Sarasota PC Monitor
Review Chairmans Industry Comments (04/03)
The Computer Buffet This & That from Here & There
by Herb Goldstein, Review Editor
E-mail comments, suggestions, etc. to Herb Goldstein at: revieweditor@spcug.org
PC-CILLIN COMPLAINTS. We are often asked for assistance from PC-Cillin users who are not receiving regular virus pattern updates. As you areaware (or should be from the many times we've mentioned it, your antivirus protection is only as good as your most recent update. One of the many excellent things about PC-Cillin is that it updates its virus pattern files more frequently than any other antivirus product, often several times a week, so that you get the very latest in protection.
Invariably, complainants are those who have installed PC-Cillin from downloads. It doesn't matter how many times we say it (and it has been many times), DO NOT DOWNLOAD this product. Purchase it ONLY ON CD! The problem is that many novices have difficulty properly navigating their way through the registration and "key" process. Subsequently they are not properly registered and do not receive regular pattern updates. It is very much easier to reinstall the product from a CD to make the necessary correction!
REFRESH YOUR MEMORY. Anything running on your computer runs in "memory." When you move on to other applications, the one you just closed is supposed to return the memory it used. Unfortunately, many applications don't and you soon find your computer slowing down and running out of resources. This very common problem can be solved by rebooting to start anew with a fresh memory slate. To avoid going through this time-consuming fix, use a memory boosting program that will automatically do the job for you without rebooting. Here are a few excellent free utilities that run in the background and will keep your memory optimal at all times:
- RAMBOOSTER is perhaps the most popular of the bunch. It monitors the amount of RAM your system is using and allows you to free it up. This will let your PC run smoother and faster, and you won't have to reboot as often. It will monitor your memory at all times, and if the amount of free RAM gets too low, it will automatically boost it for you, finding unused RAM and returning it to the free pool. RAMBooster will also monitor your CPU usage. Get it at http://www.sci.fi/~borg/rambooster/index.htm
- MPOWER 1.2 As you work with your computer, its system memory becomes fragmented. This means that you have a decreasing amount of RAM available to your applications as you work. Executables and .DLL's often remain in memory long after they are closed, until something forces them out. MPower is a tool that defragments your PC, and frees your RAM to give more stability.
This yields more speed to your system, avoiding needless use of swap files. This powerful application will also benchmark (speed test) your hard disk drives and your CPU load. CPU load and memory status may also be displayed on an active window title bar or on a tray icon. Get it at: mindbeat.com
3. ANALOGX MAXMEM. Have you ever wondered why your machine runs so much faster right after you reboot? Most of the time slowdowns are due to resources that are not being properly freed, and that can't be easily reclaimed without rebooting. MaxMem passively monitors your system's memory and allows you to customize it for maximum performance. AnalogX MaxMem lets you specify how much physical memory will be kept in reserve. The utility then monitors how much memory is being used; when you need more, it calls in the reserves. Get it at analogx.com
HIGH PRECISION COMPLEX CALCULATOR This free program does real or complex number calculations with 100-significant-figure precision. Many standard functions such as trigonometric, hyperbolic, and logarithmic are included. Loops are supported. Both expressions and results can be saved to a file. http://www.twopaths.com/calculator/
WINDRIVERSBACKUP WinDriversBackup can identify all of your Windows driver files and save them to a secure location in two simple mouse clicks. Backing up your Windows driver files means they will be available to you the next time you need to reinstall the driver or the whole operating system. WinDriversBackup places the driver files in one organized location of your choosing.
WinDriversBackup is especially helpful in situations where you have a computer in your possession and it's internal hardware is unknown. WinDriversBackup can identify the hardware on the system and the associated drivers ---then back them up to a specified location. WinDriversBackup is even network compatible --you can just as easily connect to a remote computer on your network and backup driver files. Personal Edition is free. http://www.jermar.com/wdrvbck.htm
STARTUP PROGRAMS FUNCTIONS. There are lots of programs (including msconfig) that will identify programs that run on start or are currently running in memory. You may not have a clue as what many of those do or if you need them. For some excellent identification and advice on whether to keep them or not, go to http://www.azpchelp.com/StartupListV-Z.htm. You will find a complete glossary of programs that usually run in memory. This is a top-notch reference site! Add it to your favorites.
A TAXING SITUATION. As a result of state complaints of losing billions of sales tax dollars on Internet purchases, many retailers have begun collecting sales taxes on orders placed via the net. If you add sales tax to shipping charges, you can derive a hefty increase on what you may have considered a bargain price. It is always sensible to get the bottom line price that includes everything before placing an Internet order.
AN EXCELLENT DIRECTORY of interesting freeware is yours for perusal by going to http://www.hmdejong.myweb.nl
OPERA'S GREAT COOKIE MANAGEMENT. There are some excellent cookie management programs (like Cookie Pal) that we have reviewed and recommended to you. We have also touted our choice for an alternative browser to Internet Explorer, Opera. Many Internet sites you attempt to browse will lock you out if you refuse their cookies. Opera has the ideal solution to the problem. Opera's optional security choices allows you to accept all cookies from all sites, but when you exit Opera it obligingly and automatically deletes all the cookies you have gathered.
JUST RIGHT CLICK GREETING CARD. According to Meryl, this free, small utility lets you turn your digital photos of cute and cuddly kids or animals into a greeting card. It's not fancy like some of the off-the-shelf greeting card software programs, but it does the basics. If you just want to put together a card and print it quickly, this is simple enough that it requires no help file to figure it out... which is a good thing, because there is no help file included. The printer preview of the card is on the right side of the screen and the changes are incorporated automatically so you can see how it looks. http://www.justrightclick.com/products.html
AN AMAZING DISCOVERY! Here'S a tip from a Fred Langa reader that floored me. To my amazement, it really works:
A shame the 'PrintScreen' key has been virtually useless since the advent of any Windows OS. This must be an issue with more than a few Win users who have occasional need to print monitor screen frames. And this without calling up something like HyperSnap or other utility. Is there any 'trick' code to make the Prt/Screen key do what its name implies? Much appreciate your Plus Newsletter. - Don M Actually, it's worked all long- but in a non-obvious way. (Ah, Windows....) On its own, the PrintScreen key (or PrintScr or Print Screen or whatever it's called on your system) triggers a little routine that captures the current screen- your desktop- to the clipboard.
But here's the weird part: It does so invisibly, with no indication that anything actually happened. However, you can then paste the stored image into any graphics-capable program and print it from there; or print direct from the clipboard if you have a clipboard utility running.
Try it: Hit your PrintScr key now, then open a tool like Paint- or even Word, or any graphics-capable editing tool- and then click Paste: an image of your current screen will be pasted into the open application. It's that simple- and that non-obvious!
WINDOWS XP TIPS. There is a treasure chest of Windows XP tips, how-to's, and great information waiting for you at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/tips/default.asp. You will surely want to add this site to your favorites.
REMOVE WINDOWS XP CD AUTORUN Sick to death of Windows XP auto-running every CD you put in the tray? Can't stop the stupid thing regardless of the options you select? Find instructions here how to kill Autorun for good: http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/cd_autoplay_pro.htm
FREE SECURE ERASE UTILITY ERASER is a free, GNU license utility that will securely erase files, folders or even whole disks from any Windows or DOS PC. Eraser overwrites data area with selectable random data patterns and also wipes data in the paging file, Internet cache, temporary files, Internet cookies, unused disk space and a number of other places where data can secretly lurk. It handles FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS partitions as well. Erasing files with high security will always be a difficult and time consuming task and can never offer absolute 100% safety. However Eraser makes the task about as easy as it be, with a security level beyond most conceivable requirements. An impressive package. (2.6MB) http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/
BECLEAN is a free system-cleaning tool that includes a Registry Cleaner, Internet Cleaner, History Cleaner, Temporary Files Cleaner, Disk Cleaner, Desktop Cleaner, and a Start Menu Cleaner. In addition, you can create customized Cleaners and specify files, folders, and registry keys of your choice. The main interface allows you to select the cleaning operations that should be performed, and you can further select which operations should be performed by each Cleaner. BeClean automatically creates a registry backup before deleting anything and, in addition, a detailed log is created. An additional disk cleanup wizard allows you to delete files based on wildcard patterns. The program does not offer any preview or detailed information for items to be cleaned, so be sure you know what you're doing when enabling the optional registry cleanups. www. mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105938
FREE WORD PROCESSOR. AbiWord is a free word processing program similar to Microsoftr Word. It is suitable for typing papers, letters, reports, memos, etc. http://www.abisource.com/
REBOOT FASTER. Sometimes, the fastest way to restart a PC is simply to bypass all the low-level hardware checking altogether. And although this trick has been around forever, amazingly few people know of it:
Next time you need to quickly restart Windows (when your PC already is running) go to the Windows Start button and select Shut Down/Restart as you normally would. But before you click "OK," press and hold the left shift key; keep the left shift key depressed until you see the words "Windows is now restarting." This one little trick alone can shave as much as a couple of minutes off the reboot time on slower systems
INTERNET CONNECTION SPEED? How fast is your Internet connection right now? Key in your area or country code, click on go, and up pops a chart showing you your current bandwidth speed. CNET Bandwidth Meter http://webservices.cnet.com/bandwidth/
SAFEGUARD YOUR WINDOWS DRIVERS. When you need to redo your system, one of the most frustrating parts of the job is to locate and reload all those drivers. What you need is a program to back up the driver files for you. One such program is called WinDriversBackup Personal Edition, This is a freeware utility for personal, non-commercial use, from JerMar Software Corp. http://www.jermar.com/wdrvbck.htm
OETOOL FOR OUTLOOK EXPRESS. Here's a free utility to enhance Outlook Express. Want more toolbar options in Outlook Express? OETool adds more options to the Views toolbar with the following: use plain text mode for other messages, use plain text mode for this and other messages, view replies to my messages for newsgroups, group messages by conversation to manage threads, switch identities (now, now, no smart ideas here), run the OEBackup program (requires separate download from the same Web site), and run DBXtract (extracts all mail and news messages from individual DBX files) or DBXtend (more capabilities than DBXtract, but not free) if they're installed and both are on the same Web site. You can run OETool in the system tray and stop it by right-clicking the system tray icon. http://www.oehelp.com/OETool/Default.aspx
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A HUB, ROUTER, and SWITCH. These are devices whose terminology often confuse users. Lockergnome's Meryl offers some intelligence that sorts things out:
"A hub connects several devices (computers) together. Hubs can be used for a self-contained group, and they can also support an "uplink" to an Internet connection. When used to connect to the Internet, they allow several computers to access the same port to the Internet. While it is economical, the downside is that one port has to be shared with system that is connected. So, if all the systems are accessing the Internet, the speed can be very slow. Also, there is no protection from hackers or denial-of-service attacks.
A switch is used for the same purpose as a hub; however, it has the ability to "switch" around the bandwidth of a port. Every port has a "bandwidth," which is the amount of data that can be passed at any one time. A hub just takes the available bandwidth and divides it up between the computers it is supporting. A switch can establish and terminate connections as needed, and "switch" the available bandwidth around to the computers connected to it, allowing for faster connections. As with a hub, it offers no protection from hackers or denial-of-service attacks.
Neither of the above have the ability to give out IP addresses, which is required if you want to connect to the Internet. If you do not need to be "online," then you can use any number of networking topologies to connect to each other. A router is a device with the ability to forward traffic between networks. Routers come in all shapes and sizes, from the router that can support hundreds of computers all the way down to a router like those produced for the home user. The home routers allow multiple computers to access the Internet using one IP address. The IP address assigned to the computers attached to it are called "Private IP Addresses." These IP addresses always start with 192.168.XXX.XXX and they're not visible on the Internet. This helps prevent hackers from finding you. Additionally, several home routers come with built-in firewalls that will further protect you from hackers."
SAVE MY DESKTOP! takes a screenshot of the desktop, so when someone screws with your icons and whatnot, you set the program to rearrange things the way they were before. It's not simply a "snapshot" and you put everything back together like a puzzle - it automatically does it for you. Sorry, it won't work for the things on your actual physical desk - just the icons on the desktop screen. Get it free at: http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=1626
WORDWEB is a comprehensive English thesaurus and dictionary. There is a free cut-down version at http://www.wordweb.info/free or a Pro version that offers word finding, anagram, editing, and customization features. If your word search fails to produce results from its database, WordWeb can search for it on the Internet. The software is compatible with Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME/XP.
KID KOUNTRY. If you have children around the house that are old enough to browse around the Internet, you can point them to Kid Kountry. This is a site that will keep kids occupied in a wholesome manner for hours at a time.
Kid Kountry features articles by kids on acting, cooking, computers, football, movies, singing, and much, much more. http://www.kidkountry.com/index.php
FOR VIDEO ENTHUSIASTS. NeroVision Express is a new program from Ahead Software, makers of Nero Burning ROM. NeroVision Express provides the easiest way we've seen to capture, encode, and burn your favorite videos to VCDs or DVDs.
NeroVision Express comes as a part of Nero Burning ROM. If you already own Nero Burning ROM version 5, you can upgrade to latest version (which includes NeroVision Express) for free. If you own an older version, you can upgrade for a reasonable price.
To see how NeroVision Express can work for you, download the demo version by going to http://www.ahead.de/en/content/c1020783351250.html
FREE ROUTE TRACER. 3D Traceroute is a free utility that graphically displays Internet route information. You can use it for technical tasks such as diagnosing slow connections or for general purpose snooping like determining the location and owner of a web site or tracing spammers. http://www.hlembke.de/prod/3dtraceroute/
FREE COMPUTER COURSES. If you're thinking about launching your own website, but don't know html from sos, the HP Learning Center has a class for you. "How to Build Your First Website" gives you all the answers. Remember when desktop publishing made everyone a newspaper editor? Or when Kodak gave everyone the capability to digitally enhance photos? Well, the Web has the tools to help you piece together a perfectly serviceable Web site - one with images, forms, tables, and even e-commerce. You just have to learn where to look for these tools - and in what order to combine the elements of your site.
The HP Learning Center is a great online resource. It provides free, instructor-led courses that are available 24/7 so you can study when you have the time. http://www.hplearningcenter.com/?mcID=ez18
PAGEPLUS V5.0, FREE Desktop publisher-Those ready to make the leap to try their hand at desktop publishing might want to start with PagePlus 5 since it won't hurt the wallet. See how you like doing it and if you use it often enough. If PagePlus meets your needs, then who can ask for anything more? (Actually, you can!) The free download comes with 119 wizards, 10 samples, 40 fonts, 99 animated GIFs, 166 pieces of clipart, and 72 backgrounds. The free CD (you only pay for shipping), comes with much more of the same plus 10 QuickTours. http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/serif/pp/pp5/index.asp
WINDOW SHADES V2.0 IS A FREE POP UP FILTER-Pull the shades on those @()#*$ popups with Window Shades, an Internet Explorer plug-in that filters all popup windows, and on a domain (site) basis. Or, if there is a page you won't want, you can specifically list the complete URL to avoid getting the page.
Enter the URLs for the sites you never want to come through and they're forever banned from your view in Internet Explorer. (Users who rely on Netscape, Mozilla, and Opera or use Windows 95, 2000, or NT can't benefit from the program.) http://www.g-m-m.com/Software/WindowShades/index.php
BACKUP4ALL. Backup4all is a free, very powerful backup utility. Backup4all provides intuitive interface to help you define customized backup configurations. Use it to protect your valuable data from total or partial loss. Using the wizard, setting up a backup configuration is easy. It allows you to setup powerful file filters and schedulers. You can set up multiple backups and schedule them any way you like. Once a backup is performed, you can see what files have been changed since last backup using the tree view mode or you can read the statistics for next backup execution. You can use context menu from the tree mode to launch any custom action associated with the file type. Backup4all uses ZIP compression. You can set the compression level to speed up the backup process or to minimize the archive size. Backup4all performs incremental backup to keep track of file versions. You can easily restore any version of files. You can also filter files to restore.
Backup4all works with any drive letter, including mapped network drives and UNC paths. You can back up to inexpensive CDR/CDRW media, if the appropriate drivers have already been installed. Backup4all is compatible with Windows 95/98/Me or Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP. The application requires approximately 2.5MB of free disk space. For this and loads of other great FREE software, go to http://www.shellcity.net/
HIDE FILES V2.3. Hide Files is a free security program for hiding files and folders you don't want to share with others, or files and folders that contain confidential or personal information. When working with the program, you can hide multiple folders and files at the same time. It won't modify the file system structure. Select any folders on the computer or drag-and- drop the desired folders from Windows Explorer into the Hide Files window. In one mouse click, the selected folders can become invisible. Unhiding files or folders takes one mouse click, and they are visible and accessible to you again. If a program folder or whole disks are hidden, the program itself or Windows will continue to work normally. The Hide Files program is protected by a hotkey and password to prevent an unauthorized start. Even the program itself can be hidden. http://www.spydex.com/hidefiles.html
BULK RENAME UTILITY is a utility which allows you to easily rename multiple files and directories, based upon flexible criteria. For example, if you have a whole load of files prefixed with "2002", you can quickly rename all these to "2003". Similarly, if you have lots of "html" files then you can quickly rename them all to "htm".
The utility is easy to use and has a small memory "footprint" so can be left resident without consuming all your memory. http://www.jimwillsher.co.uk/Site/Software/BRU_Intro.html
LINGUISTIC GOOGLE. There's just no end to what Google will do next! If you need to translate a body of text in any of about 30 foreign languages, go to http://www.google.com/language_tools and Google will do the job for you. Another kudos for the king of searchable information.
MICROSOFT OFFICE 2000 USERS can find a treasure chest of "how to do it" tutorials for all of the Office components at http://webfaculty.aub.edu.lb/~webwork/Tutorial/florida/index.htm Forget your help- files. Go here instead!
POST OFFICE SUPPLIES AND INFO. If you're planning to mail something sizeable, fragile or valuable, don't run off to the office supply store for a protective envelope. Check first at the Postal Store, run by the U.S. Postal Service. The store has lots of specialized labels you can printed with your name and address. It also has envelopes and boxes. You should be able to find what you need. And it's all free, delivered to your home or office. Check it all out at: http://supplies.usps.gov
FULL-SCREEN VIEW. At least three Microsoft programs-Word, Excel and Internet Explorer- offer full-screen views. These get rid of most toolbars, giving the work area of the programs more space. You can change to full-screen view by clicking-what else?-View. Then select Full Screen. But that raises the question: how do you get the toolbars back? Microsoft once gave no guidance on that issue in Word and Excel, but now it provides a small toolbar near the bottom of the page. Click Close Full Screen.
With Internet Explorer, you're on your own. But getting the toolbars back is easy. Press Alt-v and Full Screen. Everything returns to normal. That works with Word and Excel, too, if you have an older version.
AUDIO FANS TAKE NOTE. Could you use a free audio recording program? How about a freeware program to convert one type of audio file to almost any other type of audio file (MP3, MP2, etc.)? And don't forget that you may want a good CD player program as well. You can get all these utilities and more in a single freeware package called Fx Audio Tools. Download your copy here: http://www.jhepple.com/fx_audio_tools.htm
FUSION WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER is based on DirectShow and features most of the latest audio and video formats (if the appropriate codecs have been installed, such as MP3, WAV, WMV, and DivX). It gives you the ability to listen to many radio broadcasters from around the world, record streaming content to your hard drive, and watch DVDs with access to all of the options and menus. The program is free and has no spyware or spam. Its features include window resizing, multiple modes, creating shapes for the player, buttons that can be freely placed, multiple rate speeds, multiple aspect ratio support, filter settings, and shortcuts. http://www.fusionmedia.org/
FINDING YOUR IP ADDRESS. For whatever reason you may want to find your computers unique IP address, Lockergnome's Brian offers this advice:
If you are on Windows 2000/XP, then you need to click Start, choose Run, type "cmd" (sans quotes) and click OK. A command window will open, and at the prompt, you need to type "ipconfig" (sans quotes) and hit Enter. You will now see you IP address for your current connection.
If you are on Windows 9x, then you need to click Start, choose Run, type "winipcfg" (sans quotes), and click OK. On the window that opens, you will see a drop-down list that will list your network adapter. If you are on dial-up then you will need this on PPP adapter, but if you are using a network card then you will need to choose it in the drop-down list. Your current IP address will be listed. Alternatively, you could just navigate to IPmonster.com and it will list your current IP address. Keep in mind that if you have a broadband router on your network, then this will be your external/WAN IP address. If you are just on dial-up or using a broadband connection without a router, then IPmonster.com is the quickest way to find your IP address. For even faster access, you could drag the URL to the Desktop so that you just have to double-click it to get your IP address.
WORDPERFECT 11 is due to be released in April. Sneak previews do not indicate any really major changes. Given the opportunity, we will report back to you with further comments. :
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Copyright 2003. This article is from the April 2003 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 1,100+ 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.
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