The cold and flu season is upon us once again, and while you are suffering, box of tissues in hand, it might be a good idea to think about your computer's health. In our computer-rich environment, viruses are always popping up, and there are many steps that you can take to protect your data. You should be especially concerned if you have used the Organic Nomenclature program recently. This program is especially susceptible to virus infection, and can infect your computer when you run it.
If you are using a DOS/Windows 3.1 machine hooked into the Novell network, the most recent version of McAfee's Scan program is always available to you. Under the Network Version of Automenu, select "b) DOS commands, virus scan, and miscellaneous utilities." On this screen, pick Virus Scan, and then select the disk you want to scan. You can also access McAfee's Scan directly from DOS, its located in O:\sharewar\scan. Windows 95 users can get the lastest virus scanner, ViruScan 95 from McAfee's WWW page, at www.mcafee.com.
Scanning for viruses daily doesn't take much time, and the trouble it could save you in the long run is definitely worth it. If you need help with this or any other computer related topic, please contact the Computer Help Desk. We're located in Fuller Labs, room B21, and can be reached by phone at x5888 or by email at helpdesk@wpi.edu. Our web page is http://www.wpi.edu/~box5888.