SPAUG Newsletter October 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Notes from the Prez
by Jim Dinkey
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General Meeting Notes
by Stan Hutchings
Administrivia
- Some NOD32 CDs are still available, but this is a trial offer - if you like it, you'll have to buy it after 90 days. Red Calub provided them.
- Caboodle is not in Palo Alto on El Camino Real any more; there is still one at 5126 Stevens Creek Blvd. San Jose (408) 246-8005, and 2310 Homestead Rd. Los Altos 94024 (408) 481-0580. Here's a store locator for more locations.
- There is a wireless signal provided by the Post, so the club computer and guests can connect to the Internet.
- No coffee is available currently - a volunteer could provide it, if someone steps up. We don't have kitchen privileges, that would be an extra $15/month, and we probably don't need it. There are cookies available, thanks to Joan Wheelwright. Draegers (across the street) will sell you a cup of coffee, if you want to bring it to the meeting.
- The evening group will have to put away the chairs; CompuSIR will set them up in the afternoon. We have to leave the place neat and clean, as we found it, so please clean up any mess you make.
- Check our website for links to SVCS and get a schedule of their meetings - SVCS/SPAUG Digital Imaging SIG, SVCS/SPAUG Web Design SIG, Silicon Valley Computer Society Home Page.
- Jim will get a good audio system that we can use for the next two years.
- November is officer election month. The current officers were identified. Jim Dinkey, President; John Sleeman, Vice-president; Nat Landes, Treasurer; John Buck, Newsletter Editor; Stan Hutchings, webmaster (will be replaced by John Sleeman); Maury Green, Recording Secretary & DISIG; Walter Heyman, Publicity; Bev Altman, Membership; Susan Mueller, Newsletter Publisher.
We could use a Program Director, and back-ups for all positions.
CrossTalk/Random Access
- Problem: A computer boots randomly, and sometimes doesn't boot. It isn't a heat issue.
Suggestions: leave it on with diagnostics running, and hope the diagnostics catch the problem; also, check log files; check power supply, memory, etc. any of which could be the problem. There is a diagnostic program available; $70-$80 will buy one (email Jim for a name, if you need more help choosing one). Swap out memory, or run a memory checker - memcheck is a good one to run, and is on some previous club CDs.
- Problem: After vacation, computer does not stay on. Eventually after many tries it booted, but icons were scrambled and disappeared.
Answer: It may be a capacitor, or a power supply issue, or a fan problem (some newer hardware won't boot if fans aren't working). You may need a trip to Hank Skawinski, or perhaps the clinic.
- Problem: Microsoft patches failed to install - all eight. None were installed.
Answer: Recent patches are important; and should be installed. Keep trying to install them, after a few days. Microsoft provides free support for patches that go wrong- call them for help.
- dslreports.com and mycooltools are good sites to find out about ISPs and test your connection.
- Problem: my antivirus is expiring - what should I get?
Answer: For expired antivirus, PC-Cillin 2006 is a good AV; $20-25 through eBay. It comes with three licesnes. Or NOD32 is good.
Presentation
Gene Barlow of UGR gave a presentation on the "Top 10 Ways to Protect your PC". Least important to most important.
- Stay current with technology. Replace hardware every 4-5 years, and get new OS at the same time. Consider cost/benefit of upgrading applications, but don't feel obliged until it's a definite improvement.
- Organize the hard drive. Put data into a separate partition. This is safer, easier to back up, and accessible if you use dual boot into other Operating Systems. Disk Director Suite 10 is current, and a good buy - it also runs in Vista. You want a separate partition for each OS, and inactive OS partitions should be Hidden to prevent cross-corruption. A separate drive (internal or external) would be used for back up.
- Run in a "Sandbox" for Risky Tasks. This is especially advisable for browsing the Internet, testing new software, opening unfamiliar email, giving others access to your computer. True Image 11 Try&Decide is a sandbox - you decide to keep all or delete all changes that were made (it may not operate in Vista).
- Wipe hard drive before getting rid of old computer. Deleting files and formatting are not sufficient, nor is defragmenting.
- Encrypt private information. My Security Vault does that for $15.
- Beware of Spam. Some are dangerous, with bad attachments, links, images, phishing, etc.
- Install security patches. You might want to wait a few days to see if any other early adopters had problems, but some patches are for "zero day" exploits, and you are at immediate risk. Don't wait too long.
- Internet security: firewall; antivirus, antispyware, antimalware. These may be individual applications, or part of a suite; but protection against all hazards is essential. A good root kit detector and remover is also a good idea.
- Get professional help if needed. Let someone else deal with the complexity of modern computers, so you get hassle-free computing. Invisus iClean Service will do this. It performs many functions, remotely over the Internet. It's $29.99 for the service, and it's real people doing the servicing. They provide ongoing support for $9.99/month after the initial month.
Invisus iSafe Service is a step up, but includes a suite of security software. Checkup is $49.99 and 14.99/month. Top of the line is Invisus iCare Service, $99.99 initial, $29.99/month.
- Have a recent full backup. Acronis True Image 11 Home is the answer to this. Recommended by SPAUG, and good reviews everywhere. Before installation, read his tutorial titled the Perfect Backup Approach, which can be seen at www.ugr.com/tutorials.html. Once you have the application installed, read Gene's excellent tutorial on how to use it to implement the Perfect Backup Approach.
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Planning Meeting Notes
by Stan Hutchings
- The meeting was held at Bev Altman's house; attendees: Jim Dinkey, John Sleeman, Bev Altman, John Buck, Stan Hutchings, Nat Landes, Maurice Green. The attendees enjoyed the refreshments served.
- Review of finances - Nat - we're doing OK, outgo balanced by income. Even with higher monthly rent for the Hall.
- Membership - Bev gave Nat the cash from the previous meeting.
- Expenses, equipment, reimbursements, need for future funds - Jim Bailey and Jim Dinkey mounted a screen support, and the screen at the American Legion Hall, but it was too short - only 30 inches. Red Calub will get us a 72X72 inch screen. It will be wall mounted.
It's time to get a good PA system - at least 3-microphone input capability, 2 wireless. Need a built-in equilizer to remove hum and kill feedback. Hopefully there will be an output for recording the meetings to either computer or recorder. One microphone should be hands-free for a speaker; the wireless models would be used for the audience participation. Speakers will be easy, Jim has some he can donate. However, the other equipment will be on the order of $500-900.
The Hall seems to be cooperative with our needs. We do need to make any installations look clean and professional.
The Hall is paid through March; Jim will check with the Lodge and see if we're current or over-paid and eligible for a refund. Nat will let Jim know the status of our account with the Elks Lodge so Jim can proceed.
- Review future speakers and topic vs. attendance -
Gene was not at his best; the impression was that it was a sales presentation more than an educational presentation. More how to do it and less of what to buy would have been nice. We expect presentations to feature products which will be offered for sale, but we need to balance education of why the subject is necessary, how it will help us improve our computing experience, how to configure and use a product, with sales presentation.
- Future speakers & potential pre-meeting dinner locations:
Link to Up-coming General meetings (NOTE: subject to change)
- PrintScreen - John Buck - we're currently filling the basic one ounce mailing rate with the current Print Screen newsletter. Any more and we'll have to reformat the layout to make better use of space.
- Mail - John Sleeman -
- Setup/Cleanup support - setup and take down were good. Next month we'll have to set up as well as take down. Jim will need help setting up, carrying in equipment from the car, since the CompuSIR group will not preceed us. Also, the meeting will be catered by Armadillo Willy's, and the tables will be covered and set by them. The group will convene at 5:30 pm, the SPAUG dinner will start at 6 pm, meeting at 7:30. Jim would like to set the price at $15, and make up the balance from the treasury. The payment will be in advance by Friday 9 November, by check or cash. Past Presidents and spouse will be our guests. The newsletter will have a form for people to fill out and send in with their reservations.
We have an extension cord from the emergency light up above; we'll use that in the future to power our equipment. Jim will ask for a three-hole outlet to be installed. We'll continue having a break, even though there will be no coffee. Nat volunteered to bring urns and coffee. Discussion of brewing coffee (regular and decaf) vs. hot water with instant coffee/tea/hot water. Nat is authorized to get two urns and regular & decaf coffee for the January and subsequent meetings. Joan will be asked to bring sugar, cream, and cups.
- WebSIG activities and schedules - next Tuesday 7:30 at Stan's
- DISIG - Maury - Contact Management will be covered at the Micro Center
- Publicity - Walter Heyman - not present, but some announcements are appearing, according to John Buck. However, other publications do not have announcements.
- Clinic activities and changes - the Saturday Clinic will be offered by pre-arranged appointment only.
- Other individual reports and suggestions - John is continuing to learn the webmaster duties. He's getting a new modem and AT&T contract, so his disconnect from the Internet should be over. He'll continue to work with Stan to learn all the duties.
- Other items that came before the Committee -
Maury talked to Hank, found out what he wants, and will get together with Hank to create a website. Contact Management will be covered at the Micro Center Web SIG, and that is what Hank wants.
Maury conveyed an invitation from the SVCS Board to formally merge our organizations. We already have some overlap with DISIG and WebSIG, plus honoring each others members for attendance. There are a lot of areas where we could profit by a merger. SVCS has about 35 paid members; of those, about 10 are dual members. Questions about the legal entities need to be resolved. Both identities are important for name recognition, and it would be good if to keep both the reputations and branding. A new hardware SIG would be useful, and could help our relations with Micro Center. Perhaps other SIGs could use Micro Center. The Hall meeting room might max out at 60; but if we get more, we could expand to the bigger hall.
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Advice on Windows Vista UAC
by Stan Hutchings
For those of you who will get a new computer with Windows Vista, one of the most frequently mentioned Windows Vista annoyances is the User Access Control (UAC). In Windows Vista, the UAC was designed to encourage usual day-to-day operation in a reduced-privilege user account. Work should be done in the Admin account only when necessary.
The problem I was having is, how could I synchronize things like desktop, favorites, iTunes, and other settings and customization between my User account the my Admin account? I set up the system the way I wanted it in Admin, but when I logged on as a User, many things were different. I wanted a way to "mirror" my admin account settings and configurations, as well as IE & other Favorites, etc., in my user account (but not in other users accounts).
The answer from Ronnie Vernon, Microsoft MVP was, "UAC actually does encourage using a Standard acount. You should not be using a separate administrator account to set the system up. Use your Standard account and if something requires administrator privileges, UAC will prompt you to enter an administrators account name and password to elevate that process.
The message is, use the Administrator account only for setting up accounts, assigning and changing passwords, and other actions that are done at the system level. Do your application loading and configuration in your usual User account. Also, the UAC is frequently invoked, so it would be good to have a fairly simple Admin name and password, because you will be using it frequently, especially in the first several weeks when you're adding programs. And make sure to record it someplace safe, accessible and secure!
If you forget the password, Vista will be asking for a floppy or flash drive because you should have followed the instructions to create a Password Reset Disk when creating or changing a password. If you didn't, your recovery options will depend on what type of Vista Installation Disk
you have, but none of the options are easy. And make sure to store it someplace safe, accessible, and labeled so you can recognize it!
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Yes, you can add WinXP to a Vista machine in a multi-boot operation
by Gene Barlow, User Group Relations
N.B. - it would be a very advisable precaution to make a full disk backup with Acronis before starting this procedure. Also, make sure the created partitions are large enough for WinXP, data, and Vista.
The process is very similar to adding Vista to a WinXP computer. The big difference is that the Dual Boot function that is part of Windows does not permit a backward installation from Vista back to WinXP. I guess Microsoft does not want to encourage this type of movement. That is ok, since Disk Director Suite comes with its own booting utility called OS Selector. By using OS Selector and not the Microsoft dual boot facility, you can make this work on your computer. Here are the steps to take:
1- Install Disk Director Suite 10 on your Vista computer. Do not install OS Selector at this time. Make a bootable CD so that you can run Disk Director Suite from a CD if you need to.
2- Run Disk Director Suite and create a Data partition at the end of your hard drive. You will need to have this to store your data files as you switch back and forth between Vista and WinXP. Watch the demo in the tutorial that came on the CD to see how to do this. It's very easy to do. Resize your main partition to leave room at the end of the hard drive. Then create a Data partition in this empty space. Then commit this change to your hard drive.
3- Next, I would spend some time here to move all of your data files from your Vista computer to the new Data partition. You can just copy or drag files or folders to the new partition to do this. You may need to set the default data partition address in the properties or options section of each of your applications to make it easier to find these files. Moving your email folders and favorites lists may be a bit more complex. It can be done without too much work, however.
4- Now run Disk Director Suite again to create a new WinXP partition on your hard drive. It can go before your Vista partition or between your Vista partition and the new Data partition. Either location will work. This is easy to do also and you can watch the tutorials on the steps to do this. You will want to do the clean install of WinXP and not the upgrade install option. The upgrade install will not work going in the backward direction. When you get this set up, commit the change to your hard drive. Now you have an empty partition on your hard drive that is labeled WinXP. You also have your Vista partition and Data partition.
5- Next you need to install WinXP into the empty partition on your hard drive. To do this, you will need a full license of WinXP to install into the empty partition. If you have a upgrade license of WinXP, then you will need an install CD for Win98 to use as proof of a prior release when you install WinXP into the empty partition. So, make sure you have the WinXP install CD ready to go when you start this step. You can still find full versions of WinXP on the market. Try looking it up on Google for the best price. Most of the computer stores still stock this item on the shelves, but you may have to look around a bit for it.
This step is a bit tricky, so follow my instructions carefully here. Make sure your CD drive is bootable before the hard drive or it will not find your WinXP install CD before trying to boot into Vista. Then have the install CD in the CD tray, but do not close the tray at this time. If you do, it reads the CD under Vista, and it will not work. So, just have it ready to go. Then using Disk Director Suite, right click on your empty WinXP partition and then Advance and then Set Active. Click on Commit to make this change to your computer. You will need to reboot your computer at this time if it does not do it for you. As soon as Windows has shut down the main screen, close the CD tray with the WinXP install CD in it. This will have it ready when the computer reboots to the empty WinXP partition. Since you have placed the CD drive above the c: drive in the boot sequence of your PC, it will attempt to boot from the WinXP install CD first and this will start the install process into the empty WinXP partition on your hard drive. The installation of WinXP into the empty partition should go pretty smoothly. Treat this just as if you were installing WinXP onto an empty hard drive. If asked where to install, indicate the empty WinXP partition. When done, your computer should reboot into WinXP. You should be able to run WinXP and access your data files in your data partition. Stay out of the Vista partition at this time until you finish the installation.
6- The next step is to install Acronis Disk Director Suite 10 in the WinXP partition. Also install the OS Selector at this time. Only have the OS Selector installed in one of your operating systems and not both. You can install Disk Director Suite in both, but OS Selector only in one. The one we are using is the WinXP partition to install OS Selector, but it could be the other, just not both. Setting up the OS Selector is a bit complex. When you install it, you should see both the Vista icon and the WinXP icon on the main screen. If not, then you may have to force the creation of one or both of these icons. There may be one or two other icons on that screen that you can delete, such as DOS or Another Windows system. Right click on the icon and then click on Delete to get rid of it. Now, with only the two Vista and WinXP icons left, right click on the WinXP icon and then click on Properties and finally on Partitions. Here you will see the two operating systems listed. If you right clicked on the Vista partition icon, then at this point make the Vista partition Active and the WinXP partition hidden by selecting the partition in the list and then checking the box next to the list of partitions. Now right click on the other partition icon and also set up it as active and the other as hidden. Thus, when you click on one of these icons, that partition will be set active and the other will be hidden when it boots your operating system up. Once you complete these settings, you will most likely have to reboot the system. This will let you know if things are working properly. When you reboot, you should see the OS Selector screen and by double clicking on the operating system you want, it should cause it to reboot to that system. Then restart your computer again and this time select the other operating system.
Those are the steps involved. It is a bit complex, but you will be ok if you follow these instructions carefully. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
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