waldwolf

Some useful Microsoft links, should you decide to install SP2, then have problems:

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer

How to help protect your computer if you decide to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2

The AutoRecovery feature lets you recover from an unsuccessful installation of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

Good luck

Steve Gibson is one of the top authorities on computer security and related privacy matters.

He was the major consultant to the developers of the ZoneAlarm firewall, and was hired by the FBI to test and recommend improvements to US Governments computer systems, after 9/11.

Every internet user should be required to study all the information he provides free-of-charge on his website.

---------------

PS - Note Steve also writes all his software in machine language code, which gives lightening fast, small programs.

PPS - Steve also told Microsoft about security problems in XP, prior to its release, but Microsoft ignored him. Many of the "holes" fixed by SP2 are those Steve originally pointed out.

......Clearly it would have nothing to do with the water freezing on you. 

If you have an air-conditioner in the auto, the "AC Evaporator" is usually located next to the "Heater Core". Air is first blown throught the AC Evaporator, then the Heater Core before making its way to the dashboard vents.

As water from the engine cooling system is circulated through the heater core, if you do not use anti-freeze in the cooling system, your auto's air conditioner could cause water in the heater core to freeze and (as water expands when frozen) probably "crack" the heater core. Result.......a loss of engine cooling water, possible engine overheating, and warping of the alumnium heads (if car is so equipped).

Therefore, it is very important you run your auto's cooling system with anti-freeze installed.

A warped head or cracked heater core can be a very expensive repair.

If you have any porcelain-type fillings, it may be necessary to replace them after the whitening, to color match your "new" natural tooth color.

If your in the "Senior Citizen" category, extremely white teeth tend to give the impression you wear dentures (false teeth). It is natural to expect some "darkening" of the teeth, as one ages.

As some have stated, best to discuss the whole proceedure with your dentist.

Minor point of info:

Unplugging your computer (especially desktops) from its main power source will cause a higher power drain on the motherboard battery, used to retain BIOS and system clock memory functions.

Therefore one should keep an eye on the clock, and if it starts to consistantly loose time, that battery will need to be replaced.

You might also take a look at Go!Zilla

Butterfly is correct. I have never been fully successful in recovering a Multi-Session CD write error. IMHO, the Roxio repair tool is basically useless.

After many such write-error occurances (coasters), finally learned to put data in a folder on the HDD, before burning same to the MSCD. Then, if a write fault occurs, you still have your original data, to do a re-burn.

When the MSCD is full, permanently closed and tested, I then write the HDD folder again to a new CD-R as a "single session" (read single track) session. After testing the new disc, contents of folder can be deleted, in preparation for your next session.

MSCD's and ReWritables (-RW's) are very unreliable. Far better to have a duplicate of your original MSCD, than to spend hours/days trying to put "Humpty-Dumpty back together again".

Remember.....backup, backup, BACKUP!

Hope you are able to recover all your data.

Yes, noticed earlier today, just about everything was running very slow, however, tonight it look much better.

Tomorrow ?????

Miracles will never cease.

Walked into a Staple's office supply store earlier today and guess what I found on the counter?

A large box of Official Microsoft SP-2 CD's. Free to all customers. Grabbed about a dozen for friends. Thumbs up to Microsoft for "finally" doing something right and to Staples for their participation.

(Wonder if Microsoft plans to compete with AOL, by putting these SP-2 CD's in every place, including the Post Office and public WC's. )

One can order SP2 on CD direct from Microsoft at following link:

Order Windows XP SP-2 Here (Suprisingly, MS also pays the postage & handling)

More info on SP-2 in this link:

Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Support Center

You'll probably have better luck searching/posting in the "Thief" recommended forum HERE:

Note a similar question posted HERE:

and,

Microsoft site re: DirectX and Pixel Shaders HERE

I'm not a gamer, but I would think you should base your need/decission to buy a new graphics card, not on one specific program, but rather on what you may need for current as well as future games.

Good luck

...........But everytime I go Panthip, they sell me a CD for 150 Baht.

Does journalist have a special price, or am I usually screwed up ?

^^ Some call it getting scr*wed, others call it inflation.

As you stated, Longhorn (in various beta releases) has been available on many warez sites for over a year.

In the case of XP, Microsoft probably has a hidden ID in each beta version, that identifies the tester. In the XP case, a number of "leakers" were permanently dropped from the Microsoft approved beta tester list. (No more free software. )

From the "horses" mouth.............(as posted August 6th. on a Microsoft newsgroup):

Subject: Clarifying SP2 piracy policy

From: "Gary Schare [MS]" <[email protected]>

Sent: 8/6/2004 2:24:52 PM

There have been a number of discussions on this newsgroup regarding whether SP2 will install on non-genuine (aka "pirated") versions of Windows. Here is the official Microsoft position on this topic:

We expect that nearly all Windows XP users, running genuine or pirated Windows, will have access to the security technologies in SP2. The same users that were blocked from installing SP1 - those that have used a small set of legacy pirated product keys - will be blocked from installing SP2. We believe that there are very few systems in use today that use these keys -- in other words, the pirates have moved on to other keys which we are not blocking.

So how do we charaterize our policy?

We want to make sure that the broadest number of people can install SP2. The nature of malicious attacks on computer users is constantly changing and we will continue to evaluate how we deal with security updates for pirated versions of Windows to best protect our genuine Windows customers.

Thanks,

Gary Schare

Microsoft

Have been running a WD 10gig drive for 5 years. No problems.

About 1 year ago moved 10gig unit to backup and replaced it with an 80gig (WD800JBRTL). No problems thus far and the 80gig units 7200rpm speed/8Mb cache make a very noticeable decrease in startup/load times.

Recent quality figures I've seen place IBM in first place with Western Digital, Maxtor and Seagate close seconds. Samsung and Quantum finished last.

It's interesting to note many of the newer HDD's only carry a 1 year warranty vs. 3 years for models purchased just a couple of years ago. (The OEM's now try to sell you additional warranty coverage at about 20$US per year.)

I suspect the higher speeds of 7200rpm for EIDE and 10,000rpm for Serial ATA, combined with the competition to reduce costs, may reduce overall reliability.

so . . . . . backup, backup, backup.

Gout

Did your specialist take fluid from one of your joints or xrays to confirm the presence of crystals? There are several other conditions (ie: Pseudo Gout or Chondrocalcinosis) that cause pain, redness, heat, and swelling in one or more joints.

Also, some medications such as Hydroclorothizide, (a diuretic or water pill often given to high blood pressure patients) can cause "pseudo gout" symptoms. Had this myself a few years ago. Pain, swelling and redness were in a middle toe. Cleared up 2 days after changing medications. Gout can occur in any joint, but likely to show up first in big toe, ankle or knee.

More info on Gout here, from NIH

I truly feel your pain. Good luck. Hope you recover soon.

... and what a glorious moment it would be when my BMW rolls into my wife's village (I wouldn't tell her I was coming) and give her the surprise of her life with the words 'Honey, I'm home'.

I'm thinking, the worse part of the whole trip may occur right after you say,

"Honey, I'm home"

I think you'd better tell her your coming, or you might get "the surprise of your life".

Windows XP SP2 via Automatic Update Postponed

Microsoft has revised its plans to deliver Windows XP SP2 through the Automatic Updates (AU) delivery mechanism in Windows to give customers more time to plan the rollout of this critical update, or temporarily block the download of Windows XP SP2 to those machines using AU.

Here is the revised delivery schedule of Windows XP SP2:

8/16 - Release to Software Update Services.

8/18 - Release to Automatic Update for users running Windows XP Home Edition only.

8/25 - Release to Automatic Update for all Windows XP users including those running Windows XP Professional Edition; release to Windows Update for interactive user installations.

Guidance on Using SUS to Deploy Windows XP SP2

Because of the size of the Windows XP SP2 update, Microsoft recommends that Software Update Services (SUS) administrators consider the impact of deploying the update on network performance. Be sure to review the guidance and have a plan in place for mitigating the impact of this important update. SUS is available as a free download to customers with a Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server license.

Download the New Version of MBSA for Windows XP SP2 Compatibility

Scan for missing security updates and common system misconfigurations with the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA). Version 1.2.1 is required for compatibility with Windows XP Service Pack 2.

TechNet Flash, Volume 6, Issue 17 August 17, 2004

PB - There have been quite a few scientific studies related to radiation from cell (moble) phones possibly causing brain damage (tumors) over time.

The following links provide more information.

Hold the Phone? Radiation from cell phones hurts rats' brains.

Electromagnetic Fields and Human Health

It is interesting to note that, many of the scientists doing these cell-phone radiation studies, limit their exposure by keeping the length of their calls short and distancing themselves from the cell-phone itself by using a hands-free headset.

Talking about todays world, which is full of microwaves, one neuroscientist commented:

"You have to ask yourself, How much can people handle before it becomes a significant problem?"

Your dizziness and headaches could be from many causes. If they persist, consult with your doctor.

Good luck.

Have/had similar problems following herniated disk in lower back. One pain (now don't laugh) was in my rectum and gave me a "flash" wave of nausia.

My doctor (a board certified specialist in 5 catagories, including sports medicine and a director of the UCLA Medical School) tells me its referred pain from my back.

I do still get sciatic pain, foot numbness, back pain, and other little "tweeks", but.......my rectum?

I'd love to hear Dr. Pepe's comments on that one.

Find my old heat pad together with a bottle of "vino-roja", usually eases the pain.

As KevinN intimated, NEVER dry-wipe plastic eyeglasses.

Always rinse your plastic eyeglasses under running water (to remove dirt/grit) before cleaning.

I have a terrible problem with new prescriptions. Either the Optometrist or lens grinder, doesn't seem to know what the h*ll their doing. The only glasses which I find comfortable are over 20 years old. Have had at least 10 pairs made since, but which I can't wear.

Fortunately, I've heard (and noticed with my parents) your eyesight steadly improves after about 55.

If it didn't cost so much, and I wasn't such a coward, I'd probably go for the Lasic laser treatment.

Talked to my eye doctor about it once, and he said Lasic was OK for elderly people (like me) but he does not recommend it for young people, as not enough time has passed to gather sufficent data on long-term-benifits/problems.

As Alex stated, if you have a prescription, bring a copy with you. (This applies to all prescription medicine(s).)

If you are traveling to/in a countries with laws regulating controlled drugs, you could be charged with possession of a "controlled substance" and possibly end up being fined, worse yet in jail, unless you can show proof of a doctors prescription.

Your dispensing pharmacy should be able to provide you copies of your prescription(s).

(RK-I'm still curious as to what "anti-viagra" is! )

^^ I think your looking at MSRP (list) prices.

My 256MB SanDisk USB Flash Drive cost me $36. (128MB selling for $20)

The MP3 Companion (which I don't own) is widely offered at $49, so total would be about $85 for 256MB or $69 for 128MB. Expect MP3 Companion price to drop soon. (Already have coupon from SanDisk for $10 off any of their products.)

As I stated, "if you own any USB Flash Drives" something to consider. (Offers alternative storage, if/when Flash Drive not used for music.)

Also understand Sony will shortly release competative unit to iPod, but with much, much larger storage capacity and lower price.

Cheers

......So finally I copied the folder, pasted it on the desktop and deleted the original. Now it works fine. So what does it mean? Is some part of my hard drive screwed?

That is a remote possibility, however I would suspect the original file folder had not been properly configured/installed.

For piece of mind, you can run ScanDisk and by checking the "Through" option, check the HDD surface itself. Also try copying folder back to its original location to see if errors are repeated. My guess is they will not re-occur.

Good job

^^ I would not rely on Windows Update to determine whether or not it should update your BETA SP2 patches. Remember, those SP2 BETA patches my have extensive changes and could conflict with the FINAL release patches.

I would strongly suggest you install the final SP2 release, even though it may mean an extensive period of downloading.

Ideally, the best would be the Microsoft SP2 CD, (reportedly FREE) which should be available soon.

Cheers

ChiangMaiThai:

When you double click on most every program, file, picture, etc, your OS looks up the extention in your registry and is directed to the program where that extension should open.

To explain all the associations to you would take me hours if not days. It would be best if you opened the WinXP HELP file and typed "file associations" (no quotes) in the search window. You should find sufficient help there on how to check your associations.

As your pictures have extensions ending in .jpeg, they should normally open in your browser window (ie: Internet Explorer) when you double click on them. (Problem could be in browser!)

You can also try downloading a picture off the internet with a .BMP extension, saving it to a folder, then open that folder and double-click on the picture. It should open in Photoshop.

Post back you findings.

Cheers