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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 1) The Perfect Rescue Tool (Part Two)Part Two is now available: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10818064 Imagine you hit the power switch on your Windows or Linux PC
and the system starts to boot, but stalls. The power's on, the hard drive is
spinning, but nothing's happening. A reboot doesn't help. Click over to Part Two at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10818064 , read the article, and then join in the discussion: What tools do *you* use? How do you create bootable CDs on your system? How do preconfigured boot CDs compare to the kind of custom type that I describe? How do you use your boot CDs? Join in! Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 2) Imaging FeedbackWow, what a response to the Special Issue ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-07-03.htm )! You folks not only flooded my mailbox, but so many of you went to check out Bootit NG ( http://www.bootitng.com/ ) that you choked their servers for many hours! One commonly-asked question:
Yes, DI2002 *can* work on XP. In fact, if you dig deep enough in the PowerQuest site, you can find their old recommendations from when DI2002 came out--- they list XP (and Win2K) as supported systems. For that matter, the even-older DI5 can work fine on XP--- it's what I use, and as I said in the newsletter, I think DI5 on XP is actually superior to DI7 on XP. So I emphatically was NOT saying "Nothing but DI7 will work on XP and Win2K..." Rather, when I talked about which versions of Drive Image were intended for which versions of Windows, I used the word "intend" deliberately, to indicate PowerQuest's aim or desire: For example, their product spec sheets flatly state "Drive Image 7, for Windows XP and 2000... Drive Image 2002, for Windows ME, 95, 98, NT." (See http://www.powerquest.com/documentation/specsheets/DM70ENss.pdf ) Or, check the DI7 "System Requirements" page ( http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/direq.cfm : DI7 is for "Windows XP, 2000 Professional (SP2)..." That same page shows DI2002 is for use on "Windows 95c or higher, NT Workstation 4.0 (SP6a), Windows Me...." Clearly, PQ is trying to steer XP and Win2K users to DI7, rather than to the older versions. Some of that's just marketing, but some of it may be due to the fact that some XP users encountered a subtle but serious problem with DI2002, a kind of symptomless "silent failure" where they could make images just fine, but discovered (too late!) that their images could not be properly restored! (See next item) Click to email this item to a
friend 3) Silent Failures Of Backups And ImagesThe nightmare scenario for those who are assiduous about backups is to discover, after the fact, that something's gone wrong with the backups or images, leaving you unable to restore your system when you need to. The problem isn't limited to PowerQuest, but here's an example using them:
PowerQuest acknowledges a minor issue between XP's SP1 and PM7 ( http://www.powerquest.com/support/primus/id3974.cfm ) but says nothing --- in the public files, anyway--- about DI2002 in that regard. However, a web search turns up quite a mixed bag of both success and horror stories with DI2002 of XP SP1. See, for example, http://www.langa.com/u/4.htm or http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/n1048458404 . The problem isn't 100% clear cut, and it may or may not affect you. Trouble is, you won't know until you try to restore your system: You may end up overwriting your current setup with a useless image, leaving you exactly nowhere--- no current system, no valid backup. My guess is that, for safety's sake, PQ is steering its users towards the new version in part to sidestep this issue. If you're using DI2002 on XP, this does NOT necessarily mean that all your images are bad; in fact, you may have no problem at all. But you should verify that your backups are usable. Actually, this is a good idea for *any* form of backup, using any software from any vendor--- make sure your backups are really doing what you think they are! For example, You might want to make a conventional backup, or use an alternate imaging tool like Bootit NG, and once your files are safely backed up by a reliable second, independent means, try restoring a primary backup (say, a DI2002 image, if that's what you normally use). If it works, then you'll know you're OK. If not, then you can restore your system from the alternate backup or image, and immediately stop wasting your time with the proven-bad method. In any case, until you test your backup method, you'll never know if you're really OK or not!
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friend 4) "Fred, What About [name of tool here]?"I also got many emails along the lines of:
The answer is: You shouldn't. If you have an imaging solution that you like and use, and that you *know* works for you (see previous item), there's no need whatsoever to change. Stick with what you have! Rather, as the last newsletter said, "... if you do need to change from your current solution, or if you're either new to imaging or need to get imaging software for a currently un-imaged PC, consider Bootit NG as a first option. It offers so much for so little, it's at least worth a look. Besides, it's free to try, so you have nothing to lose." I'll never suggest that you dump perfectly good hardware or software just for the sake of making a change to something else: That's wasteful, and silly. All upgrades or replacements should deliver a clear benefit besides "it's different." If a real, positive benefit's not there, the upgrade or replacement's not worthwhile. In my case, my in-use imaging solution (DI5) couldn't handle new kinds of Linux partitions that I was starting to use; that was my personal motivation for seeking an upgrade. I initially tried DI7 to "stay within the family" because I'd gotten such good service from DI5. Alas, despite the name, Drive Image 7 isn't a "disk" imager as much as a "Windows" imager: Instead of being a general disk imaging tool, DI7 is a very narrowly focused product aimed only at people (1) running XP or Win2k, (2) who have installed .Net and (3) whose primary interest is only in imaging Windows partitions. That's too narrow for my needs. For me, when another company offers a much less restrictive and more generally applicable solution that's also much less expensive, that's the one I want. <g> But DI7 may be fine for others, or for you. And again, if you've found a solution that you like, that you use, and that you know works, stick with it! Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 5) In Brief: Four Update ItemsBuffer Overrun In HTML Converter Could Allow Code
Execution (All Win versions): Buffer Overrun in Windows Could Lead to Data
Corruption (NT/2K/XP): Flaw In Windows Media Player 9 May Allow Media
Library Access Windows 2000 SP4 is out: Click to email this item to a
friend 6) Three Winners!"Happydad," and "Hotpop" each won a FREE full one-year subscription to the LangaList Plus! edition. Reader Bob Krezel, who already was a Plus! subscriber, won himself a FREE one-year extension to his Plus! subscription. They won these subscriptions by using the "Recommend To A Friend" form at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm . You see, each month I choose three winners of a FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to the LangaList Plus! edition. 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! (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm Click to email this item to a
friend 7) Caller ID...For Email! (And More)Tim Bonham writes:
Thanks, Tim! I use a conceptually similar method: I use the "speak" option (In Eudora Pro) to announce the sender's name when I get an email from a select group of family, friends and business associates. I've turned off all other Eudora sounds. This way, Eudora can silently process most of the almost 2000 emails I get each day, but will speak the sender's name aloud when an especially important email has arrived. That way, normal mail flow doesn't interrupt my work, but I know when an email from (say) my wife arrives. <g> In fact, I even know who's sent the mail before I open the mailbox. It's kind of like having caller ID for your email. Nice! Click to email this item to a
friend 8) They Loaded The CodeDo 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: Ray TrygstaD (blog) Heather Anne (blog) Portfolio Practical Guide to Computing Site for, um, Bastards (harsh language) Patars Oz Parrots Exiled Gamers Ricky's Lake Fork Boat Rental Pirate Mike Mr Dan's Neighborhood Security Freak Click to email this item to a
friend 9) Lindows 4 ReleasedYou remember Lindows--- the especially easy-to-install-and-use version of Linux that's designed to help make Windows users feel comfortable with the new OS. (See http://www.google.com/search?as_q=lindows&as_sitesearch=langa.com) Well, there's a new version, and reader Ron Garland beat me to the punch in posting first impressions:
Nice job, Ron, thanks! (And by the way, for those of you who feel that it'd be too hard to learn a new OS, Ron should be an inspiration: He did it just fine, and he just turned 81 years old! <g>) Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For GrinsReader Ken Thomson sends along this note, which le labeled "Strange but Clever Advertising..."
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
All the LangaLists ever published (from 1997 through 2003-06-30) are now available for you right at your fingertips, packaged as a space-saving highly-compressed Windows Help File that can be self-searched using the Windows Help Engine's standard (and familiar) interface. No more going online for partial searches of the LangaList's past content: Instead, with the Archives right on your hard drive, it'll take only seconds to find whatever you're looking for, no matter how long ago it was published in any version of the LangaList! And again, unlike the online search tools at Langa.Com, the Helpfile Archives contains both the standard and Plus content--- everything--- all in one place! These archives are available FREE to Plus! edition subscribers, and are updated every 90 days or so--- just one of the many benefits of subscribing. It's not too late to get your own copy of the archives. And it costs only pennies per issue to join! Sign up today! http://www.langa.com/plus.htm Click to email this item to a
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