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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2004-08-16

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) Go Slow With XP's SP2

Many readers are wondering what to do about XP's SP2, which is starting to trickle out in a limited release. But over the next few weeks, just about all XP users will be offered the download in a carefully sequenced rollout designed to prevent the overload of Microsoft's servers.

When you're offered SP2, my advice is: Do nothing; wait a bit.

SP2 is huge--- so big it's almost a whole new version of XP. Like any new version of any OS, it *will* contain bugs, and it *will* cause trouble on some setups. The more complex and/or nonstandard your setup is, the greater the likelihood of a problem.

Plus, there's no "must have right now" element to SP2: Much of SP2 is designed to force uninformed (or just plain lazy!) PC users to use basic security--- to stay current with updates, to use a firewall, etc. (These are the users running the unpatched/unprotected systems that allow most worms/viruses to spread.)

But odds are, if you're reading this newsletter, you already know about and are using pretty good security practices, such as good firewall, antivirus and anti-spyware tools, and you're keeping up to date with Critical Updates. If that's the case, you won't gain a lot by rushing into SP2.

Instead, wait a bit--- even as much as a month or two--- to let the worst problems with SP2 come to light and be fixed on other user's PCs.

Again, as long as you're already using the kinds of security tools and techniques we discuss in this newsletter every week (example: http://www.informationweek.com/840/langa.htm ), there's no need to rush into SP2.

I'm not the only one suggesting this "go slow" approach. See, for example these other authors:
http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/60.htm
http://channelzone.ziffdavis.com/article2/0,1759,1633858,00.asp

But if you absolutely must try it as soon as you can, MAKE A FULL IMAGE BACKUP OF YOUR SYSTEM! (There, I hope that got your attention! <g>) You can use a free trial version of BootIt for example ( http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/ ), and have a bulletproof way to roll your system back to pre-SP2 condition if things don't work out. Note that standard uninstall, backup or roll-back tools (like Go Back) may NOT suffice for an update of this size and scope. If you want to be 100% sure you can undo SP2 in its totality, you *must* use a heavy-duty imaging tool. See
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=imaging&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 .

But for most of us, the answer's simpler: Relax! Take a break, and let others blaze a trail for you!  Eventually, SP2 will be worth installing, but for most of us--- almost everyone--- there's no particular need for, or benefit from, being an early adopter.

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2) Solving USB Boot Problems

In "What's Behind The USB Drive Revolution" ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=22100588 ) we began an exploration of the different types of compact, removable drives--- sometimes called pen drives, thumb drives, jump drives, keychain drives, and so on--- that attach to your PC via a USB port. Usually, these devices electronically disguise themselves so the PC they're attached to treats them as a kind of floppy drive, but they add vastly more storage than any floppy can: USB pen drives typically add anywhere from 16 Mbyte to more than 4 Gbyte of portable storage to your system.

Almost any USB-equipped PC can read and write files to these devices, making them a nearly universal tool for moving larger files around without a network, or even serving as a backup medium for selected files. Most newer PCs also can boot directly from these devices, and that brings us to today's topic.

In theory, making a USB drive bootable should be utterly simple: After all, a USB drive presents itself to the system as a kind of floppy-like medium, and every PC for the last 20 years has known how to boot from a floppy. But, naturally, it's often not that simple: There can be problems on both the software and hardware side of making a USB device bootable.

On the software side, there can be issues with finding the correct, essential boot files in the first place. Some OSes--- many Linux distributions, for example--- lack a simple, obvious "make boot floppy" menu item; you may need to cobble together a boot floppy on your own, or download a preconfigured boot floppy image that may or may not contain the exact files you need and want.

Windows can have problems, too: For example, in newer versions of Windows, your main OS may use NTFS, but the OS's "make boot/system floppy" function will produce a DOS-based boot disk that won't give you access to your NTFS files. And there can be other software problems, too.

On the hardware side, some older PCs simply cannot boot from any USB device at all. And other older PCs that can recognize and handle a version 1.0 or 1.1 USB boot device may totally choke with faster USB 2.0 bootable hardware.

So you see: Booting from USB devices isn't quite the walk in the park that some vendors might want you to think!

In a new, full-length (and free!) column posted at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=28700158 , I'll walk you through the many factors affecting boot-from-USB. You'll see how to access and modify the BIOS Setup program built into your PC; how to see just what (if any) boot-from-USB support your PC offers; how to activate it if it's there; and how to add it if it's not.

We'll then look at making a USB Device itself bootable, and I'll give you links to the best free tools I know for doing this the fast, easy, and automated way. But, as usual, we'll also discuss manual ways you can use if or when the automated tools fail.

We'll also touch on the two most common errors people make in setting up USB booting. Miss these steps, and things just won't work, even if everything else is done perfectly.

Click on over to http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=28700158 . See you there!

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--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) ---

"Fred, I relish finding useful tips in your LangaList Plus! even after
many months have passed, part of the reason I immediately renewed
my subscription (and thanks for the renewer's discount)." ---Brian

Thanks, Brian!

The LangaList Plus! Edition is ad-free, spam-proof,
and contains even more content--- tips, tricks, advice, downloads....---
than the Standard Edition you're now reading, and costs just 14 cents an issue!

Once joined, you can renew your annual subscription for even less!

Get all the details:

http://langa.com/plus.htm

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3) "AUMagic?"

Hi Fred, You are on vacation at present; I hope you have a good one and return refreshed to carry on the great work you do with your List. I have been a Plus member for some time and can honestly say that it is the best value I have got on the Net, especially because of the great work you do with it in helping others less fortunate.

I use Win Me on a Dell 800 and have cable connection to the net.  I have Zone Alarm Pro 4.5 installed and today it asked me if I would allow an outgoing to '-AUMAGIC'. As I had never heard of them, I said no. I wrote down the IP, 66.185.95.130:HTTP  and tried to go there with my Firefox browser but got a Server Not Available error screen. I then did a Google search on the IP and came up with several hits, the first of which led me to a site selling anonymous proxies and a link from that led me to [url withheld }. I am not a naive person and have been involved in computers for about 40 years - back in the days of steam! - but I have never even heard of the software offered free or for sale on this site. It all seems to be to do with mass-mailing and therefore, I guess, s-p-a-m.  Could this mean that I have a Trojan? Can you or anyone else shed any light on this please? I felt as though I had picked up a stone and something nasty had scuttled into the corner.

Best wishes, Malcolm Mc.Lachlan

This one's a little hazy, but as far as I can tell, AUMagic is nothing more than Microsoft's harmless "sniffer" for automatic updates: It checks with the Microsoft servers to see if new updates are available; that's the activity you're seeing.

Your IP search didn't pan out because that address is simply the access point to the Canadian backbone network that your ISP uses. Lots of stuff--- good and bad--- flows through that access point, so an IP search using that address might indeed turn up nasty sites that also use that access point. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the nastyware you found was on your PC at all; only that it passed through the same address your stuff went through, like two separate vehicles on the same highway.

In any case, if you turn off automatic updates, AUMagic should no longer ask for access. Or, you can tell Zone Alarm to block AUMagic, to the same effect: no more automatic updates.

(BTW, thanks for the vacation wishes, but this wasn't a normal break. We're neck-deep in a total home renovation, inside and out. Yikes! <g> I had to stop publishing the newsletter during the time my office was out of service for rewiring, painting, reflooring, new windows and doors.... everything! The work is mostly done on my office, but continues on the rest of the house. Man, now I could use a *real* vacation! 8-)  )

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4) The Continuing Quest For Quiet

Well, as with anything, it depends on how far you want to go. 8-) If you're starting from scratch, and if noise is your #1 issue with PCs, then it makes sense to build a system where every component is selected for low sound emission. It's even possible to go much further than what's shown in that article--- near-total silence is achievable--- but at a price measured both in cash and in performance.

In my case, for example, I don't mind some mild fan noise when I'm using the system flat out--- pegging the CPU at 100% utilization for an extended period. That's a fairly rare event (measured in a few tens of minutes per week). To eliminate that noise would mean I either would have to slow down the CPU (producing less heat but also reducing performance), or use an exotic and expensive cooling system. To me, it's not worth it. My system is barely audible most of the time, and that's what I was looking for. I can take a little quiet whooshing for a few minutes each week when I'm pushing my system hard.

So, absent any concrete right or wrong, you have to judge factors such as your own sensitivity to sound--- and the depth of your wallet! Sites like http://www.silentpcreview.com/, http://www.quietpcusa.com/ , http://www.endpcnoise.com/ and others ( http://www.google.com/search?q=silent+quiet+pc ) can take you as far as you want to go!

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5) Free Clip Art and Templates

Free clip art and document templates for Microsoft Word 97 on up. I downloaded templates for a simple will, power of attorney, birthday cards and a Christmas newsletter.

Microsoft Office free Clip Art and Media Home Page:
http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx

Microsoft Office free Templates Home Page:
http://office.microsoft.com/templates/default.aspx

---Mark Donaldson

Thanks, Mark. The whole http://office.microsoft.com site is underused--- there's a ton of stuff there, including a separate update engine just for Office software. If you're using MS Office, it's definitely worth a visit from time to time.

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6) Three Winners!

"Ckruger," "reiater.walters" and "RShady" each won a FREE full one-year subscription to the LangaList Plus! edition by using the "Recommend To A Friend" form at http://langa.com/recommend.htm .

You see, each month I choose three winners of a FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to the LangaList Plus! edition. 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! (Full details also available via
this link): http://langa.com/recommend.htm

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7) Voice-Over-IP

VOIP--- voice-over-IP--- is the basis of web telephony, and is growing in popularity by the proverbial leaps and bounds. And now, some excellent reference sites are popping up as well:

Great newsletter! You might find this site (which I run) useful for VOIP information http://www.voip-info.org  ---Jim Thompson

Thanks Jim!

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8) They Just Keep Coming And Coming...

Well over three thousand of your fellow readers have "Loaded the code." Please click over to http://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://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
http://langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://langa.com/readersites.htm

ComputerBob
http://www.computerbob.com/

Miniature Horses
http://www.tbart.net/

Turtle Bay Condo
http://www.k-online.com/~rwbj/condo/condo.html

HandlinFamily.com
http://www.handlinfamily.com/default.aspx

TrainMen
http://www.stanstrains.com/Links.htm

Custom Candy Wrappers and More
http://www.punkyandpoo.com/

Rural Electric Member Action Committee
http://myremac.com/

Shubnell.com
http://www.shubnell.com/

Childcare and More
http://home.wideopenwest.com/~ranajean/links.htm

Digital Art
http://www.digitalartist.ca/

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9) Put Date Next To Time

Hello Fred Thanks for the great newsletter. I just have a short question. My os is win 98, and I was wondering if there was a way to display the current "date" at the bottom of my screen beside the clock display?, and the procedure to do so. Thanks again. Richard

If you hover your mouse over the standard time display, the date will show in a text balloon. But if you want the date shown all the time, try these:

http://www.rcis.co.za/dale/tclockex/index.htm
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/software/traydate
http://www.google.com/search?q=tray+date

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10) Just For Grins

Hello Fred, Long time subscriber, first time emailer.

I don't know if you've covered this topic or not, but I ran into this the other day and found it very humorous. I do IT support for a remote company, and, of course, viruses have been a thorn in all of our sides for quite some time now. This person called me and said when he is in Outlook writing an email, his laptop will start typing for him in, most times, non-legible, random words. I immediately thought this was a virus and told him to take the laptop off the network immediately. After scanning, probing, and examining for viruses, pests, etc... I found that his workstation was completely clean and yet he still had this problem. So I went Google-ing and found from a forum website, where a guy had found that the Speech Recognition feature in Windows XP was enabled and the laptop, with a built-in microphone was trying to type words that were being spoken in the same room! I had to grin. Of course, the quality of speech recognition was so poor that it didn't recognize the words spoken and was printing gibberish.. I went into Control Panel - Regional and Language Options - Under the Languages tab - clicked on the Details button, and lo and behold, SPEECH RECOGNITION. I removed it and haven't had any "ghost" typing since. I thought your readers might like to hear about this and get a chuckle at my expense. Thank you for your newsletter. It has saved me more times than I can count. Respectfully, Kenneth Eggleston

Thanks, Kenneth! I actually saw something similar once, after taking a phone call while experimenting with voice-recognition software. I'd placed the headset and microphone on the desk during the call; too far away for the software to process my words accurately. And when the call was over, I was momentarily taken aback when I saw my screen filled with what looked like the work of a Klingon translator! 8-)

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 Fred's Reference Shelf--- And Up To 20% Discounts!

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

http://langa.com/books.htm

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• "Why Even Bother With NTFS?"
     (weighing the pros/cons)
• New RAM, New Troubles?
     (system won't run right after RAM upgrade)
• Which Printers Use Lower-Cost Inks?
     (the right hardware can really lower your ink costs)

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://langa.com/plus.htm

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(Give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition!
Click <a href= " http://langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

See you next issue, 2004-08-19!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

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

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://langa.com.  (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site.

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