C C C C N E W S L E T T E R
CENTRAL COAST COMPUTER CLUB
Santa Maria, California
VOLUME XIX: NUMBER 8 AUGUST, 2004
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at the Knollwood
Village Clubhouse 4012 S. Bradley Dr., Santa Maria.
General meeting at 7:00 PM. Special Interest Groups sessions are at
5:45pm and 6:00pm. Guests are welcome.
Check out our web site: http//member.apcug.org/fourseas for the latest
program schedule information.
Membership is $15 for twelve months for individuals, $20 for families.
For this you receive: Monthly newsletters, EXTRA4C E-mail Messages,
Access to the clubs software library, Disk of the month (usually for $1),
Help-line support, Monthly presentations, Valuable door prizes, Question
and answer sessions.
NEXT MEETING: August 17, 2004 KNOLLWOOD VILLAGE 4012 S. BRADLEY
PRESENTATION: The August presentation will be "Discovering Your Hard Drive"
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| CONTENTS |
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(1) OFFICERS, HELPLINES, S.I.G.S
(2) PRESIDENT'S CORNER Spence Stimler
(3) EDITOR'S COMMENTS Dick Trissel
(4) WEB WANDERINGS Gil Smith
(5) SYSTEMS S.I.G. Dick Trissel
(6) HARD DRIVE DATA REMOVAL Dick Trissel
(7) DOCTOR DATA IS IN - ON OR OFF Steve Burgess
(8) GPS -- WHERE EXACTLY ARE YOU? Joe Schmitt
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OFFICERS HELPLINES
President Juno
Spence Stimler 938-0217 Gilbert Smith 925-3743
spence@pronet.net colgil1@juno.com
Vice President Windows 95/98/ME/XP & VoiceControl
Bill Corning 934-0775 Amy Malicki 925-5780
foster95@juno.com savvyforseniors@juno.com
Secretary and Book Librarian Hardware and Windows XP
Barbara Godwin 934-9885 Ray Isenson 937-6938
yung.bag@verizon.net risenson@juno.com
Treasurer AOL
Gerry Miller 934-1396 Frank Maciel 922-2318
2741 Banyan Way frm8198@aol.com
Santa Maria CA 93455
gandamiller@verizon.net
Disk Librarian Visual Basic and Genealogy
Sharon Allen 928-2209 Gerald Miller 934-1396
sallen4060@aol.com gandamiller@verizon.net
Publicity Help With Any Problem
Bill Corning 934-0775 Fred Adams 934-1128
foster95@juno.com fredeadams@verizon.net
Newsletter Editor Digital Imaging
Dick Trissel 937-7572 Charles Barney 937-1240
rtrissel@juno.com Cbarney@lightspeed.net
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (S.I.G.s)
Digital Imaging (*) Systems (5:45pm) Basic (*)
Charles Barney Dick Trissel Amy Malicki
Cbarney@lightspeed.net rtrissel@juno.com savvyforseniors@juno.com
* Cancelled for August
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CCCC Page 2 August 2004
PRESIDENT'S CORNER by Spence Stimler
Our July meeting was attended by 45 members and one guest. We seem to be
in the summer doldrums insofar as attendance is concerned. We still need
your input to assist us with programs that will be appealing and helpful to
you. Without your input, we can only guess.
We made a good selection for our July meeting. Steve Burgess presented his
usual informative and instructive message in pure Burgessese. He kept
everyone's attention throughout and if you missed him, it was surely your
loss.
Two announcements regarding the future of the computer club are noted here.
First, Barbara Flood who has faithfully served as our coffee and cookie
coordinator has asked to be relieved of her duties for health and personal
reasons. We hate to see her leave. She has been at the job without
complaint since long before I became a member. We owe her a debt of
gratitude, appreciate her efforts, and wish her well.
Secondly, Charles Barney has indicated that he will be taking a few months
hiatus from the computer club. He has been an invaluable part of the
success of the club and we hope that the time will come when he will be
back and in the swing of things. It will be difficult, but we will attempt
to struggle along without his guidance.
A decision was made and volunteers came forward to purchase the cookies for
the rest of this year. Remember that you will be reimbursed for the
cookies. Merely present the bill to our Treasurer, Jerry Miller, and he
will write a check for your expenditure. The cookie volunteers for the
balance of this year are as follows:
August: Barbara Lohman
September: Ray Isenson
October: Laudell Ludwig
November: Dick Jones
Because of Charles Barney's leaving we will have only one Sig., Systems,
which will be held starting at 5:45 in the main room. Dick Trissel will be
conducting his usual informal and instructive session. Come prepared to
participate in the Q&A, and it would be helpful if you would e-mail Dick
with your concern of the moment (rtrissel@juno.com).
Dick will also present the program for the evening. It is a power point
presentation entitled "Discovering Your Hard Drive."
Finally, the door prizes for July were won by Bob Allington, Dick Jones,
Joseph Gatwis, Ray Shafer, Carol Chambard, and Joe Magusson. The absentee
losers were Shirlee Hickey, Sandy Ashby, Jean Burress, and Francis Maciel.
There was one other loser who really wasn't a loser. Jean Letman missed
claiming her prize because we had her named spelled wrong and didn't
recognize that she was a winner. Therefore, she will be given first choice
of a prize before we start the drawing in August.
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CCCC Page 3 August 2004
EDITOR'S COMMENTS by Dick Trissel
The July presentation speaker, Steve Burgess, aka Doctor Data, was gracious
enough to send an e-mail with attachments to Charles Barney. Here is
Charles' message to me:
==============
Steve Burgess, who was our speaker last Tuesday, sent me these four columns
that he referred to at the meeting.
Charles
==============
As always, it was a pleasure to speak with your friendly and appreciative
group. Thanks again for the large format of that laptop!
I've attached the four columns I discussed at the meeting. Hope you like
'em!
Cheers, Steve
=============
The four attachments:
The Doctor Is In - On or Off
The Doctor Is In - Viruses
The Doctor Is In - Backups
The Doctor Is In - Hoaxes
will be reprinted in the CCCC newsletter as a four-part series starting
with this issue.
One of the presenter's subjects had to do with how easy it is for an
experienced person to recover data from a hard drive, even if it has been
formatted by the usual means. This prompted myself and Ray Isenson to
query the presenter after his presentation because we were under the
impression an operating system full format would fill the disk with over-
write data. We were wrong. The results of tests made by Ray and me and a
full explanation are in another article in this newsletter.
A brief explanation is in order in regard to the August presentation--
Discovering Your Hard Drive. This is a presentation with slides and audio
made by Gene Barlow, formerly a representative of PowerQuest products. It
is a complete description of hard drive functions, performance and usage.
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CCCC Page 4 August 2004
WEB WANDERINGS By Gil Smith
BUILD A WEB SITE
Building a Web Site is not an easy task. It's especially difficult if you
are starting from scratch. There are so many things that are unexplained.
How do you make a web page? Once you created it, where does it go so
other people can see it? How do you make it more interesting?
W3 Schools has free tutorials that cover everything from basic HTML to
splashy multimedia content. These tutorials are clearly written with
step-by-step instructions. You'll be amazed at what you can do!
http://www.w3schools.com/
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
It's so frustrating when you start downloading a file only to realize
that it's going to take an hour or more! Now you can plan around those
long download times by figuring out how long it will take before you start.
You don't even have to be a math wizard!
There are a number of free Internet-related calculators listed at this
site.
Enter the file size and your download speed to calculate the estimated
download time.
Need to know the difference between 100 megabits per second and 100
megabytes per second? There's a converter for that as well.
http://www.numion.com/Calculators
AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS -
Have you ever wondered what was going on in the world the day you were
born? Now you can find out with the help of an online Time Capsule
Just enter the day, month and year you were born. It will automatically
tell you interesting facts about that day and year. Read the top
headlines that ran in the papers that week.
Find the top songs, television shows and toys for the year. Academy
Award winners, food prices and more! You can also walk through a wizard
to choose which events you want displayed on your page.
http://www.dmarie.com/timecap/step1.asp
39 ACROSS
Do you like to do crossword puzzles? It's a relaxing activity, yet it
keeps your brain active.
If you're a big fan, head over to the crossword resource. You'll find
links to hundreds of crosswords in different categories. If you're a
religious scholar, you might want to try your hand at the Bible
crosswords. There are crosswords for shcool aged children, golf
enthusiasts and more. If you're stuck on a clue, there are crossword
dictionaries as well.
http://www.refdesk.com/crosswrd.html
CLINICAL TRIAL
If you have an illness that is not responding to traditional or
holistic medicine, you might want to take part in a clinical trial.
Clinical trials are research studies that try new methods of treatment.
This could be a new drug not yet approved, a drug used for a different
illness, a device (like a Pacemaker) or something else.
WebMD has a matching service that will help you find a clinical trial.
It also has information on the risks and benefits and what to expect if
you participate.
http://my.webmd.com/medical_information/clinical_trials/default.htm
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CCCC Page 5 August 2004
SYSTEMS S.I.G. by Dick Trissel
As Spence commented, the summer doldrums has set in along with the summer
vacations and kept our S.I.G attendance down to 23. But, it was a lively
group with enough questions and solutions to more than fill the time
period.
I've demonstrated several times the procedure to minimize the number of
startup items so the computer starts and runs faster. However, we've never
talked about how to delete the unchecked items from the list in Start / Run
/ Msconfig / Startup. The reason is because they don't take up much time
and space. And, you may want one of them turned back on someday.
But, the question came up. The answer is to modify the registry with
Regedit. Go to Start / Run / Regedit. Then, do an Edit / Find on "run-"
(without the quotes). Then do a Find Next. The unchecked items will be
here and maybe in "runonce-". The checked items are in "Run" and "Runonce"
(notice the - designates the unused). This applies to the other "Run..."
keys, also. Be very careful--the registry is a dangerous place!
A member asked how to update the spellcheck dictionary in Juno. The
procedure is to compose a message and do a spellcheck. When the strange
word is found you will get the options to Ignore, Change, or Add. The Add
will put the word in the dictionary. Notice, an uppercase letter in a word
makes a different word (avenue is not Avenue).
There were a couple of questions that didn't get answered. One was how to
put a PDF (Acrobat) file in Quicken. If anyone has any ideas, bring them
to the next meeting.
The other question was how to "rotate" a video taken with a digital camera.
The video had been taken with the camera rotated 90deg. It needs to be
unrotated to be shown correctly. Any ideas?
Several members had articles discussing the possible problems with the new
Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2) that is probably released by the time you
read this. The changes in the operating system are radical enough to
possibly cause incompatibility with some applications. Users are advised
to
contact the application vendor for updates to the software.
We talked about the portable storage device called a "Thumbdrive". It is a
solid state (no moving parts), USB1.1 and 2.0 compatible, removable mass
storage device. They are about the size of a large thumb, thus the name.
They can be purchased in storage sizes from 32 to 512 megabytes. The 128MB
unit costs about $30, and the prices are coming down.
I use mine on both USB1.1 and 2.0 computers to transfer files that would
take 10 floppies. And, though it isn't as large as a CD, it is much faster
and easier--just drag and drop, just like a floppy. Now that many
computers are being distributed without a floppy drive, this is a viable
alternative.
Be aware, the August System S.I.G. will be held in the main room, not the
poolroom, and at the regular time of 5:45pm. Charles Barney's Digital
Image S.I.G. and Amy Malicki's Basic S.I.G. are temporarily postponed.
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CCCC Page 6 August 2004
HARD DRIVE DATA REMOVAL by Dick Trissel
During the July presentation, the speaker, Steve Burgess (Doctor Data),
described how data on a hard drive can be recovered (if you know how) even
if it has been supposedly deleted. I had been of the opinion that a full
format would overwrite the data bytes.
In an attempt to prove this to myself, I ran a series of tests using all
the different formatting commands provided by Windows and DOS. I used a
hexedit program to inspect the drive content after each test.
First I installed a slave drive to a Windows system and used the Windows
Explorer format. The Format Quick (erase) just deleted the FAT (file
allocation table) as I expected. However, the Full format also just
deleted the FAT.
Then I went to the Windows 98 DOS command and did a format /q (quick). It
just deleted the FAT. A plain format just deleted the FAT. A format /u
just deleted the FAT, but took longer.
The next step was to boot from a DOS boot floppy and repeat the tests. I
got the same result as the Windows DOS format tests. Even the Fdisk format
didn't overwrite the data.
To understand the problem, you've got to know how data is stored on the
drive. The FAT points to where the data is located on the drive and what
its name is. The data is written in clusters (allocation units) in
whatever location is available. An available cluster for writing in is one
that has no data in it, or is a previously used cluster for a file that has
been deleted. The file name in the FAT is specially marked as deleted (the
first character contains the mark). The actual data will stay on the disk
until that cluster gets overwritten by new data when the FAT decides it
needs that cluster for the new file.
Bear in mind that when a file is deleted and the space used for a new file,
if the new file is smaller than the deleted one, part of the original
deleted file remains on the drive until it is used to save a file large
enough to fill the cluster. A cluster can be as large as 32KB on large
partitions.
Even if you could overwrite the original file, you may still not have
removed all the information that was in that file. Let's take an example.
Say you write a large Word document and save it in ABC.doc. Then you later
delete ABC.doc. The original file went into the Recycle Bin until you
empty the bin. Or you can delete with a shift-delete that bypasses the
bin.
But, while you were writing the Word document, if you had auto-save turned
on, a copy is still on the disk. It's not addressable, but it is available
for someone using a hex editor type program. Also, if you ran short of RAM
while you were writing, some or all of the file went onto the disk in
Virtual Memory (C:\Pagefile.sys in XP, Swapfile in C:\Windows\Win386.swp in
98). None of these get deleted with the delete command.
Obviously, Doctor Data was correct--formatting and deleting doesn't do any
good preventing an experienced person from recovering data from a hard
drive. So, what do you do to a hard drive to prevent someone reading your
old drive (short of percussive elimination--a sledge hammer)?
As I see it, there are two things you can do. One is expensive, but easy.
The other is free, but arduous. You can buy disk wiping programs (or maybe
find a freeware program). One such is the Powerquest PartitionMagic
program that has two partition delete functions. One is a simple delete,
the other is delete and secure erase. The secure erase fills the partition
with zeros. However, you must be running Windows, so the hard drive you
are erasing has to be an installed slave, or a separate partition on the
master.
The method I like is to delete all the data files, turn off virtual memory,
and defrag the drive. Then, use a text editor or Word to build and save
some VERY large junk files. Keep building the junk files until the drive
is full. Now, you can delete these files and restore the virtual memory.
All the old data file clusters will contain junk and will be overwritten as
the disk gets used for new files.
All this requires you to know how to use your computer for more than e-mail
and word processing. Otherwise, you will have to pay someone who does
know.
Maybe the sledge hammer is easier.
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CCCC Page 7 August 2004
DOCTOR DATA: THE DOCTOR IS IN - ON OR OFF
by Steve Burgess
Doc, is it better for my computer to leave it on or shut it off when I'm
not using it?
To my way of thinking, there are three main reasons to be concerned about
leaving a computer on all day and night. They are: electricity cost, data
security, and damage from power spikes.
According to the SETI@home program, it costs less than a dollar a day to
actively run a computer for 24 hours. Most computers sold in the past few
years have an energy-saving feature that puts the computer "to sleep" after
a while. My unscientific estimate is that leaving a modern computer on all
day and turning it off at night probably costs about 35 cents.
Data Security: This is a subject for another column that I'll address here
briefly. If you have a dial-up modem, there's little to worry about, as
long as your modem disconnects after your session is over. If it doesn't,
you can set it to do that. If you have DSL (or other broadband), you should
have a firewall. It's better still to get a router that lets you turn
access off and on with a switch. Turning off the router or turning off the
computer makes your data safe from hackers.
Power Spike Damage: You'll find that experts disagree on the subject, but
here's my rule of thumb: turn your computer on when you first use it, and
turn it off at the end of the day. There are some exceptions. If you're
only planning to use it once during the day, then turn it off right after
you use it. It's a good idea to shut down the computer before using power
tools, air conditioning, washer, dryer, laser beam, or light saber. If
you're expecting a brownout or a thunderstorm (not common occurrences on
the Central Coast!), you should shut down the computer as well.
Get a UPS: No, not the shipper, but an Uninterruptible Power Supply. Power
spikes can damage your computer, and worse, your data. A UPS has several
outlets for you to plug your computer's power cord into and the power is
supplied by a battery inside the UPS. The UPS is hooked up to a wall
outlet, so the battery is continually recharged. This keeps voltage spikes
from affecting your computer. It also gives you a few minutes to shut the
computer off. Otherwise a power loss may do it for you and damage your
computer and its data.
Can't I just get a surge protector? Surge protectors don't stop all the
power spikes or variations, and they don't help at all in a brownout or
blackout. A UPS can be had for as little as forty dollars. Get a UPS and
practice safe computing!
Doctor Data will answer your questions about hardware and software on
Windows and Macintosh. Doctor Data as Steve Burgess is the proprietor of
Burgess Consulting in Santa Maria. Burgess Consulting does data recovery,
data transfer and conversion, and computer forensics. Send your questions
to DoctorData@aol.com.
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CCCC Page 8 August 2004
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM -- WHERE EXACTLY ARE YOU?
By Joe Schmitt, Tampa Bay Computer Society, Florida
From the APCUG newsletter
For centuries, man has relied on the most rudimentary of tools to navigate.
Things like a compass or sextant, and later a timepiece, were the best he
had. A system called Loran (Long Range Navigation) was developed in the
1940's that utilized radio pulses which were projected on board a ship
using a cathode ray tube, similar to your computer monitor.
The global positioning system is a revolution in the way we navigate today.
The global positioning system is a set of satellites that just like Loran
that use radio signals to determine position. Popularly known as GPS, the
system uses a "constellation" of 24 satellites in high orbit to determine
position in latitude and longitude. In addition to position, the system
also can determine altitude and speed.
GPS was first implemented in the early 1970s as a way for the military to
improve its ability to navigate and position vehicles. This system
eventually evolved to include civilian as well as military uses. In the
early days of GPS the signal was intentionally diffused to deteriorate the
accuracy of civilian receivers. In 2000, President Clinton took a serious
look at the system and its potential to the civilian population. Selective
availability was disabled on May 2, 2000 making the system accurate to
within thirty feet or so.
So how does all this work? Well, as mentioned previously, there are 24
satellites orbiting the earth that broadcast radio signals. To better
understand the system, a simple idea of two-dimensional navigation must be
explained. Suppose you are in a field with one of those sign posts that
point to a bunch of different places with distances. The top arrow of the
sign says Montgomery, Alabama - 139 miles. The next arrow down says
Savannah, Georgia - 217 miles. The third arrow points to Nashville,
Tennessee - 231 miles. Now sit down at your favorite map and draw a circle
around Montgomery with a radius of 139 miles. Next draw a circle around
Savannah and Nashville with the radius the distance on our imaginary sign
post. Where those three circles all intersect is roughly Atlanta, Georgia.
Easy enough to understand, huh?
GPS works with the same principal. The receiver determines its location by
its distance from the satellites. Hold it one minute! But aren't those
satellites stationary? Well the satellites move on a predictable path and
within a consistent time frame. Inside each GPS receiver, is a programmed
almanac of the position of each satellite based on time. Each satellite
broadcasts a signal which moves at the speed of light. By measuring how
long the signal takes to reach the receiver, distance from the satellite is
determined. Using three or more satellites the receiver can then
triangulate its position very much the same way we did with our imaginary
signpost.
These kinds of accurate calculations with radio signals require precise
timing, so on each satellite is an atomic clock which is monitored and
corrected by ground stations. Using the accuracy of the atomic clock, a
code pattern is broadcast from the satellite at a starting point. The
receiver knows what time the signal left the satellite based on the portion
of the code it is currently receiving. Measuring the time it took for the
signal to reach the receiver by comparing the segment of code received with
the time in the receiver, the distance to the satellite is determined. The
distances from three or more satellites are compared and the position is
formulated. That position is then displayed on your receiver as a set of
coordinates, or graphically on an electronic map.
Using this pattern the receiver checks and adjusts its internal quartz
clock to match that of the atomic clock. So, in addition to knowing where
you are, you also know the precise time. Imagine having an atomic clock in
your pocket! The receiver also can determine speed by measuring its change
in position over time. This is a three dimensional arrangement and so
altitude is also calculated.
This is all great and wonderful, but there are some issues. Gravitational
pulls from the sun and moon affect the orbits of the satellites. Changing
atmospheric conditions also can affect how well the signal travels from the
satellite to the receiver. To combat this, the DOD has several ground
stations that constantly monitor the signals and make adjustments in the
satellites as necessary. In addition, there are two geo-stationary
satellites which are in a fixed position in the sky on both sides of the
earth. These systems are called WAAS, or Wide Angle Augmentation System.
This system's sole purpose is to correct for the issues that affect the
accuracy of the broadcast code.
Now with a simple receiver, John Q Public can use a multibillion dollar DOD
system. At this time it is estimated that there are approximately 200
civilian users for each military user of the system!
For more information, check out these interesting sites:
Official page for GPS management: http://www.Gps.losangeles.af.mil
NASA page on GPS: http://www.Gpshome.scc.nasa.gov
U.S. Navy GPS Timing Operations: http://www.Tycho.usno.navy.mil/gps.html
Block II specifications: http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/
constellations/navstar-gps-block2_conspecs.shtml
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