Intel has some suggestions for enhancing your security at wireless "hotspots" at www.intel.com/personal/do_more/wireless/security/secure.htm. If you're still thinking about wireless, read the article at www.intel.com/personal/do_more/index.htm#wireless
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Quick Tips is Menlo Park Police Department's one-page info sheet with prevention, protection and links.
Submitted by Jeff Keegan, MPPD (February Speaker)
This is information the Club CD SIG was looking for prior to the last issue; now Jim Dinkey has found it! Fred Langa tells How To Save Your Win98 (And Other) Updates Offline. This is valuable information. If you ever have to Recover or Restore your OS, this will be an invaluable aid in bringing your OS and browser up to date. Here's what he said, "It's easy—actually much easier than it used to be: Go to Windows Update; select "Personalize" from "Other Options" in the left menu, and activate the "Display the link to the Windows Catalog" option, if you have not already done so. The Catalog will appear in the "See Also" menu on the left. You can then use the Catalog to pull down whatever Updates and Drivers you want. (It also gives you an easy way to see what you've already downloaded.) Items you select go onto a "download basket" from which you can retrieve and place them where ever you want—on your hard drive, on a CD or whatever—for safekeeping and later use." You should Bookmark Fred's site, LangaList.com, as it often has useful information.
Submitted by Jim Dinkey & Stan Hutchings
Got a new PC for Christmas? Here's an article at ZDNet by By Bill O'Brien (January 6, 2004) on
how to migrate data from an old PC to a new one.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
If you don't have access to TechTV, all is not lost - their program archives are available at www.techtv.com/techtv/. If you do have TechTV (DirecTV channel 354, Dishnetwork channel 191, Comcast channel 294), in addition to archives, there are schedules and previews of upcoming programs.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Digital Video Guide: Converting Tapes to DVD. PC Magazine has partnered with Wiley Books to create a series of PC Magazine and ExtremeTech books. In PC Magazine's Guide to Digital Video Contributing Editor and video expert Jan Ozer offers a comprehensive guide to digital video tools, techniques and technology. Here, they reproduce his detailed discussion on how to take those old (and rapidly decaying) VHS tapes and salvage them on fresh, new DVD media. You'll also find links to lots of news and issues, plus shopping links, if you didn't get a DVD burner for Christmas.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Here's a link to Top 101 Most Incredibly Useful Sites at PC Magazine. 16 categories cover everything from business and finance to computing for experts to entertainment and shopping.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
March 2004 PC Magazine article by Luisa Simone A Guide to Graphics File Formats summarizes the most common formats, and where they are best used: Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), Portable Network Graphics (PNG), Native Files (Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, etc), and Vector graphics file formats. Another summary is at simplythebest.net/info/imagefm.html, and a summary from a scanning/photo perspective by Wayne Fulton is at www.scantips.com/basics09.html.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Learn about fascinating innovations, explore interactive features, submit questions to our experts, investigate resources and lesson plans, and more. www.pbs.org/wnet/innovation. Recent programs: Building to Extremes, Human Body Shop, SpyCatchers, Hi-Tech War, Crash Site Secrets, Miracle Cell, Brain Fingerprinting, Light Speed.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Need to run one of your "legacy apps" in DOS or an earlier version of Windows? In WinXP, you can. It's the compatibility mode. This Google search will give a lot of possible descriptions and instructions: "Windows XP" "compatibility mode". Here is Microsoft's Using Program Compatibility Mode instructions. Note that some programs that don't run properly on Windows XP use specialized drivers that are incompatible with Windows XP; only an update from the manufacturer can resolve incompatible driver problems.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
NetSquirrel.com: a free collection of Internet, PC, and classroom resources from Patrick Crispen. Patrick Crispen has been an invited speaker at numerous technology conferences around the country. At this site are just a few of Patrick's most recent PowerPoint presentations, which you are free to download and use. Among several other useful presentations are Google 101: Stop Searching and Start FINDING and Google 201: Advanced Googology.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Identity Theft issues can be addressed by accessing the Attorney General's website: http://caag.state.ca.us/idtheft/index.htm. The Attorney General's office is the lead organization on ID theft for California residents. You can get information on the six key steps for entering your name into the Identity Theft Data Base, find links to other sites you should inform, get required forms and a checklist, and file a complaint on their website. If you would like to notify an agency about identity theft schemes and other frauds you receive, you can send the original message (with complete header information) to the California Attorney General at caspam@doj.ca.gov [N.B. if you don't know how to find the full header display, Google email header full display, find the instructions for your email program; LavaNet technical support has quite a few, including the elusive Eudora Blah Blah Blah button].
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Stopping identity theft isn't brain surgery, it's just a matter of using the right tools and tactics. They've collected both for you in our special cover story at /www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1524776,00.asp. There is also a page of who to contact at www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1524512,00.asp, which lists most of the places you'll need to report an ID theft.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The Official U.S. Time -- www.time.gov/ and Date, plus a world map showing day and night regions.
NIST Time and Frequency -- www.time.gov/
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Those of you who attended our 2/11 "Identity Theft" meeting had a chance to pick up one of Joe Simitian's "Identity Theft" brochures.
A pdf version of the brochure is available at --
democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a21/pdf/IDTheft.pdf. It requires 16"x8.8" paper to print correctly, but you can read it online.
Submitted by John Buck
There's a prediction of things to come in 2004-2006 for notebooks in the article What's New With Notebooks in PC Magazine by Bill Howard (February 17, 2004). If you're thinking about a new notebook, read this article to know what's coming, and what you should look for. Some of the predictions are amazing (a 40-hour battery life!), but are based on current product development.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
This freeware showed up on SnapFiles this morning. I thought you might find it useful. I have not tried it myself.
SenLab is a uniquely simple tool to create label sheets with multiple address on them. It uses a simple text file as input and automatically formats the output based on popular label templates (Avery), or your custom specifications. You can further customize font and alignment, border width and the program can automatically reduce the font size to make individual labels fit. The simplicity of the input format also makes it useful for use in conjunction with database output. SenLab is very easy to use, just look at the screenshot and you`ll get the idea: www.snapfiles.com/get/senlab.html.
Finding your way around the provider's site can be a bit difficult, so here's the direct link there — www.sente.co.uk/senlab01page.htm.
Submitted by John Buck
With improved call quality and lower rates, the best Net phone services may finally be ready to replace your Baby Bell (if you have a fast Internet connection). Article by Jeff Bertolucci, from the May 2004 issue of PC World magazine www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115053,pg,1,00.asp
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Free After Rebate: computer gear, consumer electronics, office supplies, and more. Buy the item, apply for rebate, get the purchase price back (you'll final cost is just shipping and handling) www.freeafterrebate.info/.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Use Spider software to clean the .dat files off your Hard drive, and keep them at a reasonable size. http://www.fsm.nl/ward/.
The System Security Suite may also fit your bill, it can delete index.dat files, clear temp files, etc, etc., and it's freeware. http://www.igorshpak.net/.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
We will tell the full story of Hawai`i in relationship to its place in the Pacific, and the world, and we will make Hawai`i aware of the world around us. These stories will be told through a network of public museums and learning centers that provide personal experiences that are engaging and relevant. To present these stories, we will use collections, research, information, educational programs, and publications in collaboration with expertise available in the community. Bishop Museum will rank with the best museums in the world. www.bishopmuseum.org, located near downtown Honolulu and the Honolulu International airport.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Thinking about buying an Apple iPod? "Look for Napster and other WMA services to increase the possibility of a format war. Apple uses AAC encoding to compress its digital music, while others, including Napster, use WMA. If you really want an iPod, you're going to have to use iTunes, a choice that's obviously not an issue for the millions of iPod owners. But if you're a PC user who really likes your WMA files from ripped CDs, you should know they're useless on an iPod." Read the whole review of what else is available, then check the Online Music Roundup 2004: Service and Genre Comparison Charts to make sure the iPod is right for you.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
You can read articles related to small business issues here - www.small-business-software.net/free-website-content.htm.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
An interesting gadget blog is Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools blog at www.kk.org/cooltools/index.php. Cool Tools is kind of like a Sears catalog of neat stuff. Not only does Kevin Kelly talk about the best "high technology" like personal video recorders and body fat meters, he also talks about low-tech stuff like the best emergency teeth fillings or camping accessories. And if you are looking for a great way to kill an hour or two, check out the archives on the left side of the page.
Submitted by Patrick Douglas Crispen (you can subscribe to his newsletter TOURBUS at www.TOURBUS.com
One of the most painful experiences you can have is to purchase a new computer and have to migrate all of your data, special settings, and programs to the new computer. Here is an article by EarthLink on how to accomplish the task: www.earthlink.net/elink/issue37/tech.html.
Following is from a thread in Bill Bass's broad_band mail-list that complements the information at EarthLink. [If you'd like to subscribe to this kind of discussion list, send an email message to broad_band-subscribe@yahoogroups.com]
The XP transfer wizard will only transfer settings, preferences, etc. It will not transfer and re-install a program with all the Registry settings, file dependencies, etc. Here is a description of how this works: groups.yahoo.com/group/broad_band/message/9003
you could go buy Aloha Bob's PC Relocator, but there are some programs that it will not transfer, such as MS Office. In fact, I have never found anything that would transfer MS successfully. Better plan on re-installing them and then you can import or copy your data to the other PC. Also Norton Utils and V-coms System Utils both have uninstall programs that have backup functions or transport that allow you to "restore" your backup to new PC.
Another choice is described here: www.windowsreinstall.com/install/other/motherboard/index.htm
These techniques work. but they are almost always full of complications and hours of troubleshooting.
The reason this is a difficult process is because the very different hardware profiles and device drivers very much affect the software configurations. Also, the registry settings with the PCs would get very confused if you tried to mix them. In the end it is better to just take the time to re-install everything and then use the transfer wizard to migrate your settings and data. It will take some time and effort, but there really is no easy way. The only exception is if both PC's have identical hardward and configurations.
Submitted by Jim Dinkey and Stan Hutchings
Here's a link to some good video entertainment -
media.ebaumsworld.com/funnycats.wmv (Windows Media Player will play it).
Submitted by Francis Lee
WordforWord is at www.plateaupress.com.au/wfw/wfwindex.htm and I hope you'll consider using it if you ever need information on anything to do with language, and particularly with word or phrase origins. Most of the old WordforWord postings have been archived at www.plateaupress.com.au/wfw/archive so you may wish to check there.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
One free alternative to Norton Anti-Virus 2004, but has none of the baggage that Norton Anti-Virus carries. No Product Activation, copy protection or any subscription fees of any kind to keep up to date. Easy to use interface and works on Windows 98 through XP. Downloads are easy to do and have automatic updates that can be set to do updates unattended. The down side of this program is that the free addition has no Tech Support of any kind, not even web support. For that, one has to upgrade to the paid version, which can be ordered from them or possibly at other locations, both online and Brick and Mortar locations. download AVG Free Edition at www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php. Review at www.snapfiles.com/get/avg.html
Submitted by the CD Team
Here are 10 MB of Relaxing Sounds of Nature you can play while you do stressful things, like your taxes.
Submitted by John Buck
This version is a trial program, but a Serial number can be purchased through the company's website to active it into a fully operational program and is available in a boxed version through either them or other locations. It is designed to be either stand-alone or have some integration into Microsoft Word. The interface is clean and easy to use. If one chooses to purchases this program, they would pay about $85 with taxes. Significantly less in price then Adobe Acrobat. Works on Windows 98 through XP. www.activepdf.com. [N.B.—if you're looking for free PDF creators, check out the September 2002 ShareWhere article at www.pa-spaug.org/Dom02/dom0209.htm]
Submitted by Robert Mitchell
I wanted to pass on to you the URL of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's animation set wherein the entire flight from launch to grinding of the Mars rock for water is depicted. Impressive that it takes at least four stages to merely get the craft on its way. The one you want from the gallery is: Rover Mission to Mars Animation - 06/06/2003. It is at least 18 MB depending on your viewer. I found that Mozilla Firefox didn't quite present what it should and that I had to go all the way back to Internet Explorer to have the proper view. Even for dialup, the wait is worth it. If you like this animation, there are lots of others to choose from on the site.
Have fun.
Submitted by Jim Dinkey
This may be of interest: WIN XP discussion group. I came across this just tonight even though it has been in existence on c/net since 10/2003. [N.B. - There's lots more on the C|Net Help.com site, various forums on other operating systems and other topics of interest to computer users.]
Submitted by Ron Nicholas
Leo Laporte is pretty famous in the technology industry, hosting both The Screen Savers and Call for Help on cable's TechTV network. On the days he isn't on TechTV he hosts a live, call-in computer show on Los Angeles' KFI AM 640. Leo's only been doing the radio show since January, but the show's good enough that I fully expect it to be syndicated nationally. Until that day comes, though, if you have Windows Media Player on your PC or Mac, you can listen to Leo's show live on the Internet at www.kfi640.com/interactive/streaming.html.
Just click on the link at the top of the page. A pop-up window will appear and about 30 seconds later you should start hearing KFI on your computer's speakers. Leo's show is broadcast from Noon to 3:00 PM Pacific time (GMT -8) every Saturday and Sunday. [You can see the rest of KFI's programming schedule at www.kfi640.com/prog/schedule.html.]
And, if you can't wait until Saturday or Sunday, Leo offers both detailed show notes from and even a free, MP3 audio archive of his most recent KFI shows at leo.typepad.com/radio/
Submitted by Patrick Douglas Crispen (you can subscribe to his newsletter TOURBUS at www.TOURBUS.com
For the past 20 years, Frontline has been the flagship public affairs series on America's public television network. Frontline presents long-form public affairs documentaries that "fully explore and illuminate the critical issues of our times." In fact, FRONTLINE remains the only regularly scheduled long-form public-affairs documentary series on American television, producing more hours of documentary programming than all the commercial networks combined. [Quotes fromwww.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/us] Now for the cool part. If you head over to the Frontline web site at www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/view you can watch nearly three dozen Frontline episodes in their entirety, online, free of charge.
Submitted by Patrick Douglas Crispen (you can subscribe to his newsletter TOURBUS at www.TOURBUS.com
As long as you are in the mood to fix your computer:
Windows 98 Support Center by Microsoft.
Interested in support for something other than Windows 98 (like XP or Office?) try this one.
Happy debugging.
Submitted by Jim Dinkey
can be found here: Submitted by CNet member Mike M.. The 'Comma Separated Values' file should be a .CSV format file, and can also be opened in Excel or other spreadsheet program. Print out a hard copy just for safe-keeping.
By the way, if you're interested in subscribing to the newsletter, start here and go down to the "Message Boards Weekly Newsletter" section.
This article hit the nail on the head concerning the Address Book (.WAB) and having the address book on your new computer is a great help.
But what about the old Email that everyone has to move over also? You can mail it to yourself if you so choose, but taking it over on a CD or transmitting it on a cable is much better - especially if there is a considerable volume. You can also find out how to do the .DBX and .WAB file manipulations in this article.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings and Jim Dinkey
If you're interested in building your own small and quiet PC, get inspiration at www.mini-itx.com. There are tiny computers, quiet (fanless) computers, computers disguised as something else, etc. Most have been custom assembled by mini-itx enthusiasts. And there's a store you can buy the things you need to build your own. Are your kids/grandkids looking for a science project? Have them build their own.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
There are many sources of information on the WWW about CD recording ( and about everything else). They range in technical depth and in coverage. Unfortunately, not all are up to date or even correct. As starting points for your investigation of the topic, try the CD-R FAQ at www.cdrfaq.org for comprehensive information and the primer at www.mrichter.com for more readable but less extensive coverage. Here's PCMagazine's "Editor's Choice" for burning those CDs and DVDs http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1544554,00.asp; reviews of three other contenders are available there, too.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Quick LCD Tip: Windows XP includes ClearType, a nifty feature for LCDs, but it's disabled by default. You can turn it on by going to Microsoft's site: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/tuner/1.htm.
Learn more about ClearType right here: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/default.htm
Submitted by Steve Bass (Here's the link so you can sign up on your own)
My right mouse clicker brings up tons of things when I click on a file in Windows Explorer or Internet Explorer. Unfortunately, I haven't a clue what some of those items do, and worse, some no longer work.
I asked Brett Bartholomew if he could write a quick freeware tool to manage these context menu items.
Context Menu Editor (737k - 98,NT,2K,XP) is available at www.bartdart.com and if you're interested, play around with it.
• IMPORTANT: If you're on the novice side of things, don't fiddle with the utility. "Menu deletions cannot be undone so please use with care - you may need to reinstall your software if you want them back."
Submitted by Steve Bass
Most of these are graphic interface programs which work in Windows 98 or later. They also work with Windows 95, but the entry text boxes are left aligned instead of right aligned. Four are DOS programs. There is one Java program and three Tcl-Tk scripts. Installation is by copying to your hard drive. All Windows versions run by double clicking in Windows explorer, or you can make a desktop or task bar icon.
Although these programs give the correct answer on everything we've tested them with, it is possible that there are situations where the answer is incorrect. Therefore, if the result is to be used for any important purpose, it should be checked for accuracy by completely independent means.
Download John's Calculators (and other programs) here.
These programs are free except for CalcByJohn and JAddressBook, which are shareware. If you use the latter a lot, e-mail jgoldsboro@aol.com.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
All of the volumes can be downloaded by visiting either http://www.caib.us or http://www.nasa.gov. Printed copies can be ordered from the Government Printing Office at http://www.gpo.gov. Full Article
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Quick tips at TechRepublic on how to remove unwanted pop-ups from XP with the Group Policy editor and an article on how to turn off the XP Desktop Cleanup Wizard. N.B. – you must be a member of TechRepublic to access the support section, but if you are interested in these articles, you really should be a member.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
How the Living Room is going Digital and the strategic forces involved:
• Why the consumer electronics industry is changing
• Where it is today
• Living Room Elements in 2010
• Some remaining challenges
• Industry & Company strategies
The slides for the presentation can be downloaded at www.digdia.com in several formats.
Submitted by Gary Sasaki
In This Issue: Meet the Digital Home Guy (installing a wireless router); Build a Creativity or Gaming PC (get a computer precisely tailored to you); Living the Unwired Life - Part III (find out whether the wireless lifestyle has met their expectations); Intel Developer Forum Wrap Up (all the news from the latest IDF) www.intel.com/personal/newsletter/
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
I'm enjoying a nifty little program called TexNotes. Todd said, "I've started using this program to collect all the various articles and scraps of information that use to be in individual files. I've also found it's great to organize information for writing papers etc which is why I recommend it to my students." I've been doing the same with short notes I'd ordinarily stick in one long Word doc, or in Outlook's To Do list. TexNotes is better. (see a screen capture) The trial version (registered version is $35) can save, load and run every function as if it were the full application, but after 60 days there are nag screens. Download it here. As with most good products, it'll take you a few days of playing to understand how good it is.
Submitted by Steve Bass
You can add your name to the petition to save the Hubble here: www.savethehubble.org/.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
If you've forgotten or lost your password, there's help at www.snapfiles.com/freeware/security/fwpasswordrecovery.html. Be advised, hackers and ne'er-do-wells also know about these programs (probably wrote some!).
Submitted by John Buck
The author of Spybot Search & Destroy wages war against ever-sneakier spyware and competitors who poach on his name and reputation. Article from the May 2004 issue of PC World magazine by Andrew Brandt. Read about the spyware-fighter SPAUG WebSIG recommends. By the way, he reports about a dozen new products per week are added to his database, so be sure to check for an update before running the program, and innoculate after "searching & destroying". You might also consider sending a donation.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Ray Kurzweil's KurzweilAI.net features the big thoughts of today's big thinkers examining the confluence of accelerating revolutions that are shaping our future world, and the inside story on new technological and social realities from the pioneers actively working in these arenas. Your guide to this site is Ramona, the first photorealistic, interactive, lifelike avatar (virtual personality) that you can converse with on the web.
"The Singularity" is a phrase borrowed from the astrophysics of black holes. The phrase has varied meanings; as used by Vernor Vinge and Raymond Kurzweil, it refers to the idea that accelerating technology will lead to superhuman machine intelligence that will soon exceed human intelligence, probably by the year 2030. The results on the other side of the "event horizon," they say, are unpredictable.
Ray Kurzweil is a futurist, so if you're interested in the future, see what he and other great minds have to say.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
From tips to terms, product reviews to preventative maintenance, you'll find it in Random Access. Each month, Chris and Rob, Micro Center's two resident computer wizards and system wanderers, will explore and explain the wonderful world of technology. They'll keep you informed...and entertained. www.microcenter.com/random_access/sign_up.html
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Want to check the email on your server before you download it, and delete everything youdon't want on your computer? Try POP3 Scan Mailbox (Freeware), v1.04B, www.kempston.net/smb. Note: VB40032.DLL is required to run it. It can be configured to check several mail boxes. A review is here. Although Mailwasher Pro does all these functions, FireTrust reports Mailwasher Pro hangs up and/or crashes computers with McAfee antivirus installed. Apparently it is incompatible with McAfee antivirus, so they recommend disabling McAfee antivirus program when you run Mailwasher... it doesn't sound like a good idea to disable virus checker when checking email...
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
A very popular motherboard monitoring program is MBM v.5, available at: http://mbm.livewiredev.com This utility will give you readout and logging of your motherboard voltages, temperatures and fan speeds.
Submitted by Maury Green
Try these solutions for speeding up a slow PC if the usual fixes (running Disk Cleanup, running Scandisk, defragmenting the hard drive, running Spybot Search & Destroy, and checking the system resources) don't work. The TechRepublic requires you to be registered to view the article. Briefly, here are the tips: Scan for viruses, Check for overheating, make sure that the hard disk isn't running in MS-DOS compatibility mode, confirm the disk is not compressed, Check for application or driver issues, bad memory, a hard drive with very little (less than 1 GB) free space left, especially the drive where the OS is installed, and finally try taking the hard disk out of a comparable system and hooking it up in the system that's having the problems. Instructions for each step, and additional links to related information, is in the article. There is also a very extensive discussion section, where readers have submitted tips of their own.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The TechRepublic article (you need to register) discusses the free Microsoft utility that discovers problems with your RAM. The Microsoft software is at Microsoft's Online Crash Analysis Web site, but the article's instructions, step-by-step guide and interpretation of results are invaluable.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
I thought I'd mention an event put on by IBDNetwork that you might be interested in. It is called “What's on? Digital Home Entertainment Devices”. To learn more, go to www.digdia.com. Also, if you have not visited recently, I've recently posted notes from the Park/CEA Connections Digital Home Conference.
Submitted by Gary Sasaki
Remarks by Bill Gates at Microsoft CEO Summit 2004. You can also view the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied Bill Gates' keynote speech. If you liked that, there's more here.
Submitted by John Buck
The team at PC Magazine look at 17 possible backup solutions that could save your bacon if your system goes south. If you haven't taken Jim Dinkey's advice and gotten Editor's Choice Acronis True Image 7.0 backup software, read the review and get it here, or at least get something—before your system goes south.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
AMP Font Viewer is an easy-to-use, yet powerful font manager, that allows you to obtain a quick view of all installed (and not installed fonts) on your system. You can also organize fonts in categories, print custom list of fonts, install or uninstall fonts and more. You can type text and have it displayed in different font styles, colors and sizes as well. www.snapfiles.com/get/ampfont.html
For Snapfiles' listing of other free font tools, click the appropriate part of this string -- Home - Freeware - Graphics Tools - Font Tools -- at the top of the page. The url is www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/gmm/fwfont.html
Submitted by John Buck
Can't round up the cash for a copy of Adobe Photoshop? Try the Gnu Image Manipulation Program, better known as the GIMP. Brand-spanking new is version 2.0, which includes a complete reengineering of the user interface (and boy, was it needed). There are all sorts of fantastic GIMP tutorials all over the Web, but some of the best are at the site of the GIMP User Group. The GIMP is entirely Free, and you don't even have to be a Linux geek to use it: Windows and Macintosh versions are available. Take a look at the GIMP interface here:
www.pcworld.com/reviews/graphics/115411-c_032604_gimpb.jpg. You can download GIMP here: http://gimp.org/. The GIMP User Group can be found here: http://gug.sunsite.dk/?page=tutorials. Read Matthew Newton's regularly published "Free Agent" columns: www.pcworld.com/resource/columnist/0,colid,8,tk,sr,00.asp
Submitted by Matthew Newton
Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3 is available from http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2471.html with an interesting note at the bottom that has not bothered me. It's also available from http://download.com.com/3000-8022-10289035.html?tag=lst-0-1. Many will want to know this new info.
Submitted by Leo Feret
Boot your system from CD, and get 46 utilities to help figure out what's wrong, including hard-drive troubleshooters and partitioning tools. 
You can use it to run floppy-based diagnostic tools from CDROM drives, free yourself from the slow loading speed of the floppy drive, and consolidate as many diagnostic tools as possible into one bootable CD. If it saves your bacon, consider donating via PayPal (button on home page near the top). Ultimate Boot is reviewed here, and downloadable if you have the time (for 62MB).
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The URL below will take you to the Sasser control section of the Microsoft website. In there are instructions on what to do and also a TEST of whether or not you have already received the worm. The test only takes about 10 seconds to load. In addition to the other instructions, do the test! www.microsoft.com/security/incident/sasser.asp
The general security site by Microsoft is at: www.microsoft.com/security.
And finally, you can go to the following site and Microsoft will mail to you a CD that will patch the security opening through about October of 2003. The balance will have to be manually updated by downloading onto your computer. www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp
This is the CD I offered to the SPAUG membership and only one person took me up on it which concerns me greatly as, based on the conditions of the computers coming into the Clinic, you have not been keeping current! Order this CD!
Here are the instructions from Microsoft on how to set up the proper security setting on Internet Explorer www.microsoft.com/technet/security/chklist/iecl.mspx.
The Security Checklists of Microsoft are at www.microsoft.com/technet/security/chklist/default.mspx
Submitted by Jim Dinkey
[Lavalys'] EVEREST Home Edition is a freeware system information, system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for home PC users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology. It offers the world's most accurate system information and diagnostics capabilities, including online features, memory benchmarks, hardware monitoring, and low-level hardware information. Lavalys does not provide official support for freeware products.
www.lavalys.com/index.php?page=product&view=1&subpage=1
According to the usually reliable Snapfiles.com, Everest Home Edition is the successor to AIDA32. www.snapfiles.com/get/everest.html. Maury Green says, "This program will give you the most extensive information on your system I've ever seen." There is more on the Lavalys website.. EVEREST Home Edition is free for home users and for non-commercial use only.
Submitted by John Buck and Maury Green
The IEEE Virtual Museum: virtual exhibits about microelectronics, sound recording, Edison, war and technology etc.
Submitted by John Buck - Found on Metafilter http://www.metafilter.com/
The de facto standard for CPU identification is the free tool called wcpuid.exe, available here (Your browser may ask if you want to install various Asian character sets to view the pages; you can say no; the download link, and the actual software, is in English.) It's incredibly thorough and will probably tell you more than you'll ever need to know about your CPU, chipset and system memory. It's all laid out in easy-to-understand format.
Submitted by Fred Langa SUBSCRIBE (it's free!)
If you haven't done it already, buy his Steve Bass' PC Annoyances. It's dirt cheap at Amazon.com -- at $7.98, less than a movie ticket. Just click here.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
In response to many inquiries... We encourage others with a website to link it to THE EMERGENCY EMAIL & WIRELESS NETWORK
Click Here to see and use our banners.
The linking address to put a link on your government, company, organization or personal website is...
www.emergencyemail.org.
Get Weather Information-Homeland Security-Local Emergency Management- Health Alert
Submitted by John Buck
PC World's Contributing Editor Scott Dunn tells how to use free VNC software to "Access Your Desktop From Wherever You May Be". He also describes how to use the Remote Desktop if your OS is WinXP Pro.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
This talk was originally given to Microsoft's Research Group and other interested parties from within the company at their Redmond offices on June 17, 2004. The thesis is that:
That DRM systems don't work
That DRM systems are bad for society
That DRM systems are bad for business
That DRM systems are bad for artists
That DRM is a bad business-move for Microsoft
www.dashes.com/anil/stuff/doctorow-drm-ms.html
Submitted by John Buck
At the June meeting, Stan Hutchings held up his 64 MB Memory Stick (also known as Pen drives, thumb drives, jump drives, keychain drives, etc.) In "The USB Drive Revolution" that's posted now (free!), Fred Langa runs through the pros and cons of each of the three types of USB drives ranging from standard thumb drives that can cost literally under $10 and provide tens to hundreds of megs of extra space, up to amazingly capacious drives that add extra room by the gig. He provides links and prices--- and even breaks down the costs on a price-per-megabyte basis, for easy comparison. You can then join in the discussion: What's your experience with USB drives, external flash memory types, and Microdrives? What sources have you used to acquire the hardware and software? What tools do you use to format, manage, and maintain the drives? What boot tricks do you use? Find out what you can do with pen drives, and share your tricks. You can also link to this from Fred's The LangaList Standard Edition 2004-06-21 online. The newsletter has lots more valuable information. SUBSCRIBE (it's free! Click here).
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
At www.nanoveau.com you can read comments about nanotechnology by the author of Nano, John Robert Marlow. The column will cover the science, the speculation, and (occasionally) the politics of nanotechnology and related topics. If you want to know what nanotech is about, and how and why it will change everything we know, Nanoveau is for you. The name Nanoveau is a combination of nanotechnology and nouveau, the French word meaning new. This column is presented in cooperation with Nanotechnology Now.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Considering a Gmail account at Google? Some people think, "Gmail is too creepy". Visit the site for a discussion of possible disadvantages (especially if you're involved in any shady enterprise).
Submitted by John Buck
Who should read this document: Customers who use Microsoft® Windows®
Impact of vulnerability: Remote Code Execution
Maximum Severity Rating: Critical
Recommendation: Customers should apply the update immediately.
Security Update Replacement: This bulletin replaces several prior security updates. See the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of this bulletin for the complete list.
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Hard drive acting up? Want to take some proactive steps? If you go to the GRC Newsgroups www.grc.com/discussions.htm, you can review the latest info on SpinRite 6 development. There are also many other GRC topics to view. They are described in the Quick Reference Guide. Many of the topics will be of interest to SPAUG members. Oh yes, Gibson Research's SpinRite 6 is out according to www.grc.com/sr/faq.htm.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Recently I sent out a warning that giving out your PIN number under any circumstances is not acceptable. No legitimate credit card company will ask for this information! Here is a further amplification on the possibility and thus hope you never get fooled by this general approach.
www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp
[N.B.- the Snopes Urban Legends Reference Pages investigates and evaluates many of the stories we hear as True, Undetermined, or False. It's a good place to check out any email you get that warns of dire peril. This PIN scam is under the Crime category, and is evaluated as True. Credit card companies Visa and MasterCard say this kind of scam has been going on for several years, but is not widespread (it requires the scammers to already have your card number, name, address and phone).]
Submitted by Jim Dinkey
Want more information about how to use your computer and keep it in tip-top operating shape? Choose newsletters from the article in PC World Info in Your In-Box and get the word. Join Woody's Watch, and choose any or all of Woody's six newsletters.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
If you have to change your notebook's network configuration every time you connect to a hotel LAN or to a client's network, the cure is J.W. Hance's NetSwitcher, a $14 shareware program that lets you save several different network configurations. Whenever you reach a new network location, add and save the new network settings. Once you get home, restore your previous network settings with a couple of clicks. And whereas Windows insists on rebooting no matter what, NetSwitcher asks for a restart only if you modify a parameter that can't take effect without a reboot. Visit NetSwitcher to download a 30-day trial version of NetSwitcher.
Bonus tip: If you're having trouble connecting to a network, take advantage of the surprisingly thorough network diagnostic tool buried deep within Windows XP's Help and Support Center. Click Start, Help and Support, choose Networking and the Web, click Fixing networking or Web problems on the left, and then select Diagnose network configuration and run automated networking tests on the right. Choose Scan your system. If you want the whole shooting match, click Set scanning options and check all the boxes before selecting Scan your system.
Submitted by Steve Bass www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,112027,pg,6,00.asp
Formats for digital video abound, and each one requires a different playback codec (the program that compresses and decompresses the videos). Open Windows Media Player, click Tools, Options, Player, and check Download codecs automatically. Then try to play the video. Still no luck? You may be missing the one codec you need. Make sure you have Windows Media Player 9. Go to Window's Media 9 Center to download the version for your system.
Bonus tip: If you try to play a video only to be rudely informed that you lack the proper codec, download Gspot, a free utility that analyzes the video and determines exactly which codec it requires. Once you have that information, head to Codec Central and browse the terrific collection of codecs.
Welcome to the Molecular Expressions website featuring our acclaimed photo galleries that explore the fascinating world of optical microscopy. We are going where no microscope has gone before by offering one of the Web's largest collections of color photographs taken through an optical microscope (commonly referred to as "photo-micro-graphs"). Visit our Photo Gallery for an introductory selection of images covering just about everything from beer and ice cream to integrated circuits and ceramic superconductors. These photographs are available for licensing to commercial, private, and non-profit institutions. www.molecularexpressions.com
Submitted by Bob Ward/Stan Hutchings
Download and run the utility Autoruns to display a list of all programs that are set to run automatically when your system starts up. www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml
Submitted by Zachary Mutrux
Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Office 2003 is available for download from Microsoft's Office Update site. The package contains a series of bug fixes and stability improvements for the main Office 2003 package--a collection of productivity tools such as the Word word processor and Outlook e-mail client--plus more sweeping changes and new applications.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Here's the anonymizer/-zing site I wanted to show you at tonight's (7/27/04) WebSIG mtg. "StayInvisible.com is a daily updated list of really functioning free public proxy servers plus proxy related information and tools." StayInvisible.com
To see other anonymizers, check the generic Google search
Submitted by John Buck
If you are daring and have some time, see Building Your Own Notebook: Part 1 for a nice project, with benefits such as unique styling, flexible customization, better reseller support, and superior value overall. By going with a whitebook notebook you get all the features you want at a lower price point! Interest in a SIG or a Saturday morning clinic project? See how it's all put together. Part 2: Assembly of the Pieces.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
If you have any indication that you might be infected with a virus, visit the Trend Micro site for a free and thorough virus scan: housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp. Use the drop-down to select the country in which you live and then allow a small utility program to download before the scan begins. Note that you can select the partitions to scan. I suggest that you select "Auto Clean" to isolate and repair after finding any viruses.
If you don't have a firewall, or don't want to turn on WinXP's native firewall, Zone Alarm offers a free and effective firewall that you can easily install. Zone Alarm free download
You should be running an antivirus program, but if it expired or you really haven't gotten one yet, an excellent and free anti-virus program from Gibson Research can be obtained here: free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php. It is critical that you use the mechanism within the program to keep its virus definitions current, so that it can recognize and get rid of new variants.
Keep malware off your computer. First uninstall Spybot 1.2, then install Spybot S&D ver. 1.3. Check for updates, inoculate, and then check for problems.
Visit the SPAUG security page for more information on other security steps you can take to prevent other threats and problems.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
There is a political cartoon [parody alert! - politically sensitive persons take note] website that has been mentioned recently on tv news programs. I searched for it and found it here -- www.jibjab.com. "This Land is Your Land" parody is a 3.7 MB Shock Wave (SWF) download, plays for about two minutes. N.B – IE may not play it, due to security settings (JavaScript must be enabled) or lack of Shock Wave plug-in; try Netscape or Opera (on the club CD) if IE doesn't work.
Submitted by John Buck
"This article describes how to use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. This wizard helps you transfer files and settings from your old computer to your new one. You can transfer settings for Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook Express, as well as desktop and display settings, dial-up connections, and other types of settings. As you go through the wizard, you can select the files and settings that you want to transfer." [N.B. - this is not a panacea, and is limited in scope. Aloha Bob software is reputably better at transferring files and settings, but is a commercial product.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
A simple text-based, command-line scripting, intended to help you control your system at a low level—to help make the system do what “you” want it to do, instead of what someone else (the vendor, for example) wants.
Part One of the series sets the context and gives the essential ground-zero information on DOS commands; it also contains a plethora of DOS-related links to get you started.
Part Two details how to create a custom boot or "emergency" disk – a better boot disk than the one that may have come with your copy of Windows, or that you can make via the Control Panel Add/Remove Software applet.
Part Three helps you stock your DOS toolkit with interesting, worthy – and mostly free! – DOS tools.
Part Four explains batch files in some detail, including how to build your own batch files -- or alter those of others.
The source, LangaList 2002-04-04, has much more information, including an update for Win2000 and WinXP. If you want to perform advanced cleanup on your computer, check it out.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings from
A recent EarthLink ELINK Newsletter had a focus on automobiles and driving, with lots of information about safe driving, lower-cost driving, traffic schools, trip planning, and special web resources for California drivers.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Books For Soldiers is a soldier support site that ships books, DVDs and supplies to deployed soldiers and soldiers in VA hospitals, via our large volunteer network.
If you have old, but usable paperback books sitting around, collecting dust, why not send them to a soldier for a big morale boost?
Be sure to check the bulletin boards where soldiers can post specific literary requests.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The topic of Freeware Video Editors came up at the 7/21/04 SPAUG Planning Meeting. Here's a link to Snapfiles' page of them -- www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/gmm/fwvideoedit.html. Here's the link to their page of Shareware video editors -- www.snapfiles.com/shareware/gmm/swvideoedit.html.
Submitted by John Buck
A LangaList tip: "There is a nifty little program I use called SpeedSwitch XP. It comes in very handy for laptop users when they want to use the full power of their processor when connected through AC. Also the program improves on windows own battery status icon in the taskbar with one that has a better graphical view of the battery life left. It provides access to ALL power scheme settings. ---Michael Grabovsky"
If you'd like weekly information like this, SUBSCRIBE to Fred Langa's list (it's free!).
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
A very comprehensive source of health and medical information is nearby, but those Stanford Health Library folk do not seem to want to give up their physical address easily. Here it is -- www.lpch.org/healthLibrary/HealthLibraryStanford says they're here --
"The main library is located at 2-B Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304 or online at healthlibrary.stanford.edu. You can call or email us for personalized assistance with your search for the health information that you need."
Bev has visited the Stanford Health Library at the shopping center, and is impressed with the depth and breadth of information there.
Submitted by John Buck/Bev Altman
Want to play twenty questions? Play twenty questions against a computer. It can be startlingly good, sometimes, though there are a few things that still aren't in the database. Still, a decent time waster, if only for a little while.
Found on Metafilter -- by John Buck
I would highly recommend Uptime Resources for laser printer repairs and maintenance. Many clients have used them and all have been happy; they come on-site, and they do offer reasonable long-term support contracts. Uptime Resources Adam Bernstein.
The one that I recommend is in the East Bay but will travel all over the Bay Area: Laser Printer Resource 1-877-933-3366. Tell them Mike from the Alzheimer's Assn. recommended them. Mike Friedman.
Resolution Laser Printer Service & Supplies 888-459-0909 or 415-459-6484. They will also service any printer for which they provide toner.
For the Palo Alto area, I recommend OPT, used them for years at Stanford to service our 40 odd HP Laserjets.
OPT, Inc., (510) 659-1760, 44802 Osgood Rd., Fremont, CA 94539. Jamey Frank.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
In NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, you can convert a FAT32 drive to NTFS without losing the data - a format is not required: the convert command converts FAT volumes to NTFS. For more info, see the following: Microsoft Knowledge Base - support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307881
Submitted by Darryl Gittins on CD_ROM Listserv/Stan Hutchings
[July 8, 2004 (12:46 p.m. EST) TechWeb News]
An Australian software maker, Broadgun Software, offers a free utility that converts documents into Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Broadgun Software's pdfMachine White converts a print stream from Windows applications into a PDF file. To produce a PDF file, users only need to select the pdfMachine driver in the print dialog box of any application.
pdfMachine White runs on Windows 98, Me, NT, 2000, and XP systems, and can be downloaded from the company's Web site here.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Windows Secrets Newsletter is a twice-monthly e-mail publication that reveals to you essential tricks of running Microsoft Windows. The editors are: Brian Livingston, editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter, co-author of Windows 2000 Secrets, Windows Me Secrets, and eight other books in the Windows Secrets series; Paul Thurott, associate editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter, is co-author of Windows XP Home Networking, Windows XP Power Tools, and 14 other books.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
It started as a trickle, but is growing into a flood: People getting their browsers hijacked to or stuck on an "About:Blank" page. I was mostly at a loss when the first mails arrived; with nothing specific to go on, I could only give generic anti-spyware/malware advice. But seemingly overnight, the online security community saw enough instances to track down what was causing the problem; and to post detailed, explicit fix-it steps.
If you run into the "About:Blank" hijack, check this: www.google.com/search?q=+hijack+%22about%3Ablank%22"
This URL will get you a long list of sites that give info on the problem. It is a highjack problem, in case that wasn't obvious before.
Submitted by Fred Langa/Stan Hutchings
Perhaps everyone knows this trick already, but it was new to me; so for anyone else who might not already know this site; www.whatismyIP.com will instantly tell you your current router's outside IP address. (…well I thought that was exciting!!)
Submitted by Jenny Council, Southern Oregon Technology Consultant, NetCorps
Your online low-cost Computer Accessory and Supply Store! cyberguys. Get the full use of your power strips and UPS outlets with their short $1.79 extension cords.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The NirSoft web site provides small freeware utilities exclusively developed for this site. For example, WinUpdatesList shows what Windows updates are on one's computer. In some of them, the source code is also provided. You can also find here some interesting Visual Basic code snippets, Visual C++ code samples, and freeware ActiveX Components. If you have an idea for a useful utility that you can't find anywhere else, you can contact NirSoft, and tell me about your idea.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
If you have an issue with SP2, free chat, e-mail, and phone support from Microsoft is available.
Also of note, "Programs that are known to experience a loss of functionality when they run on a Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer" is the MS Knowledge Base #884130. The list of programs is now much shorter, it provides more accurate version information, and it describes exactly what the problem is. (And now, thankfully, it lists only programs that actually have problems, not ones that "may behave differently.") And it provides links to the publishers, who—unless they live in a hole—have SP2 information readily available on their Web sites.
Many failure to boot after XP2 have been bad drivers. You can test for a bad driver using Driver Verifier in Windows XP - run verifier.exe from a command prompt [be careful running this - if it finds a nonconforming driver, even one that seems not to cause any problems, it will prevent your system from starting; it does that by bringing up a bsod at startup as it runs through loading the drivers]. Read about it here or, better yet, in "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out, Deluxe Edition" (page 217-8). The author, Carl Siechert, posted an updated version of that text on August 3; you can read it here. Btw, here's what the coauthor Ed Bott blogged about this issue yesterday: "I'd be willing to bet that many (not all, but many) of the specific problems reported by the respondents to the SANS survey involve blue-screen errors. Those errors are almost certainly caused by faulty drivers (hardware or system-level software, such as AV or CD-burning software). A less-likely scenario is that the blue screen is caused by a faulty hardware component such as a bad RAM chip, but my money is on a bad driver. Anyway, installing SP2 didn't cause the problems they experienced; it simply exposed those problems. The bad driver was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. What they need to do is figure out where the driver is that's causing their problem and replace it with a proper version, after which they can install SP2." Details here (specific info about the Boot.ini switches is near the bottom). Btw, Mark Russinovich (half of the team that has given us all those terrific Sysinternals tools) provides a good reference for Boot.ini switches here.
There is a new Data Execution Protection (DEP) feature added in SP2, which prevents malicious code from exploiting buffer overflow bugs. At this time, I think DEP is effective only on AMD64 processors. Intel chips will support it later this year.
Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with advanced security technologies Download and info here. If you cannot use Automatic Updates or download Windows XP SP2 via Windows Update, order a CD.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings (from information posted by Carl Siechert)
If you do not have the latest VB6 runtime; get it here. It's needed for lots of feeware software.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
A printer inkjet cartridge refiller is now in the local (Miramonte) area. Caboodle
Santa Clara Store 3233F De La Cruz Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95054; Caboodle Saratoga Store 18562B Prospect Rd. (corner of Lawrence Expwy) Saratoga, CA 95070-3646; Caboodle Mountain View "Blossom-Valley Shopping Center" 1762 Miramonte Ave. Mountain View, CA 94040; Open Soon: "Caboodle Palo Alto" 3773 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94306. Ink cartridge care has some valuable tips for getting the most out of your inkjet cartridges.
discovered by Les Spring
The target audience for this guide are home users and small businesses without a firewall, who rely on downloading patches from Microsoft directly. This guide is not a .Windows hardening. guide. See the reference section at the end for more details regarding hardening Windows. Steps outlined in this guide should be seen as minimum due diligence to make it through the first day of using Microsoft Windows XP. Windows XP: Surviving the First Day
Submitted by Jim Dinkey
Intel® Tech Wire presents Build your own PC, a presentation that goes through the construction of a computer from the components (using Intel hardware, of course). There are links to many other Intel pages that would be of interest to SPAUG members, such as Setting up a Personal Video Recorder on a laptop.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
One day I realized that if I could print a page, I could "print" it with one of those cool, free, virtual PDF printer programs like pdf995 or CutePDF-Writer (no watermark on this second one). Now I can have a nice looking replica of a web page on my computer. Also, there have been times I've saved a web page that was an online receipt and I haven't gotten all of the information because of a width restriction (I know they usually say to PRINT the receipt). Using the "landscape" mode for the virtual PDF printer ensures I record everything. The LangaList has also discussed several other PDF tools, with more in the Plus! edition. And for standard Windows installations, with IE and Outlook Express installed, there's a "save as type... *.mht" option in IE's "File/Save As" menu that also provides copies of web pages with everything (graphics, links, everything) all in one file. See langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-02-24.htm#2 for more info.
Submitted by Dan Cross in the LangaList & Stan Hutchings
An artilcle Separated at birth: bargains on cloned products by David Carnoy, Executive editor, CNET Reviews has some good advice on how to save money. "Well-known companies select products from OEM suppliers (original equipment manufacturers) in China and Taiwan, sometimes alter the cosmetics slightly, slap their brands on them, and call it a day. manufacturers, particularly those specializing in video displays and projectors, like to pull. They'll market virtually the same product in the consumer and business channels, but give the consumer product a nice price bump." See the article for specific examples, and look at the response from readers. You can also sign up for his (and others') newsletters.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
by Preston Gralla, author of Windows XP Power Hound has written an article, How to Cure the SP2 Upgrade Blues, that you should read if when you visit Windows Update after installing SP2, or click on a link on the page, you get the error message "HTTP Error 500 - Internal Server Error, Error 0x8ddd0010." It turns out, Explorer's pop-up blocker, which SP2 installs, is blocking pop-ups that you need in order to use the site. He also explains how XP gives you control over how you use the Windows Firewall by, for example, allowing certain programs and services through--and even just by turning it on and off. If you're having connection problems, or you'd prefer to use Zone Alarm, check it out.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The Firefox browser [soon also available on the SPAUG CD] has a lot going for it, and one of its best traits is its ability to use extensions that add to its features. Wei-Meng Lee, author of Windows XP Unwired, shows you how to find and install them, and clues you in to his favorites.
www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2004/09/21/firefox.html
Submitted by Stan Hutchings from O'Reilly Network Newsletter [oreillynet.com]
If you've traded MS Internet Explorer for Firefox, but want to have the same "look and feel" as you got used to with IE, try this site: firefoxie.net.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The Theory of Relativity is about a hundred years old yet most folks still can't get their head around it. This cute site explains it simply and light heartedly with animated panels and even a few games. If you ever wanted to understand relativity, this is your big chance. All the material is freeware and can be downloaded for offline use. www.aliceinphysics.com
from Gizmo Richards' TechSupportAlert Newsletter
We can't put it on the club disk due to copyright restrictions, but you can buy RegVac here: www.superwin.com - RegVac - Eight Tools to Clean your Registry. The free RegClean is on the club CD, and does a decent job. There is also a good registry cleaner in Norton Utilities.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Is Networking is something you know nothing about? Have an XP desktop, a Win98 desktop, a Win98 laptop (with or without a wireless card), or other computer you'd like to exchange files with? Have a DSL or cable modem you'd like to be able to share among all your computers? Where do you start finding out how to network your machines? You could try this site. Or look on the Club CD for the World of Windows Networking (WOWN) folder. There is a LOT of information on networking.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Here is a step by step procedure for "slipstreaming" the SP2 install. Fred Langa also has a step-by-step method. See also Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Create Bootable CD at Windows-Help.net.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
www.dll-files.com/dllindex/ is a place you can download a copy of most DLLs (for a fee…).
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The program K9 is a great spam filter, it works great. After the initial setup it can segregate over 99%+ of spam, automatically to a “spam folder”. There have been very few identified as spam that were real email.
Also, POPFile is reported by many to be very efficient (after training).
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
A useful utility is Desktop Sidebar, an RSS reader is only one of its components.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The guy who started ONElist, which merged with eGroups, and was gobbled up by Yahoo, just sent me a note, "Are you familiar with RSS and syndication? I launched a service about 15 months ago at www.bloglines.com, and that's what I'm concentrating on these days. Growing virally, it has a lot of similarities to how ONElist developed early on. I'd love to get your thoughts on the service and if you have any suggestions for how we can improve it."
Some people love the immediacy and convenience of RSS feeds, others feel they are too time-consuming and overwhelming in volume. Have any SPAUG members tried them?
Submitted by Steve Bass/Stan Hutchings
If you have an issue with SP2, free chat, e-mail, and phone support from Microsoft is available.
Also of note, "Programs that are known to experience a loss of functionality when they run on a Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer" is the MS Knowledge Base #884130. The list of programs is now much shorter, it provides more accurate version information, and it describes exactly what the problem is. (And now, thankfully, it lists only programs that actually have problems, not ones that "may behave differently.") And it provides links to the publishers, who—unless they live in a hole—have SP2 information readily available on their Web sites.
Many failure to boot after XP2 have been bad drivers. You can test for a bad driver using Driver Verifier in Windows XP - run verifier.exe from a command prompt [be careful running this - if it finds a nonconforming driver, even one that seems not to cause any problems, it will prevent your system from starting; it does that by bringing up a bsod at startup as it runs through loading the drivers]. Read about it here or, better yet, in "Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out, Deluxe Edition" (page 217-8). The author, Carl Siechert, posted an updated version of that text on August 3; you can read it here. Btw, here's what the coauthor Ed Bott blogged about this issue yesterday: "I'd be willing to bet that many (not all, but many) of the specific problems reported by the respondents to the SANS survey involve blue-screen errors. Those errors are almost certainly caused by faulty drivers (hardware or system-level software, such as AV or CD-burning software). A less-likely scenario is that the blue screen is caused by a faulty hardware component such as a bad RAM chip, but my money is on a bad driver. Anyway, installing SP2 didn't cause the problems they experienced; it simply exposed those problems. The bad driver was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. What they need to do is figure out where the driver is that's causing their problem and replace it with a proper version, after which they can install SP2." Details here (specific info about the Boot.ini switches is near the bottom). Btw, Mark Russinovich (half of the team that has given us all those terrific Sysinternals tools) provides a good reference for Boot.ini switches here.
There is a new Data Execution Protection (DEP) feature added in SP2, which prevents malicious code from exploiting buffer overflow bugs. At this time, I think DEP is effective only on AMD64 processors. Intel chips will support it later this year.
Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with advanced security technologies Download and info here. If you cannot use Automatic Updates or download Windows XP SP2 via Windows Update, order a CD.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings (from information posted by Carl Siechert)
C|Net has opened another session of their popular Advanced Home Networking class that starts Monday, Nov. 1. Enroll today before seats fill up again! Advanced Home Networking online course. If you have a home network, this is for you.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Microsoft, various security experts, and others have recommended: On your WinXP or Win2000 system (or Linux box, for that matter), you set up at least two accounts, even if you're the only user. One account should have full admin privileges, and the other should have much more constrained settings. You "live" mostly in the second account so that if that account gets hacked, infected, or otherwise compromised, the risk to the system as a whole is reduced. You then use the Admin account to do cleanup and system-wide maintenance. Read How Here on the October 2004 Langalist. When you set this up, be sure to read this to ensure your applications work when you're logged on as User, and how to use the "Run As" command in XP and Win2K to run any program with "borrowed" administrator credentials (assuming you have valid access to the admin account).
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
This material was produced as part of a 4-part ten hour course designed to introduce the scope of nanotechnology. The chapters are: Introduction, Current landscape, Investment, Basic research, Manufacturing processes, Materials, Chemistry, Electronics, Energy, Life Sciences, The Future. Nanotechnology is the paradigm of manufacturing for the 21st Century - here's your chance to find out what it's all about. If you're interested in Nanotechnology, there's lots more at Foresight Institute.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
An article by by Preston Gralla Tips for Online Protection has some tips about how to protect yourself against dangers you may never even have thought of.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Curious about replacements for Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook/Outlook Express, and Netscape browsers and email? Read about Firefox and Thunderbird at Computeruser.com.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Is there a way to forcibly remove corrupted programs and reinstall them from scratch? Microsoft Installer Cleanup is such a program. It removs all the references and allows you to reinstall the programs. Furthermore, if they were not actually deleted, all the settings are preserved.
Submitted by Dan Dickerson
Found on Metafilter — Science & Technology Web Awards 2004 50 best sci/tech web sites - as adjudged by the editors at Scientific American.
Submitted by John Buck
FYI -- Computer Recycling Center™ has moved from Mead Ave in Santa Clara to 370 West Caribbean Drive, Sunnyvale 94089 (408) 327-1800
Drop-Off Hours: Tuesday - Friday, 9AM - 3PM -Saturday, 10AM - 1PM
Be aware that some websites that list recycling places still show the old address. As of 10/4/04, signs on the windows there show the new address.
Submitted by John Buck
For years I have been touting this magazine because it has a lot of down-to-earth information that I feel is well written and always starts at the bottom to give a full picture of the subject being discussed. Smart Computing, formerly called PC Novice, is a publication rich with useful, how-to articles, honest reviews, and a plain-English format that answers questions for everyone from the novice to the expert. There you'll find a searchable Index of Articles, along with a Hardware Reviews & Comparison Charts section, a Computing Dictionary, and a Directory of Web Sites.
Important! When you subscribe to Smart Computing Magazine by phone or mail, use Source Code 8592 and after 6 subscriptions SPAUG will receive a free subscription for raffling. It is essential that everyone uses SPAUG's source code (8592) when ordering. This is very important, as it is the only method for tracking SPAUG's credits.
Submitted by Jim Dinkey
Digital Hollywood is a conference that brings content owners (movies, TV, music, advertisers) and digital technology together to discuss the latest developments, issues and business models. If you are interested in reading some notes on the most recent conference in Santa Monica, California, you can download them for free at: www.digdia.com
Topics covered:
HDTV, VOD, DVR impact on Entertainment's business models
DRM issues and frustrations
IP invasion: Broadband Movie Distribution and IPTV
OCAP is just starting
iTV crosses the Atlantic
Submitted by Gary Sasaki
The following URL is one of the references that is especially cogent on how to, in fine detail, control malware on your computer:
Spyware/AdWare/Malware FAQ and Removal Guide
Submitted by Jim Dinkey
Thinking about holiday gifts? Digital Cameras, MP3 Players, Media Center PCs, HDTVs, and Recordable DVD Players, there is a whole new world of Digital Entertainment to tempt you this Holiday Season. This is the place to find it all: PC World's Complete Guide To Digital Entertainment
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Several members have asked recently about speeding up a slow computer. If you followed the advice to check for malware, virus, spybots and other software problems, maybe it's time to break out the hardware hacking tools and find out about overclocking CPU and video cards, tweaking RAM timing, selecting the best performing components, and more. In this second part of a two-part article, Jim Aspinwall, author of PC Hacks, offers great hacks, from the simple to the techie and beyond. Great PC Hacks, from Easy to Techie and Beyond. Sample Hacks and Purchase PC Hacks - 304 pages, $24.95 - here.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Information on how to partition and format a hard disk with Microsoft Windows XP, and if your computer is already running Windows XP, and you want to create partitions other than the System or the startup partitions, you can use the Windows XP Disk Management tools. For additional information about how to use the Windows XP Disk Management tools to partition and format your hard disk.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Information about the Einstein exhibition is available on the Skirball Center Web site. If you can't make it to Los Angeles, you can visit the AMNH's virtual Einstein exhibit on the Web.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Perhaps the free-for-personal-use remote access tools Beyond Remote or UltraVNC I've been playing with lately could come in handy in situations where you need to access a remote computer, if you don't have WinXP Pro.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Put your spare computer cycles to work on a good cause. Support for SETI@home has flowered in the creation of Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC), which boasts some innovative projects in addition to SETI@home, including:
• Einstein@home, which is looking for pulsars based on their gravity-wave emissions;
LHC@home from CERN, which is optimizing the design of the world's largest particle accelerator.
• Predictor@home: Solve biomedical questions of protein-related diseases.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
In order to help the students in my SeniorNet classes protect their computers from malware and all the other Internet hazards, I have created a Web site surfthenetsafely.com. It includes discussion of viruses, worms, Trojans, cookies, email attachments, phishing, and spam. It also goes into detail on how to configure Outlook Express and Internet Explorer for greater security. Very best regards, Vic Laurie
Submitted by Vic Laurie (from a Langalist submission)
Grisoft has introduced the new, free AVG 7. If the new version proves as good as the old, there is much to recommend it (besides the price). The new version be found at this link, which is correct now, but it could change – if so, search the Grisoft website for it. If you have problems or questions, visit their free forum.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
GSplit is a free original file splitter that lets you split your large files (like Self-Extracting, Zip archives, multimedia, song, music, picture, document files, etc.) into a set of smaller files called pieces.
These pieces are easier to:
• copy to floppies or any other removable media.
• distribute over the Internet, networks or through E-mail (forget attached file size restrictions on some ISP's).
• share with friends, colleagues or other users through networks.
• archive to Zip disks or CD's.
The filesplitters previously on the club CD were removed; this is a good alternate, if you need to split files.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
This site in an Australian Forum is a simple way for Newbies & Intermediate users (myself included) to identify which processes are running, what their function is, and if it would safe to close them down or remove them. You can also insert .dll file names, for example kernel32.dll to find out what role it plays on your PC if you don't happen to know.
The site also invites you to add any processes etc that you find would be valuable and they are added at the next update.
I am certain members of both your Newsletters would find the above site of some value at one time or another either now or in the future.
Submitted by Australian reader Peter Nolan to Fred Langa's list
I've updated my web site with a new version of CalcByJohn. Version 8.0 has the following new features:
• Improved memory options. Memorized results can be entered wherever the cursor is, as can text copied from other programs.
• Expressions can be entered in the x, y, z input boxes.
• Results can be saved to the x, y, z boxes.
• Smaller initial window which grows as needed.
• Bugs fixed. Will now display properly with the Windows Display set to 'Large Fonts'.
• Reminder on closing-"Do you want to save?".
There is also a new Big Decimal Calculator 0.0 which does exact decimal arithmetic and can display about 50 significant figures.
The number base converter has been upgraded to B2B_2 which can make conversions of larger numbers (Up to 64 bit).
The site is www.geocities.com/johnscalc
Submitted by John Goldsborough
The range of the pictures is breathtaking: Microscopic details of rock and soil, panoramas of hills and craters and horizons, even snapshots of Mars' moons, the Earth and the sun. It's all there for people to see at NASA's Mars rover Website marsrover.jpl.nasa.gov/home, where the pictures are posted.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
BadCopy Pro v3.75 by Jufsoft www.jufsoft.com/badcopy is a data recovery utility for floppy disk, CD-ROM, CD-R/CD-RW/DVD, Digital Media (e.g. corrupted flash memory card), ZIP/MO/USB Disk and other storage. It can recover and rescue corrupted or lost data from damaged or defective disks.
Another option is www.softpedia.com/public/cat/13/2/13-2-54.shtml and www.softpedia.com/public/cat/13/2/13-2-161.shtml.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
From KIM KOMANDO'S COOL SITE OF THE DAY (Kim Komando Show Home Page)
Click here for FlightGear - a free flight simulator. You don't need a mega-bucks computer for liftoff. Based on open code, the program lends itself to tweaking from the flying community. You can choose from over 20,000 airports. Runways and topography are accurately displayed. Try a night flight; you'll see headlights glow on the highways and airport lights intensify upon approach. Choose your aircraft, too - from a 1903 Wright to an A320 airliner. While in the cockpit, watch the instruments update. They'll behave like the real thing!
Submitted by Ron Nicholas
So I have a few holiday links for you, things that might amuse you (one that'll certainly offend you), and definitely some you'll pass along to friends.
Fun in the Snow: Remember the snowball fights you used to have as a kid? Here it is online, complete with adorable figures in an addictive Shockwave game. Use the cursor to position the red players and release the button to throw. (And whatever you do, don't forget to duck.)
This ain't your typical snow globe [be warned - it's slow loading]
The snowman gets even [AVI video]
A Christmas Tale
Decorate the Xmas Tree
Dress up Santa with a variety of things. Cute, especially for the kids.
An animation that uses the word starting with "F" and definitely NOT for
the kiddies.
(Steve says they're free of viruses.)
If you haven't already, Click here to Subscribe and get your own useful and/or interesting and/or offensive email from Steve.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Got some free time and want to learn something? Online free courses are available at help.com. I've tried them, and I like them. There are many different subjects, and you can sign up for a newsletter so you won't miss the one you really want.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Click to read the article by Gregg Keizer, TechWeb News. Among the “winners”—Gator (GAIN) bundled with Kazaa, PurityScan, CoolWebSearch, Perfect Keylogger, TIBS Dialer, Transponder, ISTbar/AUpdate, Internet Optimizer, n-CASE and KeenValue. They come along with Kazaa, GameSpy Arcade, Download Accelerators Plus, Ezula, and Adopt.Hotbar.com. Use Spybot S&D and AdAware to detect and remove these malware.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Fluorescent lamps are great for saving energy and other natural resources. However, they also contain mercury. Recycling ensures that the mercury stays out of the environment. Residents can bring their fluorescent lamps to any of these hardware stores during normal business hours or to the Regional Water Quality Control Plant, 8am-4:30pm.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
You might want to test your browser/popup stopper to see if it blocks the problem demo'd at Secunia - Window Injection Test. IE6 SP2 with ZAP and the Google bar with blocking enabled stop the problem cold; maybe your browser/popup stopper does not. Read the instructions and how the vulnerability works, and if you are vulnerable - be warned and aware. Secunia monitors vulnerabilities in more than 4000 products.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Microsoft's free Windows Installer CleanUp Utility can help unravel the problems caused by failed, broken, or aborted installations of some software: support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301. The software can cure several kinds of trouble, including orphaned entries in the Add/Remove list.
Submitted from an article by Fred Langa, by Stan Hutchings
Each week the company reviews 100 - 150 pages of international nanotech news and identify the 6-12 most valuable articles. Their nanotech science and business research staffs present their concise “takes” from scientific and investment perspectives. If you wish to follow-up in detail, there is a link to the article itself. The digest format can save countless hours per week browsing and searching, and is probably the most efficient way to get all your important nanotech news. You can sign up for a free email subscription. www.nanotechnology.com
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Feature packed is the word to describe new Japanese cell phones. Read about what the Japanese have now that is coming to the US eventually, in an article by Mayumi Amagai, Associate Editor, EDN Japan (EDN, 11/1/2004) -- A guided tour of Japan's cell-phone trends. In addition to voice and SMS, standard features in Japanese phones include Internet browsing, full-color displays, and camera functions (up to 3.2 megapixels), and an analog TV tuner. The phones have a total memory capacity of up to about 30 MB, including internal memory and an external memory card.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings (if you like this kind of news and information, subscribe to EDN
