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The LangaList
Standard Edition
2001-08-20
A Free Email Newsletter from
Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware,
Software, and Time Online
Please
visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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1)
He's Ba-a-a-a-a-ck!
Vacation was wonderful (and a big
"thank you" to all who sent along their good wishes). But it's back to business
now....
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2)
Is Microsoft XP's "Product Activation" A Privacy Risk?
Microsoft's forthcoming "XP" operating system and the Office XP suites/apps
(such as Word 2002, Excel 2002, etc) all use an anti-piracy system called
"Windows Product Activation," or WPA:
Once you've installed XP software, the WPA system keeps track of how many
times you've launched the software and/or how much time has passed. Before the
end of a Microsoft-determined amount of time or number of launches, you must---
*must*--- register the software or it reverts to a reduced functionality mode.
The allowed number of launches and time varies by product. For example, after
50 launches without registration, Office XP will let you view your documents,
but not change them or create new ones. With the Windows XP OS, you get 30 days
before you must register.
OK, you might say, so what?
Why not just evade the mandatory registration by making up fake information and
registering from a throwaway email account?
You can't. Here's why:
When you register XP software, the registration process creates and sends to
Microsoft a unique 50-digit numeric fingerprint or code that is a combination of
the serial number of your copy of XP, plus additional information about 10 major
hardware elements in your system:
But that's not all. Even when it's been fully registered, the WPA component
wakes up from time to time to verify that it's still on the original system
where it was first installed; and it "phones home" to check with the central
Microsoft database to make sure it's still indeed a registered copy. If
anything's amiss, your software reverts to reduced-functionality mode.
So, with WPA, Microsoft is quite literally *forcing*
registration: Microsoft wants your full-fare money for the software *and*
they want to know who you are and what PC you're using--- and you better give it
to them pronto, buster, or they'll cripple your software!
Sheesh!
There's lots more to the WPA story, and I've made this large and important
topic the focus of the current InformationWeek column, live now at
http://www.informationweek.com/851/langa.htm . (If you arrive early, the
link won't work: just try again a little later.) Or, you can use the general
"front door" to InformationWeek.Com's "Listening Post:"
http://www.informationweek.com/LP/
In that new column, we'll discuss all the above, plus: exactly what is--- and
is not--- being "phoned home" by WPA; how much latitude you'll have in changing
your system before the WPA decides to cripple your software; things you may not
know about product licensing; how the malicious hacker community is responding;
and lots more.
How do you feel about being *forced* to register your software? How do you
feel about WPA monitoring your hardware setup? What about its phone-home
activity? Or its ability to cripple your software setup? Do you think WPA will
prevent piracy, or will it simply drive people to less-expensive and
user-friendlier competitors? Will you use XP?
Your voice is your vote--- please join the discussion!
http://www.informationweek.com/851/langa.htm
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3)
Insider's Views On Tech Support
In the last issue's "Tech Support
Runaround" (
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-07-30.htm#3 ) I said "I have a
lot of sympathy for good support techs: They somehow manage to be part geek,
part guru, part diplomat... and part telepath. 8-)" And it's true--- good
supports techs are gems.
But I also lambasted bad techs,
including those who dispense false information (such as "you must have 80%
system resources free in order to stay connected online") as a way to avoid
solving their customers' real problems.
Three present/former support techs
wrote in, and their notes were eye-opening. (To spare them any embarrassment,
I'll withhold their full names.)
First, a note from "Andrew:"
Let me preface by saying I
used to work at a major CRM (Customer Relationship Management) company who
provides support for companies like Dell, AOL/Time Warner, MSN and Palm. I could
be considered a disgruntled ex-employee but I don't consider myself one as I
left under my own free will and am now employed in a field I enjoy much more.
The most important point I
want to make is that most large companies do not provide their own tech support.
They rely on outsourcers who will hire just about anyone. At the company I
worked for, they were constantly hiring new people because the employee turnover
rate was something like 90 percent. They would hire people without any computer
skills whatsoever and call them "Technical Support Engineers." I worked as a
support representative for MSN Internet Access and they considered everyone
ready to take calls after a week of training. Some people even attended a
pre-training seminar so they could gain basic computer skills.
The next issue is that the
support reps are under a lot of pressure from their companies to keep their
"handle time" down. The outsourcers like to show the client that they have taken
X number of calls per day, so reps are given a specific time to shoot for each
call. At my company, in the section I worked for, it was no longer than eight
minutes. So in order to get good evaluations and keep their jobs, the techs are
pressured to get people off the phone as quickly as possible.
Now, more specific to this
issue. The CRMs like to hide behind "support boundaries" (what the tech can and
cannot discuss) and enjoy referring callers to their OEM whenever possible
because it cuts their handle time way down. During my training, I was told that
a person required 80% system resources free in order to stay connected. I knew
this was false but watched as the others took it to heart and used it
frequently.
So basically my point is
that the techs are not always lazy, they are under-trained, under-skilled and
under a hell of a lot of pressure. The people they hire are generally those who
can't afford to lose their jobs and like to stay in good standing with the
quality control department. --- Andrew
Here's note #2, from "Craig:"
Fred: I'd like to add my 2
cents to a readers comment about not being able to connect to his ISP because of
low system resources. First I would like to preface my comment by saying I do
not necessarily agree, but it is a REQUIREMENT of keeping my job.
I am a Level One Help Desk
Tech. Although I do not work for one of the Major ISP organizations, I can
assume the process is similar for most all Help Desk Techs. At my place of
business we use "scripts". You hit the nail right on the head when you said that
80-90 percent system resources ensure no conflicts with "their" program. We are
told that 85% system resources are required for optimum performance of any one
particular program.
What you are not told
(although I offer the info to customers), is that you may have an older
software-based or Win modem.
It has been my experience
that 10% of the population are still using these while 90% have moved beyond
these to the more stable Hardware based modems.
If you ran a business,
would you gear it towards the 10% or the 90% ?
I'm not saying it is right,
but these "scripts" are what we are asked to follow. You can ask to talk to a
Supervisor but have to remember, he started where I was at one time. The only
difference is he has the scripts memorized!
Finally, I would like to
add, take a minute when installing programs. Don't let it default to the startup
Menu. So many people call me and upon booting their computer have to close 4 or
5 programs, before getting to the desktop. This comes from unconsciously hitting
[ENTER] when installing the program and letting the program install in the
STARTUP Menu. --- Craig
And #3 from "Randy:"
Fred, While the techs were
out to lunch on their recommendation to their customer, you were right on the
mark, if not forceful enough in your analysis. In my experience doing Tech
Support for a small ISP the vast majority of the time a customer is having
frequent disconnects the culprit is either the Modem or the Modem driver. I have
seen modem drivers that were 2 years old in a "New" modem right off the shelf. I
could go on about modems but I will just recommend the two best modem related
sites on the Web.
http://808hi.com/56k/index.htm and
http://www.vee90.net
The first site takes a little more effort to find what you need but the time is
well spent. BTW, Love your newsletter. ---Randy
Thanks, guys!
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4)
Gator-Alternatives Form-Filler...
In "Gator Fan Has Misgivings" (
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-07-30.htm#8 ) we discussed why
some users--- myself included--- avoid adware/phone-home apps like Gator, even
though it's a fine form-filler.
Many readers immediately wrote to
suggest the same alternative--- obviously very popular. Scott Beauchamp was the
first:
With regards to your and many others, including myself, concerns over Gator's
use and storage of private info here is a great password/identity form filling
program manager with great integration with IE. It is called AI Roboform and is
free for personal use, it is located at
http://www.siber.com/roboform , it indicates complete privacy and respect to
personal info, ie not spyware/adware like Gator. Also, a interesting free
security/privacy surfing web site is
http://www.safeweb.com .
Thanks for a great newsletter!
Thanks to all who wrote in!
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5)
...And Alternative StartUp Editors
That same newsletter also had info
on "A Free Startup Editor" (
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-07-30.htm#2 ), which prompted
numerous readers to suggest their favorites:
Fred, I read about the IBS Startup
editor freeware. Here's another great tool for doing this 17-year-old Mike Lin's
"Startup Control Panel" freeware
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml I also recommend his "StartupMonitor"
freeware. And check out his "misc" software page. "Insert ToggleKey" alarm is
great. --- John Byers (John was the first of a *flood* of readers to recommend
that tools, and indeed all of Mike Lin's offerings.)
Hi Fred, Although IBS Startup is a
nice software, the best startup freeware I found is ZDnet's Startup Cop at
http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-1461989-100-5943130.html "Startup
Cop helps you handle problems with programs that are automatically launched at
startup by listing them and letting you disable, enable, or delete them. You can
save the list of programs that are currently enabled or disabled as a profile
that can be restored at a later time". You also see complete details on each
item." Good stuff !! ---
Eran Rosenmann
Thanks, Eran and John, and all who
wrote in!
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6)
Recovering System Resources
In discussing how "low resources"
per se cannot be the reason for modem disconnects, some readers wondered about
the general issue of "system resources:"
Is there any program that recovers system resources? I find that my resources
continually diminish especially when I open several IE windows. When I close IE,
I get few of the resources back. --- Ed Kertz
In fact, there's a whole four-part
series on system resources--- what they really are, why they're unrelated to the
amount of RAM you have in Win9x, how to manage them and prevent "memory leaks,
and more--- at
http://content.techweb.com/winmag/columns/explorer/2000/14.htm
And, as a gentle reminder, there's
tons and tons of similar, in-depth info available at
http://www.freetune.com/most_popular_pages.htm . Bookmark that page, and
when you run into a Win9X problem, there's an excellent chance you'll find an
answer there! <g>
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7)
Another Excellent Reference Site
In "*This* Is Cool" (
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-07-30.htm#6 ) I mentioned a great
site (
http://library.albany.edu/internet/choose.html ) that helps you pinpoint the
best-possible search engine to use for whatever specific search you're doing: It
lets you match the tool to the job.
Many of you--- something like 15,000
in the first day--- took my advice and visited that site!
Reader Kathryn Frech--- a
professional librarian--- then wrote in to suggest another great site,
conceptually similar, but executed quite differently:
You'll probably like librarian
Debbie Abilock's Nueva School Library page "Choose the Best Search Engine for
Your Information Needs" at
http://nuevaschool.org/~debbie/library/research/adviceengine.html .
It doesn't have as many suggested
engines as the Univ. of Albany site, but, unlike the latter, it includes
descriptions of the sites it suggests...This site has been well-known to school
librarians for several years; I'm sure other folks would find it useful as
well. (And, yes, I link to it from my own library website.)
Thanks, Kathryn!
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8)
Ken De Pree Got His Gift Certificate. Want One?
Reader Ken De Pree just got his
no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item
at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys, and
more. He got it by using the "Recommend" link at
http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm .
If you use that link to recommend the LangaList to a friend, your
friend may find a new source of useful information, I may gain a new
subscriber; and you just may win a gift certificate, just as Ken
did. (Full details are available via that link.) The more times you
make a recommendation, the greater your chances are of winning!
Or, if you'd like to try to win $10,000 (really!), try this link (full
details also available here):
http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=143182
Either way, thank you, and good
luck!
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9)
More Reader Sites!
Do you have a home page or website?
(It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to
http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the hundreds and
hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If you've already
"Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the
Langa.Com web site, please see
http://www.langa.com/link.txt )
Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some
professional, some very personal:
View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site From
Among All Listed
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm
Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting
At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm
Computer Upkeep (Phoenix area)
http://www.compupkeep.com/
Boomer's Funnies
http://members.home.net/rlau5/
Channel News Items
http://www.wattleweb.com/40plus/channel_news.htm
Aardvark Clubgear
http://www.4-club.co.uk/index.html
Spaffy
http://www.spaffy.cjb.net/
MediaHutch
http://www.mediahutch.homestead.com/
Pilots Assoc. (St. Louis Chapter)
http://www.baricko.net/
R-Complaints
http://www.r-complaints.com/
Applied Data Solutions
http://www.appliedds.com/index.shtml
97 Hours In A Hot Tub, And More
http://www.steveandnataliebooker.com/
Beelzebulb Graphics (free stuff)
http://www.beelzebulb.com/
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10)
Ontrack Replies Re: Partition Issues
In "Drive Manager Messes Up
Partitioning" (
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-08-02.htm#6 ) I said:
Some replacement or add-on
hard drives ship with special installation and "BIOS translation" software on a
hidden partition or in special, nonstandard formats on part of the hard drive;
the software normally works behind the scenes, and helps get the new drive
working even on older systems or in cases where the user may have no previous
experience installing a hard drive. That's good.
But the same software can
get in the way of users who want to set things up their own way, or use
partition-imaging software such as Ghost or Drive Image.
We then discussed the problems a
reader had in trying to get a hard drive management//installation utility off
his hard drive.
That, in turn, prompted this note
from reader Mark Formo, who works as an Applications Engineer at Ontrack Data
International, Inc.:
Fred, As a faithful reader of your
column, you have provided me with plenty of helpful information. Although once
in a while there are times when I've come close to responding, adding tips from
my experiences or whatever, this time I felt information provided was not only
not accurate, it was not in the best interests of the general computing public.
Whether I was an employee of the
company who created Disk Manager (which I happen to be) or not, I'd have to say
the "Drive Manager" Messes Up Partitioning article did a disservice not only to
Ontrack and IBM, but to PC users as a whole.
Low level formatting to remove the
Disk Manager 'Dynamic Drive Overlay' (DDO) is like using a grenade to kill a
fly... it is extreme overkill... only the unknowing would attempt something like
that... .
Here are the simple steps to remove
the DDO
1. User must have a bootable DOS
diskette which has fdisk on it
2. Boot DIRECTLY to a floppy diskette (so the overlay does not load from the
hard disk)
3. Type 'fdisk /mbr' and press Enter
Poof, it's GONE, now repartition and
format as you wish....
If you have a problem with a
program, FIRST, contact the manufacturer and/or distributor of the program in
question. Or if that doesn't work, try Google and type in the company name
followed by the software name... Google almost unfailingly will bring you to the
company's doorstep. Or further, add FAQ's and/or Tech Support to the Google
search and most likely the user will be provided the link to the exact page!
Thanks, Mark. Your advice is good;
but it must be said that when you get to things like hidden files/partitions,
custom boot records, and use of the poorly-documented /MBR switch, you're well
beyond the experience of most average computer users. In fact, most users have
been almost completely shielded from low-level PC operations for so long that
they either have literally never, ever used the command line or booted to DOS,
or only did so only many years ago and have lost proficiency in DOS commands.
It's a tiny minority of users who remain current in DOS operations.
For example, check out the first
paragraphs of this article:
http://content.techweb.com/winmag/columns/explorer/1999/1011.htm Note
that the article is two years old; command line/DOS skill; have only atrophied
that much further in the intervening years.
So, Mark is right: Check the vendor
web sites first. many offer tools and information that can help dig you out of
whatever hole you're in. But if the information you encounter seems arcane (DOS
can seem very weird, at first...) check out excellent resources such as these:
http://www.easydos.com/
http://www.cableyorkton.com/users/gbraun/batch/
http://www.google.com/search?q=learn+dos
There's lots of DOS info here too:
http://www.freetune.com/most_popular_pages.htm
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11)
Just For Grins
An appropriate "after vacation" item
BEST T-SHIRTS OF THE SUMMER (from
"Bob Levey's Washington")
1. (around a picture of dandelions)
I Fought the Lawn and the Lawn Won
2. My Wife Is A Travel Agent For Guilt Trips
3. I Just Do What The Voices Inside My Head Tell Me To Do
4. (Worn by a pregnant woman) A Man Did This To Me, Oprah
5. Senior Citizen: Just Give Me My Discount
6. Princess, Having Had Sufficient Experience With Princes, Seeks Frog
7.(on the back of a passing motorcyclist) If You Can Read This, My Wife Fell Off
8. I Used To Be Schizophrenic, But We're OK Now
9. (Over the outline of the state of Minnesota) My Governor Can Beat Up Your
Governor
10. I Didn't Climb to the Top of the Food Chain to Be a Vegetarian
11. Liberal Arts Major...Will Think For Money
12. IRS -- Be Audit You Can Be
13. Gravity...It's Not Just a Good Idea. It's the Law.
14. If You Want Breakfast In Bed, Sleep In the Kitchen
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12)
Plus! Edition Highlights
Today's LangaList Plus! Edition
contains all 11 items above, plus about 30% more content including: An
exclusive, Plus!-subscribers-only, four-part miniseries called "No PC? No
problem!" that details many FREE and low-cost ways to cope if you unexpectedly
find yourself without PC access due to theft, loss, fire/flood/physical damage,
a major software problem, or other trouble that leaves you dead in the water
with no way to get to your e-mail or files.
With this information, even if your
main PC is completely trashed, you can still get back online in a flash; regain
access to your email (even if it's on a private POP3 server); and possibly even
regain access to your essential files. And it all involves FREE or low-cost
services!
Plus! Edition info:
http://www.langa.com/plus.htm
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See you next issue!
Best,
Fred
(fred@langa.com)
Please
recommend
the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I)
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