Sarasota PC Monitor

Review Chairmans Industry Comments (06/01)

Reviewing Software

by Herb Goldstein, Review Editor

E-mail comments, suggestions, etc. to Herb Goldstein at: revieweditor@spcug.org

I FEEL YOUR PAIN, but there is little I can do to help you if you try one of the suggested references or Web links in this column and find it doesn't work for you. Please remember that in most cases I am just passing along information that I have become privy to from one source or another. I can't vouch for the effectiveness of these sources except to say that they are as high grade and reliable as I can determine.

Frequently, the problem lies with the capabilities of the individual users or the eccentricities of their own computers. Sometimes a Web site is down or changed completely. Sometimes a URL is no longer valid. Often the problem lies with the particular users' inexperience. Perhaps your individual computer's preferences are set in such a way as to prevent you from logging on to a particular URL or attaining a specific result. I recently tried to follow several hyperlinks from a reliable vendor via my primary browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5. The results were constant error messages, "Page not found." I entered the same URL in my secondary browser, Netscape, and it worked just fine and instantaneously. Go figure!

A member notified me recently that the method we recommended for eliminating the user password on startup did not work for him. He had to call Microsoft who advised him to rename his .PWL file. For most users, my advice worked perfectly well. It didn't for him. So if it doesn't for you, please save yourself the time and the phone call to me.

Another had a problem with a hardware device we reviewed. I have no way of knowing how efficiently the device or its accompanying software was installed or the thousand and one pre-existing peculiarities of the individual's computer that may present problems. Please also remember that a reliable vendor offers a 30-day money back if not satisfied guarantee. Inquire carefully before you buy anything.

Many vendors provide NO refund for software. Others who do provide a software guarantee refuse to honor it if the box has been opened. They don't explain how you are supposed to examine the software without opening the box. Most vendors suggest you return the software to its publisher for whatever their guarantee (if they have one) provides. In all cases, if you don't firmly establish refund policies and procedures before you buy, don't complain afterward!

SOME XP ADVICE. By the time you read this, Microsoft's new operating system, Windows XP, will either be here or well on its way. Many of you have asked my advice. Not too long ago, you did the same when Windows ME hit the streets. I warned you of it's incumbent problems. Some of you listened and saved yourselves many headaches. On the other hand, quite a few ignored my advice and came to regret it. Now we're right back in decisionland once again so be smart and listen to this grosfader's wisenspouten. SIT TIGHT! And I am going to do the same. If you are buying a new machine and XP is already installed, that's fine. If you plan to upgrade your current operating system, WAIT! You may be better off just leaving things alone. And according to the compatibility of your current hardware, you may not have much choice but to do just that.

Windows XP sports the Windows 2000/NT kernel which will be more reliable and crash-proof. It will also have some enhanced multimedia functions, but it carries considerable negative baggage that for a very large percentage of users may provide a good deal more harm than good. Here's some examples:

  1. Unless your computer is a Pentium III of recent vintage with a hefty hard drive, Internet access, and at least 128 MB of RAM, forget it! The hardware requirements for this new OS are heavy. Best performance is obtained from a processor of at least 500 MHz.
  2. The copy protection scheme built into XP is an abortion. You can do one installation on one machine only. And if you make changes to that one machine that causes XP to no longer recognize it, you will be out of luck or at Microsoft's mercy.
  3. Compatibility to your current hardware and software will be a major issue. Unless you are running Windows 98 currently, chances are you will not be able to upgrade to XP. Windows 95 users will unfortunately be out of luck.

These are things we currently know from the beta editions of XP that were tested over many months now. There may be other problems as well that will come to light only after its release and evaluation by the various computer periodicals. I will be following the reports and words of wisdom very carefully and report back to you what I have discovered. In the meantime, I have learned to live comfortably with Windows 98 and, as with an errant child, I know and live comfortably with all the things it will and will not do. I have no intention of screwing up my machine with anything incompatible, undesirable or controversial, and I suggest you do the same. The jury is still out. WAIT!!!! When the reviews and evaluations are in, only you can decide how the pros and cons add up for you.

The story would be incomplete if we did not point out that every coin has two sides. While XP has definite drawbacks, it needs be said that it also has some attractive advantages that include:

Microsoft is aiming to get the final version of Windows XP out in the summer, but if it misses its target, the software company may delay the operating system's launch until next year, several PC makers and analysts say. Much depends on whether the company can meet its target date for releasing the Windows XP final, or gold, code to computer makers.

BY-PASS CD AUTOSTART. Hold down the Shift key while you insert the disk to bypass the CD-ROM AutoRun feature. This is an invaluable tool when you have to remove a disk during installation (to read the CD key, for example), then reinsert the disk.

MS AUTO UPDATE. My favorite tipster, E_Mazing's Michael Vincent has some words of wisdom about Microsoft's automatic update feature in Windows ME. According to Mike, if you're sitting at your PC surfing and your computer suddenly begins to whirl and click; your modem comes to life and begins to download some files. What's going on here? Is it a virus? Hacker attack? Aliens? Most likely it is a feature of Windows that allows Windows to automatically scan the Microsoft Internet Update Website for new updates and automatically download them to your PC.

Sound nice? Well, if you're using a 56K modem and need every single bit, then having a download occur at an inopportune moment can be very annoying. To control this process, go to the Control Panel and select the "Automatic Updates" icon. In Windows Me, it's standard; in previous versions, it's not. If you have this icon, click it and it will open a dialogue box that will allow three options. The first option is the default, and is why you're getting unsolicited data.

The second and third options give you the control. The second option will tell you if an update is available and allow you to control whether the update is downloaded or not. This feature is nice, but your system will still access the Web to see whether an update is available.

The third option is my favorite. Windows will attempt no updating or scanning at all. You must manually go to Microsoft's Web site and download any updates. This gives you full and total control over accessing the Internet for updates to your system. TRY TRAYKILLER, available as freeware for Windows at the following site: 95/98/NT/2000 at http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~reichler/TrayKiller/index.html .

This program shuts down or restarts all running programs (or any you select) so that you can install programs or do maintenance chores "clean" with one click. It takes a little tinkering to get it to do just what you want, but it's very well documented and extremely useful.

POWERDEFRAG LITE is available as freeware at http://www.powerdefrag.com . This program enhances the Windows 9X Disk Defragmenter by rebooting your computer and running the defragmenter at a point during reboot when nothing but Windows itself has kicked in instantly solving all problems with interference from antivirus programs, screen savers, and such. Plus, defragmentation goes very quickly in that mode.

ERASER, available for free at http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser . This program completely removes sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it, not just "deleting" it. You can chose among several methods of erasure, and the very complete documentation provides excellent guidance.

TRACK DOWN DLL's. You can search any DLL files from many MS programs and know which version came with which application. http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/fileversion/dllinfo.asp

CAN THE CAN-CAN. Ever get waylaid by a Website that hits you with a video of some sexy chic dressed revealingly in a Kleenex tissue and performing gyrations to some rhythm other than Lawrence Welk? And you try to close out of it but nothing seems to work.

Don't panic or reach for your Viagra. Just do a CTRL-ALT-DEL and select "End Task" on the offensive choice.

A TRIO OF QUICK REFERENCE JEWELS. ZDNet Downloads offers three great reference tools that'll let you research anything you can name, and all without leaving the Website you're currently on. You'll find them at zdnet.com/downloads.

  1. BABYLON puts an amazing amount of information right at hand. You just click on a word or type it in, choose the kind of information you want about it (such as encyclopedic information, sports information, and so on), and presto, the information is there. This unique program started as a language translation program, and will still do that, but now offers hundreds of other sources of information as well. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)
  2. ATOMICA does similar things-hold down the Alt key and click on any word in any Windows document, not just in your browser, and you'll get immediate access to a Web-based dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and translation tools relating to the word. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)
  3. FLYSWAT rounds out the trio. It analyzes the Web page you're on and automatically creates links to words that you might be interested in. So a company name might have links to pages with company information, stock quotes, product reviews, SEC filings, and similar information. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

VUEPRINT PRO UPGRADE. You may recall that in April of last year, we reviewed in the Monitor what we considered (and still do) the finest graphics viewer around, VuePrint Pro. It's shareware that you can try free for a while before buying. Recently upgraded, VuePrint 7.7b and VueScan 7.0.15 are now available for downloading. Both are free upgrades for anyone who previously paid $40 to register either VuePrint or VueScan. For those of you who are long-time VuePrint users, you may not have heard of VueScan. It's a program for producing high-quality scans using most film scanners and many flatbed scanners. According to Ed Hamrick, "It's free for registered VuePrint users, even those who registered back when I first started Hamrick Software in 1994.

I really appreciate all the people who supported me by registering VuePrint, and this free license for VueScan is a small token of my appreciation."

To discover more about VuePrint Pro, go to www.hamrick.com

WEATHER WATCHERS who want to stay on top of the latest weather forecast-or want to find out the weather halfway around the world-find there's no better way to do it than to use downloadable software. Just go into ZDNet Downloads and you will find three great weather watchers:

  1. WEATHERBUG is a free program that offers up-to-the-minute weather conditions and forecasts. You'll get current conditions, local forecasts, five-day forecasts, weather alerts, radar images, and even real-time Webcam images from local highways. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)
  2. WEATHERALOUD is a weather watcher with a twist: In addition to finding local forecasts for you, it can also read them out loud. You can select which parts of the forecast you're interested in hearing or choose Random Play to have the program check various forecasts from around the world. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)
  3. EARTHNAVIGATOR displays a globe of the world. Click any place on it, and you'll get the local weather, as well as maps and other local information. (Shareware/Win95-98-NT)

AMD PULLS OUT ITS 'CLAWHAMMER' Advanced Micro Devices has taken the wraps off its plans for a line of a new processors. The first of this is "Clawhammer." Its significance: It will be only 105 square millimeters-about half the size of Intel's current Pentium 4 chips-but will deliver more than three times the clock speed of AMD's first Athlon. Better yet, the chip's diminutive size will increase manufacturing yields, thus helping AMD to keep its margins up and its prices down. Sample versions of Clawhammer will be made available to PC makers in the fourth quarter.

Not to be outdone, Intel will be moving to new manufacturing processes that will make the Pentium 4 smaller and more cost-effective, too. So we can't make too much of Clawhammer in terms of the AMD-Intel rivalry. This may be most significant as a sign that AMD will remain a vital competitor to Intel-and, as we've learned, that's good for all of us.

INTERNET EXPLORER 6 ADVICE. Lots of users have downloaded IE 6 beta from Microsoft's site. Our advice is don't. Too many bugs and glitches have been reported that may (?) be eliminated when the final of Windows XP hits the streets.

A GREAT SPACE-SAVER. IBM will soon release a Pentium 4 version of its NetVista PC that will house its innards in a flat-panel monitor itself.

NETSCAPE MAY RISE AGAIN. There's good news for Netscape enthusiasts. AOL Time Warner is quietly testing software that could end exclusive support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser in future versions of its online services, signaling a growing fissure in an already strained relationship. The software, code-named Komodo, would allow AOL Time Warner's America Online and CompuServe services to support multiple Web browsers, including AOL Time Warner's Netscape products.

HARDWARE ENTHUSIAST? Experienced users who want the latest technical hardware info and news should make regular visits to www.tomshardware.com.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE. German researchers are developing new types of power cells that could eliminate the need to recharge mobile devices. Casio, Siemens and other manufacturers of handheld computers and cell phones are already building prototype devices that use the new power cells. The plan is to replace rechargeable batteries in mobile devices with a miniature version of the hydrogen fuel cell used to power electric cars.

SELF-HEALING COMPUTERS. IBM has embarked on a new multibillion-dollar effort called eLiza to build computer systems that can fix themselves while problems are in the early stages. The effort is an attempt to bring some of the self- healing abilities of living creatures to the brittle world of computers, where component failures can bring down larger systems and ripple across a network to other computers as well.

IT'S WORTH REPEATING. For a full checkup of your computer and discovery of what may be ailing it, go to pcpitstop.com. You will get a complete printout of whatever problems this online diagnostic gem can find.

REDUCE "BUFFER UNDERRUN" errors when writing a CD. You can reduce the chance of buffer underrun errors if you start with fast hardware, keep your hard drive defragmented, record your discs from a disc image file (see below) on your hard drive, and make sure that all background programs (including screen savers) are not loaded or running. If none of this works, you may have to reduce your record speed so that the continuous data stream from your computer can keep up with the demands of the drive. Just because the recorder can record at 4X or 8X, doesn't mean that your computer can spit bits that fast.

USING A DISC IMAGE to save time If you're going to write multiple copies of a single CD, you'll save time if you make a disc image (copy) of the CD on your hard drive from which you can quickly burn multiple discs at the fastest speeds your drive and media allow. Otherwise, you'll have to burn in real-time every time you burn straight from CD.

SUBSCRIPTION INFO to computer and most other magazines at the lowest prices we've seen is available free and without obligation at the software review table on meeting nights.

CLOSE APPLICATIONS when writing a CD When burning a CD, disable your screen saver and other automatic functions that consume system resources to reduce the chances of error. However, this does not pertain to newer drives with "burn proof" technology and huge buffers that protect your recording from system drain and buffer underruns and lets you multi-task while writing a CD.

DISCONNECTION PROBLEMS? Got That Disconnected Feeling? Does your modem sometimes suddenly disconnect for no real reason? If so, try this:

CD-ROM PROBLEMS AND WINDOWS 98. E-Mazing.com's Michael Vincent reminds us that many people have reported a problem with their CD-ROM drives after installing Windows 98. Many CD-ROMS are dual channel IDE (Integrated Device Electronics) devices. Windows has a special setting you need to set in order to accommodate these devices. Try this fix if you experience the problem:

Shareware Report- A Dynamic Duo

Many users think of shareware as programs that play second fiddle to the commercial variety. NOT SO !

Shareware provides applications that can be equally as effective and sophisticated as the finest boxed commercial products available. You can find shareware available in many locations on the Net such as shareware.com, zdnet.com. tucows.com, and a whole host of others that we've mentioned in the past. To more than adequately illustrate the point, we have chosen to introduce you to three shareware products this month that are more than worth your attention. On a scale of one to ten, each deserves an eleven:

Magic File Renamer

Here's a precious little gem that is completely unique and without parallel or competition. It does what no other software in creation can do. Let's say you have a folder full of files and you want to modify all or any number of the file names or attributes at one time. This is the application that can do the job for you instantaneously, easily, and perfectly. For example, it can among an endless variety of other things perform these functions on any selected number of files within a directory simultaneously:

  1. Change of the case of any words, letter or letters in any location within a file name.
  2. It can insert spaces within or adjacent to any selected group of file names.
  3. It can trim any character or groups of characters within any selected group of file names.
  4. It can replace any character or group of characters within or adjacent to any selected group of file names.
  5. It can change any formatting within or adjacent to any selected group of file names.
  6. It can change the file attributes of any selected group of file names.
  7. It can sort your renamed files in a variety of ways that you choose.

Within each of these categories, there are endless refinements and tweaks that you may select to perform. We tried a number of these selections within a hefty number of files/folders. The program works to perfection! You can also readily change or undo any functions you have performed.

Currently in Version4.0, Magic File Renamer is yours to try free for a time, and then costs all of $15 if you want to keep it. Previous versions which also work quite well are free. And where is the staff of programming geniuses responsibly for this little gem? It exists in the form of a single young Israeli named David Ohana who would be hardly old enough to vote in this country. It exemplifies the genius of the software industry that is flourishing and rapidly expanding in Israel.

You can find out more about Magic File Renamer and download a trial copy at http://doodu.tripod.com/

Windows Washer

A few months ago, we ran a series on software designed to protect the privacy of your contents within and your wanderings on your computer. Windows Washer, a well known and highly respected shareware application, deserves a place on honor in the privacy category. It will not only protect your wandering and your information, but will also take out a lot of the unwanted and useless garbage on your computer as well.

After both an easy download and installation from webroot.com, Windows Washer will list a number of areas where your online wandering is documented and logged as you go. It will offer to quickly and efficiently clean out those areas with a single mouse click. You can add or subtract items to and from the list, and choose from a variety of options and preferences as to how you want the program to operate.

An attractive graphic interface makes the use of Windows Washer completely effortless and fully intuitive. Additionally, you can select the degree of thoroughness that you want your selected items "washed." You can vary the operation from thorough deletion, to extreme, fully unrecoverable elimination. When Windows washer finishes (in only a matter of seconds), all evidence of where you were and what you did is completely gone, thereby protecting your privacy and conserving your hard drive space.

An example of what will be washed includes your document history, Windows find history, Windows run history, temporary files directory, scandisk temp files, recycle bin, MS-Office tracks, Windows Media Player, Internet browser cache, cookies, Netscape, and Internet Explorer. You can very easily add any number of additional items of your choice to customize your wash list. In addition, more than 130 custom plug-ins of common programs that probably unbeknown to you also log your activities can be added to Windows Washer. These plug-ins are listed on Webroot's Web site and are a piece of cake to download and install.

You can download a trial of Windows Washer at webroot.com. If you decide to purchase it, the cost is $29.95 and represents top-notch value. This superb program works to perfection and we give it our complete and enthusiastic recommendation! :

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Copyright 2001. This article is from the June 2001 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/

The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,600+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.

See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.