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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2006-11-02

An Email Newsletter
from Fred Langa and Mike Elgan
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) Heads Up! Mailing Test Coming!

PLEASE NOTE: The LangaList is merging on Nov. 16, 2006, with the Windows Secrets Newsletter, as I described in the previous issue. I'll be the editor of the combined publication, and the current editor -- Brian Livingston, the co-author of 10 "Windows Secrets" books -- will be editorial director. For full information, including how to set your anti-spam whitelists, please see  http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-10-30.htm#1 

Next week, on Nov. 6 or 7, you'll receive an issue entitled, "This is a Test."  This test message will show you a simple format we've developed to display HTML content and images properly in virtually all e-mail programs.  HTML is the format used in most past paid issues of LangaList and all issues of the Windows Secrets Newsletter.  Beginning with my Nov. 9 issue of the LangaList, all subscribers, free and paid, will be upgraded to receive the newsletter in HTML format.

IF YOU DON'T WANT IMAGES AND HTML FORMATTED TEXT, please note that Microsoft Outlook and most other e-mail programs today allow you to disable images in messages and even convert HTML to plain text automatically. That would be a better alternative for you if (for some reason) you don't want to see any images in our upcoming newsletters. By processing the newsletter on your end, you have full control over exactly what you do or don't want displayed in your email, and can even make changes on the fly!

So, unless you use an outdated e-mail program that simply can't render HTML correctly, I hope you'll at least take a look at our HTML test issue.

If you do use a very old e-mail program such as Lotus Notes 5, WebTV, or Pine, or you just don't want the HTML version, you can use the following link to visit your Windows Secrets & LangaList preferences page and switch to the plain text Notify-Only version.  If you do this before Nov. 6, you'll receive a plain text notification to read each new issue on the Web; the test issue and all future issues will simply notify you to read each issue in a Web browser:

If you haven't already done so, please set your preferences now:
http://windowssecrets.com/langa/prefs/

But again, the HTML version is the most flexible, as it puts you in full control over exactly what's displayed and what's not!

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2) How to Keep Your Paging File Defragmented

We recently discussed defragging the MFT, or Master File Table ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-10-09.htm#4) . Here's a question in a similar vein:

Hi Fred, Just a quick question about the Windows XP paging file which you wrote about recently. In Windows 9X a useful trick with swap file was to make the minimum and maximum equal so that Windows did not waste time enlarging and shrinking it. This was said to give a small improvement in efficiency. Is there any merit in doing the same thing with the XP paging file? Regards, Peter

In a word, yes. The reason is that the "Initial size" of your paging file (formerly known as the "swap file") is really the "permanent" part of your paging file. The difference between the "Initial size" and "Maximum size" is really the potential size of a temporary paging file added to the permanent one. That temporary file will be sized and created as needed and on the fly, potentially grabbing chunks of far-flung disk space wherever it can. In other words, it may be defragmented and thus degrade the performance of virtual memory.

By making "Initial size" and "Maximum size" equal to each other, you're really just telling Windows that you want nothing to do with temporary paging files, and that you want only one sufficiently-large permanent one. By defragmenting your disk before creating this permanent paging file, you'll make sure that the permanent file isn't fragmented, either.

Here's how to get to the Virtual Memory dialog box, which governs your paging file: Right click on My Computer, choose Properties, then the Advanced tab. Click on the Settings button in the Performance box. Click on the Advanced tab, then the Change button.

The first step is to get rid of your paging file by clicking on the "No paging file" radio button. Click on the three OK buttons, defragment your disk, then reboot.

Defrag to open up contiguous hard disk space, and then go back to the Virtual Memory dialog box and set the "Initial size" and "Maximum size" to the same number. You can use the "recommended" size shown in the dialog; in XP, the recommended size is usually fine. But if you prefer to pick a different size, a good rule of thumb for most users is to create a paging file that's 1.5-2 times the size of your physical RAM. Then, click OK three times and you're done!

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3) Cutting 2 GB .PST, .OST Files Down To Size

Yo! Hi Fred. As always, Thanx for a great newsletter and all the goodies you unearth. RE: Outlook Express lost inbox ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-10-09.htm#7 ). Looks like the dreaded Outlook 2 GB monster. An Inbox above 2 GB will crash. The .DBX files are in fact there and usable , but the .PST or .OST is now corrupt . Microsoft offers a free tool to recover these. Hope this helps your readers. Peace. ---Andy

Thanks, Andy. The "dreaded Outlook 2 GB monster" is real, and applies to Outlook Express 5.0 and 6.0 (which store e-mail in .DBX files), as well as Outlook 97, 98, 2000 and 2002 (which store e-mail in .PST and .OST files). We've actually covered it several times in the past: http://tinyurl.com/yhnpht

For Outlook Express, most of the utilities listed in the LangaList item you referenced repair "2 GB" corruption.

The Microsoft recovery tool you mentioned doesn't "fix" Outlook mail files. Instead, it "truncates" them to bring your .PST or .OST file down to size--- well below the 2 GB limit--- so Outlook can read the file again. Microsoft actually calls it a "crop tool." What does it "crop"? Well, some of your messages. The "recovered" file is simply missing megabytes of e-mail; all the data that above the 2GB limit is thrown away!

Making sure your .PST or .OST file never exceeds 2 GB is the best protection against this limitation. But if your Outlook mail file does grow that large and you need to recover most of your e-mail using Microsoft's tool, here's how to do it. Go here ( http://tinyurl.com/3z6fy ) to download the file. The self-extracting executable is named 2gb152.exe. Double-click it to unzip it. Run the file Pst2gb.exe, then "Browse" to your .PST or .OST file. Click Create, then choose a name and location for your "recovered" file (note that you'll need at least 2 GB of free disk space for the new file). Choose an amount to cut that will bring the new file significantly under 2 GB. Microsoft recommends that you start with cutting 25 MB--- if that works, try again with 15, then 5. The goal, of course, is to end up with a "recovered" file that is "cropped" as little as possible. After you've created the file, run the Inbox Repair Tool on it, then rename it to match the filename of the original, oversized file (the default is Outlook.pst) and replace the old one with the new.

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4) Message Says, "You've Sent Infected E-Mail"

Hi Fred, Been reading your LangaList newsletter almost since the WinMag breakup. The best!

Received an email from some "Hosting Business server" telling me that I have sent an infected email to someone, and to please take action. I'm unable to determine who I supposedly sent it too or what I sent.

There is a lot of data in the email, but I can't interpret the data. I could forward the email that requests me to clean up my computer if it would be of help. Not sure if it's not something funny (or odd). Perhaps someone is using my email address and sending in my name?

Where do I get help for this? I have placed my PC's settings below.

I do a daily complete scan with PC-cillin which is updated every hour.
I scan incoming email.
I have Realtime v**** Protection running.
Automatically update components when new versions available.
Full Spyware Scan each day at supper hour.
I have Spam and Fraud filters and Web Site filter and privacy Protection turned off.
Don't really like using filters.

Zonealarm version 5.5.094.000(Trouble with compatibility with PCc on newer versions)
I use Zonealarm(free) with suggested settings of Stealth Mode(High) Inet.
Trusted Zone Medium
Email protection 'ON' Basic Mailsafe Setting

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving ---James Dix

It's possible that the e-mail was fake--- a kind of phishing or social engineering spam designed to trick you into replying or opening an attachment. You might try picking out unique phrases from the actual e-mail and searching online for them. It may bring up comments or information from others who may have received the same message.

Also: You mention that you use Trend Micro PC-cillin to scan incoming e-mail. But what about Outgoing e-mail? Most antivirus tools give you the option of scanning *outbound* email, and PC-cillin is no exception: From the main PC-cillin window, click on the "Email" button, then click on Mail Scan. You're presented with the default view showing options for scanning incoming e-mail. But there are two dialog boxes here. By clicking on the Outgoing Mail tab, you'll have access to those options, which you should turn on.

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5) Backups Won't Span Multiple DVDs?

Fred, I've tried backing up to DVDs but the programs seem to stop after backing up to one DVD. In the old DOS days, the back up programs would continuously backup to 3.5" disk until the backup was complete. Are there any programs that will continuously backup to DVDs instead of backing up to hard drives? Thanks,
Bennett

In order for a backup to span multiple DVDs, the backup software must support this feature expressly, and some do. Here are four of backup products that claim to support multiple DVD spanning.

Handy Backup
http://www.handybackup.net/

GRBackPro
http://www.grsoftware.net/backup/software/grbackpro.html

Backup Plus
http://www.avantrix.com/backplus.htm

Nero
http://www.nero.com/nero6/enu/index.html

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6) Opera "Speaks" MHT, Too

In "How To Save Web Pages" ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-10-30.htm#7 ) I mentioned the handy, all-in-one-file way of storing a complete web page--- text, images, everything--- afforded by IE's "save as type/web archive, single file (*.mht)" option.

It's hard to keep up with all the flavors of browsers out there today, and this reader told me something about Opera that I didn't know:

Fred: RE: How To Save Web Pages. Just a quick note: Opera lets you save .mht as well (as long as you haven't removed OE). I generally use Firefox, but when I find a web page I want to save w/ images, I copy the URL, paste it into Opera, and save as "Web archive (single file)".

I'd use Opera all the time, but I prefer the method of managing cookies in Firefox (one less click). And I haven't found an Opera widget that compares to Firefox's Scrapbook. ---George

Thanks, George!

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7) Good Cookies, Bad Cookies

Hi Fred. Having gained a lot of satisfaction from your newsletters I feel it is time to try and give something back. Regarding Spyware and adware in Windows, there is a very useful way to stop, probably 99% or close to it. I usually start by going into Control Panel
Right click Internet Options and create short, cut, which is then placed on the desktop.
Right click the icon. Select properties and change icon to the NO Entry Sign, click Ok, Apply and OK.

Open Internet Properties, on Privacy go to Advanced then put a tick in Override automatic cookie handling.
For first-party cookies tick Prompt
For third-party cookies tick Block
Then tick always allow session cookies
Click OK. Then Apply and OK.
The first part is then complete.

When you then go to any Internet site YOU have control over whatever cookies are trying to get in to your computer. If it is a site that you know is ok then you tick, Apply my decision to all cookies from this website and then Allow cookie.
If it is a site you do not wish to allow then, Apply my decision to all cookies from this website and Block.

An example of how it works is that if you go to Google and simply hit block you will find that you can still use Google and when you hit enter for your search Google will want to save another cookie on your computer hit block again and away you go to the site that you wanted.

I believe it's a bit like Google then does not know who you are or where you are going. Using my computer this way for the last five or six years, I have at times allowed some bad cookies to ensure that Spybot s&d is still working. Yours, sincerely. ---Bill Ash

Your technique enables your system to "learn" good-Cookie sites from bad. However, it won't suit everyone (including Yours Truly) simply because it may require too much user action given the sheer number of Cookies one may encounter.

Remember that Cookies aren't usually "bad;" in most cases they're either neutral or actively beneficial in a variety of ways, saving you time or providing additional site-specific benefits or features. (Fuller explanation: http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-01-27.htm#2 )

Regardless of your degree of "Cookie paranoia," it's always best to use a variety of methods and tools in protecting your system against malware of all stripes. Here's more: 5 Essential Steps To PC Security
http://www.informationweek.com/LP/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177100010

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8) They Loaded The Code

Do you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please see http://langa.com/link.txt )

Speaking of which: 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

"Exercise your Consumer rights..."
http://www.r8em.com/

Writing Solutions
http://writingsolutions.com/

Robs Computer Corner
http://www.guelphcomputers.net/

SouthEast College Sports
http://www.southeastcollegesports.com/

"Wilbee's World"
http://www.wilbees.com/

Ozark Solid Wood Plaques
http://www.ozarkadvert.com/

Baker-Carter Family History
http://juliancbaker.rootschat.net/index.html

Breast Cancer Awareness
http://tinyurl.com/vhnoh

John Atkinson Consulting
http://johnatkinson.biz/

PC Problem Prevention and Resolution
http://www.pcrepairsite.info/

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9) Outlook Express "Retrieval Tool" Is Really Search

Regarding "Still Not Getting The Messages" in the October 9 issue ( http://langa.com/newsletters/2006/2006-10-09.htm#7 ) here's another maybe for Outlook Express recovery: http://www.mailnavigator.com/

This program will work with a variety of eMail repositories. From their advertising:

"...is a powerful information retrieval tool for the mailbox folders of the majority of popular mail programs: MS Mail, MS News, MS Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger, Eudora, Forte Agent, Pegasus Mail, The Bat, Eserv, and also for all the popular bases of the Fidonet information network."

Major drawbacks are:
1. the documentation is terse and the interface sometimes counterintuitive, but with a bit of persistence and discovery you can read, sort, filter most eMail without the original program. It is then possible to export the results to a common type generally Eudora. From there you can import it to your eMail program.
2. Doesn't handle HTML coded eMail gracefully. The text is available but the formatting is not. I don't remember the price and I don't see it on the web site. As I remember it, it was about $30. But I may be wrong. I do know it saved my bacon. Your newsletter has to be one of the greatest bargains going. ---Keith R. Casper

Thanks, Keith! MailNavigator from SoftNavigator lets you search for and read e-mail in the formats you listed, subscribe to and manage newsgroups do other useful things as well. The company Web site speaks confusingly about "retrieval," but what they mean is finding with search tools, rather than "recovering" e-mail from damaged database files. Still, it looks like a powerful way to search e-mail. MailNavigator is $29 for "personal" users and $40 for business users.

Here's another link for more information: http://www.mailnavigator.org/mailnavigator.html

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

Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains about 40% more content including:

• Where's Today's "QuickFile"?
     (reader seeks simple personal database)
• Cloned Drive Not Full Clone
     (his "restore" failed. why?)
• Another Idea For Screen Protection
     (... and a fun geek  factoid, besides)
• Adobe Reader Alternative Is Fast
     (...and FREE!)

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

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14) Just For Grins

Now that Halloween is over, it's time for many of us to start thinking about Christmas. And what better way to celebrate the season than with a traditional USB-powered "Fiber-Optic" Christmas Tree. And, no, this is not a hoax, but a real product.
http://www.usbgeek.com/prod_detail.php?prod_id=0573

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If you haven't already done so, please set your newsletter preferences now:
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Remember, there's a TEST MAIL coming next week to make sure everything's OK with the new mailing setup; and then we'll resume normal issues on 2006-10-09!

Best,

Fred & Mike

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