Macro virusHELP!!!

  • Thread starter terror.mayhem.chaos
  • Start date
T

terror.mayhem.chaos

i think i got a macro virus on my mac, when i tried sending it to a
Dell to print it told me i couldn't open (my Word doc.) it because it
was quarantined because of the macro virus. Can anyone tell me how to
get it off?? HELP??
 
C

Corentin Cras-Méneur

i think i got a macro virus on my mac, when i tried sending it to a
Dell to print it told me i couldn't open (my Word doc.) it because it
was quarantined because of the macro virus. Can anyone tell me how to
get it off?? HELP??
Click to expand...

Well what about an Antivirus??

Otherwise, I suspect you could get rid of it by opening the file in Text
Edit (Tiger) and doing a save as in RTF.
I've never tried this, but I suspect it would strip off the macros.

Corentin
 
J

John McGhie

Actually, that will usually work from Word also... If you save to either
RTF or HTML, that will remove the problem if it IS a macro virus.

If it is one of the nastier modern viruses, that won't get rid of it
either...

However, he of course does have to be aware that if that document has a
virus, his computer is probably infested with them. In which case, your
first suggestion: a quality, paid-for AntiVirus Solution, is the only way to
get rid of them ALL.

Beware of the cheap or free ones: they often are not cunning enough or
aggressive enough to deal with the latest nasties.

Cheers


Well what about an Antivirus??

Otherwise, I suspect you could get rid of it by opening the file in Text
Edit (Tiger) and doing a save as in RTF.
I've never tried this, but I suspect it would strip off the macros.

Corentin

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Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Auckland, New Zealand
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]
 
T

terror.mayhem.chaos

oh and i'm sorry i accidently e-mailed you John, i pressed the wrong
button.


------any suggections for a quality Antivirus?? I dont know which is
the best?
 
P

Phillip Jones

No there is one class of viruses even on OSX on the Mac that can still
cause problems.

Thats the MicroSoft Macro Virus. That's because the application that
creates Macros on PC are carbon copy identical to the same Macro
application on Mac.

While it doesn't affect the OS its equally destructive to files on
either platform in some cases corrupting or erasing documents.

I've heard you can use simpleText or Preview to open and then save as
RTF will strip the bad code., but that's only after you discover you
have it.

i thought macs dont get viruses though??
Click to expand...

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto:p[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>
 
P

Phillip Jones

I don't know of a good one for Mac.

Norton causes problems on OSX.

And I just battled with a demo version VirusBarrierX

It screwed up my system so that Login items that show up on the Main
menu Bar load, unload, reload two and three times before they settle
down. Everything loaded perfectly before installation. Done the same
thing on two machines my G4-500 Tower and my G4-1.67GB 17" PowerBook.
Both were working like a Top. I've done everything but hit them with a
ball peen hammer.

After everything loads though everything works fine.

oh and i'm sorry i accidently e-mailed you John, i pressed the wrong
button.


------any suggections for a quality Antivirus?? I dont know which is
the best?
Click to expand...

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto:p[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>
 
C

Corentin Cras-Méneur

Phillip Jones said:
I've heard you can use simpleText or Preview to open and then save as
RTF will strip the bad code., but that's only after you discover you
have it.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, for people who usually don't use Macros, ther is an
easier way to remain safe: When you open a file with a Macro, Word warns
you and asks you whether you want to use Macros, or deactivate them for
the occasion.
If you don;t expect to have a macro in the file, simply disable them and
you'll be safe.

Corentin
 
P

Phillip Jones

I think you can set Office application to disable Macros and the Macro
generator as well. So that they are stripped off before you even get it.
On the other hand, for people who usually don't use Macros, ther is an
easier way to remain safe: When you open a file with a Macro, Word warns
you and asks you whether you want to use Macros, or deactivate them for
the occasion.
If you don;t expect to have a macro in the file, simply disable them and
you'll be safe.

Corentin
Click to expand...

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto:p[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>
 
J

JE McGimpsey

Phillip Jones said:
I think you can set Office application to disable Macros and the Macro
generator as well. So that they are stripped off before you even get it.
Click to expand...

Your paranoia is showing again, Phillip...

NOTE: Macros are not "stripped off" from documents if one removes the
VBA component of Office. Instead, any file containing a macro will just
show an error dialog rather than the macro security dialog.

And removing the VBA component also eliminates the ability in Excel to
use the rather productivity-enhancing functions of the pre-installed,
and perfectly safe, Analysis Toolpak Add-in, Solver, Report Manager,
Lookup Wizard, Conditional Sum Wizard, etc.

(Not to mention that it limits one to the choices that MacBU gives you
for how Office works. I for one couldn't stand to not have the ability
to tile Word documents vertically rather than horizontally, which my
Arrange/Windows command does via VBA.)
 
J

John McGhie

Yeah, I figured :)

I already answered to your email:

1) Any computer can get viruses, including Macintosh computers.

2) Historically, there have not been enough Macs in use for the virus
writers to bother creating viruses for them. I suspect that is about to
change.

3) Nearly all viruses out there at the moment will do not harm and cause no
problems on your Mac. That does not mean you should not run an AntiVirus,
because if you get one, your Mac will sit there like Typhoid Mary, infecting
every PC you send such documents to. This will cause people to think unkind
thoughts about you :)

4) My favourite AntiVirus for Mac OS X is McAfee. It works very well, it
can stop and remove a full range of both PC and Mac viruses, and it doesn't
slow your system to a crawl.

McAfee also deals competently with various kinds of browser-based or instant
messenger malware such as phishing attempts and the like, which CAN give you
grief on the Mac.

Cheers


oh and i'm sorry i accidently e-mailed you John, i pressed the wrong
button.


------any suggections for a quality Antivirus?? I dont know which is
the best?
Click to expand...

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Auckland, New Zealand
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]
 
P

Phillip Jones

John said:
Yeah, I figured :)

I already answered to your email:

1) Any computer can get viruses, including Macintosh computers.

2) Historically, there have not been enough Macs in use for the virus
writers to bother creating viruses for them. I suspect that is about to
change.

3) Nearly all viruses out there at the moment will do not harm and cause no
problems on your Mac. That does not mean you should not run an AntiVirus,
because if you get one, your Mac will sit there like Typhoid Mary, infecting
every PC you send such documents to. This will cause people to think unkind
thoughts about you :)

4) My favourite AntiVirus for Mac OS X is McAfee. It works very well, it
can stop and remove a full range of both PC and Mac viruses, and it doesn't
slow your system to a crawl.

McAfee also deals competently with various kinds of browser-based or instant
messenger malware such as phishing attempts and the like, which CAN give you
grief on the Mac.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Well don't anyone recommend INTEGO VirsusBarrierX it screwed both my
Mac's so that Apple Login items (such as time, Sound, Bluetooth,
Airport) load and then unload, two or three times before everything
settles down. I've removed all the components and I can't repair either.
Fortunately except for some extra Loading time everything seems fine
otherwise.
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto:p[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>
 

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