Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
August 30, 2009

4.  What can I do with an Old Computer?

Every once in a while, I get asked "What can I do with my old computer?" There are a lot of variations on the answers, but they all fall into a very few categories:

• donate it or give it away
• sell it
• upgrade it and use it
• keep it as a spare

The first two options raise the issue of personal information on the hard drive. Simply deleting files isn't enough — there are lots of utilities that are designed to undelete (recover) deleted files.

In order to really remove personal information, you need to wipe the hard drive using a utility designed to do that. Then, you need to install an operating system. Whether that's Windows or Linux, that's your choice.

This is one reason I don't like computers that have Recovery Partitions and don't supply a Recovery DVD or an Operating System DVD and drivers. The other reason is that hard drives fail. I don't want to lose the hard drive, and then not be able to reinstall Windows on a new drive.

Sure, some companies will ship you a Recovery DVD if you've had a drive failure, but why should you need to wait for them to ship it and for it to be delivered?

If you've got the OS DVD (and the drivers DVD, too) or Recovery DVD, you can reinstall Windows on the hard drive after you wipe it. Then, you can give it away, donate it or sell it.

What about upgrading and using it?

Depending on pricing and performance, you may want to do an easy upgrade or two, and keep your existing computer.

If the upgrade costs are cheap enough, and if your computer's performance is satisfactory to you, you may be able to get another couple years out of that computer.

I'm going to do that with my Dell Inspiron 8600 notebook computer. I bought it in June, 2004, and it's now August 2009 — over 5 years!

Yet, my Inspiron 8600 works fine (I've replaced the hard drive after failure and replaced the keyboard — both were cheap fixes!).

I'm running the Windows 7 Release Candidate on this 5-year-old notebook, and it runs well. So well, in fact, that I've pre-ordered a Windows 7 Upgrade for the notebook.

I'll probably run it in dual-boot mode with Windows XP for a while. I'll also start looking for a new computer once Windows 7 is released, but I won't have to be in any hurry. I can wait for the "right" computer...

My Inspiron 8600 will keep me happy until then. At that point, it will become a spare.

iHateSpam for Microsoft Outlook Eliminate annoying spam from your Outlook Inbox Free Trial — fully-functional — Try iHateSpam free for 15 days Multi-computer and Multi-year Discounts Unlimited Home Site License Available for ALL Your Home PCs For Outlook 2000, 2002 (XP), 2003 and 2007

5.  My Computer Security Software Recommendations

I review my security software recommendations and update them for each weekly newsletter issue, if I think they need to change.

My Philosophy: Many people want to pick their most economical solution and prefer an all-in-one anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall solution. In concept, that's a great idea. In actual practice, I don' think that this type of package is likely to be the best in all the protection categories you need.

Other people want to pick the best of each type program. I'm one of the these folks.

My choice of software that I am willing to recommend is driven by my search for software for me to use. I only recommend programs that I like and that I use. I will sometimes suggest alternatives to my recommendations, but I clearly note if I no longer use them.

Anti-Virus

I'm often asked about several other popular anti-virus or anti-virus combination packages. Yes, I realize that they are not in my recommendation list. "Enough said..."

From 2003 through mid-2008, my personal choice was ESET's small, fast NOD32 anti-virus program, which offers a FREE 30-day evaluation license. I still consider NOD32 to be one of the best in anti-virus protection — and it continues to get recognition and awards. Unlike some of its competitors, ESET offers multiple-year licenses also, and includes program updates in the multiple-year license.

However, I've changed from my long-time choices NOD32 (antivirus) and Sunbelt's CounterSpy (antispyware) to Sunbelt's new VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware.

I've found that VIPRE puts even less load on my computer than the speedy combination of NOD32 and CounterSpy. I've also been impressed with the way its "deep scan" has found and eliminated risks that were stored in zip files, which is one of the latest malware email tricks. Sunbelt Software offers multi-year licenses and home site licenses on its software, both of which include program updates as well as signature updates.

I'm often asked for alternatives to the programs that I recommend, especially by people who want to buy one package (a "suite") to do everything.

As a result, I tried a couple security suites in the last few months to pick a suite to recommend. ESET Smart Security 4 is my recommended suite alternative. Smart Security 4 has gotten great ratings and includes antivirus and antispyware, both from their current NOD32 v4 version, and antispam and firewall. I no longer use it and have returned to Sunbelt's VIPRE, but for a suite choice, that's what I would use.

Related articles:

• VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware Review
• A Look at ESET Smart Security 4
• Anti-Virus Programs and Online Scanners
• Free Online Antivirus Scan
• NOD32 Anti-Virus Review - A Look at NOD32

Firewall Software

While the Windows XP firewall is much better than no firewall at all, don't count on the Windows XP firewall to meet your needs.

You need a two-way firewall, which the Windows XP firewall is not!. Microsoft woke up and supplied a two-way firewall with Windows Vista.

The Windows XP firewall does not control outbound communications originating from your computer — and you should want to have control if adware/trojans/spyware or even commercial products want to talk to the Internet. Whether they are calling home or spewing spam, you want to be able to control your computer.

Do you want Windows Media Player to call home every time you play something? It does! Do you use the Search function in Windows Explorer to find things on your hard drive? Did you know that every time you search, Windows Explorer talks to Microsoft?

I didn't know that when I ran ZoneAlarm, but the Sunbelt Personal Firewall flags that to me, and I can stop it or allow it to happen. Many other programs try to call home when you run them, too.

I recommend my choice for a firewall program, which is Sunbelt Personal Firewall.

You can try the full-featured "paid version" of Sunbelt Personal Firewall free for 30 days — after that, you can register it or, if you're using it on a home non-business computer, you can let it revert to the free, lesser-function license.
Tip: Be sure to read my review of SPF for the settings I recommend.

Sunbelt Personal Firewall is regularly $19.95 (with discounts for multiple computers and/or multiple years!) for a non-expiring license for the program and includes one year of their updates subscription.

Related articles:

• The Internet Versus You
• Do I Need a Firewall Program?
• My Sunbelt Personal Firewall Review

Anti-Spyware / Anti-Adware Software

CounterSpy, from Sunbelt Software, has received many kudos from the computer press for its always-running and periodic full system scans. It has been my personal choice for my PC's and my family's PC's.

Sunbelt's CounterSpy v2.5, both improved CounterSpy's performance against malware and reduced its impact on system resources and responsiveness when its scanning.

Sunbelt continues to release updated program versions — the current version is v3.1 — and there's an even newer version about to be released. Nicely, Sunbelt do NOT install the updated programs automatically. You have to use the Update process in the program, which means that you'll know that something significant has changed.

Now, I've changed from my long-time programs NOD32 (antivirus) and CounterSpy (antispyware) to Sunbelt's new VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware.

I've found that VIPRE puts even less load on my computer than the speedy combination of NOD32 and CounterSpy. My computer seems to have much more pep and power than it had previously. I've also been impressed with the way its "deep scan" has found and eliminated risks that were stored in zip files, which is one of the latest malware email tricks.

Related articles:

• Fighting Against Spyware & Malware
• My CounterSpy Review
• My VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware Review

Anti-spam Software

In today's Internet world, the question is not "if" you will get spam, but "how much will you get?"

I use and recommend POPFile as my first choice for handling spam. POPFile sits on your computer, between your email program and your ISP mailbox, and handles emial as it downloads.

POPFile uses a different approach to handle spam than some other programs do — it does nothing to reduce spam. It is designed as an email classification tool — you train it to recognize spam and any other type of email that you want to classify. These classifications can help you sort your emails into appropriate folders in your email program.

Sunbelt Software, who makes the anti-spyware program CounterSpy (which I use and recommend) and the firewall that I use and recommend (Sunbelt Personal Firewall) also has a well-regarded, award-winning anti-spam program called iHateSpam for Outlook and Outlook Express. Since I don't use Outlook or Outlook Express for email, I haven't tried iHateSpam.

Mailwasher Pro would be my first choice to handle spam before it ever gets into your computer's Inbox. Mailwasher Pro uses on-line Realtime Black Lists mail servers sending spam recently, "training" by you of what you think is spam, and your own "friends" and "blacklist" lists. Note: I found that PopFile generally meets my needs and stopped using Mailwasher Pro, even though PopFile works AFTER the emails have been downloaded. If I used a dialup connection, I would be more interested in Mailwasher Pro.

Mailwasher Pro can even bounce spam messages, as if your email address was not valid, although the usefulness and appropriateness of this is questionable. There is a free version called "Mailwasher," but it omits the functions that I consider critical for this purpose -- such as safely previewing the emails safely before they ever get to your email inbox.

Related articles:

• Spam Filtering
• Keeping spam out of your Inbox
• Getting Control of Your Inbox
• How Can I Prevent spam?

Cable/DSL Router

If you have a cable modem or a DSL modem, you need to have another layer of inexpensive protection between you and the Internet. A cable/DSL router isolates your computer from direct connection to the Internet. Your computer can easily request your email, web pages, etc. through the router. The responses come back to the router and are smoothly routed to your computer. But, someone on the Internet side of the router can not initiate a connection to your computer — they can only respond to your request.

Even if you only have one computer to connect to your cable or DSL modem, I recommend that you purchase and use a cable/DSL router because of the protection it can give you against attempts to attack through some flaws in Windows itself.

A router isolates your local network, whether it is only one computer or several, from the Internet by actually making it a separate network. The router gets the "public" IP address and handles all your outbound communications and the responses to them. But, it blocks computers on the Internet side from being able to initiate communications with your computer! This will prevent you from falling prey to many worms that try to attack security holes in Windows itself.

For a wireless router, I recommend the Linksys WRT54G wireless router. I'm using the relatively new version 6 of this router.

If you don't want wireless, I recommend the Linksys BEFSR41 wired router, which I also use. Either way, based on my experience, I recommend Linksys routers for price, reliability and Linksys' habit of releasing updated firmware for their products..

See these related articles:

• Wireless Security
• Wi-Fi Hotspots and Computer Security
• Wireless Networking Problems & Wireless Networking Security

6.  Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends

If you like my  Terry's Computer Tips email newsletter or the online edition, you can help me increase the number of subscribers to my free emailed newsletter.

Tell a Friend about Terry's Computer Tips!

With my email newsletter, not only do you get notices that the newsletters are available and content that is not in the online newsletter, but subscribing is the only way to get my Special Edition Newsletters which go only to subscribers.

Of course, if you do not get my free email newsletter, I invite you to subscribe now!!

If you are a subscriber to my free Terry's Computer Tips email newsletter, please feel free to forward your copy of the newsletter to a friend that you think would be interested. Be sure to forward the entire newsletter, including my copyright notices and any advertising.

However, you are not authorized to publish, post or otherwise distribute my articles or newsletters on web sites, blogs, forums, email newsletters, paper newsletters, magazines or in any other form.