INTERNET UTILITIES

As you become more familiar with using the Internet, there are many tools which will make your time spent more enjoyable and efficient.
Firstly I suggest that you ensure that you have a reputable antivirus program.

The following information concerning virus protection has been provided by Frances Ludgate from VET

Sadly, computer viruses are now a way of life, and experts tell us that this is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Receiving an email with an infected attachment is the most common means of infection, and you should always be wary of emails that come from people that you don't know well.

Fortunately, there is something you can do to protect your systems against viruses and to provide you with ongoing protection as new viruses are written and distributed.

Anti-Virus protection is an absolute must for anyone using a PC, especially if that PC is connected to the Internet and you use it for email. Vet Anti-Virus is an excellent product developed in Melbourne and owned by Computer Associates.

A Vet 1 PC licence costs just $84.70 (including GST) online.( Price current as of September 2001) This is a one-year licence to use Vet, and includes access to the web site to download Full Product Upgrades and Virus Updates, which are available almost every business day, as well as unlimited technical support via email or phone - technicians are available 8am to 6pm EST each working day.

New anti-virus updates are available just about every business day and we recommend that if you are on the Internet, you do daily updates to ensure you have the latest possible protection. There is also an online virus encyclopedia where you can find out about new viruses and get accurate information about the potential threat. It is a good idea to bookmark this area so that you can keep up to date.

You can also subscribe to virus information and reminder services, free of charge, to keep you informed about virus developments and updates available.

For more information on Vet and viruses, or to purchase a copy of Vet, please go to www.vet.com.au

Another useful program is Adobe Acrobat Reader - used for viewing a variety of files shich youcan get from www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html

You can download some virus information from this file here, which though written a while ago, covers many relevant issues.
Notice this file is in zip format?

There are many useful file compression utilities that minimise the size of files to make downloading and transferring files speedier. Two that come to mind are:
Winzip and
Winrar.
Using these utilities also speeds up time for file transfer by email.

Whilst still on the topic of downloading files, ever had that frustrating experience of getting partway through a download when the connection is lost? - sometimes after a considerable period of time? There are programs available that resume your download so you dont have to start all over again. Go!Zilla and Getright are two easy to use ones.