The Webmaster will provide links to files or sites of potential interest to SPAUG members, which are suggested by other members. Just connect to the web and click on the hyperlinks. If that does not work, copy the links into your browser URL address field and press enter.
If any of you members have suggestions, they would be more than welcome - . Share your favorite sites with other SPAUG members.
Windows Process Library - Find Out What Your PC Is Doing! is a website where you can find out what the process is, and comments on whether it's spyware, malware, virus, or a legitimate and perhaps necessary process. You find a list of processes by right-clicking on a blank space of the menu bar, click Task Manager, and click the Processes tab. Find out what's using your system resources by clicking the CPU column heading. System Idle Process should be the top entry most of the time, after the computer has booted up. If not, find the process in the library, and make sure it's not a "bad guy".
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Fred Langa shows you how to completely rebuild, repair, or refresh an existing XP installation without losing data, and without having to reinstall user software, reformat, or otherwise destructively alter the setup informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897. Fred has presented a range of repair tools, ranging from simple on-the-fly fixes such as Registry cleaning and safe Mode fixes, to Recovery Console fixes (see links in the beginning of the article) and this nondestructive, no-reformat repair/rebuild option.
With this information, you should almost never have to face a dreaded start-over-from-scratch reformat/reinstall of XP!
Submitted by Stan Hutchings, with thanks to Fred Langa
"Experts weren't kidding when they declared a decade ago that lithium-ion batteries would emerge as the hottest energy-storage technology on the market."
"The problem comes down to chemistry. Lithium-ion batteries that have cobalt oxide cathodes are more vulnerable to "thermal runaway" – meaning they can heat up uncontrollably as a result of a circuit failure or manufacturing defect. Eventually, they burst into flames or blow up.
But where there's crisis there's also opportunity. A number of companies working to develop superior and safer technologies are beginning to capture the attention of investors and big-name battery manufacturers in need of a new approach. A few are listed below:"
www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1156716608555&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851
Found via -- crickler.com/crickler.html by jb (John Buck)
For more opportunities, in an article by John Soat in InformationWeek, he says, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Flaming laptops? Easy: Just add sticks and some marshmallows." Read his suggestions here: www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192202169&subSection=
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
If you're interested in Podcasting, here's a Podcast that explains and defines it. Here's the Podcast link. If you want to learn more, go to Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting or Google the terms you're interested in. If you want to take a course, go to directory.help.com/all-courses and look for Podcasting 101.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The Palo Alto Library Advisory Commission will hold extra meetings through November to complete its report of recommendations for the future of the Library. Full article here. All meetings will be held in the Council Chambers or Council Conference room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue. The Commission encourages community groups to attend and participate in the meetings.
For more information, visit the Library’s website at www.cityofpaloalto.org/library and click on“Library Advisory Commission’s Long-range Plan” or e-mail the Commission at library.commission@cityofpaloalto.org
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
The Google Blog offers frequent updates and insights about Google's technology and products, and the company at large.
Google Friends archive has previous Google Friends Newsletters.
Share Google Friends with a friend through Google Groups (includes subscribe/unsubscribe information)
Google, Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
Read the HP whitepaper images.pcworld.com/resource/PDF/pdf/hi_res/HT_network_printers.pdf to determine the advantages of using a print server. Of course, HP is pushing their products, such as the JetDirect 310x. But it is true that print servers give you the ability to: consolidate, share, and get the greatest use out of your print network resources; free shared printers from being tied to a file server; distribute printers throughout your organization as your needs dictate. It allows even a home network to save the cost of several printers by having just one (or perhaps two specialized) printer accessible to every computer on the network. If you have a network, it's advisible to investigate network enabled printers.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings
[From an article by Fred Langa] We've saved this technique for last in our discussion of the various XP repair/rebuild options because the fixes we've previously discussed are like first aid — the things you try first. For instance, see this discussion on removing limitations on XP's Recovery Console, turning it into a more complete repair tool; or this discussion on the Recovery Console's little known boot data "Rebuild" command that can cure many boot-related problems. There's also lots more on the Recovery Console here
But when the Recovery Console techniques don't work and you're facing the prospect of a total reformat/reinstall, STOP! Try this no-reformat reinstall technique, and you just may get your XP setup running in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the hassle of a grand mal wipe-and-restore. You'll find complete, step-by-step instructions with abundant screen shots
waiting for you here:
www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897
With this information, you should almost never have to face a dreaded start-over, from-scratch reformat/reinstall of XP!
Submitted by Stan Hutchings from an article by Fred Langa
Subscribe to Fred's newsletter - click the subscribe (FREE!) link, but consider upgrading to the PLUS! version.
If you're using Acronis ver 9.0, read Using Acronis True Image 9.0. This article is an update to Using Acronis True Image 8.0 (see www.ugr.com/nl1204.html) to reflect the changes to Acronis True Image 9.0. The basic content of the article has not been changed significantly, only where changes in the product made it different.
If you're not using Acronis ver 9.0, Gene Barlow will give the General Meeting presentation 13 December, and will probably have it for sale. If you're in a hurry, contact him at gene@ugr.com, tell him you're a SPAUG member, can't wait until December, and ask for our group discount price.
Submitted by Stan Hutchings