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LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156

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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2002-04-18

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!

1) Tons Of "Firewall Feedback"

Thanks! Many, *many* of you have added to our discussion on popular desktop firewalls. My initial article--- covering 6 popular firewalls--- is still available at http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020412S0009 , and your fellow readers' comments have been posted in the associated discussion area. These readers notes includes tweaks, tips, and how-to info; trouble reports and warnings about specific firewalls or combinations of firewalls and other software; and some lively back-and-forth from readers who've had very different experiences using the same software. It makes for some informative--- and fascinating--- reading!

A tiny sampling:

I have just downloaded and installed the new Zone Alarm Pro update to 3.0 and have been corresponding back and forth with their tech. dept about the problem that is popping up. I have lost my capabilities to run my streaming real time quotes, when using the ad blocker: The page freezes up and I have to close ZAP to get it to respond. I keep getting errors in Outlook express email not allowing it to get authorization to open my email account. I didn't have this problem with ZAP 2.+ . also if I leave my computer for awhile and stop all internet traffic when I come back to open any website up it doesn't find the page. I have to repair the network status close ZAP log onto the site where I want to go and reopen ZAP than it will be ok. I have tried all different kinds of settings on ZAP and just can't seem to fix the problem.... ---Al

Fred, have you seen Kerio Personal Firewall? To my eyes it seems Tiny with another name, it's a little strange. http://www.kerio.com --- Felipe Schnack  [Apparently, it *is* Tiny Personal Firewall with another name; the founders of Tiny seem to have released the code, and Kerio is now developing its own version.---Fred]

I upgraded to ZA Pro 3 last week and instantly started having problems with programs that I personally make here. At first I thought it was the programming language I use, but then heard from a few other programming buddies of mine who use different languages than I do, and they were encountering the same problem or recently started getting complaints from their users. Turns out, the one thing we all had in common is that we either had a runtime dll or exe that was compressed with Petite ( http://www.un4seen.com/petite/ ) and were running  ZoneAlarm Pro 3. After some testing, we confirmed that this was fact. Both ZoneLabs and the author of "Petite" have been notified.--- Garrett R. Hylltun

I tried the Sygate Free FW after reading Fred's firewall tests, and like Fred said it was easy to install, configure, etc. etc. BUT...and it's a big BUT for me.... My Inter Browser [IE6 with ALL security patches, etc.] would only connect to Sygate's site.
Each time I tried to go to another site, it literally 'crawled' to it. I went into the Sygate folder and found the Readme .txt file to see if anything was known. I found several 'conflict' issues revolving around certain programs with 'work-arounds' that you may have loaded. My main problem was user's of TrendMicro's PC-cillin anti-virus program had a 'conflict' and the Resolved 'work-around' answer: "Uninstall PC-cillin" CRAP. No way.... uninstalled Sygate, rebooted and all back to normal. Pity, as it looked like a nice piece of software, but not for this little black duck.--- Tassie.

There's tons more real-life info from your fellow readers in the discussion area! Please read the main article ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020412S0009 ) and then click to the discussion area and post *your* firewall experiences, pro, con, or otherwise.

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2) Good Cookies?

My comment in the last issue ("Bugs and Beacons: Bah!" http://www.langa.com/current.htm#3 ) that most Cookies and "Web Bugs" are actually beneficial brought some interesting mail, too:

Fred: About useful cookies. I'd been visiting buy.com for months to check their price on Kodak's EasyShare DX3900 digital camera. The price recently fell to under $300. Then, I deleted buy.com's permanently stored cookie from my hard drive. When I returned to buy.com, the price of the camera had shot back up by $50! I let the site place another cookie on my hard drive & checked the price of the camera again it had dropped $21 but still was priced about $30 higher than before I'd deleted that cookie. I had no idea a cookie could be so valuable to me. --- William G. Laine

One of the most common uses of Cookies is to track "returning visitors" to a site: Depending on when you were last on a site, and what pages you visited when you were there, you may be shown custom content that varies visit to visit. For example, in this case, it appears that the site is set up to reward returning visitors with an automatic markdown--- a kind of private sale. Delete the Cookie, and you lose access to the automatic markdown.

Other web sites use Cookies to display "getting started" info to new visitors, and omit that info for later visits. Delete the Cookie, and you never get past the "getting started" info.

Likewise, some sites that require a login use a Cooke as a kind of ticket to let you back into the site at a later date. If you delete the Cookie, you have to log in from scratch.

In fact, almost all uses for Cookies are either benign or actively helpful. It's actually very hard to subvert Cookies to evil purposes--- although anti-Cookie fanatics make them sound like a gaping security hole. They're not: Most Cookies are utterly harmless.

Ironically, in a misguided attempt to increase security, many users are blocking all Cookies, "web bugs" and the like. Not only do they not materially improve their security, but they do create another very real problem:

I appreciated the review of desktop firewalls, however I feel your criticism of ZAP3's privacy features is off-base.... Other desktop firewalls have this capability, too, e.g. Outpost, and there are many standalone products that folks use to kill banners, pop-ups, etc. I encourage you to address this issue more generally and educate users about why they might want to allow some kinds of advertising to appear in their browsers. As is, many of us ruthlessly and indiscriminately block as much advertising as possible. --- Victor Sacco

Victor's on to something: It's the law of unintended consequences. If a site gets its revenue from ads, and site visitors prevent the ads from displaying or being counted (the most common use for web bugs is simply counting how many times an ad was displayed), the site owners don't get paid, and the site will go out of business.

Don't get me wrong: Some forms of advertising are way too intrusive. I will never, ever buy an X10 camera, for example, if only to punish the X10 company for all those ridiculous pop-under ads they spawn. And if a site has too many pop-up/pop-under/pop-over/pop-on top/pop-whatever ads, I simply take my clicks elsewhere.

But wholesale blocking of *all* ad-related traffic is something else: Blocking even nonobtrusive ads/Cookies/Bugs/etc is a sure-fire way to help guarantee that even good ad-supported sites will go out of business.

If you've read this newsletter for any length of time, you know I'm a nut about security. But most of the supposed security issues with Cookies and Bugs simply are a myth--- often promulgated by people who want to sell you anti-Cookie/Bug/Ad software or services: These individuals take a small matter, scare you to death by blowing it way out of proportion, and then offer to provide you with the solution to your (artificially-increased) fears.

Worse, in many discussions, anti-Cookie/Bug/Ad stuff is given equal footing with anti-spyware or anti-virus tools. This blurs the distinction between very real, high-risk threats--- like spyware, viruses, worms, etc--- and very low-risk threats (like Cookies and Web Bugs).

By analogy: It's as if domestic insurance policies were designed to protect your belongings against fire--- and meteor strike. Isn't it silly to put low-probability threats on the same footing as higher probability threats?

But I know I'm swimming against the tide on this one. People *feel* more secure blocking all Ads/Cookies/Bugs/Etc, and so they'll do it, even if (1) it really doesn't do much to make them more secure; and (2) even if it helps to kill off the free sites they like to visit.

I tried to explain this in http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20010621S0030 , which shows you what would have to happen behind the scenes for a Cookie, Bug, Beacon (or what not) actually to be a *real* security threat to you. Once you see what's involved, you'll know why I regard these things as a mostly trivial matter, and not worth worrying about.

But I know that most people's minds are made up: "Cookies/Bugs/Beacons are bad! They're just there to spy on you!" It doesn't matter that this popular sentiment is simply not true. Oh, well.

I'll make this prediction with 100% confidence: As Cookie/Bug/Ad/Beacon blockers become more pervasive, more and more "free" sites and services will go away. Count on it.  8-(

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3) "Securing Windows"

Speaking of security: PC911--- a site we've discussed several time in the past--- has just released an updated version of its how-to article on "Securing Windows." It's at: http://www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/securingwindows1.html

That's primarily for Windows 2000 and XP, but there's other info in the general "Safe computing" section of the site that's also applies more broadly. Check it out!

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4) More Re: "Shortcut Arrows Reappearing"

In the last issue ( http://www.langa.com/current.htm#5 ) a reader discussed a way to restore a changed DLL that caused those little arrows on shortcut icons to reappear, after TweakUI had previously eliminated them.

The arrows have never bothered me--- I've never turned them off because I actually prefer to know if an icon is a "live" link to the actual software or is just a shortcut to the same. But from the volume of email I got on the subject, it's clear that many of you really hate those shortcut arrows. 8-)

The previous reader-suggested solution involved replacing a DLL with an earlier version. This works, but carries an obvious risk: DLLs are usually updated for a reason, so rolling your system back to an earlier version of a DLL may fix one problem (like the shortcut arrow issue) but re-introduce other problems the update was intended to fix. Picking which DLL to use--- old or new--- becomes a judgment call as to which problem bothers you more!

Fortunately, two readers have now suggested different but similar ways of achieving the same effect--- turning off the shortcut arrows--- without altering the DLL. Different systems may be set up differently; if you try one of these methods and can't find the target search string, try looking for the other.

Hi Fred! I read your 4/15/02 newsletter about the shortcut arrows reappearing after installing a recent windows critical update. It's true the shell32.dll file gets a little manipulated. However, I have a nice little hack. This is for those readers of yours that would like to empower themselves with tweaking the registry and removing those pesky arrows once and for all! This change will not negatively affect windows, with or with out the critical update installed. Directions as follows:
Run regedit
Browse to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Lnkfile
Select the IsShortcut value name in the right hand pane and delete it.
You will need to Logoff/Logon to see the change. ENJOY... ---Jimmie Hodges

Hi Fred, While reading LangaList for 2002-04-15, I saw the item about the icon overlays re-appearing after the security patch. My solution was to open regedit, search for "IsIcon" - no quotes - then delete all instances of this key. After a restart, no icon will have any arrow overlay attached to it. The usual caveats apply when editing the registry, create a backup for safety etc. This is how I removed the arrow overlays in the first place, and it seems to have gotten rid of them again ... Hope this helps someone. Ernie

Thanks, guys!

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5) Meet Little Macy-Jean Calinawan

Macy-Jean Calinawan is the sixth and newest member of the LangaList family. She lives in the Philippines. For a photo of Macy-Jean along with information on how LangaList Plus! subscribers are helping her, click to this: http://www.freetune.com/newsletters/2002/meet_macy_jean.htm

What's this all about? Very simply this: Those of us with computers and Internet access are vastly better off than most of the world's population. Because of this, I decided that a portion of the LangaList Plus! subscription fees would be donated to registered/legitimate charities helping the underprivileged around the world. The contribution does not increase the cost of a Plus! subscription in any way; the donation is taken "off the top" of any profits. (This is described in the pages at http://www.langa.com/plus.htm )

Macy-Jean is the sixth child sponsored for a full year (via an international relief agency) by the collective generosity of LangaList Plus! subscribers; several of the kids are now into their second full year of sponsorship. Plus! subscribers also have collectively contributed to emergency earthquake relief efforts in India and to funds to assist those hurt in the Sept 11th terrorist attacks on the US. (To see all the donations so far, click to http://www.langa.com/plus2.htm#kids )

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6) XP's "Recovery Console Life Saver"

Fred , I been getting your newsletter for some time now and just wanted to a return a favor.... I always read about backing up and recovery stuff, well now with xp pro or home... follow the url (below) and read about installing the recovery console during install or shortly after. Why, you may ask? Well let's say your floppy fails (like mine did) 2 months ago, or your cd rom is no longer readable, scratched ,or lost and you cant boot to get into recovery console , you can't get to "last known good," what ya gonna do?

I ran across this fix and posted it in the microsoft.com newsgroup for winxp . It installs the recovery console on the hard drive as a boot option. --- gary greco

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/default.asp?url=/WINDOWSXP/
home/using/productdoc/en/recovery_install_console.asp

[note: url is one long line, although it may appear line-wrapped]

Thanks, Gary. Microsoft describes the Recovery Console this way:

If safe mode and other startup options do not work, you can consider using the Recovery Console. This method is recommended only if you are an advanced user who can use basic commands to identify and locate problem drivers and files. In addition, you must be an administrator to use the Recovery Console.

Using the Recovery Console, you can enable and disable services , format drives, read and write data on a local drive (including drives formatted to use NTFS ), and perform many other administrative tasks. The Recovery Console is particularly useful if you need to repair your system by copying a file from a floppy disk or CD-ROM to your hard drive, or if you need to reconfigure a service that is preventing your computer from starting properly.

It can be handy, but it's not novice-friendly. In fact, it's kind of a last-ditch repair tool.

But when you need it, you *really* need it; it's worth knowing about in advance! <g>

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7) Thanks!

Thanks to thousands of you, the LangaList has been pegged in the Top-Ten most-recommended "Computing & Internet" web sites for over three years, according to the folks at Recommend-It! (See
http://www.recommend-it.com/rec/sitecenter/RecCtrCategorySearchCntrl.jsp?formSiteSearchCategory=10 .) It's a great feeling to know that this newsletter (and Langa.Com) is useful enough for many, many of you to have suggested it to friends and colleagues.

And, as a way of saying "Thanks!" there are two prizes you can win simply for making a recommendation. For example, if you use the Recommend-It service, you can win $10,000 (full details also available via this link):
http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=143182

Or, win a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys... and more. To have a shot at winning, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win a $30 Gift Certificate! (Full details also available via this link):
http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm

Either way, thank you again, and good luck!

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8) They Loaded The Code

Do you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please see http://www.langa.com/link.txt  )

Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal:

View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm

"Amazing Techs" Support Forums
http://www.amazingtechs.com/

Community Television Consortium (Ohio)
http://www.ctctv.org/CTCComputer_Help.html

Reigning Cats
http://www.i-love-cats.com/meow/reigningcats/links.html

Quinn's News
http://www.quinntecentral.com/quinnshome.html

Kimmygem Animations
http://www.kimmygemgraphics.com/

SPECKLED TROUT FISHING Charters
http://www.unitedcharters.com/

Rumores O Verdad
http://www.angelfire.com/ego/estatal_tems/doc/Medico1.html

"Work At Home"
http://www.stormpages.com/realathomejobs/

Bible Timeline
http://www.adamictimeline.com/index.html

Mfour Soft (DK) Personal Computer Support
http://www.mfour.dk/

Tristan's Brain
http://www.colloquis.net/tristan/

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9) Run Microsoft Office On Linux, With No Windows

CrossOver Office ( http://www.codeweavers.com/home/ )from Codeweavers is a new product that's a subset of WINE ("Wine Is Not an Emulator," a free way to run Windows software on UNIX/Linux: http://www.winehq.com/ ).

Using CrossOver Office, you can run Microsoft Office and (Lotus Notes) on a Linux system, without having to install Windows. That's a real convenience, and saves both space and time, as you otherwise have to look at something like a dual-boot system to have both Linux and MS Office on the same PC.

But (you knew there was a "but" coming, right? <g>) CrossOver Office costs $65 on CD ($55 for a download-only version), which is a significant fraction of the cost of just going out and buying a new copy of Windows. Plus, for people who already have Windows (and who doesn't?), the CrossOver office cost is entirely an additional cost, on top of what you've already paid.

Plus, WINE itself is free and already lets you run some Office apps, albeit with varying degrees of stability and compatibility (older versions of Office, such as O97, work better).

There will be cases where CrossOver Office will be a great fit, but because of the pricing, it seems to me to be a niche product, and not the "breakout" utility that will let Linux leapfrog into truly common use.

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10) Just For Grins

"Roger" sent this note, with a subject line of ""Do not stick your finger in the Volcano!"

I am not an ignorant man, but there are times when a person just does not foresee the obvious despite what common sense tells us.

I speak of Thermaltake's Volcano 6cu+ cpu fan & heatsink.

During testing of my temperature alert program, my original intention as I reached blindly toward the Volcano, was to slow the cpu fan below the rpm speed that would trigger an audible warning system.

I failed to realize that the average speed of the little fan was turning at 7,000 rpm.

Amazing what a little piece of plastic can do to a fingertip.

Yes, it hurt

No, the bleeding has not yet stopped

Yes, I learned what I had already known

No, I'll not do that again

In closing, I say... Do not stick your finger in the Volcano!

--- Roger

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights

• Another Free "Desktop Expander"
• Free Backup Tool Modification
• Free MultiLingual Fonts

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 30% more content including: A free tool that lets you "hide unused tray icons and change the logo and text of the Start button... have small modules like calendar and clock running in the taskbar... [and] create multiple virtual desktops." There's also a free reader-modification of our popular backup batch files (this one actually borrows a powerful tool from Unix's bag of tricks!); and a way to get several sets of free fonts that are ideal for sharing information in multilingual documents.

As always, the Plus edition contains no advertising, carries extra content, helps out impoverished kids (see item #5), and more--- all for just literally pennies per issue. Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm 

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See you next issue!

Best,

Fred

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I)

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://www.langa.com.  (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site.

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