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eclipse

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 18, 2005
986
13
Sydney
Hi all,
just wondering how many people use virus software of some sort, what you use, and how compatible it is with your mac... or do you just trust the mac os?

Also, how do I install a spell checker on Safari because I do a lot of typing in various forums... and it's nice not to have to copy and paste from Word!:D :D
 

mikes63737

macrumors 65816
Jul 26, 2005
1,147
338
I just trust OS X.

For spell check in Safari, go to a text box and go to the edit menu. There's an option somewhere to turn it on.
 

beefy23

macrumors member
Feb 13, 2007
41
0
Hi all,
just wondering how many people use virus software of some sort, what you use, and how compatible it is with your mac... or do you just trust the mac os?

I trust the OS but not everyone I send documents to 'groks' Mac OS X - so it's worthwhile using a scanner of some sort so dodgy documents aren't passed on to those still stuck in M$ Land. Not all documents coming in via mail etc will be clean so it's best to practise 'safe computing'.
 

fivetoadsloth

macrumors 65816
Aug 15, 2006
1,035
0
I trust mac osx, and there is really no need for any as there are not nearly as amny as there are for pc, the only good one would do is make sure you dont pass infected ffice files of to pc users.

For the spelling it is under edit, spelling, check spelling as you type, however it only applys to the window you apply it to.
 

OldSkoolNJ

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2006
381
0
just wondering how many people use virus protection of some sort, what you use, and how compatible it is with your mac... or do you just trust the mac os?

1) Yes absolutely ...
2) Trojan
3) COmpatible with Mac? I prefer it be my girlfriend ... wow theres some sick people out there ...
4) Sure I trust OSX but whats that got to do with this????

Kevin

PS_ no I never use any antivirus with my Macs and I have gotten along fine. I do make sure I have adecent adily back up though.
 

rksprst

macrumors member
Jan 17, 2004
37
0
Yes, I had norton installed on my computer. It actually found a virus from a program I had installed. But it was a Windows Virus, meaning I won't get infected but could potentially spread the virus.

Recently though I uninstalled it and won't be using an anti-virus, waste of cpu and ram.
 

Zwhaler

macrumors 604
Jun 10, 2006
7,094
1,567
1) Yes absolutely ...
2) Trojan
3) COmpatible with Mac? I prefer it be my girlfriend ... wow theres some sick people out there ...
4) Sure I trust OSX but whats that got to do with this????

Kevin

PS_ no I never use any antivirus with my Macs and I have gotten along fine. I do make sure I have adecent adily back up though.

Lol I was thinking "I never heard of Trojan Antivirus..." then I got it. :D
 

eclipse

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 18, 2005
986
13
Sydney
For the spelling it is under edit, spelling, check spelling as you type, however it only applys to the window you apply it to.

Really? How do I enable spell check permanently for all windows and tabs? I use Safari for business and I use Firefox for all my peak oil campaigning... and Firefox has this groovy spelling always on "thang". I'm starting to prefer Firefox because it can spell check always! (And it's free for any machine).
 

fivetoadsloth

macrumors 65816
Aug 15, 2006
1,035
0
Really? How do I enable spell check permanently for all windows and tabs? I use Safari for business and I use Firefox for all my peak oil campaigning... and Firefox has this groovy spelling always on "thang". I'm starting to prefer Firefox because it can spell check always! (And it's free for any machine).

I do not know how to enalbe it permantly, it seems to reset itself.

(Otherwise my posts would be much much easier to read. :p)

:)
 

Rootman

macrumors 6502
Jun 17, 2003
275
0
Miami
I work in a company with 80 Windows machines and 10 Macs, all networked. The servers are all Linux. They are always scanning the Windows boxes but have no virus protection or scans for the Macs.

And there are constant virus outbreaks.

Should they be scanning the Macs even if they are not affected? Can viruses reside on the Macs safely, only to reinfect the PCs after they get swept?

The Macs run Office and Outlook stuff, too.

If you know the answer to this, I'd also appreciate some pointers to a website or two that confirms it.
 

miniConvert

macrumors 68040
The staff don't use Microsoft Office, they use OpenOffice, and, while I could be very wrong, I've not heard of the same risks affecting this suite.

So, no we don't use virus protection here at the moment - but I will deploy Sophos eventually, especially as I'd imagine we'll get copies of the new Microsoft Office once it's UB and because, well, you never know.

I'd hate for us to pass on a virus to some unsuspecting Windows users, but it's not priority number one.
 

0007776

Suspended
Jul 11, 2006
6,473
8,170
Somewhere
I do not know how to enalbe it permantly, it seems to reset itself.

(Otherwise my posts would be much much easier to read. :p)

:)

I somehow got it to be always on, but i don't remember doing anything other than Control clicking on a word and going to spelling>check spelling as you type.
 

ksgant

macrumors 6502a
Jan 12, 2006
797
710
Chicago
Question: Is there a virus in the wild that effects a fully patched version of OS X?

If the answer to that question is "no", then another question would be: How do you test and scan for something that doesn't exist?

If the answer to the first question is "yes", then ignore the second question.
 

CaptainHaddock

macrumors 6502
Jul 6, 2004
382
0
Nagoya, Japan
Should they be scanning the Macs even if they are not affected? Can viruses reside on the Macs safely, only to reinfect the PCs after they get swept?

Macs will be completely impervious to any Windows viruses, worms, or Trojans. Naturally a Windows user could email you an infected file, which you could (intentionally) forward on to another PC without being infected yourself, but even then the scanning should be on the PC side anyway — and also on the mail server.
 

hidea

macrumors regular
May 10, 2006
173
3
Of course I do. I make sure everything is virus free. I care about the people who use Windows PCs. a lot of emails are infected with Virus. I want to make sure the poor windows users are safe....


NOT
:D :apple:
 

synth3tik

macrumors 68040
Oct 11, 2006
3,951
2
Minneapolis, MN
I look out for bad little cache files, but as far a viruses no, never give it a thought.

The only time I think of computer viruses is when I get to work boot my work PC and wait 5 minutes for the anti virus to run.....
 

GFLPraxis

macrumors 604
Mar 17, 2004
7,152
460
I work in a company with 80 Windows machines and 10 Macs, all networked. The servers are all Linux. They are always scanning the Windows boxes but have no virus protection or scans for the Macs.

And there are constant virus outbreaks.

Should they be scanning the Macs even if they are not affected? Can viruses reside on the Macs safely, only to reinfect the PCs after they get swept?

The Macs run Office and Outlook stuff, too.

If you know the answer to this, I'd also appreciate some pointers to a website or two that confirms it.

Macs can download a file infected with a Windows virus if the user instructs it to, and then sent that file with a virus if the user instructs it to. However, no virus will get on a Mac and send itself to the PCs automatically, nor will it automatically attach itself to Mac emails or anything.

If you think people are deliberately forwarding attachments that might contain Windows viruses, sure, go ahead and get a scanner, but in all honesty you probably don't need one. A Windows virus will appear as an application (or Windows screensaver) that doesn't work on a Mac so most Mac users wouldn't forward them.
 

fivetoadsloth

macrumors 65816
Aug 15, 2006
1,035
0
I somehow got it to be always on, but i don't remember doing anything other than Control clicking on a word and going to spelling>check spelling as you type.

Hm, Well mine dies as soon as i close the window. Wonder what is different...

Ah well.

:)
 

dpaanlka

macrumors 601
Nov 16, 2004
4,868
30
Illinois
No - my friend installed Antivirus on his iMac because he thought our school said he had to and it was so horrible. Slowed down the natural thought process of computing so much, not to mention the computer.

Waste of Mac resources.
 
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