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Frequently Asked Questions
Question
How can I protect myself
against computer viruses?
Answer
To protect your computer
and prevent future infections of worms or viruses,
your operating system (OS) and anti-virus software
needs to be kept up-to-date.
If you are on campus, McAfee VirusScan software is
automatically installed and updated on your computer.
Windows OS updates are also automatically downloaded
to your computer. However, you will need to install
the update. If an update is ready to be installed, you
will see this icon
 in your
system tray
in the lower right
corner of the screen. Click on the icon, then follow
the on-screen instructions to install the update.
If your computer is not on-campus, you will need to do
one of the following:
Set Up Your Computer to Auto Update Your MS Windows OS
Follow these steps to auto update Windows XP:
Note: If you choose the
"automatically download the updates" option, be sure
to choose a time of day when your computer is most
likely to be turned on and connected to the network.
Follow these steps to auto update Windows 2000:
Note: If you choose the
"automatically download the updates" option, be sure
to choose a time of day when your computer is most
likely to be turned on and connected to the network.
Manually Updating your Windows OS
If your computer has been turned off for some time,
e.g. vacation, spring break, extended illness, there
is a chance your auto update did not perform, since
this function only works on computers that are
running.
Turning your computer back on after it has been off
for a while may put it at risk for a virus if your
auto update did not apply.
To reduce this risk, you can manually install the
latest Windows update by following these steps:
Windows XP:
-
Click on Start
-
Click on Control Panel
-
Click on Windows Update
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Click on Scan for
Updates
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Click on Review and
Install updates
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Critical updates and
service packs are automatically selected
-
Click Install Now to
download and install the updates
-
Click OK to restart your
computer, or Cancel to close other programs first and
restart your computer manually
Windows 2000:
-
Click on Start, Windows
Update
-
Click on Scan for
Updates
-
Click on Review and
Install updates
-
Critical updates and
service packs are automatically selected
-
Click Install Now to
download and install the updates
-
Click OK to restart your
computer, or Cancel to close other programs first and
restart your computer manually
Installing or Upgrading McAfee VirusScan
To download a free copy of the Windows version of UH's
anti-virus software or to upgrade an existing copy,
click on
McAfee VirusScan.
Verifying You Are Running the Latest Version of
McAfee VirusScan Software and Virus Definitions
If you already have McAfee VirusScan software
installed, you need to verify it is the version
currently recommended for your operating system. Click
on
McAfee VirusScan to
review the table that documents the version of McAfee
VirusScan recommended for each operating system.
Virus definitions are the anti-virus component of
McAfee VirusScan that must be updated each time a new
virus threat has been identified so VirusScan can
protect you. McAfee also refers to them as the DAT
file. Each version is identified by a number, such as
4319. Your software can be configured to update them
automatically, but occasionally you may learn of a new
virus threat hours earlier than your autoupdate
feature will run, in which case you should update them
manually. Both procedures are documented in subsequent
sections below.
To identify the version of McAfee VirusScan software
and virus definitions running on your computer:
-
Click on Start,
Programs, Network Associates, VirusScan Console.
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Click on Help, About.
-
The About McAfee
VirusScan window appears. The version of the software
you have installed is shown in the title of the
window, and the version of the virus definitions you
have installed is displayed beneath it.
If the version of the
software you are running is not the version
recommended for your operating system, you need to
upgrade to the recommended version. Go to the
"Installing or Upgrading McAfee VirusScan" section
provided above for instructions.
Similarly, if the version of the virus definitions you
are running is not the version recommended, given the
current virus threat, you need to upgrade to the
recommended version. Go to the "Manually Updating
McAfee VirusScan Virus Definitions" section provided
below for instructions.
Verifying/Enabling Automatic Windows McAfee
VirusScan Updates
To verify your Windows McAfee VirusScan software is
automatically being updated with the latest virus
definitions, or to enable automatic updates to your
anti-virus software:
-
Click on Start,
Programs, Network Associates, VirusScan Console.
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Find AutoUpdate in the
list of Descriptions.
-
Right-click on
AutoUpdate, and click on Properties.
-
Click on the Schedule
tab.
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Verify the Enable box is
checked: if the Enable box is not checked, click on
the box to turn it on.
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Verify the software is
set up to run daily: if the Daily button is not on,
click on the button to turn it on.
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Verify the updates are
running at your preferred time: if they are not, click
on your preferred time or click on Enable
Randomization to allow updates at random times.
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If you have updated your
VirusScan configuration, click on OK to save your
changes.
Manually Updating
McAfee VirusScan Virus Definitions
To manually update your virus definitions in McAfee
VirusScan:
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Click on Start,
Programs, Network Associates, VirusScan Console.
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Click on Task, Update
Now to initiate the update
-
Click on the Close
button after receiving the "Update Finished" message.
Verifying Your Computer Is Free Of Viruses
If the version of McAfee VirusScan that is recommended
for your operating system is installed on your Windows
computer, you can verify your computer is free of
viruses at any time by doing the following:
-
Click on Start,
Programs, Network Associates, VirusScan On-Demand
Scan. (for version 7)
-
Click on Scan Now to
scan your computer for viruses.
We appreciate your
assistance as we strive to protect information
technology resources at the University of
Houston-Victoria. Your participation is vital to this
effort. If you have any questions or need assistance,
please contact the IT Help Desk at 361-570-4399,
361-570-4UHV, ext. 399, or email:
helpdesk@uhv.edu |
