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The
LangaList
Standard Edition
2001-11-26
A Free Email Newsletter from
Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware,
Software, and Time Online
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1) Yes Or No: Upgrade To XP?
Fred: Is there any good reason to upgrade to XP? Over the years I have learned how to properly load, tweak, update, and fine
tune Win98. It normally will run for me no matter what. Or it won't and it's
usually caused by an app. or hardware.... [so] Is there any good reason to upgrade to XP?
--- Lowell Fuher
Man, I wish there were one-size-fits-all answers for
things like this! Alas, the reality is that the answers will be different for
everyone. But here's how you can decide for yourself:
In general, one can always say that if your current OS does what you need,
and if you're comfortable with it, then there's absolutely no reason to switch.
In this specific case, a properly tuned and maintained installation of Win98SE is a fine, acceptably stable OS that's
also compatible with an enormous range of hardware and software. It's not
"broken" so there's no need to fix it.
But the clock is ticking on Win98 support. Sooner or
later--- sooner, if Microsoft has its way--- there'll be no more patches and
updates for Win98. The OS could become a maintenance problem, unable to keep up
with new standards, threats, and developments; new apps and utilities may
eventually refuse to install and run on the old OS. This may in itself be reason
enough to consider moving to another OS, especially if you depend on
your PC to maintain essential information. It's not that Win98 is broken; but
the prospect of being left behind, unsupported, may be unacceptable.
As with so many things, it's a judgment call: Only you know what's best
for you. Bill Gates doesn't know; the guy at the computer store doesn't know; I don't know--- only *you* know.
That's why I opened a discussion on the real-life pros and cons of XP; the
discussion is still running in the InformationWeek site. To get the ball
rolling, I listed the five best
and five worst things I've found about XP, and invited readers to add their own.
With this kind of real-life information from users like yourself, you can
weigh the benefits and problems that switching to XP will likely yield, and make
an informed decision.
The best/worst article is at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20011115S0014 and the discussion is at
http://www.informationweek.com/forum/Fred Langa .
Please join in!
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2) Alert: "Critical" Media Player Security
Problem
Windows Media Player 6.4, 7, 7.1, and 8 (a.k.a. "Media
Player for Windows XP") all share some security problems, most of which relate
back to a problem in the 6.4 version that got picked up and carried forward in
the newer versions.
The most serious flaw is another "unchecked buffer"--- one of many,
many similar problems that have come to light across a huge range of Microsoft
software: It's almost as if there's a programmatic blind spot in Redmond that's
led to an astonishing number of "unchecked buffer" issues.
In this case, a malicious coder could use this problem to crash Media Player;
or more seriously, the "code chosen by the attacker could be made to run on the
user's computer, with the privileges of the user."
For more info and a patch, see:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-056.asp
However, that page refers some users to a patch and
others to the Windows Update site. But the latter has no such download yet
available. So, once again, it appears that Microsoft has hastily slapped
together a patch without working out all the details. Man, oh, man.
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3) Backups, Part One:
"Shadow" Failures
I received email from some readers who asserted that I'm dead wrong; that
XP's "shadow copying" and other tricks can indeed ensure that all files--- including
in-use files--- are copied. (See
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-11-19.htm#3 )
So, I did a simple test, using XP Pro's shadow
copying. I shut down all foreground applications, fired up the backup applet,
set it to copy everything (including system state) with shadow-copying enabled,
and went for a coffee break. When I came back I looked at the logfile, which
said:
Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy....
Reverting to non-shadow copy backup mode....
The "error" was that 14 system files could not be
backed up because they were in use. The logfile listed the culprits: Some of them were temp or system log files,
and so probably wouldn't have mattered in a routine restore operation: As long
as the user data gets restored properly, that's the main thing.
But even if the user data were read back correctly, the system would not be
in the same state was it was at the moment of backup--- it would, at most, be in
a similar state. If you're trying to ensure that the complete system state is
restored 100% to the way it was before you encountered some problem, then a
shadow-copy backup may not be adequate: It might miss some files that were in a
dynamic state when the backup was made.
And that's the problem: You can't be sure. To the best of my knowledge, the only way to ensure
completely that you have
absolutely *everything*, in any desktop OS (not just XP, but Win9x/ME/2K or any
OS that marks files as in-use) is to shut down the main OS and clone the
inert bits from the hard drive; not as they are while in use.
But that creates problems of its own, as described in the next item.
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4) Backups, Part Two:
Big Drives And Automation
You always recommend CD-R's over tape...but I am confused. If CD-R's only hold 650 MB and you have a 10 GIG hard drive, how do you mange to do a full system backup? It would take more than 15 CD's! That is why I see the tape option so attractable...you pop it in and forget it. With CD-R's you have to baby-sit it and put in another one every ten minutes. Is there something I am missing here?
--Nate Houk
You're not missing anything, Nate. That can indeed be a problem, even with the
high-capacity CDs that hold 700 MB or so.
I used to use a trick, described in earlier articles: With Win98/ME, I had
things set up so my essential, core OS and user files were in one 2 GB
partition; I'd install nonessential apps to another partition. With data
compression, the primary 2GB partition would fit nicely on a single CD, letting me
easily make a daily backup of my files and system settings.
But Win2K and XP are both bigger than Win98. My copy of XP Pro, for
example, with my essential, must-back-up user files and a normal complement of applications, currently occupies about
3 GB of an 8 GB partition. (I still have many static files on other partitions;
I still keep nonessential stuff out of the way on other partitions, separate
from the files that need regular and routine backup.)
But three GB is way more than will fit on a single CD, even with
compression, so I've developed a hybrid backup
method:
For routine daily (or more often) backups of user data and the basic system
state, I use Windows' built-in backup applet, and save the backup files to a separate
partition. I then employ a script to automatically change the name of the
backup to a date-based name (so I can keep many backups straight), and to run
WinZip in command-line mode to place the renamed backup file in a maximally compressed,
password-protected Zip file. I have this backup/rename/compress operation run
automatically in the middle of the night, every night, and also on demand when
I'm about to make any significant system change.
I still use Drive Image to capture "all the bits"
(see previous item) and to ensure I can roll my
entire system back to a known-good state; I have DI5 set up to run automatically twice a
week in the middle of the night, and I also run it manually before any really major
system change. I use DI5's "Quick Image" to clone my entire C:
partition using maximum data compression, and automatically to split the backup
file into pieces that will fit onto separate CDs, and to password-protect the whole thing.
DI5 places these CD-sized files in the same directory where I store the normal
daily backup files--- on a separate partition, away from my main files.
Thus, every morning, I sit down to find the system has backed up all my
essential data into a ZIP file; and twice a week I also find that Drive Image
has kicked in to clone my entire C: partition. I burn these files to CDs, and
store the CDs offsite for maximum safety. (The DI5 all-the-bits backup currently fits on 2
CDs; the Zip-compressed backup files, representing my most valuable and
rapidly-changing data, currently
run around 200 MB, so they easily fit on a single CD).
Every couple weeks, when I start to run out of disk
space from the accumulating backup files, I delete the oldest backup files from my hard drive, and start fresh.
Because most of the backups and Drive Imaging happens unattended, at night;
it's an almost-effortless way to ensure that I have multiple backups of both the
data and the system state. Combined with XP's own "system restore," which can
deal with minor roll-back issues, I feel I can weather just about any problem
that might happen. And because I store my backup CDs offsite, that means I can
even recover from major problems--- lightning, fire, flood, theft--- that might
otherwise ruin my PC and all the on-system backups.
I'm presenting this backup method to you in broad-brush form
now so you can
see if any or all of it might serve your purposes; you can, if you wish, use this as a
conceptual guide to create your own backup methods.
And if you'd like more info, I'll be posting my scripts and a how-to article
next month: You can download the scripts and adapt them to your own specific setup on any version of
Windows. You'll end up with a highly-automated backup process that won't take up too
much disk space, and that--- if you go all-out, as I do--- can let you recover
from virtually any system problem, no matter how severe.
Stay tuned!
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5) Last Week To Enter November's FREE Book Drawing
On Nov 30, I'll choose another monthly winner of a
no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software,
hardware, kitchenware, toys... 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 shopping spree! (Full details also available via this link):
http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm
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(!), 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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6) The Return Of TweakIE
Fred: Thanks for all the tips on backing up Outlook Express, but I just don't have
the time to get the job done with the methods given in the various links.
Instead, I downloaded TweakIE 3.0 ( http://www.tweakie.com ). With one mouse click,
I can back up everything in OE -- mail, news-group messages, Address Book, mail
rules, and signatures. Moreover, I can include all my Identities, Internet
Favorites, cookies, and even Auto-Complete data if I want to.... In addition, TweakIE
provides many other very useful utilities for managing Internet Explorer, but I
bought it mainly because it makes backing up my valuable Outlook Express data so
effortless. Highly recommended and in the long run MUCH less expensive than the
manual methods. ---Ron Miller
Thanks, Ron.
Interested readers might also want to check out the other references from the
last time we discussed TweakIE, in
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-05-10.htm#3 . As is usual in
Windows, there are about 900 different ways to accomplish any given task; you
can pick whichever one feels best to you. 8-)
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7) 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
Computer Security
http://www.users.qwest.net/~mdfisher1/compsec.html
Pompeii, Herculaneum, And Other Ruins
http://users.tinyworld.co.uk/david.airey/
Alex Barnes (Nova Scotia)
http://www.barneszone.com/
BetterSearch
http://www.bettersearch.net
CTL3D Problem?
http://www.chiropteraphilia.com/~ctl3d/
Dale Sullivan Personal Pages
http://www.geocities.com/dalesulliv/
MorrisonCode (web/graphic design)
http://morrisoncode.com/
Online business, free ebooks, experts'
articles, more...
http://www.rightstuffco.com/
JEFFREY'S COMPUTER HELP SITE
http://www.felburg.com/
The Non-Official Website of Chipiona, Spain
http://www.chipiona.net
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8) A Hit And A Miss
Re: XP
Let me tell you the good news first: There's a great new site at http://www.tweakxp.com/default.asp
that's rapidly filling with all manner of tips, tweaks, and other assorted
useful information. The first time I visited there, it only took a couple
minutes before I found several things that I immediately put to use. If you're
using XP, check it out!
But there's bad news, too, as Microsoft begins to
fill its own Knowledgebase
with XP-information. Take this, for example:
Fred: I've enjoyed all the banter on XP and I couldn't agree with you more, but I picked up this KB article and it made my hair stand on end. Woe betide any OEM installation of XP that gets upgraded, reinstalled or repaired <sigh>
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q312/3/69.ASP
--- Holly Scott
The full title of the item is "You May Lose Data or Program Settings After
Reinstalling, Repairing, or Upgrading Windows XP," and the text explains:
You may lose data that is
stored in the All Users folder and default program templates and settings that
are stored in the Default User folder after you reinstall, repair, or upgrade
Windows XP. You may be missing Start menu shortcuts, items in the Startup
group, and documents, pictures, or music files that are stored in the Shared
Documents folder.
The KB article gives a
workaround. And, of course, having a good backup (the "B" word, again!) also can prevent this or any
kind of data loss.
Thanks, Holly!
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9) Orphan DLLs?
How do I find orphaned .dll files and delete them without crashing
my system? Is there freeware available for this? ...Left-behind .dll's seem to stay behind and
accumulate and
bloat the "Systems" folder - a waste of space, to say the least! --- Tom
Maulawin
Yes, there's quite a bit of freeware that can help do
this, although some operates more dangerously than I prefer: You'll want to
either have a full system backup (argh! the "B" word *again*!) or at least make
local copies of the suspected orphaned files on your hard drive, so that if you
accidentally delete something that turns out to be important, you can easily put
it back.
There's an excellent, full article--- and free
utility--- that can help you identify and locate orphan files on your system,
but both are lurking behind a truly hideous URL that's sure to line-wrap and
cause problem for some email readers:
http://www.extremetech.com/article/0,3396,apn%253D2%2526s%253D1046%2526a%253D1024%2526ap%253D1,00.asp
If that URL doesn't work, you can go to
http://www.extremetech.com and simply
search for "orphan." The article you're looking for--- and the top one that
search will deliver--- is "Sweep Away the Scraps" by Neil J. Rubenking,
6/11/2001.
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10) Just For Grins
Writing from Canada, reader Denis Desrosiers sends along this item which,
in turn, originated in France (the original was in French). All of which goes to
show that government ineptitude knows no borders:
Mr. Commissioner of Agriculture
My friend Robert, who lives in Brittany, has received
a 500,000 FF cheque from the government for not rearing any pigs this year. This
is why I intend to join the program of non-rearing of pigs next year.
What I would like to know is what the best possible
type of farm might be for not rearing pigs and what is the best breed of pig not
to rear. I would prefer to not rear boars, but if this is not a good breed not
to rear, I would be just as happy not rearing Landraces or Large Whites.
The hardest part of the work in this program then
seems to keep a precise inventory of the number of pigs that have not been
reared. My friend Robert is very confident with regard to the future of his
business. He has reared pigs for more than 20 years, and the best he could earn
was 200,000 F in 1978; that is, until this year when he received 500,000 F for
not rearing any pigs at all.
If I can receive a cheque of 500,000 FF for not
rearing 50 pigs, would I then receive 1,000,000 FF for not rearing 100 pigs,
etc.?
I intend to start with a small operation and later
grow up to not rearing 4000 pigs; which means I will receive a cheque of
4,000,000 FF, and I will then be able to invest in a yacht.
Now, one other thing is that those 4000 pigs I will
not rear will not eat the 100,000 buckets of corn destined for their feeding.
Should I then understand that you will pay the farmers for not producing the
corn? In short, will you give me something for not producing the 100,000 buckets
of corn that will not be fed to the 4000 pigs I will not rear?
I would like, on the other hand, to start as soon as
possible, since it seems this time of year is propitious to not rear pigs.
Most sincerely, X.
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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
- A PinPoint Pan; Free
Diagnostic Utilities
- Time To Change Your
System Battery?
- Two Free
Downloads For Outlook (Not Outlook Express)
Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten
items above, plus about 30% more content including: Reader experience with a new
commercial online automatic system diagnostic service, and some free
alternatives; a discussion on the hows and whys--- and explicit step-by-step---
of changing your PC's built-in battery; and some free utilities for Outlook 2000
and 2002.
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)
An easier-to read formatted HTML version is
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