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Newsletter from Fred
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The impending release of Windows
Millennium--- WinMe--- will begin the final move away from DOS for the Win9x
family. (Yes, DOS is still there in WinMe, but far less accessible than ever
before.) Other versions of Windows already
have gone more or less DOS-less. Windows NT was the first “DOS-less”
Windows; Windows 2000 was the second (Windows CE is a special case--- we won’t
include it here). Although both NT and Win2K support DOS emulation from within
the OS, neither lets you truly “boot to DOS” the way other versions of
Windows do. WinMe is a halfway step: In normal
operation, it also doesn’t let you “get at” DOS very much at all. For
example, if WinMe suffers a bad crash, it will (like other Win9X versions) run
Scandisk upon reboot. But WinMe’s “bad shutdown” Scandisk runs from inside
Windows rather than from DOS. In fact, in normal operation, a WinMe user will
never see a plain-vanilla DOS screen at all. While that will help protect utter
newbies from self-inflicted system woes, it will make some tasks harder for more
expert users. (Of course, Microsoft intends that expert users will switch to
Win2K--- but that’s a DOS-less Windows too.) The move away from DOS might make
you think it's obsolete, but the plain fact is that, regardless of your Windows
version, powerful “command-line” tools can be a lifesaver. One example: Let’s
say you want to make your current Windows PC dual-bootable so you can choose
between running Windows or, say, Linux or another operating system. Let’s also
say something goes wrong (a not-uncommon thing with some versions of Linux) and
you’re stuck with a mangled Master Boot Record that has left your hard drive
completely unbootable. (This actually happened to me once.) With a mangled MBR,
you can’t access *anything* on the hard drive at all, and that means you can’t
access Windows. So, if you’re running a DOS-less Windows, your Windows-based
tools are unavailable to you, and thus are utterly useless. You're toast. Yikes! But with a properly set-up DOS
diskette, you can totally rebuild your hard drive’s Master Boot Record in
literally about 5 seconds. In doing so, you can regain access to your full
Windows setup and all your files, exactly as you left them. [Here’s how: You
insert a DOS disk that has the FDISK program on it, and type FDISK /MBR . That’s
it--- five seconds later, your Master Boot Record is restored without touching
anything else on your hard drive.] Starting in the Explorer column that
goes live today (Monday, July 17th, 2000) at about midday EDT (UT-4) and in the
next several columns, we’ll explore a range of DOS tips and tricks, and help
you assemble a powerful DOS-based toolkit you can store on floppies and keep in
a safe place. Then, no matter what version of Windows you run--- now or in the
future--- and no matter how inaccessible Microsoft may try to make DOS, you’ll
have these tools at hand. Think of it as a way to keep DOS
from going extinct. <g> We’ll be covering a lot of ground,
so the first step is to make sure we’re all starting from the same place. To
help you out, for this first column, I’ve assembled a huge DOS reference list
that will give you one-click access to a world of DOS/Windows information that’s
already been presented over the years at WinMag.Com and elsewhere. (Go as deep
or as shallow as you wish.) That reference list, by itself, should help a lot
with DOS issues. But it's only the start: In the
discussion forum attached to the column, please add your favorite DOS references
and articles. Also, please tell us what specific DOS issues you’d like covered
in detail. Together, we’ll produce an awesome
DOS toolkit that will be useful now and for years to come! Click over to http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/15.htm
, check out the column, and then join in the discussion! (Alternate access to the column: http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/default.htm
Note that if you arrive before the column is posted, you'll only see previous
columns listed.) Click to
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I'm starting to get feedback---
mostly, but not entirely positive--- from readers who have downloaded IE5.5 (see
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-07-13.htm#8
).The new browser is running fine for me. Many readers are wondering if they
have to *un*install their older version of IE first. The answer is no EXCEPT for
beta versions of IE 5.5 . If you ran the 5.5 beta, you should get rid of that
first; in many cases, the only certain way to do this is with a reformat.
(That's the downside of running betas--- the cleanup often is very ugly. And
that's why I recommended in earlier newsletters that you NOT run the 5.5 beta.) But for all standard versions of IE,
you should be able to install 5.5 on top of the current version and do just
fine. Note that if you installed an
earlier version of IE or Outlook Express in a nonstandard location, you may have
to do some diddling to transfer your addresses and files. But if you used the
default locations before, everything should upgrade on its own without trouble. Reader David Miller also offers this
tip for IE5.5 on Windows 2000: Hi Fred, You may want to
mention to your readers that if they are planning on upgrading to Win2000 that
they should not install IE 5.5 until after they have completed their Win2000
installation. Microsoft (see the IE 5.5 readme file) recommends that users
un-install IE 5.5 prior to installing Win2000. Thanks, Dave. That's because Win2K
has a "system file protection" feature, and installing IE5.5 involves
updating some system files; the 5.5 files are newer than the Win2K files, so if
you install them in the wrong order, you can get "version skew" in key
files. There's a whole FAQ for IE5.5 on Win2K: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q256/3/40.asp It's always a good idea to see what
the readmes and FAQs have to say before you get yourself hip-deep in an install
of new software. <g> Click to
email this item to a friend So far, the most common complaint
I'm hearing about 5.5 is an apparent loss of speed: Although IE5.5 is supposed
to be faster than earlier versions, some users are seeing a slowdown. (FWIW: I'm
not, on my systems.) One possible cause for a slowdown is
IE5.5's default installation of MSN Messenger: Taking a page from AOL/Netscape's
playbook, Microsoft is now cramming their instant messenger service down our
throats. I didn't like it when AOL did this, or when AOL/Netscape did this, and
I don't like it when Microsoft does it. I know some people can't live
without ICQ, IM or some other instant message service running constantly, but
I'm not one of them. To me, these are fine tools to use on an as-needed basis,
but when they run all the time they're just one more sinkhole for system
resources, CPU cycles and bandwidth. Plus, leaving these apps on all the
time involves broadcasting your presence online. There already have been many
cases of hijacked IM/ICQ accounts and other security problems; and after working
hard to get my PC into hacker-proof "stealth mode" the last thing I
need to do is broadcast my availability: "Hey, hackers, I'm online over
here at this address, and I've left an instant-messaging door open on my
machine--- please come hack me!" No, thanks. So, immediately after installing
IE5.5, I opened Control Panel, went to the Add/Remove Software applet, and nuked
MSN Messenger. If I need it later, I'll install it as a stand-alone app I can
more easily control. There are other speed issues
too: For example, reader Brian asks: Fred, I notice that IE 5
allows 4 downloads simultaneously buy will not allow more until one completes.
Netscape has (or had) a parameter to change the number of threads but I can't
find one in IE. Is there a tweak? maybe this is a topic you would like to
mention in your newsletter? I already did, Brian. <g> See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-03-20.htm#5 In fact, I haven't found *any* IE5.x
tweak that doesn't work in 5.5. Use the Site Search function on http://www.langa.com
to locate previous discussions of IE tweaking. With that info, your copy of
IE5.5 should be as at least as fast as whatever other version you've been using. Click to
email this item to a friend Steve Gibson (of "Shields Up
fame--- http://grc.com ) sent out a
security alert yesterday: Hello fred, The NetZip, Netscape/AOL,
and Real Networks Download Utilities *ARE* Spying On Us! NetZip's "Download
Demon" was purchased by Real Networks and renamed "Real
Download". then Netscape/AOL licensed it from Real and called it
"Netscape Smart Download." By watching the "packet traffic"
flowing in and out of one of my machines while downloading a file through the
Internet, I verified the rumors which you may have heard regarding these
programs All of these programs immediately tag your computer with a unique ID,
after which EVERY SINGLE FILE you download from ANYWHERE on the Internet (even
places that might not be anyone else's business) is immediately reported back to
the program's source where it is logged and recorded along with your machine's
unique ID. They also have the opportunity to capture and record your machine's
unique Internet IP address. This information is then
compiled and used to create a detailed "profile" about who you are
based upon the web sites you visit and the files you have downloaded. Perhaps
you don't mind being watched and tracked as you move around the Internet ... and
then having every file you download logged and cataloged and used to assemble
"your profile". But the idea of this seems extremely invasive to me,
and unless you have carefully read the program's license you might not be aware
that this is going on or that "you agreed to it" when you accepted the
terms of the license! More than 14 Million people
are already using the original NetZip Download Demon. NetZip knows the exact
number, since every copy of their program "phones home" to report on
what their users are doing! And I'm sure people are downloading Real Network's
ReadDownload and Netscape's SmartDownload like crazy. A Class Action lawsuit was
recently filed against Netscape/AOL because of this privacy invasion, so perhaps
the PC industry will begin to receive the message that this sort of secret
spying and profiling is not okay with the rest of us, even if it is buried
within a lengthy license agreement. You decide. And, of course, the next release
of my own OptOut spyware detection and removal utility WILL consider these
programs to be dangerous, and warn its users of their presence in their systems.
But I wanted to be sure that you knew RIGHT AWAY what was going on, and that I
had independently confirmed that this invasive file download tracking really was
occurring. If you have questions or
comments, please see ... Thanks Steve! Click to
email this item to a friend Steve Gibson didn't focus on this in
the item above, but note that the preferred/default method for upgrading all
Netscape browsers also is via Netscape Smart Download. This means *all users of Netscape
browsers* will end up in the AOL download-tracking database. Worse, to use Smart Download, you
have to register at the NetCenter site--- so AOL/Netscape will have your name,
email, and other personal info on file. This means they can (if they choose)
associate your downloads with *you* individually and specifically, and not just
with some arbitrary machine-generated ID. This is so wrong it's beyond words.
Alas, it's also very, very typical of AOL's abusive approach to end-users;
seeing them only as passive targets for advertising. Sigh. Click to
email this item to a friend A recent item on the difficulty of
getting AOL to work on Win2K ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-07-06.htm#8
) brought several responses, including this workaround from reader Mary
Nelson. Fred, I am using AOL 4.0 16
bit version on my Win 2K computer at work and have used it on Win NT 4.0. It is
probably not the best or easiest to use program out there for Win 2k or Win NT
4.0, but it can be used. If there is a beta available now the 16 bit version can
be installed, get the beta, then remove the 16 bit version. I found out the hard
way that you can't use Norton's Live Update with this version of AOL. The link
below has several versions of AOL, including the one for Win 3.1, 16 bit. You
don't have to have AOL installed to get it from there, either. http://www.newaol.com/zdnet/downloadaol5121378.adp Your AOL Langa List
subscribers who are running Win 2k or Win NT might like to have this
information. I enjoy the Langa List very
much. Thanks, Mary Nelson Thanks, Mary. It's still a bit of a
run-around to get it installed, but it's good to know how, if someone wants to
use AOL on Win2K. (But please see the items above--- I recommend you approach
AOL and *all their products* with extreme caution.) Click to
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email this item to a friend Do you have a home page or website?
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A while ago, we ran a pile of
variants on "Murphy's Laws." (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/mar-02-00.htm#8
and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/mar-6-00.htm#10
) Frequent writer Rogergri offers this
follow-on: You've heard of Murphy's
Law Everything that can go wrong will.......at the worst possible time and in
the worst possible way. There are other related Laws: After your hands become
coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch. --Lorenz's Law of Mechanical
Repair Identical parts aren't.
--Beach's Law Any tool, when dropped,
will roll to the least accessible corner. --Anthony's Law of the Workshop Nothing is as inevitable as
a mistake whose time has come. --Tussman's Law If it jams, force it. If it
breaks, it needed replacing anyway. --Lowery's Law The solution to a problem
changes the problem. --Peer's Law There is no mechanical
problem so difficult that it cannot be solved by brute strength and ignorance.
--William's Law Machines should work.
People should think. --IBM's Pollyanna Principle The most ineffective
workers shall be moved systematically to the place where they can do the least
damage. --The Dilbert Principle The first rule of
intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts. --Ehrlich's Law It is a mistake to allow
any mechanical object to realize that you are in a hurry. --Ralph's Observation If you tell the boss you
were late for work because you had a flat tire, the next morning you will have a
flat tire. --Cannon's Comment The newer the carpet the
greater the likelihood that the bread will land jelly side down.-- Law of
inevitable consequences. Thinly sliced cabbage.
--Cole's Law Click to
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