How To Subscribe and Unsubscribe is at the end of this note. Mailing List Trouble? See http://www.langa.com/help.htm
Questions about the advertisers? See the end of this note. Please also see legal notices at the end of this note. LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000 !)

An easier-to read formatted HTML version of this newsletter is available
<a href=" http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-11-15.htm ">here</a>

The LangaList
Standard Edition

2001-11-15

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!

1) Don't Shoot The Messenger!

A number of readers have been dismayed at the amount of our recent XP coverage, even though I tried to explain in http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-10-29.htm#1 that:

...the release of XP is momentous not only because it's a new version of Windows, but because it also represents the end of the line for Windows 9x....

That's not a figurative "end of the line" Starting NEXT MONTH, Microsoft will begin pulling the plug on support for Win9x. Support, you see, is an expense for Microsoft. It can maximize its profits by shutting down support for older products and pushing everyone towards buying newer, supported Microsoft products.

We've covered this momentous change earlier in the newsletter--- indeed, it's one of the main reasons underlying our XP coverage--- but I guess it slipped by many readers. So let me be as clear as possible: Next month (December 2001) Microsoft will cease to provide support for MS DOS, Windows 3.xx, and Windows NT 3.5x; and support will become limited for Win95, Win95 OSR1 and Win95 OSR2.

Seven months from now, in June 2002, Microsoft will cease to provide full support for Win98, Win98SE, and WinNT4.x.

That's right: Starting next month and ending next June, the overwhelming majority of current Windows users will find themselves operating OS versions that the vendor--- Microsoft--- either doesn't support, or only partially supports!

As we discussed in this newsletter as far back as last August, Microsoft has moved to a standard 3-year product lifecycle now: That's all you can expect to get by way of formal support from Microsoft for *all* their products. (There's also a limited "extended support" available for one year after after the mainstream support shuts down; this looks as if it will be mainly "paid support" on a per-call basis.)

As the first part of moving to this new support model, Microsoft is playing "catch up" with a bunch of older products, phasing out their support almost all at once By Microsoft's decision, Win98, 95 and 3.x, plus NT 3 and 4, and DOS, have all more or less simultaneously reached the end of their support lifetimes.

This has enormous implications for the entire computer industry, and indeed for every user of Microsoft products.

For one thing, it means that users of these products need to get their systems in good order and fully backed up SOON so that these systems can become more or less self-contained as official Microsoft support dries up.

If you use Ghost or Drive Image or a similar tool and make a copy of your system when it's as lean, clean, patched, and optimized as you can get it, you'll always be able to get back to that perfect setup whenever you need to in the future.

But if you don't want to make disk images, then it might be a good idea to download all the various patches, service packs and updates that are available for your OS, and keep these downloads handy so you can reinstall them from your hard drive or a backup CD or tape, as needed, in the future.

Microsoft's general download sites are at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp and http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/downloads/itdownloads/default.asp . There's also a good Win98-specific download site at http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/corporate.asp .

Once you have your system patched and up to date, you can also find a ton of info for tuning, tweaking and perfecting your Windows setup at http://www.langa.com/search.htm , http://www.langalist.com/plus/archives/archives.asp and http://www.freetune.com/most_popular_pages.htm .

Much of what appears in this newsletter is not very version-specific, and I'm not planning to change that at all. Thus, no matter what version of Windows you run, you should still find lots of utility here. As for specific version coverage, we'll indeed continue to present Win9x information for as long as significant numbers of readers are using it (my guess: quite a while). In fact, as Microsoft support dries up, user-to-user information sharing--- always a mainstay of this newsletter--- will become more important than ever!

But as time goes on, more and more people will move to other (supported) OSes; and our coverage here in the newsletter will have to shift as reader needs shift. Our coverage of XP is in line with that: For example, XP already comes on almost all new PCs sold today; you almost can't avoid it.

But no matter what, with your good feedback, we can find the mix of content and topics that provides maximum usefulness for the maximum number of people: That's my simple goal.

And by the way, Microsoft's "Desktop Product Lifecycle Guidelines" affect *all* their products--- not just operating systems. If you want to see when Microsoft will pull the plug on support for *your* software, check out http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycleconsumer.asp and http://support.microsoft.com/directory/discontinue.asp .

But please: If you're unhappy with this turn of events or at the imminent demise of support for your Microsoft products, please focus your anger at Microsoft, not at me! Don't shoot the messenger! <g>

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

2) Security Patch SNAFU #1

In the last issue, I told you about a Microsoft scripting vulnerability for which there was  no good fix--- beyond turning off scripting. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-11-12.htm#2 ).

Alas, as a number of readers immediately discovered, turning off scripting means you can't access many sites. For instance, Rob Cofer was the first to write in about this marvelous Catch-22:

Microsoft suggests disabling Active Scripting until they can come up with a patch. They tell you that you can run Windows Update when the patch is available. But after making this "temporary security fix" I tried running Windows Update... You get the following:

...Windows Update uses ActiveX Controls and active scripting to display content correctly and to determine which updates apply to your computer.... Active scripting must be set to enabled ...

Ironically, as I wrote this issue, a patch for the problem just became available at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-055.asp . Depending on what you did to protect yourself earlier, you may need to turn scripting back on to grab the patch. After that, assuming this patch doesn't contain more problems--- you should be OK.

But be careful: The patch was clearly done in haste. For example, as I write this, the title of the patch download page is "Please Add Title!" (Really!)

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

I also recently told you how  a security patch designed to correct a problem with "Universal Plug and Play"  ended up causing crashes and instabilities on WinME systems. (The patch worked OK on other systems.)

Microsoft has hastily re-released the patch. This time, they say, it works on WinME systems.

Patch and more info:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms01-054.asp

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

4) Even Cheaper Linux CDs

Several readers--- "Stu" and Tim Coffey were the first--- wrote in to suggest an amazingly cheap way to buy Linux CDs if you don't want to do the very large downloads yourself. Here's Stu's letter:

Fred, Thanks for the piece on Mandrake, us Mandrake users really appreciate the plug. Just FYI (but you probably already know) you can get the 3 CD set of Mandrake 8.1 at http://cheapbytes.com  for $5.49 plus shipping....

Of course this is just the CDs and NOT the retail version with the book and the pretty box..

Thanks, Stu and Tim. Indeed, these are just the raw setup/install CDs--- same as if you'd downloaded the ISO images yourself. If you need a printed manual and tech support, then it'd probably be better to buy a full retail version of Linux. (It's still a lot cheaper than any Microsoft OS.) But if you just want the OS itself to explore, the free downloads (e.g. http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-11-08.htm#9 ) or the cheap CDs are the way to go.

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

5) "Do You Recommend Norton?"

Fred, I was wondering if you might comment on whether you use or would promote using Norton System Works to help fix problems with your PC? Thanks, John Schlaack

On Win9X, Norton's "WinDoctor" and "SpeedDisk" are (IMHO) great tools: The former does a very good job of cleaning up problems with the Registry, invalid shortcuts, etc; and the latter blows the doors off Win9x's own defragger. Norton AntiVirus also is one of the best, if not the best, commercial AV tools.

The Norton suite is less strong in other versions of Windows. In Windows 2K and XP, for example, the AV tool cannot operate invisibly (you're forced to deal with dialogs and notification windows even for the most routine of scanning problems); and SpeedDisk cannot automatically order the files on your drive in a most-used/fastest-access fashion (you have to figure it out manually).

I've also found conflicts between Norton's WinDoctor and Powerquest's Drive Image 5 on XP; on my system WinDoctor's "repair" hoses DI5 so badly that XP totally freezes and requires a power-off reboot. (Yes, despite claims to the contrary, XP can totally hang too, just like other versions of Windows.)

Various versions of Norton's also have had stability and support problems.

Despite these flaws, and on balance, yes, I think Norton's is worth having. But like all software, it has its warts and weirdnesses, too. It's good, but not a panacea.

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

6) Spread The Word!

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win $10,000 for your trouble (full details also available via this link):
http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=143182

Or, win a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys... and more. To have a shot at winning, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win a $30 Gift Certificate! (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm

Either way, thank you again, and good luck!

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

7) How Much Browser Cache Is Too Much?

I'd never seen that "80MB" tip, but I agree; that's enormous. I usually set the cache at 10 MB, and have noticed no problems at all.

Cache performance will vary hugely depending on whether you visit a few relatively static sites, or a large number of unique sites, or sites that change substantially from visit to visit. A cache will help a lot in the first case, but not much at all in the latter. So it's hard to give definitive answers.

But it's easy to test: Just try various smallish caches and in/decrease the size as desired until you find the smallest cache that works for your style of surfing. (In IE6, it's Tools/Internet Options and then the Settings button under Temporary Internet files. Other browsers have similar settings.) Start with 5 or 10 MB, and experiment from there. It's easy!

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

8) They Loaded The Code

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
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm

WorldWide Web Cams
http://www.worldoncam.net/

ROYAL ANTEDILUVIAN ORDER OF BUFFALOES
http://fp.borobuffs.plus.com/start.htm

Native Knowledge (Info sharing)
http://nativeknow.proboards.com/

Weather Buff's Site
http://members.home.net/toubes1/weather/myweather.html

Nightowl's Hjemmeside
http://www.nightowl.nyka.dk/index.html

Rincon Puerto Rico
http://www.islandmon.com/index.htm

Pain/Chronic Illness
http://politicsofpain.homestead.com/index.html

"Make Your Business A Success On The Internet"
http://www.jannowebsolutions.com/index.cfm

Western Partner and Couples Dance Info
http://www.davidandjanet.co.uk/

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

9) Outlook Express + McAffee = Lost Mail?

This odd item cropped up on "The Register:"

Outlook Express users who also use McAfee's antivirus software have reported suffering from mysterious cases of disappearing email.

An intermittent problem involving the interaction of Windows 2000 or XP with McAfee VirusScan 4.5.1 and Outlook Express 6 means that the index file to existing email folders can become damaged when a user downloads new mail. In extreme cases folders are trashed - all users get is a message saying Welcome to Outlook Express 6 as if they were a new user.

A similar problem involving Outlook Express 5.5 means that all saved mail in a user's Inbox goes away when users download new email. The messages are still present in the .dbx file used by Outlook Express but as the index is damaged, users can't read them from the email client itself....
 

I haven't had this problem, so I can't verify that it's true. But for more info, see: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/22427.html

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

10) Just For Grins

Here's a different sort of grin--- but one I'm sure will cause a broad smile if you're lucky enough to see it:

Hi Fred. I have a link to a nasa site that tells about the Leonid Meteor Shower that is going to happen next Sunday night. I don't know how many of your readers are into Astronomy, but this particular shower is supposed to be one of the most dazzling displays in the last ten to twenty years.

So I thought it might be interesting to many of your fan base. Here is the link that describes where and when the best sightings will occur. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast08nov_1.htm

I hope this can get to everyone before next Sunday night. Thanks --- TLather

Actually, there will be two peaks to the meteor storm, giving people a reasonable shot at seeing something interesting no matter where you live.

And I do mean "storm:" A meteor shower is when you see a "shooting star" every minute or two or three; a meteor *storm* is when you can see possibly thousands of meteors per hours--- truly celestial fireworks. And no telescope is needed: Meteor showers and storms are best seen with the plain old unaided human eyeball. 8-)

It may take staying up late or getting up early, but it could be a show of a lifetime!

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
Frustrated by Outlook's Email Attachment Filters?;
Nice (Free!) Windows Navigational Add-On;
Backing Up OE Files

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 30% more content including: A clever use of separate software to recover email attachments that otherwise might be swallowed by Outlook's attachment-filters; a small, free tool that can simplify folder navigation in Windows; and how to find where Windows has stashed your Outlook Express data files.

Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm 

Click to email this item to a friend
  http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm

return to top of page

See you next issue!

Best,

Fred
(fred@langa.com)

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I)

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://www.langa.com.  (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site.

return to top of page

Administrivia:

UNSUBSCRIBE: From the same email account you used to sign up with), send an email to
unsubscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net

SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Create and send a new email to
subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net

CHANGE ADDRESS? LIST TROUBLE? HAVE QUESTIONS? OTHER PROBLEM? NEED HELP? See http://www.langa.com/help.htm

This is a 100% OPT-IN newsletter: See http://www.langa.com/info.htm

About the advertisers: http://www.langa.com/privacy.htm#ads

Disclaimer: http://www.langa.com/legal.htm  In brief: All information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from your choosing to use of any information presented here.

This newsletter is a free service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 1997-2005 Fred Langa/ Langa Consulting LLC. All worldwide rights reserved. LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156

return to top of page