Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
October 31, 2005

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Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter
http://www.terryscomputertips.com
A computer tips newsletter for users of PC's.

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Volume 1, Number 20 -- Monday, October 31, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:
   1.   Slow Windows XP Boot Times
   2.   Updates This Week
   3.   Terry's Computer Tips -- The Blog
   4.   Distributed Computing -- Putting PCs Spare Time to Work
   5.   External Hard Drive Enclosures
   6.   Running Your Computer 24/7
   7.   Home-based Internet Businesses #1 - A Travel Site
   8.   Just for Fun - and a little information, too
   9.   Recommend Terry's Computer Tips to Your Friends
   10.   Send me some email!

Welcome to the Terry's Computer Tips newsletter.  The newsletter itself is now an online document that you read with your web browser.  The free, emailed newsletter is an announcement that a new issue has been published.  The emailed newsletter is sent weekly to individuals who have subscribed to the newsletter, have received an email confirmation notice that required them to confirm their subscription request, and who confirmed their request.

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1.  Slow Windows XP Boot Times

This week, I received an email from Terry's Computer Tips reader Cecil, who said:

Hi Terry, I am enjoying your newsletter ... very informative and timely ... here's my question:

By using MSCONFIG on Windows XP Pro under the startup tab, what are the minimum items that need to be "checked" for fastest bootup? BootVis is not much help and the startup items in MSCONFIG are difficult to identify. The window that MSCONFIG opens is small and cannot be stretched to assist identification of the items. I have reviewed BlackViper.com's descriptions but that list is long and many items do not apply for a fast bootup. So, I am guessing that someone out there has done the optimization for the fastest bootup by eliminating many of the items under the MSCONFIG startup tab???? I hope.

Cecil,
Rather than using MSCONFIG and having little help to decide what is necessary other than extensive Google searching, my choice of programs to address auto-starting programs and services is called WinPatrol (www.winpatrol.com) to handle my Windows XP Bugs in the Background.

WinPatrol is free to download and use in its freeware version. WinPatrol Plus ($24.95), which is the same program but unlocked with your unique id & password, provides a couple extra functions. The big value to this cheap tool is the online access to its database of services and startup programs. Another significant point — the license covers all your PCs; The Plus version is not licensed on an individual computer basis.

Simply select the program, click on the Info button and then the Plus Info button to access WinPatrol's website with your browser. The display will tell you about the program you selected . It will also recommend whether to remove the program or not.

Current versions of WinPatrol allow you to "Disable" startup programs, while earlier ones would only remove startup items. This makes experimentation easy, since you can "Enable" them again without reinstalling whatever program was involved.

Regarding BlackViper.com's site (which is still dead, but available via the WayBack Machine (see my July 25th newsletter ), it has huge amount of detail on services. There is also a section that has recommended services settings for various purposes (game playing, etc).

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2.  Updates This Week

Firefox 1.5 Beta 2:   Actually, this second beta of Mozilla Firefox's next version was released in early October, and includes a number of new browser features, new web developer features, new extension developer features and bug fixes, compared to the first Beta version. As always with a Beta-version, try it if you want to, but recognize that it is not the official release version and may still have known bugs to be fixed.

Microsoft:   None this week, since Microsoft's updates come out once a month. Meanwhile, ZDNet reports that a new "critical flaw" affects the default installations of Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer. The security firm eEye Digital Security reports that the affected systems include Windows XP SP1 and SP2, Windows 2000, Windows NT and Windows 2003 SP0 and SP1. Hopefully these issues will fixed in the November patches. ZDNet's article can be found at http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5899448.html?tag=nl.e589.

Skype:   Secunia, the computer security firm, reports that Skype's peer-to-peer voice service, which can also be used to place calls to landline phones and cell phones, has a fix available for a "highly critical" denial of service attack vulnerability. Updates are available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Pocket PC.

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3.  Terry's Computer Tips -- The Blog

I must be in the mood for creating web sites. My latest is a new blog at http://blog.terryscomputertips.com/.

I mentioned in the October 10th issue that I had started blogging in the computer section at blog.WorldVillage.com. My entries there focus in the sub-categories of Freeware & Shareware, Privacy & Security and Tips & Tricks.

My new Terry's Computer Tips - the blog will be more broad and far-reaching, and will focus on personal computers and the Internet. I have moved many of my computer-related entries from my general blog The Next Window to the new blog.

The new blog will also provide me a way to easily refer to and link to articles in other blogs and news stories.

The usefulness of the blog will have a direct relationship to the number of visitors and the comments from visitors. Yes, you can make your comments on the blog. Of course, if you want to write me with those, I will be happy to get those emails, too.

I hope you will make Terry's Computer Tips - the blog a routine part of your day.

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Continued in Part 2

Volume 1, Number 20 -- Monday, October 31, 2005
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Copyright © 2005 Terry A. Stockdale.  All rights reserved.