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1) Thweeeet! Time Out!Yikes! Maybe it's the war, maybe it's the economy, but the level of free-floating hostility seems to have risen alarmingly. For example, I've gotten a mass of very angry email about the "BeClean" software that caused problems for some readers. One reader (I won't use his name; I'm not trying to embarrass anyone) wrote this--- one of the more printable notes I received:
At first blush, that sounds like a totally legit question. But there are two major problems. A) "Don't you test...?" OK, are we talking about testing on Win95, Win98, Win98se, WinME, NT4, any of the several flavors of Win2K, or any of the flavors of XP? Which service packs? What security settings, firewalls or antivirus tools are in use? Which blends of other software have been installed? How has the system been maintained? Which of the thousands of brands, models, and builds of PCs are we talking about? How much memory is installed? What's the hard drive set up? What's the skill level of the user? On and on... In the heyday of ink-on-paper computer publishing, Ziff-Davis--- then the largest tech publisher--- had a lab with 50 people working in it, and even they made no attempt whatsoever to test broadly on even a tiny fraction of the possible permutations of hardware and software. Instead, they (like most labs) used simple, standardized reference systems designed to simulate a mythical "average" PC. And, of course, these were not systems as used in the chaos of real life, but idealized, perfectly-maintained systems, run by professional testers. If a product got a good rating from that kind of test lab, it suggested that that product would probably work OK for you, as long as your system resembled the test setups. But even there, there was no *guarantee* that the product would work for you. So, I can say with no shame whatsoever that no, I do not and cannot do what the world's largest tech companies and publishers also cannot do: There's no way I can ever guarantee that the stuff we discuss here will work flawlessly on every reader's setup. And consider the software itself: If the world's largest software publishers--- Microsoft, Symantec, et al-- cannot produce error-free software that works on all hardware and software, for all users of all skill levels, all the time, do you really think some freeware hobbyist software author will manage to do so? So the first point is really about having reasonable expectations. No software--- especially free, giveaway software--- is likely to be perfect. And no one--- not I, nor Ziff-Davis, nor any testing lab or publisher--- can guarantee that a given product will work flawlessly on your system. That leads to the second point: B) "I lost everything!" Here's a sad truth: No matter how careful you are, sooner or later something bad *will* happen to your hardware of software--- not "might happen" or "possibly will happen"--- something bad definitely *will* happen. It may be an accidental deletion of something important through user error, it may be a software problem or a hardware failure. Regardless, it's a 100% certainty that sooner or later you're going to lose important data. That's why I've talked about backups literally *hundreds* of times in this newsletter. I've even detailed a complete, total backup process that can restore your data after a *total* hardware failure--- say, your house burns down and melts your PC to slag. Yet, many readers still choose to run unprotected--- and then get irate when the inevitable happens, and they lose data. I don't know how to be any clearer: Backups are essential. The more often you make them, the safer you are. Or, to put it the other way, if you choose to run without backups, then you are, in effect, choosing to lose data. It's inevitable. Things like "Go Back" and "System Restore" can help a little, but they are only partial solutions, as we've also previously discussed in these pages. One small example: Both Go Back and System Restore are utilities that run within your operating system. If something really bad happens to your OS itself, how will you run Go Back or System Restore? (Answer: You can't. You're toast.) But there is an easy, inexpensive way to make 100% reliable backups that will let you recover from ANY problem in literally minutes. For example, I make "image" backups every few days, and data backups every day. It costs me less than 20 cents a day for total data security. If you do something similar, there is no reason for you to lose access to your PC or its data--- ever! In most cases, you can restore data in literally 5 minutes or so, or completely rebuild a system's software--- format, OS, apps, data, *everything*--- in maybe 10 minutes, using my method. ( http://www.langa.com/backups/backups.htm ) Sooner or later, EVERYONE who uses a computer will lose data. With some people, it happens fast. Others can go for years and years. But EVERYONE, sooner or later, has something bad happen that will make them glad they have backups, if they have them; or that will make them wish they had backups, if they don't. But I guess it's human nature--- people will discount the benefit of something until they need it. Unfortunately, with backups, by the time you need them, it's too late to start. You have to start beforehand. The next item takes a related tack, and shows just how inexpensive it is to have total data security. Then, you'll never have that awful "Oh, No!" moment when you realize that your system--- and its data--- has been hosed. Click to email this item to a
friend 2) Backups For 30 Cents Per Gig!
A lot of users hesitate about backups because they assume they'll need to invest hundreds of dollars to set something up. In reality, backups are much, much cheaper than most people think. (Mine cost me 20 cents a day.) But before we get to the costs, ask yourself one question, as a very simple, informal cost/benefit analysis: "What would it cost, in direct expense and in time, to recreate all my data, files, settings, etc., from scratch?" In other words, ballpark the absolute, rock-bottom minimum value of the data on your system simply by estimating how long it would take to get the stuff you need back to an acceptable condition, restoring or recreating it if you lost the contents of your hard drive. Then, multiply that amount of time by whatever your time is worth. Even at minimum wage, and even if the value of your files and data is zero (which is almost never the case), fully restoring your system just ONCE, ever, in its life will usually more than offset the purchase cost of a basic CDR drive, just in time-savings alone. And it's odds-on that the value of your files and data is way more than $0. Some of your files may have intrinsic monetary value--- tax or banking or business records, for example. Other files and data have a value represented by the effort and time it took to create them. For example, how much time have you invested in setting up your system, getting it right, downloading patches, installing software, etc.? Still other files may have value that's hard to quantify--- special photos, music, lists of favorite sites, etc. But there is still a value there, even if it's hard to pin down. In fact, when you add it all up, the true, full value of the stuff on your hard drive is probably worth hundreds, thousands or--- no, I'm not kidding--- tens of thousands of dollars. Add it up: If your answer, either in direct cost or in time spent, is that your data and setup is worth more than a mere $25 or so, then go out and buy an inexpensive CDR drive right now! That's all they cost, if you catch a sale; and even off-sale, you can almost always get a new CDR for less than $50. That's all it takes--- a basic $25-50 CDR drive and some bulk-purchased blank CDs, and you're on your way to total data safety. This way, your actual backup costs will run in the vicinity of 3 cents per hundred megs.; or 30 cents per gig. I create a full image backup of my 8GB primary partition several times a week, for example: It fits (compressed) on 4 generic blank CDs that cost me a total of 80 cents. Think of it: 80 cents for 100%, rock-solid, total data security. Is there any reason *not* to make backups? Examples of inexpensive CDRs: Bulk CDs (less than 20 cents each): FREE easy backup methods for all the above: Get started now: When the day comes that you need your backups--- and it will--- I guarantee you'll consider your investment some of the best money you've ever spent! Click to email this item to a
friend 3) World-Class Multibooting, Part 1We've touched on multibooting a bit lately--- multibooting is when you have two or more operating systems installed on a single PC, and choose which one to run at start up; each OS thinks it "owns" the PC, and operates independently of the other(s). Our discussions were mostly introductory. But two readers--- both using the same powerful freeware tool--- show just how far you can go with multibooting, if you want or need to. For example:
Thanks, Jake. That PC--- put together by an18-year-old named Richard Robbins--- has got to be close to a world record! The next letter, detailing a somewhat less extreme setup, offers a lot of practical detail: Click to email this item to a
friend 4) World-Class Multibooting, Part 2
Excellent, Philip; thanks! So you see, multibooting is an enormously flexible, powerful technique whether you just want to run two OSes--- or 53! Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 5) NT/2K/XP Security Problem
Info, patches, and a workaround for NT4 (which cannot
be patched): Click to email this item to a
friend 6) Last Hours To Enter March's FREE DrawingLater today, March 31, 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): Either way, thank you, and good luck! Click to email this item to a
friend 7) X-Ray Vision Into Your PC
The two utilities that might do the trick for that---
and to disclose tons more info about your PC's innards--- are: Belarc Advisor Click to email this item to a
friend 8) They Just Keep Coming And Coming...Over two thousand 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 ) Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date
Sites Starting At flgm11 Transpoman Dennis Lockhart The Bevill's Compact Utility Tractors Web Design 2003 Central Illinois Pow Pow Schedule Dogs-4-Ever "My corner of the 'Net" Welcome to The Marsh Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 9) Another Fan-Related WeirdnessIt's amazing--- the PC cooling stories are still flooding in, mostly involving people finding the insides of their overheating PCs filled with enough dust and fuzzies to knit a sweater. But sometimes, even a clean PC can have a cooling problem:
Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For GrinsThis has made the rounds in many forms over the years, so it's time we immortalized at least one version, such as the one Irwin Seitelman sent in:
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
The Plus! edition offers tons of extra info for just a dollar a month, and even has a MONEY BACK satisfaction guarantee: You can't lose! Complete Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm Click to email this item to a
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