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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2006-09-18

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

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1) We're Ba-a-a-a-a-ack...

(Tap tap tap) Is this thing on? Can you hear me down in back? <g>

After a longer than expected hiatus, we're finally back. I'm now sitting in my new home at something that resembles a desk, in something that resembles an office, and am ready to restart something that resembles work. <g>

Our move went reasonably well, and we even have most of the cardboard boxes unpacked, although our previous house hasn't sold. With our usual impeccable timing, we decided to sell just as the real-estate market tanked. It *will* sell--- it's a gorgeous location, and the home's in good shape--- but it's gonna take a while. Sigh.

To add to our summer fun, my wife got a new job, and started that a week after we moved. She's doing great; but the new job added some factors to the move we hadn't foreseen. Hey, let's push that stress-o-meter a few notches higher! <g>

Closer to the normal subject matter of this newsletter: The local cable company here in the boondocks is a relatively tiny outfit, and getting connected to the internet was problematic. While waiting for cable, my only option for connecting to the internet was a 33.3Kbps dial-up connection. At one point, I actually stayed online (at 33.3 Kbps) for 30 hours straight, trying to catch up with the email that had accumulated while I was totally offline, but I didn't even come close to catching up. In fact, the new emails arrived at the server at a rate just slightly faster than the rate at which I could pull them down: Each time I thought I'd made progress against the tide of email, my email client would fetch the next batch--- and would find more emails on the server than what I'd started with! It was like trying to drain a swimming pool with a drinking straw--- in torrential rain.

It got worse: Eventually, my server space filled with hundreds of megs of queued email, and the emails started bouncing. My apologies if you were among those whose emails overflowed.

But the local cable guys finally got things sorted out, and I was back online at high-speed. I'll catch up with reader mail this week, so if you've sent in a reader-service or subscription  request, I'll get to it soon, honest!

One of the reasons I can promise to get to it soon is that Mike Elgan has agreed to give me a hand with what has (until now) been a one-man operation. Some of you know Mike from the days when he was Editor at Windows Magazine. He's also been editor at HP World Magazine, HP World News, Inside HP, The Palm Reader, Palm News, Road Tricks, Portable Life News, Laptop Life, BuzzWords, Pocket Windows, Portable Windows and some other print and online publications. (Whew!) Mike and I have worked together very well in the past, and it'll be good to work with him again.

One of the first things Mike's done to attend to a request that many, many of you have asked for over the last couple years; but I just wasn't able to get to: He's set up a daily feed of LangaList items via http://langa.com/blog , and an RSS feed of the same at http://www.elgan.com/blog/rss.xml . Mike's also researching and writing content for the newsletter, too, which will help me a lot in trying to catch up--- and maybe even move ahead--- with all that's left over from the summer.

There are other changes and improvements in the works, too; we'll be rolling them out in the coming issues--- stay tuned!

And, of course, as always, we welcome your feedback on all the changes. No doubt we'll be tuning and tweaking as we go along and, with your input, we'll make things as good as they can be.

On with the show!

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2) How Secure Is Windows Encryption?

Hi Fred. In your newsletter, James spoke about a workaround he found while having problems dealing with a restore and the use of the "make files private" function. As I use an NTFS partition, I have chosen to encrypt the 'My Documents' folder for my standard login on Win2K (Properties/Advanced/Encrypt contents to secure data). The plan was that even if my PC ended up being stolen, no one would be able to read that portion of my disk. I 'double encrypt' the more sensitive stuff using blowfish encryption software and a blowfish encryption password safe. However, your comments about the ability to work around most Windows system security tools has me concerned. I know that even when I'm logged in as an administrator I can't read any of the contents of this folder. Just how secure is the encryption offered by Windows users who are taking advantage of this option?

The documents in your encrypted folders are potentially secure, given your use of both Windows' Encrypting File System and Blowfish for your most sensitive data. These are highly effective encryption algorithms and, if used properly as part of a comprehensive security system, should lock out just about any potential cracker.

A common mistake, however, is that many users embrace secure encryption but don't take other precautions. The files may be secure, but the data in them may not be. Let me explain by analogy.

Someone calls your office and gives your assistant a secret password. She writes it down and hands you the paper. You store that piece of paper in your physical safe. Is the password secure? That depends. Was someone in the room with the caller on the other end of the phone? Was someone listening to your assistant? Was the password dented into the next sheet of paper on the tablet and, if so, where is that sheet? Can you trust the caller to keep the password secret? Can you trust your assistant? Does anyone else have access to the combination of the safe? The piece of paper may be secure, but the password may not be.

File encryption is like that. The encrypted files usually don't start out encrypted. Were they in a Word document that was saved? If so, that data was written to a temp file. Was the original file copied or backed up? If the copy was deleted, it's possible that it can be "recovered" from your hard disk. Was the data e-mailed to you? Found on a web site? Can your password be hacked or guessed?

The best approach is to combine encryption with good password management and security tools that tie up all the loose ends created when your data is making its way to its encrypted state.

I use a program called Privacy Eraser Pro ( http://www.privacyeraser.com/ ), but there are many others. PEP erases temp files, document histories and other "histories," empties Recycle Bin and ties up other security loose ends. It also has a feature that takes all the so-called "empty space"--- which is loaded with fully intact data you have "deleted"--- and wipes it clean with either all "ones," all "zeros" or randomly chosen "ones" and "zeros." You can choose Department of Defense standards (three passes), NSA (seven passes) or Peter Gutmann (35 passes). Privacy Eraser Pro costs $39.95.

It's also a good idea to encrypt entire folders (as you are doing), rather than just individual files. The reason is that as you use files stored in encrypted folders, any temp files generated in those folders during use will also be encrypted. Export certificates and private keys to a USB drive, and keep it hidden somewhere when the computer is not in use.

And whatever tools you use, make sure you're using strong passwords. See "How to Build Better Passwords"
http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=164303537 and the other info here: http://tinyurl.com/m8cr2

And, if you're really serious about protecting your data, these tips just scratch the surface. For Microsoft's Encrypting File System, there are plenty of good ideas and best practices you may want to review on the Microsoft Web site ( http://tinyurl.com/o4shu ) that will help you use Microsoft tools to protect and secure your files.

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3) Installing Old Windows Over New

Fred, I have a Dell Dimension 8000 purchased Nov 2004 which had XP Pro pre-installed. Having had a bout of the dreaded "flashing amber light" Dell sent a technician to my home to replace various hardware items. Unfortunately the techie installed XP Home on the new hard drive which I didn't notice for a few days and though I have received plenty of advice from Dell and via your site about re-installing XP Pro, having read the item at Subject dated2005-08-08 on your site. I am loathe to attempt the process.

Can you give me any assurance that if I re-install with the XP Pro CD that came with the computer I will have a trouble- free setup (bearing in-mind that I will have done a backup of my programs, favorites, email addresses and messages).

I have been a Plus subscriber for a couple of years and look forward to receiving your newsletter immensely.

You're referring to an attempt by another LangaList reader to install an older version of Windows XP Pro on top of a newer version of Windows XP Home. You're asking for my assurance of a trouble-free setup. What I can assure you is that if your version of Pro is older than the installed version of Home, you're likely to have similar problems. ; )

The good news is that it's easy to find out. Simply begin the install process. If Windows is going to gag on an older version of Pro, it will say so very early in the process--- well before anything is added, removed or changed. If no error message pops up, blocking your advance, then you can proceed with a normal installation.

If the install process scolds you for attempting to install a version of Windows that's older than the one already installed, you can "Slipstream" the install (see http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-03-27.htm#5 and http://tinyurl.com/r5mrm ), which is a technique for "rolling your own" new version of Windows by adding patches and upgrades to the older version.

Both these processes--- "Slipstreaming" and installing Pro on top of Home--- are mere time-saving techniques. Remember: You can always choose instead to reformat your disk clean, then install Pro on a virgin disk. Assuming you have a good backup, the only downside to a full reformat is the additional time it takes. the upside is that a fresh install almost always give you a leaner, cleaner, initial setup.

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4) Adware Away--- A Good Start

Fred - Just a simple testimonial for "Adware Away" to remedy very nasty variants of browser hijackers. I have spent hours not only searching for "geek" sites to get rid of a hijacker, but also additional hours with all kinds of potential solutions advanced by many experts. I went to the registry, I went to Windows Services, I went everywhere one might think to go....trying to figure out what the various "experts" were suggesting. But in less than 5 minutes after stumbling across "Adware Away" ( http://www.adwareaway.com ). I now have a fully restored start page, search page, and home page set once again to MY preference instead of some nasty adware forced-page. I would recommend it HIGHLY for those suffering from the absolute plague of many different kinds of hijackers. It really works and it's quite simple to use. It's free for as long as you need it and, of course, "purchasable" thereafter. Although I have solved my vexing hijacker issue, I will definitely register and forward them the purchase price, as I am forever grateful for such a wonderful and easy solution. Keep up your good work with the Newsletter and wizardry you are so well known for. ---Chris G. Echsner

Adware Away is a very good program for removing malware. It does a nice job providing information about what it's going to do--- and what it has done once it's finished. It's also unique in that the company claims it will provide a custom cleaner based on your logs if the generic version doesn't do the trick. I do recommend, however, that you run anti-malware tools from multiple vendors. Each of the better tools has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they tend to overlap in terms of coverage and functionality. It's best to combine tools to cover all potential vulnerabilities. Please see "5 Essential Steps To PC Security " here: ( http://www.informationweek.com/LP/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177100010 )

Also, the current version of Adware Away, version 3.0, will identify problems with the free trial version, but won't fix them unless you pay the $29.95 single-user fee or buy one of the other packages. That's a perfectly reasonable requirement, but one that's different from some previous versions.

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5) "ShellconHiddenWindow" Unmasked

I am a relatively new subscriber to LangaList. I often get the message "ending the program ShellconHiddenWindow" when I turn off my computer. I don't know what this is. I can't find it anywhere. Do you have any ideas as to what it
might be?

Your shutdown issue most likely is caused by a program called MusicMatch Jukebox, which is a music playing application. It might have come with your PC or ISP service (it's called "Dell Jukebox by Musicmatch" when it comes with Dell PCs and "Earthlink Jukebox by Musicmatch" when bundled with Earthlink services). Like many applications, MusicMatch Jukebox loads portions of itself at startup by default--- in this case, an executable called mimboot.exe.

The quickest and easiest way to make your shutdown message go away is to prevent mimboot.exe from loading in the first place. Run MS Config by choosing Run from the Start menu, typing msconfig and clicking OK. Click the Startup tab, deselect mimboot.exe and click OK.

That's the quick fix. A more thorough approach is to uninstall, or re-install, MusicMatch Jukebox.

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6) Three More Winners!

"Mohearn" "acutrona" and "tommyd111" 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) A Better Recycle Bin

Hi, Fred. Is there a way to configure the Recycle Bin so that it frees up disk space as needed, rather than waiting until newer items are deleted (to permanently delete older items)? If it worked that way, there would be no reason not to use a large Recycle Bin, if I understand it correctly. Thanks. ---Russell A. Dewey, PhD

I have good news and bad news.

First, the bad news: There is no way to tweak Windows XP's Recycle Bin so that it auto deletes the oldest items to make room for disk space consumption outside the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin can limit its own growth--- you can tell it how much space you want to limit it too. (Right click on the Recycle Bin, select Properties, and move the slider to indicate how much space you want the Recycle Bin to consume either for all drives in your system or on a per-drive basis.) But the Bin operates without regard for what's happening to disk space elsewhere on the system.

Now, the good news: Norton System Works features a utility called Norton Protected Recycle Bin, which does what you'd like Windows' Recycle Bin to do. Norton Protected Recycle Bin "protects" the files you delete for a user-determined amount of time--- the default is seven days. At the same time, however, it monitors available disk space. If "protected" files interfere with any other disk use, the oldest files are permanently deleted to free up disk space.

The tool is not free or available a la cart, however--- the whole "Works," which includes Norton AntiVirus, Norton Utilities, Norton GoBack, CheckIt Diagnostics, and System Optimizer, costs about $40 on Amazon.com ( http://tinyurl.com/lz52p ) after a $20 rebate. If you're a Norton AntiVirus user anyway, it makes sense to buy the whole Norton System Works and get in on all the other useful utilities -- including Norton Protected Recycle Bin. If, on the other hand, you have no interest in these other utilities, $40 might be a lot to pay for a slightly better Recycle Bin.

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8) They're Still 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

East Devon pc helpdesk
http://www.eastdevonpchelpdesk.co.uk/

Career Help
http://www.itisyourcareer.com/

Joel E. Wilensky
http://www.wilensky.com/

Gerald Hodgson
http://www.ghodgson.co.uk/

Untwisted Vortex
http://www.untwistedvortex.com/

Fillaman's Boutique
http://www.fillamansboutique.com/

Pavel Plasencia
http://tobeperfectlyclear.blogspot.com/

MikPat Enterprises
http://www.mikpat-enterprises.com/

Hand made pottery
http://pottery.shawnmckee.net

New Zealand Real Estate
http://www.nzhomes.co.nz/

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9) More Malicious Malware

Hi Fred, I just came across this article in Yahoo-news ("Spyware Researchers Discover ID Theft Ring" http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1845248,00.asp ).

Until now, it was more a question of privacy issues - monitoring people's surfing habits etc. Now it's a completely criminal issue. The discovery was during an audit of "CoolWebSearch."

>From the article:

"We found the keylogger transcript files that are being uploaded to the servers. We're talking real spyware stuff…chat sessions, usernames, passwords, bank account information, full names, addresses," said Sunbelt president Alex Eckelberry.

Eckelberry said the sophistication of the operation suggests it's the work of a "massive identity theft ring" that used keystroke loggers to grab confidential information that could be used to create fake online identities.

I'm not being dramatic. This is the most repulsive thing I've ever seen. It's very painful to see what's in these log files that are being uploaded in real time. We're seeing a lot of bank information and usernames and passwords to get in.

Eckelberry said the "CoolWebSearch" payload included a typical adware download that immediately scanned the infected machine for e-mails to use for spam runs. It then sets up a "very intelligent keylogger" that looks for very specific information.

"This won't get caught by a typical anti-spyware application," he said, noting that the keystroke logger was able to pick up identity-related data for delivery to the remote server. Scarry stuff indeed. ---Eran Rosenmann

This story is interesting in part because it lays bare three common misconceptions about malware: 1) that viruses and spyware are always created by lone sociopath cyber vandal types or shady advertisement distribution organizations; 2) that you can predict today what tomorrow's malware is going to do to your system; and 3) that one anti-malware solution is going to protect you against all threats.

Increasingly, malware is created and unleashed by criminal organizations out to commit one kind of fraud or another--- in this case, aggressive identity theft. These organizations are locked in an "arms race" against the anti-malware developers, and seek creative new ways to bypass existing defenses.

Although the methods and motives of malware keep changing, the rules of thumb for combating it remain constant: Use a variety of reputable tools, keep them up to date, and stay current with operating system and application software patches and updates. More details: "5 Essential Steps To PC Security" ( http://www.informationweek.com/LP/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177100010 )

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10, 11, 12, 13, 14) Plus! Edition Highlights:

The Plus! edition is only pennies per issue, and contains about 40% more content including:

• Outlook Sends Mixed Messages
     (getting control over weird formatting in sent mail)
• More On Recovering Deleted Photos
     (deleted photos in your camera usually can be recovered)
• Solving Sloppy Startup Syndrome
     (... and preventing cryptic startup error messages!)
• More RAID Caveats
     (you need to know this before you start using RAID...)
• An 'Ultimate' Coincidence
     (reader discovers "awesome" tool)

Join today! Plus! Edition info: http://langa.com/plus.htm 

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Closeouts! Sales Items! Specials!
Low prices made EVEN LOWER!

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15) Just For Grins

Some hungry PC hobbyist in Japan harnessed the power of 30 USB connections, which he claims produces enough energy to cook meat! (The link takes you to step-by-step pictures: http://knuttz.net/hosted_pages/USB-Cooking-20060822 )

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

Most months, the LangaList is is published about 6 times. See you next issue, 2006-09-21!

Best,

Fred and Mike
( FredPlus@Langa.Com ) ( mike@elgan.com )
                     ( Editor@Langa.Com )

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

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://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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This newsletter is a service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2006 Fred Langa / Langa Consulting LLC. All worldwide rights reserved. LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156

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