August  - 2004

Windows XP Service Pack 2

Coming soon (but not yet ready.)  It now appears SP2 will be released sometime in August.  We installed and played with the beta release of SP2 RC2 and found:

• Download/Install time was approximately 65 minutes using the Express download on a 768 DSL connection.  About 3/4 of that time was the downloading.
  • You should (at least) double that time for the typical home DSL connection.
    Dialup users, don't bother.  On a good dialup connection your download time would be something around 6.5 hours
• The update did not significantly change the computer's startup or shutdown time.
• The look and feel of Windows was unchanged.
• It turned off various unnecessary services (internal background applications.)
• It turned on the connection firewall which has been greatly improved but that firewall still falls short of Zonealarm or Symantec's.
• There are new Control Panel items: Wireless Network setup, Firewall and Security Center.

Viruses Slipped Through the Filter

Just a day before posting this newsletter we receive multiple messages that had the Klez virus.  Fortunately Norton Antivirus removed the infection before we actually received the message.  This is just another reminder that you cannot completely rely on Postini or an ISP virus/spam filter.

They're Circulating Again

Be aware there are new email messages containing an apparent "update" or "patch" from Microsoft, Symantec (Norton) and other applications; but they are actually viruses.  

We do not know of any software company that emails updates.  You may be on a mailing list and receive a notification there is an update available but you need to actively go to the software company's site and manually download that update.

If you are unsure of your Windows Update status, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and "scan for updates."  Any other application, go to their site and look in their support/download area.

Isn't This Comforting...

One of the latest viruses may actually shuts down to hide from detection by your antivirus scan.

"Atak is not thought to be a serious threat. But because of recent detection and in-built protection, the worm's full functionality has not yet been fully analyzed".

The Article.  Atak is apparently an email arrived virus so as always, be very leery of attachments!

Good Advice!  From Microsoft (click here)

Laptop Security

Do you travel with a laptop or maybe that little kid of yours all grown up and heading off to college?  Airports are an especially high risk area for laptop theft.  Laptop's are easily identified by their unique carrying case and are desirable targets due to their resale value.

When waiting around the airport (or anywhere else for that matter,) wrap the case strap around your leg or arm!   When you pass through the screening area, don't take your eye off the case and do not set it on the conveyer until it is your turn to go through the metal detector.  Click here to see how this theft/scam works.  Although the new rules of no one past the security gate without a ticket has dampened this scam, don't let your guard down. 

Does the laptop contain sensitive data?   

If the laptop is running Windows 98, ME, perhaps you should consider data encryption software.  Even with a user login password, these operating systems are not secure because pressing Escape at the logon prompt by-passes security and continues to the Desktop.

While not as secure as some file encryption applications, Windows XP users can safeguard some data by setting up a password (Control Panel > Users) and when prompted, make my files private!  

A couple words of warning on making files private:

• This protects only files found in that user's My Documents folder.  Applications like Outlook, Quicken, Quickbooks, most accounting applications and many others may not store the data in the My Documents folder and therefore will not be protected (for more on moving data to the My Documents folder, click here.) 
• If it is ever necessary to access the data for recovery purposes, it may be very difficult, i.e., your data may be lost!  But since you backup on a regular basis you will have no worries about that.  Right?

Another way to protect the data may be to store it on a removable drive or CD and not on the hard drive but this too can become lost and it is slightly more subject to file corruption.

Wireless Laptop Connections

One last issue; if you connect to wireless networks such as at motels and coffee shops, be aware that these connections may not be secure!  Do not send credit card numbers or any other personal data out over non-secure wireless networks.

VoIP

"Voice over Internet Protocol" allows a person to make phone calls using their DSL or other broadband Internet connection.  Because you are using your computer microphone, speakers and Internet connection rather than your phone, you can talk to another person most anywhere in the world without toll charges.  For more details on how VoIP works, click here.

If you have/use the Windows (MSN) Messenger you already have the software, just look in the menu systems for "Make a phone call."  A couple years ago our daughter used that service to make free long distant calls home; but the connection was limited to a five minutes she had a rotating ad banners on screen while talking.

Will VoIP replace the current telephone system?  Maybe, someday, but there are many hurdles to overcome first:

VoIP Security

We all (should) know that non-encrypted email messages can be intercepted, read and even modified before they reach the intended destination, but what about a voice conversation?  If you use VoIP, could someone "tap in" and listen while you read off a credit card number off?  Talk to your banker, lawyer or physician?  Click here for an article on security issues. 

The Government (of course)

A "temporary tax" (still in effect from 1898) may interfere with the development of VoIP. 
The Article

Who's Calling?  From Where?

Someplace along the line it will be necessary to convert VoIP back to the phone system's analog signal and pass it along to the intended receiver.  

Because of this conversion (as discussed in this article); things like TiVo, DSS, security alarm systems and perhaps even 9-1-1 calls will have problems with VoIP!  TiVo, DSS and alarms require a standard phone system to work properly.  9-1-1 calls could very well be misrouted.  Another issue, if you have only a VoIP phone, where would the phonebook listing be?  

So for now, don't drop your local service as there are many problems for VoIP to workout.  
More on this subject in the future...

Email Message Mess

Many email messages these days come in the "HTML" format.  HTML is the language web sites and when used for email, it allows for bold, colored, indented and other text formatting and other layout options.

Sometimes, for whatever reason you probably receive a HTML message as "plain text."  In this event, the message is nearly impossible to read due to the HTML tags.

<html>
<h1>Heading is here</h>

<b>this is a sentence in bold</b><br>
this one is not<br>
more of the message here<p>
</html>

We have yet to find any specific reason for this problem nor how to solve it but can offer a suggestion:  When this does occur, you can still view the message as it was intended to look here's how:  

While viewing the message, click the File menu then Save As.  Select a location (folder) to save in then change the file name to whatever you want but change the file type to HTML. This effectively saves the plain text format as a new HTML file.  (You may be able to simply add the .htm extension to the file name.)  If you cannot see file name extensions (and want to), click here. 

Now, go to the location in which you saved the new HTML file and double click it.

More information here on file types.

Be Aware of HTML "Dangers"

Because HTML is a type of programming language, it can make your computer do things that perhaps you do want it to do.  The biggest concern is the message launches another application such as a virus.  

But you can protect your computer from malicious messages while viewing them as HTML:

• Keep your antivirus application up-to-date.  Click here for more information.  
  and if that's a new computer, click here for an important reminder.

• Shut off the preview pane so you can delete suspicious messages without actually opening them.  Click here for more information.

• Delete suspicious messages, don't open them.

Note: Windows XP Service Pack II will offer Outlook Express users the option to "read all messages as plain text."

Email Receipts

Did you know you can request a receipt for your email message?  There are two basic requests; delivery and read.  So you can find out if your message is: 1) received and 2) opened.

Outlook offers both delivery and read receipts.  To request them; create a new message then from the View menu select Options.  

Outlook Express, offers only a read receipt.  To request it; create a new message then from the Tools menu, select Request a Receipt.

Did you also know your email application may automatically respond to a request from someone else?  A spammer could request a receipt and your email application may be responding to the spammer (verifying they found a valid email address.)  To shut off receipts:

Outlook (depending in the version): Tools menu > Email Options > Tracking options (button) where you should clear all check boxes except the never respond option.

Outlook Express Tools menu > Options > Receipts check the Never Send option.

Out of the Office Message

You've probably seen them before; a response to an email informing that person is gone until a certain date.  This is mostly a product of high-end networks such as Microsoft Exchange but you may be able to do this with Outlook and Outlook Express.  

First; be aware this requires your computer to be running AND always connected to the Internet. Because you need an consistent Internet connection, this is impractical for dialup users.  

The sleep mode, disk and network card power down features may interfere with the operation. 

One last thought; if you typically get spam in your inbox, this automatic response will confirm to the spammer they found a valid email address.

Still interested in setting this up?  See these appropriate articles for: 
Outlook and Outlook Express.  

General

Problems with Mail Merge under Word 2003/XP?

Click here for articles on Word 2003 Mail Merge

Send a DOS command output to a text file

You can create a text file from some DOS commands by redirecting the command to a text file:
command > c:\filename.txt

Examples: 

• dir > c:\files.txt creates a text file named "files.txt" on the root (C:) of all files and folders in whatever directory (folder) you are currently in.  
  dir c:\windows\*.* > c:\files.txt would list all files in the Windows directory
• help > c:\help.txt creates a text file named "help.txt" on the root showing the Windows DOS commands available along with a brief explanation of that command.

Windows XP

Shutdown Command

You can run these from the Start > Run menu or create a batch file on the desktop.  Some shutdown parameters are listed below but two interesting ones are:

Shutdown -s
Shutdown -r

-i Display GUI interface, must be the first option
-l Log off (cannot be used with -m option)
-s Shutdown the computer
-r Shutdown and restart the computer
-a Abort a system shutdown
-m \\computername Remote computer to shutdown/restart/abort
-t xx Set timeout for shutdown to xx seconds
-f Forces running applications to close without warning

There are others available, try shutdown /? at a command prompt.

Old cell-phones, Eyeglasses, Ink Cartridges and Laser Cartridges.

If you have any of these, please do not throw them away.  We collect them at the store for specific charities.    Thank you...

Looking to buy a new computer?  

Here are some ideas that may help you decide: http://www.bergesch.com/bcs/newcomputer.htm

That's all for now but we will leave you with this:  

A doctor telephoned one of his patients at home.
"I have bad news and worse news."
"Geez, Doc, that's terrible! What's the bad news?"
"The bad news is that your tests came back and you only have twenty-four hours to live."
"That's horrible. What news could possibly be worse than that?!"
Doc replied "I forgot, I was supposed to call you yesterday!"