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ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE 101

Don Trauger – Kennett

Antivirus software is essential on any computer that is connected to the internet. While most antivirus software is not
really all that complicated, it certainly can’t hurt to have a clearer understanding of how it works, and what it does for
you behind the scenes to keep your PC clean and safe.

Antivirus software works by checking files, programs, emails and disks for viruses, worms and Trojans, and more recently,
spyware. What it is actually doing is comparing what it finds with a list of known viruses – this list is a virus file or
virus definitions file. The software will unpack files to look at and check them, and it then repacks them if they are safe.
If the files contain viruses they will be destroyed or placed in a quarantine zone. Most antivirus software will also attempt
to repair any files that have been damaged by a virus.

If you have antivirus software, you will (hopefully) keep it updated, or set the program to auto-update. When the update
takes place what it’s actually doing is updating the virus file so it knows what to look for when scanning. This is why the
update is essential – without it the antivirus software won’t be sure what it’s looking at! Some of the best anti-virus
programs also look for the suspicious behavior that’s associated with viruses, so there is some additional protection against
unknown viruses.

Most antivirus software works in the background (i.e. you barely notice it when you’re using your computer). What it’s doing
however is scanning all the activity on your computer. Some anti-virus programs also automatically check downloaded files for
viruses, and virus-check your incoming and outgoing E-mail. When a virus is found, it is often removed automatically, without
interrupting your work.

There are a number of companies that provide software solutions to virus, Trojan, and internet worm attacks. It can be really
confusing when you compare different software packages trying to find the one that is right for you. With that in mind, there
are several very important things that you need to consider when choosing antivirus software:

1) How often and how fast are the virus definitions updated. You want the answer to be “As soon as a new threat is found”.
2) Are the virus definitions updated automatically? You want the answer to be “YES”.
3) Can you configure the software to check for updates every time you go online? You want the answer to be “YES”.
4) Is the software “smart” so that it can find viruses it doesn’t even know about yet? You want the answer to be “YES”.
5) Can it scan incoming and outgoing email automatically? You want the answer to be “YES”
6) Can you configure it once to perform automatic scans of your entire computer on a regular schedule? You want the answer to
be “YES” providing the computer is turned on so the automated scan can perform its task.
7) Does it provide a way to ‘clean out’ any viruses etc. that are found? You want the answer to be “YES”.
8) Are upgrades to the anti-virus program performed automatically, regularly, and at no cost? You want the answer to be “YES”.

Understanding the basics of antivirus software should help you understand why you need it, why you need it kept up to date
and give you some clues about how to check if you are considering updating or changing your anti-virus program. You probably
want something that makes the whole task as easy as possible – that usually means automating almost everything. It’s usually a
good idea to add a bit of personal knowledge to the mix. Knowing what your software does helps you know what you should do!

Please come to our PC club meeting to learn about computer security and also get answers to any of your computer questions.
It starts at 7:00 PM in the Ardmore room upstairs in the Community Center on the second Tuesday of each month.


To get answers to your questions about computers, please come to the PC Club meeting. The computer club
meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Community Center.

Computer Maintenance

Don Trauger – Kennett

I’ve been writing this column for over 10 years and two areas I’ve stressed over and over are anti-virus/anti-spyware protection and system maintenance.
It seems some folk still disregard the aforementioned and blithely operate their computers as if all is well in the world. I hear all kinds of excuses
regarding maintenance like “Oh, that’s too complicated for me”, or “I’m a computer illiterate”, or “I just don’t understand what you write”.

They are probably honest answers but they don’t solve the problems building in your computer and only add to it. Everyday you use your computer, once
used and now discarded files build up on your hard drive. On a daily basis they can number in the thousands especially if you access the Internet. Over
time they can slow, freeze, or eventually crash a computer. I often wonder how many people have simply swept the problem under the rug and then went out
to purchase a new computer only to start the cycle all over again. Of course this wastes hundreds of dollars plus the loss of personal data such as
emails, programs, pictures, etc. when all that was needed was routine maintenance.

We all have our cars serviced including an oil change on a regular basis. At least I hope so. Computers also need routine maintenance. With cars, most of
us understand little of what goes on “under the hood”. Computers may be in the same category but with a little knowledge and hands on experience you can
become an expert – at least in providing the necessary routine maintenance. All of my articles provide click by click instructions, meaning you don’t have
to understand everything you are reading but simply follow along and perform the needed maintenance. Of course at our PC Club meetings you can ask questions
to gain more knowledge or attend a special session that deals with computer maintenance. This special session will be advertised on the Ch. 20 Bulletin
Board shortly. Our sessions are for everyone not just those that have experience.

Once you have gained the knowledge necessary to keep your computer running properly you’ll benefit by extending its lifetime and reducing your frustration
with the computer’s performance.

If you have recently purchased a new computer get started right as this is an excellent time to learn how to care for it. Chances are your computer
manufacturer has supplied little if any information on proper system maintenance. Microsoft also has done little to provide easy step by step maintenance
instructions. One session at our PC Club will give you enough confidence to take care of your computer!

Screen Readability

Don Trauger – Kennett

As we age, the vision that we may have had in our younger years, is not what it used to be. Even with glasses visual acuity is often
compromised. On the newer LCD computer screens with high resolution, the font size is often tiny. Although the content is sharp it
can be hard to read. Now I’ll tell you the procedure to improve this problem with different Microsoft operating systems.

First, make sure your monitor is adjusted properly using its contrast and brightness settings. If you have a high resolution picture
from a digital camera, this can be used to set the contrast and brightness for a life-like setting. If a picture is not available go
to www.google.com and search for “nature wallpaper” or “landscape wallpaper”. Click a life-like picture then click on full-size image
to the right. Do several to get an idea of a life-like image. To see more pictures click on “Images for Nature Wallpaper or “Images for
Landscape Wallpaper”. With a life-like picture on the screen you can now adjust your monitor’s contrast and brightness for the best
quality. Check your monitor’s manual for instructions on the location for the contrast and brightness controls.

With Windows XP right click a blank area on the Desktop screen. Click Properties and then click the Appearance tab. Next click the
Effects button. In that window put a check next to “Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts”. Click the little down arrow
and click “ClearType”. OK the window. Next, click the Settings tab. Under “Color quality” choose “Highest (32bit)”. Click the Advanced
button. Under “DPI setting”, click the down arrow and choose “Large size (120DPI)”. OK the window. The following adjustment can be used
but it will distort the screen image so that circles may not be round any longer and it can also cause other side effects in all operating
systems. This adjustment is the Screen resolution slider setting under the Settings tab. If you move the slider to the left everything on
the screen will appear larger but possibly distorted and fuzzier. Set it to where you are satisfied with the results.

Windows Vista is similar. Right click the Desktop, click Personalize. On the left side click “Adjust font size (DPI)”. Choose “Larger
scale (120 DPI)” and OK the window. Next, Click Display Settings. Here you can adjust the Resolution, and Colors (Highest 32 bit is recommended)
if necessary.

Windows 7 allows additional adjustments. Click Start then click Control Panel. Click Appearance and Personalization
(View by: Category at top right). Click Display. Choose “Medium – 125%”. On the left side, click “Adjust resolution”. Use the recommended
setting if at all possible. Next, click “Calibrate color”. Follow the instructions on the screen. It will be followed by a ClearType procedure
to improve text quality.

Windows 7 does the best job of tuning your computer display for your individual needs. However, XP and Vista also provide the ability to make
your screen easier to read. One thing to remember – don’t use Windows High Contrast setting should you encounter it. It may seem to be an easy
fix for readability problems but you will incur color distortions, and other visual side effects that conflict with normal Web surfing.

Help with the above information is available at the PC Club meetings. We meet the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM upstairs in
the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

Maintenance Importance

Don Trauger – Kennett

I’ve been writing this column for over 10 years and two areas I’ve stressed over and over are anti-virus/anti-spyware protection and system maintenance.
It seems some folk still disregard the aforementioned and blithely operate their computers as if all is well in the world. I hear all kinds of excuses
regarding maintenance like “Oh, that’s too complicated for me”, or “I’m a computer illiterate”, or “I just don’t understand what you write”.

They are probably honest answers but they don’t solve the problems building in your computer and only add to it. Everyday you use your computer, once
used and now discarded files build up on your hard drive. On a daily basis they can number in the thousands especially if you access the Internet. Over
time they can slow, freeze, or eventually crash a computer. I often wonder how many people have simply swept the problem under the rug and then went out
to purchase a new computer only to start the cycle all over again. Of course this wastes hundreds of dollars plus the loss of personal data such as
emails, programs, pictures, etc. when all that was needed was routine maintenance.

We all have our cars serviced including an oil change on a regular basis. At least I hope so. Computers also need routine maintenance. With cars, most of
us understand little of what goes on “under the hood”. Computers may be in the same category but with a little knowledge and hands on experience you can
become an expert – at least in providing the necessary routine maintenance. All of my articles provide click by click instructions, meaning you don’t have
to understand everything you are reading but simply follow along and perform the needed maintenance. Of course at our PC Club meetings you can ask questions
to gain more knowledge or attend a special session that deals with computer maintenance. This special session will be advertised on the Ch. 20 Bulletin
Board shortly. Our sessions are for everyone not just those that have experience.

Once you have gained the knowledge necessary to keep your computer running properly you’ll benefit by extending its lifetime and reducing your frustration
with the computer’s performance.

If you have recently purchased a new computer get started right as this is an excellent time to learn how to care for it. Chances are your computer
manufacturer has supplied little if any information on proper system maintenance. Microsoft also has done little to provide easy step by step maintenance
instructions. One session at our PC Club will give you enough confidence to take care of your computer!

To view past articles on computer maintenance go to our web site www.hersheysmill.org and click on Tech Tips. Click on Computer Performance & Maintenance
Tips and then click on Maintenance – Basic, then followed by Maintenance – Recommended. To help answer your computer questions we meet the 2nd Tuesday
evening of each month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Community Center.