Issue 162 - November 21, 2001

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2001
==== 2222 Subscribers in 60 Countries ====

Subscribe/Unsubscribe/View Archives at http://www.pcin.net/

Welcome to the 162nd 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.

You can reach me at editor@pcin.net with any suggestions or comments. If you give me two or three issues, I know that you will come back for more!

Recommend PCIN at http://PCIN.net/recommend.shtml
Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.shtml

CONTENTS

OPENING THOUGHTS

The craft show that Lisa and Mom were in on Saturday didn't go so well. It was more of a bazaar (smaller, cheaper items). Of well, they had fun preparing, and there are other shows ahead. I did get the Smocked Dreams web site finished in time for Saturday. If you don't know what smocking is, you should really check out the site and see the beautiful work. A good sample is at http://www.smockeddreams.com/dresses/images/Plaid_Tidings_Smocking.jpg. Lisa thinks it's amazing that I can do what I do with computers. Well, I think it's amazing what she can do with those dresses.

As I said last week, I'm on vacation this week. Lisa still has to work, so I'm getting quite a bit done around the house. We're both anxious to get the bathroom done, so that should be done soon.

Recently subscriber Forest Brumagen emailed me about how he set up a Mac at home. Instead of installing Windows XP on their Windows computer, they decided to move to a Mac. He asked, "Do others think that, with the advent of OSX, a UNIX based platform, we might move away from Wintel-based systems? I submit this as a proposition to your readers." So, do you think that the new Mac OS X is a viable alternative to Windows? Has Windows XP made you think more about switching? Send your comments to editor@pcin.net

Return to the top

The NEWS

FBI software cracks encryption wall

"The FBI is developing software capable of inserting a computer virus onto a suspect's machine and obtaining encryption keys, a source familiar with the project told MSNBC.com. The software, known as "Magic Lantern," enables agents to read data that had been scrambled, a tactic often employed by criminals to hide information and evade law enforcement. The best snooping technology that the FBI currently uses, the controversial software called Carnivore, has been useless against suspects clever enough to encrypt their files."

http://www.msnbc.com/news/660096.asp

Few Willing to Pay for Web Content

"The dot-com shakeout has resulted in some websites charging fees to access content, but few Americans have been willing to pay, according to a survey released Wednesday.
About 17 percent of Internet users, or about 19 million people, have been asked to pay for access to website content that used to be free, but half found free alternatives, while 12 percent pay, and the rest just decide to stop getting that content or service from an online source, according to a study by the Pew Internet & Life Project.
The survey titled 'The Dot-com Meltdown and the Web,' was a follow-up to one released by Pew in March, which found that most Americans attributed the dot-com problems to either 'greed' or 'cluelessness.'"

For more info:
http://www.techtv.com/news/internet/story/0,24195,3360940,00.html

Users are the weakest link, security experts warn

"Companies that would have trouble compiling a list of their networks' users and detailing the level of access that those users have don't know who is on their network and are sitting ducks for cybersabotage, a group of industry experts said today.
Weak user passwords, inconsistent policy enforcement and lackadaisical user access management have made corporate network users the No. 1 cyberthreat to sensitive business data, said experts during a live webcast today sponsored by Irvine, Calif.-based Access360, a company that specializes in resource-provisioning management.
'The user, while juggling even more IDs and passwords in today's environment, continues to be the weakest link,' said Mark Ford, an analyst at the Secure eBusiness Group at Deloitte & Touche LLP in New York. 'We must gain control of the weakest link before we end up in an identity crisis.'"

For more info:
http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO65745,00.html

Return to the top

POLL of the WEEK

Here are the responses from the last poll:

Have you ever downloaded an entire feature-length movie from the Internet?

No: 88.24%
Yes: 11.76%

Total Votes: 68

Visit http://pcin.net/polls/ to participate in the new poll this week:

How much of your Christmas shopping will you do online?

Return to the top

FREEHELP FORUM

Visit the PCIN FreeHelp Forum to post your questions or answer others. Each week I highlight a question, and where to go to get the answer.

Question

I recently built a new computer. I put in a Gigabyte motherboard with an onboard sound card. I had a computer that I built a few years ago that I played a few games on. The games worked fine on that one. Now on this one, when I play the same games I played before, the sound is delayed and scrambled. When I go into directx diagnostics I get an error that says: Error:Problem getting extra sound info, result code= 0x8878000a {The request failed because DirectSound resources, such ae the priority level, were already in use by another caller.} I have all the updated drivers and the newest version of directx. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Thanks.

Answer

No answers posted yet.

Do you know the answer or have a suggestion? Visit http://www.pcin.net/cgi-bin/forum/index.cgi and check out the Software Forum. Post your answer or post a question of your own.

Return to the top

PCIN.net UPDATE

Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:

PowerQuest DriveCopy 4.0
http://PCIN.net/help/software/pqdrivecopy4.shtml

PowerQuest PartitionMagic 6.0
http://PCIN.net/help/software/pqpartitionmagic6.shtml

Software602 602Pro PC Suite 2001 Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/602propcsuite2001.shtml

Software602 602Pro PC Suite Plus 2001
http://PCIN.net/help/software/602propcsuiteplus2001.shtml

PowerQuest Drive Image 4.0
http://PCIN.net/help/software/pqdriveimage4.shtml

Support PCIN
http://pcin.net/donate.shtml

Return to the top

THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

PowerQuest DriveCopy 4.0 Review

"PowerQuest's DriveCopy 4.0 is a tool very similar to PartitionMagic and Drive Image, but much simpler. It is mainly to be used when a new hard drive is purchased, and all you want to do is copy the entire contents of one drive to another.
The product appeared to work perfectly, according to its purpose. But you must remember that it does no more.
If you want to resize partitions at all, then you would need PartitionMagic. If you want to keep an image of the hard drive that you can restore, then you would need Drive Image."

Read the full review at
http://PCIN.net/help/software/pqdrivecopy4.shtml

PowerQuest PartitionMagic 6.0 Review

"PowerQuest makes many software products, but their most popular with home users is PartitionMagic. I've used the product since version 3, and have always been impressed with it. I recently obtain a copy of version 6.0 for review and was note disappointed with it.
Previous versions of PartitionMagic have been excellent, and this version is no exception. If you ever have the need to do anything with your partitions for any purpose (testing operating systems, organizing your hard drive, etc.), then PartitionMagic is well worth the $69.95 suggested price (of course you can always find it cheaper). There are cheaper products (some even free) out there, but none of them match up!"

Read the full review at
http://PCIN.net/help/software/pqpartitionmagic6.shtml

Windows XP Startup Disks

"The Windows XP startup disk allows computers without a bootable CD-ROM to perform a new installation of the operating system. The Windows XP startup disk will automatically load the correct drivers to gain access to the CD-ROM drive and start a new installation of Setup. You cannot upgrade from a Windows XP startup disk."

XP Home
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33290
XP Pro
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33291

Microsoft Office Converter Pack

"The Microsoft Office Converter Pack installs text converters and graphic (image) filters not included with Excel, Word, and PowerPoint®. Many of the converters and filters included in the converter pack have been available in the past, but this is the first time they have been packaged together for convenient deployment."

http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/9798/Convpack.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/2000/convpack.aspx

Return to the top

DISCLAIMER and OTHER STUFF

PCIN is brought to you by PC Improvements. The opinions expressed are those of the editor, Graham Wing. PC Improvements and Graham Wing accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying the tips in this newsletter.

  1. If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut and paste.
  2. You can only win one contest every 30 days.
  3. To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://www.pcin.net/ and follow the appropriate links.
  4. Recommend PCIN to others at http://www.pcin.net/recommend.shtml and be entered in a monthly draw.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Support PCIN by visiting http://www.pcin.net/donate.shtml

Return to the top

Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net

Copyright 1998-2001, PC Improvements and 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