There are three was to get to a new computer when your current one is no longer doing what you want it to do:
1. Buy a computer with Vista on it and transfer your applications and data to the new computer.
2. Buy a legacy computer aimed at the business world with only Windows XP on it. They are around at the demand of the corporate world that will not be gravitating to Vista for years. Witness that fact that about 50% of the corporate world is still on Windows 2000.
3. Buy a Vista computer of your choice but as soon as you get it home, add a partition and install your old XP license into that new partition using the dual boot function of Windows and make the XP portion the default.
I favor the third option because it gives you the most flexibility. Indeed, your data is on the same computer on which both operating systems are resident so you don't need networking to handle all of the transfers. Putting your data into a third partition should be weighed carefully as this option provides severability between the operating systems.
How does one get the old computer shifted to the new computer? Let me count the ways you can't transfer an operating system to a new computer and then we will go though the ways that you can.
You cannot just copy over any operating system (except 98) from one computer to another unless the motherboards inside of each computer are identical-which is the case in the corporate world but is not the case in the home world. Life would be considerably simpler if this reality were true, but alas, it is not.
So you are stuck with the concept that once the new computer is purchased, the means of transferring your old programs and files to the new computer needs to be determined.
In general, the movement of raw data is not a problem. Microsoft even supports a Belkin model FSU258 USB cable that will allow you to move the raw data over. I have one.
Where the fun begins is with the movement of Microsoft application packages and non-Microsoft applications packages.
If the application program is a Microsoft product, you stand a chance that the Microsoft Wizard on the Microsoft install disk will be enough to move a Microsoft application over to your computer, except as applies to any restrictions on the license not being transferable to a new computer.
The movement of non-Microsoft applications packages is much more problematic.
Fundamentally, the movement of an application package from any manufacturer is usually not recommended because the new (receiving) operating system quite probably will not have the latest changes or be designed to accommodate the new application package. The drivers will be different, the fixes will not be there and the compatibility is often not present. Generally it is better to install a new, recent, fresh copy of any applications package fully designed to work with the new operating system and its current revisions.
Then you can bring the data over using the Microsoft wizard or merely use a network link to do so.
Microsoft has created its own place in hell to move over Outlook Express email files. They are password protected and encrypted as a security measure. Since Outlook Express is so popular, one needs to become familiar with the techniques to have the wizard move the email over.
If the wizard is unable to move the Outlook Express data over for any reason, then you need to use the OEDB program on the SPAUG CD to have the data unpacked to a place of your choice and then use the program again on the receiving computer to stuff the data back into the proper format.
If all of this is daunting to you, come see us in the Clinic.
Phishing is the next subject of importance.
To summarize right up front: You CANNOT respond to any statement in any email that there is an issue within an account of any type that could possibly have you enter your name and password of any account. Period.
At Hank Skawinski's place I was shown about 100 captured phishing sites that purported to be from banks, credit card outfits, and general merchandisers.
They all were authentic looking because they were ALL actual copies of the website of the target company.
Whenever you receive a notice that there is some reason to click on a website, YOU initiate the contact by typing in the name of the outfit or make a call to verify the correct information.
Under no circumstances should you click on a supplied-URL from any financial institution transaction where any kind of password is expected.
Moving on to the subject of removing unwanted programs such as rootkit revealers that you don't want:
I clicked on a big antivirus manufacturer's offer to tell me about their rootkit revealer and the program went right ahead and installed itself onto my computer when it should not have.
It did not show in the Program Files. It was missing from the START menu. It did not appear in the ADD/REMOVE list. It appeared nowhere where I could get rid of it.
A search of Google produced the suggestion that HIJACKTHIS could help and indeed it did. Further, HIJACKTHIS evidently uncovered some other properties of the program as they were generally visible and thus easily removed.
Running Microsoft's LIVE SAFETY SCANNER cleaned up the remnants of the offending program.
While the program might have done my computer some good, the action of hiding itself and making itself un-removable by three programs equivalent to Trend Micro's Housecall made it better to get rid of the program rather than fool with it.
Having trouble with AdAware? Jim gave instructions for fixing the problem. There is a discussion on the Lavasoft website how to fix it; just getting the most recent version may be enough. Otherwise, listen to the MP3 file.
A member has a problem with an unknown folder with a long alpha-numeric name. He didn't write the message and name down. Jim suggests making a screen dump and bringing the picture in for discussion. There are several programs on the SPAUG club CD; a free option is pressing the Print Screen key and then opening Word or Wordpad (not Notepad, which does not support images) and pasting into the document. Adjust the size and print.
A member has a problem with his CPU usage jumping to about 54% and staying there for a while. This locks the computer up. Explorer.exe is found to be the culprit in the Processes tab in the Windows Task Manager.
A member has an occasional problem creating a CD at the final step where the CD should close. Googling the problem does not give any help.
Presentation
Andy Marken gave a presentation about photo managing and editing software. He had some great programs as door prizes for the lucky holders of the winning tickets.
The meeting was held at Bev Altman's house; attendees: Jim Dinkey, John Sleeman, Bev Altman, John Buck, Stan Hutchings, Nat Landes. The attendees enjoyed the refreshments served.
A new venue for SPAUG after October is needed. A location near Palo Alto/Mt. View would be best. TEFS at Shoreline and Stierlin possible. The Mountain View senior center is possible. Little House in Menlo Park is possible, but a little far north. Avenidas (www.avenidas.org)
450 Bryant St, Palo Alto is a possibility. The Computer Museum of History is another possibility, though traffic to Shoreline Amphitheater may sometimes be a problem (Jim will investigate). We could pay up to about $50/month for rent/insurance/etc. Micro Center does not have an Internet connection, and seating is limited to about 35 comfortably. Palo Alto High School might have space available. The Elks Lodge in Sunnyvale may be possible. Someone should check the Palo Alto Library and cultural center. There are about 30 people for lunch, 50 for the evening. We need DSL, wireless, phone (modem), cable etc. for Internet connection. Easy parking would be a plus.
Status of SPAUG CD - Bill Worthington - most of the programs have been checked out, and we are shooting for May distribution. There will be an assembly session at Jim's some day. A Linux/Apple CD will also be available.
Review of finances - Nat - finances are in good shape.
Membership - Bev - still about 120 or so members.
Expenses, reimbursements, need for future funds - Jim is still investigating a new laptop and other equipment. A good microphone is hard to find; Jim is still looking. Someone who works in the theater might be a good source. A wide screen is desirable, built-in wireless, DVD-DL burner, large hard drive (partitioned for dual/triple boot and back-up), good battery life, core two duo (Intel or AMD). Bev needs some door prizes.
Review future speakers and topic vs. attendance - Interesting topics and speakers result in better attendance. We'll continue to try to schedule topics and speakers with good draw.
Some promising topics include: Larry Magid on ISPs, TV providers, cell phone companies; Bob Mitchell doing a how-to-create-a-video presentation; OpenOffice.org; Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Users (if we have a significant number interested and can find an appropriate speaker); Database capabilities and applications; Linux, as an alternate or a full replacement for Windows; Spreadsheet capabilities; Blogs and Blogging; Wi-Fi availability and use in the Silicon Valley; Really Simple Syndication (RSS); the advanced features of Outlook (Nat Landes has someone in mind). The club membership will be regularly polled to suggest vivacious, lively, knowledgeable speakers they know of. Perhaps instructors from the local colleges, junior colleges, adult high school programs, etc. could be invited.
PrintScreen - John Buck - the flyer is finished, now waiting for the newsletter information. John uses Publisher 2000, then makes a PDF from Cute PDF Writer (from Snapfiles).
Mail - John Sleeman - no mail.
WebSIG activities and schedules - next Tuesday 7:30 at Stan's
DISIG - Maury - usual meetings, see the SVCS site.
Publicity - Richard Sweet & Gene Duncan - Gene is closer to taking over, but still has a way to go.
Clinic activities and changes - the Saturday Clinic will be offered by pre-arranged appointment only.
Other individual reports and suggestions - Reply vs. Reply all on messages from the spaug-list.
Other items that came before the Committee - Jim will be at sea 21-31 May; John Sleeman as vice president will take over if needed; but no SPAUG activities should be affected.
Here are some new technical jargon vocabulary words. They've started showing up in many media, and in February we'll hear from our Palo Alto Library Director her definition of Library 2.0.
If you google the search term and, you'll find a wealth of information on all the topics; if you add site:www.wikipedia.com, the search will be limited to wikipedia, an online wiki encyclopedia. Here are some short abstracts from wikipedia to pique your interest; if you click the link, it will take you to the full wikipedia definition. It may take a bit of effort to understand some of the concepts, though probably not as much as a concept like Quantum tunneling…
RSS "RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated digital content, such as blogs, news feeds or podcasts. Users of RSS content use programs called feed "readers" or "aggregators". The user subscribes to a feed by supplying to his or her reader a link to the feed; the reader can then check the user's subscribed feeds to see if any of those feeds have new content since the last time it checked, and if so, retrieve that content and present it to the user."
Folksonomy "A folksonomy is a user generated taxonomy used to categorize and retrieve Web pages, photographs, Web links and other web content using open ended labels called tags." [there's a lot more, plus references...]
Web 2.0 "second-generation of Web-based services, such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies, that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users." [and there's more, plus discussion of RSS and a link to Web 3.0... ]
Web 3.0 "the evolution of Web usage and interaction that includes transforming the Web into a database, a move towards making content accessible by multiple non-browser applications, the leveraging of artificial intelligence technologies and the Semantic web and three dimensional interaction and collaboration." [there is lots more...]
Podcast "A podcast is a digital media file (or a series of such files) that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers. Like 'radio', it can mean either the content itself or the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. The term "podcast" is a portmanteau of the name of Apple's portable music player, the iPod, and broadcast; a pod refers to a container of some sort and the idea of broadcasting to a container or pod describes the process of podcasting. More about the name itself can be found in the history of podcasting article." Here's a podcast about podcasting.
Wiki "A wiki is a website that allows visitors to add, remove, edit and change content, typically without the need for registration. It also allows for linking among any number of pages. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring. The term wiki also can refer to the collaborative software itself (wiki engine) that facilitates the operation of such a site, or to certain specific wiki sites, including the computer science site (the original wiki) WikiWikiWeb and online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia." [there is lots more...]
Library 2.0 "With Library 2.0 library services are constantly updated and reevaluated to best serve library users. Library 2.0 also attempts to harness the library user in the design and implementation of library services by encouraging feedback and participation. Proponents of this concept expect that ultimately the Library 2.0 model for service will replace traditional, one-directional service offerings that have characterized libraries for centuries."
Social bookmarking "The Social bookmarking sites are a popular way to store, classify, share and search links through the practice of folksonomy techniques on the Internet or Intranet. Other than web page bookmarks, services specialized to a specific subject or format - feeds, books, videos, music, shopping items, map locations, wineries, etc. - can be found. Social bookmarking is also part of social news sites like Reddit."
