ClamXav 1.1.1

Back in the days before OS X, the number of viruses which attacked Macintosh users totalled somewhere between about 60 and 80. Today, the number of viruses actively attacking OS X users is...NONE! However, this doesn't mean we should get complacent about checking incoming email attachments or web downloads, for two reasons.

Firstly, there's no guarantee that we Mac users will continue to enjoy the status quo, but more importantly, the majority of the computing world use machines running MS Windows, for which an enormous quantity of viruses exist, so we must be vigilant in checking the files we pass on to our friends and colleagues etc.

For example, if you're a wise person and you've turned MS Office's macro support off then you're not going to notice that virus which is hiding inside this month's edition of Extreme Ironing.doc which your friend sent you. If you then forward that document to a less wise person who has not turned off the macro support, then you have most likely just sent him a shiny new Pandora's Box with a sign saying "Open this end"!

Flippancy aside, I'm sure you get the idea: check the file before opening and/or sending it on to someone else. This gives you the opportunity to avoid the file altogether or at least copy and paste any vital information into a new document and send that instead.

Don't forget, if you run VirtualPC you can still become infected and lose valuable data on your Mac even though technically you're running Windows inside a sandbox. VPC will run any application you tell it to, virus or no virus, it doesn't know the difference. You can protect yourself slightly by not using VPC's "shared folders", but that's a useful feature which you shouldn't have to be without.

QuickStart Guide

Make sure you're connected to the internet and click the "Update virus definitions" button on the main window. ClamXav will attempt to connect to the ClamAV website to download and install new virus definitions. If you connect to the web through a proxy server, please see the preferences section for instructions on how to set this up first.

Click "Choose what to scan..." and choose a file, folder or a combination of files and folders by holding down the Command key. If you wish to scan multiple items in separate folders, click the view button to change it to list view, press the disclosure triangle beside each folder you wish to open, and then hold the Command key as before whilst making your selection. To access hidden folders, type the forward slash character on your keyboard and then type the full path to your desired folder.

Click the "Start Scan" button and wait for the results.

Alternatively, drag and drop a selection of files/folders onto the main ClamXav window, Finder icon or Dock icon and scanning will start immediately.

While ClamXav is scanning your selection, you'll see the name of each file fly past in the "Currently Checking" section of the main window.

Should any infected files be found, they'll appear in the "Report" region of the main window. What you do with them after that is entirely up to you!

You can stop a scan/update safely at any point.

Various settings and actions may be refined by altering the preferences.