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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2005-03-21

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) Finding CPU And Memory Hogs

Fred: My computer is running xpsp2 and something is using a very large amount of cpu time-on and off. Is there a program that will report what is running to use the cpu that much? Thanks, Warren

Hello Fred! I don't know if you are familiar with the program Memload (2.0, july 2001) written by Johan Samuelson. It lists the memory usage for every main process in the order of how demanding they are. Memload is a great little tool in order to quickly find out the memory hogs amongst the programs. Unfortunately Memload only works under Win95/98 and is no longer supported by the author, although it can still be downloaded from Tucows. The program is very small and doesn't require any installation, just unzip and start using it. I have searched in vain trying to find a similar program (free and small) that works under XP. It should list the process in the order of memory usage and preferably also the (average) CPU usage. I know there are plenty of programs that provide that kind of information - my favorite is TaskInfo ( http://www.iarsn.com ) - but the beauty is Memloads smallness. It's beyond me why it is so difficult to find a modern Memload! Have you happened to stumble on one? Sincerely, Richard Nor

The tools both readers are seeking is built into Windows XP/2K: It's Task Manager.

Hit Ctrl-Alt-Del; Task Manager will pop up. Select the Processes tab, and there's the info you want--- processes, who's running them, CPU time, and memory consumed. Each column is sortable (ascending or descending; your choice) by clicking on the heading. I usually leave mine sorted so the most CPU-intensive apps are at the top of the list, but you can sort by memory use, if that's your preference.

Many processes are fairly obvious; you can tell by their name what program launched them. But if you can't identify a process, try using the process name as a search term in Google; you'll almost always be able to identify it that way. Or, you can use any of literally dozens of "process viewer" tools that offer more or different detail than Task Manager. For example, see http://langa.com/u/8f.htm and http://langa.com/u/8g.htm .

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2) Validating 1,700 "Favorites"

"Drowning In Duplicate 'Favorites'" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-03-07.htm#5 ) prompted this useful note:

Fred: I just built a new computer and expect that the effort involved at least 25 "tricks" I have learned from your newsletter in the last three years!  Very valuable, indeed !
 
A new computer calls for "cleanup" of my Favorites Folder. I use AM-Deadlink from www.aignes.com .  It locates dead links and will duplicates. It is FREEWARE.  Perhaps this might be of value...
 
Actually cleaning up URLs is part of my year-end cleaning, so I have done this twice in the last two months.  I have a cable connection and about 1,700 URLs.  I usually leave it running on the computer while I do some other chore - - takes about 40 minutes, if I recall correctly.  Since I was completely reinstalling on my old machine (as a backup machine & my wife's email machine) as well as setting up the new computer, time spent organizing and cleaning up files was time that did "double duty". ---Leonard Hicks

Thanks, Leonard! We'd covered AM-Deadlink before, but it was way back in 2001. Nice to know it's still around and still useful!

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3) Update #1: CounterSpy Efficiency And Win98

In "Free 'AntiSpyware' and $20 'Counterspy' The Same?" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-03-17.htm#2 ) I said:

Antispyware and CounterSpy... both work from much the same data and do much the same thing.

But, as is so often true, some readers had more detailed knowledge of the subject, and were generous in taking the time to share that knowledge:

Fred, For those of us with some win 98 machines, the Counterspy product allows us (till '07 anyway) to use the MS/Giant collaborative antispyware database. My experience also is that it can pick up a few nasties left over after scans with the other, major reputable products. The "My PC checkup" suggestions under Counterspy>system tools seem very worthwhile, also. I did not take all of the suggestions the checkup offered as it seemed that to do so might interfere with surfing. Thanks for a continually useful resource- Plus subscriber, Todd Pierce

Hi, Fred, "CounterSpy" runs on Win98 (etc), which may be a significant benefit over the MS AntiSpyware product. The Giant version also ran on the older platforms, until the MS build was released. - Mike Kennedy (Plus! Subscriber)

I am running on the same computer.Antispyware runs at 2 am, CounterSpy at 4 am.  CounterSpy always finds more than Antispyware. ---Larry Schwarz

I can't meaningfully comment on the "it finds more nasties," because my system is well-guarded and well-scrubbed so I almost never find any malware on it anyway; but enough readers reported that CounterSpy found a few more items than Antispyware that I have to believe they're seeing something real. You can try it for yourself: There's a free trial available at http://www.sunbelt-software.com/CounterSpy-Download.cfm , but if you're running Antispyware, you'll have to uninstall that first.

As for the "works on Win98," 98SE is supported, but 98 is not  (see below). I'm sorry I missed the 98SE support in my original write-up, because Win98 users of all stripes are facing growing scarcity of up-to-date tools: For that reason alone, CounterSpy may well be worth the entry fee for Win98SE users. Again, a free test drive (see link above) may be useful in deciding.

Here are the official specs (from the CounterSpy site):

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
At least an IBM Compatible 300MHZ Computer with at least 64MB of RAM
Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/2003
Microsoft Windows 98 is not supported
At least 24MB of available free space on your hard drive
2x CDROM if you are having the CD shipped to you
Internet access with at least 28.8Kbps connection if you plan on participating ThreatNet.

Thanks all who wrote in!

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4) Update #2: AOL's "All Your Words Are Belong To Us"

In "AOL Owns Rights To Your Words" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-03-17.htm#5 ) we told you about the new Terms Of Service for AIM, in which AOL claimed the "irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote this Content [that is, your words, writings, photos, etc] in any medium."

After much public pressure, AOL has announced that it will "clarify" the TOS so that private communications via AIM will be excluded from this rights-grab.

Of course, an announcement of a change is not  the same as actually making the change. Until the new terms are posted and reviewed, the "we own everything" terms still apply.

More info: http://www.benstanfield.com/thrash/2005/03/tonight_a_victo.html

(BTW, some readers wondered about the reference to "all your words are belong to us," which is a play on the phrase "all your base are belong to us," which in turn is geek humor dating back to 1989, long before most of the readers of this newsletter were online! <g> For the details of this curious bit of internet history, see http://frogstar.com/aybabtu/aa-history.asp , http://frogstar.com/aybabtu/index.asp and http://langa.com/u/8e.htm .)

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5) Introducing "The House Call Project," A New Reader Benefit

I learn a *lot* from you. Your letters and messages, your responses to items in the newsletter, and--- although this has been unfortunately rare--- the times when I've met you face to face often let me see things from a different perspective and learn of new problems and solutions I otherwise might not have known about.

My email volume is maxed out (about 10,000 per day; 3.6 *million* emails per year! Yikes!), so adding more email communication isn't the solution. Instead, I tried coming up with a *new* channel for communication.

So, let's try this: From time to time, I'll select one reader and personally visit, at my own expense, that reader's home or place of business (their choice) and perform a complete one-day tune up and maintenance of their PC, doing whatever I can in that time to make that reader's existing hardware and software run as well as it can; and/or to try to solve any problems that reader is having with the hardware or software.

If your name is drawn, your PC will get a thorough professional cleaning; the software setup will be backed up, checked, cleaned-up, scanned and defragged. If we discover any problems with your system or its settings, I'll do whatever I can to correct or improve things. In short, we'll get your system as near perfect as we can in one visit; and I'll do my best to leave you with a lean, clean, fully-backed-up machine. Of course, while I can't guarantee any specific result, I can and do guarantee that I'll use my very best efforts to make things as good as they can be.

This isn't a contest, and my work on the PC isn't meant as a prize. Rather, it's an editorial collaboration to learn all we can about analyzing, maintaining, and improving *real-life* business and home PC setups. To that end, I'll document the whole process of working on the PC in question, and use items of interest in a writeup in the newsletter so all readers can benefit from what we find as we go along. (If the participating readers desire anonymity, I won't use their names or any personally identifying information in the writeup.)

I'll draw a reader's name in a semi-random way from the pool of all Plus! subscribers: It has to be "semi-random" for several reasons: First, the person drawn must want to participate in the project, and we have to be able to work out a mutually convenient time. After I select a name, we'll communicate by email and phone to make sure things are going to work out logistically and editorially. If it looks to me that things won't work out for any reason, I'll pick another name.

Every Plus! subscriber has a shot of being chosen, no matter where they live. I'll include readers who live in areas very distant from me when I have travel scheduled to that region. For example, when I have travel planned to the parts of North America furthest from me (I live in New Hampshire), I'll then pick readers from the areas I'll be traveling in. Similarly, I get to Europe from time to time, and will be traveling to Australia and New Zealand at some point in the future. When trips like those take shape, I'll select a Plus! reader from wherever I'll be. This way, every reader has a shot of being included in this project.

Let's give this a trial run soon: At the end of this month (March) I'll select a name from among all current Plus! subscribers, and start the gears turning. Let's plan on doing at least one more iteration by the end of the summer--- and then we can add more to the mix if things go smoothly. It'll be interesting to see how it works out!

[Standard Edition subscribers: If you wish to be included in the first drawing, please sign up for the Plus! edition before the end of the month.]

I'm looking forward to actually meeting some of you, face to face! <g>

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6) Recommend It!

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just 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://langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7) Lost His View Of Network Cards

Hi Fred: I waited until last Sunday to upgrade to SP2. I was wary of upgrading because my pc is now 5 years old and I didn't want any problems, but as I try and keep it lean and mean with help from your newsletter, I thought it was Time.
 
Essentially everything went well, but after the upgrade, I discovered that my two NICs (1 for a home network, the other for wireless broadband) were missing from the Device Manager and also had gone from Network Connections. I have removed the NICs/rebooted/replaced NICs and they are still missing in action. HOWEVER, they are still working, I still have connectivity to my home network and wireless broadband, but I have no access at all to the cards via DM or Net Connections. MS hardware scan/AIDA32 both show the cards and confirm they are working? I am at a complete loss and I really need your advice. I don't know of anyone else to turn to. I have done a google search but I haven't been able to find my exact issue or any fixes, plus I have searched the MS KB without luck. Kind regards, Paul H

There are several things you can try. First, make sure you're logged in as Administrator, or in an account with Admin privileges. Then, in Device Manager, make sure that "hidden devices" are shown. See "Ghostbusting In Device Manager" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-01-17.htm#2 ) and "Worth Tuning?" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-05-13.htm#5 ) for more info. If you're still stuck on showing hidden devices, see
http://www.google.com/search?q=devices+hidden+%22device+manager%22+xp

Once all devices are shown in Device Manager, if the NICs [network interface cards] *still* aren't visible, shut down the PC, physically remove the NICs (it sounds like you have separate NICs, and not a NIC-on-the-motherboard setup), and reboot. Enter the BIOS and do whatever your system requires to reset the ESCD, or "Extended System Configuration Data" so the PC will forget it ever had NICs in it. (More info:
http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-12-02.htm#1 http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/res/pnpESCD-c.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=reset+escd ) If you can't find any other options to clear the ESCD, unplug the PC from the wall socket, remove the battery from the motherboard (it's usually a coin-type cell), wait an hour or so, then put the battery back, plug the PC in, and restart.

Reboot with no NICs installed; let Windows start. Windows should now update itself to the NIC-less condition.

Shut down again, install *one* NIC, and reboot. The BIOS should discover the NIC, and communicate its existence to Windows, which should go through its usual "found new hardware" routine. If it doesn't, open Device Manager, right click on the PC icon at the top of the device listing, and select "scan for hardware changes."

Once the first NIC is recognized, installed, visible, and working, shut down, install the second NIC, and repeat the above steps.

(BTW, if the NICs are very old, they may either not be plug-and-play compliant, or may only be partially so. Non-PnP cards don't know how to communicate with Windows, and so require manual configuration for full utility; usually via a setup floppy. If this turns out to be what you're facing, you may be able to track down setup software from the vendor's site; or it may be simpler just to buy new, current-generation NICs. They're not expensive, with basic cards going for $10-$20.)

My guess is that one of the early steps in this process will get you what you want; but now you know the whole worst case scenario, too. <g>

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8) They Loaded The Code

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
http://langa.com/randomlink.htm

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

The *Other* Langa Site (no relation)
http://mauilaw.com/

A Linkers Link 2005 Production 
http://www.linkers.co.uk/

Crown Shoppe II
http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/paddington/756/

Canal Barge For Hire
http://www.canalbarge.co.uk/

New Hampshire Panorama
http://www.ejspuler.com/

Lessons
http://www.geocities.com/Rat1Ky/

Mobile Homes on the French Riviera
http://www.campdupylone.co.uk/

Cool Fun Sites
http://www.allsitecafe.com/

Existential me
http://existential-me.blogspot.com/

 Best Cool Movie Sites on the Web
http://www.allsitecafe.com/hollywood.htm

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

"Fred, Thank you for continuing such a wonderful newsletter. I view my subscription renewal fee as the best money I spend all year. First, what I learn from your newsletters helps me in my job. I hate to compare you to Dilbert but the two of you actually have something in common! Have you ever noticed how Dilbert sometimes manages to publish something that echoes exactly what you are experiencing at the moment? You get this strange feeling like you are working with Scott Adams and he is stealing a piece of your life for his cartoon. Well, quite often you publish the solution to a problem that has been vexing me! It is something that I really appreciate but I feel like you've been looking over my shoulder... Thank you very much and keep up the good work."
---Marilette Valdez Ilagan

Thanks, Marilette. I try to make each issue useful, and also accessible,
 which is why the Plus! edition costs only pennies an issue--- around $1 a month.

Get all the details:
http://langa.com/plus.htm

(BTW: My tie doesn't curl, but I did once have a pointy-haired boss! <g>)

--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------

9) Simple, Easy, Freeware Screenshot Tool

Hi Fred, I have found that mwsnap is an excellent tool for taking a screen shot.

It can do a shot of a fixed rectangle, any size rectangle, a windows menu or a shot of the entire desktop.

One of the neater things is the ability to add a cursor to a screen shot. There is a slew of cursors available and this is a very handy thing to have when creating a 'how to' doc.

This app, along with others can be found at http://www.mirekw.com/index.html

---Jim

Thanks, Jim!

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10) Just For Grins

Hi Fred, The "The World's Longest Alphabetical Email Address" you quote in the http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-02-07.htm#10 Just for Grins is short by the site which claims the be the longest in the world, which is: 
http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/
 
If you do a Google image search using "llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch"
you can take a look at the sign on the railway station, just to prove it exists.
 
Regards, Peter Brown

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• More Non-Adobe PDF Tools
     (powerful, practical, and some are free!)
• Reader-Recommended OE Backup/Transfer Tools
     (known-good ways to tame Outlook Express)
• Free Web Log Analyzers
     (who's visiting your web site?)

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://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, 2005-03-28!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

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

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