If you prefer, you can read this issue online at http://techsupportalert.com/issues/al_current.htm

IN THIS FREE ISSUE:

0. EDITORIAL: Security Product Review, Part 2
1. TOP TECH SITES AND RESOURCES

1.1 Google Warns Surfers of Hostile Sites
1.2 How Secure are Secure Web Pages?
1.3 How to Get Rid of Spyware Infections
1.4 A Free Stock Photo Site That Can Be Trusted
1.5 Convert Digital Photos to 3D for Free
1.6 My Favorite Social Bookmarking Service Now Out of Beta (SE)
1.7 Lots of Free PhotoShop Tips (SE Edition)
1.8 Test Your Browser's Standards Compliance (SE Edition)
1.9 Help for Windows 98 Users (SE Edition)

2. TOP FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE UTILITIES

2.1 Microsoft Virtual PC Now Free
2.2 How to Build Your Own Web Site for Free
2.3 Free Site Offers Online Notes Service
2.4 A Quality IP Scanner for Nothing
2.5 Free Email Filter Impresses (SE Edition)
2.6 A Free Program that Blocks P2P Users (SE Edition)
2.7 Finally, Real ActiveX Support for Firefox and Opera (SE)

3. SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE RELEASES AND UPDATES

3.1 Microsoft Security News
3.2 New Rootkit Ups the Ante
3.3 Top Anti-Spyware Program Suffers New Version Woes
3.4 Yet Another Firefox Update
3.5 Controlling Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Hassles

4. OTHER USEFUL STUFF

4.1 Attractive Deals for Big Hard Drives
4.2 Free Creative Activities for Young Children
4.3 Test Your Web Design in 20 Different Browsers
4.4 Help for Color Blind PC Users
4.5 How to Take Great Digital Photos in Poor Light
4.6 Useless Waste of Time Department
4.7 Codecs for Anime Fans
4.8 Twenty Ways To Secure Your Apache Server (SE Edition)
4.9 Give Your PC a Free Checkup (SE Edition)
4.10 Free Multi-Format Document Viewer (SE Edition)

5. TIP OF THE MONTH

5.1 How to Backup the Windows Registry

6. FREEBIE OF THE MONTH

6.1 The Best Free Anti-Virus Scanner
6.2 Free Programs to Test Your PC's Security (SE Edition)

7. MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

0.0 EDITORIAL

In recent issues I've been examining the question of how well our computer security programs protect us against the latest generation of security threats.

To properly answer this question I've been carrying out an extensive series of tests on popular security products.

Last month I presented the first results. It wasn't good news. It showed that just about all the sixteen anti-virus, anti- spyware and anti-trojan scanners I tested could be easily terminated by hostile malware.

That's really bad news as a lot of modern malware routinely attempts to pull down your security software. A recent report suggests a figure as high as 40%.

I promised this month to give you the full results of my security tests. They are far too extensive to reprint in the newsletter but you can find them online here:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/security_scanners.htm

If you have time please read the full report, it's full of juicy information. However I've also prepared a summary table which you can find below.

The first column shows whether the security product could detect process injection. That's a technique used by malware to hide inside legitimate programs that are current running on your PC. Once inside these processes, they acquire the rights and privileges of the host process. If the host process has the right to communicate with the internet, the malware automatically gets that right, too.

The second column shows whether, independently of signature recognition, the security product could detect a malware program creating an autostart entry. In other words, could it detect an unknown program starting automatically with Windows? To pass the test the security product had to warn or prevent changes in the Startup folder as well as startup locations in the Registry.

The third column shows whether the security product protects your PC against drive-by infections. I tested each product at three hostile sites. To pass the tests, protection must have been provided against all three.

The final column show whether the security product can detect rootkits. I used two rootkits: Hacker Defender and FuTo. To pass, the product had to detect both.

Here are the results:

As you can see, the results are not very impressive; most products failed most tests.

Now, in mitigation some would argue that it's not the function of signature scanners to detect things like process injection or registry changes. These, it would be argued, are best left to intrusion detection and protection systems.

That's fine, just make sure you have an IDS ;>)

However, no one can say that signature scanners shouldn't protect you from both drive-by downloads and rootkits. Only one product, WebRoot SpySweeper, managed to do that. Even then, it only managed to protect against drive-by download sites by its "Spy Communication Shield" banning access to the sites. With the shield disabled, it failed to protect as well.

Overall it's bad news all round. So what to do?

I gave you my conclusion last month and it remains unchanged.

I think it's pointless focusing on whether one security program is better than another when, in fact, all the security programs flunked.

The reality is that it's not possible to secure your PC against a malware program that is allowed to run on your PC with full admin privileges. Thank Windows for this.

Layering your defenses can clearly help. It doesn't solve the problem though. And the cost in complexity, inconvenience and processing power usage is high.

There is a better solution: run your PC in a virtualized environment whenever connected to the internet. It's simpler and more effective than any other option.

Remember though, virtualization is in addition to your normal security defenses. It doesn't replace them; it just makes their job easier.

Next month I'll talk in detail about virtualization options. In the meantime, be careful where you surf and even more careful what you install.

And do check out the full online version of my security report; it contains a lot more information than what I've summarized here.

http://www.techsupportalert.com/security_scanners.htm

See you next month.

Gizmo
editor@techsupportalert.com

PS This month I'm giving away six free copies of the the top rated Anti virus NOD32 plus lots of Google GMail invites. For details, see below.

Support Alert relies on paid subscriptions to survive. If you feel that you've benefited from reading this newsletter perhaps you would like to consider donating by subscribing to the premium "Supporters' Edition" of this newsletter.

The Premium SE Edition contains almost twice the number of great tech sites, free utilities, tips and other content as the free edition. It's also ad-free.

You'll also get immediate access to the archive of all past issues of the Premium Supporters' Edition of the newsletter where you can catch up on the hundreds of great utilities you missed in the free edition. The SE Edition is a great deal and at $10 per year it's a bargain.

This month I'm giving away to new subscribers, six free copies of the the top rated Anti virus NOD32.

NOD32 is a brilliant program for protecting your PC yet it only consumes a modest amount of your computing resources. That's why I use it on my key work computers. At $39 it's good value but it's even better value when you can get it for free.

The six copies I'm giving away will be allocated at random but your chances of scoring one are actually quite good. So if you have been thinking of subscribing, now's the time.

I'm also giving away invites to Google Gmail to new SE subscribers. Last month everyone who wanted one got one and I expect the same to happen this month. Just email me at editor@techsupportalert.com after subscribing to the Premium SE Edition and I'll send your invitation.

Even if you don't win anything you'll still get my special report "Gizmo's Desert Island Utilities" which outlines the software I use myself, including many free product

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PREMIUM SE EDITION

12 months subscription to the Supporters' Edition costs $10 which can be made by check or credit card using either ClickBank or PayPal or simply send cash.

Use the link below to subscribe now:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/se-edition.htm

1.0 TOP TECH SITES AND RESOURCES

1.1 Google Warns Surfers of Hostile Sites

This is a useful innovation. Now when you do Google search and you inadvertently click a link to a malicious site, Google flashes up a warning screen. It uses a database of bad sites provided by stopbadware.org [1]. It works well though not quite as effectively as McAfee's free SiteAdvisor plug-in [2] which is more comprehensive and has the added advantage of warning you before you click a link. If you don't have SiteAdvisor I suggest you get it now.
[1] http://stopbadware.org
[2] http://www.siteadvisor.com/

1.2 How Secure are Secure Web Pages?

Most folks believe that when they logon to a https site their username and password are securely encrypted. Subscriber Michael Horowitz argues that this is not necessarily so and I fully agree with him. It's an interesting read for computer users at all levels.
http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/securesubmit.html

1.3 How to Get Rid of Spyware Infections

I regularly get email from distressed readers whose machines have been infected by spyware. Here are some common symptoms of infection:

• new icons on your desktop linking to strange sites - a new browser homepage and/or browser toolbars
• Google searches that end up at some weird site
• dire warnings that your PC is infected and you must download a supposed anti-spyware product to clean it.
• very slow performance
• unexpected internet activity

If you suffer any of these symptoms then download HijackThis from this page [1] and follow the instructions on how to paste the output to the Tom Coyote web forums. These folks should be able to help you permanently get rid of the problem and it won't cost you a cent either.

[1] http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/

1.4 A Free Stock Photo Site That Can Be Trusted

Last issue I mentioned the excellent everystockphoto.com site along with a reservation that one should be prudent in giving your real email address to such sites. That advice is well based but doesn't apply to everystockphoto.com. It's a volunteer based site that's clean as a whistle. Highly recommended next time you are looking for a stock photo.
http://www.everystockphoto.com

1.5 Convert Digital Photos to 3D for Free

Now here's a clever idea. PictureCloud is a free web service that will convert a series of digital images taken by walking around an object into a full 3D view. Kind of like panorama stitching in three dimensions. It's free for private use, commercial application costs around $1 per conversion.
http://www.picturecloud.com/

** Additional Items in the Premium SE Edition **

1.6 My Favorite Social Bookmarking Service Now Out of Beta

1.7 Lots of Free PhotoShop Tips

1.8 Test Your Browser's Standards Compliance

1.9 Help for Windows 98 Users

Got some great tech sites to suggest? Send them to: editor@techsupportalert.com

2.0 TOP FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE UTILITIES

2.1 Microsoft Virtual PC Now Free

I've been preaching the security benefits of surfing in a virtual environment for some time now so the recent decision from Microsoft to make available its Virtual PC 2004 product for free is most welcome. Hopefully it will suffer fewer problems than other free virtualization products such as SandBoxie and GreenBorder which, for whatever reason, just won't run on some PCs.

Virtual PC [1], like VMWare [2], allows you to install another "virtual" computer on your real PC. You can use the virtual PC just like a normal computer. The security benefit derives from the fact that virtual PC is corralled off from your real PC so any malware can't affect your real PC. Additionally, you can easily reset the virtual PC to a former pre-infection state thus eliminating the infection entirely.

It all sounds attractive but there's a major qualification. If you use Windows as the operating system for your Virtual PC then you need to buy a separate full copy of Windows as you can't legally use the same copy that's installed on your real PC.

This is a big catch. It certainly makes Microsoft's decision to release Virtual PC 2004 for free seem much less generous: "Hey guys, get this; it's free! Just buy another copy of Windows." :>)

You could, of course, install a free Linux distro like Ubuntu for your Virtual PC. However, if you are going to do that then you might as well use the VMWare Player [2]. It's also free and a better product than Virtual PC. You can't create a virtual PC with VMWare Player; it only allows you to run one that's already been created. But there are many pre-configured machines ("appliances") available for free download [3]. You could also create an appliance using Virtual PC 2004 as VMWare Reader can use Virtual PC images. Free, Windows 2000 SP4 and later, 18.2MB

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx
[2] http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
[3] http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/directory/cat/25

2.2 How to Build Your Own Web Site for Free

Many folks would like to build their own site but are frightened to get involved with writing HTML. An alternative to hand coding is to use a web hosting service that allows you to use point-and- click tools to create a web site from a template. There are many of these services but the current offering from the Microsoft Office Live Beta service is very tempting. You not only get free site creation tools but also free hosting, five free email accounts plus a free domain name as well. Microsoft claims that if you sign up during the beta, the free hosting will continue even when the product goes live. It sounds like an unbeatable offer but there is a small catch; it's for US based users only. Thanks to subscriber Callie Jordan for letting me know about this. If you want to see what can be achieved using the Microsoft service then check out Callie's own site [2].
[1] http://officelive.microsoft.com/WebHosting.aspx
[2] http://www.groundworktrainingsystem.com

2.3 Free Site Offers Online Notes Service

Subscriber R.D. writes, "Gizmo, I was reading your comments about Evernote, a product I use and love but I didn't know if you were aware of Notefish that's rather like an online version of Evernote. Firefox has an extension for it, so you can select something, right click, and send it to Notefish. Actually I like Notefish over Evernote because it preserves the formatting of saved web pages much better." Nice find, R.D. Notefish is a combination notes organizer and web snippet manager that's ideal for researching any topic from your next holiday to a PhD thesis. The fact that the information is optionally shareable only adds to the power. It's free for personal use though registration is required.
http://www.notefish.com/
http://www.notefish.com/whatsnew.html <= Firefox extension

2.4 A Quality IP Scanner for Nothing

Subscriber Phill Jempson writes "Hi Gizmo, as a long time reader of Support Alert I've often kicked myself for not emailing you about software I've been using and love. In an attempt to remedy this I'd like to let you know about Angry IP Scanner. It's a basic network scanner but one I use nearly every day in my capacity as a network support analyst and always install onto any new PC as well as keeping a copy on my USB flash drive. It's beauty is in it's ease of use. I use it to do quick and dirty troubleshooting scans, like checking to see if a network segment is still up, finding the number of PCs on a subnet etc. It's also a very small, single file which can even be run from the web site. A couple of things I change when I first run it on a new PC are:
1. Go to Options > select Columns and move all available columns into the visible section.
2. Go to Options > Options and set the display to "Only Alive". There are also some useful plugins available from the website." Nice find, Phill. The range of plug-ins is actually quite extensive. These include web and FTP detect modules, Windows shares and DNS aliases and quite a few more. There are even instructions on how to write your own. I just love collecting little tools like this for my tech toolkit. Note: the download link is not well marked on the web site so I've included it here [2]. Free Open Source, Windows (version not stated), 108KB.
[1] http://www.angryziber.com/ipscan/
[2] http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=25534

** Additional Items in the Premium SE Edition **

2.5 Free Email Filter Impresses

2.6 A Free Program that Blocks P2P Users

2.7 Finally, Real ActiveX Support for Firefox and Opera

Got some top utilities to suggest? Send them to
editor@techsupportalert.com

3.0 SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE RELEASES AND UPDATES

3.1 Microsoft Security News

Patch Tuesday on the 8th of August delivered 12 new security updates [1] nine of which were rated as "critical." In addition to several fixes for flaws in the Windows operating system, the critical patches included updates for Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Visual Basic for Application and Microsoft Powerpoint. The later MS06-048 [2] is of particular significance as it fixes a very serious flaw in Office, exploits for which are in wide circulation. Equally important is MS06-040 [3] that patches vulnerability in the server service in Windows 2000, Windows XP SP1 and SP2 as well as various Windows 2003 server configurations. Again, exploits are actively circulating so patch as soon as possible. This one is potentially so serious that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has even issued an advisory warning users and organizations to patch immediately. All the updates are distributed automatically by the Microsoft Update Service. It is extremely important that users who do not have automatic updates enabled visit the Update Service [4] now.
[1] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-aug.mspx
[2] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-048.mspx
[3] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-040.mspx
[4] http://update.microsoft.com (Requires IE5 or later)

3.2 New Rootkit Ups the Ante

Symantec [1] has released details of a new rootkit labeled Rustock.A that uses a cunning combination of techniques to evade detection by current rootkit detectors. The article lists six techniques employed but the first two are of particular note: First, "Rustock.A has no process. The malicious code runs inside the driver and in kernel threads." Second, "Rustock.A uses NTFS Alternate Data Stream to hide its driver into the \System32:18467" ADS. In addition, this ADS can't be enumerated by ADS-aware tools since it is protected by the rootkit." The Symantec article is worth reading in full; it really gives you a good idea of the sophistication of modern malware. The news is not all bad; F-Secure has already updated their BlackLight rootkit detector [2] to pick up Rustock.A. The cat and mouse game continues.
[1] http://tinyurl.com/f6wnt (symantec.com)
[2] http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/archive-062006.html#00000907

3.3 Top Anti-Spyware Program Suffers New Version Woes

Am I wrong or is security software quality assurance getting worse? This year we have seen major problems with the release of ZoneAlarm V6, Ewido V4, Trojan Hunter 4.5, CounterSpy 1.5 and now WebRoot SpySweeper V5.0. All are top rated products from respectable companies so it's not just slackness. My guess is that modern security products now overlap so much that interactions with other products have become a severe problem. Whatever, I've uninstalled SpySweeper V5 which caused my PC to slow to the point of uselessness and have gone back to V4.5 which is working like a charm. And I'm not alone.
http://www.castlecops.com/postx162250-0-15.html

3.4 Yet Another Firefox Update

These proactive security updates are coming thick and fast. The latest V1.5.0.6, covers 12 potential flaws, seven of which are rated as critical. The update also includes some improvements to product stability and Dutch language enhancements. To my knowledge there are no current exploits in circulation that utilize any of these flaws. However, it is essential that you update as the baddies routinely reverse engineer security updates to identify flaws to exploit in unpatched machines. Users with Firefox automatic updates enabled should have had the new version automatically delivered and installed. You can check by selecting Help/About from within Firefox. If your version number is less than 1.5.0.6 then update manually from here:
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

3.5 Controlling Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Hassles

A couple of months back Microsoft used the Windows Update service to secretly download the Windows Genuine Advantage program (WGA) onto your PC. This program checks to see if you have a genuine copy of Windows. If the WGA program doesn't think you have, then you are plagued with warning messages and worse, your ability to use the Windows Update site is restricted. Now, I have no sympathy for software pirates but I don't like having programs installed on my PC without my permission. Nor apparently do tens of millions of other folks who, like me, have disabled automatic updates and now choose manually which updates to install. But that's not the end of the problem. Apparently the WGA program is wrongly identifying a number of genuine Windows systems as illegal. One report puts this figure as high as 10%, though this sounds way high to me. Microsoft has conceded there have been problems and have issued two updates to the WGA program, again secretly delivered via the Windows Update service. They also have a web page dedicated to problem solving [1]. Many affected users have taken a more direct route and disabled WGA using specially written utilities. Here's a link [1] to one such tool that uses different techniques to remove the WGA depending on the version installed. I have no way of testing this product so use at your own risk.
[1] http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=442&SiteID=25
[2] http://www.firewallleaktester.com/news.htm#60

----------------- sponsored links -----------------------

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The Best Spyware Detector
PC Magazine 10.31.05 "Webroot's Spy Sweeper 4.5 is the most powerful antispyware tool we've seen yet. Its Comprehensive Removal Technology attempts to remove spyware completely in a single pass, and its behavior-based Active Shields prevent the installation of new threats on the cleaned system. Fancy names aside, our testing shows that the utility really works."

If you use Ad-aware or SpyBot you will be surprised just how more effectively SpySweeper detects and protects your PC from Adware, Spyware, Trojans and other malicious products. It's also one of the few anti-spyware programs that can reliably detect rootkits. Try the free evaluation copy of the new Version 5.0 and see for yourself.
http://www.webroot.com/consumer/products/spysweeper/index.html?acode=af1&rc=1132

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Our reviewer had given this product category away as "too slow, tool clumsy and too unreliable" but after reviewing this product he's changed his mind; "at long last a remote access solution that actually works! Quite frankly we agree with him, it's an impressive product. Read the full review here:
http://www.pcsupportadvisor.com/best_remote_access_software.htm

The Best Drive Imaging Program
In this race there are really only two runners worth considering. In this review we do an in-depth comparison of the top contenders but in the end, one product is the clear winner.
http://techsupportalert.com/drive-imaging-reviews.htm

------------- end of sponsored links --------------------------

4.0 OTHER USEFUL STUFF

4.1 Attractive Deals for Big Hard Drives

Want some cheap storage for your media files? Buy.com is offering an external 500GB drive in a USB 2.0 enclosure for $189.95 after a $30 mail-in rebate [1]. Need to speed up an older PC? NewEgg [2] has the internal OEM version of Seagate's zippy 320 GB Barracuda 7200.10 for $89.99 if you use the coupon code, "buybarracuda." STOP PRESS: This coupon code may have expired.
[1] http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202916478&adid=17070&dcaid=17070
[2] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148140&ATT=22-148-140&CMP=OTC-C173T

4.2 Free Creative Activities for Young Children

Feel your kids could be doing something better than watching TV? Then check out this free weekly newsletter packed with easy craft activities for pre-schoolers. The activities look like real fun and use common household items so they won't cost a cent. This non-commercial newsletter is clearly a labor of love by the young mother who edits it and the cause is totally worthy. So worthy I've decided to support it by offering a bit of free promotion on my web site. I hope you'll support it, too, either by signing up or sending this link to someone with young children. If you have a web site maybe you could link to the site or if you are a forum or chat group member then maybe you could mention it. I just love things like this; it's what makes the internet so wonderful.
http://kidscraftweekly.com/current_issue.html

4.3 Test Your Web Design in 20 Different Browsers

Getting a web page to look the same in every browser is a near impossible task. Discover just how hard by using this free service that allows you to see how a web page looks in more than 20 different browsers. You can also see the effect of varying screen resolution and color depth as well as turning off JavaScript, Java, Flash and media plugins. It all takes a little time to run but that doesn't diminish the value of the service.
http://v03.browsershots.org/

4.4 Help for Color Blind PC Users

Subscriber Richard Hendricks writes, "Gizmo, I am red/green color blind and I have found this $8 shareware product [1] very helpful. It displays the name of the color of the pixel that the mouse is over. It also can display the RGB values which I have found helpful with web development and graphics editing." Thanks for that, Richard. The product described by Richard may sound clumsy but it could be a boon to sufferers. Color blindness is surprisingly common. The incidence varies between countries and even regions but figures of 5-15% of the male population are common. It is much rarer in females. You can test online whether you are affected at this site [2]. Given color blindness is so common, it's something you need consider in web site design. You'll find some guidelines and resources here [3], [4]. Shareware, $8, all Windows versions, 348KB.
[1] http://www.hikarun.com/e/
[2] http://www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.html
[3] http://webtechniques.com/archives/2000/08/newman/
[4] http://www.btplc.com/age_disability/technology/RandD/colours/index.htm

4.5 How to Take Great Digital Photos in Poor Light

We've all tried to take photos in situations with difficult lighting; too much, too little or worst of all, both. However, there is a clever way of getting around this called High Dynamic Range Photography (HDR) that involves melding together several shots using a digital editor. I tried it and it works wonderfully. Full details here:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/high-dynamic-range.htm

4.6 Codecs for Anime Fans

Subscriber Joe Souza writes, "Gizmo, I watch a lot of fan sub anime, and some of the codecs they use are hard to play. But as suggested by some of the sites that I go to a lot for anime, I use the CCCP or (Combined Community Codec Pack). It does work great, plays everything except quick time and real, and includes Media player classic and zoom player in the installation. "
http://www.cccp-project.net/
http://www.cccp-project.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page (Wiki)

4.7 Useless Waste of Time Department

Test your reaction time with this silly game where you need to shoot a tranquilizing dart at some errant sheep. My rating was er, "Sluggish Snail." Maybe I need a few hours sleep or a bucketful of coffee ;>)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf

** Additional Items in the Premium SE Edition **

4.8 Twenty Ways to Secure Your Apache Server

4.9 Give Your PC a Free Checkup

4.10 Free Multi-Format Document Viewer

5.0 TIP OF THE MONTH

5.1 How to Backup the Windows Registry

In simple terms the Windows Registry can be thought of as a file containing an extended inventory of all your PCs hardware and software.

When Windows starts up it consults the Registry in order to know how to relate to your specific hardware and software.

It's a file that's essential to Windows. If it gets corrupted Windows won't be able to function properly.

And it does get corrupted; rather too often actually. That's why it's good practice to have a backup copy.

Easy, you say, I'll just copy the file to another location.

In Windows 95, 98 you can do just this. The Registry consists of two files system.dat and user.dat located in the Windows folder and you can simply copy these to another folder to create your registry backup. ME adds a third file, classes.dat, but it too can be simply copied.

This simple approach won't work with Windows NT and later versions as the Registry files are locked by the system and can't be easily copied.

Windows addresses this by providing automatic backup of the Registry as part of the automatic System Restore feature. This feature is enabled by default when Windows is installed.

If you have left the System Restore feature enabled on your PC then your Registry is automatically being backed up. If it gets corrupted Windows will automatically try to recover it from previous restore points.

However, many users, me included, turn the System Restore feature off as it is a notorious disk space hog. Once turned off, your Registry is no longer being backed up.

Thankfully, there are a number of utilities that will back up your Registry. One of the best is also free. It called ERUNT.

ERUNT (Emergency Recovery Utility for NT) will backup the Registry for all Windows systems from NT onwards. It also allows you to recover from backup either through a special recovery program or through the Windows Recovery Console.

And it's fast, very fast.

With ERUNT it's also possible to set up automatic Registry backups using the Windows Scheduler.

As a bonus, ERUNT includes another utility NTREGOPT that allows you to defragment your Registry. To be frank, I've never myself seen any performance improvement from registry defragging but then again it does no harm either.

ERUNT is easy to use but it's not intended for raw beginners. Raw beginners will most likely have System Restore enabled anyway so they won't need to back up their Registry.

Freeware, Windows 95 and later, 773KB

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

6.0 FREEBIE OF THE MONTH

6.1 The Best Free Anti-Virus Scanner

This is good news for all users of free software. In a new initiative, AOL is now offering a free version of the excellent Kaspersky anti-virus program for download. It's been re-branded as "AOL Anti Virus Shield" and it's available to everyone, not just AOL users. What's exciting about this is that Kaspersky AV is one of the best commercial AV programs available and a clearly superior product to other free AV scanners such as AVG and Avast! To get a quality product like this for free sounds almost too good to be true.

And so it is. Anti Virus Shield has some reduced features compared to the commercial Kaspersky version. Missing is KAV's sophisticated heuristics module and HTML scanning. Gone, too, is the ability to create rescue disks and to fully manage the quarantine area. The configuration options are also more limited.

But the key features, the powerful KAV file scanner, real time monitor and email scanner are essentially the same. Automatic updates remain and can be configured to take place hourly.

I've been trying it out on a test PC for a couple of days and have been quietly impressed. On my malware test data set the scanner detection rate was identical to the full KAV. Similarly, the real time monitor captured new infections just as well.

Bear in mind, though, my test data set was small. On a more comprehensive set I'd expect KAV to perform better than AOL AVS as it has a heuristics module for the detection of new and unknown viruses that's missing in AOL AVS.

The protection provided by AOL AVS against drive-by web sites was less impressive. KAV provided protection against infection for all three sites tested while AOL AVS flunked on two. This result can probably attributed to the omission of the KAV web scanner.

The AOL AVS update function works really well. I've been getting several updates daily and the downloads have been at a similar speed to the full KAV - a much more impressive performance than either AVG Free or Avast!.

I do have some concerns, though these are not really technical.

Let's start with the AOL AVS license agreement (EULA). To download the product you need to provide a valid email address. The EULA makes it quite clear that AOL has the right to send its promotional material to this address. That's OK but disturbingly; they also claim the right to provide your email address to their affiliates. How many, well it's not stated but one can only wonder.

The other worrying aspect is the license is only provided for 12 months. AOL has made no statements to clarify whether this will be renewed.

A quite separate issue is that the AVS install also installs the AOL search toolbar in Internet Explorer. Now, it's a pretty decent search toolbar actually but I do like to have the choice what I install. Still, it is possible to uninstall it using Windows Add or Remove Programs.

So how does it shape up compared to the other free AVS scanners, AVG Free and Avast!? Well, it's early days yet but my feeling is the AOL scanner provides better detection than both AVG Free and Avast! while at the same time using roughly the same level of resource usage. Additionally, it is more regularly updated.

However both AVG Free and Avast! provide better protection against drive-by download sites than AOL AVS. In my tests of three drive-by download sites, AOL AVS allowed infection in two out of three cases while AVG and Avast! prevented infection in all three. That's a big difference.

So you have a choice. If you visit a lot of weird sites in the nether regions of the web then stick with Avast! or AVG. If you mainly surf to well known sites then AOL AVS is a real option.

Remember though, you still have to live with the AOL AVS licensing agreement.

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See you next issue

Gizmo
Ian Richards
editor@techsupportalert.com