Smarts Broadcast Systems

I know that some people seem to think that viruses are a joke, but this is a very serious matter. There are some very malicious people who distribute computer viruses for the sole purpose of making other people’s live’s miserable. But I don't want to expound on other’s psychological problems, or try to analyze why someone would do this. I only want talk about what you can do to prevent viruses from getting into your system, and what to do if you get one.

There are about as many types of viruses as there are types of other software. Some are pretty benign. A message will come that says Merry Christmas every December 25th. Others, like the Monkey B virus, will give your hard drive the hardware version of an epileptic seizure, until eventually it is physically damaged.

The chances that your computer actually gets a virus are very slim, but if you do get one on your Smartcaster, all bets are off. It could cost you a lot of money. The only way to get a virus is to either download it off the Internet, or to transfer it on disk or another media. Another medium could be another computer on your network, such as the music scheduling or traffic computer that is tied to the Internet.

There are only two ways for you to find out if you have a virus. One is for the virus to raise it’s ugly head and announce itself while the other is for a virus checker to find it. If it happens the first way it is probably too late. But if you catch it first, you can stop it.

Be careful what you download from the Internet. Only download stuff on a computer that has a virus checker on it.

The Smartcaster comes with the MS-DOS operating system. This system is packaged with a utility called MSAV, if it is DOS 6 or greater. MSAV is a cheapo virus checker that you can use as a first line of defense. If you don't know what version of DOS you are running type: VER then press Enter

If your computer shows you that it is running DOS version 6 or greater, you have MSAV. So to run it, at the command prompt type: MSAV then press Enter

This will run the virus scanner and make a list of all the viruses it finds. MSAV will not necessarily do anything about the viruses it finds. Or find all the viruses. As with anything that come packaged extra for free, it is of only limited use.

Remember that all the folks who write viruses also have a copy of MSAV. Or any other virus checker on the market. But, some brands have free updates that you can download. So, I recommend spending a couple of bucks to buy a copy of a good virus checker. Macafee or Norton both are reputable brands of virus scans. You can pick either one up at a computer store, and maybe if you're nice (and pay in cash) the computer guy will come down to the station and run it for you.

McAfee vs. Norton

McAfee

The instructions are on the box, along with a web site and phone number for a very good support line. I found the software pretty easy to use, and the directions straightforward. The emergency restore disk is easy to make and has come in handy a number of times.

Norton

Norton has a nice scheduler, though. It will automatically log into the internet once a month, & download an update for itself. Also, it searches my system every night and every time I reboot. It also search my floppy drive before a reboot, which is really nice. I like all these features, but there is a downside. More features means a slower computer. Also, the emergency disk is a pain.

Personally, I use Norton on my own system, but when I have a virus to destroy, I usually start with the McAfee rescue disk. But ask any computer tech, and you will receive a different answer about which is better.

Also, remember the fact that the people who write the viruses also pit them against the same virus checkers that you buy in stores. That's why you need to get one that you can update.

If you do get a virus, please let us know, and we will help you however we can. Also, contact the vendor of the anti-virus product that you bought because they might want a copy of it to use to update their product.

Here are some links to anti-virus sites:


McAfee		Norton/Symantec

Feel free to call the support line if you have any questions or comments about this, or any other problems with the Smartcaster. Our support line is 800-765-2930, our fax number is 800-498-0618, and our email address is support@smartsbroadcast.com.

Back to the Smartcaster Support Page.