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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2003-07-24

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) Surges, Again...

With apologies to our many readers on the southern half of the planet, it's time for a "high summer" topic here in the north--- lightning protection:

Hi Fred, Last week a series of thunderstorms rolled through my area. Each time,  I powered down my system to prevent damage from potential power surges. Unfortunately, it seems that it makes no difference whether your machines are powered down and plugged into a surge protector when there's a lightning strike 200 feet from your house. The spike killed all three of my PCs and the cable modem.... Next time, I'm unplugging everything. As always, thanks for the great newsletter. Regards, Frank Tirado

That's right, Frank, and the damage makes sense when you think about it: A lightning bolt can travel several miles/kilometers through empty air, so there's no way that the tiny gap inside an electrical switch---a space of just a few millimeters or fractions of an inch--- will somehow stop the surge. In fact, a lightning strike will blast through an "off" switch almost as if the switch wasn't there at all. Physically unplugging the PC is the only 100% sure method to protect against the worst kinds of electrical problems.

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or a good surge arrestor can help protect against routine electrical problems, and even lightning strikes IF (unlike Frank's case) the strikes aren't too close and IF they don't actually hit the wiring: The surge arrestor shunts the excess power directly to the ground instead of letting it blast through your PC. But even high-quality surge arrestors may fail with very close lightning strikes, or direct hits to the power lines even if the strike is some distance away.

UPSes and/or good surge protectors are still worth having because most electrical problems that can damage a PC are not from direct (or nearly so) lightning strikes. Good protective devices *can* help against most routine power problems. But note: I'm not referring to those cheesy $8 power strips, even if they call themselves "surge arrestors" or "protectors" or some such. Those glorified extension cords are next to worthless for surge protection. A real surge protector costs at least a few tens of bucks; and may include a small battery to let you ride out a brief brownout or blackout. Some of the better uninterruptible power supplies can also protect your modem and LAN connections, and even automatically perform a safe, proper system shutdown of your PC in the event of an extended outage. Some also come with built-in insurance policies that will pay to replace your equipment, should it be damaged while protected by the UPS/surge arrestor. (The policies usually don't cover data loss, though: You still need to make images/backups on your own. Also: Note that "inside the box" backup methods such as RAID arrays or second hard drives will likely be toasted by a major surge, along with everything else inside the PC, leaving you with no useable backup at all. The safest backups are those that you can store away from your PC, so that anything bad that happens inside the box can't also affect your backups. See http://www.langa.com/backups/backups.htm )

I have all my PCs, plus my stereos and TVs (in fact, all pricey electronic gear) protected by inexpensive--- but worthwhile!--- UPSes. They're sold by all reputable electronics retailers, including these LangaList sponsors:

Dartek: http://www.langa.com/sponsors/dartek.htm
Tiger: http://www.langa.com/sponsors/tigerdirect.htm
Cyberguys: http://www.langa.com/sponsors/cyberguys.htm

You also can find a ton of them through Froogle: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=ups&btnG=Froogle+Search

There's more detailed information on electrical "Flashes, Flickers and Fluctuations" at http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-06-18.htm#1 ; information on "Generators, Rolling Blackouts, etc." at http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-06-18.htm#2 ; and "Easy Alternative Power For Laptops and Small PCs" at http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-06-18.htm#3 ; and general info on this topic at http://langa.com/u/7.htm . You also can visit LangaList subscriber Rick O'Keefe's Yahoo Group on lightning protection for free, expert advice: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LightningProtection 

So, use a high-quality UPS or heavy-duty surge arrestor for routine protection, but when the storms get *really* bad, unplug your expensive electronics!

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2) Linux Rescue Disks

We've talked a lot lately about DOS/Windows-based rescue disks, but not much about Linux-based tools.

Many Linux setup CDs can function as a limited rescue tool, in much the same way that you can use an XP or Win2K setup CD to run the "Recovery Console" for limited troubleshooting and repairs.

But there are better options for Linux, and I was going to list them out until I saw the excellent feature article at LinuxPlanet called "Rescuing Linux Systems--Generic and Distribution-Specific Safety Nets." http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/4294/9/

Other good resources:
http://www.linux.org/docs/ldp/howto/Bootdisk-HOWTO/
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Bootdisk-HOWTO/cd-roms.html
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/KanjiFlash/BOutline.htm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/KanjiFlash/BD-CDROM.htm

If you need--- or think you might ever need--- a Linux rescue disk, these articles are worth a definite bookmark!

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3) Software In 17 Categories

Reader Joe Davis writes:

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4) "Scary Article"

Fred, here is a scary Knowledge Base article,  http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326863

"The throttling function feature [in XP] may not work as expected. This may cause an overheating problem for the CPU that can cause physical damage." No mention of what computers may be affected. Just that XP can damage your CPU. There is a hotfix for pre and post SP1 systems.---Alan M. Kaplan, MCSE

I guess "hotfix" is the appropriate term, Alan. <g> Actually, that kind of limited-distribution fix usually precedes a more general-release fix later. Unless your system is experiencing inexplicable heat-related problems, I'd suggest leaving this one alone.

And, as we've mentioned in the past, there's no need to guess about whether or not your CPU is cooking itself to death: There's excellent software (some free! see http://www.informationweek.com/LP/columnists/langa/2001/06.htm ) that can help you monitor conditions inside most newer PCs without even having to open the case. Some of the more elaborate software can sound alarms and even automatically shut down the PC in the event of overheating, which would help avoid problems caused by the XP "throttle" function, or any other kind of thermal problem.

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5) The Best Spam Filter Yet?

Hi Fred, http://www.bloomba.com Received this site reference from this month's Consumer Reports magazine and they rate this anti spam add-on as "excellent"-apparently blows away all other contenders-Symantec and MacAfee are merely half as good or less. Just thought you and the rest of LangaList readers may be interested also.---Rick Steel

Thanks, Rick!

Actually, Bloomba uses the free, open-source "Spam Assassin" technology, which is available by itself from a variety of sources, including the Bloomba site itself: http://saproxy.bloomba.com/ ("SAproxy" is "Spam Assassin Proxy.")

The SAproxy will work with almost all standard (POP-based) email systems. See http://www.google.com/search?q=saproxy  In other words, you can get most of what makes Bloomba good without having to sign up for Bloomba. 8-)

BTW: SpamAssassin is also at the heart of the Spamnix Plug-In for Eudora. ( http://www.spamnix.com ), which I use. Until recently, SpamAssassin was a "weighted keyword" filter; better than a plain filter, but less sophisticated than a Bayesian statistical filter (see http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021115S0018 ). But the new releases of SpamAssassin add Bayesian filtering to the mix, giving you a very powerful hybrid spam filter indeed!

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6) Don't Make Me Beg! :-)

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful information and you just may win one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

Check out the details at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7) "Software Patches Heaven"

Hi Fred: I've been a long time reader of the Langlist Newsletter, and have loved each and every one of the issues I've read in the last year. My fiance, Denise, was putting in Corel Office 2000. Of course, we wanted to get the latest patches. I was thinking to myself, "I wish there was a one stop shop for patches and updates." I got to searching on Google, and before you know it, I found just what I was looking for. A site called The Software Patch. They have downloads for Corel Office, Microsoft Office, and other software giants. They even have the new Service Pack 4 for Windows 2000! You can find this site at http://www.softwarepatch.com  ---Wil James

Thanks, Wil. As far as I can make out, The Software Patch is run by a small company out of New South Wales, Australia--- one of a growing number of relatively young software houses making waves (so to speak) from Australia and New Zealand. Nice!

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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

Answers, Advice, and An Ear
http://webpages.charter.net/drgraphics/

Tensor Technology
http://www.tensor-technology.com/

Gadgets Lab
http://www.gadgetslab.com/

Scooters
http://www.scootersupport.com/index.htm

Grampa's Workshop
http://www.grampasworkshop.net/

World Theaters
http://www.world-theatres.com/

DDR Furniture
http://www.ddrfurniture.com/

Holcombs
http://webpages.charter.net/nrhfred/

Water Depot
http://waterdepotusa.com/

Affordable Website Redesign
http://www.affordable-website-redesign.com/services.htm

The Nightly Report
http://www.geocities.com/thenightlyreport/

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--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) ---

 "Fred: Ok, I give up. Every day, someone mentions a computer problem
that I just know you and your contributors have addressed... Every month,
your great newsletters pile up in my Langa List folder until
I can steal an evening to go through them. And as I go through them,
I keep thinking 'I'm getting this stuff for FREE, that can't be right.'
Well it ain't right ....... $12 a year would be a bargain even
without the extra articles and links. Thanks, CBP"

Thank *you,* CBP. <g>

The LangaList Plus! Edition is ad-free, spam-proof,
and contains even more content--- tips, tricks, advice, downloads....---
than the Standard Edition you're now reading.

Get all the details:

<a href=" http://www.langa.com/plus.htm ">Click!</a>

--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------

9) PowerToys (and TweakUI) Are Back

As is often the case, CptSiskoX was first to mention new software, in this case Microsoft's re-release of the new, improved Windows XP PowerToys (including TweakUI!): http://www.langa.com/u/8.htm

Thanks, Captain!

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10) Just For Grins

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• Another Free AntiVirus Alternative
      (a once-commercial product goes free!)

• High-Quality Text-To-Speech Voice Synthesis
      (radio- and CD-quality synthetic speech)

• Dual-Boot Via Hardware
      (a do-it-yourself option that costs next to nothing!)

Plus! edition subscribers not only get much more content in every issue (like the above), but also have access to a private web site with over 100,000 words of special content and features not found in *any* issue of the newsletter; along with dozens of private downloads and much more- -- all for just $1 per month!

Check out: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm

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(Want to give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition?
Click <a href= " http://www.langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

See you next issue!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

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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