|
Please visit the LangaList Home Page Please note: Older issues may contain information that is now out of date How To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 Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000 !) An easier-to read formatted
HTML version of this newsletter is available The
LangaList 2003-03-06 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------
1) File Deletion FollowupIn a recent issue of the Plus! edition (item #13 in http://www.langalist.com/plus/newsletters/2003/2003-02-27plus.asp ) we discussed ways to delete stubborn files--- files that are locked, "in use" or otherwise undeletable when you try to remove them. Although the reader query that sparked the discussion was very specific--- a locked AVI file that couldn't be deleted--- I answered it the way I normally do, in broader terms, so that the suggested fix could be applied to a wider range of problems than in just one very specific circumstance. In this case, I gave answers that let you delete *any* locked file, and also referenced: XP/2K locked-file deletion via "Recovery Console:" XP/2K locked-file deletion via DOS (Plus! Edition
Only): Win9x/ME file deletion problems: That was fine, as far as it went, but--- as usual--- many, many of you sent in a flood of reader mail containing *great* additional info in two main areas. One group of suggestions, represented in the next item below, lists many other ways (some much easier than the ones I suggested) to delete any file in any version of Windows; on ways hacker tricks can lock a file (and how you can overcome that); and more. And one other letter, two items down from here, had me smack my forehead in a major and embarrassing "Doh!" moment. <g> Read on: Click to email this item to a
friend 2) File Deletion: Reader SuggestionsMany readers' emails discussed tools for automatically removing stubborn files on reboot; for working around two known issues involving AVI file-locking in XP; and a hacker trick (and solution) involving use of reserved file names. For example:
Thanks to all who wrote in! Next item: My head-slapping moment: Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 3) File Deletion: A "Doh" Momenterase command to drop some whoopass on the unwanted file. A second cause of this problem is specific to Adobe Premiere. The 6.0 version of Premiere forgets to close files. We have to exit the program before we can delete files. Fred, Fred, Fred, Fred, I hope this helps. --- David Schachter Thanks, David. Indeed, this is blindlingly obvious in 2K/XP and ME, although I admit I totally missed it. My feeble defense: I rarely use the preview panel. (You can disable it in a few clicks: In Windows Explorer in 2K/XP and ME, click to Tools/Folder Options/Use Windows Classic folders.) I've now re-enabled the preview pane on my copy of XP, so I won't miss something like this again. 8-) [Note to Win98 users: Win98 doesn't offer automatic previews of selected files, so this issue doesn't apply to you.] In any case, now we have a whole range of possible reasons why a file may be undeletable--- from the in-your-face obvious reasons to fairly obscure ones--- and fixes for them all. Thanks to everyone who wrote in! Click to email this item to a
friend 4) TriosHere's a way to dual-boot your PC without repartitioning, and without having to add boot-manager software:
The most popular solution for this--- having two (or more) independently bootable hard drives in one PC--- is a little gizmo called "Trios." It's basically a three-way switch and some clever wiring that lets you select any one of up to three bootable hard drives in your system. You set up each of the hard drives as an independent OS, just as if it were the only hard drive in the system. In fact, the Trios device prevents the active drive from seeing the inactive ones, so each OS thinks it "owns" the system completely. The most common use for Trios is to run multiple OSes, just as Jonniek wishes: For example, Win98 on one hard drive, Win XP on another. But others use it to have multiple copies of the same OS so they can experiment on one copy without messing up the "real" version. The Trios maker even suggests setting up multiple copies of the same OS, and using one for surfing, and the others for secure work. Whenever the "surfing drive" is active, the other drives are safely inert, and cannot be affected by any viruses, worms, etc. Trios comes in two versions: The original costs $50, and the newer Trios II
(better looking and easier to install) costs $70. You can get more info on it
here http://www.romtecusa.com/ and buy
it from any number of vendors including LangaList supporter TigerDirect ( Of course, Trios isn't a panacea. As with anything, there are downsides, too. See a review of Trios here, for example: http://www.reviewboard.com/Section/Hardware/trios Click to email this item to a
friend 5) Shhhh! (More On Quiet Fans)
Good stuff, guys, thanks! Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 6) Thanks!
Thanks, John! That article originally appeared late last year in the US edition of PC World ( http://www.pcworld.com/features/article/0,aid,105857,pg,2,00.asp ): They rated 15 e-newsletters and info sources. The highest rating they awarded was four stars, earned by just four of the 15 publications. And yes, the LangaList was one of those top four, ranked equally with the likes of the tech newsletters put out by The New York Times and the San Jose Mercury News. The LangaList also was ranked higher than the newsletters put out by Wired, ZDnet, Cnet, and a bunch of others. It's kind of a hoot--- and a sign of how powerful the Web is as a communications medium--- that a one-man operation like mine can compete with (and in some cases, beat!) huge publications like those. <g> On a more personal note--- and in a way more meaningful because the rankings come from *you,* the readers--- the LangaList also remains among the ten most-recommended "Computing & Internet" web sites from among the 140,000 sites tracked by the folks at Recommend-It! (See http://www.recommend-it.com/rec/sitecenter/RecCtrCategorySearchCntrl.jsp?formSiteSearchCategory=10 .) It's a great feeling to know that this newsletter (and Langa.Com) is useful enough for many, many of you to have suggested it to friends and colleagues. As a way of saying "Thanks!" there are two prizes you can win simply for making a recommendation. For example, if you use the Recommend-It service, you can win $10,000 (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): Either way, thank you and good luck! Click to email this item to a
friend 7) Unexpected Shutdowns
Software problems can cause this, but far more often, this kind of unexpected instant shutdown--- as if you'd yanked the power cord out of the wall socket--- is a mechanical or thermal problem. Often the cause is simple--- a loose connection, loose wire, or a card or chip that's worked itself loose somehow inside your PC. These can easily be fixed by opening the PC and (carefully) making certain that all plugs, connectors, chips and cards are seated firmly and squarely. But the #1 reason I've personally seen for this kind of behavior is simple overheating. If your PC has a dead or dying cooling fan (see item #5, above, and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-03-03.htm#3 ) or if your PC's air inlets or heat exchangers get clogged with dust (you'd be surprised how common this is!), the airflow inside the case may not be sufficient to keep the components cooled properly. In mild overheating, the component may suddenly stop working--- just as you described--- but will recover after it's cooled off a few degrees. But severe overheating can literally destroy electronic components; and even mild overheating will shorten their lives. For these problems, the solution also is to open the case and then thoroughly clean out all the dust and dirt that's accumulated, especially around the air intakes and between the fins of any heat exchangers (again, see #5, above); and to make sure all your fans spin properly when powered up. There are other causes and cures for unexpected shutdowns, and other ways to
diagnose heat-related problems, too. See: Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- --- 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 ) Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At Gourd Dancing Ed I Am Full Circle Hosting Max's Place Personal Web Pages of Terry A. Moore The Fishers Home HUNT GENEALOGY Web Host Horror Story grey squirrel creations King's Kid (blog) Click to email this item to a
friend 9) Simple Trick Reduces Spam
Thanks, Paul! Most human-sent, non-spam mail will have your name only in the From field, and not in the Subject line. This filtering method is a good idea that can be generalized to other mail clients with similar filtering options, too. Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For GrinsFollowing up last week's Grin listing questions asked of US Park Rangers, Ken Thomson also sent this: "Questions Asked of Staff in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada"
Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! ) ---
--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
DID YOU KNOW--- that Plus! subscribers have access to additional special features, extra content and links 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 Click to email this item to a
friend See you next issue! Best, 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. UNSUBSCRIBE: From the same email account you
used to sign up with), send an email to SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Create and send a new email to CHANGE ADDRESS? LIST TROUBLE? HAVE QUESTIONS? OTHER PROBLEM? NEED HELP? See http://www.langa.com/help.htm This newsletter is SPAM PROOF and requires two levels of subscriber confirmation
before delivery begins: See
http://www.langa.com/info.htm |
|
Please visit the LangaList Home Page |