Free is good....

I'm a fan of open source software. Primarily because I have a major problem with having to pay outrageous upgrade fees for minor program updates to applications. The biggest offenders in this arena are Microsoft Office and Quicken. I own licensed copies of both applications, but cringe every time I face having to pay upgrade fees. I appreciate the open source model that allows me to run an application and then contribute financially (which I do) to those applications I get use from.

While browsing around today, I read an nice short article about "Five programs you can afford in a financial meltdown." I've been a big fan of Open Office starting with version 2. The article also lists Gnucash, which intrigues me. I've been pissed at Quicken ever since they decided to abandon the universally-accepted .qif file format for financial transfers so that they could force people to switch to the .ofx file format, for which they charge. The pigs at Quicken just can't seem to drink enough client blood. Hey ya batards, you're already gouging for annual updates, isn't that enough??? Apparently not. Microsoft Money supports both .qif and .ofx formats, and doesn't charge banks (which pass on the cost) to use .ofx. I'll have to find some time to check out Gnucash and see if it would work for me.

I had a similar situation last week at work. We need to track the project my team is working on and the company has licensed installers for MS Project. But they note on the installer page that between the download and the maintenance contract, we get tagged for $600 a user!!! I need 6 people to be able to update a project timeline with actuals, and 3K is just way too much to pay for this capability. Not to mention that Project 2007 takes away the ability to save a project file in HTML. Why? So they can force you to instead purchase project server to get web-shareable project output. This kind of sick pathetic removal of existing capability just to generate additional income goads me to my core and drives the spirit of the Open Source intitiatives. So I did some searching for open source project managers, and found one that looked promising. It supported the ability to import/export files in MS Project format, so we could still interact with team members that already had their wallet cleaned by Micro$oft Project licen$e$. The problem is that I lost the link to the site I found due to a desktop tech corrupting my system beyond repair, forcing the need to re-image it (a different long story I wont delve into here).

I'll have to take a peek around today and see if I can find the web site once again....

Free is good....

I'm a fan of open source software. Primarily because I have a major problem with having to pay outrageous upgrade fees for minor program updates to applications. The biggest offenders in this arena are Microsoft Office and Quicken. I own licensed copies of both applications, but cringe every time I face having to pay upgrade fees. I appreciate the open source model that allows me to run an application and then contribute financially (which I do) to those applications I get use from.

While browsing around today, I read an nice short article about "Five programs you can afford in a financial meltdown." I've been a big fan of Open Office starting with version 2. The article also lists Gnucash, which intrigues me. I've been pissed at Quicken ever since they decided to abandon the universally-accepted .qif file format for financial transfers so that they could force people to switch to the .ofx file format, for which they charge. The pigs at Quicken just can't seem to drink enough client blood. Hey ya batards, you're already gouging for annual updates, isn't that enough??? Apparently not. Microsoft Money supports both .qif and .ofx formats, and doesn't charge banks (which pass on the cost) to use .ofx. I'll have to find some time to check out Gnucash and see if it would work for me.

I had a similar situation last week at work. We need to track the project my team is working on and the company has licensed installers for MS Project. But they note on the installer page that between the download and the maintenance contract, we get tagged for $600 a user!!! I need 6 people to be able to update a project timeline with actuals, and 3K is just way too much to pay for this capability. Not to mention that Project 2007 takes away the ability to save a project file in HTML. Why? So they can force you to instead purchase project server to get web-shareable project output. This kind of sick pathetic removal of existing capability just to generate additional income goads me to my core and drives the spirit of the Open Source intitiatives. So I did some searching for open source project managers, and found one that looked promising. It supported the ability to import/export files in MS Project format, so we could still interact with team members that already had their wallet cleaned by Micro$oft Project licen$e$. The problem is that I lost the link to the site I found due to a desktop tech corrupting my system beyond repair, forcing the need to re-image it (a different long story I wont delve into here).

I'll have to take a peek around today and see if I can find the web site once again....

Fixin' my rig....Part 3

With the core OS installed and security components deployed, it's time to move to the utility stuff.

Step #1 is to browse to Microsoft's website to update IE to the latest version (v7 in this case). If you read the previous post where I declare my preference for Firefox, you might be wondering why I'm bothering to update IE. That's because IE has it's sticky claws deeply sunk into the guts of XP, and if IE is going to insist on hanging around, it's important to run anything besides IE 6 (which comes with XP). IE 6 is such a virus sump tank that any system running it is at a higher risk than running more recent versions. Download of the latest version of IE can be found here.

Step #2 is to install an PDF reader. My experience with Adobe's Acrobat reader is that it's an overbloated resource chewing pig. Since all I need is a freebie PDF file reader, I prefer to install Foxit Reader instead. It's free, unobtrusive, and is lighter on resources. It can be found here.

Final utility install is the K9 Parental Control. It provides a free tool for helping to shield against malware sites. If you have kids, it also can help provide a layer of insulation against other undesirable content. OpenDNS is another option, but I haven't had a chance to use it. So I currently have K9 (available here) installed.

At this point, the system is ready to go for application installation. Combining the setup procedure with smart internet usage, I've been able to maintain a fast, safe, and relatively secure XP environment on my DV 1000. In fact, the computer is running faster than it ever has (including the day it originally came out of the box). I'm very happy with it, and expect to be able to get a couple more years of good use out of it.

Fixin' my rig....Part 3

With the core OS installed and security components deployed, it's time to move to the utility stuff.

Step #1 is to browse to Microsoft's website to update IE to the latest version (v7 in this case). If you read the previous post where I declare my preference for Firefox, you might be wondering why I'm bothering to update IE. That's because IE has it's sticky claws deeply sunk into the guts of XP, and if IE is going to insist on hanging around, it's important to run anything besides IE 6 (which comes with XP). IE 6 is such a virus sump tank that any system running it is at a higher risk than running more recent versions. Download of the latest version of IE can be found here.

Step #2 is to install an PDF reader. My experience with Adobe's Acrobat reader is that it's an overbloated resource chewing pig. Since all I need is a freebie PDF file reader, I prefer to install Foxit Reader instead. It's free, unobtrusive, and is lighter on resources. It can be found here.

Final utility install is the K9 Parental Control. It provides a free tool for helping to shield against malware sites. If you have kids, it also can help provide a layer of insulation against other undesirable content. OpenDNS is another option, but I haven't had a chance to use it. So I currently have K9 (available here) installed.

At this point, the system is ready to go for application installation. Combining the setup procedure with smart internet usage, I've been able to maintain a fast, safe, and relatively secure XP environment on my DV 1000. In fact, the computer is running faster than it ever has (including the day it originally came out of the box). I'm very happy with it, and expect to be able to get a couple more years of good use out of it.

Fixin' my rig....Part 2

Now that I was ready to re-image the hard drive, I had a decision to make. The portable came with a restore CD with the original copy of XP Pro with SP 2, plus all the accompanying dreg-ware. During the previous couple of years, I had encountered a few driver issues (primarily from the built-in media reader), and with the release of XP Pro SP 3, I decided to roll the dice. I decided to do a clean, format-the-drive install of XP Pro SP 3 and not use the OEM disk that came with the system. Over time, my system had become slower, as all Windows sytems do. I attribute some of the cause to slowness to dreg-ware. Dreg-ware is a term I use to describe undesired OEM software installed on a system without your consent (not to be confused with actual virus/malware). Vendors typically load up the Windows system tray with auto-loading apps, slowing down boot time. Combine that with all of the extraneous registry entries, plus hotfixes, etc, and my system was more turtle than hare. So a clean XP Sp3 install would be my plan, with the OEM XP disk kept close in case I needed drivers that Windows didn't provide.

Disks in hand, here's the sequence of events:

• Install XP Pro, with a reformatted NTFS Partition. (Note: the DV1000 has a separate partition to hold the QuickPlay partition for playing DVD's and music CD's. Since I've used used it for that in past, I decided to only delete/create/format the primary partition.)
• After the install was complete, I recall having to use the OEM driver disk to provide one driver that XP couldn't find. For the life of me, I can recall what the driver was for. But the key point is that I ONLY used the disk to provide the driver and did not allow it to auto-install everything.

With the core OS components installed, it's time to turn the computer into something useful. That means I'm going to need to download some tools from the Internet. Since I hadn't yet installed an anti-virus or firewall, the Internet is a very dangerous place for a newly installed XP OS to be. XP comes with IE 6, which is known to be a highly targeted platform for viruses and malware. I greatly prefer Firefox over IE as a browser, I needed to get FF on my system as quickly as possible and not use IE if at all possible. So I pull a little trick out of my bag - I have a USB drive with a version of Firefox that runs without the need for a local install. By using this drive to immediately go to Firefox.com to download the full FF browser, I can get web access without ever having to expose IE 6 to the Internet.

• Use Firefox portable on a USB drive to navigate to www.firefox.com
• Download and install Firefox (latest version)
• Launch Firefox and select the option to make it the default browser and to check that status each time.
  

With a functioning non-IE browser now installed, it's time to get the mandatory system security components installed. My favorite source of information about tools and best practices for dealing with digital vermin is GeeksToGo.com. The section addressing malware is located here. I've tried lots of combinations of the listed tools, some of which have rendered my systems usable. The problem seems to be that since you're only supposed to run one product of each type, compatibilities can be a problem since many of the applications include "features" than can step on the other product types. For example, some of the anti-virus products offer the ability to enable "spyware" type malware. But how does one know if enabling the feature on the firewall product means you no longer need the anti-spyware suite? It's an very inexact science since the products evolve over time. But in my personal testing, I've struggled with combinations that include both AVG Anti-virus and Comodo Firewall, which seems to cause my systems problems . Since what works on any particular system is so highly dependent upon a myriad of factors, I won't even pretend to give an "authoritative" list of tools to use, but here's what works for me (all of which are free for personal use):

• PC Tools Firewall Plus
• ThreatFire Anti-Malware
  
• Avast Anti-Virus

One thing to note is that both ThreatFire and Avast are self-described Anti-Virus tools, but they work very differently. Avast is uses pattern-file-based detection, whereas ThreatFire detects malware based upon identification of suspicious activities performed by processes running on the system. So while having both these tools running violates the "run only one Anti-virus" rule, the different approaches they take provides an additional layer of defense, so I choose to run them both.

With the above tools installed, there's one more component I install prior to doing general application installs: WinPatrol. WinPatrol is a free utility that provides a number of very useful capabilities. Most useful to me is the ability to completely control what startup applications are loaded for both system startup and browser startup. Keeping in line with my previously stated goal of keeping my reinstall running lean and mean, the use of WinPatrol allows me to prevent system slowdown due to excessive loading of system tray apps and browser add-ins. With the installation of WinPatrol, I can now control the startup options for the applications I'll install, so it's time to move forward.......

Fixin' my rig....Part 2

Now that I was ready to re-image the hard drive, I had a decision to make. The portable came with a restore CD with the original copy of XP Pro with SP 2, plus all the accompanying dreg-ware. During the previous couple of years, I had encountered a few driver issues (primarily from the built-in media reader), and with the release of XP Pro SP 3, I decided to roll the dice. I decided to do a clean, format-the-drive install of XP Pro SP 3 and not use the OEM disk that came with the system. Over time, my system had become slower, as all Windows sytems do. I attribute some of the cause to slowness to dreg-ware. Dreg-ware is a term I use to describe undesired OEM software installed on a system without your consent (not to be confused with actual virus/malware). Vendors typically load up the Windows system tray with auto-loading apps, slowing down boot time. Combine that with all of the extraneous registry entries, plus hotfixes, etc, and my system was more turtle than hare. So a clean XP Sp3 install would be my plan, with the OEM XP disk kept close in case I needed drivers that Windows didn't provide.

Disks in hand, here's the sequence of events:

• Install XP Pro, with a reformatted NTFS Partition. (Note: the DV1000 has a separate partition to hold the QuickPlay partition for playing DVD's and music CD's. Since I've used used it for that in past, I decided to only delete/create/format the primary partition.)
• After the install was complete, I recall having to use the OEM driver disk to provide one driver that XP couldn't find. For the life of me, I can recall what the driver was for. But the key point is that I ONLY used the disk to provide the driver and did not allow it to auto-install everything.

With the core OS components installed, it's time to turn the computer into something useful. That means I'm going to need to download some tools from the Internet. Since I hadn't yet installed an anti-virus or firewall, the Internet is a very dangerous place for a newly installed XP OS to be. XP comes with IE 6, which is known to be a highly targeted platform for viruses and malware. I greatly prefer Firefox over IE as a browser, I needed to get FF on my system as quickly as possible and not use IE if at all possible. So I pull a little trick out of my bag - I have a USB drive with a version of Firefox that runs without the need for a local install. By using this drive to immediately go to Firefox.com to download the full FF browser, I can get web access without ever having to expose IE 6 to the Internet.

• Use Firefox portable on a USB drive to navigate to www.firefox.com
• Download and install Firefox (latest version)
• Launch Firefox and select the option to make it the default browser and to check that status each time.
  

With a functioning non-IE browser now installed, it's time to get the mandatory system security components installed. My favorite source of information about tools and best practices for dealing with digital vermin is GeeksToGo.com. The section addressing malware is located here. I've tried lots of combinations of the listed tools, some of which have rendered my systems usable. The problem seems to be that since you're only supposed to run one product of each type, compatibilities can be a problem since many of the applications include "features" than can step on the other product types. For example, some of the anti-virus products offer the ability to enable "spyware" type malware. But how does one know if enabling the feature on the firewall product means you no longer need the anti-spyware suite? It's an very inexact science since the products evolve over time. But in my personal testing, I've struggled with combinations that include both AVG Anti-virus and Comodo Firewall, which seems to cause my systems problems . Since what works on any particular system is so highly dependent upon a myriad of factors, I won't even pretend to give an "authoritative" list of tools to use, but here's what works for me (all of which are free for personal use):

• PC Tools Firewall Plus
• ThreatFire Anti-Malware
  
• Avast Anti-Virus

One thing to note is that both ThreatFire and Avast are self-described Anti-Virus tools, but they work very differently. Avast is uses pattern-file-based detection, whereas ThreatFire detects malware based upon identification of suspicious activities performed by processes running on the system. So while having both these tools running violates the "run only one Anti-virus" rule, the different approaches they take provides an additional layer of defense, so I choose to run them both.

With the above tools installed, there's one more component I install prior to doing general application installs: WinPatrol. WinPatrol is a free utility that provides a number of very useful capabilities. Most useful to me is the ability to completely control what startup applications are loaded for both system startup and browser startup. Keeping in line with my previously stated goal of keeping my reinstall running lean and mean, the use of WinPatrol allows me to prevent system slowdown due to excessive loading of system tray apps and browser add-ins. With the installation of WinPatrol, I can now control the startup options for the applications I'll install, so it's time to move forward.......

Fixin' my rig....Part 1

After four+ years of uninterrupted use, my HP Dv1000 laptop with Windows XP SP 2 finally gave out....sort of. But there's a little background to the story.

Our home desktop computer had suffered a massive virus infection (it's was primarily used by the kids) and I had never bothered to properly secure it. In the last year, it had started displaying a BIOS config error whenever it booted up (something about a change in the memory) , and you had to press F1 to continue. Unfortunately, I had apparently set a CMOS password way back when I got the system, and could not remember it. So thought I would just pop open the case to remove the CMOS battery and thereby clear out the old password. The thing I didn't count on was the system not booting after the CMOS battery was put back in. I originally bought the system from Fry's, so I didn't know details about the guts of it. With the case now popped open, I was able to find the motherboard ID info, and learned it is a ECS Photon PF1. A quick google session and I was dismayed to learn that it is a pretty crappy mobo. Wonderful. So now I have a low quality, non-booting, beep-at-me-during-powerup, non functioning motherboard.

So while I decided what to do next, the kids needed a computer to do their homework. Previously, I had been the only user of my DV1000 laptop, but the kids would now need access. So I gave my wife the password to my account and told her to log me in when the kids needed to do homework. BIG mistake! Since I generally visit "Legit" websites, I had been able to get along with using the old anti-virus from my System Suite v5 install from many years ago. The only kicker was that I had to manually update the pattern files, but it worked fine for me. Not too long ago, I had decided to update the system to use a more recent set of firewall/Malware tools. This too turned into a disaster (subject for a later post), but suffice to say that by the time my kids started using the portable, in was in a "less than optimum" security state.

Several weeks later, I went on a golf vacation to Palm Springs. During the trip, my wife called and told me that the laptop would no longer boot. When I got home I check it out, and sure enough, the system would hang while attempting to load a file called "mup.sys". While I had no idea why Sesame Street was trying to load on my computer, a bit of time Googling did not help me figure out a quick fix. I didn't want to lose some of the files I had on my hard disk, so a clean format/reinstall was not what I was after....

A bit more research, and I learned about a tool with the ability to create an XP boot disk with anti-virus and a hoard of other tools that I thought my help me out. Enter Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD). Assuming you have access to an XP boot disk (or iso image), you can create a Windows boot disk with just about every tool that could possibly help fix a non-booting system.

With my new cool tool disk in hand, I was able to boot and get access to the hard drive (Note: UBCD does take a while to load). Knowing that the hard disk had the original XP Pro with SP 2 image from the vendor (including all the extraneous garbage they load - does ANYBODY use this stuff???), I simply wanted to get my data files, pictures, etc from the hard drive. Just to satisfy my curiousity, I first did a virus scan to see if the boot problem was virus related. The scan came back clean, so the next step was to see if the UBCD disk would allow me to attach an external USB hard disk, which I intended to use for saving off my files from the dead portable. I plugged in the external USB drive, and VOILA! - it recognized it! So now I had (courtesy of UBCD) access to the portable hard drive and an external USB hard disk connected that I could save off my files to.

Fast forward a couple of hours, and I was able to save off all the files I wanted to the external drive. With the last remnants of desired content removed from the laptop, it was time to kiss the original disk image goodbye. The only remaining step was to decide my strategy for the system rebuild and what I would load....