How to Prepare Your Computer for MUST*

*This is only a requirement for Microsoft systems.

MUST (Mason Update and Scanning Technology) is a security program designed to:

1) help ensure that you can safely connect to the Mason Network,
2) ensure that your computer does not have several targeted worms, viruses or trojan horses, and
3) ensure that your computer is configured to Mason's standard level of computing security.

Since all computers that connect to the school’s network have to go through the MUST process, doing the anti-virus portion of it ahead of time will save you time and trouble once you get to your room at Mason and want to get online. If you have problems with the process, there will be help available over the initial move-in weekend of August 27th and 28th, and there will be Resident Technicians available to assist you during the regular school year as well. See http://itusupport.gmu.edu/restech for information on how to contact your Res Tech.

Step 1: Download New Version of Anti-Virus Program

Before removing your old anti-virus program, please go to: http://itusupport.gmu.edu/downloads/option2.asp and download the newest version.

Select your Operating System, and simply follow the on-screen prompts to download the newest version of Symantec Anti-Virus (version 9). Choose to “Save” it to your computer instead of “Run”, and make sure to put it somewhere that you can easily find it, such as the desktop. Do not install it yet.

Step 2: Disconnect Computer From Network

After downloading the newest version, disconnect your computer from the internet. The easiest way to do that is to simply unplug the Ethernet or phone cord from the back of your computer. If you connect with a wireless connection, you can disable your connection by clicking “Start” in the bottom left corner of the screen, then go to the “Control Panel”, select “Network and Internet Connections”, select “Network Connections” (if your computer shows that option), then right-click on “Wireless Network Connection”, and then left-click on “Disable”.

Step 3: Remove Old Anti-Virus Programs

Before installing George Mason University’s copy of Symantec Anti-Virus Corporate Edition version 9.x (the latest version the school provides and supports), you need to make sure that you fully remove any previous or others versions of anti-virus or internet security software. Each anti-virus program will be slightly different, and you may need to contact the manufacturer of your software to determine specific instructions. The general instructions for removing programs from Windows 2000 and Windows XP computers are as followed:

-Click the “Start” button in the bottom left corner of the screen

-Click “Control Panel”

-Click “Add or Remove Programs”

-Scroll through the list of Currently Installed Software, and select any program that says: “Symantec”, “Live Update”, or “McAfee”, then click the “Remove” button that shows up on the right side of the window. Follow the on-screen directions to remove the selected program. There may be other programs as well; these are just the most common ones. There will most likely be more than one program that needs to be removed from that list.

Note: You may need to go back to the Add/Remove dialog multiple times as some individual pieces of software prompt an immediate reboot after removal.

Step 4: Reboot Computer

After removing all software that’s part of your current anti-virus program, make sure to reboot your machine before continuing with the MUST process and new anti-virus installation. Failure to reboot at this point may cause problems getting your computer online on the school’s network.

Step 5: Install New Anti-Virus Program

After rebooting, find the file that you downloaded, and double-click it. That will extract the files and begin the installation process. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

Step 6: Reconnect to Network

After installing the new software, connect your computer back to the internet again by simply plugging in the phone or Ethernet cable again, or if you had to disable your connection through the network settings page, follow the same steps as before, but when you right click on the “Wireless Network Connection”, this time select to “Enable” the device. After doing that, it may be necessary to reboot again before being able to get back on the internet again.

After re-connecting your computer to the internet, open the Anti-Virus software, and click the option to do “Live Updates”. After doing the live updates to make sure you have the latest virus definitions, Run a virus scan to make sure your machine is free of viruses, and remove any that it may have found.