The user is given the choice of opening the file without executing the macros, opening the file as is, or canceling the file open operation. Opening the file without macros ensures that macro viruses are not transmitted and does not affect the content of the document. Unless the user can verify that the macros contained in the document will not cause damage, Microsoft recommends opening the file without macros. The Macro Virus Protection tool is a general alerting mechanism that will alert users to any macros found in a document. Although the tool scans for the Concept virus, its primary purpose is not to detect or repair specific viruses, but to alert users to the fact that they are opening a document which contains macros and that these macros could contain viruses.
Users are able to protect themselves against macro viruses by opening the file without the macros.
Upon installation, the tool offers to scan for any files which contain the Concept virus. If any infected files are found, the Concept virus is deleted from them and the files are re-saved. After the tool is installed, if a document with macros is opened, the protection alert is displayed. Scan831.doc is a tool that Microsoft made available to customers to allow them to scan and remove the Concept virus from their Word files. Since the release of Scan831.doc, all of the major anti-virus vendors have either shipped or committed to shipping tools which detect the Concept virus.