Antivirus for Mac can check for malicious software whenever you open, save, or download files. You can set up scheduled scans to make Antivirus for Mac thoroughly check your Mac for malicious software at regular intervals as well.

In addition, you can specify if Antivirus for Mac will check compressed files, and decide how Antivirus for Mac should respond to any malicious software found. You can even specify files that you do not want checked.

Setting

Description

Enable Real-Time Scanning

Select this checkbox to make Antivirus for Mac check for malicious software when you open, save, or download files. The Real-Time Scanning slider in the Overview window will match any change made to this checkbox.

Scan Compressed Files

Select this checkbox to make Antivirus for Mac scan compressed files to check for hidden malicious software. Compressed files' scans might take longer to complete than Full, Smart, and Custom Scans. Compressed files are only scanned if the Enable Real-Time Scanning checkbox is selected.

Enable machine-learning to protect from new or unknown threats

Select this checkbox to make Antivirus for Mac check for new or unknown malicious software according to machine learning technology.

Enable Scheduled Scans

Select this checkbox to make Antivirus for Mac check for malicious software according to the schedule that you select.

Targets

For this setting, you have three choices:

  1. Recommended files makes Antivirus for Mac check only files likely to contain malicious software. This option helps reduce the time needed for the scan and its impact on the performance of your Mac.

  2. All files on your Mac makes Antivirus for Mac check all the files on your Mac, except for encrypted or password-protected files.

  3. Only the files that you select lets you specify exactly which files or folders Antivirus for Mac should check on your Mac. Click Choose... to make your selections.

Schedule

For this setting, you can choose Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. Selecting  Weekly reveals a list of days from which you can choose, while selecting Monthly  shows a list of dates from 1 to 31.

Start Time

Regardless of the schedule you choose, you must specify when the scheduled scan should start. Try to choose a time when you expect to have your Mac powered on.

What Scans Should Do
The choice you make here will apply to all scans.
  1. Automatically stop the threat will make Antivirus for Mac first try to remove (clean) any malicious software found. If unable to clean the file, Antivirus for Mac will quarantine it instead. As a last resort, unsafe files that cannot be cleaned or quarantined will be deleted.
  2. Customize lets you select how Antivirus for Mac should respond upon finding malicious software. Choosing Clean as the first action lets you select a backup (second) response in case cleaning does not stop the threat.

Restore Defaults

Clicking this button changes all the scheduled scanning options back to their original settings, with the Enable Real-Time Scanning, Enable scheduled scan, and Scan compressed files checkboxes selected, and Response set to Automatically stop the threat. The scheduled scan will take place on the first of every month at midnight.

Quarantined Files

Click this button to see the list of files that seem to contain malicious software found during scans of your Mac. Once quarantined, the malicious software can do no harm.

Files Not Scanned

Click this button to specify files that Antivirus for Mac will not check for malicious software.

Accessing the Scan Settings

From the scan settings window, you can adjust what Antivirus for Mac will do during a Smart Scan, Custom Scan, or Full Scan. You have three ways to open the scan settings window.

To open the scan settings window:

  • Click the Antivirus for Mac icon near the top right corner of your screen, and then select Open Preferences.... Click Scans at the top of the window that opens.
  • If you have already opened Antivirus for Mac, click Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac near the top left corner of your screen, select Preferences..., and then choose Scans.
  • You can also click Scans on the left side of the Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac window, and then click Change Settings....

Setting Up Scheduled Scans

Antivirus for Mac will usually find malicious software in files on your Mac through real-time scanning. However, regular and thorough scheduled scans provide even greater protection. Make sure to select a starting time when you will probably have your Mac switched on.

  1. Open the Antivirus for Mac Preferences window in one of the following ways:

    • Click Scans on the left side of the window, and then click Change Settings...

    • Click the Antivirus for Mac icon near the top right corner of your screen, and then select Open Preferences...

    • Click Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac near the top left corner of your screen, and then click Preferences...

  2. Click Scans at the top of the window that opens.
  3. Mark the Enable Scheduled Scans and Scan Compressed Files checkboxes.
  4. Select what the scheduled scan should check:
    Option Description

    Recommended files

    Checks files where malicious software would tend to hide, except for encrypted and password-protected files.

    All files on your Mac

    Checks all of the files on your Mac. Trend Micro recommends this option for scheduled scans.

    Only the files that you select

    Lets you choose files, folders, or drives are checked for malicious software.
  5. For Schedule, choose daily, weekly, or monthly, then select a day or date, and finally set a time when the scan will start.
  6. For What Scans Should Do, select Automatically stop the threat. Choose Customize to decide what Antivirus for Mac will do about any malicious software found.
    Note:

    Make sure to check the results after a scheduled scan has finished.

Scan Exception List

Use the exception list to specify any files or types of files that you would prefer not to check for malicious software.

When adding a file type to the list, just type the letters of the file extension suffix, such as DOC, MP3, or HTML. You should not include a period before the characters.

None of the scans offered by Antivirus for Mac will check anything added to this list, which can hold a maximum of 512 files and file types.

Note:

Antivirus for Mac does not allow "wildcard" characters (like "." or ":") when you enter a file type.

Files Not Scanned

If you mark the checkbox at the top of this window, none of the scans offered by Antivirus for Mac will check for malicious software in the listed files.

To add a file to the list of Files Not Scanned, click the plus (+) button and find the file on your Mac that you do not want scanned.

You can edit the name or location of any file already on the list, or select one and click the minus (-) button to remove it.

Note:

Adding files to this list can help speed up your scans, but also increases the chance that malicious software will evade them. Please use this list sparingly.

Folders Not Scanned

If you mark the checkbox at the top of this window, none of the scans offered by Antivirus for Mac will check for malicious software in the listed folders.

To add a file to the list of Folders, click the plus (+) button and find the folder on your Mac that you do not want scanned.

You can edit the name or location of any file already on the list, or select one and click the minus (-) button to remove it.

Note:

Adding folders to this list can help speed up your scans, but also increases the chance that malicious software will evade them. Please use this list sparingly.

File Types Not Scanned

If you mark the checkbox at the top of this window, none of the scans offered by Antivirus for Mac will check for malicious software in the types of files listed.

To add a file to the list of File Types Not Scanned, click the plus (+) button and start typing. When adding a file type to the list, just type the letters of the file extension suffix, such as DOC, MP3, or HTML. You should not include a period before the characters.

You can edit the name of any file type already on the list, or select one and click the minus (-) button to remove it. Antivirus for Mac does not allow "wildcard" characters (like "." or ":") when you enter a file type.

Note:

Adding file types to this list can help speed up your scans, but also increases the chance that malicious software will evade them. Please use this list sparingly.