Is Mac OS 10.5.2 safe to install?

Hi,
I have recently been experiencing severe problems with a MacBook which I think must be the result of recent updates Apple has released. Yesterday, I had a problem where almost every application would not open, I reinstalled Leopard and the problem was resolved. I then applied all the updates available, including 10.5.2 and the Leopard Graphics Update. This morning I shut down my computer and took it into campus. When I tried to boot the computer, it remained at the startup screen indefinitely. Booting into Windows with Boot Camp worked. I have now reinstalled Leopard for the second time in two days. Should I install any updates? They seems to be the cause of major problems for me. Here is one of the crash logs produced when my computer did not start up:
Process: DirectoryService [22]
Path: /usr/sbin/DirectoryService
Identifier: DirectoryService
Version: ??? (???)
Code Type: X86 (Native)
Parent Process: launchd [1]
Date/Time: 2008-02-23 11:56:03.396 +0000
OS Version: Mac OS X 10.5.2 (9C31)
Report Version: 6
Exception Type: EXCBADACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERNINVALIDADDRESS at 0x000000001844f1df
Crashed Thread: 5
Thread 0:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x955db9e6 machmsgtrap + 10
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x955e31dc mach_msg + 72
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x924b50de CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 1806
3 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x924b5d74 CFRunLoopRun + 84
4 DirectoryService 0x00016ff1 main + 2569
5 DirectoryService 0x000165ca start + 54
Thread 1:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x955db9e6 machmsgtrap + 10
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x955e31dc mach_msg + 72
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x924b50de CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 1806
3 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x924b5d74 CFRunLoopRun + 84
4 DirectoryService 0x00023126 CPluginRunLoopThread::ThreadMain() + 222
5 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00161f8b DSCThread::Run() + 39
6 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00162196 DSLThread::_RunWrapper(void*) + 84
7 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cc55 pthreadstart + 321
8 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cb12 thread_start + 34
Thread 2:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x955db9e6 machmsgtrap + 10
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x955e31dc mach_msg + 72
2 libSystem.B.dylib 0x956514b3 machmsgserver + 491
3 DirectoryService 0x0002335f CMigHandlerThread::ThreadMain() + 303
4 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00161f8b DSCThread::Run() + 39
5 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00162196 DSLThread::_RunWrapper(void*) + 84
6 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cc55 pthreadstart + 321
7 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cb12 thread_start + 34
Thread 3:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9561e725 syscall + 5
1 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00161f8b DSCThread::Run() + 39
2 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00162196 DSLThread::_RunWrapper(void*) + 84
3 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cc55 pthreadstart + 321
4 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cb12 thread_start + 34
Thread 4:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560c4c6 kevent + 10
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cc55 pthreadstart + 321
2 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cb12 thread_start + 34
Thread 5 Crashed:
0 libgcc_s.1.dylib 0x95ddd0ba _register_frame_infotable + 986
1 libgcc_s.1.dylib 0x95ddd497 _register_frame_infotable + 1975
2 libgcc_s.1.dylib 0x95dddb0b _registerframe + 1323
3 libgcc_s.1.dylib 0x95dde11d Unwind_FindFDE + 589
4 libgcc_s.1.dylib 0x95ddb21e UnwindGetIPInfo + 1662
5 libgcc_s.1.dylib 0x95ddc233 UnwindGetIPInfo + 5779
6 libgcc_s.1.dylib 0x95ddc685 UnwindRaiseException + 37
7 libstdc++.6.dylib 0x91969254 _cxathrow + 88
8 DirectoryService 0x0000afab dsDoAttributeValueSearchWithData + 1371
9 DirectoryService 0x0000ca98 CSearchPlugin::AttributeValueSearch(sDoAttrValueSearchWithData*) + 990
10 DirectoryService 0x0001209d CSearchPlugin::HandleRequest(void*) + 223
11 DirectoryService 0x0000e3fa CSearchPlugin::ProcessRequest(void*) + 372
12 DirectoryService 0x00002b09 CRequestHandler::HandlePluginCall(sComData**) + 775
13 DirectoryService 0x000038c4 CRequestHandler::HandleRequest(sComData**) + 82
14 DirectoryService 0x0000b50d CMessaging::SendInlineMessage(unsigned long) + 211
15 DirectoryService 0x0000ae88 dsDoAttributeValueSearchWithData + 1080
16 DirectoryService 0x000a7655 DoRecordSearch(int, char*, char*, UserGroup*) + 337
17 DirectoryService 0x000a8ae7 GenerateItemMembership(UserGroup*) + 341
18 DirectoryService 0x000a8c34 Get16Groups + 28
19 DirectoryService 0x000ba9a8 Mbrd_ProcessGetGroups + 128
20 DirectoryService 0x0002f71f memberdDSmigdoGetGroups + 337
21 DirectoryService 0x000a5b44 _XGetGroups + 184
22 DirectoryService 0x000a5975 DSmemberdMIG_server + 109
23 libSystem.B.dylib 0x95639373 machmsg_serveronce + 416
24 DirectoryService 0x000232d2 CMigHandlerThread::ThreadMain() + 162
25 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00161f8b DSCThread::Run() + 39
26 ...ectoryServiceCore.Framework 0x00162196 DSLThread::_RunWrapper(void*) + 84
27 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cc55 pthreadstart + 321
28 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9560cb12 thread_start + 34
Thread 5 crashed with X86 Thread State (32-bit):
eax: 0x1844f1d6 ebx: 0x95ddd62e ecx: 0x0000fe81 edx: 0x90f09650
edi: 0x90f09650 esi: 0x1844f1d6 ebp: 0xb0184308 esp: 0xb01842e0
ss: 0x0000001f efl: 0x00010282 eip: 0x95ddd0ba cs: 0x00000017
ds: 0x0000001f es: 0x0000001f fs: 0x0000001f gs: 0x00000037
cr2: 0x1844f1df
Binary Images:
0x1000 - 0x10afef +DirectoryService ??? (???) <0b866e2cf18cbf1a097e58a66413f350> /usr/sbin/DirectoryService
0x15a000 - 0x168ff3 com.apple.DirectoryServiceCore.Framework 3.5.1 (3.5.1) <3a117cc7a57395d3062b02d184f903df> /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DirectoryServiceCore.framework/Versions/A/Dir ectoryServiceCore
0x8fe00000 - 0x8fe2da53 dyld 96.2 (???) <7af47d3b00b2268947563c7fa8c59a07> /usr/lib/dyld
0x90584000 - 0x9060ffff com.apple.framework.IOKit 1.5.1 (???) <a17f9f5ea7e8016a467e67349f4d3d03> /System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Versions/A/IOKit
0x90712000 - 0x907ccfe3 com.apple.CoreServices.OSServices 224.4 (224.4) <ff5007ab220908ac54b6c661e447d593> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/OSServi ces.framework/Versions/A/OSServices
0x90860000 - 0x90867ffe libbsm.dylib ??? (???) <d25c63378a5029648ffd4b4669be31bf> /usr/lib/libbsm.dylib
0x90930000 - 0x90afbff7 com.apple.security 5.0.2 (33001) <0788969ffe7961153219be10786da436> /System/Library/Frameworks/Security.framework/Versions/A/Security
0x90afc000 - 0x90b40feb com.apple.DirectoryService.PasswordServerFramework 3.0.2 (3.0.2) <cded450287baf9b5de8856b540653322> /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/PasswordServer.framework/Versions/A/PasswordS erver
0x90e88000 - 0x90f14ff7 com.apple.LaunchServices 286.5 (286.5) <33c3ae54abb276b61a99d4c764d883e2> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchS ervices.framework/Versions/A/LaunchServices
0x91043000 - 0x91075fff com.apple.LDAPFramework 1.4.3 (106) <3a5c9df6032143cd6bc2658a9d328d8e> /System/Library/Frameworks/LDAP.framework/Versions/A/LDAP
0x9107d000 - 0x9112dfff edu.mit.Kerberos 6.0.12 (6.0.12) <9e98dfb4cde8b0510fdd972dc9fa1dc9> /System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Versions/A/Kerberos
0x9112e000 - 0x91136fff com.apple.DiskArbitration 2.2.1 (2.2.1) <75b0c8d8940a8a27816961dddcac8e0f> /System/Library/Frameworks/DiskArbitration.framework/Versions/A/DiskArbitration
0x91923000 - 0x91980ffb libstdc++.6.dylib ??? (???) <04b812dcec670daa8b7d2852ab14be60> /usr/lib/libstdc++.6.dylib
0x91989000 - 0x91989ffa com.apple.CoreServices 32 (32) <2fcc8f3bd5bbfc000b476cad8e6a3dd2> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/CoreServices
0x9198a000 - 0x919a8fff libresolv.9.dylib ??? (???) <0629b6dcd71f4aac6a891cbe26253e85> /usr/lib/libresolv.9.dylib
0x91b1a000 - 0x91b49fe3 com.apple.AE 402.2 (402.2) <e01596187e91af5d48653920017b8c8e> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/AE.fram ework/Versions/A/AE
0x92348000 - 0x9238dfef com.apple.Metadata 10.5.2 (398.7) <73a6424c06effc474e699cde6883de99> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/Metadat a.framework/Versions/A/Metadata
0x9238e000 - 0x923b2feb libssl.0.9.7.dylib ??? (???) <acee7fc534674498dcac211318aa23e8> /usr/lib/libssl.0.9.7.dylib
0x92443000 - 0x92575fef com.apple.CoreFoundation 6.5.1 (476.10) <d5bed2688a5eea11a6dc3a3c5c17030e> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation
0x92c57000 - 0x92d38ff7 libxml2.2.dylib ??? (???) <450ec38b57fb46013847cce851001a2f> /usr/lib/libxml2.2.dylib
0x92e02000 - 0x92e81ff5 com.apple.SearchKit 1.2.0 (1.2.0) <277b460da86bc222785159fe77e2e2ed> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/SearchK it.framework/Versions/A/SearchKit
0x92e83000 - 0x92e99fff com.apple.DictionaryServices 1.0.0 (1.0.0) <ad0aa0252e3323d182e17f50defe56fc> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/Diction aryServices.framework/Versions/A/DictionaryServices
0x9383e000 - 0x93b17ff3 com.apple.CoreServices.CarbonCore 785.8 (785.8) <827c228e7d717b397cdb4941eba69553> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CarbonC ore.framework/Versions/A/CarbonCore
0x93b22000 - 0x93b31fff libsasl2.2.dylib ??? (???) <b9e1ca0b6612e280b6cbea6df0eec5f6> /usr/lib/libsasl2.2.dylib
0x94194000 - 0x9421bff7 libsqlite3.0.dylib ??? (???) <6978bbcca4277d6ae9f042beff643f7d> /usr/lib/libsqlite3.0.dylib
0x9421c000 - 0x94354ff7 libicucore.A.dylib ??? (???) <afcea652ff2ec36885b2c81c57d06d4c> /usr/lib/libicucore.A.dylib
0x943dd000 - 0x943ebffd libz.1.dylib ??? (???) <5ddd8539ae2ebfd8e7cc1c57525385c7> /usr/lib/libz.1.dylib
0x94d76000 - 0x94da1fe7 libauto.dylib ??? (???) <42d8422dc23a18071869fdf7b5d8fab5> /usr/lib/libauto.dylib
0x94da5000 - 0x94e84fff libobjc.A.dylib ??? (???) <a53206274b6c2d42691f677863f379ae> /usr/lib/libobjc.A.dylib
0x94e85000 - 0x94efcfe3 com.apple.CFNetwork 221.5 (221.5) <5474cdd7d2a8b2e8059de249c702df9e> /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CFNetwo rk.framework/Versions/A/CFNetwork
0x94f38000 - 0x94f6ffff com.apple.SystemConfiguration 1.9.1 (1.9.1) <8a76e429301afe4eba1330bfeaabd9f2> /System/Library/Frameworks/SystemConfiguration.framework/Versions/A/SystemConfi guration
0x95053000 - 0x95077fff libxslt.1.dylib ??? (???) <4933ddc7f6618743197aadc85b33b5ab> /usr/lib/libxslt.1.dylib
0x955db000 - 0x9573aff3 libSystem.B.dylib ??? (???) <4899376234e55593b22fc370935f8cdf> /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
0x9577e000 - 0x959f8fe7 com.apple.Foundation 6.5.4 (677.15) <6216196287f98a65ddb654d04d773e7b> /System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Versions/C/Foundation
0x95dd7000 - 0x95ddefe9 libgcc_s.1.dylib ??? (???) <f53c808e87d1184c0f9df63aef53ce0b> /usr/lib/libgcc_s.1.dylib
0x95ddf000 - 0x95e91ffb libcrypto.0.9.7.dylib ??? (???) <330b0e48e67faffc8c22dfc069ca7a47> /usr/lib/libcrypto.0.9.7.dylib
0x95e92000 - 0x95e96fff libmathCommon.A.dylib ??? (???) /usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib
0xfffe8000 - 0xfffebfff libobjc.A.dylib ??? (???) /usr/lib/libobjc.A.dylib
0xffff0000 - 0xffff1780 libSystem.B.dylib ??? (???) /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib

Is there anything I can do??
What is the result with Safari?
Try FireFox 3 beta:
http://en.www.mozilla.com/en/firefox/all-beta.html
Try Opera:
http://www.opera.com/
With all browsers make sure you try all Chinese encodings (Traditional Big 5, Traditional Windows, Simplified GB 2312, Simplified GB 18030) plus UTF-8 and (if available) UTF-16.
Also you might ask on the Chinese Mac mailing list:
http://groups.google.com/group/chinesemac/
Is there a MS forum on Outlook Web Access where you can ask?

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OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user. Internally Apple calls it "XProtect."
The malware recognition database used by XProtect is automatically updated; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
☞ It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
☞ It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
☞ It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
☞ A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
☞ An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
Apple has taken far too long to revoke the codesigning certificates of some known abusers, thereby diluting the value of Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. Those lapses don't involve App Store products, however.
For the reasons given, App Store products, and—to a lesser extent—other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. Sandbox security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they are not, and never will be, complete protection. Malware is a problem of human behavior, not machine behavior, and no technological fix alone is going to solve it. Trusting software to protect you will only make you more vulnerable.
The best defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "Trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and Internet criminals. If you're better informed than they think you are, you'll win. That means, in practice, that you always stay within a safe harbor of computing practices. How do you know when you're leaving the safe harbor? Below are some warning signs of danger.
Software from an untrustworthy source
☞ Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, doesn't come directly from the developer’s website. Do not trust an alert from any website to update Flash, or your browser, or any other software. A genuine alert that Flash is outdated and blocked is shown on this support page. Follow the instructions on the support page in that case. Otherwise, assume that the alert is fake and someone is trying to scam you into installing malware. If you see such alerts on more than one website, ask for instructions.
☞ Software of any kind is distributed via BitTorrent, or Usenet, or on a website that also distributes pirated music or movies.
☞ Rogue websites such as Softonic, Soft32, and CNET Download distribute free applications that have been packaged in a superfluous "installer."
☞ The software is advertised by means of spam or intrusive web ads. Any ad, on any site, that includes a direct link to a download should be ignored.
Software that is plainly illegal or does something illegal
☞ High-priced commercial software such as Photoshop is "cracked" or "free."
☞ An application helps you to infringe copyright, for instance by circumventing the copy protection on commercial software, or saving streamed media for reuse without permission. All "YouTube downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily malicious.
Conditional or unsolicited offers from strangers
☞ A telephone caller or a web page tells you that you have a “virus” and offers to help you remove it. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
☞ A web site offers free content such as video or music, but to use it you must install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "downloader," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one.
☞ You win a prize in a contest you never entered.
☞ Someone on a message board such as this one is eager to help you, but only if you download an application of his choosing.
☞ A "FREE WI-FI !!!" network advertises itself in a public place such as an airport, but is not provided by the management.
☞ Anything online that you would expect to pay for is "free."
Unexpected events
☞ A file is downloaded automatically when you visit a web page, with no other action on your part. Delete any such file without opening it.
☞ You open what you think is a document and get an alert that it's "an application downloaded from the Internet." Click Cancel and delete the file. Even if you don't get the alert, you should still delete any file that isn't what you expected it to be.
☞ An application does something you don't expect, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
☞ Software is attached to email that you didn't request, even if it comes (or seems to come) from someone you trust.
I don't say that leaving the safe harbor just once will necessarily result in disaster, but making a habit of it will weaken your defenses against malware attack. Any of the above scenarios should, at the very least, make you uncomfortable.
6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it—not JavaScript—in your browsers.
Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a padlock icon in the address bar when visiting a secure site.
Stay within the safe harbor, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself.
7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" (AV) or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they are all worse than useless. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free security apps in the Mac App Store—nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial AV products?
☞ To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. This technique is a proven failure, as a major AV software vendor has admitted. Most attacks are "zero-day"—that is, previously unknown. Recognition-based AV does not defend against such attacks, and the enterprise IT industry is coming to the realization that traditional AV software is worthless.
☞ Its design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere. In order to meet that nonexistent threat, commercial AV software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
☞ By modifying the operating system, the software may also create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
☞ Most importantly, a false sense of security is dangerous.
8. An AV product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," has the same drawback as the commercial suites of being always out of date, but it does not inject low-level code into the operating system. That doesn't mean it's entirely harmless. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
An AV app is not needed, and cannot be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful, if at all, only for detecting Windows malware, and even for that use it's not really effective, because new Windows malware is emerging much faster than OS X malware.
Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else. A malicious attachment in email is usually easy to recognize by the name alone. An actual example:
London Terror Moovie.avi [124 spaces] Checked By Norton Antivirus.exe
You don't need software to tell you that's a Windows trojan. Software may be able to tell you which trojan it is, but who cares? In practice, there's no reason to use recognition software unless an organizational policy requires it. Windows malware is so widespread that you should assume it's in every email attachment until proven otherwise. Nevertheless, ClamXav or a similar product from the App Store may serve a purpose if it satisfies an ill-informed network administrator who says you must run some kind of AV application. It's free and it won't handicap the system.
The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have all the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
10. As a Mac user, you don't have to live in fear that your computer may be infected every time you install software, read email, or visit a web page. But neither can you assume that you will always be safe from exploitation, no matter what you do. Navigating the Internet is like walking the streets of a big city. It can be as safe or as dangerous as you choose to make it. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.

I migrated a user from another mac and cant get any updates to install!

Hi
I migrated a user from another mac and cant get any updates to install, for example it says iPhoto is intalled but its not, i never copied it from the older imac, and i cant download it to this one now
any help appreciated

Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferences, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.
Isolating an issue by using another user account
If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode using your normal account. Disconnect all peripherals except those needed for the test. Shut down the computer and then power it back up after waiting 10 seconds. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. When you reboot normally, the initial reboot may be slower than normal. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart by using the application un-installer. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.
Safe Mode
Safe Mode - About

Is my (Boot Camp) windows partition safe after installing OS X Lion ?

I work with a mac and i have an Windows partition only to work at home for my company (i do not keep documents of photo's there).
I want to install OS X Lion, but i am affraid that my windows partition will be gone after installing OS X Lion.
Apple support can not guarantee that my partition wil be safe.
I dont have data saved in my Windows partition. I have this partition just to work from home, so the data is not the issue.
I want to know that my partition wil be safe after installing OS X Lion, because i do not know how to make a new partition.
What can i do to keep my Boot Camp partition up and running after installing OS X Lion ?
Who can help ?

I also was concerned about the early reports of 10.7 altering the Boot Camp partition id. I took The hatters advice and used the cloning method on two different MBPs (Vista & Win 7) with no problems at all.
FYI, below I have provided the steps I used to accomplish this process.
Use Yasu and Diskwarrior to prepare the existing Mac OSX 10.6.8 HDD partition.
Clone or update by smart clone to an ext HDD with SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.
Restart from the cloned ext HDD and select it as the startup volume via System Preferences / Startup Disk.
Install 10.7 Lion on the cloned ext HDD
Install Lion 10.7.2 update on the ext HDD
Restart the OSX 10.7 ext HDD and test and adjust the preferences if needed.
When satisfied, clone the OSX 10.7 ext HDD back to the existing Mac HDD.
The Boot Camp partition will not be altered as to drive id which appeared to cause problems for a few people.
The recovery partition will be on the ext HDD and can be used for trouble shooting.
A more convenient way to have the recovery/reinstallation environment is to create a Lion install USB thumb drive.
http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/08/make-a-bootable-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-installer-from -a-usb-flash-drive/
http://subrosasoft.com/blog/2011/07/create-a-bootable-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-flash-d rive/

Safe to install very old drive?

I have a very old (9-ish years) Maxtor 3.5-inch EIDE hard-drive kit. I need to back up its irreplaceable & valuable contents. But I'm nervous to install it in my Mac Pro (OS x v. 10.5.8). It's what I'm editing my film on, and the mac's already dodgy. Question: is it safe to install this drive? Or could doing so cause the mac to develop issues, or harm the drive's contents?
Thanks!!

Thanks, BDAqua!! I bought the product you suggested (along with a Protect-A-Drive), and the transfer was smooth and easy. :-)
*I should note for anyone who is thinking of doing the same, the Protect-A-Drive (silicon sleeve for the hard drive) had to be pulled back a little in order for the cable to access the drive's port.

Just uninstalled Adobe FlashPlayer and cannot view videos from several major sites such as CNN, VRT (Flemish Radio Television), etc...) Which version of Flashplayer is safe to install?

I uninstalled FlashPlayer because the last 2 weeks my fan was running continually and the CPU was hot!
I did this on advise of "mende1" and it solved the problem!
But now I'm stuck with the fact I cannot view those videos that work with FlashPlayer...
On the ADOBE site I can download older versions, starting at 10.1.
I'm confident that the heating problem does not exist with the older versions.
Any idea from which version it started? Which version should be safe to install?
From 10.3 they say that you can update directly to 11.7.
I guess that the problem entered somewhere here.
So I downloaded the file named "playerglobal10_3.swc", but it than it says that there is no standard program associated with it to open.
So what's the next step?
Thank you for any advise.

You can check here: http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/about/ to see which version you should install for your Mac and OS.
You should first uninstall any previous version of Flash Player, using the uninstaller from here (make sure you use the correct one!):
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/909/cpsid_90906.html
and also that you follow the instructions closely, such as closing ALL applications first before installing. You must also carry out a permission repair after installing anything from Adobe.

Is Mac OS 10.5.2 safe to install?

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