Scan Your Computer for Trojans, Worms and Viruses, For Free
The Japanese antivirus company, Trend Micro, has come up with an effective online virus scan, called Housecall. Just click on the following link, and Housecall will scan your computer for intruders. Depending on the size of your hard drive(s), and the relative power of your computer’s CPU, the process should take anywhere from about half an hour to an hour. Trend Micro updates the virus definitions each time you activate the scan.
You can also run Trend Micro’s Hackercheck, simultaneously, to check for possible hacker intrusion points, or open (which oughta be closed) ports.
In addition, the company offers their Damage Cleanup Engine.
Here’s how to set it up: Create a folder called sysclean on your C:\ root directory. Click here to download the Sysclean package (bottom of the page), and save the sysclean.com file to the C:\sysclean folder. Next (and this is important), click on latest pattern file. You’ll be taken to a new page. Scroll down and click on HTTP, and save the file to your sysclean folder.
You’ll have to unzip this file, and extract it to your sysclean folder. Finally, click on the sysclean.com file; the engine will start. The Sysclean package:

• terminates all malware instances in memory
• removes malware registry entries
• removes malware entries from system files
• scans for and deletes all malware copies in all local hard drives

The Damage Cleanup Engine will take about an hour, or so, to run.
While you’re at it, you might as well download the latest version of Network Associates’ McAfee Stinger to scan your computer for the 45 newest Trojans and worms. McAfee Stinger 2.3.7 installation instructions are here.
Of course, scanning for viruses using Housecall and Hackercheck, and running the Damage Cleanup Engine does not obviate the need for an effective, always on, antivirus programme. Grisoft continues to offer AVG as an effective, free, antivirus programme for non-commercial users.

MyDoom Worm Variant Causes Internet Storm
A pesky new variant of the MyDoom worm — dubbed MyDoom.m or MyDoom.o — clogged e-mail accounts and crippled Internet search engines Monday with messages posing as either a returned e-mail notice or an alert from an IT administrator. MyDoom.m usually arrives as an executable programme file attachment that launches when you open your e-mail.
The newest variant of the MyDoom worm then sets about to search your address book for e-mail domains (e.g. @telus.net), in the process launching an Internet search using various search engines (Google suffered a major attack). Once MyDoom has located additional e-mail addresses, it sends out a denial-of-service attack across the Web. Note to corporate workers: Have your morning coffee before opening your e-mail.
And Below, VanRamblings’ Newest Tech Tuesday Feature

As is the case every week, the security news just doesn’t stop. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser was practically on the 10 Most Wanted list as a bank robber, thanks to malicious code that uses advertising pop-ups to steal data from bank Web sites. Not surprisingly, VanRamblings will provide you with the information you need to know.

The Internet Explorer onslaught continued unabated this past week, and the message that IE is somewhat less than a safe browser seems to be getting through to an increasing number of Internet surfers. Maybe it’s the constant reports of vulnerabilities, culminating in last week’s news about pop-up ads that can actually harvest password and other data from bank Web sites. Either way, according to Google and C|NET, searches for browsers — most particularly Mozilla, and Firefox — dominated network traffic last week, providing evidence that Microsoft’s stranglehold on the browser market may be coming to an end.

Last week, Google announced that it had purchased Picasa, a company that makes software for organizing digital photos. Almost immediately, Google made the software available for free, resulting in a massive download of the programme by computer users worldwide. At first glance, the purchase seemed a tad puzzling. Picasa makes a desktop product; Google is a Web search engine. But Google would appear to have big plans for Picasa’s Hello peer-to-peer photo-sharing application, which already works seamlessly with Google’s Blogger Weblogging service. Google is also likely preparing to compete with Microsoft, which has already touted advanced image-search features in its upcoming Longhorn operating system.

Is KaZaA totally over? Although it’s too early to draw broad conclusions about KaZaA’s future, for some months now the search has been on for file-swapping alternatives that are less hassle than KaZaA. What pieces of software are emerging as the early favourites in the peer-to-peer sweepstakes? eDonkey and its cousin eMule (VanRamblings uses the latter) have gained a loyal following. BitTorrent is the alternative for the tech savvy. Over a period of six months, network management company CacheLogic found that KaZaA had slipped far behind rival BitTorrent, which accounted for 53 percent of actual peer-to-peer network traffic. And, arising Phoenix-like from the dead, WinMX, which has moved into a Top 10 position at Download.com.

Want more information on BitTorrent? Here’s the scoop: BitTorrent is peer-to-peer software that makes it easy to share huge files quickly and reliably. Remember, with earlier file-sharing networks, waiting behind 15 other people to download a file from some poor sap with a 384Kbps DSL upload pipe? BitTorrent avoids that bottleneck by splitting files into chunks and having people download different chunks from one another. Everyone downloads and uploads at the same time. Inevitably, people discovered that BitTorrent is a dandy tool for swapping movies and TV episodes. Beware, though: The entertainment industry is watching; BitTorrent also exposes your IP address.
Question of the Week

I accidentally unchecked the ‘Always ask’ option in the File Download dialogue box when I downloaded a .zip file. Now I’m no longer asked about whether I want a downloaded .zip file opened. How do I get that choice back? — Submitted by: Jonathan Kwan, Edmonton, Alberta

As always, we’ll assume that you’re using Windows XP. Here goes, then: In Windows Explorer, select Tools / Folder Options. Click the File Types tab. In the ‘Registered file types’ list, select the appropriate type (zip, or WinZip File, in your case). Click the Advanced button. Check the Confirm open after download box, and click OK.

For several months now, VanRamblings has been writing about the imminent release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Window Media Player required). Now, we can report officially — thanks to a tip from Michael — that Microsoft has confirmed Windows XP SP2 will arrive in August. Arguably, Microsoft’s biggest service pack yet, and the company’s most important security project since the Trustworthy Computing initiative, there are those who feel SP 2 will cause chaos in the computing world.
Scot Finnie explores the positives and pitfalls associated with XP 2.
All things said, Windows XP Service Pack 2 is a mandatory download, and as such it is important that you know as much about SP 2 as possible in order that you might avoid, as far as one can plan for these things, problems related to its release. With this in mind, have a look at the next item, and the accompanying article by Fred Langa. VanRamblings particularly appreciates the pop-up graphics that accompany the article below, which provide visual insight into the new Windows Update facility.
The Promise — And Problems — Of The New Windows Update

A new version of Windows Update is about to début. It first appeared as part of the beta pre-release versions of Windows Service Pack 2 for XP. The new Update process (comprising both the new Windows Update site and a new software applet, titled Windows Security Center) has different defaults and behaves differently from the Update you’re probably used to.
Next month, the final form of this software will be offered to you as a normal Windows Update for XP and Windows 2000. You might want to take a look at the preview, in Fred Langa’s expansive Information Week article, for the full story. Not only does Fred provide the information you’ll need to adjust to the new Windows Update facility, he provides graphical pop-up screens, which take you through the new update process.
Test Your Popup Blocker
Auditmypc.com has released a page that will hammer your browser with every conceivable method of popup window and rate your popup-blocking software. On VanRamblings’ PC, Internet Explorer’s Google Toolbar received a Very Good rating with a score of 85, while the default popup settings in VanRamblings’ Mozilla received an Almost Perfect! rating with a score of 95. This is a good tool if you want to test the efficacy of your blocker, or gain insight into the methods used by popup companies.
In Tech News This Week
Associated Press writer Sam Cage reports that the United Nations is aiming to bring the modern day epidemic of junk mail (spam) to an end. Spam and anti-spam protection cost computer users some $25 billion last year, according to the UN, so they’re organizing a global anti-spam campaign.
Despite privacy concerns, school authorities in the Japanese city of Osaka have decided the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and will now be chipping children in one primary school, which is to say, that they’ll be attaching RFID chips to kids’ schoolbags, name tags or clothing in one Wakayama prefecture school. Denmark’s Legoland introduced a similar scheme last month to stop young children going astray.
Question of the Week

I had to reformat my hard drive, and I cannot find a code for Microsoft Word 2000. I have documentation for only Dell software and Windows XP. The Windows XP product key was located on a tag on the bottom of my Dell, but it doesn’t work for MS Word 2000. What do I do in order to install my Word 2000? Any help would be greatly appreciated. — Submitted by: Bob Whitecrow, Estevan, Saskatchewan

Software keys are much like keys to a car: a car key will work in only one particular car, so it can’t be shared. The same can be said for a software key. Dell should supply them with a phone call, but also beware that you can’t install Dell’s Office 2000 software on a machine other than what Dell sold you. Supplied Dell software is proprietary.

For most computer users a good rule of thumb would be: when you first receive your PC and all of the attendant software, take a wide-tip permanent marking pen, and write the product key for each piece of software you’ve had installed, right onto the software programme CD. Once this task has been completed, take extra special care to store all of the CDs you received with your PC in a secure location, preferably in one of those pocket CD organizers, available at most retail computer stores.
You know the old saying, “an ounce of prevention, is worth a … ”