C C C C N E W S L E T T E R
CENTRAL COAST COMPUTER CLUB
Santa Maria, California
VOLUME XXI: NUMBER 2 February, 2006
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. System Special Interest Group session is at
5:45pm. 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,
Help-line support, Monthly presentations, Valuable door prizes, Question
and answer sessions.
NEXT MEETING: February 21, 2006 KNOLLWOOD VILLAGE 4012 S. BRADLEY
PRESENTATION: The February meeting will be Jim Tonge on Microsoft FrontPage.
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| CONTENTS |
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(1) OFFICERS, HELPLINES, S.I.G.S
(2) PRESIDENT'S CORNER Ray Isenson
(3) EDITOR'S COMMENTS Dick Trissel
(4) WEB WANDERINGS
(5) SYSTEMS S.I.G. Dick Trissel
(6) REGISTRY BACKUP/RESTORE Dick Trissel
(7) SENDING E-MAIL Will Kusch
(8) CARE AND FEEDING OF CDs Lynn L. Kauer
(9) NEW COMPUTER SERVICE
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OFFICERS HELPLINES
President Juno
Ray Isenson 937-6938 Dick Trissel 937-7572
risenson@juno.com rtrissel@juno.com
Vice President Windows 95/98/ME/XP & VoiceControl
Spence Stimler 938-0217 Amy Malicki 925-5780
SPENCE923@msn.com savvyforseniors@juno.com
Secretary 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
Publicity Visual Basic and Genealogy
Bill Corning 934-0775 Gerald Miller 934-1396
foster95@juno.com gandamiller@verizon.net
Newsletter Editor Help With Any Problem
Dick Trissel 937-7572 Ray Isenson 937-6938
rtrissel@juno.com risenson@juno.com
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (S.I.G.)
Systems (5:45pm)
Dick Trissel
rtrissel@juno.com
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CCCC Page 2 February 2006
PRESIDENT'S CORNER by Ray Isenson
To the members who were present at the January meeting; my heartfelt thanks.
I only hope that we can sustain your enthusiasm. Repeating, for the benefit
of the members who weren't there, at each meeting from February through
November, some one, probably Amy Maliki, will distribute one "prize ticket"
to each current member who is present at that meeting. The member will print
his or her name and telephone number on the back of that ticket and deposit
it in the "Don't Open 'Till Christmas" marked box that will be close to
Amy's position. The package will be opened at the 2006 Christmas party and
one or more tickets will be drawn until a winner is determined; the name on
the back is that of a member who is present at the party. The prize will be
a new computer system. Get your dues in! Get current!
Second, separate from that, we will make a major effort to return to the
practice that provided the reason for being of most computer user groups.
To the extent possible the technical presentation at each meeting will be a
review of a new or updated software program; a "show and tell", by one of
our members. Several members have already volunteered for some named
program. I have agreed to undertake to get two copies of each reviewed
program; one for the reviewer and one to be used as a door prize for that
meeting. We will be able to handle only ten such presentations this year.
If you would like to get involved, send me an e-mail naming your program
choice; "first come, first served"! Jim Tonge will head off the effort by
reviewing Microsoft's "Front Page" at the February meeting. If time
permits, a highlight of Jim's presentation will be included in this
newsletter.
A large majority of the members present voted to continue having a coffee
break between the SIG and general meetings. Charlie Currey agreed to head
up a team prepare the coffee. Volunteers have been identified who will
furnish the cookies or cake for each monthly meeting.
Member Ted Tucker suggested that our user group consider making recourse to
a Wiki to exchange or seek information between meetings. Responding to the
great number of quizzical faces engendered by the suggestion, Ted agreed to
make a very brief educational presentation as "New Business" at the February
meeting. It should be adequate to allow the members to decide whether the
effort is to be pursued. If affirmed we will have a more detailed briefing
on implementing a Wiki at a later date.
Thanks again for your support. Looking forward to seeing a large,
enthusiastic turnout on 21 February.
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CCCC Page 3 February 2006
EDITOR'S COMMENTS by Dick Trissel
***************** NOTICE *****************
IF YOU HAVE NOT PAYED YOUR 2006 CCCC DUES,
THIS IS YOUR LAST CCCC NEWSLETTER
******************************************
Club member Ted Tucker is scheduled to give us a short explanation on the
new Internet feature called "WIKI". So, in preparation, I thought I would
repeat this Web Wanderings item from last month's newsletter:
WHAT'S A WIKI?
In addition to a Cool Site, you may also learn a new computer term: wiki. If
you use Wikipedia, you may be familiar with the term already.
Wiki is just a funny name for a collaborative Web page. Information is
posted to the page, and then others can add to it or edit it.
The possibilities of a wiki are endless. Some people use them to collaborate
on projects. Other people use them for sharing. But you may find a better
use. You'll never know until you try!
Creating a wiki is a lot of work. But PBWiki takes care of most of it for
you. Once you sign up, you can begin. Add text and pictures to your page.
Then share it with family or friends and let the fun start.
www.pbwiki.com
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CCCC Page 4 February 2006
WEB WANDERINGS
THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE
Frequent travelers know all the tricks. They know which planes have the most
room, and which ones have plugs for laptops. Above all else, they know how
to pick a good seat.
If you're an infrequent traveler, you don't have to put up with a bad seat.
You just need to do a little research to help you out.
So, visit SeatGuru before your next trip. Select the airline and the type of
plane. You'll get a floor plan showing all the seats on board. They're coded
to show you which are best and which are the worst. Plus, you'll get a brief
description explaining why.
There's more to SeatGuru than information about the seating. You'll also
find details on in-flight entertainment and power ports. But if you're like
me, your seat matters the most!
www.seatguru.com/index.php
HUMBLE HOMES
Have you ever wondered what the homes of the super-wealthy look like? I
have, but maybe that's just me being overly curious.
Forbes has a slide show of houses owned by wealthy people. The people
included in the show are all worth at least a billion dollars.
As you would expect, most of these homes are extremely extravagant. For
example, Bill Gates' home is valued around $140 million. Wow! Others,
though, are a little more reasonable.
Surprisingly, billionaire's houses are modest compared to their wealth. To
me, a $100 million home is anything but modest. But the accompanying article
explains why this statement is not true.
www.forbes.com/feeds/2005/03/10/cx_sc_bill05_0310home.html
SEARCH BETTER
If you spend a lot of time on the Internet, probably a lot of this time is
spent doing research. So search sites are indispensable.
Each search site uses a different method to return results. You should
search several different sites to make sure you get the best results.
Of course, this takes more time and clutters up my desktop with all the
browser windows. Wish there was a way to search your favorite sites at the
same time? jux2 will do that!
jux2 will search Google, Yahoo! and Ask Jeeves and show you the best
results. As a bonus, you can see how they stack up against each other. The
comparison feature shows you what's unique to each site - and what's
lacking.
www.jux2.com
HELP WITH SHORTCUTS
You've got to love the Windows shortcut keys. They make working on the
computer fast and easy. But let's face it; the Windows shortcuts could be
improved.
First, it can be difficult to remember the keystrokes. There are quite a few
different combinations. And they're not always intuitive.
And then your favorite programs might not have a shortcut key. So your
attempts to speed up your work may be foiled.
Well, Qliner Hotkeys solves both these problems. Install the free software.
Then, hold down the Windows key for a few seconds to see a cheat sheet with
the shortcut keys. To add your own, simply right-click on the keyboard and
follow the instructions.
qliner.com/hotkeys
NEED TO FIND SOMEONE?
Is one of your goals for 2006 to reconnect with people you've known
throughout the years? These are friends, coworkers and teachers with whom
you've lost contact.
The Internet makes it easier than ever to track down long-lost friends.
There are numerous sites that help you find people. But the search can be
time-consuming.
Fortunately, there is a free program that makes things a little easier. It's
called Argali, and it will search some of the more popular directories.
Argali will help you find e-mail addresses, phone numbers and physical
addresses. And you can search by a number of different ways. So if you want
to rekindle an old friendship, this is a great place to start!
argali.com
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CCCC Page 5 February 2006
SYSTEMS S.I.G. by Dick Trissel
The request I made that questions be submitted on paper really worked.
There were eight questions or requests submitted by five members. And we
answered most of them.
Here is a recap and a little elaboration on some.
1. What is the best way to do registry cleaning? It is important to keep
the Windows registry free of unused "keys" because the registry is loaded
into memory at startup (taking up memory space), and will slowdown the
operating system somewhat. The best registry cleaner I know of is the
ToniArts EasyCleaner, which goes under the names Eclea_2.0, or Easyclea.exe-
-just go to Google and search for toniarts. It works on 95, 98, 98SE, ME
and XP. However, a word of caution--put in the "Skip" window of the Clean
Registry, Find window (separated by commas) anything you want not listed,
like Norton,AVG,Avast. Especially in XP put the following help,lowdatetime.
If you remove something you shouldn't, there is an UNDO folder in the
ToniArts installed folder.
Don't use the Duplicate or Unnecessary options. Do use the Space Usage
option--very interesting.
2. Can I backup the registry to a floppy? No--too big. Can the registry be
backed up and how do I restore it? The answer to this is quite long. So,
refer to the article elsewhere in this newsletter on Registry Backup.
3. My niece sends me e-mail, but I don't receive it. I use AOL. How can I
receive her e-mail? Her e-mail address is either not on the AOL acceptance
list in your account, or it is in the AOL blocked e-mail list, whichever AOL
uses. Sometimes the ISP anti-spam will mistakenly identify a good address
as if it were a spam address. I have this happen with the EXTRA4C bulletins
at some ISPs.
4. Explain downloading, and Download Accelerator Plus (DAP). The term
downloading can mean several things, but generally it means putting
something into your computer from outside the computer--e-mail, files from
the Internet, etc. The free utility DAP makes file downloading of files
from the Internet a little more efficient than the Windows file download
utility. DAP will connect to several servers simultaneously so that if one
gets busy it can switch to another for a while. What is important with any
downloading is to note the actual file name and where it is being saved.
Otherwise, you get to hunt for it after the completion. Also, save the file
somewhere so you don't have to repeat the download at a later date.
5. How can a page or paragraph be selected to copy and paste from a PDF
display? The usual text selection will work after you click on the text
select option at the top of the window (the big T).
6. Some e-mail files won't open in my Outlook Express when I click on them.
I get an error message that there is no program associated with it. How do
I open them? As stated in the error message--there is a program association
problem. In the case shown to me, there was no extension on the file
(.xxx). Windows didn't know what program to use because there was no file
type. To open a non-file type file, select the file, hold down the shift
key, and right click the file. This will drop down a window with the Open
With option--click it. This will open an Open With window from which you
can select the program you want to use. How do you know what to use--trial
and error. However, make sure the box for Always Use... is NOT checked
until you are sure you ALWAYS want to use that program for that type of
file. Once an association is made, it is difficult to undo.
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CCCC Page 6 February 2006
REGISTRY BACKUP/RESTORE by Dick Trissel
Why worry about backing up and restoring the Windows operating system
registry? Here's a quote from Kim Komando's newsletter:
"When programs are installed on your computer, they often create an entry in
the Registry. That way, the program will begin running when Windows starts.
The problem is, programs may leave entries when they're uninstalled. Or
spyware and viruses can create entries."
And that's putting it mildly. Almost everything you do changes the
registry. A daily running of a registry cleaner program will demonstrate
the adding of unnecessary items (see item 1 in the Systems S.I.G. article in
this newsletter for a recommended cleaner).
So, here's the question--can the registry be backed up and how do I restore
it? Like so many computer questions, the answer is yes, but. In 95, 98,
98SE, and ME a compressed registry is automatically saved every time you
start up your computer on a new day, if you have the Scanreg Registry
checked in the Msconfig Startup window. The compressed registry is in the
C:\Windows\Sysbckup folder as a .cab file (rb000.cab through rb005.cab for
five days of startup). It is restored by restarting in MSDOS and typing at
the DOS prompt scanreg /restore, and choosing the .cab file you want. The
complete uncompressed registry is located in two files,
C:\Windows\System.dat and User.dat.
In XP, the registry is not automatically backed up separately, but is part
of the restore checkpoints created every 24 hours, supposedly. ME also has
restore checkpoints in addition to the rbxxx.cab files.
The individual registry files in XP are not easily saved. However, in all
Windows there is the utility called RegEdit. Go to Start / Run and type in
regedit. With this utility you can "Export" (in the File menu) all or part
of the registry to a special file that has an .reg extension. Just select
the key you want and export it to a folder. This .reg file can restore the
exported items by either double clicking the file, or right click and Merge.
Be careful with the registry restore. If there have been major changes to
your computer software or hardware, like adding or removing programs or
peripherals, then restoring a registry made before the changes could result
in inoperable programs or hardware.
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CCCC Page 7 February 2006
SENDING E-MAIL by Will Kusch
Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every
time you forward a e-mail there is information left over from the people who
got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names. As the
messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and
builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her
computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across
his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or
send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will
make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a
nickel! How do you stop it? Well, there are two easy steps:
(1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that
appear in the body of the message (at the top). That's right, DELETE them.
High light them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is
you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the "Forward"
button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the
body and headers of the message. If you don't click on "Forward" first, you
won't be able to edit the message at all.
(2) Whenever you send a e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the
To: or Cc: columns for adding e-mail address. Always use the BCC: (blind
carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses. This is the way that
people you send to only see their own e-mail address. If you don't see your
BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear.
Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When
you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients
in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
(3) Remove any "FW:" in the subject line. You can re-name the subject
if you wish or even fix spelling.
(4) ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are
reading. Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the
one page with the information on it? By Forwarding from the actual page you
wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to
see what you sent. Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition? It
states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward
it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be
forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses.
A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a
professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email
addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as
your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry
more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email
address on a petition.
So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.
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CCCC Page 8 February 2006
CARE AND FEEDING OF CDs
By Lynn L. Kauer, Editor Saginaw Valley Computer Association
I read an interesting article in the September 2005 issue of Popular
Photography written by David D. Busch titled, "The Truth About Disc Rot." It
paralleled some other magazine and news articles I have read on the same
subject. The following is what we should know and understand about CD (and
DVD) discs as storage devices. For the purposes of this article, CD's and
DVD's are considered the same as far as backup media is concerned. The only
difference is that DVD's can hold more data.
There are hosts of backup utilities that utilize the CD for backup purposes.
Most CD manufacturers advertise that CD media is good for 20 to 100 years
depending on the depth of marketing they are trying to offer. The National
Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) tests products for longevity. The
catch is that longevity is available if the user adheres to very strict
rules and standards. Let us look at some interesting facts.
HANDLING
When a CD is burned, a laser shoots through the bottom of the disc into the
dye layer located under the top protective plastic covering on at the top of
the CD. This is the layer where the laser burns pits into the dye layer to
allow the compute to interpret what is being written by the computer. When
the bottom side of the disc becomes scratched or soiled, the laser is
diffused and the data is not clearly written.
Secondly, if the top layer becomes damaged, moisture can penetrate the
surface and cause the layer to slowly disintegrate and is the beginning of
what is called "Disc Rot."
How often have you watched someone open a CD case and directly pull on the
edges of a CD until it is released from the case? Notice how the CD is bent
while it is being removed? This bending is causing tiny cracks to develop in
the reflective (protective) layer of the CD. To properly remove a CD from
the case, press down on the inside of the retaining plastic that holds the
CD in place. This causes the retaining ring to become slightly smaller so
that the CD slides off easily with out bending forces.
When handling, always pick up or carry the CD by the outer edge. Avoid
placing your fingers on the read (bottom) side of the disc as this will
cause acid penetration of both protective layers to begin.
RELIABILITY
CD-R is a disc that that can be written to once while CD-RW are discs that
can be written to many times reportedly 1000 times. CD's that are the least
reliable for archival purposes are the CD-RW's. These discs include a layer
that is altered by the CD burner each time it is rewritten. Experience has
shown that when these discs are used with another computer, it is a common
for the second computer to be unable to read it. It is better to save data
on CD-R discs, as they are readable with any computer with a CD player.
CD-R's aren't permanent either. The organic dyes layer that the burner works
with are similar to dyes in film. When exposed to sunlight, heat, cold and
humidity and UV exposure the dye layer changes over time. Proper storage of
CD's is critical to their useful longevity.
DYES
There are many types of dyes used for the production of a CD. To quote the
above mentioned author, "Under the NIST's accelerated "stress test," which
includes exposure to very bright light, high temperature and humidity,
recorded CD discs using phthalocyanine dye combined with a gold/silver allow
reflective layer proved to be considerably more stable than all other types
of CD-R media. Discs using azo dye as the data layer had less stability
under light, temperature and humidity testing. Media using cyanine dye
performed well when exposed to light, but had longevity problems under
temperature and humidity stress.
DVD's, which generally use a modified form of a stabilized cyanine dye for
the recording layer, are less predictable in terms of longevity. NIST data
suggest that, despite lower data capacity, you might be better off in the
long run using premium CD-R's instead of DVD+/-R discs."
The author went on to say that it's not always possible to tell what kind of
dye was used for the manufacture of the disc because the dyes can be tinted.
Cyanine based CD's (most common) have a light green or blue tint on the data
side. Phthalocyanine dyes are often light green while the azo dye tends to
have a blue color.
While it's possible to tell the dye type by reading the specs from the
manufacturer, a better indicator might be the reflective layer. If a gold
reflective layer was used then the likelihood of using a good quality dye is
increased. Be aware, some cheap discs appearing to have a gold layer may be
simply paint. Buyer beware!
Recommended brand discs are Fujifilm, Imation, Kodak, Maxell, TDK, Verbatim
and Mitsui/MAM-A.
PROTECTION AND CARE OF CD'S
Manufactures recommend storing CD's vertically in a cool, dry area instead
of horizontally. The reason is to prevent warping and damage from humidity.
Also, never use solvent based pens to write on them similar to permanent
felt tipped pens. The solvent can penetrate the protective layer and damage
the reflective layer below. The only safe place to write on the top of a CD
is in the clear center portion of the hub when using a felt tipped pen.
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CCCC Page 9 February 2006
NEW COMPUTER SERVICE
We don't normally advertise in the CCCC newsletter, especially for free.
But this seems almost too good to be true, but it is for real. One club
member had his LAN installed by SCORPIO. It took about one hour and cost
him $20, and it works.
You can get the complete flyer on the ads rack at the exit from COSTCO in
Santa Maria. Or go to the Web site listed below.
SCORPIO SOLUTIONS COMPUTER SERVICES
Serving Santa Maria, CA and the Central Coast area.
http://scorpiosolutions.dreamhosters.com
E-mail: support@scorpiosolutions.dreamhosters.com
Phone: (805) 268-3270
- Custom Software Development
- Computer Installations / Upgrades
- Web Design / E-Commerce Solutions
- Tech Support
SERVICES
New Computer Setup $30.00
Drive Installation $30.00
Internal Card Installation $25.00
Memory Installation $15.00
On Site Estimate -$0-
Virus/ Spy-ware Removal $25.00
Operating System Service $45 to $75.00
Basic Training $25.00/lesson
Software Service $25.00
Add a computer to your network. $25.00
Set up Wireless Networking $30.00
Operating System Installation $25.00
Software Installation (Single Title) $10.00
Data Migration $35.00
20% Discounts on ALL services for new customers and senior citizens,
for mentioning that you saw our web page!
PC's only please. No MACs.
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