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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2004-02-23

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) Cool--- And Quiet!  (Part One)

Hi Fred, my cooling fans seem very noisy - I would guess a common complaint - but others I have heard in shops are WAY quieter. Why the difference? ---David [from Canada]

I know exactly what David means. I recently got a new PC that was extremely well designed in most ways--- I love it! (see http://langa.com/u/3e.htm )--- except that two of the system fans made a tick-tick-ticking noise that eventually bothered me enough that I went looking for alternative low-noise replacement fans.

I was surprised to see how little top-quality fans can cost--- often, they're only $7-$10 or so. I also found some extremely innovative heat sink designs, and some rather unusual approaches to pumping heat out of a PC--- quietly! By the time I was done, I'd found several excellent, low-cost solutions to excessive fan noise, and I now have a system that's literally whisper-quiet. It's a real pleasure *not* to hear it!

What's more, parts of my PC now run almost 20F/11C cooler than before, so not only is the system quieter, but it's better ventilated too, which I expect will pay off in increased longevity and reliability.

And finally, along the way I also discovered some very interesting tools for monitoring and managing the temperature inside various parts of a PC. These tools--- some free!--- could be useful to you even if you're happy with your PC's current cooling setup because they can keep you better informed about your PC's health, and can even automatically act to avert disaster in the event that something eventually does go wrong!

We last covered fan noise and PC cooling two years ago http://www.informationweek.com/LP/columnists/langa/2001/06.htm . Much of that article still pertains, and it's a good place to start if you're new to the whys and wherefores of PC cooling. But a lot has changed, too. For example, when that article was written, a top-of-the-line PC ran at 1.2 GHz, while my newest PC today clocks at 3.2 GHz. At speeds like that, today's CPUs pump out a *lot* of heat.

So I've updated that information, and then gone considerably beyond it, in a two part article. Part One is available now at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17701645

In that article, we'll look at the three ways fans cause noise; at airflow through a PC; at heatsink design; and more, including using your BIOS, OS, and free add-on software to monitor and help control exactly what's going on inside the box.

Please click on over to "Cool--- And Quiet! Part One" at http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17701645. See you there!

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2) "File Transfer Wizard" Question

Our coverage of "Transferring Files To A New PC" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-01-29.htm#3 ) and the related "Tools To Transfer Files And Settings" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-02-05.htm#1 ) answered some questions, but raised others, such as this:

Hi Fred, I've been particularly interested in the articles concerning transferring files and settings to a new PC. I just purchased a new motherboard and big hard drive, along with Windows XP Home. Knowing nothing about XP (I've run Win98SE for years), I was wondering if the transfer wizard in XP can handle drive to drive? I'd like to install XP on the new one, then mount the old one as a slave and transfer my old files and settings to the one with XP on it. I've enjoyed Langa List for years and depend on it. Thanks. --- Phil Gentry

Yes it can, Phil. In fact, the Wizard can work through almost any data-transfer medium, including a network, a direct cable connection, CDRs or DVDs, or a hard drive.

In the case of network or direct connections, you start the Wizard on the new XP machine, and it walks you through the process of getting connected, live to the old PC. The Wizard collects the files from the old PC (you have some choice in exactly what does and does not get transferred), sends them through the connection, and sets them up on the new PC.

In the case of transfer-by-disk (CD, hard drive, whatever...) the process is broken down into separate steps. You run a version of the Wizard on the old PC (you can run the Wizard from the XP setup CD, without installing XP); the Wizard collects the files and stores them wherever you specify, sort of like a backup set. You can them physically bring that file set to the new PC on whatever medium you wish. You then run the Wizard on the new PC, and point it at the files you previously gathered from the old PC. It then extracts the files and installs them on the new PC.

The Wizard is actually pretty good at walking you through the steps--- the above is a highly-compressed overview of the process. But the bottom line is that the Wizard can transfer files and settings from an old PC to an XP box via virtually any available medium, including a secondary hard drive.

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3) More On Updating Even Unconnected / Offline PCs!

Our unusual publication schedule for the last couple issues has resulted in some overlap in the appearance of InformationWeek columns--- but all that means is that there's even more feature-length information waiting for you! For example, the piece on "Updating PCs despite Slow Connections" is still available:

If you have access to at least one machine with a decent online connection, you can use that fast PC to update almost any other PC, even if the PCs use different versions of Windows, or if the other PC is in another physical location, and even if that other PC isn't online at all--- no modem, no network, nothing!

What's more, you can use this same method even if you have only one PC: With this technique, if you ever need to reinstall the OS, you'll have the patches for your PC right at hand on your hard drive, and can run them from there without re-identifying and re-downloading everything afresh.

There are three main steps to the process, and a couple of minor "gotchas" you have to be aware of. I've put the whole thing into step-by-step form in a full-length article posted now at InformationWeek.Com: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17603160

Don't let a slow connection tempt you into running an unpatched or unprotected PC--- and don't let your friends on slow connections do so, either! With the information in this article, you can work around even the worst bottlenecks and still keep any PC fully up to date!

Click to:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17603160 !

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4) Download Speed Confusion

Fred, I have a question that would probably interest many other of your readers.

When I check my download speed with a service like speed-test.net or bandwidthplace.com I usually get something like 50K to 80K.

But when I actually download a file, it is usually around 4K to 8K.

From experience, the lower figure seems to be the real one.

What, then, does that number given from the test sites really mean? Why such a large difference?

Appreciate your letter, and your help, very much. Jose Young

It can be confusing, Jose, because different tools can be sloppy about what unit of measurement they're using to report the speed.

Classically, modem speeds were measured in bits per second. or, when things got faster, kilobits per second.

But some sites, and some built-in browser speed measurements, report the speed in bytes or kilobytes per second.

There are usually eight bits to a byte, so a speed report of 50 kbits/sec is exactly the same as a report of 6.25kbytes/sec.

Supposedly, the abbreviation Kb stands for kilobits, and KB stands for kilobytes, but that's a subtlety that's often ignored. If all a site reports is "kb," you're left to figure out for yourself which unit is being used.

As a simple rule of thumb, when you get a suspect speed number, try multiplying or dividing by eight: If your answer is then in the range you originally expected, you've solved the problem: it's just confusion of units of measurements, and not an actual connection problem!

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--- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) ---

"Thank u, Thank u, thank u for the archives! Saved me again. Had trouble connecting to the internet after changing my IP address. Checked cable box, internet options, rebooted, ect. Until I remembered the archives. Looked it up and after the third newsletter, boom, there it was.  Zone Alarm Pro hadn't recognized the new network. In 3 mins.,  I was back surfing. Thanks again, Lucy"

Glad you found it useful, Lucy! The Plus! Archives are indeed offered free
to Plus! subscribers; the archives place the full content
of every LangaList ever published--- Standard and Plus! editions---
right on your local hard drive.

It gives fast answers to any question
we've ever covered in the last seven years!

Get all the details on The LangaList Plus! Edition, (and the Archives!):

<a href=" http://www.langa.com/plus.htm ">Click!</a>

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5) Wireless Networks and Cordless Phones

Hi Fred, Although I do not have the knowledge and experience that many of your readers do, I always manage to learn something from your excellent newsletters.  They have brought me some very good information that is priceless.
 
I have installed a wireless network for two computers in my home. Both are sharing a router and working fine. I was warned not to use my cordless phone near my router, but no one has been able to tell me why. Does it interfere with radio waves?  I have searched the internet to no avail. Perhaps other readers also have this question. If you could provide an answer it would really be appreciated.
 
Thanks for all the great information. ---Kay

Many cordless, portable phones operate in the 2.4 GHz range, the same radio spectrum used by 802.11b Wi-Fi networks. If two wireless devices try to operate on the same frequency, they may interfere with each other. You may hear noise--- "static"--- on the phone, or may experience a slowdown of the wireless data network.

But not all devices are equally vulnerable. For example, older portable phones operate at lower frequencies, and are actually less likely to cause Wi-Fi interference.

It also depends on proximity and layout. If the phone or base station is near the wireless network's access point or laptop/desktop; or if one of the wireless devices comes between the send/receive points of the other device, then the chances of interference go up.

There are other factors, too: Badly-shielded microwave ovens also can cause a problem, for example, as can some kinds of dimmer switches for lights. But with a little care in where you place your wireless access points (ie away from competing devices), you'll probably be OK. Here, for example, I have a wireless network in a house with several portable phones, a microwave oven, and several dimmer switches. I've never had a problem with interference.

Interference is real and *can* happen, but that doesn't mean it *will* happen. <g>

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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 one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

Check out the details at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm  . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7) Grab It While You Can

This is sure to test the bandwidth limits of this server, so I suggest you either grab this right away, or plan on waiting a few days, and trying it later:

Fred: Like many subscribers to your list I've been disappointed at the sneaky way in which the jv16 Power Tools have been converted into shareware. I have reverted to using the original freeware RegCleaner, which is still out there (though not on the jv16 site!), e.g. at
http://www.worldstart.com/weekly-download/archives/reg-cleaner4.3.htm Probably a good idea for people to get a copy asap! Best wishes John

Thanks, John!

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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

Bartell Online
http://www.bartellonline.com/

Mrs Peter's School Pages
http://pages.infinit.net/speters/

Icicle Planet
http://tinyurl.com/2vnkx

Arnie's Good Living
http://www.scalpati.us/

InterPowow
http://tinyurl.com/29reo

Ottawa ESL Courses
http://www.eslottawa.com/eslcomputers.html

Cybiko Development
http://www.cydevr.net/

Derrick Walters
http://www.derrickwalters.com/derrick.htm

Diesel Fuel Injection Performance Center
http://home.comcast.net/~genelouthan/

BGB Web Design And More
http://www.bgbenterprises.net/

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9) Free "Boot And Nuke"

In "Gone, But Not Deleted" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-02-09.htm#2 ) we discussed how easy it is to recover even supposedly "deleted" files. And in "How Can *Overwritten* Data Be Recoverable?  ( http://www.langalist.com/Plus/newsletters/2004/2004-02-16plus.asp ) Plus readers saw an explanation of how data can be recovered even after it's been written over several times.

But here's a tool that can overwrite data many, many times, helping to ensure that old data becomes all but impossible to recover:

Hi Fred. While browsing http://computergripes.com  (an interesting site in itself) I found reference to an item known as "Darik's Boot and Nuke" which may be useful for readers who want to obliterate rather than delete files. It's available for download at http://dban.sourceforge.net/, along with information and it's FREE!. There are also links to other disk-wipers. --ken dooley

Thanks, Ken!

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10) Just For Grins

Hi Fred: The Microsoft web site is vast. It's amazing what can be found when you plumb it depths...why, you can even find American folklore:
 
"Paul Bunyan: The Story of Paul Bunyan"
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=152698
 
Thanks for the LangaList Plus. ---Steven Lesser

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• Cool BLOG + Free Tools
      (lots of free and interesting stuff!)

• Two "Services" Questions
      (what's needed at install? at other times?)

• Shape Of Things To Come?
      (new pc tech looks like a special effect, but is real!)

Access to over 100,000 additional words in special features, extra content and private links, all on a private web site--- plus 30% more content in every issue, for just a dollar a month!

Full Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm

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PLEASE NOTE:
Due to a death in Fred's family,
the next issue will mail on: Mar 1

(Give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition!
Click <a href= " http://www.langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

See you next issue!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

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