Can Mac Word (Microsoft Office for Mac) infect PC users that open the files?

k now am just curious, if i send and open Mac WORD (microsoft) files can i infect the user who is opening them? or can i infect myself for opening the files to check what i sended was the thing i was supposed to send?

this is very important, so i really need to know this.

btw here the senario, let say my Mac is full of Windows viruses, if i create an invitation via Word Mac, will the user who receives them (in a pc) be able to open them? or will they get that message that dosent let them open them cause its extremly dangerous.

BTW AM SENDING AS AN ATTACHMENT

it is possible for you to be a windows virus "carrier" and infect windows users with many types of files once you send them. i think that's the main reason many people actually do use virus protection on macs.

my main question is, are they going to be able to open them?

and can mac viruses go thru my windows? if am dual booting i mean

open the docs? they should be able to, whatever program you're using, if you save in .doc format, it should open.

viruses are platform specific. a virus intended for macs should not be able to damage a windows machine, and vice-versa. though either OS could easily contain infected files intended for either platform.

It is theoretically possible to pass on Word macro viruses using Word on the Mac.

By default, Word will display a warning if a document contains macro code. (There is an option to turn off this warning Word > Preferences > Security > Warn before opening a file that contains macros which you should probably never turn off.)

If a document is infected with a macro virus, Word on the Mac will leave it there, even if you don't run the macro code. If you then send the document to someone else, the virus will still be there.

Most macro viruses are not compatible with the Mac version of Word. (Score one for Microsoft's lousy compatibility across platforms.) There have been rare examples of macro viruses that will run and spread themselves using the Mac version of Word. You can prevent this by never allowing a document to run macros (unless you're absolutely sure that those macros are supposed to be there.) Even so, the virus will remain if you send the file to somebody else.

k maybe you dont understand me yet, lets say my Mac its full of PC viruses (which ofcourse dosent affect my Mac) but lets say i send a .doc from my Mac and send it to a PC user. Will the PC user be able to open them? cause in many cases microsoft Word (for pc users) will not let you open virus attacchments, cause it detects viruses.

am i going to be forced to use an anti virus on my Mac? cause its extremly important for someone to open my attachments weekly, and if he cant do that there will be a big issue. Either way if am forced to use an anti virus
do any of you know a very light anti virus out there?

or even better is there a special program that scans and cleans just .doc files?

oh, i think we understood - you're just trying to jump ahead a step. if you send a virus infected file to a windows user, why would they want to open it? fix the real problem first, don't patch it.

if you are going to be sending files regularly to a windows user, you should definitely have a virus detection app running on your mac.

i can't help you with a free one, search here and on sites like version tracker, you may find something.

There is a free virus program for the Mac called ClamXav and you can download it at:

http://www.ClamXav.com

ric0h said:

k maybe you dont understand me yet, lets say my Mac its full of PC viruses (which ofcourse dosent affect my Mac) but lets say i send a .doc from my Mac and send it to a PC user. Will the PC user be able to open them? cause in many cases microsoft Word (for pc users) will not let you open virus attacchments, cause it detects viruses.

am i going to be forced to use an anti virus on my Mac? cause its extremly important for someone to open my attachments weekly, and if he cant do that there will be a big issue. Either way if am forced to use an anti virus
do any of you know a very light anti virus out there?

or even better is there a special program that scans and cleans just .doc files?

Click to expand...

Yes, they would be able to open it. I don't think ClamX will catch Word/Office Macro viruses if they are contained withing a Word document though, but I could be wrong. I'm also not sure if Windows Virus software will detect a Macro on a Word doc before the doc is opened, but again I could be wrong, it's been some years since I have seen a Word (or Office) macro virus. The Macro Viruses can impact Word Docs on your Mac too.

So i can't do anything? is that what your saying?

anyone knwo what i can do? or is getting an anti virus my only solution?


my pc dosent have any viruses but am taking by the many websites i visit i could get a windows virus eventually.