The user can also activate the optional Sentry component to automatically monitor the computer in the background ( Fig.

The user can setup a custom quarantine folder to move infected files to, an alternative to deleting them ( Fig. This configuration can be customized but, though the main functionalities ( setup of the scan folders definition updates start, stop and pause a scan) are quite user-friendly, the same can't be said for the more advanced settings.Ĭlicking on the Preferences button, you can customize several default settings.

In fact, by default, ClamXav doesn't monitor the computer in real-time and definition updates must be manually downloaded by the user. The program interface is very stripped-back. While ClamXav scanned my system I didn't notice remarkable performance decrease, though it may occasionally occur with larger files. ClamXav does well in this regard when compared to competitors like Sophos Antivirus. Compared to previous versions, a complete scan is performed in a relatively short time. I've tested it on my iMac and the current version seems to have remarkably improved both performance and stability (it also solved a bug related to the download of definition updates). The main interface of ClamXav and a manual updateĬlamXav is freeware and its definitions are constantly updated. Though most computers around are still Windows-based and most malicious software targets Windows system (more chances to strike home), as Mac computers have become more widely used, some specific malware for Mac has been detected. It's a very interesting and efficient antivirus for Mac, comparable to other freeware and commercial solutions developed by the major antivirus software companies in recent years, when Mac computers started becoming more popular. It's been developed starting from the well-known and appreciated Clam Av open-source antivirus engine, with the addition of a graphic interface. ClamXav is a free antivirus available for Mac.

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