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LangaList 2003-08-28 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 1) "Serious Outlook Problem"
I think there are two separate items you're recalling, Carl. One was called "Large Outlook Folders Can Become Unreadable" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-07-09.htm#5 ), and referred to a Knowledgebase item that Microsoft has long-since pulled from the KB. But when it existed, the Knowledgebase item said:
Then, and now, that might be the best advice: See http://www.google.com/search?q=outlook+repair+2gb for a variety of tools and tricks that may help. Microsoft does offer a fairly crude utility called the "Oversized PST and OST Crop Tool." http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;296088 But all it does is lop off the end of a too-large mail folder, bringing it back below the limit. The tool is free and well-documented, but you'll lose whatever messages are in the part of the file that gets lopped off. The "1.8 GB" problem is a separate but related matter: You can get an error message if you attempt to synchronize a Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox to an offline folder (.ost) file that has reached 1.82 gigabytes. You have to export or delete some messages to get the file size down, but at least this error doesn't cause you to spontaneously lose access to your emails. You can get all the gory details on this problem at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306076 But both these problems are caused by trying to store huge volumes of email--- often, years and years worth--- in live mail folders. Almost all email clients will work better if they're not choked with huge masses of old mail, and with some--- like O2K--- pruning your old email just may prevent a really nasty loss of data. No matter what email client you're using, why not take a look at your mail files now, and save or export some older messages if your mailboxes are getting unwieldy? Email problems like this are always easier to prevent than to recover from! Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 2) Securing XP (and Win9x/ME/2K) Ports
Thanks, Leroy. That's a *great* site, with tons of good info. Closing unused ports is a good idea, and indeed you can do it manually. But in the "Setup Secrets" article, I discussed a more automated way of closing the ports through use of a desktop firewall: Of course, one of the main jobs of any decent desktop firewall is just that: to close and guard a PC's ports. Firewalls like ZoneAlarm and Sygate can go even further and notify you of any attempt to access a port, from either inside (outbound activity) or outside (inbound activity). This gives you a very good idea of what's going on with your PC connections, and makes it easier to adapt to changing connectivity and communications needs than the manual methods. Note also that using a desktop firewall works on ALL versions of Windows, not just XP. For that matter, there are desktop firewalls (or OS-level tweaks) that can control ports on *any* OS. Automatic or manual, how you control access to your PC's ports is up to you. Just be sure to do it! <g> More info: Ports (what they are/what they do/numeric
assignments): Desktop Firewalls: Online security tests: Multi-layered desktop defenses: General search on "security:" Click to email this item to a
friend 3) Win98/ME Memory Managers, Redux
Win9x and ME use a method of handling user-controlled elements---- things like windows, cursors, fonts, scroll bars, etc.--- that dates back to the earliest days of Windows 3.0: Back then. memory was extremely expensive (a 4MB system was considered large!), and so the OS set aside three tiny 64K areas of precious RAM to hold all this on-screen info. Windows 98 increased these areas somewhat, but not by much; and WinME is built on Win98 technology. There is no way to increase these memory areas; they are of fixed size regardless of how much RAM is in your system. As a result, when you have many programs open in any of the Win9x/ME versions, you can "run out of resources" when the very limited memory in these areas is all in use. Plus, if a program is badly written and takes over some "resources" but then fails to give them back later, you likewise can "run out of resources" even with very few programs running. There are ways to manage "resource leaks" and similar problems in Win9x/ME, and most of those involve no additional software whatsoever. In fact, I ran Win98 as my main OS for years, and very rarely had resource problems. All it takes is a little understanding of what's going on, and some simple techniques for managing your software. It's all fully explained in these four articles, which will tell you everything you need to know about managing Win9x-style memory, including what those add-on tools can and cannot do to help:
http://www.techweb.com/winmag/columns/explorer/2000/11.htm (If the above links give you trouble, try replacing the "www.techweb.com" with "content.techweb.com.") But despite any advertising claims you see to the contrary, Win9x/ME's three resource areas are fixed in size and hard-coded into the core of the OS software. No add-on software can change this basic limitation. Similarly, no add-on software can recover resources that the OS itself has lost track of. The only real solution for resource losses is to prevent the loss in the first place, and that's what the above articles will help you to do. Note that NT, 2K, and XP use a totally different method of handling these user-controlled elements; your "system resources" are really limited only by your available pool of memory (real and virtual). By and large, these OSes simply don't "run out of resources" no matter how many programs you run. The Win9x family has a lot to commend it, but it's a very old operating system that was designed for RAM-starved conditions that simply don't exist today. New PCs typically come with 256MB of RAM standard, with 512MB and even 1GB becoming common. It really makes no sense to stick with an OS architecture that artificially limits system resources to a few tens of kilobytes. 8-) Thus, the long-term answer to memory-management and "resource" issues is to use a more modern OS that avoids the 1990-style limitations built into Win9x/ME. But in the meantime, you can make the most of your copy of Win9x/ME via the four links above.
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 4) PyroDVD
Thanks, Jeremy! BTW, there are many free DVD players out there. Check out this Google search: http://www.google.com/search?q=free+dvd+player Click to email this item to a
friend 5) "The 46 Best-Ever Freeware Utilities"
Thanks, Jeff! Lists like that are always subjective, but always fun to browse. Long-time readers will recognize many of the items on that list, but there are some that were totally new to me, and may be nice finds for others too. Cool! Click to email this item to a
friend 6) Last Week To "Recommend And Win"In just a few days, on Aug 31, I'll choose another monthly winner of 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.) 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 FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION! (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm Click to email this item to a
friend 7) In-Depth Free Site
Wow! No, I hadn't seen that. It has a private Knowledgebase, lots of downloads, tutorials--- great find! Click to email this item to a
friend 8) They Just Keep Coming And Coming...Thousands 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 Simple Software Tools Magazine Subscriptions 161 Regiment Reunion Club (UK) The Pierson Family Building Catalogue Short Solutions (AU) Karen Wrigley T P Tek Services (AU) Falloon's Page Webmaster Internet Services Complans Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- - 9) New Exotic PC Cooler
Thanks! Water-cooled PCs are a, er, hot topic among the overclocking community--- people who modify their PCs to run at speeds far higher than the vendors intend. Most of these liquid cooling systems use either a standard mechanical pump or convection to take advantage of water's high thermal capacity. (See http://www.google.com/search?q=water+cool+cpu ) Of course, there are obvious drawbacks to using water to cool any electrical device--- leaks or condensation can cause shorts or corrosion. But if those problems can be overcome, the idea of a small, silent cooling system would be welcomed by all of us who are tired of the constant whirring hum of our PC fans! Other interesting low-noise cooling options: Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For Grins
"I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop "He is a self-made man & worships his creator." - John Bright "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill "A modest little person, with much to be modest about." - Winston Churchill "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway) "Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner) "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas "He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson "He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating "He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr "There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." - Jack E. Leonard [more in the next issue...] Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
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 Click to email this item to a
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