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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2004-03-11

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) More Fans = Less Noise!

Does your PC sound like a hair dryer or a vacuum cleaner? Well, it doesn't have to.

Believe it or not, you actually can quiet your system by adding *more* fans than it came with from the factory, if you pick the right ones. For example, if you replace one 30 decibel, 25 cubic feet per minute fan with two inexpensive 20db, 15 cfm fans, your system can end up about 7db quieter, and yet with 20% *more* airflow! Cooler, yet quieter, for under $20 total--- what a deal!

It turns out to be very easy and not at all expensive to achieve major reductions in PC noise. In fact, just $10 or $20 might be all you need to spend to reduce or eliminate the very worst of your PC's fan noises. What's more, no special mechanical skill is needed: Most fixes can be achieved with no tools at all, or maybe just a screwdriver.

We're up to Part Two of our three-part series on PC noise reduction, available (free) at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18201756 . If you're one of the lucky few who's never been bothered by PC noise, then this series isn't for you. But if--- like most people--- you're tired of the whines, whirs and whooshes, these articles will show you all the details and information you need to make your PC literally whisper quiet. Click on over!

See you at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18201756 .

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Low Price with No Increase In Three Years!

Dear Fred, I received the first of your Plus Editions this Monday and I was rapt. I have been a subscriber of the standard edition for many many many years but never got the plus addition because I live in Australia and the exchange rate was pretty fierce. Now our dollar is strengthening, I would like you to inform your other Australian readers (which I'm sure there are many), it is a great time to subscribe.  $12 a year (US) is only about $15 a year (Australian), which is so cheap. I have found your newsletter to be an invaluable source of essential information that has gently guided me through several changes in the PC world. Thanks Fred, Kind regards, Cathryn Sanders

Thanks, Cathryn. I tried to set the price low (just $1/Mo in the US) and also to *keep* the price low (no increase in three years!) so that as many people as possible can get on board.

No matter where you live, why not take advantage of the MONEY BACK GUARANTEE and at least take a look at the Plus edition? You can't lose!

Check out all the details:

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

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2) Shortcut Wizardry

Hi Fred, Recently, I found out how to create desktop shortcuts to specific topics in Help files. If this would be of interest to your readers, here's how it's done.

To simplify the explanation, let's get on the same page of IE 6.x's help file.

  START > Run... > hh "iexplore.chm::/keybrd.htm"

To Create a shortcut to this topic:
  1) Right click on a blank spot in the topic pane and choose Properties.
  2) Hold down the CTRL key and left click on the string of text next to -
        Address:
        (URL)
  3) Right click and choose Copy.
  4) Right click on the Desktop and choose New > Shortcut.
  5) Type -    hh "<CTRL+V>"
        ( Hold down the control key and press the V key.)
  6) Give your new shortcut a name.

The target string of this new shortcut is much longer than the string used in the Run box.
Here is the string as it will appear on most systems - followed by the short string we used.

  hh "mk:@MSITStore:C:\WINDOWS\Help\iexplore.chm::/keybrd.htm"
  ^^^^                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  

  hh "iexplore.chm::/keybrd.htm"


As you can see, the "mk:@MSITSTORE:C\WINDOWS\Help\" portion isn't required.
Eliminating it actually makes our shortcut more general and it will work
no matter which drive windows has been installed to.

Of course, if the help file in question isn't in Windows' Help folder,
the path must be kept intact.

**********************************************************************

Here are a few help-shortcuts I've found useful.
(Some of these topics cannot be found in Help and Support Center!)


Shortcut keys:
Calculator buttons   - hh "calc.chm::/calc_list_equiv.htm"
Calculator functions - hh "calc.chm::/calc_keyboard_seq.htm"
Internet Explorer    - hh "iexplore.chm::/keybrd.htm"
Magnifier            - hh "magnify.chm::/magnify_kb_shortcuts.htm"
Outlook Express      - hh "msoe.chm::/mail_hotkeys.htm"
Windows              - hh "keyshort.chm::/keys_general.htm"


Network:
Connect 2 printer    - hh "printing.chm::/print_connect_net_printerW.htm"
Troubleshooting      - hh "netcfg.chm::/trouble_all.htm"


Indexing Service:
Boolean operators    - hh "isconcepts.chm::/ISMain-concepts_64.htm"
Document properties  - hh "isconcepts.chm::/ISMain-concepts_38.htm"
Exception-words list - hh "isconcepts.chm::/ISMain-concepts_82.htm"
Query language forms - hh "isconcepts.chm::/ISMain-concepts_34.htm"
Regualar expressions - hh "isconcepts.chm::/ISMain-concepts_47.htm"
RegX operators       - hh "isconcepts.chm::/ISMain-concepts_66.htm"
Sample queries       - hh "isconcepts.chm::/ISMain-concepts_54.htm"


Command Line:
Backup switches      - hh "ntbackup.chm::/ntbackup_command_line_parameters.htm"
Cmd Line Ref. A-Z    - hh "ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm"
Cmd shell overview   - hh "ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds_shelloverview.htm"
Support Tools A-Z    - hh "suptools.chm::/suptools_overview.htm"


Miscellaneous:
Admin. Tools A-Z     - hh "admtools.chm::/Admtools.htm"
Glossary A-Z         - hh "Glossary.chm::/glossary_pro.htm"
Password reset disk  - hh "usercpl.chm::/UA_Password_Reset_Disk_W.htm"
Event Viewer         - hh "EVconcepts.chm::/event_overview_01.htm"

Best regards, Bob Dietz

Nice stuff Bob, Thanks!

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3) And Now, A Free MS Office Update CD

Many readers sent in notice of a follow-on to the free Windows update CD from Microsoft. (We discussed that CD in
http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-03-01.htm#2 )

Now, Microsoft has a similar deal for MS Office: A free (in North America) CD containing a roll-up of all the Service Packs for Office 2000 and Office XP.

There's nothing here you can't download for free from the OfficeUpdate site, but it can be faster and more convenient to update from CD when you're doing a new- or reinstall.

To order the Office Update CD, go to http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/ and look for the "More about updates" section; click "Order Office service packs on CD-ROM" to get to the appropriate page.

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4) Bad Advice Re: NTFS?

[LATE NOTE: due to an editing error, this piece is incomplete and will be updated in the next issue.]

Hi Fred - long time PLUS subscriber who just renewed his subscription for the third time - what a real deal !
 
I know you have covered this numerous times - and I have personally printed the information that you have provided and use it each time I set up a new computer....but was wondering what your take on "leaving Win XP drives as one large NTFS partition" as suggested by "CAREY HOLZMAN, president of Discount Computer Repair in Glendale, Ariz., and the author of The Healthy PC: Preventative Care And Home Remedies For Your Computer (McGraw-Hill Osborne, 2003)."
 
He made the suggestion here: 
http://www.techbuilder.org/article.htm?ArticleID=47626 (tip #18)
 
18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.
 
The article otherwise has (IMHO) several useful tips on tweaking XP (a couple that you haven't even covered <gr>)
 
Thanks - and cheers! Loyal subscriber, Mike Derbyshire, Canada

Well, that's Interesting, Mike, but I beg to differ with Cary. Here are my reasons, so you can read 'em and make up your own mind:

A formatted hard drive is divided into sectors; an operating system will treat a collection of sectors--- called a "cluster"--- as the smallest, indivisible unit for normal file operations. Different OSes, and different hard drive formatting methods, use different-sized clusters.

For example, an 8GB NTFS partition will use 8KB clusters;  but a large NTFS partition or drive (>32GB) will use  64KB clusters.

Recall that a cluster is functionally indivisible in normal file operations. That means that if you save, say, a 1K fie---  a few paragraphs of plain text--- on a 8GB NTFS partition, the file system will write that 1K into the smallest possible space, which is one 8K cluster. The file occupies 1K of the 8K cluster, but the rest of the cluster is now unavailable, so 7K of the cluster is now "slack" or wasted space.

Store the same file on a >32GB NTFS drive/partition, and the file system will again allot one cluster, but this time the cluster is 64K. The file still consumes only 1K of the cluster, but now fully 63K is wasted slack space. How is wasting 63K more efficient than wasting7K?

Multiply that kind of waste by the number of files in your system, which almost surely is in the tens of thousands and may easily be in the hundreds of thousands, and you can be talking a *lot* of wasted space.

Before anyone panics, let's be clear: No standard file system is 100% efficient; all involve at least some wastage or "slack." It's normal, and OK. But with common drive formats, the larger the drive, the greater the slack. Sectioning a huge hard drive into reasonably-sized partitions--- logical drives--- means that each partition can utilize smaller, more-efficient clusters. You actually end up with more usable space on your hard drive!

Huge unpartitioned drives (or gigantic partitions themselves, for that matter) have other drawbacks, too: They're harder to back up and restore; they can take longer to index or search; they take longer to scan and defrag; it's harder to set up dual- or multi-boot systems--- the list of problems goes on and on.

There may be some arguments to justify not using reasonably-sized partitions and logical disks on huge hard drives, but I think the real-world considerations of maintenance, restorability, and general storage efficiency far outweigh them. To me, the "one giant drive/partition" approach is dangerous, inefficient, wasteful--- and almost silly! 8-)

More info:
http://www.google.com/search?q=partition+cluster+size
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;140365

[NOTE: due to an editing error, this piece is incomplete and will be updated in the next issue]

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5) PCs: Very Non-"Green"

Hi Fred, There are some articles showing up on the Google News page today that I found interesting enough to pass on to you.  Perhaps your readers would find them interesting, as well.  The numbers are surprising.
 
I'm proud to say that I'm only on my second computer (both laptops, and the first one was purchased used) after many  years of constant use.  YOU (and your readers/contributors) deserve much of the credit for keeping my system up-to-date, stable, backed up, virus/worm-free,  and NOT in a landfill.
 
Here in Duluth, MN there is a computer recovery/recycling center ( http://www.lifecyclers.org ) that safely disposes and/or recycles  electronic components, refurbishes systems and components for re-sale and, in short, tries to minimize the impact on the environment of our electronic world.  Look, for example, at http://www.lifecyclers.org/main_frame_facts.htm on their website and especially read the last paragraph.

Recycling, recovery and responsible disposal are great, but first of all try to extend the life of your present system (by, for example, subscribing to LangaList Plus! and following the helpful suggestions here).
 
Here are the excerpts of the articles, with links to the full text:  
 
-------
UN study: Think upgrade before buying a new PC
New report finds 1.8 tons of material are used to manufacture desktop PC and monitor

By Martyn Williams, IDG News Service March 07, 2004   
 
TOKYO - A United Nations University study into the environmental impact of personal computers, due to be published later Monday, has found that around 1.8 tons of raw material are required to manufacture the average desktop PC and monitor and that extending a machine's operational life through re-use holds a much greater potential for energy saving that recycling.
 
 According to the study, the manufacturing of one desktop computer and 17-inch CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor requires at least 240 kilograms of fossil fuels, 22 kilograms of chemicals and 1,500 kilograms of water. In terms of weight, the total amount of materials used is about equal to that of a mid-size car.
 
By far the best way to minimize impact on the environment from a personal computer is to extend its useful life, said Eric Williams, a researcher at the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo and one of the report's co-authors.  (Click http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/03/07/hnunstudy_1.html for full article)
-------
  
And, from another article:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-03/tca-uss030204.php)

Thank you, as always, for a great newsletter and an essential service to the "wired world."  All the best, Jim Barrett

Indeed, Jim, PCs can be very wasteful in their operation, and in their manufacture, shipping and disposal. Even some recycling efforts cause problem because the parts may be shipped to third-world countries for reprocessing by the cheapest--- and that usually means most primitive--- means possible. This, in turn, can cause dangerously high pollution levels in the places where the nominal recycling takes place. (Example: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2002/02/25/computer-waste.htm )

But there's a flip side: For example, every bit of real work done online instead of in a traditional office saves in transportation costs. At times in my life, I've commuted up to an hour each way to and from work. Now, my commute to my home office involves walking up a flight of stairs. There's a real, quantifiable environmental benefit from my *not* rolling around in a large mass of steel and glass to drive to work and back. There are multiple millions of people who work online in nontraditional ways now; there's a *lot* of energy savings and environmental benefit hidden there.

Likewise, online entertainment saves on transportation to and from out-of-home venues. Online publishing saves trees and petrochemical-based inks. Online shopping likewise saves considerable shipping and packaging costs, In some cases, by avoiding the need for intermediary warehouses and retail outlets, online stores save enormous amounts of land; as well as huge amounts of energy *not* spent in heating, cooling, lighting or otherwise modifying those physical spaces that web sales obviate.

So you can't just look at the environmental costs of a PC in isolation: For a balanced view, you also have to look at the offsets.

But that said, eventually, there comes a time when you do have to replace a PC. What then? See next item.

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6) Five PC Disposal Alternatives

(continued from above)

PCs may have many hidden environmental benefits, but that doesn't cancel out the very real negatives of the lead, cadmium, arsenic, petrochemicals, and other toxic or unhealthy materials used in their making and embodied in their structure. So, it makes sense on every level to keep PCs in service for as long as possible and not to contribute needlessly to the waste stream.

Older, slower PCs may well serve the lightweight computing needs of young kids or the elderly; or may provide a welcome window on the world for shut-ins or those with physical challenges. Some schools, volunteer organizations, and churches likewise may welcome the contribution of PC equipment in good working order. Note that I'm not suggesting you try to pawn off junkers on the less fortunate! But a PC in good condition that's simply gotten too slow or small for you needs might still have lots of life left in it for someone with less rigorous computing requirements. See http://www.google.com/search?q=donate+pc+charity for more ideas in this vein.

Or, you may be able to sell a usable but unwanted PC via eBay, classified ad, or similar service. Even if you only break even on the deal, you'll be keeping the old PC out of the waste stream, and maybe helping someone else get a good deal. ( http://www.google.com/search?q=sell+old+pc )

Or, if you have no one to donate or sell your PC to, consider using it as a print/file/internet server for your home or office LAN: Setting up an old "sacrificial" PC for internet sharing, for example, can help protect all the PCs behind it. The outside world--- and hackers--- can only see and attack the old PC, because its the only one directly connected to the internet. All the other PCs are safer, operating through a shared connection. (See http://www.langa.com/u/3l.htm )

Or, hang on to the old PC for testing. For example, with an extra PC on hand, you can set up your own mini-lab to try new software without risking your main PC. You can even set things up so you only need one mouse, keyboard and monitor to control many different PCs. (That's what I do! See http://www.langa.com/u/3m.htm )

Or, use the old PC for parts--- a sort of in-situ recycling. You may be able to re-use an older hard drive as a secondary "slave" drive in another PC, for example. Cables, fans, and plug-in cards, floppies, CD drives--- maybe even memory sticks--- may likewise all be able to be pulled from an old system for reuse in a newer one.

In any case, simply dumping a PC in the trash really should be a last resort. There are many, many alternatives!

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7) Recommend This Newsletter And Win!

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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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

South Pacific Travel
http://www.southpacific-travel.itgo.com/

Online Radio
http://www.geocities.com/claren44/radio

Stingray City
http://www.stingraycity.org/studio/index.html

Darkness and Light
http://www.members.shaw.ca/henderrob/

Crossword Puzzles
http://crosswordpuzzles.0catch.com/index.htm

Scottish Engineering
http://www.sbcco.com/quality.htm

4Trucks
http://www.4truck-accessories.com/

Downhome Computers
http://www.sbs-rocks.com/

Willowynd Collies
http://willowyndcollies.tripod.com/Index.htm

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9) Ace Utilities

Hi Fred, Rarely do you see as high a percentage of positive user comments on download.com. I've used the software. Being a cheapo, during the 30 trial period. Seems to work as advertised.
 
See what you think: 
http://download.com.com/3000-2086-10224157.html
 
Best of luck to you...love your column and newsletter.---Dennis

Thanks, Dennis. Ace Utilities is a comprehensive suite of optimization and maintenance tools, and its 96% user-approval rating is indeed high! Its feature list is too long to reproduce here, but you can see it via the link above. The software is $29 if you keep it, but free to try, so if you're looking for a new or replacement software toolbox, this one could be worth a test drive.

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10) Just For Grins

Picking up from last issue's "Understanding Engineers" item, ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-03-08.htm#10 ), here's Part Two:

(From Paul C. Jess):

Understanding Engineers - Take Six

Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.  One said, "It was a mechanical engineer." Just look at all the joints." Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections." The last one said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"

Understanding Engineers - Take Seven

"Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Engineers believe that "if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet"

Understanding Engineers - Take Eight

An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress. The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like both." "Both?" "Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done."

Understanding Engineers - Take Nine

An engineer was crossing a road one-day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket. The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and do ANYTHING you want." Again the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, and that I'll stay with you for a week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool."

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Switching To XP? Need Answers about
ANY version of Windows?

Check out computer-related books personally recommended
by Fred Langa and available at Amazon.Com's deepest discounts!

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• Free Powerful "Stealth" Partitioner and Imager
      (high-power, but doesn't cost a dime!)
• Adobe Acrobat Item #1: Make It Faster
      (slick speed-up tool!)
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      (close a hole that hackers can exploit!)

The Plus! edition is only pennies per issue, and comes with a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE from Fred. How can you lose? Check out the details: 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 )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!)

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