C C C C N E W S L E T T E R
CENTRAL COAST COMPUTER CLUB
Santa Maria, California
VOLUME XXII: NUMBER 12 DECEMBER, 2007
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at the Knollwood
Village Clubhouse 4012 S. Bradley Dr., Santa Maria.
General meeting at 7:00PM. System Special Interest Group session is at
5:45PM. Guests are welcome.
Check out our web site: http://fourseas.apcug.org 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,
Help-line support, Monthly presentations, Valuable door prizes, Question
and answer sessions.
NEXT MEETING: December 20, 2007 KNOLLWOOD VILLAGE 4012 S. BRADLEY
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(1) OFFICERS, HELPLINES, S.I.G.S
(2) PRESIDENT'S CORNER Vic McLaughlin
(3) EDITOR'S COMMENTS Dick Trissel
(4) BEGINNERS? - NON-NERDS? S.I.G. Spence Stimler
(5) WEB WANDERINGS
(6) SYSTEMS S.I.G. Dick Trissel
(7) DVD DISCS Dick Trissel
(8) ZIP FILES Digital Dave
(9) POWER SURGES Kim Komando
(10) HOW YOUR COMPUTER STARTS Dick Trissel
(11) OPERATING SYSTEM EVOLUTION Dick Trissel
(12) XP PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT Dick Trissel
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OFFICERS HELPLINES
President Juno
Vic McLaughlin 937-8326 Dick Trissel 937-7572
vnmclaughlin2448@msn.com rtrissel@juno.com
Secretary Hardware, Windows XP, Vista
John McCurdy 925-1825 Ray Isenson 937-6938
jmccurdy.1@verizon.net risenson@juno.com
Treasurer Custom Computer Design and Assembly
Gerry Miller 934-1396 Digital Imagery and Video
2741 Banyan Way Command Line Operations and Batch Files
Santa Maria CA 93455 Jim Tonge 937-0187
gandamiller@verizon.net jtonge1@msn.com
Publicity Help With Any Problem
Bill Corning 934-0775 Ray Isenson 937-6938
foster95@impulse.net risenson@juno.com
Newsletter Editor Visual Basic and Genealogy
Dick Trissel 937-7572 Gerald Miller 934-1396
rtrissel@juno.com gandamiller@verizon.net
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (S.I.G.) Windows 95/98/ME/XP & VoiceControl
Beginners (6:00pm) Amy Malicki 925-5780
Spence Stimler msamym5@verizon.net
SPENCE932@msn.com
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (S.I.G.) AOL
Systems (5:45pm) Frank Maciel 922-2318
Dick Trissel frm8198@aol.com
rtrissel@juno.com
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CCCC Page 2 December 2007
PRESIDENT'S CORNER by Vic McLaughlin
Our annual Christmas potluck party will be on December 18. Social hour will
start at 5:30. Dinner will be served at 6:00. Volunteers are requested to
help with the setup starting at 4:30. Everyone is requested to bring
suitable finger food. The club will supply paper plates, plastic utilities
and drinks.
After dinner prizes will be awarded to members only. No more than one prize
per member will be given.
At our November meeting the members elected the following officers to serve
for the 2008 year:
President, Vic McLaughlin; Vice President, Ray Shafer; Secretary, John
McCurdy; and Treasurer, Gerry Miller.
There were 29 members and 3 guests present at the meeting. We were happy to
welcome 3 guests. They were: Mr. Ron Peterson, Ms. Joan Jones and our own
past president Mr. Charles Barney.
Our speaker was Ms. Franczeska Angel. Her subject was Computer Sketching,
Artwork, and Photo Enhancement. It was very well received with good
membership participation.
It is noted, next years dues are due in January. Annual member dues are
$15.00, and $20.00 for a family membership. It is important that we all pay
promptly so no one misses out on the services of the club.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Christmas party.
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CCCC Page 3 December 2007
EDITOR'S COMMENTS by Dick Trissel
NOTICE: The CCCC website at APCUG has changed the access address (URL). It
now is:
http://fourseas.apcug.org
You have about a month from the time you receive this newsletter to pay your
annual membership dues! They are due by the end of the January meeting (15
January, 2008). As before, send a check for $15 (single) $20 (family) to:
Gerry Miller, 2741 Banyan Way, Santa Maria, CA 93455. It is imperative that
you be prompt. Gerry relays the membership renewals to Barbara Godwin to be
used to maintain the member roster, and then on to me for the newsletter e-
mail addressbook and the door prize drawing name list.
Speaking of the roster, if you have a change of street address, phone
number, or e-mail address, please notify Barbara Godwin (membership
chairperson--yung.bag@verizon.net) or a club officer.
One of the major features of CCCC club membership is the annual Christmas
party. Besides all the great food and company, there will be many gifts--
something for nearly every member in attendance. You have to be there to
win, so make your plans to attend. Wives and family are welcome.
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CCCC Page 4 December 2007
BEGINNERS? - NON-NERDS? by Spence Stimler and Gerry Miller
There will not be a "Non-Nerd" S.I.G. at the December 18 CCCC meeting in
lieu of the Christmas party. There will be a S.I.G. at the January 15, 2008
meeting.
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CCCC Page 5 December 2007
WEB WANDERINGS
KEEP YOUR MIND YOUNG
Studies have shown that puzzles can keep your brain young. Challenging your
brain will make you less likely to forget things.
Of course, many technology companies have seized upon this. They offer
software and games that promise to keep your mind young.
You can spend a ton of money for these programs and gadgets. But that's
really unnecessary.
Head over to today's Cool Site. It has plenty of puzzles that will feed your
mind! There are word puzzles and logic games. And that's just the tip of the
iceberg!
You can even play puzzles with friends and family. But warning, they will
test your brain power!
www.rinkworks.com
TOUR A CITY, VIRTUALLY
Online mapping services have really taken off in recent years.
You'll find driving directions at sites like Yahoo!, Google and Microsoft.
You'll also find satellite images and, sometimes, street-level images.
So how could things get any better? Visit EveryScape and you'll see the full
potential of online mapping services.
It allows you to navigate around a city. That's cool. You can also go inside
buildings and take tours.
For example, you can visit restaurants in Miami, or tour an art center,
stopping to look at the paintings on the walls!
Unfortunately, only a few cities are available on EveryScape. But the site
promises to add more.
www.everyscape.com
BLAH BLAH BLAH
You've seen people do some funny things with photographs. For example, there
are the LOL cats. These are pictures of cats with silly sayings.
You've also seen people use Photoshop to create strange or silly
photographs.
But things have just gotten a little stranger, thanks to Blabberize. It will
remind you of old-school animation.
You upload a picture of a person or an animal. Then, select the mouth. Add
audio, and the mouth will move with the sound.
There are plenty of funny talking photos to peruse. Or, have a little fun
and make your own.
Is this technology at its finest? Probably not. But it sure is entertaining!
www.blabberize.com
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON YOUR BLOCK?
The Internet is filled with information and news from around the world. So,
sometimes you might feel adrift.
But the Internet has local news and events, too. Your newspaper probably has
a Web site.
However, you can get more local than that! Visit YourStreet. This site
features news and commentary from your neighborhood.
The news and articles come from newspaper sites. But anyone can add
comments.
Everything is plotted on a Google map for easy reference.
And if you have a blog, link to it on YourStreet. This will direct more
readers to your site!
www.yourstreet.com
GIVE WISELY TO CHARITIES
It isn't always easy finding a reputable charity. And you certainly don't
want to enrich the scammers out there.
So visit Charity Navigator. This site will help you find charities that suit
your needs. But it provides so much more than just a list of charities.
You can learn more about the organizations. And you can review a charity's
financials. So you'll know how much of your donation goes to administration.
Charity Navigator will help you give wisely. It is up to you to give
generously.
www.charitynavigator.org
GET RID OF THOSE PESKY TOURISTS
Taking photographs at popular tourist attractions can be tricky business.
You're bound to include people you didn't want in your pictures.
Well, there is a solution. Take three or more photos of the attraction.
Then, visit today's Cool Site. Upload the photos, and let the site do the
work for you. It will combine the photos, taking out tourists and other
obstructions. It's great, and it's free!
You won't get instant results. Your photos are added to a queue to be
processed. It could happen quickly. But if the site is busy, expect to wait
a while. You'll be notified by e-mail when you can pick up your photos.
The site has many more features that you'll find valuable. You can use it to
store and share photos. Or send them to someone's phone. You can even create
PDFs of your photos.
www.snapmania.com
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CCCC Page 6 December 2007
SYSTEMS S.I.G. by Dick Trissel
The November Systems Special Interest Group included a brief presentation on
XP PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT (see page 12 of the newsletter).
The importance of backing up you system and files was emphasized again. It
was suggested that members get the ACRONIS program TrueImage version 11. It
can be purchased from the Gene Barlow company UGR for $29 (download) or $34
on CD. As a member of CCCC you can go to www.usergroupstore.com and use the
special order code UGNL0607. I also recommend the ACRONIS program
DiskDirector. For more information write to gene@ugr.com.
There is a good free program for recovering deleted files (those not in the
Recycle Bin). It is named RECUVA -- find it on Google.
Another neat free program is UNLOCKER. It lets you manipulate files and
folders that Windows says you can't because they are being used by another
program (locked). Again, find it on Google.
We demomstrated how to get the useful Status Bar to display on the Windows
Explorer window. In Windows Explorer click on View and click on the option
Status Bar to place a check mark on it. This will let you view the status
of selected items in Windows Explorer.
We had a long discussion about XPs Restore Checkpoints. These are
restorable system data for the purpose of recovering from a damaged system.
The default setting is for a checkpoint to be made under the following
conditions:
1. The system must be running.
2. The system must be idle--no user activity for several minutes.
3. It must be at least 24 hours since the last checkpoint.
4. There must be enough disk space alloted for another checkpoint.
5. The Restore settings must be enabled for that disk drive partition.
Read the Help and Support pages for instructions on managing Restore
Checkpoints.
There will be no Systems S.I.G. in December--Christmas Party.
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CCCC Page 7 December 2007
DVD DISCS by Dick Trissel
excerpted from several articles
The estimated life, based on manufacturer's testing of a commercial
(stamped) DVD, is between 30 and 100 years! Being Digital, the image will
be just as sharp & clear over the life of the DVD as when it was created!
As opposed to "burned" DVDs, the Azo, Cyanine, Phthalocyanine or Oxonol dyes
used in DVD±R media are subject to fade if exposed to direct sunlight or
other UV sources and the damage is accumulative. Like any polycarbonate
plastic, subjecting them to high heat or any solvent will have instant
devastating consequences.
CD to DVD Comparison & Specifications
Category CD DVD
Disc Diameter 120 mm 120 mm
Disc Thickness 1.2 mm 1.2 mm
Disc Structure Single Substrate Two Bonded 0.6 mm Substrates
Laser Wavelengths 780 nm (infrared) 650 and 635 nm (red)
Track Pitch 1.6 microns 0.74 microns
Shortest Pit Length 0.83 microns 0.4 microns
Pit Groove Depth 0.16 microns
Data Layers 1 1 - 2
Data Sides 1 1 - 2
Data Capacity 650 - 700 Mbytes 4.7 – 17.0 GB
(4.7 = single layer single side
8.5 = double layer single side
17GB = double layer double sided)
User Data Rate 1.4 Mbits/sec 10.0 Mbits/sec
The physical dimensions of both media types are exactly the same, but the
differences end there. Note that the DVD track pitch is less than half the
spacing and the shortest pit length is also less that half that of a CD. In
able to achieve this much higher density, the DVD uses a red laser beam as
opposed to an infrared beam on the CD. The shorter wavelength of the red
laser allows a much smaller focused beam width. Future designs soon to come
are the "Blue Ray" laser with a much shorter wavelength that will allow much
greater data densities.
The much narrower red laser beam of the DVD explains why a DVD player can
easily read a low density CD, but a CD player cannot read the narrow tracks
or higher densities of the DVD.
The DVD is capable of being manufactured with 2 layers as opposed to only a
single layer as found on the CD. Double layering allows twice the capacity
per side and is found on commercial DVD's usually offering bonus features
and director's cuts.
Single Side - Single Layer (DVD-5)
This is by far the most common and least expensive DVD. This format holds
4.7 GB of data (or about 7 times the amount of a CD). The format is referred
to as DVD-5 (the 5 representing the rounded off digital data capacity in
gigabytes)
Single Side - Double Layer (DVD-9)
This construction holds approximately 8.5 GB. The second layer is below the
semi-transparent layer of the top or first layer. The laser beam merely has
to re-focus on the more distant bottom layer to resolve the data stream.
The re-focusing is done by a change in the laser beam wave length.
Double Side - Single Layer ( DVD-10)
This DVD construction holds up to 9.4 GB and are commonly used to put a
widescreen version of a movie on one side, and a full frame version of the
same movie on the other side. Access to the "B" side requires flipping the
DVD over as only a few players will accomplish this automatically.
Double Layer - Double Side (DVD-18)
The highest capacity DVD construction that can hold up to 17 GB (about 26
times the data capacity of a CD) - or about 8 hours of video. It's really
just a double sided version of the DVD-9. Owing to the high costs of
producing this format, their use is very rare.
DVD Construction
The DVD-R is manufactured from a clear layer of polycarbonate plastic which
provides a stable base and gives the DVD physical strength. Above the
polycarbonate base is a thin layer of laser sensitive dye (usually a dark
green) and atop that, a thin reflective layer that reflects the laser beam
back to the read head. Next is added a protective lacquer coating to which a
hard polymer based coat is added to guard against scratches.
Writing data to the DVD is done by a red laser beam modulated by the serial
data stream. When the beam turns "on" and hits the dye layer, a distortion
(known as a pit) on the surface is made. Though it's often referred to as
"burning", no actual burning or melting of any sort is done in the typical
sense, though it does rapidly heat the dye with an 8 to 10 milliwatt beam.
Just sounds more impressive to "burn" a DVD with a laser beam so the
terminology stuck! The color and composition of the dye layer is designed
for maximum absorption of the red laser wavelength, thus allowing
inexpensive and safe, low power laser devices to be used.
Reading the data back is done by a much lower power laser setting (one that
will not "burn" more unwanted pits) that serves as a coherent tightly
focused light source for the detector.
There are notable differences between DVD-R and +R formats
DVD-R
The pre-grooves in the case of DVD-R and DVD-RW discs, are not perfect
spirals. Instead, the groove is modulated with a constant frequency of 140.6
kHz, known also as the wobble frequency (since the groove actually wobbles
!) Much like a lateral cut phonograph groove, groove wobbling means that
the grooves wander back and forth in sinusoidal fashion at a fixed
amplitude. This constant frequency allows accurate tracking by the laser as
well as provides a highly accurate timing signal to which the write clock
frequency is derived. Between the grooves are the pre-pits. The pre-pits
contain the sector addressing information.
DVD+R
The +R format pre-groove also uses a wobble frequency, but at a much higher
frequency of 817 kHz. Instead of pre-pits, the +R formats convey the sector
addressing information by frequency modulation of the wobble frequency. Thus
the + and - format DVD's are quite different in their approach to encoding
sector addressing and other low level information.
These pre-grooves solve the two most perplexing problems. First of all, the
position of the tracks are now accurately controlled at the time of DVD
manufacture, allowing a simple and inexpensive linear tracking mechanism to
be used in the player/recorder. All the DVD player now has to do, is to read
the constant frequency in the pre-groves and keep the signal peaked... a
simple task. The frequency of the recorded "tone" also provides highly
accurate timing pulses which are used as an accurate timing reference.
Thus much of the impressive accuracy required to make the system work was
done when the "blank" DVD was pressed.
Newer DVD technology, employs a blue laser with a much shorter wavelength.
Data recording densities employing the blue laser will offer up to 27 GB on
a single layer side - that's greater than 5 times the capacity of a standard
DVD ! (and multi-layer burners are already here !)
Also added is the DL (Double layer) recordable media and DL capable burners
- allowing up to approximately 8.5gb per side. So far the DL recordable
technology is limited to the +R format.
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CCCC Page 8 December 2007
ZIP FILES by Digital Dave in ComputorEdge
Q. What is the best way to e-mail digital photographs, rather than sending
each as a separate file?
A. The latest versions of Windows have made it quick and easy to create a
Zip file, which not only compresses the contents, but stores multiple files
in one large archive file.
We used to have to find a freeware or shareware version of a Zip utility to
generate a Zip file, or to extract the contents from one. Now, the ability
to go both ways is built into Windows XP and Vista, so you don't have to be
a computer guru to squash files.
To create a Zip archive, open My Computer, and navigate to the folder where
you want the Zip file to be. Open another instance of My Computer, and go to
the folder with the files you want to include in the archive.
You might be tempted to use the Make a New Folder item on the left column.
That doesn't work. Go to the Files menu, select New, and at the bottom of
that menu, you have the choice of a Compressed (Zipped) Folder. That's the
one.
Open your new Compressed Folder, and start dragging the files you want into
it. In this case, the files will remain in their original folder, and you
get just a link in the Compressed Folder. If your files move from their
original place, then you forgot to open the Compressed Folder.
Once you have all the files in the Compressed Folder (the Zipped archive),
you can then attach your Compressed Folder to an e-mail message, or however
you want to transfer the files. The recipient at the other end must then
extract the files and save them on their hard drive.
Most young people have probably never seen a slide show, where single frames
of photographic film mounted in little cardboard carriers are projected on a
screen one after another. It was customary to have family and friends over
for a slide show after the vacation photos came back from the photo
processor. Our photo processors aren't some industrial building full of
chemicals anymore. We use the processor in our computer to edit our family
photos.
Now, making a slide show of the grandkids using our digital camera to send
off to Grammy and Pappy is easier than ever. Sort the photo files into a
folder, zip it up, and send it off as an e-mail attachment that the oldsters
can open up on their computer to view as a slide show. Set the rate to
something slow, such as as five or even 10 seconds, so they can admire the
pipsqueaks at their leisure. Even if mom and dad don't have a computer, you
can build a slide show on your machine and save it to a CD-R. Many DVD
players can read the CD-R and display the photos on the television screen,
again as a slide show.
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CCCC Page 9 December 2007
POWER SURGES by Kim Komando
Q. My neighbors had a power surge that burned up most of their electronics.
Fortunately, I wasn't affected by the surge. But how can I protect my
computer and electronics from surges? I currently use a 3350 joules surge
protector.
A. Unfortunately, protecting electronics from large power surges isn't easy.
That's particularly true when you're talking about lightning. In fact, a
surge protector won't protect your computer from lightning strikes.
I use an uninterruptible power supply, rather than a surge protector. An
online (AKA continuous or true) UPS should protect your gear from lightning
strikes. With these units, the computer draws power from the battery. It is
not connected directly to an electrical outlet. If lightning strikes, your
battery probably will be fried. But the computer should be protected.
The UPS' main job is to keep you running if the power fails. The battery
will run the computer for about 10 minutes. Because it is already running
the computer, there is no hesitation. Batteries can fail. Even so, the unit
still functions as a super-surge suppressor. But if the power fails, the
computer goes dark.
Online interactive UPS's are more sophisticated then offline units. They
still have to switch to the battery. But the switch is faster. You also may
get better lightning protection. Expect to pay a minimum of $150 for an
online UPS.
You'll also see offline (or standby) UPS's. If the power fails, there is a
momentary outage as the UPS switches to battery power. You could lose data.
As for a surge suppressor yours sounds pretty capable. It will protect you
against household power spikes. These can be caused when an appliance
starts, for instance.
A buyer should look for a couple things in a surge suppressor. First,
consider energy dissipation. This is the amount of power the suppressor is
able to absorb. Energy dissipation is measured in joules. Higher numbers are
better. In the past I have recommended a minimum 800 joules. So, at 3350
joules, you're sitting pretty.
Also look at the suppressed voltage rating. It refers to the voltage that a
suppressor lets through. Lower numbers are better. I recommend one rated for
330v.
Power can enter through your cable and phone lines, too. So make sure your
surge suppressor has these connections.
A surge suppressor is much less expensive than a good UPS. One such as yours
can be had online for about $35. But it will not protect you from lightning.
I have a sad story online, if you are still a disbeliever.
If lightning is common in your area, I recommend an online UPS.
You have permission to reprint Kim's content as requested, provided you
include Kim's byline at the top (by Kim Komando) and the following footer
with each use:
Copyright 2007, WestStar TalkRadio Network. All rights reserved.
Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about computers and
the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit:
http://www.komando.com/listen . To subscribe to Kim's free e-mail
newsletters, sign-up at: http://www.komando.com/newsletters.
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CCCC Page 10 December 2007
HOW YOUR COMPUTER STARTS by Dick Trissel
Power On Self Test (POST)
When the computer power is turned on, the power supply starts an internal
self-test. After all the current and voltage levels are at the proper
levels, a "power good" signal is sent to the computer's motherboard. The
timer chip then stops generating the reset signal to the CPU.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU starts execution at memory location FFFF:0000 which contains a jump
instruction to a ROM (Read Only Memory) BIOS location.
Basic Input Output System (BIOS)
The BIOS looks at memory locations 0000:0472 and 0000:0473 to see if flags
have been set for a "cold" or "warm" boot. If it is a "warm" boot (CTRL-
ALT-DEL), the POST tests are bypassed. If it is a "cold" boot, the POST is
run.
CompleMentary Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)
In conjunction with the information in the CMOS, the BIOS scans for
existence of other ROMS within the system--adapter cards or other sockets on
the motherboard (video cards, hard drive and floppy controllers, network
cards, etc.). when a ROM is found, it is tested and initialized.
Operating System (OS)
System initialization then tries to load an OS from a device on the computer
according to a device boot sequence in the CMOS. The first device is
searched for a boot record on track 0 sector 1. If none is found, the other
devices are checked. If a boot sector is found, it is loaded into RAM. If
no bootable device is found, an error message is displayed.
Rapid Access Memory (RAM)
All executing system routines (the registry, etc.), running applications,
and open files are put into memory during the system operation.
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CCCC Page 11 December 2007
OPERATING SYSTEM EVOLUTION Dick Trissel
The following outline is the evolution of the IBM PC computer operating
systems.
DOS (Disk Operating System)
CLI (Command line interface)
Directories and files
FAT (File Allocation Table)
WINDOWS (1 - 3.11)
DOS based
GUI (Graphical User Interface)
Icons
Directories and files
File Manager
FAT
WINDOWS (95 - ME)
DOS based
GUI (Graphical User Interface)
Icons
Folders and files
Windows Explorer
FAT32
WINDOWS NT 2000 XP VISTA
GUI (Graphical User Interface)
Icons
Folders and files
Windows Explorer
FAT32 & NTFS (New Technology File System)
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CCCC Page 12 December 2007
WINDOWS XP PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT by Dick Trissel
The following are a few of the very useful utilities available in the
Windows XP operating system (and some in 98X and Vista).
WINDOWS TASK MANAGER
CTRL-ALT-DEL
APPLICATIONS PROCESSES PERFORMANCE NETWORK USER
SYSTEM INFORMATION
START / ALL PROGRAMS / ACCESSORIES / SYSTEM TOOLS / SYSTEM INFORMATION
or START /RUN / MSINFO32
To save to text file, select System Summary - File / Export
SYSTEM PROPERTIES
Right click MY COMPUTER / PROPERTIES / HARDWARE / DEVICE MANAGER
or WINDOWS KEY-BREAK / HARDWARE / DEVICE MANAGER
DISK MANAGEMENT
Right click MY COMPUTER / MANAGE / STORAGE / DISK MANAGEMENT
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