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LangaList 2004-07-08 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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1) Accidental De-TuningNormally, we hope for a speed-up when we adjust and tune our PCs. But sometimes, things go wrong:
Win9x-based Windows (that includes WinME, btw) can be like a house of cards: The core OS and settings aren't very well-protected, and can get seriously scrambled over time as you change settings, add and remove software, and so on. Good maintenance techniques can delay the onset of problems in these older versions of Windows for quite a while: Back in Win98's heyday, I'd routinely go for months and months with no serious problem. But once things go bad, you can be staring down a very steep sinkhole: A simple fix may be possible, but more likely you're looking at hours or days to track down and correct the problems. Besides, by the time enough software errors, misconfigurations, and other problems have accumulated to affect how your PC operates, there are probably even more things going wrong that you don't know about yet. So, the answer may be not to try to fix what's wrong--- not to repair a teetering house of cards--- but rather to knock it down and start over in a more stable, error-free way. That's why, when Win98 was the mainstream OS, it was not at all uncommon for people simply to reinstall their OS on a regular basis. In one giant step, it would undo all the accumulated problems plaguing the OS; or, if used preventively in a kind of Grand Mal housecleaning, it would root out problems *before* they caused the house of cards to tumble down. Some people who skimped on other maintenance would reinstall the OS monthly or every few months. I'd do it two or three times a year, using aggressive maintenance in between. Reinstalling is a hassle (although it can be made less so, as we'll see in a moment), but it really can be the lesser evil: Yes, a reinstall will take some time, but will definitely give you the results you want--- a lean, clean OS with no wear, no tear, and none of the subtle problems that can cumulatively afflict any OS over time. So: My advice to you is not to waste your time trying more add-on patches, fixes, and repairs: You've already done that, and have reached a point where things are getting worse instead of better. Now, as a ONE-TIME hassle, I recommend you bite the bullet and do a full reformat and reinstall; and then preserve that perfect setup in a thorough backup, or better, in a disk image. (See http://langa.com/backups/backups.htm ) Once that's done, then you'll never again have to spend hours trying to get your OS back into shape: When things go wrong, you can restore to like-new perfection in literally just minutes, using the backup or image. XP, Win2K and Linux are harder to break in fundamental ways than Win9x, and routine reinstallation of the entire OS is more or less a thing of the past. But trouble can still strike with any OS, and the same backup/imaging technique referenced above can be a life-saver. In fact, an OS-independent tool (like BootIt: http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=bootit&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 ) can provide fast, inexpensive images of your partitions or total disks for just about any PC operating system. Then, if or when a partition or disk gets hosed for any reason whatsoever, you can restore it to perfection in minutes. In addition to the above, this may help too: General Reformat-Reinstall Tips/Discussions: http://www.google.com/search?q=reformat+reinstall OS-Specific Install/Setup Info: System Setup Secrets (from 1999; now geared towards older OSes): Ten Ways to Make Windows 98 Run Better: System Setup Secrets (updated in 2001 for then-current OSes):http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=12802747 Ten Ways to Make Windows Me Run Better: System Setup Secrets for XP: Ten Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better: Ten More Ways To Make Windows XP Run Better: 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 - --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 2) Migration HasslesChanging OSes, or even migrating between versions of the same or similar OSes, can trip you up in countless little ways: You may find yourself sitting there, scratching your head, thinking "There *must* be a way to do this..."
I understand your frustration, Liz, but some of your ire is misplaced. It helps to remember that WinXP isn't a update from Win9x; it's a whole new operating system with a different lineage and different background. That's why XP can deliver far more stability than Win98--- but it's also why some things work a little differently. For example, XP can "lock" the main taskbar into position. In this mode (the default), it's like the taskbars in Win98. ME and 2K. But XP also lets you unlock the taskbar, letting you make more and different kinds of changes than other Windows allow: Just right click on an empty area of the taskbar, select Unlock. Right click again, select Toolbars/Quick Launch. You then can position and size it just the way you want it. If you think you may want to move it around or resize it on a frequent basis (I do), leave it unlocked. But if you find a position and size you like, you can re-lock the taskbar. It's all explained in the Help system: Just go to Start/Help and search for "Quick Launch" in the Help system. Other useful searches for Win98 users who may be new to XP: In the XP help system (Start/Help) search for "What's new" (without the quotes); and for "familiar tasks" (without the quotes). Both searches will turn up tons of information geared for newer users who may know how to do things one way (say, the Win98 way) and just need a little help making the mental adjustment to XP. Click to email this item to a
friend 3) ChkDsk Problem With No Cure (Yet)We recently discussed a defrag problem ( "Some Files Could Not Be Defragmented..." http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-07-01.htm#2 ); but this time, it's another system utility--- ChkDsk--- that's causing the problem.
Two things: First, I'm sorry to say that although this is
a real problem affecting some users, as
yet there's no fix. I haven't encountered the problem myself, but enough people
have that Microsoft has posted a place-holder item in the Knowledgebase: Second, and quite separately, this is also an example of what we discussed in #2, above: Chkdsk ("check disk") is one of the tools that can confuse users new to XP (although this is not Joe's problem at all). Way back when, the DOS disk-checking tool was called Chkdsk. Win9x came with a better disk-checking tool that was called Scandisk to differentiate it from the old DOS tool: Win9X even warned *against* using Chkdsk. But Win2K and XP still call their disk tool Chkdsk. Win9x users who move to XP and then look for Scandisk won't find it; and they may even shy away from Chkdsk, thinking it's the old, discredited DOS tool. But in 2K and XP, Chkdsk is indeed the fully-current disk tool that you'd use where you'd normally use Scandisk in Win9X. This too is covered in the help files--- and is just another one of the myriad speedbumps we all have to navigate when switching OS versions! Click to email this item to a
friend 4) The "About:Blank" HijackIt started as a trickle of email, but is growing into a flood: People getting their browsers hijacked to or stuck on an "About:Blank" page. I was mostly at a loss when the first mails arrived; with nothing specific to go on, I could only give generic anti-spyware/malware advice. But seemingly overnight, the online security community saw enough instances to track down what was causing the problem; and to post detailed, explicit fix-it steps. If you run into the "About:Blank" hijack, check this: Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 5) Another Free Exit-Windows TweakerIn http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-07-01.htm#9, we helped a reader who was looking to insert a long process--- in his specific case, a song--- into the midst of his shutdown sequence. This reader found another tool in a place I should have thought to look at first:
Thanks, Eric. Indeed, Karen's toolbox is a great way to solve a whole raft of Windows annoyances. 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
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friend 7) YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOUT! <g>Ah, yes, the evil caps lock key. Toggle it the wrong way, and your sentences come out looking weird. lIKE tHIS. Or, it CAN LOOK LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING, or that you're trying to channel ee cummings, or... well, you get the idea. We discussed one fix in "Free Caps Unlocker" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-06-10.htm#7 ), but here's another, more powerful option:
Thanks, Ron. Nice find! Click to email this item to a
friend 8) More Code-LoadersDo you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter
what size.) Please click over to
http://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://langa.com/link.txt ) Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting
At Downloadable Goodies All 'Bout Computers Pastel Portraits Giant Balloons KD&C Gifts Barata EUA Rare Collectables Mike and Micki Stanford-Palo Alto Users Group for PC Ohio Valley Racing Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 9) Put Page/SwapFile On Separate Partition?Fred, Is there any advantage to putting your page file [swapfile] on a separate partition? I've got a gig of RAM and seldom ever need the page file. ---Doyle Hirsch There's no absolute answer, but here are the variables: So it's a tradeoff: You'll both gain and lose some speed, and there's no way to say in advance whether the net result will be faster, slower, or the same. But when in doubt, a little empiricism goes a long way. Your best bet: Give it a try, and see if you notice any difference! Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For Grins
With all possible respect to Scots everywhere, the above is probably the best use for haggis ever invented. 8-) Click to email this item to a
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