Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
July 29, 2007

Product: NOD32
Class: Anti-virus for Windows
License: Commercial product. Free 30 day test drive.
Operating Systems: Windows 95/98/ME/XP/NT/2000/2003/Vista
Version Reviewed: v2.7

I've written about NOD32 in my Security Software Recommendations article in each issue. It's the anti-virus program that I use on all my Windows computers. I began using it in 2003 after becoming dissatisfied with one of the big-name anti-virus programs which, in my opinion, had gotten too bloated, required too much computing power and was slow to provide virus signature updates.

Our IT people at the office had moved us to NOD32 the previous year, so I had a year of (involuntary) experience using it — and knew that it was quick, efficient and interfered little with other things I was doing on the computer.

First, I bought a copy for my notebook computer so I could try it (well, it really has a 30-day full-function free trial, but

The image below on the left is the Control Center. Basically, if you double-click on the icon in the Windows Status Bar, you'll see the Control Panel. The other images will be displayed when you click on the corresponding link in the Control Panel.

The image on the right is AMON, the file system monitor. Any time any program touches a file, NOD32 will scan it tto make sure that the file is clean. As you can see in the image, in the few hours this notebook had been running, AMON had scanned over 24,000 files (and, no, this was NOT a system scan).

Notice also that each of these tools (AMON, DMON, EMON, IMON and NOD32 On-Demand Scanner) have Setup buttons so that you can set custom parameters to affect how they work. Normally, you won't have to use them, but you might want to look to see what you can do.

(click on the image for a larger version)

(click on the image for a larger version)

NOD32 has special scanners for Microsoft Office documents and for Microsoft Outlook.

(click on the image for a larger version)

(click on the image for a larger version)

When you download anything from the Internet, via email or via your web browser, NOD32 will intercept and scan it using IMON.

Finally, NOD32 can be used to scan any time you wish. Scan a file, a directory, a drive, all local drives (all drives directly connected to your computer) or even scan diskettes in a floppy drive.

(click on the image for a larger version)

(click on the image for a larger version)

The Update configuration is where you enter your user name and password (your license number and license key). Equally important, this is where you can control what NOD32 does when it checks for updates, does it get signatures AND program updates automatically, does it reboot automatically (I strongly recommend against automatic rebooting for normal users), and other such options.

(click on the image for a larger version)

(click on the image for a larger version)

Finally, you can set up a number of options in the NOD32 scheduler. I have NOD32 set to check for updates once an hour, to scan weekly at 1 a.m., to check the Windows startup files whenever I log on, and to check the Windows system files whenever NOD32 gets its updates.

(click on the image for a larger version)

One major thing that I like about NOD32 is the frequency of updates to its anti-virus signatures. When I stopped using the previous product, its manufacturer had apparently decided that updating once a week was ok. It seems like NOD32 gives me anti-virus signature updates at least once a day, sometimes more.

I'm as happy with NOD32 today as I was four years ago. I don't have the problem of my anti-virus program demanding more and more power, thus making my computer obsolete and slow.

2.  Remote Control of Your Own Computers

There are a number of ways that you can control other computers from another computer. Some of them are commercial products, like GoToMyPC, that are designed to let you control your home or office PC when you're not there.

Others are designed for convenience so that you can work across a home network. Some have encryption and login capabilities so that they're safe to use on the Internet. Others transmit their data such that anyone with access to the data (via a hub, for example) could monitor and record it, if they had the right software.

I've used GoToMyPC to access one of my home PC's and found it to be a very interesting productand very capable product — you could even run a program on the computer you're accessing remotely, and print on a printer connected to the computer on which you're typing. I also found that I really didn't need the remote access capabilities, since I have a notebook computer that's with me when I travel, so I canceled my subscription to it.

The remote control program that I use almost every day is the free version of RealVNC.

RealVNC has three versions: the Free Edition, which I use; the Personal Edition and the Enterprise Edition.

The Free Edition is not suitable for use over the Internet or on any insecure network. It allows me to set up a login password to the remote RealVNC "server" but the free version does not encrypt the data being transmitted. Anyone who is in a position to intercept the transmission could do so. If I wanted to use it over the Internet, I'd use one of the paid versions, both of which offer encryption.

But, the Free Edition is great for me to use within my home to access my other computers. I can trigger updates, search for files, copy files from computer to computer, install programs, and do many other things remotely.

How does it work? You install RealVNC in Server Mode on the PC that you want to control from another computer. Then you install RealVNC in Client Mode on the PC from which you want to control the other(s). You can, and I do, install both Server Mode and Client Mode on my family's PC's, so I can control each from another.

My number one use is with my Home Theater PC. Since I don't have a High-Definition television yet, I can't just work with Windows XP on my 52" television — regular television doesn't have a high enough resolution to be able to read Windows fonts. Whenever I actually need to do a PC-type function, including updating my HTPC software, I use RealVNC from my notebook. RealVNC gives me a full-color window on my notebook — showing the desktop of my home theater PC.

If you have a home network, you might want to look at the free version of RealVNC. It can save you from jumping up to go to the other computers whenever you're trying to do software maintenance.

When I need to update Windows on my family's PC's, I can easily do it across my home network using RealVNC. When I need to find a file — or enable file-sharing for a directory — I can use RealVNC. I can even use RealVNC to copy a file from a third PC to the PC that I'm operating removely.

3.  Firefox Extensions and a Tip for Opera Users

Every once in a while, I like to remind readers that I use Firefox as my default web browser. Internet Explorer is on my computer, of course, but normally I only use it at microsoft.com

One of the features that I really like about Firefox is that Firefox allows its users to select and add Firefox Extensions, also called Firefox Add-ons, to add new or revised functions.

Should you just try any old Firefox Add-on that you find? NO! But, the Mozilla Foundation, the publishers of Firefox, have a repository of Add-ons that are available and have been tested.

Just start Firefox, click on Tools, then Add-ons. In the bottom right-hand corner, click on Get Extensions.

The Add-ons that I'm using are:

• OpenBook — a better bookmarks manager (favorites manager)
• SearchStatus — displays Google PageRank and Alexa Rankings (used by web developers)
• StumbleUpon — the toolbar for the StumbleUpon Web 2.0 site
• Tab Mix Plus — improving Firefox's tabbed interface
• TinyURLCreator — right-click and make a tiny url for easy emailing of a short link
• View Source Chart — a logical way to view web page source code
• Web Developer — adds many features for web developers
• Whois — a "whois" domain registry lookup tool
• Image Zoom — zoom any web page image
• ColorZilla — exact identification of web page colors

Opera users, are you getting jealous? Check out this web page for a list of the Top 150 Popular Firefox Extensions and Opera Equivalents.

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4.  Photo and Light Web Sites

While surfing around the Internet recently, I found a photography web site that's pretty neat. Well, I think it's photography. Some of these landscapes are so unusual that they might be PhotoShop'ed images.

Take a look and you be the judge at OutdoorPhotos.com.

The next site is called the Laboratory of André Michelle. André might be a physics student, computer science person, or I don't know what. Whatever he is, he's got some interesting mouse-driven graphics, like this one called Color Traces. Move your mouse pointer in the box...

Another photo gallery site that I found interesting was AntiLimit, with landscapes, people, old cars, scenes and I don't tknow what...

 

Part 1  | Part 2

Volume 3, Number 7 — Sunday, July 29, 2007

Copyright © 2007 Terry A. Stockdale.  All rights reserved.

 

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