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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2005-03-28

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) Little-Known Options For Synching Files In Windows

Reader W.R. Clark had a problem common to millions of us:

Fred: I have multiple computers, including work, home and travel laptop. It is a real task keeping my documents, certain key files, favorites, e-mail, addresses and calendar synchronized on all three machines. There seem to be numerous fast solutions to replication, backup or saving an image, but an absence of simple solutions for synchronization (perhaps using an external hard drive as the common medium). ---W. R. Clark

Surprisingly, Windows has functional tools for exactly this problem, but they remain largely unused and unknown. Even people who have heard of the built-in tools often haven't actually used them; or only used them in much earlier incarnations.

One of the tools--- the Briefcase--- has been around since Windows 95; the other--- Offline Files--- since Windows 98. Both are present (in newer form) in all versions of Windows since then, and both can help solve the problem of keeping data in synch when it's worked on in more than one place or on more than one PC.

There's a boatload of commercial synch tools available, too; but it makes sense to at least try what's already built into Windows--- you've already paid for it!--- before springing for third-party solutions. Using the built-in tools may also help in cases where corporate policy prohibits the addition of third-party utilities to a company PC.

Both Briefcase and Offline Files serve similar purposes: They let you take a special copy of files and folders from one place, work on them in another, and then more or less automatically merge the changes back to the original files at a later date. "Synchronizing" the files this way ensures that all copies of the files are kept up to date; and that file deletions are replicated as well. Thus, the data stays consistent in both (or all) locations.

Briefcase is specifically intended for transferring and synchronizing files between separate PCs. Commonly, the Briefcase is carried on a removable disk of some kind, such as a floppy or USB drive; but it also can work on PCs with a direct cable connection or a normal network connection. Briefcase is extremely flexible, and can be useful in almost any situation from a Fortune 500 enterprise down to a small-office setup; or even for moving data between home PCs.

Offline Files is geared more towards transferring and synchronizing network files in instances where a PC is sometimes connected to a network and sometimes not. Rather than using the Briefcase approach of moving between different PCs, Offline Files lets one or more PCs keep working on local copies of network master files even when the PC(s) are disconnected from the network.

But the implementation details are radically different for these two tools; and--- as is typical of Microsoft products--- there's more than one way do work with them. (That's one of the greatest strengths and weaknesses of Microsoft products: There's rarely only one "correct" way to do things, so you can find a way that best fits your work style; but the multiplicity of options also can cause confusion.)

Let's try to cut through any confusion about Briefcase and Offline Files: I've written a detailed article at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=159905095 (it's free!) that gives you my own take on how best to use these tools and what they're suited for. As usual, I also include lots of links if you want to explore further on your own.

By the end of the article, you'll know how to use Briefcase and Offline Files, and you'll also have a good idea as to whether or not these no-extra-cost tools already built into your copy of Windows might be all you need; or whether you'd be better off with a third-party tool. At the very least, it makes sense to try Briefcase and Offline Files: You just may find a useful tool that doesn't cost you a penny extra!

Click on over to
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=159905095 !

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2) Safekeeping Excel (Or Any) Files

Hi Fred, I'm a long time PLUS subscriber, and usually find solutions in the LangaList archives or on the web, but need some extra help this time.  I have a couple of Excel files that are extremely important to me, and that I update frequently every day. Although I have set Excel for automatic backup of each, the backup is filed on the same drive and folder as the original. it is time consuming to save them to another drive, then save again back to the original location after making any changes.

I am looking for a way to save each file to two different hard drives on the same PC from within Excel.  For example, I'd like to be able to click on Save or an add-on, and have:

a.  the file save to C:\Data,
b.  the auto-backup save to C:\Data,
c.  the backup save to K:\My_Info

I did find an add-in called Save and Backup http://www.bygsoftware.com/saveandbackup.htm (Brit pounds 6.30 (about US$10)), but it backs up to the same drive where the original file is.  That's better than Excel does, but the author says there is no way to change the backup path. Cheers, Howie M, Bangkok

A macro within Excel would be the most elegant solution, and maybe an Excel maven knows a simple way to to that, but I think a truly flexible macro would have to be quite complex to handle all the possible pitfalls and variables.

A much simpler (albeit much less elegant) solution would be to use an external script or batch file. For example, you could create a simple batch file containing just the lines:

copy C:\Data\*.xl? K:\My_Info\*.xl?
exit

When you run it, that will automatically copy all Excel files (eg. *.xls, *.xlw...) from C:\Data to K:\My_Info. Use Task Manager to run the batch file at whatever interval you wish--- every 10 minutes, for example--- and you'll get your files copied. Yes, it's a brute-force approach, but it's simple and it works. You also can adapt it to work for any kind of file; not just Excel's. (EG *.doc, *.mdb, *.txt....)

And there are many variations on this basic idea: You could launch Excel via the batch file, and have the copy command run after Excel closes, for example. Or, launch Excel via one batch file that also creates a little "flag" file somewhere on the system. You could then add a conditional to the "copy" batch file that's run by Task Manager so that it will only execute if the flag file exists; that is, only if you've been using Excel, and thus have new or updated spreadsheets to copy. Something like

if exist c:\flag.txt copy C:\Data\*.xl? K:\My_Info\*.xl?
if exist c:\flag.txt del c:\flag.txt

There's almost no end to the possibilities for this kind of simple copy tool, and you could make it quite elegant either as a batch file, a VBscript, or a standard macro; but as the elegance increases, so does the complexity.

Fortunately, if all you want is a quick, simple solution, a one- or two line batch file may be all you need. <g>

http://www.google.com/search?q=batch+file
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22if+exist%22+batch

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3) Meet Mulyo, Newest Member Of The LangaList Family

We've added another child--- the 12th!--- to the group of kids sponsored on an ongoing basis by LangaList Plus! subscribers. Here's a note I got from an aid agency working in Java, Indonesia ( http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/id.htm ):

Mulyo Cahyono (age 5) was born into a desperately poor family in Central Java. He lives with his parents only in a very simple house, earthen floor without private bathroom and electricity. His father tries hard to earn a living by working as a day laborer, but he earns very little that it is impossible to meet the family needs. His mother, although resourceful at trying to make the most of the little, cannot do much with her husband's low income. The family's annual income is around US$120.00. It is painfully obvious that the child needs help if he wants to get proper nourishment, clothing and better attention. When we learn of his needs, we are happy to welcome him to our big family. Mohammad is his nickname. His health condition is average and he makes good progress. His hobby is playing toys. He will receive proper clothing and nutritious meals under your kind sponsorship, so that he can grow healthily.

Click to see Mulyo:

Standard Edition Subscribers:
http://freetune.com/kids/mulyo05.htm

Plus! Edition Subscribers:
http://langalist.com/Plus/kids/mulyo05.asp

Here's what's this is all about: Those of us with computers and Internet access are vastly better off than most of the world's population. Because of this, I decided that a portion of the LangaList Plus! subscription fees would be donated to registered/legitimate charities helping the underprivileged around the world. The contribution does not increase the cost of a Plus! subscription in any way; the donation is taken "off the top" of any profits. (This is described in the pages at http://langa.com/plus.htm )

Mulyo is the 12th child sponsored on an ongoing basis--- week in, week out--- by the collective generosity of LangaList subscribers. LangaList Plus! subscribers also have collectively contributed to emergency earthquake relief efforts, to funds to help the victims of the Sept 11th attacks in the US, to the 2004 tsunami relief efforts; and more. (To see all the donations so far, click to http://langa.com/plus2.htm#kids )

As the year goes on, and as more readers sign up for Plus! subscriptions, I hope we'll be able to sponsor more children and assist other charities around the world.

Graham Greene once said, "There is always a moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in...." If you're already a LangaList Plus subscriber, thank you! You can feel good about giving back a little to those less fortunate, and opening "a door to the future" for a child in otherwise-desperate circumstances.

If you're not yet a Plus! subscriber check it out: With a Plus! subscription, you can not only help yourself make the most of your hardware, software and time online--- but you also can help those less fortunate (like Mulyo) make the most of their very lives. Thanks for your help!

http://langa.com/plus.htm

or: give a gift subscription:
http://langa.com/plus_gift.htm

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4) Stuck ".Dat" File

One solution for deleting *any* stuck or in-use file is to prevent Windows from loading fully--- that is, to load a bare-bones, minimal OS. With only a few essential, core services running, most or all of the extras, add-ons and third-party tools never load; and thus any files used by them won't be locked or in-use; and so they can be deleted.

"Safe Mode" may be all you need. Usually, you can access Safe Mode by hitting the F8 key as Windows first starts to load, and selecting Safe Mode from the menu. But if that doesn't work, you can go one level deeper:

Win98: Boot to DOS.
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22boot+to+dos%22+98

WinME: Boot to DOS (yes, it can be done).
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22boot+to+dos%22+millennium

Win2K and XP: Boot to the Recovery Console.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22recovery+console%22+xp+2000+2k

See also:
"Forced Unlock/Deletions"
http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-06-03.htm#7

File Deletion discussion: Items #1-3 in
http://langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-03-06.htm

Boot CDs:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10818064

Boot Floppies:
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=%22boot+floppy%22&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000

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

"When I placed my order for the Langa List Plus version, I didn't see
anything about if you automatically re-bill until I cancel. I don't
like automatic rebilling.--- Bill"

Neither do I! That's why I NEVER auto-rebill Plus! subscribers.
Each subscription is for one year, and then you're given the option to sign up
again, or not. If you do nothing, your subscription stops, and that's
that. But the overwhelming majority of Plus! subscribers do choose to
renew--- which is why this newsletter is still going strong!

The LangaList Plus! Edition offers many benefits--- it's ad-free, spam-proof,
and contains even more content--- tips, tricks, advice, downloads....---
than the Standard Edition you're now reading.

Get all the details--- it's just pennies per issue!:

http://langa.com/plus.htm

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

5) DVD Errors

Fred: I am using Nero 6.6.x.x, the newest version to create DVD's and I am getting cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors on all my disk, do u know what could be causing me to get the problem's, the error's never happened to me before when I got the blank DVD's a year ago, and now w/ every disk I burn they are no good, I keep getting the error. The DVD burner is a 6x. not sure what brand...---Will H.

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6) Recommend This Newsletter And Win!

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 LangaList---your friend 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) Resolution Switching Harmful?