IN THIS WEEK'S ON-LINE ISSUE:
   1.   WinXP Slow Shutdown Problem -- Solved!
   2.   Updates Last Week
   3.   Travelling with a Notebook
   4.   Windows Live OneCare®
   5.   Firefox Memory Problems
   6.   My Computer Security Software Recommendations
   7.   Excel - A Lesson in Text Manipulation
   8.   Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends

Welcome to the on-line version of my Terry's Computer Tips newsletter.

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1.  WinXP Slow Shutdown Problem -- Solved!

Last week, I solved a Windows XP slow shutdown problem that had been plagueing me for several months on my notebook.

Since I normally let it run or close it to let it hibernate, I wasn't able to identify when it happened, so I wasn't able to identify the change that occurred.

But, shutting down the system took between 1.75 minutes and 2.5 minutes, whether it was a reboot or an actual shutdown. All the lost time was spent while WinXP said it was "saving your settings."

Last week, I solved it!

I spotted some DLL files in C:\windows\system32 that I didn't recognize: dartftp.dll, dartsock.dll, dartzip.dll and dartweb.dll.

My first effort with Google resulted in near panic -- many sites were reporting that files with several of these names were used by IAmBigBrother spyware. I was surprised because CounterSpy, AdAware SE, and SpyBot Search & Destroy hadn't identified these files as spyware.

Then, I remembered that I had been testing several FTP clients several months ago. Those file names are also part of Dart Communications FTP suite. Ah HAH!

Looking back, I saw that those same sites (including Symantec's) report that IAmBigBrother picks a several file names to use (to hide itself) from a selection of DLL file names from relatively common software.

I went back into the directory and renamed the DLLs. I was surprised that worked -- I expected to have to boot to safe mode to rename them.

I rebooted, but without any change in shutdown time. That was ok, because I knew that DLLs were loaded into memory. Once Windows finished restarting, I did a shutdown -- 25 SECONDS!

It was solved!

I figured that the Registry was starting the DLLs. With the files renamed, the Windows Registry entries were still trying to load them, which would slow up the boot time.

So, I fired up my trusty registry repair tool XP Repair Pro 2006 to see what it could do.

XP Repair Pro found and removed a bunch of those weird links that Microsoft uses in the registry -- the ones with Registry entry names like {12345-67890-12345-67890-12345}

With the files renamed, the related Windows Registry entries removed by XP Repair Pro 2006, all that remained was deleting the renamed files.

Because...it's all about having the right tools...

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2.  Updates Last Week

Microsoft (operating systems, email, web browser, office suites):
Mcrosoft releases almost all updates once per month, on the second Tuesday. The next "Patch Tuesday" is scheduled for June 13th.

However, there was Yet Another Microsoft Genuine Advantage Notification program update this week. As usual, Microsoft forces you to install this update before it will check for any other kinds of updates for your Windows version. This update will require a reboot -- and it has a thoroughly obnoxious popup nag window that will keep showing up every 10-20 minutes until you actually do reboot.

Firefox (web browser, http://www.mozilla.com, free):
Current version 1.5.0.4, released June 1. This was a significant security update. The update included 12 fixes, of which Mozilla classes 6 as Critical Impact and 2 as High Impact issues. They define Critical to mean "Vulnerability can be used to run attacker code and install software, requiring no user interaction beyond normal browsing."

Opera (web browser, http://www.opera.com, free):
No updates. Current version 8.54, released on April 5, 2006. This was a security update release. Opera 9.0 Beta 2 (9.00.b2) was released on May 23rd and is available for those who wish to try it.

Netscape (web browser, http://browser.netscape.com, free):
Current version 8.1.

SeaMonkey (web browser, email, HTML editor, newsreader; www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey; free):
Version 1.0.2 was released on June 1. This was a security update and the Seamonkey Council recommends that all users update to this version.

Eudora (email, http://www.eudora.com, options: paid, sponsored or free/lite):
No updates this week. Current version 7.0.1.0, released 12/21/05.

Mozilla Thunderbird (email, http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird, free):
New release version 1.5.0.4, released June 1, 2006. This update included several security and stability fixes. Warning: if you go to the old www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird page, you'll still see the older version, with no hint of the new version. Go to the new location -- or go to www.mozilla.org and and click on the Thunderbird link.

OpenOffice (office suite — spreadsheet, word processor, presentations, graphics, web design; http://www.openoffice.org; free):
Version 2.02 released for Windows during the week of March 6th.

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WinClear - Internet History Eraser
Internet History Cleaner & Shredder
Deletes History, Cookies, etc.

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3.  Travelling with a Notebook

It's Summer in the northern hemisphere, so it's time for travel. Whether you travel for on vacation or holidays, you'll be in a different place, a different house or hotel or motel...and without your usual Internet connection.

When we travel, some of us miss our Internet connection, especially if we have a high-speed cable or DSL connection.

If you use a notebook computer in your busines, you may be able to take it along. However, depending on your employer's Internet access policy, you may or may not be able to use it for personal web surfing and email. Some employers are liberal on the issue while others are reactionary and obstinate.

If you're lucky and travelling with your notebook computer, maybe your hotel, motel, friend's house, relative's home, campground or RV park will have a wireless connection available. Most hotels don't bother with wired connections, although a few do. If you don't have wired or wireless available, or if the wireless connection doesn't work for some reason, you'll need dialup.

I have two sources for dialup time, since I may need dialup as a backup for my cable modem some times.

My first choice for dialup is my paid service at BudgetDialup.com. For $9.95, I purchased 20 hours that are good for any time within 365 days of purchase.

BudgetDialup has several packages. Their number 1 claim to fame is that all their Rollover plans feature worldwide access. That's right. I can use them in Baton Rouge. I can use them in Houston or New York, or I can use them via local numbers in London, Hawaii, Asia, or South America.

The way they do this is by having 4 calling zones and counting by equivalent minutes -- for example, the basic $5.95 package purchases 10 hours that are good within 365 days (that's $5.95, not $5.95 per month). In other zones, that same 600 minute package may only be worth 300 minutes, 100 minutes or 50 minutes.

My second dialup choice is my free 10 hours per month from NetZero. They offer this free package, obviously, in hopes that I'll upgrade to one of their paid service packages.

If you have a cable modem, a DSL modem or a notebook computer, I recommend that you get a backup dialup connection.

Free NetZero Dialup
BudgetDialup.com

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Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Volume 1, Number 52 — Sunday, June 11, 2006
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Copyright © 2006 Terry A. Stockdale.  All rights reserved.