New member seeking real world reference and answers from users, please?

This forum is full of people posting problem - it’’’’s true. However that’’’’s to be expected as you tend never to hear from users who happily get on with the product. From the millions of downloads I’’’’d say the vast majority don’’’’t have a problem.

Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac (aka ’’’’SAV for Mac’’’’) scans for adware, malware, trojans like a lot of antivirus programs. It’’’’s probably better to think of it like this:

1. SAV for Mac scans your local computer’’’’s drives (including USB pen drives etc. - all storage drives you plug in to a port on the computer) for all files that are copied, moved, or opened on your computer - whether you do that action yourself directly, or you open one application and then that application reads tens or hundreds of small program files behind the scenes (all of which are scanned). This is called ‘‘‘‘on-access scanning’’’’ or ‘‘‘‘realtime scanning’’’’.
   
2. SAV for Mac also has the ability to do on-demand scanning. So you can click the prominent ‘‘‘‘Scan This Mac’’’’ button and run an immediate scan of all drives (again main hard drive and all USB pen drives, etc.). You can also do a ‘‘‘‘custom scan’’’’ where you tell SAV for Mac to only scan ‘‘‘‘this folder’’’’ and ‘‘‘‘that folder’’’’ or alternatively ‘‘‘‘don’’’’t scan that folder’’’’. When doing a ‘‘‘‘custom scan’’’’ you can also say things like ‘‘‘‘run this scan every Monday at 21:00’’’’ - the computer much be switched on to run the scan as SAV doesn’’’’t have the ability to fire up the computer so the scan can run.
   
3. SAV for Mac (since version 9 - we’’’’re on 9.1.5 currently and the number keeps going up) also has Web Protection. This means it sits between your Internet web browser and the router (perhaps a wireless router). When you connect to, for example www.amazon.com, SAV halts the connection checks with our servers whether this is a known malware site or is reported ‘‘‘‘bad’’’’, and if it’’’’s OK the site is allowed. This all happens in a thousandths of a second so you don’’’’t spot the delay.

…so SAV protects you in a number of ways - it doesn’’’’t scan email as it arrives, but if an attachment is malware and written to your computer’’’’s drive it’’’’ll detect it; and any links you click on from emails will be checked by Web Protection. However if you read this forum you’’’’ll see it isn’’’’t always smooth sailing for some users - but don't let that put you off, try it for yourself.

Often when a user has just installed SAV for Mac and sees something different a day or two later they may not think back to the SAV install and may end up working with Apple's technical support in an attempt to fix the problem. Or may they don’’’’t know the different ways SAV protects so they jump to rip the whole program off rather than, for example, disabling the Web Protection (if the Internet has slowed down for them). And generally the method of choice for uninstalling SAV is (incorrectly) thought to be ‘‘‘‘move the SAV application from the Application folder to Trash and delete’’’’ - which doesn’’’’t work because it's not a bundle application like, say, Firefox is.

The program is exactly the same as our Enterprise Mac product - just that the updating credentials are pre-filled for ease of use.  It’’’’s not limited in anyway.

I’’’’d suggest you download a free copy, install it, and tell your family ‘‘‘‘I’’’’ve installed AV so if you see something different happening let me know’’’’. Then, if something different happens post-install you can either: disable on-access scanning (if the computer can’’’’t copy with the load) and just run the occasion on-demand scan. Or switch off Web Protection (if the Internet slows down) and keep the on-access and on-demand scanning. Or you can uninstall the whole program (by typing ‘‘‘‘remove sophos’’’’ into Spotlight) and running the uninstall properly.

If you have any problems, try to understand which part of the protection could be causing the problem and disable it. Watch the YouTube playlist to get an understanding of the program…

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_b4O8ZwWOqsJbP55d6EF0lBV9NDMaLfE

…and if you’’’’re stuck post a question on this forum - you certainly don't have to live with a problem or workaround it: raise it on here.

This forum is full of people posting problem - it’’’’s true. However that’’’’s to be expected as you tend never to hear from users who happily get on with the product. From the millions of downloads I’’’’d say the vast majority don’’’’t have a problem.

Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac (aka ’’’’SAV for Mac’’’’) scans for adware, malware, trojans like a lot of antivirus programs. It’’’’s probably better to think of it like this:

1. SAV for Mac scans your local computer’’’’s drives (including USB pen drives etc. - all storage drives you plug in to a port on the computer) for all files that are copied, moved, or opened on your computer - whether you do that action yourself directly, or you open one application and then that application reads tens or hundreds of small program files behind the scenes (all of which are scanned). This is called ‘‘‘‘on-access scanning’’’’ or ‘‘‘‘realtime scanning’’’’.
   
2. SAV for Mac also has the ability to do on-demand scanning. So you can click the prominent ‘‘‘‘Scan This Mac’’’’ button and run an immediate scan of all drives (again main hard drive and all USB pen drives, etc.). You can also do a ‘‘‘‘custom scan’’’’ where you tell SAV for Mac to only scan ‘‘‘‘this folder’’’’ and ‘‘‘‘that folder’’’’ or alternatively ‘‘‘‘don’’’’t scan that folder’’’’. When doing a ‘‘‘‘custom scan’’’’ you can also say things like ‘‘‘‘run this scan every Monday at 21:00’’’’ - the computer much be switched on to run the scan as SAV doesn’’’’t have the ability to fire up the computer so the scan can run.
   
3. SAV for Mac (since version 9 - we’’’’re on 9.1.5 currently and the number keeps going up) also has Web Protection. This means it sits between your Internet web browser and the router (perhaps a wireless router). When you connect to, for example www.amazon.com, SAV halts the connection checks with our servers whether this is a known malware site or is reported ‘‘‘‘bad’’’’, and if it’’’’s OK the site is allowed. This all happens in a thousandths of a second so you don’’’’t spot the delay.

…so SAV protects you in a number of ways - it doesn’’’’t scan email as it arrives, but if an attachment is malware and written to your computer’’’’s drive it’’’’ll detect it; and any links you click on from emails will be checked by Web Protection. However if you read this forum you’’’’ll see it isn’’’’t always smooth sailing for some users - but don't let that put you off, try it for yourself.

Often when a user has just installed SAV for Mac and sees something different a day or two later they may not think back to the SAV install and may end up working with Apple's technical support in an attempt to fix the problem. Or may they don’’’’t know the different ways SAV protects so they jump to rip the whole program off rather than, for example, disabling the Web Protection (if the Internet has slowed down for them). And generally the method of choice for uninstalling SAV is (incorrectly) thought to be ‘‘‘‘move the SAV application from the Application folder to Trash and delete’’’’ - which doesn’’’’t work because it's not a bundle application like, say, Firefox is.

The program is exactly the same as our Enterprise Mac product - just that the updating credentials are pre-filled for ease of use.  It’’’’s not limited in anyway.

I’’’’d suggest you download a free copy, install it, and tell your family ‘‘‘‘I’’’’ve installed AV so if you see something different happening let me know’’’’. Then, if something different happens post-install you can either: disable on-access scanning (if the computer can’’’’t copy with the load) and just run the occasion on-demand scan. Or switch off Web Protection (if the Internet slows down) and keep the on-access and on-demand scanning. Or you can uninstall the whole program (by typing ‘‘‘‘remove sophos’’’’ into Spotlight) and running the uninstall properly.

If you have any problems, try to understand which part of the protection could be causing the problem and disable it. Watch the YouTube playlist to get an understanding of the program…

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_b4O8ZwWOqsJbP55d6EF0lBV9NDMaLfE

…and if you’’’’re stuck post a question on this forum - you certainly don't have to live with a problem or workaround it: raise it on here.