Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!udel!haven!mimsy!tank!eecae!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: chinet!henry@att.att.com Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: VirusDetective questions (Mac) Message-ID: <0009.8909211142.AA16502@ge.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 21 Sep 89 05:05:58 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 30 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu In article <0004.8909191146.AA07427@ge.sei.cmu.edu> awinterb@udenva.cair.du.edu (Richard Nixon) writes: >Has anyone used VirusDetective for the Mac? We've >used it, but it seems to detect viruses in files that >we doubt are affected. > >How reliable is this bit of software? How certain are you that these files are not infected? Have you checked them with other programs such as Disinfectant and Virus RX? The latest version of VirusDetective (3.0.1 if memory serves) seems quite reliable. It was the program with which I discovered the nVIR A infection on the disk which came with the Brady Utility book _Applied HyperTalk_. If VD is reporting a virus, I'd be sure to check those files with another detection utility before dismissing it as a false alarm. I'm not saying that VD will never give a false alarm, but since the different utilities use different detection methods the probability of both giving false alarms on the same file is small. Personally I never trust only one program to tell me whether or not I have a virus. I run at least two on a weekly basis. Henry C. Schmitt Author of Virus Encyclopedia H3nry C. Schmitt | CompuServe: 72275,1456 (Rarely) | GEnie: H.Schmitt (Occasionally) Royal Inn of Yoruba | UUCP: Henry@chinet.chi.il.us (Best Bet)