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LangaList 2005-01-31 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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1) Speed And Security Via a RAM DriveIt was one of those small questions that opens up a huge and fascinating topic:
It's an intriguing idea because some RAM operations are literally about a million times faster (that's six orders of magnitude) than a hard drive's. Therefore, any operations you can keep in RAM will typically complete much, much faster than those that involve reads/writes using a mechanical hard drive. What is a "RAM Drive?" A RAM drive (also called a "RAM disk") is a section of your normal system RAM (chip memory) that's set aside and controlled by special software to emulate a standard hard drive (disk memory): The software fools the operating system into thinking it's dealing with an ordinary physical hard drive that operates in a completely normal fashion, except that it's *extremely* fast. Just as with a real drive, a RAM drive must be formatted before it can be used (although some RAM drive software does this for you automatically). Once in operation, a RAM drive can be written to or read from using all the normal file commands. As far as your PC knows, the RAM drive is just another normal storage device. But you'll see the difference in literally lightning-fast operation: A Format command, for example, may complete in a flash instead of slogging along for many minutes; copying a file may seem to be almost instantaneous. But (you knew there had to be a "but," right?) there's more to this than may meet the eye. You see, setting up and using a RAM drive for the wrong reasons can have the opposite effect--- it can actually make your system slower. And there are other potential problems, too. But used the right way for the right reasons, a RAM disk can be a wonderful tool that actually makes your system not only faster, but safer. I dug in on Charles' question, and ended up with a full feature-length article detailing:
It's all posted now, available free, at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=57704017 . Click on over! Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- "Hi Fred! After receiving your
free letter for the last couple of years, --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 2) "Live CD" Linux For Learning?
It's not you, Phil--- it *is* confusing. <g> But you're on the right track: Start with the "Live CD" versions that most Linux vendors offer for free. You can run these versions of Linux from a self-contained CD without making any changes to your PC. All the Live CD versions of Linux run more slowly than the full versions installed on a hard drive, but otherwise will give you a very good idea of how well a particular distribution will work with your hardware (very important!). The Live CD versions also will let you compare how different versions "feel" to use. Almost all the major Linux distributions have graphical interfaces that will seem initially quite familiar to Windows users, and that's great because you can more or less get started doing something useful right away. But once you poke down a level or two into the system files and tools, you'll find more and more differences from what you're now using. In fact, in "fit and finish" and overall ease of use, the more polished Linuxes feel to me like where Windows was just as Win98 came out. Yes, Linux is far more stable and powerful than Win98 ever was, but it's nowhere nearly as polished as Macs or XP; and no system, including Macs, has better hardware support than XP. So, try the Live CD versions first, and find one that "feels" best to you, especially as you poke around beyond the superficialities. When you find one that feels right and works on your hardware, that's the one to concentrate on, with a full install to your hard drive, probably in dual-boot mode so you can still use Windows while you learn Linux. Here's a list of almost 200 (!) Live CD versions of Linux: If that's too much to wade through, the current top-ten distros are:
And you can find even more here: BTW, for Live CD versions, and for any "ISO" based software downloads, you'll need to know how to turn the ISO file (a kind of image of the CD contents) into a usable CD. Your CD burner software may have a "make cd from image" or "burn CD from ISO" or some such command in it; or you can learn more about the process here: http://www.google.com/search?q=burn+iso Click to email this item to a
friend 3) Specialty Synch
You're correct in that simply dumping the image from one system to another would be messy--- Windows probably would wake up and run, but it will complain loudly, seeking to install drivers for the new hardware it finds, and probably wanting to re-activate itself. Using a disk image this way is really an emergency-only kind of thing, as you'll end up, at best, with a hodge-podge installation containing system-level stuff from both the first and second system. However, there's an alternative: Get your software set up on both machines, and then simply move the data files back and forth, as needed. Most of the better disk imaging tools, and all of the file-oriented backup tools, let you restore on a file-by-file or a folder-by-folder basis. For example, my favorite imaging tool, Terabyte Unlimited's "BootIt" ( http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html ) normally produces a monolithic .IMG file that contains a compressed, bit-for-bit clone of your hard drive. But Terabyte also offers a free "TBIView" tool ( http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html ) that lets you browse inside an IMG file and extract only whatever files or folders you want, without restoring the entire image. My favorite file-oriented backup tool, the "NTbackup" built into XP and Win2K, is inherently file and folder oriented; You simply run it, select "Restore" mode, and you can put back anything that was previously backed up by NTbackup; anything from one file up to your entire hard drive. (The above is the reason why my preferred backup method uses both tools, so I can restore things in a variety of ways, as needed: http://langa.com/backups/backups.htm ) A third option: Use a tool like Karen Kenworthy's free "Replicator" ( http://www.google.com/search?q=replicator&as_sitesearch=langa.com ) which can be used to synch different folders (eg "My Documents") on different machines, so both will have exactly the same user files. We've also recently discussed other synch options: http://www.google.com/search?q=synch&as_sitesearch=langa.com If you want to synch the two laptops frequently, the Replicator approach will probably be the least expensive, fastest and easiest method. That, combined with whatever imaging tool you're already using on both laptops, will leave you protected from catastrophic data loss, *and* conveniently synchronized for routine daily use. Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 4) "Anti-adware Misses Most Malware"By happy coincidence, noted computer author Brian Livingston covered anti-adware
tools at the same time we were discussing them in recent issues ("Spyware
Hype Vs Real Threats"
http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-01-27.htm#2 ). Long-time readers will recognize this approach as the same one we've recommended in this newsletter many, many times. But I'd arrived at that conclusion empirically and anecdotally; Brian now offers statistical proof to back up my less-formal, seat-of-the-pants conclusion. <g> Howes' test results also show that Microsoft's free beta AntiSpyware, which we've previously recommended ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-01-13.htm#2 ) is the current best of the bunch in antispyware tools. Brian and I both recommend Microsoft's AntiSpyware as one of the tools everyone should have; but beyond that, his recommendations differ slightly from mine in that he includes commercial tools in his top slots. I actually agree with Brian that the tools he recommends (e.g. http://www.webroot.com/ , $30) are good, but I know that far more people will use tools if they're free or nearly so. That's why my primary list includes only freeware and donationware--- to help ensure that cost isn't an excuse to avoid using these important defenses. Brian's report appeared in his Windows Secrets newsletter; http://windowssecrets.com/050127/ . Definitely worth a look. BTW, my recommendations--- all free for personal use: Microsoft Antispyware: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspxSpywareblaster: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html Spybot S&D: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html Ad-Aware Personal Edition: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
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friend 5) Lost Startup, Exit Sounds
It sounds like you're already done this, but let's spell it out for the benefit of readers who may not know about sound selection: Open Control Panel/Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices/Sounds And Audio Devices/Sounds. Then, in the Program Events box, scroll down to Exit Windows. At the bottom of the dialog, under the Sounds selection box, pick (or browse to) the sound you want. You can test-play it from there by clicking on the forward-arrow button. Then select Start Windows and do the same thing to associate your preferred sound with that event. You then can do likewise for any/all other events. When you're done, save your custom settings for easy retrieval via the "Save As" button on the "Sound Scheme" selection box; give your custom settings a new name (e.g. "custom1" or some such). Things should now work. But if not, you might try copying your preferred sounds to a new location: Give them a new name, make sure they play with the new name and location, and then re-do the above steps to associate the moved/renamed sounds with the events of your choice. This simple step sometimes can force Windows to work around a subtle file-related sound problem that otherwise gums up the works. Click to email this item to a
friend 6) Last Day To "Recommend And Win"At the end of the day today (Jan 31), I'll choose another
monthly winner of 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.) Click to email this item to a
friend 7) Fixing Messed-up ShortcutsHello, Fred. Thanks for your very useful newsletter and the positive, helpful vibe of the whole experience. Either of these approaches should help, Gary: 1) You can manually create new shortcuts, as needed: Find the EXE (eg "WinWord.Exe"), right click it,
select "create shortcut". Once created, if the icon isn't what you
want, right click on the shortcut. Select
properties. On the "Shortcut" tab, click "Change icon." Use one of
the offered icons, if any, or use any of the prepackaged icons available in
\windows\system32\SHELL32.dll
(browse to it) or use one of the icons in the original file (eg WinWord.Exe).
Then Click to email this item to a
friend 8) Code-Load Success StoryCode-loaders Bob and Sherry write:
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 thousands 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: Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting
At Macca's Blog Updated: Ultimate Boot CD for Windows Kate's Ramblings and Wanderings Absolute Communications Homemade Do-It-Yourself Wireless Antennas George Brickner's Home Page OwnMade AudioBooks Sometimes I do Triathlons, computers, and more wogdog blog Stuff to do in Boise, Idaho Click to email this item to a
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Thanks, Dave. We've mentioned that site before, but it's been quite a while. Thanks for the reminder! Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For GrinsThis is one of those multiple-forward emails that make the rounds. I have no clue where it really started, but reader Hal Hannon was the one who forwarded this (probably exaggerated or apocryphal, but still funny) bit of Canadian humor to me:
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
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 around $1 per month! Click to email this item to a
friend (Give a gift subscription to
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