Your Mac may need help to fend off viruses, malware

Q: Are you aware of a virus scan program for Apple computers that is kept up to date, that a user can purchase or subscribe to that really works?

A: When it comes to virus protection on a Mac, the simple truth is that they simply are not as necessary as they are on a Windows computer. That’s not to say that there are not viruses and malware that can exploit the Mac OS. It is just to say that the risk of infection or compromise is much, much lower as Apple tends to respond much more quickly with patches and updates when a vulnerability is discovered.

This is one of the reasons that antivirus software on a Mac can seem unreliable. It rarely seems to detect anything. But threats to the Mac OS are on the rise, so it is a good idea to keep antivirus and anti-malware software installed on a Mac just to be on the safe side.

Macworld publishes a list of the best antivirus applications for the Mac at tinyurl.com/ helplinemacav. At this site you can read reviews and make an informed decision about which antivirus program you might want to use for your computer.

Keep in mind that these are not free. If you are looking for a no-cost solution, you can check out Avira Free Antivirus from avira.com/ free and Sophos Home from avira.com.

Like I do for Windows, I recommend a twopronged defense that includes a good antivirus program combined with a good anti-malware program, so in addition to one of these I would also consider installing the Mac version of Malwarebytes from malwarebytes. com/mac to add that extra layer of protection.

Q: I have an older Toshiba Satellite laptop with a Windows 10 upgrade. It is now stuck in Airplane Mode, and I’m unable to connect with internet. I have gone to Airplane Mode in Settings and the switch is set to On, but when I try to move it to Off, it pops right back to the On position. What can I do?

A: Airplane Mode is a setting used to turn off data connections on your device so it can be used on an airplane during the beginning and the end of a flight. This is most common on mobile phones, but Windows 10 offers this option on laptop computers.

The most likely cause of this problem is that your Wi-Fi is simply turned off or disabled. On many laptops the Wi-Fi can be physically disabled using a switch somewhere on the laptop or by using a combination of the Fn key and one of the Function keys. Consult your laptop documentation for this information. If the Wi-Fi is physically turned off it will keep the laptop in Airplane Mode until it is turned back on.

Although less common, this problem can be caused by some other issues relatingtinyurl.com/ helplineairplane to drivers or even a glitch in the operating system.

For information on how to troubleshoot this if it is not caused by the Wi-Fi adapter being turned off or disabled, please take a look at the article titled How to Fix Airplane Mode Issues in Windows 10 at tinyurl.com/helplineairplane.