Windows Watcher

Free has a new meaning ... by Tom Bair

Nothing in life is free. Remember that the next time you check your e-mail. How many messages are you receiving that are offering something free?

Or messages that pass as their definition of free. Have you noticed that "free" has magically taken on a new meaning to many Web-connected companies? Allow me to illustrate this with an example from my own e-mail inbox. I received this e-mail from three separate spammers within a week's time.

Free Full Version Windows 200 Professional Quizzer -- We are offering a Free Full Version (retail value $149.95) download of our Windows 2000 Professional Quizzer (exam 70-210) for a limited time to all
[Company Name Deleted] [ISP Name Deleted]subscribers.
Download your free full version 70-210 Quizzer today at: [URL Removed]
-Over 400 Questions/Multiple Choice Answers
-Detailed explanations for all questions
-Lots of free on-line web references
-Adaptive Mode, Study Mode and Exam Simulation Mode
-Free "Ask the Expert" e-mail service

I admit I was curious. It sounded like a darn good deal. All I had to do was to download the quizzer from their site, right? Wrong!

What I had to do was give my name, address, work and home telephone numbers, and my e-mail address. This quizzer wasn't so free after all. But it gets worse. There are two additional items required which you cannot opt out of. Add me to the [Company Name Removed] partner e-mail list.

Doing so would guarantee that my already high reception of spam e-mail would become worse. These jokers are in the business of selling verified e-mail lists to their "partners." And in order to protect their assets from lawsuit, witness the next item: By downloading this free product you are agreeing to future email correspondence from [Company Name Removed].

Pretty slick, eh? They get to keep banging you with spam because you downloaded a free program from them. This isn't free. So I terminated my connection to their site. This is one of far too many websites today that are actively attempting to hoodwink the public.

Reactivate XP After Install

[XP] Unlike other Window versions, XP is a pain to perform a "Clean format and install" process on. You have to re-register your version with Microsoft, even though you haven't changed any of the hardware on your system.

You can try this method instead. It goes without saying that you must have already activated your version of Windows XP before performing this tip.

1. Locate and copy to a floppy disk the file wpa.dbl. It is commonly located in C:\Windows\system32 folder.
2. Label your disk "Windows Activation File" and store it in a safe place.
3. The next time you format your hard drive and re-install Windows XP, copy the file from the floppy disk back into the 'system32' folder.
4. Reboot your computer.

Please note that although this works flawlessly with my personal copy of Windows XP Home Edition, I've experienced problems with my version of Windows XP Pro Edition when attempting to apply the SP1 upgrade patch.

Having communicated with fellow hackers, it seems this problem is not universal and only occurs on versions of XP Pro that are connected to a network. Isolating my XP Pro PC from the network until after applying the SP1 patch seems to solve the glitch.

Create MS-DOS Startup Disk

[XP] Everyone knows Windows XP doesn't support DOS mode: it only emulates it. Yet, that doesn't stop PC users from wanting a bootable MS-DOS Startup Disk, a last resort emergency recovery disk.

1. Insert a 3.5 floppy disk into the floppy drive.
2. Left-click on 'Start.'
3. Left-click on 'My Computer.'
4. Highlight the "3 1/2 Floppy A:\" drive and right-click on it.
5. Left-click on 'Format' in the pop-up Window.
6. Click on the checkbox next to "Create an MS-DOS startup disk" in the "Format options" section at the bottom of the Window. You want to generate a checkmark in the box.
7. Click on the 'Start' button. Follow the prompts.
8. Remove the floppy disk and label it "XP MSDOS BOOT DISK."

Please note that the disk only allows the system to boot into an MS-DOS prompt. As is, the disk contains no additional tools on it. You will have to add your own favorite DOS troubleshooting tools to the disk.

Klez Virus Ploy

[Outlook, Outlook Express] There is a buzz on the newsgroups concerning a method of preventing your PC from contacting everyone listed in your address book in the event you are infected with the Klez virus. It is claimed that all you need do is enter !000@virus.alert as an entry in your address book.

I have been attempting to test this theory for several weeks now, and as yet cannot confirm if it does indeed work. However, I have discovered that it causes no harm to your address book, email reader, or system. It may be just a new urban myth in the making. However, a few people whom I respect have sworn it works. I leave it up to the good judgment of the reader to decide if you wish to use it or not.

PCWriter Web Page

Many people have asked me to put a website up with a bit of this and that. I've finally gotten around to doing so, and you can see the results at http://users.cwnet.com/pcwriter You'll find a few useful links and all my columns and articles from 1999 to present. (Please note that I do not post my latest column until one week after it appears on the Computer Bits Online website. This is a courtesy to my publisher, so if you are in a bit of a rush to read the latest, navigate to the web site.

You will also find a few photos on the site. This is to prove that I am indeed human and do other things besides tinkering on computers. I hand-coded the pages of the site since I don't care for the bloating of FrontPage and other Web authoring tools. If you are curious, you can click on 'View' and 'Source' in Internet Explorer to view the HTML code of the current page being displayed.

Year Four

My goodness, this column is four years old this month. It is also the issue in which my wife, Laura, and I are able to wish you an extremely joyous Holiday Season. I'd like to thank you, the reader, for making this magazine Oregon's premier computer information source. Let's see if we can't tinker around even more in the coming issues.

About the Author

Please feel free to email the author with your comments about this article: Tom Bair