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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2004-10-28

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) "SlipStreaming" MS Office, And More

The article on building your own "prepatched" Windows setup CD ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=47212312 ) is still bringing mail. The idea's attractive: You create a new setup CD that includes all the patches and updates right in the setup files, so you can create a new Windows installation that won't need hours of downloading and installing patches and updates to be made current. Instead, it will be fully current from the start.

Some readers have asked about other ways to prepatch; or if the same concepts can be applied to other software, such as MS Office. If that's your interest, see this:

Hi Fred, I too have begun using slipstreamed CDs and DVDs. Recently I came across a goldmine of a site. While there, I learned to slipstream XP and various versions of Office, create a bootable CD/DVD, and pack it with a series of scripts that 1) installs the OS, 2) adds specific drivers during the process, 3) installs Office complete with advanced customizations, 4) installs applications such as MSN Messenger (latest version) and Windows Media Player, and even installs Nero Burning ROM (using command-line switches!). There is a whole host of apps that have been documented on the site, with full instructions on getting things right. There are even sample scripts that you can copy and paste to get you started. There are tools that you can download from the site that even allow you to run a batch command and pack the whole shebang into an ISO file that can be burned directly to a CD (or DVD if you exceed a CD's capacity), or use Virtual PC to mount the ISO as if it's a CD. Then you can "virtually" test your creation without sacrificing a load of disks during the process. Best of all, the site is completely free. Note to readers: Make sure you understand the overall process before diving in. Read the entire site and double-check your scripts before you ever burn your first CD... Anyway, the site is: http://unattended.msfn.org/  Thanks, L@rry Coots

Thanks. L@rry. Yes, you have to be careful with all these prepatching tricks--- it's not a simple thing, which is why it was something done only by software vendors and major IT departments until just the last couple years when enterprising end users starting doing it on their own.

BTW: Wondering why this is called "Slipstreaming?" Vendors used to use this technique as a way of stealthily delivering unannounced patches and updates: They'd quietly change the master files at their CD duplicating plant; and without fanfare, formal roll-out or other announcement, would simply begin to produce a slightly different version of their product. Sometimes, the vendor wouldn't even change the version number.

Contrast this to the formal release of a new software version: The new version is announced, sales of the old product stop, and then sales begin on the new. It's an expensive, messy, and disruptive process, so vendors are sometimes drawn to the simplicity of quietly adding new patches, features, and fixes to an existing product. This addition of new code to an established product that's already "moving" in the marketplace is called "slipstreaming." (In your mind's eye, picture dropping new code into the imaginary wake of a rapidly-moving software product....) 

Building your own updated setup CD isn't really "slipstreaming" in the usual sense of the word; it's not covert, and the new software does display correctly updated version numbers and such. But because it's enhancing a current product with some new code, many people call it "slipstreaming" anyway, and now you know why. <g>

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"I wish there were a lifetime Plus! subscription option! Thanks Fred for your consistently accurate and unbiased newsletter. I trust the content of your newsletter above all others I receive. Keep up the great work!" ---Allison

Thanks, Allison!

There's no lifetime option, but for just $1 per month, you get
The LangaList Plus! Edition--- ad-free, spam-proof,
with even more content, tips, tricks, advice, and downloads
than the Standard Edition you're now reading.

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You can't lose!

http://langa.com/plus.htm

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2) Comprehensive Guide To Saving Your Data

Hi Fred, First, thanks for the great and informative newsletter.

Second, regarding the topic of transferring data from an old system to a new one (see http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-10-04.htm#4 ), you might be interested in a paper I put together that lists many of the different and disparate types of data (many of them types no one usually thinks of) that are spread around on a persons computer, and helps understand how to back them all up. Some examples: macros, user dictionaries, dial-up passwords, ActiveX controls, buddy lists, etc.

See them all at http://www.tenagurot.com/Papers/BU_Guide.asp .

All the best, Avi Burstein

Thanks, Avi. Between your paper (above) and mine at http://langa.com/backups/backups.htm , this topic is very well covered! <g>

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3) Is Patch Order Important?

Fred, Your newsletter continues to rank 4.0.  I am an old retired salt.  4.0 was/is the highest rank one could get on an annual evaluation (and other things).  Anyway, in the past you recommended for those interested to download all the Win 98 updates from the Windows Update Site (before they went away).  I, of course, did!  I recently had the need to format a drive and ended up downloading all the Win 98 updates again to the machine I was reloading.  I could not figure out what order to install the updates I already had on file.  Does it even matter what order they are installed in?  Thanks for all your hard work. ---Jeff Denton

That's a tough one, Jeff, not so much in concept as in execution.

The concept's easy: Generally, it's safest to install patches in chronological order, oldest to newest. This mimics the real-life order in which the patches appeared, and so should build your system in a positive way, with none of the accidental "downgrading" that can sometimes happen if you install an old patch over newer software. (Newer versions of Windows have gotten pretty good about warning you of such problems, and even actively preventing them; but Win98's protection is rudimentary at best.)

The hard part can be figuring out that chronological order. If you previously saved the patches locally to your hard drive, as they came out one by one, and if the original time/date stamps are intact, you can use that as a guide. If that's not available, you may be able to use the "KB" (Knowledgebase) number that's associated with most patches: In general, lower KB numbers are older items; the higher the number, the newer the item. Similarly, you can look up the "release date" of each patch by opening and reading the associated Knowledgebase article for a given patch. But that's very laborious, and not always 100% reliable because the date of Knowledgebase articles can change as the text is edited.

To try looking up the KB number or full Knowledgebase text for a patch or patches, use Update's "View Installation History" option in the Update window's left hand nav bar. If the History is unavailable or otherwise not working for you, you can look up any/all patches for any Windows OS via the Update "Catalog" function: In the main Windows Update window, select "Personalize Windows Update" from the "Other options" nav bar on the left. When the right hand pane shows "Personalize your Windows Update experience" check the box marked "Display the link to the Windows Update Catalog under _See Also_" and then click "Save Settings." In the left hand nav bar, under the "See Also" heading, you'll then be able to explore the entire Windows Update Catalog, which shows all patches that apply to whatever operating system you select. Again, use the KB numbers and release dates as a guide to patch chronology.

One tool that also can help in Win98 is SFC, the "system file checker." If you make an SFC snapshot of your system when it's freshly installed, and regularly re-run SFC as you apply patches, it can help to detect version conflicts and unintentional rollbacks of important files. See http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=sfc&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 and http://www.google.com/search?q=sfc+98 for more info.

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4) BEEP

Hello Fred, I have a quick question on your DOS articles (e.g. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=13000138 ) which I have enjoyed very much.  Question is, can you make the pc speaker beep via a DOS command or batch file?  This is a nice feature when running DOS batches to let you know the program is finished. Thanks again for the Plus! ---Bob Terry

You can create a tiny, 8-byte BEEP program if you're an old DOS hand familiar with DEBUG; or download any number of precompiled DOS-level BEEP.COM or BEEP.EXE programs from the web. Put the BEEP program file somewhere on your hard disk (say, in the C:\ folder) and then call it from the last line of your batch file, as

C:\BEEP.COM

or whatever the location and name of the file actually is.

More info:

The tiny, DEBUG-generated file:
http://www.ansible.co.uk/ai/apricot/disinf04.html or
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22beep%2Ecom%22+debug+dos

Precompiled programs:
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22beep%2Ecom%22
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22beep%2Eexe%22

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5) Spyware Countermeasures

I would like to bring your attention to this site which offers links to some of the more popular anti-malware programs and also easy to understand tutorials for using them in an optimal manner. I have it right at the top in my favorites in a folder named AAAAA.
Thanks for great newsletter, Bruce
 
http://snipurl.com/a1yd

Thanks, Bruce. Nice find!

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6) Last Days To "Recommend And Win"

At the end of the week, I'll choose three more monthly winners who each will get a FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to the LangaList Plus! edition. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

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 a FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION! (Full details also available via this link): http://langa.com/recommend.htm

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7) FavIcon Buglet WorkAround

In "FavIcon Buglet Still Unsquashed" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-05-24.htm#5 ) we talked about a long-standing minor bug that causes web page shortcuts to lose their custom icons after a while, causing them to revert to the plain, generic browser icon.

Reader Jack Mills found this alternative:

Here's one way to keep favicons permanently attached to Web pages:

1) Browse to your favorite Web site's icon (eg type http://www.pcpitstop.com/favicon.ico in IE's Address window and click 'Go')
2) If the Web site has a favicon (The LangaList does; PC Pitstop does; PC Magazine doesn't and will throw up a 404 error) it will appear in the Web page's upper left corner.
3) On the Edit menu click Select all.
4) Right click on the selected icon and left click on Save Picture as.., opening the My Pictures folder.
5) Change the File name: to Langa.ico or PCPitstop.ico (or any other Web site whose icon you want to use)
6) Click Save.
7) On the Favorites menu, scroll to name of the Web site to which you want the new icon attached.
8) Right click on the Web site name.
9) Left click on Properties.
10) Click Change Icon on the Web Document tab of the Web site favorite Properties to access the Change Icon popup window.
11) Click Browse in Look for icons in this file: window on the Change Icon popup window
12) Click the down arrow for the Look in: window on another Change Icon popup window.
13) Scroll to My Documents and then My Pictures.
14) Click your newly saved icon and click Open, taking you back to the Change Icon popup windows
15) Click OK twice.  The Web page and the icon are now connected.
16) Close your browser and then reopen it.
17) In the Favorites menu, scroll to the Web site.  You'll find the new logo and the Web page link nicely tied together.
 
--- Jack Mills

Thanks, Jack!

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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://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 )

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://langa.com/randomlink.htm

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

Karl`s PC Site and Discussion Forums
http://www.karlsforums.com/

Joe's Place
http://home.earthlink.net/~mrpalm3c/

affordable gifts
http://www.youraffordablegifts.net/yag/

Donna's Work Alternative Resource Center
http://www.dwarc.com/

Perkins Family
http://perkinsfamily.websiteanimal.com/

Zilla Photo
http://www.zillaphoto.com/contact.html

Dershem's Colorado Homepage
http://www.expage.com/dershemfam

Lake Tomah in Wisconsin
http://www.laketomah.com/

Find your lost friend or relative.
http://www.findme.karlsforums.com/forums/

cool and fun sites
http://www.allsitecafe.com/fun.html

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9) "Magic" Fix Sought

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10) Just For Grins

Hi Fred, Thanks for helping me and the rest of the online community with such a wonderful and insightful newsletter. I subscribe to many other quality ezines and occasionally need to unsubscribe from them. Thankfully most include an un-subscribe link, usually at the very bottom of the message. But, how many of us actually read the text included with the link? Below is the text for one such link from BEA Systems, Inc:

dev2dev Dispatch is published twice a month and is sent only to subscribers. You are currently subscribed as someone@somecompany.com. If you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, we understand.  We'll try not to take it personally.  It's not you saying you don't like us, but maybe you just don't have the time to look at all this hard work we've done just for you.  Hey, that's cool.  But if your heart is truly set on making sure you no longer receive this newsletter, even though we promise to one day reveal the meaning of life in it and you're going to be really upset when you miss out on that, please click here to unsubscribe.

Keep up the great work!  Regards, Robert Dodson

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• Drivers and Video Refresh Rates In Linux
     (reader annoyed by flickery screen)
• Hard Or Soft Restart Best?
     (is all the way off the way to go?)
• Super-Fast Outlook Searches (Free!)
     (find old mail in a flash)

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!

Plus! Edition info: 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, 2004-11-01!

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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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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