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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2003-06-02

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) Easy Encryption

Any form of encryption--- at the file-, folder-, partition-, or disk-level--- can substantially improve your data security by helping to ensure that only you (or those you authorize) can access the protected data. With good encryption, even if someone hacks into your PC--- or even if they sit right at your keyboard---- they'll find it essentially impossible to get at the contents of files you've so protected.

But picking the right type of encryption, and then picking the right tool, takes a little digging: As with most things technoid, there's no absolute right or wrong answer: What's right for one circumstance may not be optimal in another.

In the current article at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10100525 , I'll run through the pros and cons of file-level  versus disk-level encryption, and tell you which I prefer, and why. We'll walk through XP Pro's (and Win2K's) built-in encryption tools--- and I'll tell you why they may not be worth using! I'll also provide links to a variety of third-party encryption tools--- some free--- including PC software than can provide military-level encryption that would probably take a team of experts and a supercomputer to crack!

Also: Note that encryption has become a *very* hot topic now in the US, with recent changes in federal law about the way private medical records are handled--- a change that affects every business with a human resource department, every pharmacy, every doctor's office, every hospital, and so on.

But encryption is useful for anything that needs to be kept private; not just medical records. Do you store tax or banking info on your PC? How about private emails? A journal or diary? The list of "stuff that's better off kept private" is nearly endless, and encryption is the key to securing it all.

That and more is on the InformationWeek site at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10100525 . Please click on over, and then join the discussion!

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2) More Ways To Run WinApps In Linux

In the past, we've discussed "WINE," a Linux utility that allows some Windows applications (such as MS Office) to run, unmodified, in Linux. That's right: you can take your normal Office setup CD, feed it into Linux running WINE, and the Windows version of Office will setup and run under Linux in much the same way as it will under Windows, albeit with some limitations.

In fact, WINE is the basis of the Windows compatibility features in the popular Lindows version of Linux. (See http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021127S0017 )

But there are other ways to run WinApps under Linux, too:

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3) New Google Options

Thanks, Paraag. Indeed, among the many (about 90!) purely serious, fully-functional language preference options--- everything from Afrikaans to Zulu--- you'll also find Klingon, "bork bork bork," pig latin, elmer fudd, and more.

I suppose Dwarf and Elvish won't be far behind... <g>

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4) "Office Profile Wizard"

You mentioned in the last issue how one could save the "Blocked Senders" list (see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-05-26.htm#4 ). Wouldn't it be prudent to go ahead and save all of your office settings using the Microsoft Office Profile Wizard? My version of Office came with it (proflwiz.exe). It is also downloadable from the website http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/xp/appndx/appa14.htm . It saves all of the customizable settings that I use. ---B.B. Hobbs

Thanks, BB. The "Profile Wizards" are usually part of the "Resource Kit" for a given version of MSOffice. The above link is for Office XP, but there's a similar Wizard for Office 2000, for example, in the O2K Resource Kit (search the MS site, or see this shortened link: http://tinyurl.com/cvly ).

This German site has links to the online versions (in English) of most MS Office Resource Kits and Tools: http://beqiraj.com/office/tools/ork.asp

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5) Another Fix For Broken Internet Connections

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6) New Month, New Chances

It's a new month, and right now your chances are the best they'll ever be!

To have a shot at winning a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item
at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys, and
more--- 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 mini-shopping spree! (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2

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 (really!), try this link (full details also available here): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1

Either way, thank you, and good luck!

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7) Serious Multibooting With Free "BootPart"

This info won't be for everyone--- it's definitely from the deeper end of the pool. But if you're looking for some high-level advice on multibooting Windows and Linux, dive in!

Hi Fred, I'm a longtime reader and Plus! subscriber. I work in the field as a consultant for a local computer shop, and as such see a wide range of systems and set-ups.

Multi-booting is a hot topic. I'm running a multi-partition, single HD set-up with Win98, XP, and Red-Hat Linux. I created the necessary partitions then first installed 98 in partition C: . Next, Win XP was loaded into partition D:. At this point the windows loader automatically recognized the 2 systems. Next came Red-Hat on partition E: with the Linux swap on partition F:. Choose to install LILO on the Linux root rather than overwriting the MBR. Now I had 3 OS but only 2 to choose from with the NT Loader. This is where Bootpart comes in. Bootpart is a tiny tool that allows you to add OS's to the NT Loader menu (Your first partition should be FAT16/FAT32 for simplicity). Simply extract the bootpart files to the C: partition and the from the DOS prompt (make sure you're [in the root folder] c:\>) type:

bootpart [partition #] bootlnx.bin "Linux Red Hat"

(where partition # is the partition number of the OS you want to add to the NT Loader, the bootlnx.bin will be created and can be any 8.3 name you'd like (you must use the.bin ext), and "Linux Red Hat" is what shows in the choices menu. It is important to remember that bootpart sees the first partition (in this case c:\), as partition #0. So in my case the command was

bootpart 2 bootlnx.bin "Red Hat Linux"

So simple and does not mess with the MBR. In fact bootpart can also repair a MBR. The link to bootpart is http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm

Cheers from Canada, DW

Thanks, DW! That link also offers the actual download, and longer, more-detailed info.

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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

Men Of Honor
http://www.menofhonorministry.org/

Alyena's Place
http://web.infoave.net/~alyena/

BAUDS - BITS - BYTES
http://www.qsl.net/aa3eu/

DaKittyKatt
http://dakatt0.tripod.com/index.html

Ogden Computer Guy
http://ogdentechguy.com/

Antique Phonographs
http://www.wyattsmusical.com/

CyberArtisans (New England)
http://www.cyberartisans.com/index.htm

My PC Clinic
http://mypcclinic.com/

Rick and Ranting
http://www.geocities.com/ricul7/Ricks_World.html

Food That Keeps
http://www.foodthatkeeps.com/

Handboken MF Translation services
http://www.handbokenmf.com/eng_index.htm

John Gabree
http://www.johngabree.com/

The Turning Page
http://www.siece.net/

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9) WinZip Alternative

Dear Fred, I know you've covered this, but I didn't see this link, it might be useful to some. It has older versions of some very nice freeware i.e.. Power Archiver-v6.11 is freeware and is almost identical to WinZip which comes with a cost.
http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=powarc

Great newsletter, Dan Loyd

Thanks, Dan. The OldVersion site is a definite bookmark: We originally covered it a year ago in http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-06-03.htm#5 . Even then the site had something like 215 old versions on file.

Note that the current Power Archiver version is 8.1. Like the new WinZip, it offers not only compression but also encryption. In fact, Power Archiver had strong encryption before WinZip did; and offers more encryption options than does WinZip. The paid version of Power Archiver is $20 for personal use, versus $29 for WinZip.

People looking for a very small, no-frills, totally free unzip utility might also check out "FreeZip," available from many sites: http://www.google.com/search?q=freezip

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10) Just For Grins

Reader Mike Dawkins sends along these items, which he (correctly!) labels as "groaners" <g>:

POLITICALLY CORRECT STATEMENTS FOR THE 21st CENTURY

- Your bedroom isn't cluttered, it's just "passage restrictive."
- Kids don't get grounded anymore. They merely hit "social speed bumps."
- You're not late, you just have a "rescheduled arrival time."
- You're not having a bad hair day, you're suffering from "rebellious follicle syndrome."
- No one's tall anymore. He's "vertically enhanced."
- You're not shy. You're "conversationally selective."
- You don't talk a lot. You're just "abundantly verbal."
- It's not called gossip anymore. It's "the speedy transmission of near-factual information."

AND FOR STUDENTS...

- The food at the school cafeteria isn't awful. It's "digestively challenging."
- No one fails a class anymore, he's merely "passing impaired."
- You don't have detention, you're just one of the "exit delayed."
- These days, a student isn't lazy. He's "energetically disinclined."
- Your locker isn't overflowing with junk, it's just "closure prohibitive."
- Your homework isn't missing, its just having an "out-of-notebook experience."
- You're not sleeping in class, you're "rationing consciousness."
- You don't have smelly gym socks, you have "odor-retentive athletic footwear."
- You weren't passing notes in class. You were "participating in the discreet exchange of penned meditations."
- You're not being sent to the principal's office. You're "going on a mandatory field trip to the administrative building."

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• Low-Cost Way To "Gang" Modems
       (hardware for 1/6th original cost)

• Megs Of Free Security Tools
      (download one tool, or many)

• Free Multilingual "Sticky Notes" Alternative
      (supports 35 different languages!)

Access to over 100,000 additional words in special features, extra content and private links, all on a private web site--- 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)

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.

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