Tag: Your Questions

Categories
Uncategorized

Article: Recovering files by reinstalling Windows, Mac virus protection

Thsi week in Patrick Marshall’s Q&A column on technology, there are two items that struck home for me:


Reinstalling Windows to recover lost files: The first was Mr. Marchall’s advice on “reinstalling Windows may help retrieve photos.” A reader asked what they should do when their “daughter’s computer wouldn’t boot and displayed a message stating that Windows System 32 was missing. All I wanted was to get her pictures off her hard drive.”


Mr. Marshall suggests reinstalling Windows. The error message you’re getting implies that important system files have been corrupted, whether by a problem with the drive or by a virus. That being the case, you’ll need to boot from your Windows disk and reinstall Windows. Assuming you’re able to reinstall, choose to install over the current version. Above all, do not choose the option to reformat the drive prior to installing.


More info on how to do this is detailed on Nick Peers’ good tutorial on reinstalling Windows, and mentioned in this PC World article.


I also agree with Marshall’s suggestion to use a reputable hard-drive data-retrieval service if the drive is damaged and you’re not able to reinstall Windows.


One more thing: back up your files regularly. If you don’t have a writable CD or DVD drive (or even if you do) a handy and ever more affordable way to back up your files is to a USB 2.0 Flash Drive. I found several brands of flash drives (which I refer to as memory fobs, sometimes getting a blank stare at the office) for less than $20 for 1 GB. I use these at home for archiving our photos and important documents, and keep a small spare flash drive in our emergency kit with copies of important family documents and information.


Note on Mac OS X anti-virus: Also of interest in this week’s column was this on Mac AV:



“I wrote that even users of Apple computers should employ anti-virus software, explaining that while there are fewer viruses reported for Apple computers, especially for those using the newest Mac OS X operating system, there are still viruses.


“I was inundated with responses from Mac users, many of whom claimed there are no viruses that target the Mac OS X. While it is interesting to find that so many users feel so passionately about their choice of operating system, it is dangerous to operate under the assumption that your computer does not need anti-virus software.


“Indeed, there is no operating system in the world that is not vulnerable to viruses.


“There were, in fact, so many e-mails that I cannot respond to them individually. Accordingly, I want to again urge readers with more questions to visit the Web site I mentioned in the article: www.securemac.com. You will find extensive coverage there of existing vulnerabilities and viruses affecting Mac OS X and other Apple operating systems.”


I have a Mac at home (actually, more than one… it’s a long story.) and I wouldn’t think to have them on the Internet or our network without AV. I received a number of mails from Mac users to my blog post on “Mac or PC Security, it doesn’t matter: be prepared” and why I noted that being prepared in this example costs me nothing. I have a choice to purchase additional security if I choose. And that’s what I have done for both my Macs (with Norton AV, but I am considering switching to Intego) and my PCs (OneCare with Etrust).


Tags: , , , .

Categories
Uncategorized

Changes announced today in Windows Vista transfer limits

CNET News reports today the changes in Windows Vista transfer limits. This was reported in the news last month (see this story link on InternetNews), when it was reported that in “customers will only be able to reinstall Vista on a new machine once. After that, they will have to buy a new copy of Vista.”


Not so. 



“Reversing a licensing change announced two weeks ago, Microsoft said on Thursday that it will not limit the number of times that retail customers can transfer their Windows Vista license to a different computer. On Oct. 16, Microsoft issued the new user license for Vista, including terms that would have limited the ability of those who buy a boxed copy of the operating system to transfer that license. Under the proposed terms, users could have made such a switch only one time.


“However, the new restriction prompted an outcry among hardware enthusiasts and others. Microsoft is returning the licensing terms to basically what they were in Windows XP–users can transfer their license to a new PC an unlimited number of times, provided they uninstall and stop using it on the prior machine.


“The software maker said it paid attention to the response both directly to the company and on blogs and decided to reverse course.


“…Microsoft product manager Mike Burk (said) “At the same time, after listening to the feedback that came in, (we) felt that we needed to make this change.”


Tags: , , , , .

Categories
Uncategorized

Your questions: How do you compile your reading summaries?

WRT the reading summaries in the “articles I’ve read” posts (here, too), I was asked… 



“how do you compile these? Are you using a special tool? I’m looking for something that lets me just push a button every time I read an interesting article and save it to a log file where I can automatically create summaries like yours.”


Yes, I currently use del.icio.us to tag articles and stories.  I find it to be an easy way to quickly archive pages and stories of interest for later reference. I installed the del.icio.us buttons for Internet Explorer that allows me to “Tag This Page” I want to save. Along with sving the page, I add notes to the link by selecting text in the article prior to saving the page.

And since the items are listed in HTML on my del.icio.us webpage display, it’s easy to cut and paste entries from del.icio.us directly into my blog posts and emails, and access from my mobile browser. 


My goal is to use Windows Live Favorites, which allows you to “access, organize and discover favorites anywhere.” But it doesn’t yet (at least as I was unable to find) provide a simple HTML view of the content links and descriptions I’ve tagged, as available in del.icio.us.


Of interest: CNET’s review of Windows Live Favorites

Categories
Uncategorized

Your questions: do I need to do anything for IPv6?

I was asked this week: “What is IPv6 and what do I have to do to my PC now to support it?”


So first, what is it?


In the simplest terms, Internet Protocol version 4 an 6 (IPv4 and IPv6) are the Internet network standards that are and will be used (resp) by any device connected to the Internet. IPv4 is the Internet Protocol that is currently used, and IPv6 is the next generation. You might’ve seen articles proclaiming that we’re running out of available addresses — this from Forbes, “Is The Internet Out Of Room”? (4/11/2006):



“The Internet is supposed to be limitless–a boundary-free exchange of digital information and profit. So how can it be running out of real estate?


“The answer, according to information technology experts, lies in cyberspace’s ever-growing popularity. In theory, each new user who wants to log on needs a new address, as does each new Internet-enabled gadget, like smartphones that can access the Web. Routers, which allow multiple users and devices to use a single address, are helping stave off the problem for now, but it’s only a stopgap measure.”


Moving to IPv6 will increase the available addresses, just as adding digits to phone numbers increases the possible number of phones you can support. In the case of Internet-connected devices, this means that we will move from a system with a limited number of addresses today to an almost unlimited number. BusinessWeek has an article in print and online this week that looks at this worldwide network upgrade that provides “an almost limitless number of addresses.”


IPv4 vs. IPv6



“The problem — all the possible Net addresses will be used up in five years — can be solved by upgrading the decades-old standards that govern how different devices communicate with each other. The upgrade, called Internet Protocol version 6, was developed a decade ago and mostly has been sitting on the shelf — until now, that is. Anxious about how China and Asia are starting to upgrade their computer systems to take advantage of IPv6 capabilities, the Defense Dept. and the White House are trying to jump-start IPv6 use in the U.S. through billions of dollars in technology improvements… Says Charles Rossotti, a senior adviser to private-equity firm The Carlyle Group… “Some significant sectors of the economy, notably the Defense Dept., are starting to move quickly.”

“Or at least as quickly as a bureaucratic behemoth can move. Even simple shifts in organizations as complex as the Defense Dept. are difficult. Although the government plans to spend tens of billions over the next 10 years to upgrade its computer and phone systems, it faces competition for that funding from the Iraq war.”


Chris Harding, an IPv6 Forum Fellow, says that “it is not a matter of whether, but of when, IPv4 addresses will run out. Commercial users will increasingly demand guaranteed levels of service, (and) without improved and selectable quality, some services will not be feasible.”


Adding more IP addresses will allow every device to have their own, unique IP address on the network: according to the wiki, IPv4 supports 4.3 billion addresses, which won’t cover everyone and their mobile phone, TV, PC and Internet toaster. In contrast, IPv6 virtually supports an unlimited number of addresses, with about 50 octillion for everyone on the Earth today. That’s enough for everyone in our home, where we are barely into using two digits worth of IP addresses… including business use.


So what do you have to do?


Realistically, no new changes for consumers. Today, current schemes to re-use IP addresses dynamically works fine for e-mail and surfing the Internet, so you may not need to worry about setting up anything new on your PC our router at home. In most cases, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will handle the heavy litfing. Many major businesses, ISPs, CE companies, network equipment manufacturers and governments are making changes already, or should be mapping out their plans.


Microsoft supports IPv6 in Windows Server 2003, Windows XP SP1 and SP2, and Windows CE .NET 4.1. Windows Vista and Windows Server “Longhorn” include the Next Generation TCP/IP which supports IPv4 and IPv6 . If you want to make the move today with current products, TechNet has more details in the IPv6 FAQ, available online, including details on installing the IPv6 protocol for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.


More information


Categories
Uncategorized

CNET review: T-Mobile Dash vs. Motorola Q

Email this afternoon on my Smartphone: “I am thinking about switching providers. Which of the new Smartphones should I get: the Dash of the Q?”


OK, last Dash post until we get one: we decided this weekend that this is the phone for my wife.


As noted previously, the new T-Mobile Dash Smartphone is now available, and is proving to be quite popular. Now CNET has a review comparison between the Motorola Q and the T-Mobile Dash…


Motorola Q
Motorola Q

T-Mobile Dash
T-Mobile Dash

“When it first debuted, the Motorola Q was undoubtedly a knockout. The Windows Mobile device was sleek and sexy, unlike any other smart phone before it, and generally delivered on performance. However, when you’re sitting there at the top, there’s always going to be someone who wants to knock you down, and let’s just say the T-Mobile Dash is ready for a fight. This new kid on the block is throwing up some big claims, with its own slim design, productivity tools, and wireless options.”


The winner in the review? The T-Mobile Dash with 63 total points, and the Motorola Q close behind with 58. Unless you’re on the Verizon’s 3G EV-DO network, the Dash is a good choice. It really depends on the provider coverage in your area – they are both great phones. If you need a Smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard, these are pretty good choices, and a little slimmer than the popular Cingular 8125, the new and popular Palm Treo 700wx smartphone on Sprint’s network.


For more Smartphones in North America, see the Windows Mobile home page, and in the States and Canada see the Windows Mobile Devices for the Americas.