It adds support for Windows 2000, AOL 5.0, IE 5.5, Netscape4.7, 4.71, and CompuServe.

The program comes on a 3.5 floppy disk containing 1.12 megabytes, and can be set to run as you start your computer, shut down your computer, or any other time in between. It can be set to shut and restart your computer or not, as you choose,and can be lodged on the Task Bar for easy access. I have chosen to put an icon on the Desk Top and wash whenever Icare to. It runs on Windows 95, 98,2000 and NT 4, offers a free, no-obligation, 30-day trial version and costs $29.95 when ordered from http://www.webroot.com. Users of the previous version within the past 12 months may upgrade to 3.0 free. There was no problem installing the program, and I have encountered no real problems with using it.

However, it took a little trial and error time to discover exactly how to wash (or delete) the temporary files in Windows. By not checking 'Include Subdirectories' after Browsing for the exact path and entering it into its box as an added item or selected files, the Washer deleted those temporary files that had remainedundaunted and empty within Windows. Thus, I have found it necessary to work with Window Washer for aslong as it takes the user to understand its requirements. I was surprised not to find some kind of manual, large or small, included on the floppy or as hard copy.

The overwrite "bleach" function for documents and Internet tracks securely deletes by overwriting the data up to 10 times with randomcharacters. This exceeds the Departmentof Defense directive for sanitizing files on both removable and non-removablehard disks. I, personally, have no need for this function, just as I have no need of a shredder.

When I chose this program to review, I was hoping to find that it released some or all of the system resources Microsoft seems to hold onto even after the files and folders have been closed. For example, when I first turned on my computer today, System Resources showed 92% free. Now, however, System Resources shows 65% free. The only program running that was not running initially was the System Properties. This seems to me a terrible waste of resources, not to mention the possibility of being responsible for some of the programs locking up and the need to reboot.

As Webroot Software has asked for our suggestions, I would beinterested in a simple, uncompressed back-up program that could be used with floppies, CDs, tape drives, zip drives, or any other media in use today.