Antivirus cannot read all files

[sathya]

I have an iMac running OS X 10.7.5. The Avast antivirus software cannot read 19 files. How can these files be examined for Malware?

 

[lclev]

You will find the vast majority of the people on this forum will tell you antivirus is not needed. After trying several on my macs, I finally came to the conclusion they were correct. That said, I do understand why some do run it - especially if they have owned a Windows computer previously. I would never run a Windows computer with out antivirus.

Now as to the 19 files it can not be scanned. Files that can’t be scanned are just that - files that for one reason or another cannot be scanned. It’s not an indication that those files are suspicious or infected; it simply means that these files need another element before they can actually be opened and examined by avast! Antivirus.

Many programs (often security-related) password protect their files for legitimate reasons. Avast! doesn’t know the password or have any way of using it even if it did. Once the password is supplied by whatever program is using these files, avast! will check the files when they are actually run. If it turns out that something is hidden, avast! will block it. While they are in their password protected state, the files pose no threat to you or your system.

Lisa

 

[MacInWin]

Get rid of Avast. Don't need it. It's not doing anything except wasting your time and money. There are NO viruses for Mac that Avast (or any other A/V package) will detect. When a virus for OS X is created, it will come through an unknown vector and the A/V writers will have to come up with something to look at that vector. Right now all they scan for is Windows viruses, which CANNOT do anything on your iMac.

 

[harryb2448]

As suggested Avast! is a resource hog. Download and run AdBlock Plus, AdwareMedic and Ghostery.

 

[sathya]

OK, I understand. I did not use an antivirus before, but tried to see if I could find why my Mac was up and downloading without even a browser open. Sometimes it was so bad I could not even open a site with a browser, as something was taking over all the bandwidth. It did not seem to happen with the Windows computers connected to the same internet connection. It is not happening today, so it seems transient. Puzzled...
Thanks for the comments

 

[MacInWin]

Ah, now we get to the REAL problem. Do you have automatic downloads set in the App store? (System Preferences, App store) And do you have any apps not from the App store that are set to automatically download updates?

 

[sathya]

I just checked the system preferences for updates, set to manual. I did find that Java was set for automatic, which is my mistake. Yes I know java is not recommended, but I have to use it about once per week for one site only. Maybe that was it?
Thanks

 

[MacInWin]

Hard to tell. You could open Activity Monitor and choose the Network tab to see what's taking bandwidth when it next happens. Don't know if that will help, but it might. LittleSnitch might also let you know what's using the network, but I found the constant warnings to be a real PITA, so I dropped it, personally.

 

[sathya]

I have tried Activity Monitor. The ONLY thing taking bandwidth was "Mobile Partner". I use a stick with a SIM chip to connect to the internet.
Thanks

 

[MacInWin]

Is Mobile Partner the software that drives the USB Stick? If so, it's logical it would be using bandwidth as it probably handshakes with the cell tower (using bandwidth to do so). And now that I know you are using cellular for your connection, another way the slowdown can occur is if the cell tower you are using is heavily loaded down itself. Priority goes to voice calls (even though they are digital) over data users, so your connection to a website may well be slowed down by that, not by anything internal (or controllable) to you.

 

[harryb2448]

Agree with Jake's post.

Here in Australia, using say a 4G connection, mobile phones take priority and broadband speed simply falls, and falls, and falls. Obviously there is more hoot in phone calls than broadband for telcos.

 

[MacInWin]

Don't know about that, Harry, but voice is much harder to "delay" than data, so digital voice packets get priority over data. Imagine if people were in the middle of a conversation and the connection started stuttering because of data moving through...there would be a public outcry that the telco's would NOT want to hear.

 

[sathya]

No, I am not referring to a loss of bandwidth from the provider. There is a small screen which I monitor throughout the day when connected to the net. Even without a browser open, sometimes I see the up and download activity suddenly jump. Sometimes closing the connection and reopening will make it all ok again. By that I mean if a browser is open and I have a good signal, and few cellphones at 4am, the Mobile Partner screen all of a sudden shows that something is being downloaded; sometimes when this occurs, I cannot open anything else. So I began to surmise that some Malware was possibly involved.

 

[MacInWin]

Probably not malware, probably Apple security updates or some other software package phoning home. Might even be Mobile Partner itself. If it bothers you, remove the USB Stick and wait for something to complain.

 

[sathya]

The things is that it became so bad I could not even open an email when it was happening. I have checked everywhere I can think of to disable any automatic checking for updates. Lately it seems better, so it might have been Java. Thanks for all the comments.
Tom

 

[MacInWin]

Java is another known security risk. Unless you absolutely must have it, I recommend you delete it. Javascript is ok, but Java has security holes you can drive a truck through!