|
Please visit the LangaList
Home Page
Please note: Older issues
may contain information that is now
out of date.
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/2002/2002-03-14.htm ">here</a>
The
LangaList
Standard Edition
2002-03-14
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) Free Favorites-To-HomePage
Converter
Dear Fred: I'm a long time reader of your newsletter and I absolutely love it! Now, what can I say to get you to try my little program? I think your readers
will find it useful. It's only 60kb in size including the install application,
and it's completely free! Anyone can download the program (homepage.exe) at any
time from my Public folders.
[See below for download options.]
I wrote Favorites Home Page for Internet Explorer 6
in Windows 9x/ME/XP. It's basically a JavaScript file that runs in Windows Script Host to create
an HTML document based on the links contained in the user's Internet Explorer
Favorites folder. The HTML document presents the links in a tight, clean,
customizable layout based on the ordinal folder structure. The folder structure
is fully navigable backwards and forwards across the entire page, and page
elements such as background and text are customizable by color. What's more, the
color schemes can be stored in profiles created from a convenient form that
stores the information in a cookie. The form can be hidden or unhidden as needed
by clicking on the topmost heading link.
There's more info in the Read Me file, but you don't need that to try the
program out. The setup application creates all the necessary shortcuts and even
opens the program group. Nothing is initially written to the registry except the
uninstall information. However, when you run the script for the first time you
will be asked whether to set the page as your Internet Explorer home page.
Best regards, Robert Perry
Thanks, Robert!
The script is cool: It parses your Favorites folder,
and places the URLs into a custom web page that resides on your own system.
Using that web page as your Home Page means you have instant access to all your
Favorites in a format that's easier to navigate than via the Favorites menu.
Note: If you have strict script security running on
your PC, you may need to relax it to get Robert's script to run properly;
otherwise, you may get warnings and error messages.
Standard Edition Public Download Areas
(if one is busy or maxed out,
please try another):
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/robertrimesperry
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/favoriteshomepage
http://www.geocities.com/favoriteshomepage/index.html
Plus! Edition Subscribers' Private Download Area:
http://www.langalist.com/plus/extras/homepage.asp
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
--- ( Your
Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------
2) How To
Clean-Install IE6 On XP
Reinstalling IE6 on XP can be a hassle because there's no
easy way to *un*install a version that's gone bad.
If you have good backups, of course, you can revert
to a known-good state. (See
http://www.langa.com/backups/backups.htm ) But many people still don't
bother with backups. In that case, if your copy of IE6 goes bad, you're stuck.
If you try to download and install a clean copy, the download wizard either
doesn't provide the option, or chokes and says (in effect) "Been there, done
that."
The best solution is restoring your system to a
known-good state via backup, but if that option isn't available to you, try
these links.
Microsoft has posted a generic registry-edit
workaround at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q304872 .
But users report that the Microsoft-sanctioned
technique doesn't always work, and have found other workarounds. You'll have to
do some poking around among the results returned by this link in order to find a
solution that matches your specific situation (there's no universal answer,
alas).
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=reinstall+ie6+xp&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search
In any case, it's good to know that an IE6 reinstall
on XP is at least possible, and that others have succeeded in doing just that.
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
3) Avoid This Fake Microsoft
Security Patch
Microsoft doesn't send out security patches by email.
To my knowledge, it never has. Still, a number of people have been fooled by an
email purporting to be from the "Microsoft Corporation Security Center" and
carrying the subject line "I n t e r n e t S e c u r i t y U p d a t
e" (I've spaced out the letters here to try to get past stupid email filters
that may assume that this newsletter is the fake security patch).
The fake email mostly uses the format and language of
real security bulletins to offer an attachment ( Q 2 1 6 3 0 9 . e x e ) that's
supposed to be a cumulative patch that eliminates "all known
vulnerabilities" in Internet Explorer.
Of course, it's not a security patch at all; it's the
W 3 2 . G i b e worm, which uses Outlook and its own internal SMTP engine to
propagate. You can get all the gory details--- and removal instructions---
by searching your favorite security site. For example, go to
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/ and search for w 3 2 . g i b e.
Remember: Microsoft doesn't mail out patches. You have
to get them via Windows Update or by going to
http://www.microsoft.com/security/
and manually downloading them. That latter site is also a good place to check to
see if any supposed patch from Microsoft is real or not.
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
--- ( Your
Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------
4) An Anonymous
Warning
A reader requesting that he be identified only by the
pseudonym "Bob the Tech" writes:
Hi, Fred. I am a Tech Support Agent for one of the "Bigs"
[hardware vendors] and have some advice for
those folks that buy pre-packaged WinXP on an OEM machine. With the system
recovery in a hidden partition (Mr Gates doesn't want disks floating around)
there are some cautionary limitations that go with the unit. Some supplementary
software in the factory build aren't in the recovery. Usually just little
things, but you lose them after a recovery.
Do NOT try to dual-boot this thing with any other OS, be it 98, Linux or
whatever. As soon as the boot manager loads from your new OS you can kiss all
recovery options goodbye; and there is a very good chance neither OS will boot,
let alone function. This destroys the F10 dual boot needed for the recovery
partition, and you can't access the MBR to fix it, because its in the hidden,
protected recovery partition.
Buying a machine with a 40GB drive? Count on it only having 33GB available
for normal use, because of the recovery drive.
Pooch this with any 3rd party software (including
by VIRUS)
and the OEM will SELL you a new drive, probably at cost, but sell; not replace
under warranty.
For obvious reasons, please sign me "Bob the Tech."
I honestly don't know where "Bob" works, but HP in
particular has been taking a lot of heat for its practice of shipping the
recovery software on a hidden partition (the "recovery drive").
But HP isn't the only one, and it's becoming an
increasingly common practice.
This is one of the reasons why more and more people
are either buying OS-less machines or assembling their own (
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020214S0003 ). That way, you buy a
normal retail copy of the OS of your choice, and then can keep the setup CD safe
and sound for use as needed, even if the hard drive is (in Bob's words) "pooched."
Before you buy your next PC, be sure to ask to see
what it comes
with: an actual setup CD for the full operating system; or a drive image-type
"recovery CD" (which can put your machine back to its as-shipped condition, but
no more); or recovery or setup software stored on a hidden partition.
I personally think this last option--- the hidden
recovery partition--- is unacceptable, and would be reason enough to take my business
elsewhere.
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
5) Free "Mail2txt"
for Eudora
Hi Fred, The item "Access Your DBX files--- Without Outlook Express!"
(
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-01-28.htm#4 ) sent me looking for software that will convert my
Eudora mailboxes into
manageable txt or html archives. I thought this might be of use to some of your
other readers. We all have way too much email that needs archiving, don't we? I
found mail2txt:
http://users.erols.com/tgitlin/mailtotextinfo.html
or
http://www.davecentral.com/projects/mail2txt/
"This program is a utility that allows you to bulk extract messages from
Eudora, Netscape and generic UNIX mailbox files and store the extracted messages
as pure text or HTML files. The utility also includes a separate function to set
file date/time information to any value desired (within operating system
limitations)."
Cat, from Jerusalem
Thanks, Cat. Eudora mailboxes are giant
text files to begin with, and thus are searchable with normal tools, and
viewable with text editors like Notepad and WordPad. But you're right--- when
the mailboxes get very large, it's much handier to be able to break out and store the files separately.
Thanks!
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
6) Is This
Information Useful?
If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read,
maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to
recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful
information 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.
(Full details also available via this link):
http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm
Either way, thank you, and good luck!
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
7)
Reader-Recommended Linux Resources
Writing from Cali, Colombia, reader Lanny Marcus
says:
If you are interested in Linux, as I am, today I received a book published in January 2002, "Learning Red Hat Linux, 2nd edition", which you might be interested in reading, or might help someone you know who is new to Linux, like me. It says, in one of the first pages, "This book focuses on how Linux can be used on the desktop".
This book is going to be much easier for me to read and absorb, than "Running Linux, 3rd edition", which is much deeper, technically. I've read 400+ pages of it, the 2nd time, but it goes into very technical details that most desktop users have zero interest in learning. Cordially, Lanny
Thanks, Lanny. The book (which comes with a CD) is
available from just about all the online booksellers, including LangaLIst
advertiser Amazon (see
http://www.langa.com/books.htm for a direct link to the book).
Reader Miklos suggests a different way to get your
feet wet with Linux:
Hi Fred, I was really glad to see you have recommended LINUX to your readers. Newcomers, however, may be intimidated by the hassles of HD partitioning, installation etc and they might not give LINUX a try. Some other people may still think LINUX has no GUI and they imagine it to be like the early MS-DOS. For those people DemoLINUX may be a great idea, provided they can download some 650 MegBytes and can burn a CD. The URL is
http://www.demolinux.org/ The idea is great, you create a DemoLINUX CD, boot from it, select between different GUIs, connect to the Internet, try out hundreds of applications from simple games to the full featured office sutie, StarOffice 5.2. Quoting them:
"The site is dedicated to the production of CD Roms (the DemoLinux CDs) that allow to run Linux without installation, disk partitioning and other hassles that usually prevent people from giving Linux a try. [...] We wanted to make it possible to everybody to look at what Linux can offer, and to make it possible for software publishers wanting to show their Linux-based software to distribute a no hassle hands-off demo CD. But this kind of CD makes also a wonderful Linux-to-go solution you might carry your favorite desktop configuration in your pocket, sit in front of a non-Linux box, boot from the CD and be in front of your preferred environment in minutes.
All the best, Miklos
Thanks, guys!
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
8) 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
The Basic Repertoire of Classical Music
http://www.basicrep.com/
Cowboy Code
http://www.cowboypage.homestead.com/
Free Computer Literacy Lessons
http://www.jegsworks.com/index.html
4-Wheel Freedom
http://www.4x4road.com/index1.html
B&B Computers
http://www.bnbcomps.itgo.com/
William and Anna Main
http://4u2play.net/wmain/
FMS Computer Training
http://kg7ka.tripod.com/
Lot O' Links
http://members.shaw.ca/bake99/
Rincon, Puerto Rico
http://www.corcegasands.com/Rincon.htm
Collector Plates
http://www3.telus.net/plates/index.htm
Scooter's World
http://tco1.tco.net/~phacker/index.htm
Cars On Ice
http://carsonice.ca/index.html
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links
Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) ---
Satisfy Your Inner Geek!
Get a subscription to the LangaList Plus!
It's ad-free, spam-proof, and contains even more
content--- tips, tricks, advice, downloads and more---
than the Standard Edition you're now reading.
And it costs just PENNIES
per issue!
<a href="
http://www.langa.com/plus.htm ">Click!</a>
--------------( the above is
an advertisement )--------------
9) DVD and CDRs Demystified
Hi Fred, I find so many useful items in your newsletter that I felt compelled to share
two great web sites I found while looking for information on CD-Rs and DVDs.
I've searched the Langalist Help File and didn't find any reference to these
sites.
CD-R and CD-RW FAQs
http://www.cdrfaq.org/
DVD FAQs
http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
It may take a while to read through these FAQs, but the wealth of information
is amazing. --- Ed Redman
They are amazing indeed, Ed--- authoritative,
encyclopedic, and constantly updated labors of love.
I actually featured the CDR FAQ in an article on the
pros and cons of various backup media (
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20010719S0003 ) but I hadn't seen
the DVD FAQ before. Thanks!
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
10) Just For Grins
Reader Julio Mora --- who works in IT--- sends along
this "funny but true user story:"
I'm a tech at my place of employment. We
do huge backups of user data every night but of course if a user has a file
open or they just created a file and never saved it and it crashes, it would
not get backed up.
A user called and said that she needed a
file restored... The tech looked in our web backup but gave up after looking
at the previous day, and going back a couple of weeks. He called the user who
informed him that she had just created the file that morning and never saved
it; her app crashed and she lost her work and wanted the files restored from
backup.
The tech explained that file recovery is
only done on files that had been created and saved the day before.
The user then said "Ok then I'll call you
tomorrow, thank you" and hung up the phone.
Thanks, Julio!
Click to email this item to a
friend
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page
--- ( Your
Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------
11) Your Own Copy Of All The LangaLists
Ever Published!
Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten
items above, plus full information about the Plus!-subscriber-only downloads of
the Full LangaList Archives in automatically-installing Windows Help File
Format, and in three alternate formats.
Any way you download them, you get all the LangaLists
ever published--- from 1997 through last week!--- right at your fingertips, on your local hard drive. It takes only
seconds to find whatever you're looking for, no matter how long ago it was
published in the LangaList!
All Plus! subscribers automatically get access to
a personal copy of the LangaList archives. Sign up today for yours!
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 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 |