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Getting Help › Virus Protection (AntiVirus) Software

Virus Protection (AntiVirus) Software

FSU has an agreement with Network Associates, Inc. (NAI), which allows the University to distribute NAI's McAfee Antivirus software to faculty, students, and staff free of charge. Note that you may want to visit the Virus Information/Prevention web page for information to help you understanding some of the most important aspects of computer viruses and their prevention.

Getting the Antivirus Software
An "FSU Resource CD", which includes the antivirus software, is available from the campus bookstore for $5. (The $5 fee covers media and replication costs.)

If you do not have a CD-ROM drive, you may contact the Office of Academic Computing in Pullen Hall (301/687-7090) for an alternate means of obtaining the software.

Windows 98/NT/ME/2000/XP and Macintosh OS 9.x/10.x are supported.

Configuring Your Software for Maximum Protection
In order to obtain maximum protection, the software must be configured by the user to update the program and the virus definition files (commonly referred to as DAT's) automatically every week. The DAT files contain instructions to the antivirus program on how to remove viruses from your computer.

If you experience difficulty with the auto update function, you may contact the FSU Help Desk (301/687-7777).

McAfee's Stinger Program
If you do not have a current antivirus program or are having problems getting your antivirus to work, McAfee has a program called Stinger that will scan your computer for the most recent viruses. This is a free service from McAfee.