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LangaList 2003-08-18 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 0) He's Ba-a-a-a-a-ack!Man, that vacation felt good. When you're self-employed in a one-person operation, it's very hard to arrange time off. So, when it finally happens, it's welcome indeed. But it's also good to be back--- although the pile of emails waiting for me was somewhat daunting! <g> Onward! Click to email this item to a
friend 1) Lost Your Windows XP Password?Windows XP (like Win2K and NT before it) can be made reasonably secure
*if* you
make use of the appropriate settings, tools, and techniques. For example, you
can easily create different types of user accounts with varying levels of
permissions, and expose only the limited-permissions accounts to the online
world; you can use the NTFS file system, and encrypt some or all of your hard
drive; and so on. Coupled with well-thought-out passwords, your XP system can be
made acceptably secure against routine external attacks. (See How Much Security
Is Enough? http://www.informationweek.com/840/langa.htm ; Good And Bad Online
Security Check-Ups http://www.informationweek.com/841/langa.htm ; and Ten
Windows Password Myths http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1554 ) Please click on over to http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=13100343 ,and you may never have to worry about lost passwords again! Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- "Fred,
I , like so many computer geeks get in the habit
of trying out different software (freeware and shareware) never planning to
use it, but just trying it out so we will have a glimmer of an idea of what
[someone] may be talking about. Computer, internet, service newsletters are
the same, I have so many sent to me at my junk mail e-mail site, that I
never more than browse them (if I don't automatically trash them). Then
comes the dawning: 'I really am reading and *using* this particular newsletter
or software.' I guess what I am really trying to say is Thanks... At this time I
must sign up for the plus subscription (at my real e-mail acct). If we use
it, we should pay for it....I and my clients thank you. Bob Javoroski" --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 2) Two Quick Reader Recommendations
Also, on the subject of free anti-virus software, I recently installed AntiVir from http://www.free-av.com/ on my daughter's PC and on its first pass, it detected and cleaned a trojan that McAfee had missed, the PC ran significantly quicker afterwards. Best wishes and carry on the good work. ---Don Armour (UK) Indeed, it's been two years since we've talked about DriverGuide ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-08-02.htm#3 ). But it's an excellent site when you otherwise run into dead ends trying to find drivers for various hardware devices. AntiVir has been around for a while, but doesn't seem to generate much buzz--- I don't know why, because the readers who have commented on it have all been positive. (See, for example, http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-12-19.htm#6 ) Thanks, Don! Click to email this item to a
friend 3) CD RWs Can be Used Another Way
For CDs used within Windows, UDF ("universal disk format") is primarily meant for times when you want to use a CDRW like a giant floppy drive, where you can drag-and-drop or otherwise move files to it at will, using software such as Ahead's "In-CD" or Roxio's "Drag To Disc." But you don't have to use UDF. In fact, if you just want to use a CDRW to shuttle files among systems that may or may not all have UDF-reader software on it, simply use the CDRW as if it were a standard, non-rewritable CD: Use your CD burner's "erase" function to clear off all old files from the CDRW. Next, use your normal CD burner functions--- such as Creator Classic or the main Nero application or XP's built-in burner software--- to place whatever files you want on the CD, exactly as you would if you were burning a standard, non-rewritable CD. When you're done, close or "finalize" the CD, and that disc should then be able to be used on any PC with a standard CD drive. Of course, because a CDRW is erasable, you can later erase, and then either use it like a standard CD, or reformat it for UDF "giant floppy" use again. But the key thing is this: A CDRW disk can be used EITHER as a UDF disc or as if it were a standard CD. You don't *have* to use the UDF software, unless you want to. Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- Need To Become
Self-Sufficient About Win98? --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 4) Fred Gets E-MailbombedHow can some smart people be so stupid? Just before I went on vacation, one such smart/stupid person recently tried to blow me off the air by sending me 25,000 emails in the course of a few hours one evening. He thought I'd signed him up against his will for the Standard Edition newsletter. Of course I never do that. In fact, there are only a couple ways to even start the newsletter signup process, and they all--- all--- generate a confirmation-request message. If you do nothing, you are NOT added to the list. In other words, the process "fails-safe," leaving prospective subscribers off the list, and un-signed-up, unless they ask TWICE to be let in. Some pranksters try to sign up friends (or enemies) by submitting their address to be included on the mailing list. But all that happens is the confirmation message goes out to the prospective new subscriber, telling them that I got what appears to be a subscription request from them, and that--- if they really want to be on the list--- they have to reply to the confirmation note. If they don't reply, the signup process simply dies, as it should. All are welcome, but no one gets signed up against their will. A few days before I went on holiday, someone got just such a confirmation message. I don't know how, but my guess is that someone else knew that this particular person was a major jerk, and wanted to yank his chain by making him think he's been signed up against his will to my (and probably other) newsletters. And indeed, this person went ballistic. Had he read the confirmation note, he would have seen what was going on, and that he was NOT yet signed up for anything at all. If he had simply ignored or deleted the confirmation request (as the instructions in the note explain), that would have been the end of the story. But no, that would have been too simple. Instead, this bonehead triggered an automatic mail-attack program that sent me 25,000 "no, I do not want your offering" messages in the course of a few ugly hours. Ironically, because he did answer the confirmation message from the list server, he actually did get himself signed on to the newsletter--- the exact opposite effect of what he intended! (I removed his address for him when I saw what was going on.) I'm used to getting a lot of mail, but not 25K messages almost at once. Man, my scripts and mailbots were hopping! If I'd been on dial up, of if I didn't have good mail filtering tools, I'd probably still be digging out. As it was, it spoiled an evening. I would have called a lawyer if the attack persisted--- I'd done absolutely nothing wrong; but this idiot, with full malicious intent, was doing all he could to choke my servers. But, he stopped before my patience ran out. This event shows two things: One, it illustrates why it's not a good idea to try to maliciously retaliate against someone who sends you mail you think is spam: You may target the wrong person (many spammers use forged headers); or you may end up attacking the right person for the wrong reason, as this meathead did. You also may find yourself on the wrong side of the law because maliciously attacking someone's server or business is clearly and undeniably illegal--- your target may go free, and *you* end up in trouble! Second, this attack also shows that automated tools are very dangerous in the hands of script kiddies and morons: In this case, the person was only smart enough to use an email-bomb program against me, but not smart enough to read the instructions or to recognize a confirmation message: A very smart idiot. One small silver lining: This unpleasantness made me enjoy my totally email-free PC-less vacation even more. <g> Click to email this item to a
friend 5) "PC Inspector"
Thanks, Brent. PC Inspector comes in many flavors, from file-recovery software to drive cloning software, and about half a dozen other variants as well. Worth a look! Click to email this item to a
friend 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! Click to email this item to a
friend 7) S.M.A.R.TIt's one of the more forcedly-cute tech acronyms/abbreviations: SMART, meaning "Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology." Most newer hard drives (at least, those above bargain-bin category) implement some form of, um, SMART-ness. The idea is to let the drive monitor itself and sound alarms if various problems are found. In theory, a full SMART implementation will let you get some advanced notice of an impending disk failure in something like 70% of cases. There's lots of info on SMART on the web (see http://langa.com/u/1d.htm ) and lots of software to help you do something with the SMART data. Reader Eran Rosenmann found one free tool that lets you track one SMART parameter, disk temperature:
Thanks, Eran! 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: View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At Trio Quarter Horses Tickin' T's of Central Ohio Wisdom Ship British Car Links Eric and Cate Whirlawhip E W T Services Branch FM (UK) EuroTan USA Oklahoma City PC Users Group Camarades (Canada) Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 9) The Case Of The Missing Partitions
My guess is that your PC had a hidden partition and a custom boot sector; the hidden partition may have contained setup/recovery data on it. More and more system makers are doing that now, instead of shipping recovery CDs with the PC. I personally don't like it because it leaves you dead in the water if the disk dies, and--- as you found out--- can interfere with normal use of the drive. But you may be able to get around the problem In Win9x and ME if you boot to a floppy of CD with your setup tools on it, and type fdisk /mbr from DOS. Note that this does NOT invoke the full, normal FDISK, but instead merely rebuilds the master boot record (MBR). If your hard disk is badly mangled, the MBR trick won't help, but it only takes a moment to try, and so is worthwhile. (BTW, in XP, the equivalent command, run from the Recovery Console, is "fixmbr") If that doesn't work, I'd suggest a low-level or "factory format" of the drive. A google search will bring you to many tools--- often free--- than can do this low-level format for you. In fact, the manufacturer of your hard drive probably offers a free low-level format utility on its web site. (For links to many drive makers, see this: http://www.techrescue.net/drives.asp ) When that's done, then you fdisk and do a normal format. If the disk isn't physically damaged, the above should work--- low-level formatting should wipe out *anything* on the drive, and give you a clean start. Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For Grins
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
The Plus! edition is only pennies per issue, and comes with a MONEY BACK Click to email this item to a
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