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Windows Secrets Newsletter • Issue 144 • 2008-03-13 • Circulation: over 275,000 |
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Contents TOP STORY: How to fix that gizmo you dropped in the loo KNOWN ISSUES: OEM licenses for XP are nontransferable WACKY WEB WEEK: Hey, buddy, can you cc me on that? LANGALIST PLUS: Using Windows' hidden Disk Cleanup options PC TUNE-UP: StartKey makes your desktop portable PATCH WATCH: March patches for Office are "lambs," except... YOUR SUBSCRIPTION: How to change your address or unsubscribe |
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For links to every topic in this issue, scroll down to the
Index |
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ADS
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TOP STORY How to fix that gizmo you dropped in the loo
What to do before you call the shop Whether you left your iPod in your pocket when you did your laundry, discovered that your dog thinks your Zune is a chew toy, spilled coffee on your Treo in your car's cupholder, or dropped your phone in the sink while shaving during your conference call, you've probably discovered the hard way that today's electronics are not invulnerable. When disaster like this strikes, what should you do? I spoke with Aaron Vronko, co-founder of Rapid Repair, based in Kalamazoo, Mich. Rapid Repair specializes in iPod and iPhone repairs, but also handles repairs of Zunes and other small appliances. Vronko told me what you can do to rescue your portable electronic device. First, the obvious: water and electronics don't mix If you merely dropped your handheld device on a hard, dry surface, your problem may not be too serious. In cases of dry damage, dust off your device and turn it on. If you can't make it work, you'll need to find a repair service. But you probably won't be out more than a nominal charge to see if it can be fixed. A much bigger danger is secondary damage caused by exposure to water or other liquids. "That's when the most damage happens," says Vronko. "People don't realize how much liquid can get inside or the harm it can do." What happens next can determine whether your device lives or dies. If your handheld is exposed to liquids, try these steps. Step 1: Act quickly. If your electronic device has been exposed to liquid, a wait-and-see approach may do more harm than good. The longer the electronics are exposed to moisture, the greater the chance of connections corroding, causing irreparable damage. Step 2: Don't turn it on. "If you turn on a device exposed to water, you're attracting ions to the liquid and causing even more problems," says Vronko. Step 3: Clean with solvent. Not all electronic devices can be easily disassembled, but do what you can to open yours up if it's a simple matter. Then carefully clean the parts with an electronics-safe solvent. Good solvents to use for this purpose include contact cleaner from an electronics shop or a strong rubbing alcohol. Don't use the kind of mild alcohol that's sold in many drug stores; it contains too much water. Use a cleaner that's 80% or more alcohol. Step 4: Dry and try. Once you've cleaned it, let your device dry out completely. Then reassemble it and try it out. Step 5: If necessary, seek repairs sooner rather than later. If you don't succeed in reviving your handheld, try to get it to a repair service before internal water damage gets worse. Vronko relates an unusual story in which his cell phone was on his lap during his drive home. When he got out of his car, the phone fell onto the driveway and that night was covered by 12 inches of snow. He didn't find the handheld until spring, two months later. When he found the phone, he didn't have time to work on it, so he threw it into a freezer for another two months. Once he found the time, Vronko cleaned out the phone with a solvent and made sure it was thoroughly dry. As a result, the phone worked just fine. "Certain electronics don't like freezing temperatures," Vronko notes, so he doesn't recommend this approach for everything. "But, in this case, the cold kept the delicate parts from oxidizing."
When is a repair job worth the money? If your own remedial steps don't help, it's time to seek professional help. Some shops, like Vronko's Rapid Repair, charge little or nothing for estimates. Rapid Repair charges one cent for estimates (a quirk of the company's online billing system), plus $10 U.S. for overnight shipping anywhere in the United States. Vronko says a number of manufacturers will make repairs for free, especially if their product is the cause of the problem. "For example," says Vronko, "it's extremely common for car chargers to fry a product's mainboard if there is a power spike in the car's electrical system." In that case, a reputable manufacturer of such a charger may replace your product for little or no money. "For all your electronics, be extremely wary of hooking it to a car charger if you can avoid it," adds Vronko. "Or, if you do use a car charger, make sure the manufacturer stands by their accessory." For repairs that aren't caused by user damage, 50% of the repairs Vronko sees require only a new LCD or battery. He adds that 85% of the repairs his company made last year cost the customer $90 or less. In deciding whether to opt for repairs or a replacement unit, Vronko recommends the 60% rule: If the repair cost is more than 60% of the current replacement value (what the device would cost to buy today), don't bother with a repair. For example, you may have spent $300 on a device originally, but if a new model now costs $200, don't spend more than $120 getting the old one fixed. Finally, if your product is beyond repair or not worth the cost, ask whether your repair service will recycle it for you. That way, at least reusable materials won't end up in a landfill. As electronics get smaller, they also become easy to drop and damage. Knowing what to do in a mishap may save you the pain and expense of replacing or repairing your personal device. Have a tip about Windows? Readers receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of their choice for sending tips we print. Send us your tips via the Windows Secrets contact page. Scott Dunn is associate editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter. He has been a contributing editor of PC World since 1992 and currently writes for the Here's How section of that magazine. |
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KNOWN ISSUES OEM licenses for XP are nontransferable By Scott Dunn My Mar. 6 article on buying systems with XP preinstalled stated that your XP license lets you remove the operating system from one machine and install it on another. But that's only true if you bought a retail copy of Windows XP, not a version that came preinstalled on your PC. Not all copies of XP are licensed equally Regarding the transfer of Windows XP to a different machine, reader Elin H. Flashman made the same point as many readers:
Note that if you have any difficulty activating a retail copy of XP on another machine, you can call Microsoft at the number on the screen and explain the situation. This is likely to get you the activation code you need, regardless of how you bought XP. Include the world in your driver search When looking for XP-compatible drivers for newer hardware, Randy Curtin has this suggestion:
Naturally, you should take care to ensure the drivers you download and install were intended for your specific hardware. Another shopping alternative for XP systems My Mar. 6 article pointed out some PC makers that still sell computer systems with Windows XP preinstalled or with XP downgrade discs. But reader David Yancey has another suggestion for last-minute shopping before the June 2008 deadline:
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EDITOR'S BOOKSHELF
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WACKY WEB WEEK Hey, buddy, can you cc me on that?
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INDEX The following topics appear in the free version
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YOUR SUBSCRIPTION The Windows Secrets Newsletter is published weekly on the 1st through 4th Thursdays of each month, plus occasional news updates. We skip an issue on the 5th Thursday of any month, plus the week of Thanksgiving and the last two weeks of August and December. Publisher: WindowsSecrets.com LLC, Attn: #120 Editor, 1700 7th Ave., Suite 116, Seattle, WA 98101-1323 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine). Editorial Director: Brian Livingston. Editor-at-Large: Fred Langa. Associate Editor: Scott Dunn. Contributing Editors: Susan Bradley, Mark Edwards, Woody Leonhard, Ryan Russell. Research Director: Vickie Stevens. Program Director: Brent Scheffler. Editorial Assistant: Raef Harrison. Trademarks: Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The Windows Secrets series of books is published by Wiley Publishing Inc. The Windows Secrets Newsletter, WindowsSecrets.com, LangaList, LangaList Plus, WinFind, Security Baseline, Patch Watch, Perimeter Scan, Wacky Web Week, the Logo Design (W, S or road, and Star), and the slogan Everything Microsoft Forgot to Mention all are trademarks and service marks of WindowsSecrets.com LLC. All other marks are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: Anyone may subscribe to this newsletter by visiting our free signup page. WE GUARANTEE YOUR PRIVACY: 1. We will never sell, rent, or give away your address to any outside party, ever. 2. We will never send you any unrequested e-mail, besides newsletter updates. 3. All unsubscribe requests are honored immediately, period. Privacy policy HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: To unsubscribe from the Windows Secrets Newsletter,
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