http://www.bootdisk.com/ 266 May 2006
The BootLIST
Welcome to the 266th Edition of The BootLIST
INDEX
1) What are the Prefetch folders?
2) Data Execution Prevention Closes Program
3) Useless Devices In Device Manager
4) Windows Update Niggle
5) More Update Niggle Fixes
6) Synchronize Data - More
7) Thunderstorm Damage - More
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1) What are the Prefetch folders?
sweetc inquired - Before I go and start deleting, I just need to know. What are the Prefetch folders?
lvee said:
It's information that once used is stored so that the computer doesn't have to search for those files every time you
access them. However, there is no need to empty it. The items will repopulate the next time you run the computer, it's the exact same number of files, no more no less before and after emptying them and it will make no difference in the speed or performance of your computer. Lots of debate over the Prefetch folder but if you try it yourself you'll see that there is no difference. In fact, the pc may be
a bit slower until those folders are populated.
Ramesh added:
You don't have to delete the Prefetch folder.
Prefetch:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/01/12/XPKernel/
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/benchmark.mspx
Bob I. comments:
That's what XP uses to minimize program startup times.
Detlev Dreyer posted:
As a rule of thumb, do not delete any folders being located in the %windir% directory.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/evaluate/xpperf.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/fastboot/fastboot-winxp.mspx
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2) Data Execution Prevention Closes Program
Michel M. posted - When restarting my new laptop after a Microsoft Update I get this message window:
Data Execution Prevention - Microsoft Windows. To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program.
Doug K. replied:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/windowsxp/depcnfxp.mspx
Gives a good explanation of how to modify DEP and what you can and can't do.
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3) Useless Devices In Device Manager
Adrian M. wrote - I seem to have a lot of useless devices loaded in the device manager.
Carey F. responds:
Description of Device Manager in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314747
How to troubleshoot unknown devices that are listed in Device Manager in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314464
HOW TO: Manage Devices in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=283658
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4) Windows Update Niggle
ChrisM. asked - Each time I run Windows Update on my laptop, Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474) is shown as a high-priority update. Yet, it wont install. The next time I run Windows Update, it's there again. When I go to the Microsoft site and run the Windows Validation utility, it shows my XP is valid. Anything that can be done about this?
Rishi adds:
Did you try giving it plenty of time to install? If you are doing it from the Microsoft update site then it will install it automatically (after you
click the download and install button), just give it about 30 minutes or so. And then when it asks you to restart just restart the computer.
If you are doing this through Automatic Updates, you might have to click on the bubble that says 'Updates are ready to be installed' and continue the installation process.
*** Perhaps?
http://www.bootdisk.com/xptop20.htm#4
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5) More Update Niggle Fixes
JasonA wrote - Why do updates I install still show up under Choose Updates To Download?
Malke said:
Prevents Windows Update from prompting you to install a Hotfix you know is already installed.
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_hotfix_prompt.htm
I also have these notes (information from MVP Alan Edwards I believe). Several of these issues are known to cause the problem of Windows Updates insisting that updates are needed when they are not:
1) Zone Alarm Pro [Private Header Info - enabled?]: Reset Ad Blocking and Cookie Control to Medium Mobile Code Control = Off [Protection" features of more recent versions of ZA have been causing all sorts of problems for users, especially when it comes to ActiveX controls.]
2) Symantec (ISS\NIS) [Enable Browser Privacy - enabled] Active Content - Allow All Scripts To Execute. Problem: some sites
cannot detect the 128-bit encryption. Solution: Completely remove and reinstall NIS. Or disable NAV Script Blocking:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/2001082912274906.
A recent NIS/NPF update has been causing problems for users, too. See:
http://service1.symantec.com/Support/nip.nsf/docid/2005083015103436.
Usual fix is to disable Protection, restore the default General and Trojan horse firewall rules & then re-enable Protection.]
3) Any "ad blocking" software that blocks "http_referrer" or contains entries that are blocking access to the desired site.
4) HOSTS file that contains entries that are blocking access to the desired site.
5) Cookie blocking software blocking "required" Cookies.
6) Pop-up blockers stripping header\url info.
7) WebWasher Standard Filter/URL Filter
8) Make sure the following Registry entry (in WinXP) is not corrupt:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\InternetSettings]
"User Agent"="Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0;)"
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6) Synchronize Data - More
Chris R. added to Synchronize Data in the last issue:
Regarding data synchronization, here is a free program from one of my fav coders, Karen Kenworthy. The program is called Replicator. I have used it for several years for my own business & personal PCs and for many of my customers, even on large servers. You can check it out at:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp
I have even used it on a server to backup PCs over a LAN & WAN. You can use it to push or pull, depending on the environment. Cool stuff. Not often I enjoy a program this much. I find it easier to setup and use than any commercial disk-to-disk backup software I have come across. Ok, well, rsync is the exception.
Hey - speaking of backups, you ought to take a peek at:
Which is an online backup service. You can, if nothing else, get 2GB for free. They are still officially in beta and I have been working with them on spec'ing out a Pro version, but I am very very impressed with their service, standards and sense of humor. You can get a 20GB account for a measly $39 annually, you can backup a max of 3 PCs per account. One of the things I like about the service is that the files are available in any web browser from any PC. Like I preach to my customers, there is NO excuse for not backing up anymore. Every machine that leaves the shop destined for a high speed connection gets Mozy installed and setup. Cool stuff.
Tom S. likes:
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7) Thunderstorm Damage - More
Bill G. commented on Thunderstorm Damage:
Ok, in regards to item 2 of the 265th Edition. I need to take exception. I "had" one of those cheap 10 to 20 dollars surge protectors you mentioned. Key word here is HAD lol. A couple weeks ago we also had a storm come through. PC is on 24/7. When we got home we discovered that 80% of our appliances were off/or clocks flashing. I went to the circuit box and found 2 circuits blown. Reset those and came into the computer room to discover the monitor off. Looked down at the "power surge protector", the light was on so there was power to it. Monitor power light was on but no screen.
Anyway, to make a long story a bit shorter, the techs at the shop I go to determined that the lightning fried my motherboard and the NIC card in the cable modem. So, I now have a 500va APC UPS plugged in and the pc and monitor connected to it. It works like a champ because we had another storm come through a few days ago that knocked out power for a few minutes but the UPS gave me the time I needed to shut my pc down the correct way. I still have it on 24/7 though.
*** Thanks for writing as it brings up a few more good points, and a very "interesting" one to add which I will get to. First, to clarify, my main point in the previous article is that ANY surge protector, even the cheap ones are WAY better than having nothing. Yes it's true
that there are better surge protectors available including whole house protection. And yes a good UPS is worth the investment.
I do have experience with this. Since 1995 I've been doing house calls where after a storm the customer calls and said his PC is not working. There has not been a single time I've gone out to the home to fix storm damage and found that the customer had ANY type of surge protector. The customer may have "thought" he had one, but all he had was a power strip, possibly with only a circuit breaker. Mostly I find dead modems and dead hard drives, and rarely, toasted motherboards.
Again, note that 90% of surges come in via the telephone line to the PCs dialup modem. This often fries the modem and less often, the hard drive. In any case I wont guarantee any parts I replace unless the customer also buys a surge protector at the time of the repair. We're only talking an extra $15 here.
It's been 11 years now and not a single time have I had to re-replace a part I've replaced due to a storm surge. Which brings up the "interesting" point. For starters, your 2 storms were not the same. The first one you had a lightning strike nearby which obviously caused several short circuits which tripped the circuit breakers in your house's electrical panel. The second storm the lightning hit much further away which only caused a temporary loss of power, and perhaps, a mild surge.
Secondly, my guess is that the surge from the first storm came in via your cable modem line. This is becoming more common as people go to broadband. If it came in via a "failed" cheap surge protector ie the AC power line chances are the power supply would be dead instead of your cable modem's internal NIC, and perhaps, the motherboard would have been saved.
If you have an internal NIC connected to the cable modem chances are a surge that hits the outside cable line will only toast the modem which is why I personally advise you rent them from your cable company if possible, as if they go bad you dont pay for a housecall or the new part, depending on your specific company. Also, note that there are protectors that protect the cable line as well and it may be a good idea to pick one up.
In summary, note that NO protector will help you if lightning hits very nearby. Luckily that doesn't happen very often, but it did for you and if you had your UPS then I'd bet you'd still have a toasted motherboard and cable NIC. Also note that if the surge came in via your "cheap" surge protector chances are it'd be dead instead of your cable modem NIC and motherboard. But a dead 10 or 20 dollar protector is way better then a dead PC as it did it's job.
Info on surge protectors:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/surge-protector6.htm
Whole house surge protection:
http://www.smarthome.com/4860.html
http://www.powersystemsdirect.com/info/Whole_House_Surge_Protection_Protector_32.php
A quote from one of the articles above:
"On the other end you have systems costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars, which will protect against pretty much everything short of lightning striking nearby."
As an aside, if you do use a dial-up Internet connection or use a fax/modem for a backup ISP service or for faxing then I'd recommend an external serial port modem over an internal one. Why? In all my years of going on service calls if a person got hit with a surge via the telephone line without even using a surge protector ONLY the external modem got toasted. Still, I've yet to go on a call where the customer had his telephone line protected with a surge protector and lost his external modem.
Please also note that with a dial up modem of any type about 25% of the time it's only the wire(s) [ie not the house wire but the wire from the jack to the modem], the wall outlet, or even the cable splitter that absorbed the damage. So replace the phone line cables first with new ones and test the wall outlet by connecting a known working telephone to it. The best techs carry a phone with them to test the line(s) before they go and start replacing computer parts.
Just in:
rdnext just reported:
As a consequence of a near lightening strike that blew a surge protector, my high end UPS, two computer power supplies and a motherboard/cpu (the following brownout also got a freezer compressor), the hard disk was moved to another working computer as a secondary drive. All of the data files were recovered with the exception of one sub-folder in the Documents folder.
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