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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2005-08-11

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) A Zero-Footprint, "Live CD" Version Of XP

If you ever have to recover files from an unbootable drive or try to bring a dead PC back to life, here's a free, zero-footprint tool you shouldn't be without.

It's a self-contained, CD-based "live" copy of Windows XP. Like the popular "live CD" versions of Linux that can run entirely from a CD-ROM without installing anything on to or making any changes to a system's hard drive, this version of XP lets you boot and run just about any PC without altering anything on the system itself.

The CD-based version is completely self-contained--- you can think of it as a zero-footprint installation of XP--- and yet is "...a complete Win32 environment with network support, a graphical user interface (800x600) and FAT/NTFS/CDFS file system support. Very handy for burn-in testing systems with no OS, rescuing files to a network share, virus scan and so on."

And it's free!

I've been experimenting with it for a while now, and enthusiastically recommend it. So much so, in fact, I devoted a new InformationWeek column to it. It starts with screen shots, showing you what it does and exactly how it looks in operation (on one of my PCs here), and then goes on to provide links and info so you can download the free tools to build your own copy.

This is one of the best, if not *the* best, foundation for a CD-based repair/recovery toolkit I've seen to date. With native NTFS support, plus support for networking, file sharing, and Remote Desktop Connections, it's powerful and flexible, and yet the XP-derived interface makes it familiar and easy to use.

Click for full info on this must-have repair/recovery tool!
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=167100904

The article, like the tool itself, is free!

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2) Copying/Storing Gigantic Files

Fred, I have MANY software programs I have downloaded from the web...  I'd like to put these on CD's.. (currently  filling up a harddrive)..
 
most all the programs are larger than what the CD will hold..  How can I reduce them to place on one CD.  Do not want to image them, then have to go through the processes of converting the image, to install program.
 
sure hope you can understand what I mean. Thanks,  Jack

Some tools and tool suites are indeed quite large, but there are several options for getting them onto a storage medium--- any medium--- where they normally wouldn't fit.

One simple approach is to use a tool like Winzip ( http://www.winzip.com/ ), which can compress the original files and also split the resulting ZIP file into chunks of whatever size you specify. You can then copy the individual pieces to your storage medium--- say, one piece per CD, or whatever.  Later, if you need to access the stored file, Winzip can stitch the separate pieces back into a coherent whole, and then decompress the reconstituted file, getting you the files back in their original size and format.

Of course, you can use any other file compressor (including some free ones: http://www.google.com/search?q=free+zip+compress ). Some of those also allow file splitting, built-in.

There also are many free file splitter tools available, which can work on either the original or compressed files: You use the tool to split the file into pieces sized appropriately for your storage medium, and then (later) use the same tool to reassemble the separate chunks into a working whole again. File splitters:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=file+splitter+free

A unified tool like Winzip makes handling large files easier because everything you need is all in one place. But you can certainly accomplish the same results with free tools, perhaps with just a little less convenience. But either way, compressing and/or splitting the original files into chunks that fit your storage medium gives you the ability to handle and store just about any file on any medium--- even floppies!

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3) RAID Deja Vu

RAID technology, derived from the phrase "Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks," offers several intriguing benefits, prompting some readers to ask about it on a fairly regular basis:

Fred: This Plus subscriber has a question about RAID drives for a home power user. This is how I understand the technology...
 
Dell says RAID 1 (mirroring) writes the same data on two drives.  This results in terrific data integrity, but no faster processing.  If a drive fails, all data and software is still intact on the other drive, so I could be back up and running quickly, with virtually no loss of data.  If the failed drive wasn't replaced immediately, the system would continue on with the working drive.  Or, when the drive was replaced, the system would copy the good disk onto the new disk.
 
RAID 0 (striping) breaks the data into blocks and distributes the pieces to both drives.  This results in faster throughput, since two drives write a given volume of data faster than one.  The disadvantage is a failure on either drive would result in all data being lost, and a more difficult recovery.  I.e., replace the failed drive, recover all software, data, and settings, from another source, such as a [3rd] clone disk.

Should I get a 2nd disk and do weekly clone backups as I do now, or buy RAID (0 or 1) drives? Thanks. Vic Agresti

Your descriptions are fine, Vic, but RAID actually goes much deeper than that, with some 10+ different types and variants of RAID technology. You can get a quick overview here:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAID.html

And, of course, Google has a ton of additional info:
http://www.google.com/search?q=raid+disk

There's nothing inherently wrong with RAID--- it's a proven way to increase uptime and/or to improve throughput. In demanding, high-volume applications, it's a great technology

But I don't think it's all that great for small office and home office applications. For one thing, people tend to think of RAID mirroring as a substitute for backups (after all, all the data is automatically copied to the second hard drive, right?) But whatever takes out Drive 0 may also take out Drive 1. Say, an electrical spike fries the PC's electronics, or a worm or virus corrupts the data. Maybe a fire burns the place down and melts the PC, a flood fills the PC with mud, or a thief carries the PC out the door.... In all these cases, and many others that will occur to you if you ruminate on the possibilities for a minute or two, there is NO BENEFIT AT ALL to having a second, mirroring drive because whatever affects the first drive probably will also affect the second. In these cases, all you've done with RAID is increase the cost and complexity of your PC, while gaining essentially no additional data security whatsoever because your data and its backup both are likely to succumb to the same problem at the same time, leaving you with nothing.

On the other hand, you get near-total data security simply by making a backup and storing it on a 20-cent blank CD in some safe place away from the PC. It's not technologically flashy--- but it works, even if the PC itself and its hard drive are reduced to slag! <g>

And RAID striping? In small offices and home offices, it'd be really, really rare to encounter applications that completely overwhelm standard hard drive technology and demand the kind of sustained speed that RAID striping affords. Of course, if you're CitiBank, and need to process real-time banking info from a million credit-card transactions all at once, that's a different story.... But your PC isn't doing that, and neither is mine. <g>

So: Does RAID work? Yes, absolutely. But I think it's simply overkill on average desktop systems; a poor fit for the real-life demands of most users.

More info:
"RAID Issues"  http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-09-16.htm#1
"Why I Don't Use RAID" http://langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-09-16.htm#2
and http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=RAID&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000

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4) RAM Present But Unaccounted For

Hi, As a long time reader of your newsletter, I have found much great information.

I have a new super pc (for me).  Athlon 64 x2 4200+  I had 2 GB, then ordered 2GB more.  After installing I find that XP Pro (2) as I have it set up only can read 3GB.  Is there a fix for this?  My check of the MS knowledge base has left me a bit frustrated.

Should I ask my vendor to exchange the 2 1GB DIMMS, for 2 512 MB DIMMS?   What good is an MB that can hold 4 GB if XP Pro cannot read that much.  Linux?

Warm Regards, Lou

XP can handle up to 4GB of RAM. Yours is probably a hardware/BIOS issue rather than an OS issue. I'd check the hardware or motherboard site, and explore the BIOS settings. Once the BIOS can see all the RAM, odds are XP will too.

Note too that PCs can be fussy about the order in which RAM is installed. A common black-magic fix for some RAM issues is simply to juggle the RAM sticks around, trying different sticks in different sockets. With identical RAM sticks, this shouldn't make any difference--- but sometimes it does! (It's probably due to very subtle timing differences between and among the RAM sticks, even if nominally identical.)

Similarly, note that PCs can be finicky about which slots can accept what types of RAM (they may look the same but be different electrically); and about even seemingly-small difference in RAM types; and/or mixing RAM types and speeds. Make sure all your RAM truly is identical, and that it matches the specs for timing and positioning that the vendor or motherboard vendor states.

If you've done all that, and if the vendor says that 4GB of RAM should be OK, then the problem may be in the motherboard itself; a warranty issue.

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5) The Right Tool For *You*

Hi Fred, Regarding "Two Problems, Maybe The Same Solution" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-07-21.htm#5 ). I'm a little guy, sole proprietor, PC consulting, repairs, upgrades, disaster recovery, wireless, SOHO networks, etc. In every case when the complaint is "slow" PC, I check for current installs and definitions of Symantec or McAffee products, and when they are not current I recommend un-installing them, and replacing with good, free, non-invasive, stand-alone utilities to accomplish virus protection, firewall protection, adware and spyware protection. In all cases, when the above mentioned products are done away with, the PC instantly performs remarkably better. This includes registry edits to get rid of all references to the products.

The bottom line is this, not every producer does everything well. Remember the days when we would put together a stereo system of modules from different manufacturers? A tuner from X, a turntable from Y, an amp from Z, a mixer from A.... I'm a believer that this concept holds true today in the PC world. I know I'm giving away my age, but I believe the "all in one" solutions are mostly invasive and ultimately take control of our computers away from us the consumer. ---Sam Battles

All-in-one suites do offer one major benefit: Convenience. That's certainly worth something, and for many users, is a compelling reason to use a suite.

But yes, it's rare for any one company to produce the absolute best product in many different categories, so if you're willing to give up a little convenience, you may indeed be able to stitch together a pseudo-suite of your own using the product in each category that you think is best, or that works best on your gear.

And that's another good point: Not all software runs well on all hardware. A program from Vendor X may be great on 80% of the world's PC, but if you're in the other 20%, a different tool may well work better. No tool is right for everyone, all the time.

There are many, many tools from which to choose, so no one should feel locked in. Experiment, and find the tools that're best for *you*: Here's a list of excellent, mostly free, software defenses for a PC. Generally, a PC can befit from having:

one firewall ( Sygate: http://www.sygate.com , Zone Alarm: http://www.zonealarm.com/ , etc.)

one antivirus tool (Symantec/Norton: http://www.norton.com/ , NOD32: http://www.nod32.com/home/home.htm , AVG: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php , AVAST http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html , ClamWin http://www.clamwin.com/ ,etc.)

Multiple antimalware tools ( MS Antispyware: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx , SpywareBlaster: http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html , StartUpMonitor: http://www.mlin.net/StartupMonitor.shtml , WinPatrol: http://www.winpatrol.com/ , AdAware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ , Spybot S&D: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html  ); etc.

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6) Three More Winners!

"k.duerr" "karenskrazyklozet" and "kayd4774" each won a FREE full one-year subscription to the LangaList Plus! edition by using the "Recommend To A Friend" form at http://langa.com/recommend.htm .

You see, each month I choose three winners of a new FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to the LangaList Plus! edition. (Existing Plus! subscribers get their current subscription extended by a full year.) 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! (Full details also available via this link): http://langa.com/recommend.htm

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7) Thumbdrive Security?

Hi Fred - Bought some Crucial Gizmos after reading your articles about flash drives ( http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=22100588 ). Like the drives, despise the security software that comes with them. Finally called Crucial the other day and the tech support guy said that Gizmos no longer ship with any sort of security software (it was all outsourced) since it was so much trouble for them with tech support calls all the time.

Might it be time for another article or at least a brief solicitation for how folks are doing the security thing when using a flash drive and *not* using the OEM provided software? Thanks, Bucky

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8) They Just Keep Coming And Coming...

Well over 4,000 of your fellow readers have "loaded the code." Have you? Check out http://langa.com/code.htm for the details.

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

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

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

Presser's Pages
http://rpresser.blogspot.com/

Microtel Inn, (NM)
http://www.microtelgallup.com/

FWH Consulting (AK)
http://www.fwhconsulting.com/reseller.htm

Karaoke
http://www.karaoke-sales.com/

RJ's Emporium
www.ibizcoach.ws/aff.html

Harmony Within The Family
http://www.geocities.com/fjs3631@sbcglobal.net/

Budapest Bed and Breakfast
http://www.budabab.com/

Magic and Balloon Sculpture (India)
http://www.angelfire.com/me2/puyal/Homepage.html

Spanish property Deals
http://www.spanishpropertydeals.com/contact_us.htm

Steven Gedye's WebSite (NZ)
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/sgedye/front.htm

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

"Hi Fred! I just renewed my Plus! Subscription for the third (or fourth)
year (not sure) and just wanted to say that I still think it is the best
deal in the business... the Langalist Plus is still something I look
forward to each and every week. I really think that it's a bargain
price; every computer user in the world should be reading your stuff!
Loyal Plus subscriber, Mike Derbyshire Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada"

Thanks, Mike!
The Plus! edition is just pennies an issue--- about $1 a month--- but that
small amount is what keeps Langa.Com and this newsletter going.

Get all the details:

http://langa.com/plus.htm

--------------( the above is an advertisement )--------------

9) World Wind

Fred, I was sitting next to a guy on a plane who was running a program on his laptop that had him roaming over Earth as if from a satellite. He told me it was World Wind from NASA - a free and beautiful program. A must-have for educators especially. I can't stop exploring with it. Here's the link: http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/  ---Jerry Hanson

It's a fabulous program, letting you move over the earth's surface and perform virtual flybys. But it's a bear: The download is 180mb and requires 2GB of disk space, a decent/recent 3d video card, and you must be running both .NET and DirectX.

It also needs a pretty fast connection when it's running: "World Wind comes with data you can zoom into. After a certain point, World Wind will begin to download more images automatically."

So---yes, it's a great tool, but it's *very*demanding software. As long as you're OK with that, you'll love it!

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10) Just For Grins

Yes, we're *still* getting good email about the various "IR Troubleshooting Tricks" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-07-25.htm#5 ) we've discussed. <g> Consider:

Hi Fred, Most IR remotes operate with a 455kHz crystal oscillator. Most AM radios operate on 455kHz frequency. That is why if you hold an IR remote close to a AM radio you can hear the pulses. Just tune to spot between stations on the dial. BUT the remote can have a bad IR emitter and still produce the pulses. Another way to check them is with a pair of IR wireless headphones. You can hear the pulses and know the remote is actually putting out an IR signal. Personally I use an IR receiver from a junked TV hooked to my scope and a 12V power supply( newer ones require 5V). That way I can view the pulse train. ---Bill Boyd
(an old TV repairman and Plus subscriber)

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 40% more content including:

• "Other Device: PCI" Won't Install
     (resolving the "yellow question mark" problem)
• Garbled Fonts In IE
     (simple fix avoids hours of frustration)
• Clearinghouse For Update Info
     (dozens of updates tracked in near-real time)
• Rooting Out A New Trojan
     (tracking down, eliminating a new nasty)

The Plus! edition is only pennies per issue, and comes with a MONEY BACK
GUARANTEE from Fred. How can you lose? Check out the details:
http://langa.com/plus.htm

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

The LangaList is published about 72 times a year, or about 6 times a month. See you next issue, 2005-08-15!

Best,

Fred
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!)

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