Categories: Apps: Internet & NetworksApps: Security

Antivirus Software: It Does the Dirty Work

Do you remember the first antivirus programs? The following article goes back in time to shed light on applications fashionable in a different day and age. The history of antivirus software is fascinating! So much has changed, but some applications remain relevant.

Antivirus Software: It Does the Dirty Work

Doctor, housekeeper, management consultant: That is what a broad class of software called utilities are to your computer. Caught a computer virus? A utility can usually detect it and zap it. Lost a file? A utility can track it down. Need extra room for storage? A utility can double your hard disk size. Here are some utilities programs to consider.

General Housekeeping: Norton Utilities is far and away the best general utilities package around. It not only helps you manage your files, but it Disk Doctor feature can fix almost anything that’s gone wrong with your hard disk. A second choice: PC Tools has the same types of programs that Norton Utilities has, as well as some others.

Virus protection: The least damaging computer viruses – self-propagating programs that spread through online services or infected floppy discs – cause annoying glitches. The most deadly viruses, however, can wipe out your entire hard disk.

Effective anti-virus programs include Norton Anti-Virus from Symantic, Untouchable from Fifth Generation Systems, and Central Point Anti-Virus. If you have a PC, check out the antivirus protector that you already have on DOS 6.0; it can handle most viruses just fine.

You can get equally excellent programs like Viruscan, Clean-Up, and VS-shield at bargain rates from McAfee Associates, who distributes them as shareware – software that can be downloaded free of charge or for a nominal fee.

File compression: Compression software squeeze your files so that they take up less room on your hard disk. The most popular compression program is Stacker, by Stac Eletronics. If you have a PC and DOS 6.0, you already have a compression utility: DoubleSpace. But Stacker is more sophisticated. PKZIP and PKUNZIP are popular shareware utilities for PC files.

RAM utilities: Real RAM is expensive, but some utilities can fake an increase for substantially less. Connectix RAM Double, for instance, does exactly that, allowing you to keep more programs open at once.

Screen Savers: They don’t really save your screen. Most computers come with a collection built-in, but you can buy programs featuring everything from flying toasters to cartoons from Gary Larson’s The Far Side.