them. Once the installation is complete you will see a summary. Click Restart if all the updates are successful. If not, contact the CIT Help Desk, 214 Lockwood, Lockwood 2nd Floor Cybrary, at (716) 645-3542 or send email to cit-helpdesk@buffalo.edu.
   

Scheduling Scans

Run your anti-virus software frequently, so that it can catch any viruses on your system. You can schedule Norton AntiVirus to automatically scan your computer on a regular basis.

1. Double-click your hard disk, select Applications, then Norton AntiVirus.
   

   Note

   If you are using Mac OS X 10.3, the schedule button may not work. If not, select Symantec Solutions from the Applications folder, then select Symantec Scheduler and proceed to Step 3.

   
2. Select Schedule from the left-hand pane.
   
3. Click New.
   
4. Click AntiVirus Scan.
   
5. Choose how frequently to automatically scan for viruses from the Frequency pull-down menu. Select a time or day. Click Browse and select the item to be scanned. To scan your entire computer, select Macintosh HD. Click Save.
   
6. The scan should appear in the Symantec Scheduler. Make sure the checkbox is selected to enable the scan.
   
7. Select Quit Symantec Scheduler from the Symantec Scheduler menu to complete scheduling and exit the Symantec Scheduler.
   

Scheduling Definition Downloads

Virus definitions can update frequently. To ensure you are using the latest updates you can schedule Norton AntiVirus to automatically check for updates.

1. Double-click your hard disk, select Applications, then Norton AntiVirus.
   
2. Select Schedule from the left-hand pane.
   
3. Click New.
   
4. Click Product Update.
   
5. Select a frequency from the Frequency pull-down menu. Select a time to run. You must be connected to the Internet in order to perform an update. Select a day and time when you normally are connected. Click Save.
   
6. The scan should appear in the Symantec Scheduler. Make sure the checkbox is selected to enable the scan.
   
7. Select Quit Symantec Scheduler from the Symantec Scheduler menu to complete scheduling and exit the Symantec Scheduler.
   

Document Information