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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2006-02-09

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) Firewall News

Often, we consumers are the losers when companies merge or buy each others' product lines. But here's a happier outcome:

Hi Fred! In your InformationWeek article entitled "Readers Rate Desktop Firewalls" ( http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=173402915 ), you stated that:

"Kerio Personal Firewall ("KPF") is in its final months, at least in the form we now know. KPF will be discontinued on Dec. 31, 2005; although support will continue for another year. KPF is available for $45; group licenses are also available. It appears that the "Kerio WinRoute Firewall" will be the successor, with a base price of $399 for 10 seats."

As it turns out, Sunbelt Software -- owner of the excellent anti-spyware product "CounterSpy" -- acquired Kerio Personal Firewall at the end of 2005.  I have a lot of trust in Sunbelt Software and think that's a good strategy on their part.  What's even better is that they are offering product for a limited time for $14.95 (it used to cost $45)!  I couldn't believe my good fortune and took advantage of the lowered pricing for a 2-license copy for my home network.

According to their website, this offer lasts until March 31, 2006 which is why I wanted to get the word out (after that, they will offer it at the still very affordable price of $19.95).  I thought that my fellow LangaList readers would appreciate knowing about this because we are such a close bunch that look out for one another's welfare (as well as a good deal)!  For those who don't want to spend money on the full edition, Sunbelt will continue Kerio's tradition of offering the Kerio Personal Firewall as a basic free edition for home use.

NOTE:  Kerio Personal Firewall 4 runs ONLY on desktop editions of Windows 2000 and XP, but NOT on Windows 9x, Me, NT, 2000 Server and 2003 Server or 64-bit Versions of Windows.

More details in their press release:
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/Press.cfm?id=135

Cheers! - Greg Rajewski

Thanks, Greg!

In other firewall news, the free and excellent Sygate Personal Firewall (acquired and killed by Symantec) is still available from several download sites, including http://www.oldversion.com/ .

And the next version of Windows--- "Vista"--- will have an improved 2-way firewall that monitors not only the inbound connections but also outbound ones: http://tinyurl.com/agt8s  It's not yet clear whether the improved firewall will be in all versions of Vista or not (I hope it will), but in any case it's still a move in the right direction.

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2) Free File Unlocker

Dear Fred, Love the newsletter. I came across a problem this past week when I finally decided to remove Norton and all its programs from my computer. I replaced with Zone Alarm pro and AVG antivirus program. Saved space and sped up my computer.

After removing all the Norton stuff I found I was left with the Protected Recycle Bin full of files I could not delete ( 6900 files, 500 mb). When I tried to delete got message" Unable to delete check if file has been moved etc."  When I check file properties tab said 0bytes even when it was registering 1000 or more.

I came across the following while surfing and it did the trick and it was free. Menu gives you choice of unlock if it can or delete.  Worked great!
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker

Thought your readers but be interested  especially if removing Norton. Thanks again for the great resource.---Vickie Houk

Thanks, Vickie! We've previously covered a number of such tools, including MoveOnBoot ( http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/moveonboot.html ), but somehow this one slipped through the cracks. Glad to add it to the arsenal!

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3) More OS-On-A-Stick Options

Dear Fred: Another great issue  of The LangaList Plus ! Your summary and step-by-step article on " XP On Your USB Thumb/Flash Drive " ( http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177102101 ) was superb. Your readers may be interested in the following interesting OS platforms for the USB Thumb/Flash Drive:

       1) www.portableApps.com 
A portable app is a computer program that you can carry around with you on a portable device and use on any Windows computer. When your USB ThumbDrive,  is plugged in, you have access to your software and personal data just as you would on your own PC. And when you unplug, none of your personal data is left behind.

        2) www.u3.com
The U3 Device Services is the low-level software infrastructure that serves as the bridge between the hardware and the applications and data stored on the USB ThumbDrive. Users of U3 enabled USB ThumbDrives should be aware they run much slower (read/write speeds) than standard USB ThumbDrives.

        3) http://slax.linux-live.org/download.php
SLAX KB is a pocket operating system for USB ThumbDrive with the ability to run many Windows applications natively in Linux. It contains KDE, wine, dosbox and qemu.

         4) http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
DSL is a very versatile 50MB mini desktop oriented Linux distribution for the USB ThumbDrive.

         5) http://www.ceedo.com/
The Ceedo software acts as a buffer between the application and the OS, saving everything to its own registry. At Lexar's 2006 CES booth, they had Picasa running straight from the USB ThumbDrive.

         6) http://www.winusb.de/
Dietmar at 911CD forum has found a way to actually boot a FULL XP, NOT BartPE, from a USB ThumbDrive :
http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.net/Projects/USB/USBfaqs.html
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14181
http://www.winusb.de/

Hopefully, the above provides some useful information and further discussion. Maybe, Fred you could provide an in depth step-by-step article illustrated with setting up a USB ThumbDrive to actually boot/run a FULL XP, NOT BartPE, from a USB connected ThumbDrive via Dietmar's method. Regards, Chuck Joseph

Excellent stuff, Joseph. Thanks!

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

"Hi Fred, I was receiving your free newsletter for a while and
subscribed to the plus edition with a few reservations. After a few
weeks however, I think it would be cheap at twice the price. The Plus!
newsletter is great! I have recommended it to a few of my less computer
literate friends and they have told me that they are learning things at
a prodigious rate. I find your hints and links invaluable and await each
issue. Please keep up the good work.--- Tom Sobieski"

It's not expensive--- only around $1/month, or pennies an issue!

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

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

4) Russinovich On Rootkits

Well-known Sysinternals computer security expert Mark Russinovich ( http://www.google.com/search?q=Mark+Russinovich ) had some comments on a recent issue:

Hi Fred, Saw your latest LangaList newsletter - great job and thanks for squelching the symantec rootkit hype [ http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-01-16.htm#2 ]. However, I wanted to let you know that the definition of rootkit you're using isn't the industry standard and I don't believe that there's ever any legitimate reason for the use of rootkit technologies. See me latest blog post for more: http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2006/01/rootkits-in-commercial-software.html 
Thanks, Mark

Thank *you,* Mark. I did try to distinguish between true rootkits and Symantec's problem by stating "the reports of a 'rootkit' actually appear to be a somewhat hysterical overreaction... [it's] not a true rootkit, but something *like* a rootkit." Perhaps I should have emphasized or clarified that better.

I think Mark's working definition of a rootkit is a very good one; it's short, simple, and accurate: "Software that hides itself or other objects, such as files, processes, and Registry keys, from view of standard diagnostic, administrative, and security software."

Check out Mark's blog and the other offerings from Sysinternals at: http://www.sysinternals.com/ We've also covered a number of the tools from Sysinternals here in the newsletter:
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=sysinternals&as_sitesearch=langa.com

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5) A "Serious Speed Up"

Fred, You've mentioned the TCPOptimizer before, available free at http://www.speedguide.net/, and I recently used it to seriously speed up my old Windows 98 system when installing a new DSL modem.  The tip?  Run the Optimizer *before* you do anything else!  I had a rough time getting the modem set up because even though everything was connected properly, the default settings in my system were preventing the configuration website from loading all the way.  I hope this is useful to others - maybe only a few others! - who are about to move up from dialup. Thanks for a terrific newsletter, Pete Glarborg

Thanks, Pete. Older, in-the-way settings are a common stumbling block with network connections, and using an optimizer early in the setup process may help. But note that some optimizers interactively "sniff" the connection to determine the correct settings. Obviously, the connection has to be up and running for this kind of optimizer to work.

You can sometimes avoid this kind of chicken/egg problem by rebuilding the network settings from scratch: Remove/Uninstall any communications software or add-ons you have via Control Panel or the software's own uninstall; then, in Hardware Manager, uninstall any modems and network cards. Reboot, and let Windows rediscover the "new" modem and NIC, setting them up afresh. This simple process can sometimes resolve otherwise intractable communications issues, and get you going again. Then, you can optimize away, and perfect your setup.

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6) Three More Winners!

"Tschultze" "wwenzel" and "mamukamaisaia" 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 new FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to the LangaList Plus! edition. (Existing Plus! subscribers get their current subscription 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! (Full details also available via this link): http://langa.com/recommend.htm

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7) Free Icon Tweaker

Hello Fred, First of all, thanks for a fabulous newsletter.  Your knowledge and perspective are very much appreciated.  I've been a plus subscriber almost from the beginning, and never miss an opportunity to recommend (or gift) the Langa list.

W-a-y back with Windows 95, I remember an article in Windows Magazine by John Woram about editing the registry to change the color of an open folder in Explorer.  From time to time over the years (and operating systems) I've done that and I do love the effect.  Windows XP, however, doesn't work the same way and I've been stumped on how to do it until I discovered Icon Tweaker  ( http://www.icontweaker.com/ ).

Icon Tweaker also offers  themes of icons, but for me, making it easy to change most any windows icon is reason enough for me to have it in my toolkit.  It's free for non commercial use. ---Linda Schield

Thanks, Linda! IT is  a nice tool for those who like a custom desktop--- something that's  uniquely their own, and not a clone of anyone else's!

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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

JS TechSolutions
http://www.jstechs.com/

The Centre for Separated Families
http://www.separatedfamilies.org.uk/index.htm

secret sam
http://www.secretsam.com/

WiFi Global
http://www.wifiglobal.biz/

Weddings, Honeymoons & Holidays
http://weddingshoneymoonsandholidays.com.au/

Randy's Homepage
http://www.islandnet.com/~bitron/

Wit and Wisdom
http://witandwisdom.org/index.htm

Peter Verstegen's Ramblings
http://www.petershope.blogspot.com/

Bill's Links and More
http://www.billslinksandmore.com/

Hunzy's Home Page
http://soucek.clearwire.net/

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9) Quicktime Sans iTunes

Hi Fred, Your Plus newsletter is great and very informative.  Recently I downloaded and installed Quicktime 7 which is bundled with ITunes 5.  When I booted up again I was unable to find my icons for my DVD drive and my CD-RW drive.  I contacted Dell support who after checking advised me to delete two registry entries which they said were corrupted and were the reason that my icons vanished.  When I booted up again after deleting the entries the icons appeared.  I believe that ITunes was the cause of the problem.  Now when I double click on the ITunes icon I get an error message stating that the registry settings used by the ITunes for importing and burning CDs and DVDs are missing and asking me to reinstall ITunes.  Based on my prior experience I hesitate to reinstall ITunes.  Have you heard of this problem caused by installing ITunes?  Also, I contacted Quicktime Support who advised me that there is no free support for ITunes only $50 per incident support.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.  Stephen

The solution is to completely uninstall Quicktime and iTunes, and then use the standalone Quicktime installer--- the one that's not bundled with iTunes. It may be a little hard to find, and the link changes from time to time, but as of this writing, the direct link is here: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone.html

And isn't it strange, Stephen? If Microsoft did something like that, the villagers would light the torches and march on Redmond--- and rightly so. But when Apple uses one download to foist a second, unrelated proprietary and aggressive piece of commercial software on users, you don't hear a peep. Curious.

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10, 11, 12, 13) Content Only In The Plus! Edition:

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains about 40% more content including:

Selectively Kill "Flash"
     (annoyed by Flash animated ads? Control 'em!)
FolderShare Evolves More
     (here's what Microsoft is planning...)
Drive "Caddy" Warning
     (potential drive death, if you're not proactive)
More on OEM vs Retail Windows
     (reader reports on an unexpected issue)

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:

Plus! Edition info: http://langa.com/plus.htm 

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14) Just For Grins

Fred: I enjoy every issue of your newsletter. Just stumbled on this by accident and thought it would be a good Just For Grins entry.  It took me a while to figure out that it's not a joke.  I guess some people have problems that demand technology solutions.  :)
 
http://www.bitboost.com/pawsense/index.html 

Charles Castelli

Yup, it's real, Charles. But some mornings, I bet my own fumble-fingered typing would trigger the damn thing. <g>

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

The LangaList is published about 72 times a year, or about 6 times a month. See you next issue, 2006-02-13!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

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

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