Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
February 12, 2006
Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter
http://www.terryscomputertips.com
A computer tips newsletter for users of PC's.
Volume 1, Number 35 — Sunday, February 12, 2006
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
IN THIS WEEK'S E-MAIL ISSUE:
0. JUST FOR SUBSCRIBERS — EMAIL ONLY
0.01 I Received An Award!
0.02 BREAKING NEWS!
0.1 Welcome To New Subscribers!
0.2 XP Repair Pro - a Quick Look
0.3 Still More Gmail Accounts Available
0.4 Time to Fix Browser Errors
0.5 My Computer Security Software Recommendations
0.6 Research on Spyware and Browsers
0.7 Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends
0.8 Can I Put My Subscription on Hold?
0.9 Changing Your Subscription Address
0.10 A Broken Record
0.11 Send me some email!
0.12 Links to products and services mentioned above
IN THIS WEEK'S ON-LINE ISSUE:
1. XP Repair Pro 2006 — the Review
2. Updates Last Week
3. More New Web Pages at www.TerrysComputerTips.com
4. EFF Warns Against Google Desktop Feature
5. CyberSecurity Alert - Mozilla Products
6. My Computer Security Software Recommendations
7. An Anti-Virus Question
8. Starting Programs "Maximized"
9. Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends
10. The Computer Keeps Dialing
Welcome to the on-line version of my Terry's Computer Tips newsletter.
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1. XP Repair Pro 2006 — Review
Product: XP Repair Pro 2006
Class: Utility — Windows Registry Repair Tool
License: Commercial product. Home license allows use on multiple computers.
I bought XP Repair Pro 2006 recently and gave it a workout on my desktop PC.
One of the many things I like about XP Repair Pro is that the purchase of a single license allows you to use the XP-only 2006 version or the Win98/Win2000/WinXP version "XP Repair Pro 2.5." WinMe is not supported.
The License is fantastic -- for Home/Non-Profit/Religious/Educational Organizations, you can install it on all your computers -- at no extra charge. They even specifically mention kids going off to college, too. Their advertising term on the web site calls it Unlimited PC Licence. Small and large businesses can purchase multiple-computer licenses for up to 10 machines for $75.95.
As a preliminary step, I did a "One-Button Checkup" of my desktop PC with Norton SystemWorks 2003. Yes, I know that's not the latest version, but I won't buy a later version.
Norton's interface looked like this :
(click on small image for a larger version)
Norton's checking of the Windows XP Registry had these results :
(click on the image for a larger version)
After downloading XP Repair Pro 2006, I installed it in "Unregistered" mode. I had already purchased a registration key, but I wanted to see what I could do in Unregistered mode. In Unregistered mode, you can scan your computer. Registration is required in order to have XP Repair Pro fix the things it finds. This is the main "Scan and Repair Errors" interface.
(click on the image for a larger version)
While I wrote down the numbers of problems XP Repair Pro 2006 found, I forgot to screen-print those pages. XP Repair Pro found 486 errors, with errors in all categories except for the ActiveX, DLL and COM items.
Here's what it found:
| Active X, DLL and COM | 0 errors out of 3,874 nodes | |
| Add/Remove Entries | 28 errors out of 182 nodes | |
| File Types/Extensions | 145 errors out of 4,269 nodes | |
| Help Files | 0 errors out of 10 | |
| Startup Entries | 5 errors out of 4 nodes (see note below) | |
| Shortcuts | 105 errors out of 218 nodes | |
| Shared Files | 10 our of 694 nodes | |
| Fonts | 0 out of 262 nodes | |
| Deep Analysis | 193 errors out of 188,431 nodes |
Using my notebook, which is my primary computer, I ran XP Repair Pro 2006 and found many more errors. As you can see, I screenprinted each section while the program was running the Deep Analysis scan.
XP Repair Pro 2006 first searches for ActiveX, DLL and COM errors in the Windows Registry. It found none of these errors on my notebook.
(click on the image for a larger version)
Add/Remove Entries is the second category of errors. Here, XP Repair Pro found 34 errors out of 247 nodes in the Windows Registry.
(click on the image for a larger version)
File Types/Extensions is the third category of Registry errors. XP Repair Pro 2006 found 158 of these on my notebook.
(click on the image for a larger version)
Help file is the next category of errors. Zero!
(click on the image for a larger version)
Startup Files: XP Repair Pro found 6 errors here. Check these very carefully. At present, it is too aggressive on startup files (see next note).
(click on the image for a larger version)
These are the startup files that XP Repair Pro 2006 selected as "errors." You can't see the error explanation (it's scrolled off the right side of the window), the explanation was "Wasted Resources." Unfortunately, when I look at the items, that's not the impression I have. They are:
- the driver for my notebook's mousepad
- the driver for my notebook's modem
- my anti-virus program's user interface
- WinPatrol, a system protection utility
- a core-dump utility (ok, that's a resource waster!), and
- my anti-spyware program
(click on the image for a larger version)
I reported the issue on a bug report and received an email response that the publishers are are aware of the issue and working on a list of programs to ignore here (by default).
Shortcuts: XP Repair Pro only found a mere 428 shortcut errors.
(click on the image for a larger version)
Shared Files: 10 of these errors on my notebook. This is getting to be fun.
(click on the image for a larger version)
Fonts: YEA! No errors.
(click on the image for a larger version)
Deep Analysis: At this point, XP Repair Pro 2006 found an amazing 746 errors. My grand total: 1,375 errors on my notebook, almost double the number found on my desktop — which had significantly more than my wife's computer.
(click on the image for a larger version)
Registered and Repaired! After finishing the scan, I clicked on Repair. This told me that I needed to register the product. No problem -- I had already purchased my registration. I copied and pasted the ID, receipt number and key from the confirmation email into the corresponding registration fields and I was "registered."
A click on "Repair" and very short wait, and it was complete.
(click on the image for a larger version)
One caution, in case you missed it in the notes above — be sure to check the "Startup Programs" -- XP Repair Pro selected my firewall, antivirus and antispyware for removal as "wasting resources." I put in a bug report on this issue.
XP Repair Pro has been around for a while in version 2.5 (full title XP Repair Pro 2.5). This program runs on Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, but not on Windows Me (another reason not to run Me).
XP Repair Pro 2006 has recently been released. It runs on Windows XP only and requires the .NET Framework 2.0. You can download the 25.4 MB version including the .Net Framework. If you already have Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 (I didn't), you can download the 670 KB program alone.
I have not tried all the features of XP Repair Pro 2006, yet. According to the XP Repair Pro web site, the new features of the "2006" version include:
- Fully Sizable, Scalable, Customizable, and User Friendly Interface.
- Complete Windows System Restore Control at your Fingertips.
- Windows Vista Ready (x64 Architecture)
- Every Setting/Position is Remembered for Convenience.
- Complete Monitor and Limiter for Children/Spouses/Employees activities.
- Allows FULL Customization of your Windows Environment.
- Quickly and Easily Change Windows Appearance and Performance Settings.
- Monitor (P2P) Peer to Peer Network Usage To Prevent Unwanted Legal Issues.
- Wipe Traces of "P2P" Usage from your PC and Network Devices.(Routers)
- Wipe Hidden Traces left behind by Web Browsers of sites you wish to remain private.
- Browse Websites and Use P2P Networks Completely Anonymously.
- Monitor Suspicious Programs such as Key-loggers and malicious RootKits
- Unbeatable Customer Service and Technical Support.
One caution -- be sure to check the "Startup Programs" -- XP Repair Pro selected my firewall, antivirus and antispyware for removal as "wasting resources." I put in a bug report on this issue.
You can get a free download and scan using XP Repair Pro 2006 or 2.5. You'll have to buy and register the product to actually do the fixes.
If you buy XP Repair Pro 2006 (and get XP Repair Pro 2.5, too!), please support my site and newsletter by using one of my links to make your purchase. I think you'll like it.
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2. Updates Last Week
Microsoft (operating systems, email, web browser, office suites): None. The next regularly scheduled Windows Updates are scheduled for this Tuesday, February 10, 2006.
Get your Windows Updates promptly. Microsoft has announced that there are 7 updates this time and that 2 of them are "Critical" updates -- meaning that they are serious security issues. These updates include updates for Windows and for Office, both of which have an update classed as Critical.
Hint: If you are not already using "Microsoft Updates", trigger your Windows Updates manually (Start / All Programs / Windows Updates or start Internet Explorer, then Tools / Windows Updates). Then, on the right-hand side of the first screen, you can click to start using Microsoft Updates. Why? Because Windows Updates only updates Windows and Outlook Express. Microsoft Updates updates all Microsoft products, including Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), Visio, Project and others.
Firefox (web browser, www.mozilla.org, free): Current version 1.5.0.1. No updates this week (v1.5.0.1 was released on February 3).
Opera (web browser, www.opera.com, free): No updates this week. Current version 8.51.
Netscape (web browser, www.netscape.com, free): Current version 8.1.
SeaMonkey (web browser, email, HTML editor, newsreader; www.mozilla.org; free): Current version 1.0.
Eudora (email, www.eudora.com, options: paid, sponsored or free/lite): No updates this week. Current version 7.0.1.0.
Mozilla Thunderbird (email, www.mozilla.org, free): Current version 1.5.
OpenOffice (office suite — spreadsheet, word processor, presentations, graphics, web design; www.openoffice.org; free): No updates this week. Current version 2.01.
| ♦ CounterSpy Anti-spyware Continuous protection - periodic deep scans |
♦ Error Nuker Check and Repair Windows Registry Errors |
| ♦ XP Repair Pro Windows XP system repair |
♦ XoftSpy Anti-spyware Advanced spyware detection and removal |
| ♦ SpamWasher Spamwasher stops spam from reaching your mail program |
♦ Auction Watcher Instant insight into eBay's Top Keywords, Hot Items and Auctions |
| ♦ Mailwasher Pro Stop spam before it ever gets to your inbox |
♦ Hard Drive Mechanic Hard Drive Diagnostic and Data Recovery Software |
3. More New Web Pages at www.TerrysComputerTips.com
Subscribers to my Terry's Computer Tips email newsletter saw these new web pages earlier in the week. Mid-week, they received a Special Edition which included a new article and the listing of new "unlisted" web pages &mdash new web pages that I had not added to the front page or the computer tips index yet.
I still have a lot more newsletter articles to convert into web pages. As I wrote earlier, Google has indexing issues with newsletters.
I'm not sure whether they index and then de-index them based on age, or whether they just have trouble because of the varying content on a page. I think it is more likely the age issue, as I can find some issues but later can not find the same issues in a Google search of my site.
My latest new pages are the following:
- Web-based Language Translation
- When I delete an email, it's gone -- right?
- The Internet Movie Database
- Do I need a firewall program?
- Software Firewalls May Interfere with New Programs
- Email, Gmail and the Advantages of a Personal Domain Name
- PDFCreator - "Print" a PDF File
- Read Ebooks on your Computer or PDA
- Wiping Personal Data from a Hard Drive
- Opera Goes Free
- Browser Vulnerability, Security and Updates
Subscribe to my email Terry's Computer Tips newsletter to get the latest information, be the first to see new web pages, and get Special Editions, too.
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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Volume 1, Number 35 — Sunday, February 12, 2006
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Copyright © 2006 Terry A. Stockdale. All rights reserved.
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