LangaList Std Edition 2003-02-27

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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2003-02-27

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!

Contents:

1) Does Someone Rely On You For Tech Support? (Pt 1)
2) Does Someone Rely On You For Tech Support? (Pt 2)
3) More Do-It-Yourself Networking...
4) ...and Using Windows' "Networking Wizard"
5) Windows' Multiple Methods (+ Faster Swap File Fix)
6) Free Spy-Blocker
7) Last Days To Enter February's FREE Drawing
8) 2,600 And Counting
9) Atomz vs Picosearch vs Google Site Searching
10) Just For Grins
11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

Speaking Of Google--- Google Your Phone!
Be's Comeback?
Can't Delete A File?

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1) Does Someone Rely On You For Tech Support? (Pt 1)

If you're reading this newsletter, there's an excellent chance that you help others with their PC problems, either informally or perhaps as an official part of your job.

In my case, it's both: My job depends on PCs, and as a one-person operation, I do all the support and maintenance on the 10 systems I have here. But I'm also the informal support tech for my direct and extended family, and sometimes for friends, too: People may encounter a problem they haven't seen before, and ask for a hand. Some of the questions are quite sophisticated or involve arcane matters, while others are from people who are just starting out with PCs. (Everyone--- even Alpha Geeks--- starts out as a beginner.)

Reader Marat Bandemer also gets similar requests for help, and this is his suggestion for assisting those on the front end of the learning curve:

Hi, Fred, Great newsletter; I've been recommending you to my friends and acquaintances for quite a while now, and many of them have subscribed.

As 'tech support' to many of my computer-using friends (something I'm certain many of your readers are familiar with), I often am called upon to save a system from problems which could have been easily avoided had the PC user taken the time to perform any of several basic and vital tasks. The most frequently found problem is virus or trojan infection....

Many systems I am called upon to 'fix' need nothing more than cleaning out temporary internet files and cookies, and a scan/defrag. Most of the people calling me for help are clueless as to how to do this, and why.

Please, Langa List readers--help those less computer literate than you to keep their systems healthy. In the end, we all benefit (fewer worms and virii making the rounds, and a few less desperate 'tech support' calls). Thanks, Marat Bandemer

It's a great idea, Marat. We all remember when we were first starting with PCs (or Macs or Linux, or...); it can be quite confusing at first.

And Marat's also right: For systems that are unmaintained and running "naked" or nearly so, a thorough clean up, defrag, and installation of a firewall, antivirus and antitrojan tool will help immeasurably. (I'll provide links to suggested free and low-cost tools in a moment.)

But it can be very time consuming to do the above, especially in a system that's never or rarely been maintained. Add in travel time to and from someone else's location, and you easily could burn half a day or more on this kind of maintenance. That's at least inconvenient, and may simply be impossible.

That's where "remote control" comes in. It comes in many flavors, but the idea is that one person, with proper permission, can view a distant PC's desktop and manipulate it from afar, just as if he or she were seated at the keyboard. With suitable precautions--- you have to be *very* careful in opening a PC to remote control--- remote control tools can help you work on a distant PC almost as easily as working on your own. It's an incredible time saver: You can, for example, open a connection, start a long process (say, a full defrag) on a distant PC, then return to your normal work on your own PC until the defrag is done.

In this way, you can assist someone with time-consuming maintenance while minimizing the "dead" time that otherwise would encumber the task. Even if the defrag takes an hour to complete, for example, you've only spent a minute in setting up and starting the process.

That's the concept. Now let's look both at remote control tools, and free and low-cost cleanup/maintenance tools you can easily use over a remote-control connection. (See next item.)

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2) Does Someone Rely On You For Tech Support? (Pt 2)

(Continued from above.)

There are many remote control tools out there, both free ( http://www.google.com/search?q=free+remote+control ) and commercial ( http://www.google.com/search?q=remote+control ).

But XP Pro has no less than three remote-control tools built in, including a specialized form of remote control called "Remote Assistance." What's more, XP Pro extends this remote-control ability to any and all versions of Windows--- all the way back to Win95, including Windows CE palmtop systems and XP Home--- via a FREE client software tool. (See http://informationweek.com/story/IWK20030221S0012 )

XP's Remote Assistance goes beyond simple remote control: It's meant for two people--- one local, one remote--- to view the same desktop simultaneously. For example, imagine there are two users; a beginner and an expert. The beginner sends a message to the expert by email or by Messenger, requesting Remote Assistance. The expert than views the beginner's computer in much the same way as with Remote Desktop, except that the expert can communicate in real-time with the beginner via a Messenger text chat box. If the expert can't guide the beginner through the problem, the expert can then take over the connection, in normal Remote Desktop fashion, and work the beginner's PC from afar.

This is different from most remote control tools, which allow only one person to view what's going on (the screen on the PC under remote control usually goes blank), and which preclude live information sharing, unless you use a phone. While any remote control tools lets you resolve a problem from afar, if it doesn't let you show the distant person what you're doing, it'll be harder for them to gain the knowledge needed to take care of their own problem the next time it happens.

So, for fixing problems remotely AND helping the distant person to learn what's going on so they can become computationally self-supporting, XP's "Remote Assistance" really is a cut above. And it's included free in XP Pro.

All three of XP's remote control options (and the free client software available for Win95, Win98, WinME, Win NT, Win2K, WinCE, and XP Home) are all explained in the article at http://informationweek.com/story/IWK20030221S0012 . It runs through the similarities and differences, shows you the pros and cons, shows you where to get the free client software, and most important, shows you how to use these remote control options safely, *without* opening a huge security hole on your PC.

With that, or a tool like that, you can then easily perform long-distance maintenance using free or low-cost tools like:

Defrag Info/Options:
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=defrag&as_sitesearch=langa.com

Please check out the remote-control article at http://informationweek.com/story/IWK20030221S0012 and then tell us your experiences: Have you ever benefited or been harmed by use of a remote-control tool? How do XP's tools compare with other remote control products like NetOp, Radmin, LapLink, pcAnywhere, and GoToMyPC? Join in the discussion!

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3) More Do-It-Yourself Networking...

Hi Fred, GREAT letter, useful in the extreme! Thank you for all the time and effort you put into it.

As part of my job description working for a small company, I run and manage a small peer-to-peer Windows network (it's not my primary job function, and as we can't afford a full-time professional, someone has to do it...). For the last six months, after upgrading all but two machines to Windows XP Professional, the two PC's still running Windows 98SE have been humming along doing their user's Word processing and spreadsheet crunching just fine. However, one of the PC's would never, ever, show up on my Network Neighborhood with any regularity, and when it did, I was denied access to the shares on it. I tried most everything from re-installing all network components, checking all the cables for wiring faults, unplugging and replugging the two hub's uplink cables, adding IPX/NetBIOS protocol (which seems to help the other WinXP machines talk, by the way), enabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP, etc. (all PC's are behind not one, but two NAT routers, one with a stateful firewall, with two of the ten machines running ZoneAlarm as well).

The end result? Nothing worked, and I was resigned to buying a single, larger hub to replace the two I was using, and just doing without network access to the problem machine (it still uses a legacy application not available in WinXP quite yet). Well, yesterday I read an article in another e-newsletter (grin) about problems with WinXP's included NetBEUI (it's on a hidden folder on the XP CD, too, and not even a default install option), and to use Win2000's NetBEUI, which is much more compatible in a mixed OS environment

http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/35.htm#tipadaweek (describes the issue in detail)

http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/38.htm#tipadaweek (step-by-step of how to extract and install Win2000's NetBEUI)

After doing this, all of the PC's on my network loaded Network Neighborhood very quickly, showing all shares, and even I can now access the one machine that I couldn't access before. I much prefer WinXP for the added security, functionality, and stability, but this little network quirk had me beating my head on the wall for months. I hope it proves useful to someone else! ---Chris Bilyeu

Thanks, Chris. Scot Finnie's stuff is good, and definitely worth a look. (I subscribe to his newsletter.)

Of course, we've also covered the use of NetBEUI and IPX in *this* newsletter quite a bit. You can use either for safe communication that literally cannot be routed out over the internet:
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=netbeui&as_sitesearch=langa.com
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=ipx&as_sitesearch=langa.com

But I've also noticed occasional NetBEUI / IPX problems in mixed networking setups, where some of the PCs are set up by hand, and others are set up using Windows "Networking Wizard." I've seen this most frequently with XP; in fact Scot Finnie and I swapped some emails on this very topic. And--- just to make things murkier, there also seem to be issues depending on what tool you're using to share an internet connection. (See next item.)

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4) ...and Using Windows' "Networking Wizard"

(Continued from above:)

The "Networking Wizard" wants to use TCP as the main protocol for everything, both inside and outside the LAN. For example, with Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) set up on one PC, the Wizard will set up TCP, with Print and File sharing enabled, and with NetBIOS enabled (or actually in the default setting, which seems to be "enabled" in this case) on the ICS PC, and on each PC on which you run the Wizard.

This sounds--- and can be--- dangerous, because TCP is the protocol or "language" of the internet: Using TCP for your local communications can make it easier for hackers to jump from the internet to your local network.

So, on the PC that's doing the sharing, you need to open the connection settings and unbind (remove) everything but TCP from the outbound network card--- the one that connects to your ISP and the internet at large. That connection should have just plain-vanilla TCP--- no file/print share, no "Microsoft Network Client," etc. Nothing but TCP, period.

You also need a compatible firewall: On the Win98/WinME versions of ICS, you'll need to add an ICS-compatible firewall, such as Sygate Personal or Pro, or Zone Alarm Pro. (See links later in this item.) On XP, the ICS setup will offer to enable the built-in firewall, and that's an OK place to start (better than nothing), although you may wish to install a more robust firewall later (see below).

With nothing but TCP going in or out, and with the connection firewalled, you should be pretty safe: Tests like ShieldsUp ( http://www.grc.com ) should show full stealthing of the ICS PC--- all ports should be invisible to the outside world, and NetBIOS shouldn't be open to the internet. But it *can* operate on the "safe" side of the LAN, letting the PCs access each other, and share files locally.

This is very different from the way things work with NATS and some proxies. The old Sygate NAT I used forever worked just fine with XP clients set up in the traditional "safe" way, for example, using NetBEUI or IPX for the internal, peer-to-peer communication. But that way wouldn't work for XP if Windows' own ICS was doing the connection-sharing; for that, I had to use the Wizard-style networking, adjusted as above.

A final note: Each PC on the "safe" side--- the inside--- of a shared connection needs its own firewall, too, even if the externally-connected PC is firewalled, and even if the firewalling is provided by a piece of hardware. Don't rely on a single line of defense against internet threats: See http://www.informationweek.com/840/langa.htm .)

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5) Windows' Multiple Methods (And A Faster Swap File Fix)

One of the strengths--- and weaknesses--- of Microsoft software is that there are usually about nine different ways to do something. On the plus side, that means you can accomplish a given task using whatever way "feels" right to you--- no matter how you do it, the end results are the same..

The downside is that there may indeed be nine different ways to accomplish every task. <g> It can be confusing; and sometimes, it means that you end up on a longer, harder path than need be, just because that's the way you're used to doing things.

Here's a simple example: To change the resolution of your screen, you can:

1) right click the standard desktop, select properties, then settings: You're there.

2) (in Win9x) click Start/Settings/Control Panel/Display. You're there.

3) (in XP) click Start/Control Panel/Appearance/Display. You're there.

4) (if your setup includes a Control Panel shortcut elsewhere, such as in "My Computer") click that Control Panel shortcut, drill down to "display," and you're there.

5) (if your PC has a display widget in the "tray" or "notification area" near the clock) click or right click that until you get to the display settings: You're there.

And so on (yes, there are other ways, too). All these are correct; there's no right way or wrong way. The only right way is the one that's easiest for you to use and remember.

For me, I usually prefer the shortest, fastest way--- but sometimes I get lost in the maze of alternate solutions, too. For example:

Fred, Thanks for another great newsletter. In "Clean To The Bare Metal" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-02-24.htm#2 ) you mentioned an XP registry tweak to clear virtual memory on shutdown. There seems to be an easier way. Go into Administration Tools [under "Performance and Maintenance" in Control Panel], then Local Security Policy, Security Settings, Local Policies, Security Options. Scroll down to "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile". Right click and select properties then click "Enabled". It's probably easier than playing around in the registry. Regards, Pat Padberg

Thanks, Pat. It *is* easier. I've been using XP for a year and a half now, and I'm still learning some of the more arcane byways. 8-)

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6) Free Spy-Blocker

Hello Fred, This is in connection with spysites, since I see that you are heavily involved in spy- and antispamware....

http://camtech2000.net/Pages/SpySites_Program.html

"SpySites allows you to manage the Internet Explorer Restricted Zone settings and easily add entries from a database of 1500+ sites that are known to use advertising tracking methods or attempt to install third party software. You can select the sites from the list, or optionally add all of them, or only the "worst offenders." The program then adds the URLs to the IE Restricted Zone settings. Once configured, there is no need to run the program again, unless you want to add additional sites."--- Best regards, Tony

Thanks, Tony.

Tools like this can work, but do have drawbacks you have to know about, up front. For example, it's essentially just a blacklist--- the simplest, crudest form of blocking. While blacklists can work, they also can cause a world of trouble if--- or when--- good sites accidentally get put on the list. ( http://www.google.com/search?as_q=blacklist&as_sitesearch=langa.com ) A very similar blocking trick that uses the Windows "Hosts" file frequently backfires when sites move or change: The bad sites get around the simple block, and people end up unable to access sites they *want* to get into. (See http://www.google.com/search?as_q=host+file&as_sitesearch=langa.com )

Tools like SpySites can work, but if you install it and later have trouble accessing a site you want to see, you'll have to remember that Spysites' additions to your Restricted Zone may be at work. If you forget about SpySites' alterations to your browser, you could be in for a long period of hair-pulling, wondering "why can't I access this site?" or "why is this site feature not working for me?"

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7) Last Days To Enter February's FREE Drawing

On Feb 28th, 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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8) 2,600 And Counting

Over twenty-six hundred of your fellow readers have "Loaded the code." Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join them! (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

Brothers Judd Good Books and Recommended Reading
http://www.brothersjudd.com/

Overseas Brats
http://www.overseasbrats.com/index.asp

Crabware's "Useful Palm OS Stuff
http://www.crabware.com/

PEKO-Bio-natural Home Products
http://www.pekoproducts.com/

Wedding Resources
http://www.getmarriedohio.com/index.html

Food Fitness by Phone
http://foodfitnessbyphone.com/

British Columbia RV Rentals
http://www.adventurerv-rentals.com/

Alpha Omega Curriculum
http://www.agdistribution.com/index.html

Absolute Robeo
http://absoluterobeo.com/?langa

First Base Technologies
http://www.fbtechies.com/index.htm

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9) Atomz vs Picosearch vs Google Site Searching

For a long time, I've used two search engines--- Picosearch and Atomz--- to provide online searching of the LangaList standard edition archives at Langa.Com. These online archives are available, free, to everyone. (LangaList Plus! subscribers have an even better search option that works locally, off their hard drive--- it's not web-based--- that includes all Standard and Plus content. [ http://www.langa.com/plus.htm ] These Plus! edition archives are in Windows Helpfile format and can be searched at the full speed of your PC, not at the speed of your web connection. <g>)

Picosearch was one of the very first locally customizable search engines. It was good, but Atomz, when it came out, was a little better--- more customizable, and with more end-user search options. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-03-30.htm#9 ) For a long time, I listed Atomz as the primary online search choice at Langa.Com, with Picosearch as #2.

Alas, Atomz has quietly begun changing its business model, and has placed a fairly severe cap on the number of pages it will handle by default. When Atomz instituted the cap, my site was already way over the limit. That means that Atomz no longer indexed the full content of the Langa.Com site.

But happily, at almost the same time, Google offered a tool that a webmaster could install on any site: A mini front end to the full Google engine that (behind the scenes) specifically targets just a given site. (This focused "site search" has always been available from Google, but only as an Advanced feature. The mini front end makes use of the focused site search automatic and effortless.)

So, I've added the new, preconfigured Google site search as the #1 option on the Langa.Com search page; Picosearch remains #2, and the now-incomplete Atomz search is still there, but intended only as a last resort. Of course, Plus! Subscribers also still have the full local Helpfile archive option; this is always the place I look first when I'm trying to find something in a previous issue. (BTW, the Helpfile archives will be refreshed in March to add all the content of the last 90 days.)

Atomz has a for-a-fee option that allows it to search sites of any size, but with three other searches already in place, it seemed superfluous for Langa.Com: If you can't find it in the Plus! archives or by Google, or by Picosearch, it probably can't be found. <g>

You can see all the Standard-edition search options at http://www.langa.com/search.htm . Plus subscribers also can download the private Helpfile version of the archives at http://www.langalist.com/Plus/archives/archives.asp

If you have a web site and would like to add a powerful search tool, check out Google ( http://www.google.com/services/free.html ) and and Picosearch ( http://www.picosearch.com/newaccount.html ).

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10) Just For Grins

I have a birthday coming up, but (1) I don't think reader George N Baustert knew that, and (2) I'm not *that* old. <g> That said, here's the item he sent, which he titled "Old Fred:"

Old Fred's hospital bed is surrounded by well-wishers, but it doesn't look good. Suddenly, he motions frantically to the pastor for something to write on. The pastor lovingly hands him a pen and a piece of paper, and Fred uses his last bit of energy to scribble a note, then dies.

The pastor thinks it best not to look at the note right away, so he places it in his jacket pocket.

At Fred's funeral, as the pastor is finishing his eulogy, he realizes he's wearing the jacket he was wearing when Fred died.

"Fred handed me a note just before he died," he says. "I haven't looked at it, but knowing Fred, I'm sure there's a word of inspiration in it for us all."

Opening the note, he reads aloud, "Help! You're standing on my oxygen tube!"

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

Speaking Of Google--- Google Your Phone!
(this odd use of Google worries some, delights other)
Be's Comeback?
(a "wow" OS may soon return)
Can't Delete A File?
(how to handle those stubborn files that just won't die)

DID YOU KNOW that Plus! subscribers have access to over 100,000 additional words of special features, extra content and private links, all on a private web site? All that, plus 30% more content in every issue, for just a dollar a month. Full Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm

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See you next issue!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

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

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