This tool installs a set of protective macros that detect suspicious Word files and alert users to the potential risk of opening files with macros. Upon being alerted, users are given the choice of opening the file without executing the macros, opening the file as is, or canceling the file open operation. Opening the file without macros ensures that macro viruses are not transmitted and does not affect the content of the document. Unless users can verify that the macros contained in the document will not cause damage, Microsoft recommends opening the file without macros.
Although the primary purpose of the Macro Virus Protection tool is to alert users to the existence of macros in their documents and allow then to open their documents without macros, the tool also contains an updated version of the scanning code for the Concept virus (also known as the Word Prank Macro virus) and can be used to scan your hard disk for Word files that contain the Concept virus. So this file replaces SCAN831.DOC previously available online.
The Macro Virus Protection Tool includes two files:
->scanprot.dot: The template which installs the protection macros on the user's machine
->readme.doc: A file which provides information about the tool and its operation
After downloading, type MVTOOL to extract the files and refer to README.DOC for more information. To install the Macro Virus Protection tool, use Word's File Open command to open scanprot.dot. The protection tool will be automatically installed, and will prompt you for any additional input required.
This installation procedure is the same whether you run Word as a single-user setup, as a workstation install from the network, or if Word is run from the network directly. In particular, since the setup requires changing the users' Normal template on the local machine, there is no shortcut method of installing the protection macros on a large number of machines. The macro must be run on each desktop which is to be protected against macro viruses.
To use, open SCANPROT.DOT (In Winword 6.x or later)
