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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2002-05-13

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) Small Acronyms, Big Helps

The computer industry uses so many abbreviations there’s even a recursive abbreviation used to describe abbreviations: TLA, meaning "Three Letter Abbreviation." Some TLAs--- CPU, RAM, USB, LCD and myriad others--- are so widely used that you almost never hear them expanded to their full form.

Other TLAs may be less familiar, but they’re still worth knowing about. In fact, InformationWeek.Com has just posted a new column on three TLA technologies that I've come to utterly depend on: KVM, UPS and CDR. Probably just about everyone's heard of the latter two, but the first one, KVM, may be new to many people.

These three TLA technologies exist separately but figure prominently in my daily work routine. One makes working with more than one PC vastly simpler; one keeps my PC's electronics safe; and one makes my data all but bulletproof.

Please come check out the article at http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020509S0005 , and then join in the discussion! What are your experiences with KVMs, UPSes and CDRs? What brands or types have you tried, and what were the results? What other devices and technologies--- three-letter abbreviated or not--- are in flux and worth a look? See you there!

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2) Real-Life Example Of WPA Rinning Amok

I don't want to beat an expired equine, but every time I mention trouble with Windows Product Activation, I get email from readers who say I'm nuts: that WPA is forgiving enough not to be an issue for people performing normal maintenance. Supposedly--- this is what Microsoft says--- you can alter or replace major subsystems in your PC without having to re-Activate your XP software. Certainly something like changing a floppy drive shouldn't trigger WPA, right?

Dear Fred, In your latest issue You discussed problems with Windows activation. I have a real problem with the WPA.

I had an IDE device go belly-up. In the process it corrupted my main hard drive to the point that I had to reload my OS. It wasn't to hard because I backup my hard drive every night before I go to bed.

When XP ran for the first time after my re-installation, WPA was invoked. All I did was remove the LS-120. So I went through the procedure of having to call Microsoft and read them this long number. They in turn read me back this long number and Windows was working again...For about 2 weeks.

Then my CD-Burner went belly up. Yeah, It corrupted my hard drive. Even worse than what the LS-120 did. So I am back using Windows 98. I intend to stay with Windows 98. My next Operating System will more than likely be OS-10 and you know what computer that runs on. Thank you, Roy Dan Cooper

It's another case of unintended consequences, where dependencies and interrelations among hardware can have an effect unanticipated by the folks at Microsoft.

This kind of pebble-in-the-shoe annoyance is really a shame, because XP (tuned properly and running on newer hardware) is very nice. But just as a tiny pebble in your shoe can ruin an otherwise enjoyable hike, WPA--- besides being ineffective and poorly done--- adds a completely unnecessary annoyance to using XP.

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3) "Weird Problem" Solved!

In "Weird Problem" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-05-09.htm#5 ) I wrote about a reader query that had me stumped: A PC's system clock was losing time for no obvious reason. I gave some general advice, and then asked if other readers might know better answers.

I got a flood of email covering a wide range of issues--- some of which I'd never heard of, but many of which turned out to be exactly--- and I mean *exactly*--- right:

See: http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1060115   It's called "Why does my computer lose time in the Microsoft Windows XP operating system?" I followed these instructions and it works OK. --- Richard Schrafel

I recently purchased a new Dell and had the same problem. Searching Dell's support site I found a patch to cure the problem. Below is the only explanation on Dell's website, so I have no idea what the problem is or what the cure is. The patch did take care of my problem: "Description: Dell Time Keeping Utilty.  Dell systems with factory installed Microsoft Windows XP Pro or Home may lose time. Time loss rate has been reported as high as a 20 minute loss per hour...." --- Randy Palmer

In your newsletter today, a reader wrote about their clock being off with Windows XP. An interesting note is that Dell had a this problem with computers shipped with XP preinstalled. They have a patch at
http://support.dell.com/us/en/filelib/download/index.asp?fileid=R40111 --- Yeager

About Jonny Lieberman's BIOS timing problem He didn't indicate whether he had an OEM system or not, but I know that Dell offers an update for their Dimension 8200 systems that corrects a time problem. It can be found at ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/utility/time.exe  .[Note: This is an alternate download location for the same file mentioned previously.] --- Eric Ellenberg

Hi Fred, In regard to the weird problem in the latest newsletter, I had the same problem with my new Dell. I went through all the steps and found it to be the Windows system (XP Pro). Never found exactly what the problem was, but in my research I found other Dell users with the same problem. There happened to be a download fix on the Dell site. There was an instruction file and a batch file in the download. The batch file contains these commands:

@echo off
@cmd /c net stop w32time
@cmd /c w32tm /unregister
@cmd /c w32tm /unregister
@cmd /c w32tm /register
@cmd /c net start w32time

I never really thought much about it after it fixed a very annoying problem, especially when I was late to pick up my kids one day. Looks like some type of registry problem. Anyway, I have attached the files. I am not sure if they apply to the case mentioned in the newsletter, but the problem he describes is exactly the same. --- Paul M Ruzicka

Many readers also knew about a conflict between Dell's OEM installation of XP Pro and Norton Internet Security/Antivirus: This conflict also causes the clock to lose time. The fix is to update part of the Norton software via the link at
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/1998092408260806 . Others suggested this link, which gives an indication of how widespread clock problems are on the Dell 8200 line: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=dell+8200+problems

So the problem clearly seems to be with Dell system clocks. In fact, the only thing in the Microsoft KnowledgeBase that looked even vaguely similar was http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q311884 , dug up by reader "Dave S." But that problem is incredibly specific: The XP system-tray clock can jump by an hour under certain conditions "... if your original time zone was set to '(GMT-06:00) Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey.'"

I sent all this info to Jonny Lieberman, the reader who originally had asked for help. He wrote back:

Yep. It is a Dell. XP Pro pre-installed. About five months old. Plus my power supply is regulated. Plus, all three of my other machines have perfectly functioning clocks. None are Dells. One is a Frankenstein with XP Pro that I installed myself. 20 minutes an hour sounds exactly right. I'll start playing with the patches. And, your readers are amazing. What a group! -Jonny-

I agree! There's probably no PC problem that you folks can't collectively solve. <g>

Thanks to all who wrote in!

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4) "RadLight" Malware Deactivates Spyware-Removal Tool

It's like an arms race: Bad Guys produce spyware or other malicious software ("malware"). Good Guys then design tools to combat the bad software. Then the Bad Guys update their malware to outfox the good software; on and on. Sigh.

Fred, Love your newsletter, and I'm on my second year of the Plus edition which is worth every penny! You have discussed "malware" in the past - software that intentionally does bad things to your system - but this is the worst I have ever heard of! A program called RadLight is a horrible piece of Malware that deletes programs designed to detect it. If you install RadLight version 3.03 on your computer, it will search and destroy the anti-spyware program Ad-Aware ( http://www.winxpnews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=020430SE-AdAware ). Keep up the good work! Matthew Broc

Thanks, Matthew. Ad-Aware is, of course, the excellent anti-spyware tool available from http://www.lavasoft.nu/ . The Lavasoft people also discuss Radlight on their page: http://www.lavasoft.nu/latest.html .

The new versions of Radlight still try to wipe out Ad-Aware, but at least Radlight now informs you that it's going to do so, instead of doing so on the sly.

Still, you couldn't *pay* me to run Radlight now.

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5) Worth Tuning?

In a recent issue, about "CPU Use," I suggested that some simple tuning could reduce the amount of horsepower that XP and WinME want to claim for themselves. I detailed the tune-up steps for XP in http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20011204S0009, and for ME in http://content.techweb.com/winmag/windows/features/merunbetter/default.htm .

Reader Mark Winthrop had already tuned his copy of XP pretty well, but then he tried the additional steps:

I tried your tips on an XP machine with a 233 Mhz MMX Pentium I felt was well tuned and running well despite being theoretically borderline for XP use. Before making the changes it used 8-18% CPU resources, after the changes it uses 7-8%. Well worthwhile. It was especially the "hidden devices" that made the differences. kind regards, Mark Winthrop of Copenhagen, Denmark

I can't stress this enough: If you're running ANY copy of Windows and find it unstable, sluggish or otherwise not performing well, try a tune up. While different versions of Windows run differently and afford different degrees of stability, EVERY version of Windows can be made to run well with a little basic maintenance. There's no reason for you to have to struggle with poor performance or frequent crashes.

In addition to the above, Windows9x users will find a ton of tuneup info at http://www.freetune.com/most_popular_pages.htm , too.

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6) Is This Information Useful?

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to recommend the LangaList--- your friend may find a new source of useful information and you just may win $10,000 for your trouble (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. (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm

Either way, thank you, and good luck!

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7) K l e z Worms From People You Never Heard Of?

A number of readers have been concerned about getting k l e z-infected emails from apparent strangers: "How did they get my email address?" is the most common question.

Phil Gold was first to point to the answer in an email he called "Why we get k l e z From people we never heard of:"

This links explains why we are getting all these K L E Z emails from people we never heard of. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,52055,00.html

"..Once active on a computer, Klez searches for [any] files containing e-mail addresses. It randomly selects one as the "sender," and then transmits e-mails with attachments containing the virus to the rest of the collected addresses... "

So, K l e z can spread by the "friend of a friend" method. Thanks, Phil

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8) Over Two Thousand, And Counting...

Over two thousand of your fellow readers have "Loaded the code." Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join them! (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

ElectroZine
http://www.lndweb.com/ezine.html

BlueRope (meta search)
http://www.bluerope.com/

Regal Products (Canada)
http://members.shaw.ca/regalgreetings/

MagneticMedia
http://www.surfsites.net/magneticmedia/webdes.html

Dimberts
http://www.dimbert.net/judiseth/index.stm

South West Coast Path
http://www.roycasement.com/

Judson Development
http://www.judsoncompany.com/index.htm

Cheap Web Hosting
http://www.cheapwebsitehosting.org/

Alder's website (Canada)
http://www.thealders.net/

Cold Lake Computer Services Inc (Canada)
http://fp.coldlakecomputers.ab.ca/

Oak Run Computer Club
http://freepages.computers.rootsweb.com/~jdill26/

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9) Free LangaList Plus! Subscriptions--- For Life!

Help! Uncle! I give up! <g>

As the LangaList newsletter has grown, the time needed to manage the infrastructure--- the four versions of the newsletter, the four web sites--- has grown accordingly. That's fine, except that there are only a finite number of hours in the day. As a result of the time-crunch, several long-term projects (including a long-planned update and revision of BrowserTune) have languished. At the current rate of progress, it'll take way too long for me to finish the overhaul of BrowserTune.

In case you don't know, BrowserTune is a series of tests: One set ( http://www.browsertune.com/bt2kfast/ ) runs in 2-5 minutes (including human reading/input time) and gives you a quick-and-dirty snapshot of the health (or lack thereof) of your browser and your Internet connection.

Tests in the second series ( http://www.browsertune.com/bt2kfull-2/ ) can be run singly or all together. There's more manual intervention and interpretation involved and so running these tests--- which include everything from very basic tests to very sophisticated ones--- takes longer. Together, both sets of BrowserTune tests let you see if your browser and Internet connection are up to snuff.

There are some 300 tests in all. I've been slowly updating the tests behind the scenes here, but haven't gotten anywhere near as far as I'd like. Some of the tests point to third-party sites that have gone dark or moved. Some of the tests focus on browser features that once were important but now are less so. Some newer browser features aren't tested at all by the current BrowserTune.

Final factoid--- although you may already know the above, I'll wager you don't know this: The banner ads on the BrowserTune site defray only a small portion of the costs of running that site (web hosting, bandwidth, etc.): The BrowserTune site doesn't make a dime. I operate it as a service to you--- the readers of my newsletters--- and I personally absorb the majority of the costs of operation.

That's fine too, but it's also why there's no budget to go out and hire programmers to do what I no longer have the time to do myself. <g>

You can probably see where this is going: I'd like to ask for your help. Here's what I'm looking for:

I'd like to find volunteers, each of whom would take over one or more of the BrowserTune tests. That way, no one person will have an unreasonable workload in maintaining BrowserTune; and the whole thing can be refreshed and kept up to date much more easily. Of course, it'd be fine for someone to do more than one test, and an ambitious person could even take over an entire section of the tests. But even just helping with one test would be good..

In some cases, all that'd be necessary would be to refresh the existing test. In other cases, it'd involve a wholesale redoing of an existing test. And in some cases, it'd be starting from scratch with a brand-new test.

What's in it for you?

For one thing, every test page done this way will carry the byline--- the name and (optionally) a URL, if you want to provide one--- of the person or group who maintains the test page. People would know--- and appreciate--- what you'd done.

For another, whatever code or test you develop still is yours to do with as you please. If you create a kick-butt test that gains exposure on BrowserTune and in doing so opens doors to a money-making opportunity for you, great! Your code is yours to develop, resell, and do whatever else you wish with it: You own it, not me.

Third: I'm hoping this will be fun--- a gigantic collaboration spanning the globe. You'll be part of that!

Fourth, everyone who submits a test that I use will get a free lifetime subscription to the LangaList Plus! edition--- your lifetime, mine, or that of the List, whichever comes first. <g> I truly have no idea how long that will be, but for however long it is, you'll be in, free.

Want to join Team BrowserTune? Please check out the additional information at http://www.browsertune.com/free_langalist_plus.htm .

Thank you!

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10) Just For Grins

First, attribution for the wonderful "Help Desk song" that appeared in the last issue: Several reader wrote to say it was written by Aaron Axline, who published it in his ByteBack Newsletter on April 23. http://newsletters.cramsession.com/Newsletters/NewsletterArchive/ByteBack/april23-2002byteback.html
Thanks to all who wrote in!

Second, and on a completely different note, reader Sandra Eichas sends along these "Bumper Stickers for Ladies." Hmmmmmm.

So many men, so few who can afford me.

Coffee, chocolate, men ... Some things are just better rich.

Don't treat me any differently than you would the queen.

I'm out of estrogen and i have a gun.

Warning i have an attitude and i know how to use it.

Of course i don't look busy...i did it right the first time.

Do not start with me. You will not win.

All stressed out and no one to choke.

How can i miss you if you won't go away?

Don't upset me! I'm running out of places to hide the bodies.

If you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen.

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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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