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The
LangaList
Standard Edition
2002-02-11
A Free Email Newsletter from
Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware,
Software, and Time Online
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1) Last Words On WPA
We're wrapping up our discussion of "WPA Lockout
Workarounds" (
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020131S0005 ), and there's still
good info coming in from your fellow readers. For example:
Hi Fred, After a google search on WPA a got to these sites:
http://www.tecchannel.de/betriebssysteme/746/
http://www.tecchannel.de/betriebssysteme/742/index.html - Pay attention on the
right hand side column ! - Inside Win Activation.
http://www.tecchannel.de/betriebssysteme/742/10.html
----Tony Freitas
Thanks, Tony. We've mentioned Tecchannel before--- they were
among the first sites to dissect exactly what WPA was and wasn't doing. Their
info seems well-researched and usually good.
There's more at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020131S0005 and in the discussion
area at
http://www.informationweek.com/forum/Fred Langa --- including real-life
examples of lockouts experienced by your fellow readers. Come check it out!
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2) Hard Problems
With Floppy Drives
Floppy drives are ancient technology dating from
computing's Paleolithic times, when PCs were the equivalent of chipped stone
tools and sharpened antlers.
The technology is so basic and well-known that I assumed (silly
me!) that floppy problems were rare. But your mail in reference to last issue's
item on resuscitating dead floppies (
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-02-07.htm#4 ) proves otherwise:
Floppy problems appear to be common, and crop up in ways
ranging from the funny to the flabbergasting. Here's a sampling of some of the most
interesting emails:
I recently purchased a new computer (custom built) and had precisely the same problems.... Seems the case -- perhaps most new cases -- doesn't let the actual face of the floppy extend through a large slot in the front, as cases used to do. Rather, the face of the drive sits behind the decorative front of the new case, there is simply a small slot for inserting the disk through the case and then into the face of the drive itself. The drive has to be in EXACTLY the right position to allow the disk to fully insert and seat itself. Too far back, and you can't use the eject button; too far forward, and the case prevents the disk from seating downward into the drive unit. My repair was to remove the outside of the case and play with the mounting screws and positioning of the drive
until I found the tiny "sweet spot."--- Ted Thompson
Following your recent article I have found that this can often be caused by
the bios setup saying 5.25 when a 3.5 one is installed, or the wrong capacity.
--- Keith Guthrie
I found that when my floppy drive stopped
working, I could resuscitate it by lubing the shafts that the heads ride on. I
used a couple drops of WD-40. --- storm connors
I once had a very strange problem with my floppy drive. After checking
connections and running through every check I could think of I replaced the
floppy drive and it still would not work. I took my computer to a professional
to be put on diagnostic equipment and nothing was wrong with it. I finally
plugged the computer into another outlet and viola! The outlet I had been using
(for years) was not grounded and the computer suddenly decided it did not like
it. Weird, huh? Grounding the outlet solved the problem. --- Karen Richey
I had purchased a new motherboard and the repair shop could not get my floppy to boot up. They sold me a new floppy drive, but alas it would not work either. I have been hobbling around with it for nearly a year, loading
floppies on another machine on the network and sending the data to my machine. After reading your article I downloaded one of the floppy recalibration files and within two minutes (download and all) I have my floppy reading floppies! WOW! and thanks.
--- Jerry Shaw
Speaking of floppy problems, let me relate this little zinger. I purchased a
Gateway Profile 2 for my daughter to take to college.... All went well until said offspring called and complained about two problems (not mentioned at the same time) 1. When a floppy disk (3.5") was inserted, the OS (Windows 98 SE) immediately began shutting down. 2. Next, she complained that the computer usually wouldn't start up when she "waved her finger in front of the start sensor." Like there was some kind of proximity sensor there, and why didn't Dear-Old-Dad know about such things?.... There were two problems which combined to cause the two symptoms 1. Gateway's design limited the intake of cooling air to the floppy drive and the DVD bays. Specifically, most of the air seems to enter via the floppy drive bay, located immediately above the power button. 2. It seems she dropped a glass of apple juice on the desk and subsequently on the front of the computer case. Net result: The dust bunny formed by the primary air intake combined with the apple juice and formed a sort of hard candy piece that dropped down and jammed the space between the start button and the microswitch it pressed on. In other words, the power switch was being constantly pressed. The only way you could convince the computer to turn on was to lightly touch the power button ("wave your finger in front of it"), thus wiggling the power switch. Also, apparently the constantly-pressed power switch effected the floppy drive's shutdown reaction, since they are on the same circuit board and the instant shutdown problem disappeared after cleaning. That's my take on it, anyway. It has run great after cleaning and lecturing about food and beverages around equipment. Makes for an amusing troubleshooting story, too. Bob Giebner
Just a quick comment regarding the Floppy Drive problem in today's
newsletter. I am a moderator at http://www.mcselive.com and we had this exact
same question posted today. Apparently, there is an issue with Windows XP and
certain brands of floppy drives. You may want to take a look at this thread -
http://www.2000tutor.com/ubb/Forum66/HTML/000240.html
Thanks! --- Darren Sargent
Thanks to all who wrote in!
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3) "Outpost"
Firewall Nears Completion
I remember you mentioning the Outpost firewall way back in your
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-06-21.htm#8
newsletter. I noticed on their website, http://www.agnitum.com , that they now have a
release candidate version of the software. I thought you might like to know (and
some Langalist readers too) that they now have an offer that if you purchase the
Outpost Pro edition before the final release around 2-15-02, that you get free
upgrades for life. I tried their 30-day trial Pro version (they also offer a
freeware version too) and liked it so much that I bought it. I couldn't pass up
the upgrades for life offer on a firewall that IMHO has more features and is
better than most all other personal firewall software on the market today. Keep up the great newsletter. I always look forward to reading the Plus!
Edition. It's a great read and a fantastic bargain! ) --- Doug Howell
Thanks, Doug. Indeed, the free Outpost firewall looks
interesting:
"Outpost Firewall is the most feature-packed Personal Firewall
for Windows in the world. It gives peace of mind from any threats by Cookies,
Ads, E-mail viruses, Backdoors, Spyware, Crackers, Adware and virtually every
other Internet danger. This is the first firewall that supports plug-ins so its
capabilities can easily be extended...."
Coincidentally, a long-delayed update to ZoneAlarm is just entering private
beta now; I hope to have more info on that soon.
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4) Speaking Of
ZoneAlarm...
A beta of a new version is in the works (see item
#3), but for current versions, check this out:
Hi Fred. Thought I would let you know of a cool utility if you don't already know some of your readers might want to try it is called VisualZone for ZoneAlarm, on the web site it say's it is a report
analyzer that is easier to read than ZoneAlarm, can also perform backtrace and automate backtrace, and submit intrusion reports to DShield for
analysis. VisualZone can be found at http://www.visualizesoftware.com/
Also great clipboard program save 200,url,picture,or text has print features.
It's very useful. http://www.yankee-clipper.net/
Both programs are free hope someone finds these useful.
---Rick Garten
Thanks, Rick. There are several logfile analyzers
around, but this one does seem to be pretty slick. Nice find!
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5) Hot-Hot-Hotspots
This newsletter is twice-weekly, but my "Web HotSpots"
page (
http://www.browsertune.com/flanga/hotspots.htm )
is updated fully 365 times a year---a new site every day, without fail, since
1995!. As such, it's a great mechanism to bring you brand-new, just-available
sites. Sometimes, great new sites will show up in HotSpots before I can mention
them here in the newsletter.
Other times, the HotSpots site proceeds normally in
its mission to bring you "Every Day, The Best, Most Interesting, Most Useful,
and Strangest Sites the Web Has To Offer!"
For example, the Hotspots page recently has offered
these links:
A *true* computer potato.
http://world.std.com/~fwhite/spud/
Goes great with Food (tm).
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/8069/beverage.html
How small can it get?
http://www-ccs.cs.umass.edu/~shri/iPic.html
Slightly tacky, very funny.
http://www.digivibes.com/Digivibes_Spoof!.html
If I were a kid, this would scare the *%#*
out of me.
http://www.kookootheclown.com/
Huge Australian tweaking site.
http://www.tweaktown.com/
More tech than talent?
http://www.perrific.com/imb1ff/imb1ff.html
Geeks need vacations, too.
http://www.geekcruises.com/home/pw_home.html
Some straaaaaange stuff here.
http://www.beezlebugbit.com/nonflash.htm
50% of these statistics are wrong. The other
50% are incorrect. 8-)
http://www.silverpoint.com/1001/
Worth a bookmark.
http://www.freeality.com/finde.htm
Spare a
click?
http://www.therainforestsite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites
A trailer from a real movie... (honest!)
http://www.nothingsostrange.com/
If you're not a regular Hotspots
visitor, you're missing a lot. Check it out (every day!) at
http://www.browsertune.com/flanga/hotspots.htm, and check out past HotSpots
in the HotSpots Hall Of Fame at
http://www.browsertune.com/hsarchives/default.htm .
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6)
Recommend It!
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!
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7) "Digital
Democracy"
I would like to contribute a web site that I
recently came across--The Center for Digital Democracy --
http://www.democraticmedia.org/ Its stated mission is:
"The Center for Digital Democracy is committed to preserving the openness and
diversity of the Internet in the broadband era, and to realizing the full
potential of digital communications through the development and encouragement of
noncommercial, public interest programming."
It covers Broadband issues (such as open access & mass media ownership), has
a "Campaign for an Open Internet", & a "Take Action" component for the activists
amongst us.--- Dan Puetz
Interesting, Dan. As the 'Net becomes integral to
more and more people's lives, organizations like these can become very
important--- a way to "take back the 'net" from the likes of spammers, piracy
invaders, self-appointed censors, and such.
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8) They Loaded The Code
Due to the extended length of today's issue, we'll
postpone the full-blown rollout of reader sites until the next issue. But you
still can check out the almost two thousand readers sites already posted:
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
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9) An XP/Win2K Bug,
And Solution
Hi Fred, Just thought I'd let you know I stumbled on to a solution and another XP
bug...
My problem was error 1311 when trying to install from a CD
(cab file not found). I searched in vain for a way to reinstall windows
installer (someone suggested to unregister and reregister msi.dll - any idea how
to do that?). I finally tried to run the System file checker (SFC) using the
command sfc /scannow from the run command. That's when I found the second bug: Windows asked for the Windows professional cd - even though it was in the drive!
I searched the google newsgroups and found two things
a. If you press retry when the sfc error message pops up you can continue the
procedure. You will need to press retry many times during the procedure and
windows will ask for different cd's during the process - including Whistler
professional !! You should try running sfc to see if you have that bug.
b. An MS KB article for that problem in Win 2000 Prompted for CD-ROM When You
Run System File Checker While Correct CD-ROM Is in Drive
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q263499 which explains that " This issue can occur if the computer security policy is
set to allocate the CD-ROM only to the local logged-on user. However, Windows
File Protection is controlled by the Winlogon process; when that policy is in in
effect, Winlogon cannot use the CD-ROM and that prevents the System File Checker
from completing successfully."
The solution is to disable Restrict CD-ROM access to locally logged-on
user only policy in Group policy mmc, and reboot.
I tried that - but no change in sfc behavior . HOWEVER, that cleared my
windows installer problem ! I am not sure why I would need to restrict CD-ROM access on my home pc to
begin with, but it is a good solution for the 1311 error. Hope this helps other readers.
--- Eran Rosenmann
Nice detective work, Eran. Thanks for sharing!
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10) Just For Grins
So you think you had a bad day? <g> Steven Foust
sends along this item...
Next time you have a bad day at work...think of this guy: Rob is a
commercial saturation diver for Global Divers in Louisiana. He performs
underwater repairs on offshore drilling rigs. Below is an E-mail he sent to
his sister.
Hi Sue,
Just another note from your bottom-dwelling brother. Last week I had bad
day at the office. I know you've been feeling down lately at work, so I
thought I would share my dilemma with you to make you realize it's not so bad
after all.
Before I can tell you what happened to me, I first must bore you with a few
technicalities of my job. As you know, my office lies at the bottom of the
sea. I wear a suit to the office. It's a wetsuit. This time of year the water
is quite cool. So what we do to keep warm is this We have a diesel powered
industrial water heater. This $20,000 piece of equipment sucks the water out
of the sea. It heats it to a delightful temperature. It then pumps it down to
the diver through a garden hose, which is taped to the air hose. Now this
sounds like a darn good plan, and I've used it several times with no
complaints. What I do, when I get to the bottom and start working, is take the
hose and stuff it down the back of my wetsuit. This floods my whole suit with
warm water. It's like working in a Jacuzzi.
Everything was going well until all of a sudden, my butt started to itch.
So, of course, I scratched it. This only made things worse. Within a few
seconds my butt started to burn. I pulled the hose out from my back, but the
damage was done. In agony I realized what had happened. The hot water machine
had sucked up a jellyfish and pumped it into my suit. Now since I don't have
any hair on my back, the jellyfish couldn't stick to it. However, the crack of
my butt was not as fortunate. When I scratched what I thought was an itch, I
was actually grinding the jellyfish into my butt. I informed the dive
supervisor of my dilemma over the communicator. His instructions were unclear
due to the fact that he, along with 5 other divers, were all laughing
hysterically. Needless to say I aborted the dive.
I was instructed to make 3 agonizing in-water decompression stops totaling
35 minutes before I could reach the surface to begin my chamber dry
decompression. When I arrived at the surface, I was wearing nothing but my
brass helmet. As I climbed out of the water, the medic, with tears of laughter
running down his face, handed me a tube of cream and told me to rub it on my
butt as soon as I got in the chamber. The cream put the fire out, but I
couldn't p o o p for 2 days... So, next time you're having a bad day at work,
think about how much worse it could be...
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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
- A "Thank
You" Letter From Pape Tanor
- Free Tool To Extend
MSN Messenger
- Free "Simple
Administration Utility" For NT/2K/XP
Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten
items above, plus about 30% more content including: Pape Tanor--- one of the children
that Plus!
subscribers help sponsor (
http://www.langa.com/plus2.htm#kids )--- wrote a letter to us that gives a
glimpse into his life in Senegal; a reader shares a free tool that adds a range
of nice extra features to MSN Messenger; and a reader offers a university-built
free tool to help manage NT/2K/XP systems.
The Plus! Edition costs just a buck a month--- 13
cents an issue! Info:
http://www.langa.com/plus.htm
See you next issue (on Monday the 18th).
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
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(The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the
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