InBox

By DON McALLISTER

Welcome to InBox, where we attempt to answer your internet questions.

Q. Inbox still receives several Klez-infected emails a week - a reduction from its early days, but this virus refuses to die. Why?

A. The cause is that bogus return address. Many contact lists contain a few old "undeliverable" addresses, so the receiving email server promptly bounces the whole message (with virus-infected attachment) to the listed sender. These undeliverable messages are then opened by users wondering who they sent a message to - and causing an infection all over again. That is, of course, if you insist on not using up-to-date anti-virus software. Internet providers such as Xtra provide virus scanning at their email servers which kills the virus before it gets any further. More info on Klez at Symantec.

Q. Brandon has noticed a slowdown of his Windows XP machine. His friends and family have suggested increasing memory. "Must I do this?" he asks.

A. You're probably "over-feeding" it programs, Brandon. Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) and select Processes. You'll be surprised at the many programs running in the background. Identify what is required and what is not. Go to AZpcHelp for more information on programs. Remember, programs like virus scanners are heavy resource users, but shutting them down makes you vulnerable to the nasties they protect you from. More memory helps the machine run more programs at speed.

Q. Ian has twice been the victim of an electrical surge. He's miffed that his spike protector didn't protect his modem.

A. Several protection levels are available, Ian. Power-spike protectors are cheap, but protect only against power-line strikes. Power/Telecom line-protector boards protect against surges on both the phone and power lines. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) are costly ($300 plus), but the best option. Most protect both phone and power supplies and provide 10 to 20 minutes of power to allow you to shut down properly in a power cut. To be really safe, protection for both lines is a must - Dick Smith Electronics offers many options.



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