Tips on Technology

By Bill Michiling

So, some of you came face to face with a virus called the “Chernobyl” virus, last week. Some of you also found out how distructive a virus can be. This virus was designed to erase your harddrive, which in essence wipes out all of the information on it. Some of you experienced this! The main strain is designed to activate on April 26th, the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster that occurred in Russia. This virus is especially bad in that it hides itself in the open spaces of your harddrive, making it more difficult to detect. You can find out more infomation on the internet at http://www.excite.com/computers_and_internet

/tech_news/zdnet/?article=/news/19990427/2248566.inp

It affects Windows 95 and 98 but NOT Macintosh computers. There are other strains that may be scheduled to activate on June or July 26th or the 26th of any month.

The previous so called virus called “Melissa”, again only affecting Windows 95 and 98 but NOT Macintosh computers, did not cause loss of data for the most part, but rather caused email server overload, and network slow downs. This virus was an example of that was transmitted via the internet in an email attachment. This virus is still floating around on the internet, so you should still be very careful of the email attachments that you open. Even though the Melissa virus cannot affect Macintosh computers, it can be sent via email with an attachment to a Windows 95 or 98 PC and if opened be activated on the PC. You can read more about the melissa virus at: http://www.wcco.com/news/stories/news-

990329-150937.html.

So what can you do to protect yourself against computer viruses? One of the most important things you can do is practice “safe” computing. What I mean by this is to make sure you know where your files are coming from. Be especially careful about email attachments as well as disks that you may copy files to your computer from. The next best thing is to have the latest virus protection software installed on your computer. You should also make periodic backups of important files after checking them for viruses. You don’t want to backup the viruses to have problems later on. These protections can be used on Windows 95 and 98 as well as Macintosh computers.

Going along with data protection and as mentioned in the previous column, let’s talk about the SuperDrive. The SuperDrive is made by Imation. The SuperDrive comes in many flavors and can be used on Macintosh and Windows 95 and 98 computers. It is also available for Macintosh PoweBook computers as an expansion module. There is also a special version for Apple’s popular iMac computer. The Imation SuperDisk drive can use standard 1.4mb 3.5″ disks for Windows PCs, Macintosh, and a new 3.5″ large storage format that holds 120 megabytes, great for making backups, or storage of large files, like sound, graphics and video.So, a single SuperDisk can hold the same amount of data as 80+ 3.5″ floppy disks. Installation is very easy. Just put in the supplied CD and run the installer software. Then restart your computer. If you are using the USB (Universal Serial Bus) version like for the iMac, it is hot pluggable. This means you can plug and unplug it when you need to without shutting down or restarting your computer. The SuperDrive ranges from about $149 to $195, not a lot to pay for data protection and peace of mind.

Next week I will talk about another backup device called a “Zip” drive. I have also received requests to discuss video conferencing on the internet. So next week i will start on that topic as well. There may also be a surprise or two.

See you here and on the web next week.

Bill Michling is a computer professional and welcomes your suggestions and comments via email at: mespn@usa.net

You can also go to our website at: http://www.mespn.com

You call also call us at 670-234-5424 or fax us at 670-234-5740 for more infomation.

For world access this Tuesday column is also on the Saipan Tribune website at: http://www.tribune.co.mp