Virex: When is the Best Time to Update?

Your anti-virus software must be kept up to date to ensure protection against new viruses. This scanner detects not only Macintosh-specific viruses, but also Windows-based viruses and UNIX-based viruses. Macintosh DATS are normally updated monthly. However, by updating regularly, you can protect your system from harboring many PC-based and UNIX-based viruses, and scripts and macros.

Intermediate DAT files (called EXTRA DATs) are available occasionally to counter sudden appearances of new viruses. There are two methods to update your DAT files:

Weekly by manually copying the DAT files

Monthly by using the Virex 7.x update package installer

We recommend that only advanced users choose the weekly method.

To update your DAT files with minimum impact on your computer, you need to consider a time when the computer or network is not too busy, possibly during the night, or during the day but outside peak hours.

If you use your computer most at weekends, you might consider updating on Friday evenings and Sunday evenings.

The date that you installed the most recent DAT update appears in the Results area of the Virex window.

This information and more can be found at http://virexhelp.com