5th March 2001

Since when has getting sick been fun? Imagine what an infected PC feels like. If you're not already running a virus scanner, what are you waiting for? It just takes one digital disease to topple a system. Consider this a reminder to update your definition files; if you're still searching for the right suite, I've always appreciated the free InnoculateIT (found at CAI.COM). You never know when a "nasty" is going to attack. Are you still paranoid? You might consider changing the attributes to your EXE and DLL files to READ-ONLY. Novices note: doing this may hinder upgrades. However, you can easily remove the READ-ONLY attribute if you run into problems with a certain program. Launch the Windows Find / Search applet and look for *.EXE and *.DLL files. Select the results, right-click on one of them, and pull up its Properties. Now, put a black checkmark in the READ-ONLY field. Open programs cannot be changed, though. Don't let this lull you into feeling safe. It's just an extra layer of protection which may save you from a binary-altering bug.