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LangaList 2003-10-06 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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1) Popup Stoppers and Browser TroubleIn "Deleting IE from Windows" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-09-29.htm#2 ) I mentioned that many people want to rip out Internet Explorer--- but often for the totally wrong reasons. Many times, a problem that shows up in your browser is actually a symptom of something else going wrong. Changing or removing the browser may do nothing to cure the root problem, and actually may make things worse. Several readers asked for clarification. As an example: I get emails almost every day from people looking for help with what they identify as browser trouble--- links that don't work, sites they can't access, etc. Sometimes the problem's real and serious--- a system file that's gone bad, for example. But of late, the problem far more often turns out to be a security add-in or setting that's getting in the way. For example, many readers use various "popup stoppers" without realizing that a lot of these tools simply disable all or some kinds of web-based scripting. Sure, the popups stop, but so do many other script-based browser operations--- even desirable or benign ones. Some Windows Update features employ benign popups, for instance. These are not ads, but secondary browser windows that contain important information about Update items. But the popup stoppers don't care: They block *everything,* even if it's the wrong thing. Of course, the people who sell popup stoppers don't tell you that--- they'll try to convince you that all popups are bad, and that their software is good. So, when a site breaks because a necessary or desirable secondary browser window can't open, the users assume that the web site or their browser is broken. But often, it's just the overeager popup stopper, (or script-blocker, or similar "security" add-on) doing its thing. Similarly, some people still (totally mistakenly) believe that Cookies somehow actively "track" them around the web, and so use Cookie-stopping settings or add-ins. But Cookies aren't programs; they're inert, static text files that just sit on your hard drive. They have no active element whatsoever and are 100% incapable of any form of active tracking or snooping. In fact, Cookies generally know only what you tell them. Yes, some limited and generally nonprivate and impersonal information (OS type, browser type, etc.) can be pulled from your browser directly. But normally, the only way a Cookie can get truly sensitive or personal information (credit card numbers, home address, phone number, bank name, etc.) is if you actively and voluntarily enter that information by filling out forms on a web site that then stores that info in its Cookie. If you don't enter sensitive information on any given web site, then the Cookies created by that web site simply *cannot* contain any truly private information. So, if you're on a web site that looks iffy or doesn't have a good privacy policy, or that raises any red flags for you whatsoever, don't provide that site with sensitive information. That site then has nothing sensitive about you to store in its Cookie, or anyplace else. Simple. But some companies use fear tactics to convince you that web sites or ads are indeed somehow using Cookies to ferret out all your secrets. And so, millions of people block Cookies, which does little good, but which definitely does break many benign or desirable site features, and which can cause active harm such as preventing you from gaining access to password-protected web sites. When the users can't get in, the users think the site or their browser is broken. Nope: It's just the Cookie-blocking software needlessly (and mostly pointlessly) mucking up the works. Or, take "web bugs"--- another mostly benign technology that acts mainly as an anonymous head-counter, so someone can track how many times a snippet of HTML has been accessed. Web bugs are usually no more nefarious than those rubber tubes you see on highways that traffic engineers use to count how many cars use a road. Conspiracy theorists might think the engineers are "secretly tracking your every move by car," but they're mostly just counting wheels. Similarly, anti-web-bug companies want you to think their software will valiantly guard your privacy, but what it mostly does is mess up site and page head counts, which--- among other things--- may prevent your favorite "free" web site from getting paid by its advertisers. So, by "protecting" you from the mostly imaginary threat of web bugs, this type of software is actually helping to drive ad-supported web sites out of business. But I'm getting off the main track here: The key thing is that errant, ill-advised, unnecessary, or badly done security add-ins or settings cause many problems that may masquerade as site and browser failures. Here's a rule of thumb I use: If you're having trouble with your browser, simplify the setup. Temporarily reduce or turn off security settings, and then re-enable them stepwise to try to isolate the problem. In particular, watch out for anything that messes with your ability to run scripts or save Cookies; or that tries to use a "hosts" file to block ads. For further troubleshooting, try similar operations on different web sites. If you try, say, three password-protected web sites and none lets you in, then the problem is almost surely on your end. If two let you in, but one doesn't, then the problem may be on the site. In any case, don't encrust your browser with tons of "security" add ons, and then automatically assume that the browser is at fault when sites don't work right. Often, it's an errant add-on or setting that's the real cause of the trouble. Ripping out or changing browsers may not solve the core problem, but eliminating unnecessary, redundant, and too-crude browser add-ons often will. Cookies: Web Bugs: Popups: Other misplaced security issues that cause trouble: DAT Files (the supposed "secret database"
in every PC): Click to email this item to a
friend 2) Keep 2K/XP Kernel In RAMThis isn't exactly what we discussed in the last issue with regard to RAM disks and possibly loading the entire OS into RAM ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-10-02.htm#2 ) --- but it's in that vein:
4. In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, type the number "1" (without the quotes) in the Value data field. Click OK. 5. Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer. Thanks ---Mike Craig It's an interesting idea: If you have enough RAM, you can keep the major portion of your OS in live memory, instead of having portions of it spooled out to disk, pending re-use. But it can cause trouble, as this item, "The DisablePagingExecutive Setting May Cause Windows 2000 to Hang," shows: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=323608 But if you want to try it, then Mike's method may work or you can find similar items elsewhere, such as in the "Tweaking Guide" at http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Guides/winxptweak/index.html ; the DisablePagingExecutive tweak is on page 3 of that article. But all these are fairly heavy-duty, deep-geek tweaks: Use caution, and make a full backup before trying them! Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- "Fred, I can't tell you the number of ways I have spent twelve bucks - but I can tell you the best twelve bucks I've spent in a long time was to upgrade to the Plus Edition of the LangaList. And so darn organized too, your operation that is. I've got another twelve just waiting for next year! ---John" The LangaList Plus!
Edition is ad-free, spam-proof, --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 3) Email Manager On A Floppy
Interesting, Ed, thanks. If you're careful about passwords and such on public terminals, they can be very handy to use; and a take-with-you tool like Pimmy can make 'em even more so! Click to email this item to a
friend 4) Next-Generation Rescue/Boot CD/DVDWe've previously covered some of the excellent tools and tutorials produced by Bart Lagerweij, such as his "Bart's way to create bootable CD-ROMs" ( http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd ), his master boot CD ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-01-16.htm#9 ) , his "Stuff Test" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-04-28.htm#3 ) and more. With each new iteration, Bart's tools, and his site, become more and more polished. When someone starts with "very, very good" and improves from there, you know it's worth following! <g> Last week, Bart sent me this note about a new tool he's released:
Excellent stuff, Bart. Thanks! If you check out the above, be sure to browse the rest of Bart's site. The amount of material there is amazing. Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 5) Update to "Ultimate Boot CD"A very different alternative to Bart's approaches, above, the "Ultimate Boot CD" is also an excellent tool we've previously discussed (see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-06-26.htm#1 , for example ) Last month, Victor, the tool's creator, quietly released a new version of his boot-CD library at http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ It, too, is well worth a look! Click to email this item to a
friend 6) Is This Newsletter Interesting? Useful?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) Time To Kill a Recurring HoaxOnce again, an old hoax has been resurrected and is making the rounds anew--- I've gotten maybe a dozen reader emails asking about it in the last week. Here's an example:
There are several versions of this, including ones that use zeros or punctuation in the fake address, But alas, these do little--- if anything at all--- to help. For one thing, this is extremely simple to code around--- only the simplest, most primitive worms and viruses would fall for this trick. Second, it's a totally reactive defense, and can help only in extremely limited circumstances *after* your PC has been fully hijacked and compromised. There are other problems with this approach, too. Please see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-02-24.htm#7 for a fuller explanation. Bottom line: It's not worth doing--- it's essentially pointless. 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 Reborn Technology (UK) Designer Furniture Showroom BC PhotoArts Dwight Hebert View from the Dog House Kelly Clarkson Fan Kohut Photos Richard's Balloons jbts L'indexeur Universel Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 9) Another Monitor Problem--- And Solution!
Thanks, Don. Indeed, "shielded" cable can mean almost anything, and one manufacturer's shielding may be vastly better or worse than another's. I ran into that when I first started using KVM switches ( http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=kvm&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 ), with some of the PCs positioned at a fair distance from the monitor. The "shielded" cabled provided by the manufacturer (Belkin) were horrible, causing distortion and other video problems, including a limiting of the available display frequencies and resolutions. Better cables (IOgear) solved the problem. Once again, little hardware issues can have major effects in computing! Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For GrinsLast issue's Just For Grins item ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-10-02.htm#10 ) brought some email, such as:
There actually are a number of errors in that quiz. Lettuce is sometimes served wilted in salads. Artichokes can grow more than one season. "Dweeb" is a valid "dw" word not on the list. etc. But, please note that anything in "Just For Grins" is a joke, and not to be taken seriously or as definitive on anything, OK? Today, reader Ken Thomson sends along these financial definitions:
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