Boulder Computer Maven Newsletter - May 2005

 
Dear Friends,

Thank you for letting me help you with your computer needs in the past.  This is my monthly customer newsletter, containing tips that I hope you'll find helpful and interesting.

This month's news is especially important for users of a program that I've installed for many of you: eTrust EZ Antivirus. Support for versions 5.3, 5.4, 6.0, and 6.1 of that program will end on May 17, 2005.  Other topics are Recommended Antivirus Programs, Other Recommended Software, and Fighting Spam with Disposable E-Mail Addresses.

Previous issues of this newsletter are available on the newsletters page of the Boulder Computer Maven web site.   If you don't want to receive this newsletter, please let me know, and I'll remove your name from my mailing list.  If you change your E-mail address, please send me your new address. 

As always, I invite you to contact me with your computer questions.  I want to help you get the most from your computer.

Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, Boulder Computer Maven

Phone: 303-444-8247
Web Site: http://www.bcmaven.com
Helping People Use Computers in Boulder for Over 20 Years


Immediate Update Required for Some Versions of eTrust EZ Antivirus
Computer Associates will end support for versions 5.3, 5.4, 6.0, and 6.1 of eTrust EZ Antivirus on May 17, 2005.  To see if your computer has one of those versions:
  1. Look for an EZ-AV icon in the system tray at the bottom right corner of the screen.
  2. If the icon is present, click it with the right mouse button, then click Version with the left mouse button.
If you have one of those versions, you must act before May 17 to maintain up-to-date antivirus protection.  I recommend un-installing your EZ Antivirus program and replacing it with one of the programs listed below.

Recommended Antivirus Programs

Every computer that connects to the Internet needs protection against computer viruses.  Antivirus programs are available from many vendors, and new computers often come with trial versions from Norton or McAfee.  While those are the best-known antivirus programs, I don't recommend them.  Here are some others that I find equally effective, less expensive, more efficient, and less likely to cause problems on your computer:

Other Recommended Software

I've added a section on recommended software to my web site, listing programs that I use every day to make my computer use easier, safer, and more efficient.  For example, Whisper 32 keeps track of my user names and passwords, and Short Keys lets me type abbreviations for frequently used text, automatically replacing each abbreviation with predefined replacement text of any length.   See my web site for more programs.


Fighting Spam with Disposable E-Mail Addresses

 Disposable E-mail addresses can reduce the amount of undesired E-mail that you receive.  For example, let's say that you want to buy some widgets from the WidgetsRUs web site.  When you place an order, the site requires you to give an E-mail address.  Instead of giving them your main address, you can create a disposable address, for use only by them.  After you receive the order, you might not want to get more E-mail from WidgetsRUs, or, worse, they might sell your address to someone who starts sending you spam.  In either case, you can cancel the disposable address that you created for them, and you won't receive any more messages sent to that address.

I use the AddressGuard disposable E-mail address service that's included in Yahoo! Mail Plus.  Other services include Spamex, Emailias, and ZoEmail.