|
Issue 181 - April 03, 2002
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2002
==== 2296 Subscribers in 56 Countries ====
Welcome to the 181st issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists
mainly of news and tips. There is something for everyone, and
if this is your first issue, I'm sure there will be something
for you. If you give me two or three issues, I know that you will
come back for more!
You can reach me at editor@pcin.net
with any suggestions or comments.
Recommend PCIN at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php
Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.shtml
CONTENTS
OPENING
THOUGHTS
The other day I had an opportunity to speak to with Amber Rowland
and Brian Bohlig of VMWare. They gave me a pre-briefing on the
upcoming release of VMWare Workstation 3.1. Both of them were
very kind and a pleasure to talk with. Chris had done a review
of Virtual
PC by Connectix a couple of weeks ago, and was in the process
of reviewing VMWare when Amber told us that there would be a new
release soon. Version 3.1 includes support for newer operating
systems, an updated installer, and something called "repeatable
resume". This allows you to always start your virtual machine
at the same spot. It looks very interesting. Once we get the new
version, Chris and I will get the review done as soon as possible.
Thanks Amber and Brian for your help!
Speaking of reviews... Look for some reviews of products by GlobalSCAPE
http://www.globalscape.com/
and PDF995 http://www.pdf995.com/
soon.
Graham editor@pcin.net
and Chris chris@pcin.net
Return to the top
The NEWS
Virtual Keyboard Is The Real Thing
"Typing into mobile devices is usually awkward at best.
Jerusalem startup VKB says it's found a way to eliminate finger
cramping with a virtual keyboard.
Using laser technology, a bright red image of a keyboard is
projected from a handheld or other device onto a flat surface.
An optical-recognition device detects which "keys"
the fingers hit. It's designed to support any typing speed,
says Amichai Turm, co-founder and chief technology officer of
VKB, which plans to sell licenses and components to mobile-device
makers whose main concerns are size, weight, and power consumption."
For more info:
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020322S0036
Anti-Unix site powered by Unix
"A Web site sponsored by Microsoft and Unisys as a way
to steer big companies away from the Unix operating system is
itself powered by Unix software.
The site, dubbed "We have the way out," runs on Web
servers powered by FreeBSD, an open-source version of Unix,
along with the Unix-based Web server Apache, according to Netcraft,
which tracks Web site information. Both pieces of software compete
with Microsoft's Windows operating system. The Microsoft/Unisys
site solicits names and contact information in exchange for
research reports on data center trends."
For more info:
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-872304.html
U.S., Canada to Go After Spammers
"The United States and Canada are planning to get tough
on deceptive spam and Internet fraud. On Tuesday, state, federal
and Canadian officials are expected to raise the curtain on
an international law enforcement initiative targeting those
areas.
J. Howard Beales, director of the Federal Trade Commission's
Bureau of Consumer Protection, together with Washington Attorney
General Christine O. Gregoire, Washington State Department of
Financial Institutions Securities Division Director Deborah
Bortner, and FTC Northwest Region Director Charles Harwood are
expected to introduce the new 'international netforce.'"
For more info:
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article/0,,3_1001711,00.html
Codeweavers runs Office without Windows
"Hoping to break down one the biggest barriers to acceptance
of Linux on the desktop, Codeweavers unveiled software that
allows corporate users to run Microsoft Office and Lotus Notes
without a Windows operating system.
The product, called CrossOver Office, eliminates the need for
a Windows operating systems license as well as a Windows emulator
which, traditionally, have tended to weigh down the speed and
performance of desktop applications."
For more info:
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/03/29/020329hncodeweavers.xml
Return to the top
POLL of
the WEEK
Here are the responses from the last poll:
Which auction site do your prefer?
eBay: 63.41
% (26)
Yahoo! Auctions: 2.44 % (1)
Amazon.com Auctions: 2.44 % (1)
Other: 31.71
% (13)
Total votes: 41
Visit http://pcin.net/polls/
to participate in the new poll this week:
What is the most you've ever spent to win an online auction?
Return to the top
FREEHELP
FORUM
Visit the new and improved PCIN FreeHelp Forum at http://www.pcin.net/cgi-bin/bb/YaBB.cgi
to post your questions or answer others.
Question
I am running W98 SP2 and would like to install Windows XP Professional.
I do not want to 'upgrade', instead i want to reformat the HD
and start fresh.
Could someone detail the steps for doing this?
Please tell me what is the best way to backup my current data,
drivers, software (such as my comcast software)?
Please also include the 'traps', like how do i get all the drivers
back and what problems might i encounter, which i don't even
know enough to ask what those are!
I have a Dell Dimension XPS T600Mhz Pentium III w/ MMX &
256K Cache,128MB SDRAM and 20.4GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive.
Answer
There have been many good responses to this. Visit http://www.pcin.net/cgi-bin/bb/YaBB.cgi?board=How-To
and click on the "How do i install a new OS?" subject.
Return to the top
PCIN.net
UPDATE
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Annotis Mail 1.1 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/annotismail.shtml
Avocent SwitchView KVM Switch Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/switchview.shtml
Connectix Virtual PC 4.2 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/virtualpc4.shtml
PurgeIE 4.04 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/purgeie4.shtml
Return to the top
THE TIPS
and OTHER STUFF
Old Control Panel Items
The items that show up in the Control Panel have a file extension
of CPL. You can find these in the c:\winnt\system32 (WinNT/2K/XP)
or c:\windows\system folder. Occasionally you'll end up with
an icon in the Control Panel that you don't want, either because
you don't have the program installed anymore or you just don't
want someone going in and making any changes. To remove the
icon from the Control Panel, do a search for all files in the
folders mentioned above that end in CPL and move them someplace
else. When you open the Control Panel, you shouldn't see those
icons. If you've accidentally moved the wrong CPL file, then
move it back. If you moved the right CPL file, and you're sure
that you don't need it anymore, then feel free to delete it
from where you moved it.
Upgrading to the Next Version
Subscriber and friend Marg Pinard sent this in:
Wife 1.0 Just Released
Dear Tech Support,
Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0 and noticed
that the new program began unexpected child processing that
took up a lot of new space and valuable resources. No mention
of this phenomenon was included in the product brochure.
In addition, Wife 1.0 installs itself into all other programs
and launches during system initialization, where it monitors
all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night
10.3, Drunken Boys Night 2.5 and Saturday Football 5.0 no longer
run, crashing the system whenever selected.
I cannot seem to keep wife 1.0 in the background while attempting
to run some of my other favorite applications. I am thinking
about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall does not
work on this program.
Can you please help me !!!???
Thanks,
A TROUBLED USER
Dear TROUBLED USER,
This is a very common problem men complain about, but is mostly
due to a primary misconception. Many people upgrade from Girlfriend
7.0 to Wife 1.0 with the idea that Wife 1.0 is merely a UTILITIES
& ENTERTAINMENT program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM
and designed by its creator to run everything.
It is unlikely you would be able to purge Wife 1.0 and still
convert back to Girlfriend 7.0. Hidden operating files within
your system would cause girlfriend 7.0 to emulate Wife 1.0 so
nothing is gained. It is impossible to uninstall, delete, or
purge the program files from the system once installed. You
cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is not designed
to do this.
Some have tried to install Girlfriend 8.0 or Wife 2.0 but end
up with more problems than the original system. Look in your
manual under "Warnings- Alimony/Child support". I
recommend you keep Wife 1.0 and deal with the situation.
I suggest installing background application program C:\YES DEAR
to alleviate software augmentation. Having installed Wife 1.0
myself, I might also suggest you read the entire section regarding
General Partnership Faults (GPFs). You must assume all responsibility
for faults and problems that might occur, regardless of their
cause.
The best course of action will be to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE.
In any case avoid excessive use of C:\YES DEAR because ultimately
you may have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the operating
system will return to normal. The system will run smoothly as
long as you take the blame for all the GPFs.
Wife 1.0 is a great program, but very high-maintenance. Consider
buying additional software to improve the performance of Wife
1.0. I recommend Flowers 3.1 and Diamonds 2K. Do not, under
any circumstances install Secretary with Short Skirt 3.3. This
is not a supported application for Wife 1.0 and is likely to
cause irreversible damage to the operating system.
Best of Luck,
Tech Support
Saving Data
In organizing my hard drive, I always partition it into at
least two separate partitions. One I use for data only. I store
all of my files on this partition. In doing so, when the need
arises for a restore, I have very little work to do. There may
be some programs that have stored items in a set location (such
as Microsoft Outlook and it's data files.) I simply need to
copy a few files from my main drive to my data drive and I am
ready for a rebuild. This technique has saved me a lot of time
in doing frequent rebuilds. I also like to keep a copy of all
the latest drivers on this drive to aid in the speed of a rebuild.
(Chris)
Return to the top
DISCLAIMER
and OTHER STUFF
PCIN is brought to you by Graham Wing. The opinions expressed
are those of the Editor, Graham Wing and the Assistant Editor,
Chris Empey. Graham Wing and Chris Empey accept no responsibility
for the results obtained from trying the tips in this newsletter.
- If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may
have to cut and paste.
- You can only win one contest every 30 days.
- To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit
http://www.pcin.net/ and
follow the appropriate links.
- Recommend PCIN to others at http://www.pcin.net/recommend.php
and be entered in a monthly draw.
- There are only 2 ways to get on the subscriber list. You have
either been subscribed by filling out a subscription form on
any of the pages on my site, or you have requested FreeHelp
from me in the past.
- If you have a web site or run your own newsletter, please
email me at editor@pcin.net
and I will add it to the subscriber web pages that I have on
my site.
- Support PCIN by visiting http://www.pcin.net/donate.shtml
Return to the top
Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2002, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.
This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long
as the author is notified and the newsletter is presented as is.
Support PCIN by visiting http://www.pcin.net/donate.shtml
PC Improvement
News Home Page
PC
Improvement News Archive
|
