TexPoint & Virus Scanners

If you are a Mac user you might close this page now ;-)
Windows users with antiviruses please read this page if you have trouble with TexPoint in connection with your scanner.

Introduction & the problem

• You encounter errors during the instalation of TexPoint
• The Add-In is not registered in PowerPoint (not in the Add-Ins list)
• TexPoint is not loaded or disabled (no TexPoint menu or toolbar)
• Or in the best case only parts, like displays, do not work

The reason is mostly the "broad-spectrum antibiotic" character of the algorithms some antivirus makers use, which identify viruses by rather common criteria, i.e., without using real virus signatures. This affects not only TexPoint, but also other software and drivers. This situation is not only unsatisfying for you, but also for honest private software developers like us.
We try to help solving these problems with your help or hopefully directly with the antivirus makers.
Below you find an (incomplete) list of scanners which are ok, and those which create trouble. Featback from you regarding those and other scanners are apprecited (mail to authors (at) texpoint.necula.org).

Antivirus test

If you want to check whether you have an antivirus that can prevent the installation of TexPoint, you can download the anticheck.vbs file, select Open and then Run. You should see a sequence of messages, ending with one declaring SUCCESS.

Scanner list and Solutions

• McAfee
  not checked, but reports suggest that there is no problem
• Norton AntiVirus
  not checked, but reports suggest that it asks you once for permission to run and trust TexPoint, and after you agreed it does not bother you anymore
• sophos anti-virus
  checked, no problems (corporate scanner)
• Symantec Anti-virus
  checked, no problems
• Trend-Micro Officescan
  checked, no problems (corporate scanner)

• Avira AntiVir (Classic)
  recently problems were reported as well, not checked
• F-Secure
  We contacted the manufacturer in order to solve the problem permanently. The possible virus is "Heuristic Type_Win32".
  Short term solution:
  1. In F-Secure Anti-Virus 2007 select "Virus & Spy Protection"
  2. click on "Configure..." in the "Real-time Scanning" line.
  3. There you click on "Exclusions..." ,
  4. where you activate "Exclude objects" and "Add..." the TexPoint.ppa file from your installation directory.
  During installation turn off the Real-time scanning module. Do not forget to reenable it after installation.
• Kaspersky Anti-Virus
  Kaspersky does not detect a virus in file TexPoint.ppa. However if you start PowerPoint it will popup a "Proactive Defense Alert" about "Riskware - Suspicious Macro Execution" in the TexPoint.ppa - when you click "details" you get the info:
  
  

  Macro command:
  CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject", "<Not defined>")
  
  Riskware - programs or components which can be used by hackers to exploit information resources of the computer or local network. If the user permits such a program to run, it is recommended to add the program to the exclusion list. For more details please follow the link.

  or other macro commands like
  
  
  • GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\cimv2", "<omitted>")
  • Open "C:\Program Files\TexPoint\TexPoint.ini" For Append
  
  These messages appear also if you just use TexPoint (about 50 !! times for creation of one display) or close PowerPoint.
  You could always "Skip" them, but this is a quite annoying solution. If you use Kaspersky and you do not see these messages, but TexPoint does not work, your settings for the "Office Guard" (see below) are configured to terminate suspicious macros by default.
  
  (Short term) solution:
  1. Open Kaspersky and click "Settings",
  2. select "Proactive Defense" and un-check "Enable Office Guard" (advanced users could only disable parts of the Office Guard under "Settings..", but you have to do it by trial and error, e.g. "API functions calls", "Create ActiveX object", "Open file with write mode", "Delete file(s)", etc have to be disabled.).
  However, this solution does not prevent your scanner from detecting real viruses. You might have to disable the Office Guard before installation of TexPoint.
  We will try to contact them to hopefully solve the problem in a better way.

Unfortunately the short term solutions might create security risks and/or interfere with your (company/institution) policies. We do not recommend it, but a change of the scanner solves the problem as well. Please update your AV software on a regular basis, to make sure that you get possible future fixes by the manufacturers.

If you observe problems with virus scanners, let us know and do not hestitate to complain to the producer of that scanner!
We are sorry for the inconveniences you might have, but be assured we are also a bit annoyed that we even have to create this web page you just read.