and warns you with a dialog box if it discovers an infection.

document which checks your System file to see if it is infected by a virus

• Warning 1.1. William Lipa. Virus detection. Free. A system start-up



prevent the infection.

document which beeps when and if an nVIR attack occurs, but does not

• VirusWarning. Mike Scanlin. nVIR detection. Free. A system start-up



recommended.

very reliable and it does an excellent job of detecting clones. Highly

nVIR, INIT 29, ANTI, and WDEF. Cannot repair infected applications. It is

• Virus Rx 1.6. Apple Computer. Virus detection. Free. Detects Scores,



detailed HyperCard stack presents information about Macintosh viruses.

• Virus Encyclopedia. Henry Schmidt. Virus information. Free. This



VirusDetective, please remember to send Jeff the shareware fee.

service for registered users. Highly recommended. If you use

Jeff has established an excellent reputation for support and update

(with proper configuration). It also does a good job of detecting clones.

VirusDetective was the only virus-fighting tool which could detect it

be released. For example, when the WDEF virus first appeared,

VirusDetective to recognize it without having to wait for a new version to

strongest features. When a new virus appears, you can often configure

applications except for WDEF. Configurability is one of VirusDetective’s

$40. A desk accessory which can be configured. Cannot repair infected

• VirusDetective 4.0.2a. Jeffrey S. Shulman. Virus detection. Shareware,



for viruses when they are inserted in a disk drive.

together with the author’s VirusDetective to automatically scan floppies

$30. A control panel device. Among many other features, it can be used

• VirusBlockade II 1.0. Jeffrey S. Shulman. Virus detection. Shareware,



have changed.

your system and compares it to previous snapshots. Tells you which files

• VCheck 1.3. Albert Lunde. Virus detection. Free. Takes a “snapshot” of



author is also the author of the Scores virus itself.

only interesting thing about this tool is that the about box claims that the

scanning—you must check each file one at a time. Cannot repair files. The

• Vaxene. Anonymous. Scores detection. Free. Does not do disk



the Disinfectant INIT or GateKeeper instead.

effective against some of the newer viruses. We recommend that you use

protection tool, and is still widely used. It is not supported, and it is not

characteristic of viruses. Vaccine was the original Macintosh virus

control panel document (INIT/cdev) which monitors suspicious activity

• Vaccine 1.0.1. Don Brown, CE Software. Virus protection. Free. A



repair an infected System file.

scanning—you must repair each infected application one at a time. Cannot

• Vaccination 1.1. Mike Scanlin. nVIR repair. Free. Does not do disk



programmers use the Disinfectant INIT or GateKeeper instead.

Vaccine’s. The author no longer supports RWatcher—he recommends that

complaints about the creation of CODE resources. Has weaker checks than

non-MPW programmers who will not use Vaccine because of its constant

document which protects against Scores and nVIR. Configurable. For

• RWatcher 1.0. John Norstad. Virus protection. Free. A system start-up



Can also be useful for purposes other than virus detection.

for files containing a specific resource or resource type. Configurable.

• RezSearch 1.0b. Wade Blomgren. Virus detection. Free. Searches a disk



time. Can repair an infected System file. Recognizes clones.

not do disk scanning—you must repair each infected application one at a

• Repair 1.5. Steve Brecher, Software Supply. nVIR repair. Free. Does



infected by Scores.

accessory does a quick check to see if the currently active System file is

• QuickScores. Anthony Tuorto. Scores detection. Free. This desk



system files.

Scans disks and removes nVIR infections from applications, but not from

• N.O.M.A.D. 1.0a1. Bill Pierce, CMS Enhancements. nVIR Repair. Free.



finds and repairs an infected file.

tools improperly report as an nVIR infection. Does not notify you when it

Adds an “nVIR 10 inhibitor” to your System file, which some of the other

and automatically repairs any infected applications when they are run.

“KillnVIR.” A system start-up document which repairs your System file

• KillVirus. Matthias Urlichs. nVIR repair. Free. Also sometimes named



removes Scores infections. Did a good job in our tests.

Howard Upchurch. Scores detection and repair. Free. Scans disks and

• KillScores 1.0. MacPack and the Apple Corps of Dallas, headed by



is the author of the commercial product Virex).

supports Interferon and he recommends that you no longer use it. (Robert

Interferon was one of the first virus-fighting tools. The author no longer

doing so. Unmounts all disks after scanning them, even hard drives.

Can also be told to report “anomalies,” but it may raise a false alarm in

Infection” or “Scan all Volumes” menu items—they do not work properly.

and nVIR. Cannot repair infected applications. Avoid using the “Eradicate

• Interferon 3.1. Robert Woodhead. Virus detection. Detects both Scores



GateKeeper and/or the Disinfectant INIT.

infections it encounters. GateKeeper Aid may be used together with

infection by the WDEF virus and automatically removes any WDEF

A system start-up document which protects your system against

• GateKeeper Aid 1.0.1. Chris Johnson. WDEF protection and repair. Free.



GateKeeper Aid below).

recommended, though it does not offer WDEF virus protection (see

Chris provides excellent support and he continues to improve it. Highly

characteristic of viruses. GateKeeper is widely used and very popular.

document (INIT/cdev) which monitors and blocks suspicious activity

• GateKeeper 1.1.1. Chris Johnson. Virus protection. Free. A control panel



repair infected files.

and removes Scores infections. Sometimes fails to properly detect and

• Ferret 1.1. Larry Nedry. Scores detection and repair. Free. Scans disks



the Disinfectant INIT.

encounters. Eradicat’Em may be used together with GateKeeper and/or

by the WDEF virus and automatically removes any WDEF infections it

system start-up document which protects your system against infection

• Eradicat’Em 1.0. Dave Platt. WDEF protection and repair. Free. A



instead.

problems with his application and recommends that you use Disinfectant

infections. Did a good job in our tests. The author has reported a few

• Assassin. Pete Gontier. nVIR repair. Free. Scans disks and removes nVIR



infections.

removes nVIR infections. Also “inoculates” the system to prevent future

• AntiVirus 1.0E. Softhansa GmbH. nVIR repair. Free. Scans disks and



prevent future infections. Did a good job in our tests.

nVIR infections. Recognizes nVIR clones. Also “inoculates” the system to

• AntiPan 1.3. Michael Hamel. nVIR repair. Free. Scans disks and removes



we highly recommend them.

tools are actively supported by their authors, have general utility, and

Three exceptions are GateKeeper, Virus Rx and VirusDetective. These

included them only for the sake of completeness and historical interest.

Many of the tools in this list are obsolete or have limited utility. We have



commercial online services, and Internet archives.

each one. You can get them from most good user groups, bulletin boards,

list of the ones with which we are familiar, with brief comments about

There are many other free and shareware virus-fighting tools. Here is a








åOther Virus Tools



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