Sarasota PC Monitor

Review Chairmans Industry Comments (07/02)

Reviewing Software

by Herb Goldstein, Review Editor

E-mail comments, suggestions, etc. to Herb Goldstein at: revieweditor@spcug.org

PC-CILLIN TECH SUPPORT PROBLEMS? We have long touted PC-Cillin as the antivirus software of choice. Although your comments have been overwhelmingly positive, a common complaint appears to be the lack of responsiveness to emails sent to tech support. If you run into the problem and forward your original e-mail to me, I will send your complaint directly to Trend's management. This applies ONLY to unanswered e-mails, NOT to advice offered that failed to solve your problem.

HOTMAIL PRIVACY PILFERED. Here's a very interesting article from a prominent online computer columnist who writes, "If you use HOTMAIL, I think that you will find this of interest. Microsoft releases your personal Hotmail info if you have a Hotmail account - or if you've used Microsoft Passport - for more than a month, there's something you need to check. Or, more accurately, uncheck. Quickly!

A small publication known as The Eastside Journal, based in Bellevue, Washington http://www.eastsidejournal.com/sited/story/html/92308, reports that Microsoft has taken, uh, liberties with your confidential information.

A bit of history. Microsoft bought Hotmail in January 1998. It's still the number-one location for free email: log on to www.hotmail.com and you can send and receive email messages at no charge.

Almost 120,000,000 people use the system, worldwide. A couple of years ago, Microsoft hooked up Hotmail to its Passport system. Variously known as Microsoft Passport, Windows Passport, MSN Passport, and/or .NET Passport, all of the names refer to Microsoft's giant central database of customer information.

If you want to use Hotmail, you have to sign up for a Passport-and in so doing you're added to the Passport database. Microsoft Messenger requires a Passport, too. Windows XP nags mercilessly, offering all sorts of goodies to get you to divulge your name, address, age, phone number, and the like, as grist for the Passport maw.

If you signed up for Hotmail - or anything else that uses Passport-more than a couple of months ago, you may be in for a big surprise. It seems that Microsoft changed the rules while you weren't looking. Unilaterally, Microsoft may have granted itself permission to pass along your personal information to other companies that use Passport on their Web sites. The personal information includes your email address, your birthday, your country and zip code, your gender and occupation.

Has Microsoft taken liberties with your data? There's an easy way to check. Go into Hotmail. Click Options (to the right of the tab that says "Address Book"). Click Personal Profile (in the upper left corner). Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and see whether the boxes marked "Share my e-mail address" and "Share my other registration information" have been checked.

Those boxes probably didn't exist when you signed up for Hotmail. Chances are you never gave Microsoft permission to hand out your email address - or your birthday, gender or occupation. Yet both of those boxes on your personal profile are probably checked.

Details are still murky, but it looks like Microsoft added those two check boxes a couple of months ago, and did itself a big favor by checking both of them for all of the Passport holders at the time.

When did Microsoft implement this new policy? Hard to say. Details should be in the MS privacy statement, but I couldn't find anything. If you'd like to wade through Microsoft's privacy statement at http://privacy.msn.com/default.asp#MSNMAIL , strap on your hip waders - it's 520 lines of dense legalese. The last two lines of the statement say: Updated December 2001 (c) 2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Go figure!"

INTERNET EXPLORER ALTERNATIVE. Internet Explorer often royally ticks me off. Feed it a URL and it takes ages watching a progress bar while it attempts to bring the Website up. If that bothers you too, you need to download the popular super-fast browser, Opera. You can get it free at opera.com. It's a whole new browsing experience.

USE YOUR SCANNER LIKE A COPIER. That's what the free photocopier 2.19 will do for you! Have you ever wanted to quickly send something from your scanner to your printer without having to go through intermediate steps? Photocopier uses any TWAIN-compliant scanner to scan your document or photo and send it directly to your printer. The simple, easy-to-use interface lets you select color, grayscale, or black-and-white scanning at 100 percent or 70 percent; adjust the brightness; and quickly select the number of copies to print. This updated version features some bug fixes and eliminates ad support. You can get it at zdnet.com/downloads.

CAN'T FIND IT? Occasionally you may not be able to find the item we describe at the URL's we provide. This is usually due to the time lapse between our discovery and your reading about it in the Monitor. Here are some places to search for the shareware we mention:

  1. zdnet.com/downloads
  2. cnet.com
  3. shareware.com
  4. tucows.com
  5. pcworld.com

Additionally, you can find just about anything by searching google.com.

SECURITY PATCHES. Here are some security patches for various Windows versions that you need to have. You can get them at zdnet.com/downloads:

  1. Microsoft baseline security analyzer does a very good job of assessing your PC's security vulnerabilities. It checks to make sure your system has all the latest security patches, looks for common security holes, and includes links to fixes. This program runs on Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and can check the following systems for vulnerabilities: Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 and 5.0, SQL Server 7.0 and 2000, Internet Explorer 5.01 and later, and Office 2000 and XP. (Free/Windows)
  2. Internet Explorer 6 Cumulative Vulnerability Patch and Internet Explorer 5.5 Cumulative Vulnerability Patch are must-haves for anyone using these versions of Microsoft's popular Web browser. They roll up all the security fixes into single patches for each version of the browser. (Free/Windows)
  3. Outlook 2000 SR-1 Email Security Update and Outlook 98 SR-1 Email Security Update fix security problems with Microsoft's e-mail program, including stopping worms and viruses from infecting your PC. But beware: These patches will not let you receive certain e-mail attachments, such as .EXE files, so think hard before installing them. (Free/Windows)

It's always better to be safe than sorry. And it's better to take action and protect your PC now-instead of waiting around for Bill and Co. to do it for you.

SAVE INK, SAVE MONEY! Inkjet cartridges run out of ink pretty quickly, as you have undoubtedly discovered. Another unpleasant reality is that 2 changes of cartridges can easily add up to more than the cost of your printer. Here's a pair of hints to save some serious bucks:

1. Go to start>settings>printers. Right-click on your default printer and click on properties. Under the print quality tab you will usually find a setting allowing you to choose the default mode. Select "draft." This will provide the printing mode in which you will save the most ink. Although it also provides the lowest print quality, you will probably find it more than adequate for much of the work you do. If necessary, you can bump the quality up to "normal" or "high" for the "properties" tab of your printer selection when you wish in the application in which you are printing.

2. You will pay handsomely for store-bought cartridges. Doing a search on "inkjet cartridge" in your favorite search organ will bring up dozens of places (like printpal.com) that will refill your cartridges, sell you remanufactured cartridges, or sell brand new cartridges, all at a substantially lower price. Most of these outfits will also refill or sell laser toner cartridges at lower cost as well.

THE WINDOWS KEY on your keyboard is one of the handiest items going. It permits a number of hot-key combos that are great time savers. One of my favorites is Windows-d. It returns you to the desktop while minimizing the application you were in. A nice feature when you need to get to something on your desktop temporarily and don't want to close down the application you are in. Windows-r opens your "run" box.

FREE FILE RENAMER. Need to rename a whole list of files? You will find the free Flash Renamer at rlvision.com. It's quick, effective and easy to use.

IT'S FPL BROWNOUT TIME. FPL is back to its usual warm weather tricks by cutting your power momentarily from time to time. Any unsaved info on your computer at the time will be lost. If you are downloading, or worst of all, installing software when it happens, the result can be disastrous. Protect your equipment and data by picking up a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) whose battery will keep you running long enough to easily save your work, and if necessary, shut down your system. They have come down so much in price that they are reasonably affordable to most users.

WHO'S GONNA FIX IT? That, dear reader, may be the most important question you can ask when you buy any major computer related device. It's not only the computer itself, it's the monitor and printer too. Most manufacturers of these items offer a one year warranty. Take printers for instance, on which we ran a review series recently. Some, like Lexmark, offer a free replacement during the initial one year period . That policy weighed heavily in my recommending Lexmark products. It's what happens after one year, regardless of whose product it is, that's most depressing. Save the box! You will probably need it to send it back to the manufacturer if you can't find a local repair facility.

Before you even entertain returning a product, you need to speak to the company and determine what the repair time and cost will be. In nosing around while doing the Lexmark investigation, some printer manufacturers refused to give me an average turn around time. Others quoted 3-4 weeks. Do you have a backup in the meantime? Most folks don't!

The time element involved may not even be the major rub. How about cost? My 3 year old Xerox laser printer that cost $160 in '99 recently died. A call to Xerox yielded the news that the repair would be $250 plus parts. How's that for chutzpah? 250+ bucks to fix a 3 year old printer that cost $160 new! Mea culpa! If I had any brains, I would have checked their what-if repair policies before I bought it.

Things break. It's an inevitable fact of life. Take what happens when they do into account before you make your buying decision. When you talk to your vendor about warranties, find out exactly who's going to fix it when it happens. If you don't like what you hear, it may not be the product for you!

MP3 VOYEUR Version: 1.2 File size: 130K License: Free Minimum requirements: Windows 95/98/NT/2000 This nosy little app is the file-sharing equivalent to Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," giving you a closer look at the media files on your LAN. MP3 Voyeur can search specific addresses or scour your entire local network for media files in RM, MOV, MP3, ASF, and other formats. You can save, search, and sort your results, or play each file from its source before downloading it. MP3 Voyeur is no KaZaA killer, but it's great for sharing files with others in your network neighborhood.

MP3 Voyeur is designed only to list files that are actually accessible, unlike many of the Web-based MP3 search engines which can yield outdated links. It allows you to sort and save your search results, play MP3 files from their source folders, or open source folders for file access. The latest version has improved network searching, adds support for those of you behind firewalls, and searches for many other file types besides MP3.

"SENDTO" IS A HANDY TOOL. Windows98 users shouldn't overlook the SendTo tool found in the options when right clicking on a file. SendTo is most typically used for sending a file to a diskette or another folder, but you can build the options as you wish. You can place a shortcut to the desired action in the SendTo folder by going to c:\windows\sendto in Windows Explorer, right clicking in the right Explorer pane and selecting New and Shortcut. In the command line window, browse to the application to add that option in the SendTo menu. For example, you might like to add Notepad to the SendTo menu. Then, you'll be able to open system files or text-based files to which you have not associated an application that will open such a file. Simply add Notepad with the procedure above by browsing to c:\windows\notepad.exe and building the shortcut into the SendTo menu.

WINDOWS XP SERVICE PACK 1. Be patient. It will be here before year's end as a very healthy-sized download from Microsoft probably some time this summer. It will contain all of the security fixes and enhancements that Microsoft has already released to date and will include support for USB 2.0 and other hardware enhancements. In accordance with Microsoft's court settlement, it will allow you to disable Windows Messenger and Windows Media Player. I don't know why anyone would want to eliminate the best media player around.

In addition to the compliance changes, Service Pack 1 will slightly change XP's product-activation scheme. Though Microsoft says that very few users were forced to reactivate their systems, Windows XP SP 1 will allow a three-day grace period for reactivation if you make major system changes or reinstall your copy of XP. If you're using a pirated copy of XP, forget about any SP 1 improvements. Microsoft says it will block illegitimate copies of XP from downloading both the service pack and future updates from Windows Update.

If you want to take a sneak peek into what's included in the upcoming XP service pack, go to http://home.cnet.com/software/0-6688749-8-9953590-1.html

PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY with some of the best free applications available. You'll find them along with some great information at saltmeadow.com/privacy. It's well worth your visit!

MOST POPULAR SHAREWARE/FREEWARE. For a list of zdnet's most popular shareware and freeware programs, go to http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3101-2001-0-1.html. You will see some of the very best stuff that belongs on your computer and is only a quick download away.

OPENOFFICE IS FREE! Here's a free office suite that contains most of what you will find in and is compatible with Microsoft Office. You can install it on as many computers as you wish. Word processing, spreadsheet, presentations, and most of what else you will find in today's popular office suites- all except the cost, that is!

ONTRACK SYSTEM SUITE is certainly the leader among utilities. We've said it many times, and those of you who use it will attest to the fact. There is one applet in the suite that is my favorite and has saved my neck time and again. If you go to the "Recover" section of the suite and click on System Saver, it will easily and in a flash make a backup of your system files and your registry. I use it every day. It will store 5 such backups , and each new one will replace the oldest as it goes.... it will easily and in a flash make a backup of your system files and your registry.

When something goes radically wrong with your computer, even if it won't boot normally into Windows, you can easily get into System Suite (via Safe Mode if necessary) and restore the backup from the last time that everything was OK. Dollars to doughnuts, that will do the trick.

Those who have "Go Back" or XP's "System Restore" are already covered, otherwise System Saver can be the best lifeguard you ever used.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR IMAGE FILES. Swamped with images from your digital camera, scanner, etc. Here's some software that will help you display and catalogues your collection of image files. You will find most of them free at zdnet.com/downloads:

  1. Irfan View- When it comes to displaying graphics, it doesn't get better than this. It's my all-time favorite! IrfanView is an excellent, speedy file viewer. It handles the most popular types of graphics, loads them lightning-fast, and offers editing tools for adjusting color depth, cropping, blurring, and sharpening.
  2. Easy Thumbnails is an excellent freebie that creates thumbnails for individual images, groups of images, or all the images in a folder at once. It also lets you edit the images; you can rotate them, as well as adjust their contrast, brightness, sharpness, and quality.
  3. Ulead Photo Explorer handles graphics files as well as multimedia clips. It lets you easily organize all your graphics and media, preview each file, and print them individually or as groups of thumbnails. This program also works with digital cameras to import pictures into your PC. (Free/Shareware/Windows)
  4. ACDSee Classic is a great file viewer that lets you see thumbnails or close-ups of your graphics, and supports more than 30 image formats. It also handles file conversion and basic image editing.
  5. iMatch creates an index of all the graphics on your system, and lets you search through them with database tools.

It's one of the best ways you'll find for keeping track of all your pictures and images. (Shareware/Windows)

6. XnView lets you view any graphics format you can name, and many that you can't-it supports 360 formats in all, including multimedia files. This download also comes with an image editor, and tools that let you capture screens and create thumbnails. As an added bonus, this one's free. (Free/Windows)

EMAIL FORWARDING SERVICE. The free service at <http://switchemail.com> allows forwarding of email when you change your ISP.

MOVING CALCULATOR. If you're one of the millions contemplating an upcoming move, The Moving Calculator at <http://homefair.com/homefair/calc/movecalcin.html> will give you a quick and dirty estimate of how much it's going to cost .

NEW DOWNLOADS. If you want to see dozens and dozens of the very latest available shareware for download, go to <http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3140-2001-0-1-2.html>. You'll find some very interesting stuff in a huge variety of categories.

FILE COMPRESSION UTILITIES. Most users (myself included) will agree that WinZip is the finest file compression/decompression utility in existence. If, for whatever reason, you want to try a different one, here are some free candidates you can get at zdnet.com/downloads:

1. EnZip is a WinZip-like program that integrates directly into Windows Explorer for easy file compression and decompression. It scans Zip files for viruses, let's you install downloaded files from within the program, and more.

(Free/Windows)

2. ZipGenius is a comprehensive Zip program that handles 21 different compression formats. It includes a built-in FTP client, and even has an e-mail component for sending compressed message archives. (Free/Windows)

3. ZipCentral offers everything you need for handling Zip files. It integrates with Windows Explorer and most e-mail programs, repairs damaged archives, and lets you create and review archive comments. (Free/Windows)

KVM SWITCHES. I run Windows 98 on my primary computer and recently installed Windows XP in a second. However, I own only one monitor. I solved my problem easily with a KVM (keyboard-video-mouse)switch that allows me to simply and easily switch the display on my monitor from one computer to another with the turn of the switch dial. These switches come in a wide variety of talents. What they possess in common is their ability to share the same peripheral between two computers, or the same computer by two different peripherals.

Commonly, the switch is supplied with an input port to which the device being shared is connected. In the case of my monitor, it is the monitor cable that was formerly attached to my computer's video port. I needed to purchase two inexpensive additional cables to go to each of my now 2 computers from my KVM switch. A simple turn of the switch is all that is necessary to select which computer's output will appear on my monitor. Some KVM devices use a "hot key," for example, the right and left Ctrl keys to select the computer whose output you wish displayed on your monitor.

These switches are relatively inexpensive. Their price varies with their functions and the number of ports they contain. They are available in various configurations at local computer retailers as well as Internet sources. If you shop around, you will find a switch that meets your requirements.

GETTING GOOD RESULTS FROM SCANNERS is a tough assignment for many users, more so that for just about any other computer peripheral. Aside from properly installing the hardware to begin, the problem usually lies in the software. From our experience, the king of scanner software that will make a tremendous difference in your results is OmniPage Pro. You might also want to take a look at the following shareware/freeware apps that can make the difference for you. They are available at zdnet.com/downloads: 1. Photocopier (mentioned earlier) is a great, free piece of software that turns your scanner into a copy machine. It's simple to use, and lets you copy using color, grayscale, or black-and-white. It also allows you to adjust the brightness of the copies, and choose how many copies you want to make. (Free/Windows).

2. PhotoMail makes it a breeze to scan and e-mail your photos. It also helps you edit your pictures, create photo albums, and produce slide shows on your PC. (Shareware/Windows).

3. ScanAssist is a do-it-all scanner utility that prints or copies any photo, and even lets you compress your scanned files to save hard disk space. (Shareware/Windows).

EVERYBODY NEEDS A GOOD FILE MANAGER. The best I've seen and use continuously all day long is Ontrack's PowerDesk Utilities. You can extract the free version from Ontrack's Website. The advanced version is included in Ontrack's System Suite, or can be purchased separately.

If there is one thing most users agree on it is that Microsoft's Windows Explorer leaves a lot to be desired. If you are not going to use the Ontrack product, here are some shareware/freeware Explorer replacements or add-ons that are also pretty good. They are available at zdnet.com/downloads

1. Describer is a great, simple Windows Explorer add-on that lets you attach comments and notes to your files and folders. You then see these comments whenever you use Windows Explorer to browse your hard disk.

(Shareware/Windows).

The best I've seen and use continuously all day long is Ontrack's PowerDesk Utilities.

2. PowerRen 2000 solves one of Windows Explorer's biggest problems-an inability to rename several files at once.

This free program lets you easily rename files based on many criteria. It can also read and rename ID3 tags in MP3 files, so you can easily standardize all the tags in your music files. (Free/Windows).

3. 2xExplorer is a Windows Explorer replacement that betters it in every way. It offers dual panes, which make it easier to copy and move files. It lets you preview images, HTML, and Microsoft Office documents. And it lets you run commands from an address bar, as well as easily rename multiple files at once. (Free/Windows).

THE BEST SPYWARE STOPPER is undoubtedly Ad-aware. It should be your first choice. Here are some others you may want to look at in the shareware category, also from zdnet.com/downloads:

  1. SpyStopper stops spyware from working-and more. It also blocks other online pests such as worms, cookies and Web bugs that can trace your surfing habits. (Shareware/Windows)
  2. Xcleaner Anti-SpyWare and Trace Cleaner is an excellent spyware blocker. It also protects your privacy in other ways, by deleting temporary files, clearing your Internet cache, and killing cookies. (Shareware/Windows)
  3. SpyCop stops monitoring-software programs, such as Spector, that allow strangers to see every key you type on your computer. SpyCop tells you if this type of software is on your PC and when it was installed, and then disables it.

GOOGLE TOOLBAR. The fact is well substantiated that Google is the most comprehensive search organ on the Web. Don't miss the Google toolbar you can add to your browser. It will make your Google searches more effective and add a search feature to any Website even if it doesn't have its own. Get it free at <http://toolbar.google.com>.

MERRIAM-WEBSTER TOOLBAR. Add this to your browser and you will be able to define words on the fly. You can get it at <www.m-w.com/tools/toolbar>.

PC-CILLIN 2002 COPY PROTECTION SCHEME. The folks at Trend Micro have created a restriction in their 2002 version that is similar to Microsoft's "one user, one installation on one computer" XP policy. You cannot run the downloaded PC-cillin without first submitting your supplied registration serial number. You will receive back by email a key number that permits complete installation only on one computer. If you have two or more computers on which you had previously installed PC-cillin 2000, you may want to stick with that version. The virus pattern files are the same between 2000 and 2002, therefore the protection is basically similar. The added convenience features (see the review of PCC 2002 in this issue) may not make up for the one computer restriction.

WINDOWS XP EXPERT ZONE is located at <microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone>. Go there for some really good tips, tutorials and other help on XP.

MICROSOFT OFFICE ASSISTANCE CENTER provides plenty of helpful stuff for Office XP including free downloads, design templates, and a resource kit that describes various Office updates. You can find it at office.microsoft.com/assistance. Wordperfect users needn't be left out. They can go to officecommunity.com for similar goodies pertaining to WordPerfect .

WINDOWS XP UPGRADE ADVISOR. If you are thinking of upgrading your current system and software to Windows XP and are concerned about compatibility, here's the latest from Microsoft on its Upgrade Advisor that will examine your hardware and software online and let you know what you can expect to work with XP and what not.

The Upgrade Advisor is a tool available at microsoft.com that checks your system hardware and software to see if it is ready for upgrade to Windows XP. If your system needs updates that are available on the Windows Update Web site, Upgrade Advisor will find and install the updates for you. Run Upgrade Advisor while you are connected to the Internet. This way, Upgrade Advisor will get the latest data from Microsoft to ensure that you get the most current hardware and software compatibility report for your system. In addition to running Upgrade Advisor, we recommend that you search the Windows Catalog to find products compatible with Windows XP.

Who Can Use Upgrade Advisor? If your current version of Windows is eligible for upgrade to Windows XP, you can use Upgrade Advisor to make sure your hardware and software are compatible with Windows XP. What Do I Need to Know Before I Use Upgrade Advisor?

There are a few important things to note before you use Upgrade Advisor:

Download size: The Upgrade Advisor download is large (approximately 50 megabytes), and is recommended only for download over a high-speed Internet connection, such as DSL or cable modem.

Installation verbiage: The Upgrade Advisor is the same tool that is used to scan your system for compatibility issues before you install Windows XP. For that reason, some of the language in the tool may imply that you are actually installing Windows XP. Upgrade scenarios: The Upgrade Advisor checks for upgrade eligibility to Windows XP Professional only. However, most of it is applicable to the home version as well

How Do I Use Upgrade Advisor? It's a simple process: Check for Upgrade Eligibility "Upgrading from Previous Versions of Windows" tells you if your version of Windows can be upgraded to Windows XP Professional. Download the Upgrade Advisor If your version is eligible for upgrade, download the Upgrade Advisor. You can choose to save the file to your hard disk and run it locally, or open it directly from the Web.

When you think all hope is gone, turn to...

Ontrack Easyrecovery Professional

Innovation knows no bounds, not at least when it comes to Ontrack utilities. Ontrack has become the undisputed king of computer utilities. Their System Suite and Fix-It boast the most complete, useful and powerful set of utility applets available to find, fix and prevent problems with your computer.

Ontrack's latest offering, EASYRECOVERY PROFESSIONAL is a valuable addition for computer or business and IT professionals as well has serious home users who need something in their armamentarium to recover lost data. Experiencing data loss on your hard drive is not at all uncommon. While the "undelete" features found in various utilities are common, they are also limited in their capabilities. When you need an industrial strength solution to the problem, Ontrack's Easy Recovery Professional takes center stage.

As is the case with other Ontrack utilities, ERP contains a collection of applets to both recover lost data and to prevent its loss in the first place. Here are the contents of Easy Recovery Professional that will do the job:

Disk Diagnostics

  1. Drive Tests- Tests your hard drive for potential hardware problems.
  2. Size Manager- Provides detailed information on how your hard drive's space is being used.
  3. Partition Tests- Analyzes your existing file system's structure.
  4. Smart Test- Monitors and reports potential disk drive problems.
  5. Jumper Viewer- Find jumper placements for IDE/ATA disk drives.
  6. Data Advisor- Self-booting diagnostic tool diskette.

Data Recovery

  1. Advanced Recovery- Customized data recovery using advanced options
  2. Format Recovery- Recovers files from an accidently formatted partition.
  3. Resume Recovery- Resumes a saved data recovery session.
  4. Deleted Recovery- Find and recover deleted files
  5. Raw Recovery- Recover without any file system structure information.
  6. Emergency Diskette- Create self-booting emergency boot diskette.

File Repair

  1. Access Repair- Repairs corrupted Microsoft Access databases.
  2. PowerPoint Repair- Repairs corrupted PowerPoint presentations.
  3. Zip Repair- Repair broken or corrupted Zip files.
  4. Excel Repair- Repair corrupted Excel spreadsheets
  5. Word Repair- Repair corrupted Microsoft Word files.
  6. Outlook Repair- Repair corrupted Microsoft Outlook e-mail files.

Crisis Center

  1. Crisis Information- Information and technical support.
  2. In-Lab Data Recovery- Send physically damaged disks to Ontrack for in-lab recovery. This is a fee for service feature with special pricing for EasyRecovery registered users.
  3. Remote Data Recovery- Ontrack will attempt to aid your data recovery online.

In testing the various applets, the software appears to work as advertised. Neither Easy Recovery nor any other utility we know of is able to recover files that have been shredded or permanently deleted with one of the many software file shredders. If you went through one of these permanent deletion routines it is probable that your data is gone forever, and Easy Recovery does not claim to be helpful in this situation.. Easy Recovery is available for download at Ontrack's Website at <www.ontrack.com> in three different versions and costs:

1. EasyRecovery Data Recovery- is a simple, yet powerful tool that recovers data that is lost, inaccessible or deleted.

It's the ultimate do-it-yourself solution for nearly all causes of data loss (except physical hardware or system problems) where your hard drive and system are fully functional. It allows you to recover lost or deleted data - files, folders and complete partitions - quickly and easily. Plus you get an Emergency Boot Diskette to recover data from systems that cannot boot to Windows. $199.00

2. EasyRecovery FileRepair repairs and restores corrupt files into new readable files. It's a complete repair and restore solution for corrupted Zip files in addition to Microsoftr Outlookr, Access, Excel, PowerPointr, and Word files. Requiring less technical sophistication than many software applications, EasyRecovery FileRepair is a cost-effective solution for your data loss needs. $339.00

3. EasyRecovery Professional contains the most advanced data recovery, file repair, and disk diagnostic capabilities available. EasyRecovery Professional includes all of the great EasyRecovery Data Recovery and EasyRecovery FileRepair features and benefits, plus the superior disk diagnostic including Ontrack Data Advisorr, and advanced data recovery capabilities and options. $499.00

Try before you buy-The EasyRecovery Professional Trial edition identifies and allows you to view the deleted files and corrupted documents that you could recover and restore with a full edition of EasyRecovery Professional.

As an added benefit, the Zip repair component is fully functional and allows you to recover and repair deleted or corrupt Zip files! Please Note: This Trial edition is of our EasyRecovery Professional software. While the EasyRecovery DataRecovery edition does not contain all of the capabilities included in EasyRecovery Professional, the EasyRecovery Professional Trial edition will allow you to view the high-level functionality of the EasyRecovery DataRecovery software.

I strongly urge you to take advantage of the trial edition before you decide whether you want to go ahead with the expense of the regular software. :

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Copyright 2002. This article is from the July 2002 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/

The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,300+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.

See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.