Software
Review of: |
| Trend
Micro’s PC-cillin 6 is a virus protection program that detects all types
of viruses including macro viruses, Java applets and ActiveX controls.
It also lets you place specific web sites off limits although it’s not
a true filtering program. It runs only on Windows 95/98. (Now, PC-cillin
6 for WinNT Electronic is also available.)
Trend Micro says that PC-cillin 6 is also a service and that they’ve built customer service into the product. They include the program interface, free one-on-one help over the Internet, virus alerts via e-mail and hotline to the Virus Hospital in their list of services. Each time I visit their web site I find something new has been added and they offer many free services (See Web Features below.) I’ve used McAfee VirusScan and Quarterdeck’s ViruSweep Extra Strength (no longer available since Symantec bought out Quarterdeck) in the past. This is my first Trend Micro virus program. What does the box hold?
The manual covers installation, scanning, dealing with viruses and suspicious
files, web security and filtering, updates, rescue disks, and technical
support. It also includes a Virus Recovery Flow Chart. It doesn’t go into
detail on any of these topics. It gives you step by step instructions on
how to accomplish the most basic and necessary tasks.
What’s included in the program?
Clicking on Create Rescue Disk brings up the utility to create a 3-disk set. Since I did that during installation, I didn’t go any further than the first screen of the utility. Using Real-time Monitor is not obvious and it’s not covered in the Help File. I had to do quite a bit of detective work before I found out how to use it. Apparently a name change has occurred and they didn’t change this instance. By following the shortcut link and examining the file properties, I found the following comment "PC-cillin 6 Real-time Scan". Real-time Scan is activated during Windows startup. An icon is placed in the system tray. If you right click on the icon, you can shut down PC-cillin 6 (in order to install a new program, etc.). You then use Real-time Monitor to turn Real-time Scan back on. Running the program
PC-cillin 6 displays an information box showing the download's progress. It shows the name of each file as it's downloading. After completion of the download, an information box appears which gives the version number of each major program file in addition to the virus pattern number. This first download took quite a bit of time since it updated program files as well as virus pattern files. When I ran the Update Now Wizard several days later it took only a few minutes since only virus pattern files needed updating. I found PC-cillin 6 very easy to use. You can access its main program interface by either clicking on its icon in the system tray or using the Start Button. If you double click on the icon, you'll see the Real-time Scan Information Box first. The box tells you the virus pattern number, the last file scanned and whether or not you have activated Web Filter and Web Security. You reach the interface by clicking on the large Main button. The interface always opens with the Scan Wizard ready for action. Once you're familiar with the program, each screen of the interface gives enough information that you can accomplish a task without referring to the Help File. The interface contains six major sections: Scan, Update, WebTrap, Quarantine, Log and Support. Scan is used to check your system for viruses. You can check your entire system, only one drive, selected files, macro documents, floppy boot sector, or Internet related files. The Scan Wizard will step you through any of the options. On the other hand, Scan Manager allows you to setup specific types of scans that will run automatically or that you can run when you choose without making selections each time. PC-cillin 6 comes with nine pre-set configurations which you can leave alone, modify or copy to use for similar setups of your own. They include Complete scan after installation, Scan for macro viruses, Scan C: drive - weekly, Scan everything - monthly, Scan Floppy A:\, Scan Internet related files, Scan all Word documents, Scan all Excel documents, and Scan program files. Scan C: drive - weekly, Scan everything - monthly, and Scan program files are setup to run automatically at 5:00 PM. This is convenient for the workplace but may be an awkward time for the home. The program tells you the last time each of the configurations was run. If you haven't run one of them yet it says it was "Unable to process." Other Features
Web Features
Unlike ViruSweep Extra Strength, PC-cillin 6 doesn’t create a personal firewall or provide specific tools to protect your private information such as credit card numbers and pass words. Since I never used these features anyway I don’t miss them in PC-cillin 6. Bottom Line
Why should you buy the program when it appears that you can do it all free on the Web or with free downloads? First, when the program is running in the background, it can catch viruses before they do damage to your system. If you have automatic scans enabled, you don’t have to remember to scan the system. If you rely on the Web to do your scanning you have to remember to do it and you may have to deal with an infected system if a virus arrives and you don’t know about it. Second, it takes time to do the scans on the Web. Unless you have a dedicated line and/or a high-speed connection you may not want to tie up your phone line that long. In addition, for some tasks you have to do files individually. When you have the full program on your hard drive, you can start the scan and do something else while all the files are checked. Installing the program
When you auto play the CD-ROM you are greeted by a menu with the following choices: Install, User’s Guide (exactly the same as the written manual), Readme, Requirements, and Exit. I chose Install and the program scanned for viruses in computer memory, boot sector, and some critical files. When it found no viruses it asked for the serial number (found on the manual cover) and then what options I wanted to install. You can chose from the following options:
Then I tried to register. Although PC-cillin 6 started Netscape Navigator, it didn’t start my ISP (Internet Service Provider) link. (The Help file says, "If you use the Windows' Dial-Up Networking to connect to the Internet, PC-cillin will start your dialer automatically." I haven’t figured out why it doesn’t work for me since my ISP connection is sitting in the Windows Dial-Up Networking folder.) I connected to my ISP manually, but all I got was a "server too busy" message. After several attempts, I went to the web site, found the registration location and did it myself without any hassle. I never saw any evidence that the program tried to perform the Update Program After Install as stated in number 5 above. I haven’t worried about it since I’ve found the Update process very easy to do manually. System Requirements
Vital statistics
You can also run HouseCall, a free virus checker, on your system at <http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/>.
Huntington Beach, CA 92648 E-mail: support@trendmicro.com URL: <http://www.trend.com/pc-cillin/default.htm>. Jacquelyn Sykes has had several reviews published in the PC Alamode over the last several years. |