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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2004-02-02

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

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1) What's The Best Size For Partitions?

I recently mentioned that I have a 120GB hard drive, but keep the main C: partition at just 8 GB ( see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-01-22.htm#4 ). That generated some questions, including this:

120 GB drive...What size partitions do you recommend? Warm Regards, Lou

I think this is one of those questions you have to work backwards: First, answer this question, "How are you going to back up your drives/partitions?" Once that's answered, pick partition sizes that are large enough to hold your work, but not so large that they take more time or discs (or tapes or whatever) than you're willing to spend in backing them up.

That's why I put all my highest-value, rapidly-changing stuff in an 8GB C: partition: The C: partition is where I "live" on the PC; and it contains Windows itself, my mainstream applications, and my main user files. I back up my user files every day, and image the entire partition every few days, or whenever I'm about to make a major change.

By concentrating my backup efforts on the modest 8GB C: partition, I can fully protect my most-essential files in a minimum amount of time, and with the smallest possible number of blank CDRs or DVD-Rs; and without having to worry about (or touch) the other 112GB on the drive. Likewise, restores would be easier, if I ever had to do that; I'll just have to restore 8GB to be back in business.

But what about the rest of the drive? Well, my other partitions are much larger, and contain only less-critical stuff. See below:

Hi Fred, You mentioned that you keep your XP files in one 8GB partition.  Where do you put all your programs that want to load themselves in C:\Program Files ?  I am getting ready to get a new hard drive and am interested in doing the same for ease of backing up.  Thanks for the great newsletter. ---Tim Reynolds

Almost all applications offer a "custom" option at install, and this usually lets you specify an alternate location for the files. Although I put all my essential, most-heavily-used programs into C:, I place many secondary, less-essential and unusually large programs on another partition(s).

One example: I have a web cam that came with an entire suite of image, movie and sound tools, including gigantic sample files. For me, a web can isn't an essential piece of gear, so there's no particular reason for me to install it (and its enormous files) where it will be backed up frequently. So, I picked a "custom" install when I set up the cam, and placed the files on another partition that I back up only infrequently.

That way, I have use of the cam and all the software toys it offers, but those nonessential files don't get mingled in with the critical files and applications that I back up regularly.

So: Put your essential, high-value, must-backup files and settings in one partition sized for easy, frequent backups; place other, less-important or less-frequently-changing files on other partitions that can be larger, and backed up less frequently. In this way, you can divide even a gigantic drive into a rational and convenient structure!

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2) Free ClearType Adjustment Tool

Fred, In your latest LangaList Standard you pointed us to "Ten More Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better" on http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17500569 . While I already had some of the utilities/tweaks you mentioned, I appreciate (as always) learning of new ones.

In your article you mentioned enabling ClearType by going to a Microsoft page.  I thought you might like to know of ClearTweak -- a small, free, spyware-free application that I discovered a while ago that makes controlling ClearType a dream!

http://www.ioisland.com/cleartweak/

I had no idea what ClearType was all about until I tried this program and was so astounded at its effects that I sent email to all my friends who have notebooks or LCD panels telling them about ClearTweak.

Hope you find this useful. ---Dick

What a nice little tool! Small, free, easy to use, and far more adjustable than the simple toggle built into XP's Display/Properties/Appearance/Effects applet, and even more adjustable than the tweak tool on the Microsoft site. I now have ClearTweak on my lcd-equipped laptop, and also on my standard crt desktop monitor system: ClearTweak lets me use custom settings on each, and now both sport type that's clearer and easier on the eyes than ever.

Excellent find, Dick, thanks!

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3) "Patriot Act" Scam

The US's horribly misnamed "Patriot Act" is bad enough without scammers using it to dupe the unwary, but that's exactly what's happening:.

Fred - I just got this. Although I could not find anything about it on Google or Snopes or the like it is certainly, in my eyes, a scam and a way to get someone's ID. Just though you might want a heads up on this to let others know. Thanks for your Langa List Plus. I always look forward to all the great stuff I get from it. Best, Dr. Kathie Rudy
+++++++++++++

To whom it may concern;

In cooperation with the Department Of Homeland Security, Federal, State and Local Governments your account has been denied insurance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation due to suspected violations of the Patriot Act. While we have only a limited amount of evidence gathered on your account at this time it is enough to suspect that currency violations may have occurred in your account and due to this activity we have withdrawn Federal Deposit Insurance on your account until we verify that your account has not been used in a violation of the Patriot Act.

As a result Department Of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge has advised the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to suspend all deposit insurance on your account until such time as we can verify your identity and your account information.

Please verify through our IDVerify below. This information will be checked against a federal government database for identity verification. This only takes up to a minute and when we have verified your identity you will be notified of said verification and all suspensions of insurance on your account will be lifted.

[spoofed URLs go here]

Failure to use IDVerify below will cause all insurance for your account to be terminated and all records of your account history will be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington D.C. for analysis and verification. Failure to provide proper identity may also result in a visit from Local, State or Federal Government or Homeland Security Officials.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Donald E. Powell
Chairman Emeritus FDIC

This is, of course, utter bunk--- a "phishing" scam designed to get information about your bank accounts. Like the classic Nigerian scams, the best response is just to hit Delete.

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4) A Government Site That Might Actually Be Useful <g>

As of today, the National Cyber Alert System is taking applications for registration on a list that will receive warnings by E-mail of threats to Cyber Security--such as viruses, worms, invasive bugs of all kinds. http://www.us-cert.gov/  ---Anne Nolen

Thanks, Anne. It's a new service, so it's hard to tell if it'll be good in the long run. I personally suspect that the alert services offered by primary sources such as antivirus and security companies will get you this kind of information faster. But I've signed up for the government alerts anyway: It can't hurt to have an extra "heads up" from time to time, and it's easy to unsubscribe later if it turns out not to be worthwhile.

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5) Compendium Of Keyboard Shortcuts

Hello Fred. I would like to know more about a "key-centric"-so to speak- use of mouse/keyboard. For example "Ctrl Z"="undo". I am aware that I can find all the answers to my question by patiently clicking on EVERYTHING in every operation and noting down manually the equivalent key-based action. But....I would appreciate a ready-made list if there is one. Thanking you in advance. Judy Katz

Sure, Judy. the lists are easy to find, once you know about them: Almost all products' help files have that info right at hand, sometimes in printable (or at least, copy/paste/printable) form. In Microsoft Word Help, for example, type "keyboard shortcuts" in the Answer Wizard or Index boxes, and you'll see a list of keyboard shortcuts for that product.

If you want a more central resource, visit the vendor's site. For example, one page at http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/keyboardassist.aspx gives you the keyboard shortcuts for some 20 products:

Windows (XP/2003/2000/98/ME/95/NT)
Office (XP/2002/2000/97)
Internet Explorer 4,5,6
FrontPage
PhotoDraw
PowerPoint
Producer
Publisher
Windows Media Player

Or, try a Google search: Use "keyboard+shortcut" plus the name of whatever software you're interested in. For example, to find shortcuts for Mozilla, you'd enter:
http://www.google.com/search?q=keyboard+shortcut+mozilla

Almost every major menu option in every major piece of software has a keyboard shortcut associated with it. Learning the shortcuts for a few of your most common menu selections can save a lot of wear and tear on your carpal tunnels!

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6) New Month, New Chances

It's a new month, and right now your chances are the best they'll ever be!

To have a shot at winning one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition I give away each month, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList. (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) Boot Up In 10 Seconds

Why can't a PC turn on like a TV?

Fred, I am sure I have read your newsletter over the years where you "called" for an Instant-On PC with the OS in RAM ...well ..finally ...

"InterVideo of California has launched the InstantOn PC which boots up in less than 10 seconds ... The trick is running all the entertainment functions on a pared-down version of the open-source Linux operating system, which is small enough to be held in a read-only memory chip..." http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994567  Thanks for a great newsletter! --- Bob Siegel

It's an interesting idea, and not just as a matter of convenience. The article cited above also says that "... a Cornell University study calculated that the US could switch off seven power stations if TVs, videos and computers were not left on standby." So, there are huge "green" benefits to be had from reducing the residual parasitic drain of devices left in standby mode.

Interestingly, the very first PCs were instant on: Hard drives were only for mainframes, and disk drives were hideously expensive options. The earliest PCs usually relied on ordinary cassette audio tapes for data storage; too slow and clumsy for bootup access. So, these PCs had not only what we now call the BIOS in permanent memory, but also had some software burned in there as well.

The very first IBM PC, for example, came with Microsoft BASIC burned into a read-only memory (ROM) chip inside the box: You'd turn on the PC, and could start writing simple programs right away. (Of course, your code would go away when you turned off the computer, unless you saved it to cassette tape...)

Today, some "kiosk" type PCs that power interactive terminals at banks, airports, hotels and such are powered by stripped-down versions of Windows in permanent memory; and handheld PCs--- palmtops and PDAs--- also have their OS in ROM. But the InstantOn PC is the first device I've seen in a while to try to bring a ROM-based OS back to the desktop.

It'll be interesting to see how this develops....

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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

World Land Speed Record
http://www.landspeed.com/040117.html

Guy Next Door Computers
http://members.rogers.com/guynextdoorcomputers/

Blue Collar Investment Advisors
http://www.ebcia.com/

Tom's Internet Media Watch
http://www.geocities.com/tampatom0/

Yeandi
http://www.yeandi.com/

Affiliate Marketing
http://affiliate-marketing-success.supplementdealer.com/

SmilinDougPhoto
http://www.smilindougphoto.ca/

Myike's Web Design
http://myikesdesign.com/

Rick and Ranting
http://www.geocities.com/ricul7/

eldevik startside
http://www.eldevik.com/

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9) "SpamRival?"

Fred,  First let me say that I always learn something in your newsletters and still have a lot to learn. I received this site through a mailing from [name of organization] and was wondering if you'd heard of it. Is this one of those 'if it seems too good to be true' because it sounds too good ...  http://www.spamrival.com/index.html   Thanks, Doug B

SpamRival is a challenge/response system, like many others. When someone sends you an email, it's intercepted and held by the challenge/response software, which sends back a little quiz--- the "challenge"--- to the sender. For example, the challenge email may contain a link to a web page that contains a photo of some cars and a question like "How many cars are in the photo?" A human sender can go to the web site, find the photo, count the cars, and enter the correct answer--- the "response." When the challenge/response software gets the correct answer, it lets the original mail through.

Other challenge/response variants include simple word puzzles, hidden clue tricks, and so on. Some even ask little essay questions that you have to answer. The idea in all of them is to present a challenge that humans can meet, but that software cannot. Thus, machine-generated spam will never get delivered; it will never pass the challenge.

It sounds great--- and it indeed works, kind of. Bill Gates has also said that future email products from Microsoft may include some kind of challenge/response system.

But the problem is that (1) it places a burden on your legitimate senders; and (2) also will block legitimate machine-generated mail.

For example, every week, I get mail from readers with questions. I answer as many as I can, and some percentage of those bounce back to me with a challenge. I simply don't have time to then navigate to a web site to count cars or solve puzzles or answer essay questions to get my mail through. Those readers will never hear from me.

Likewise, some percentage of readers sign up for the newsletter, and then wonder why their machine-sent issues never arrive: They've been intercepted and trashed by the challenge system.

White-listing can help: You can set up most challenge/response systems to allow mails from known-friendly addresses through.

But this is dangerous because the default for challenge/response systems is to block all mail except that which is already known to be good. This approach--- letting in only known-good mail--- almost always means that valid but unexpected or unanticipated mail will get lost.

Antispam systems set up the other way--- throwing away only known-bad mail--- are much, much safer.

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10) Just For Grins

Meet Dave Bradley, the inventor of the "Ctrl-Alt-Del" reboot sequence. Really!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/01/29/ctrlaltdelete.man.ap/index.html

From the text:

"At a 20-year celebration for the IBM PC, Bradley was on a panel with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and other tech icons. The discussion turned to the [reboot sequence] keys... 'I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous,' Bradley said."

Lol!

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• Outstanding Networking Resources
     (all your networking questions answered)

• Tweaker's Goldmine
     (includes ready-to-run tweak software)

• Monitor Overheating
     (sometimes, the fix is simple...)

Access to over 100,000 additional words in special features, extra
content and private links, all on a private web site--- plus 30% more
content in every issue, for just a dollar a month!

Full Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm

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(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 )

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This newsletter is a service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2004 Fred Langa / Langa Consulting LLC. All worldwide rights reserved. LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156

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