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Brian's Buzz on Windows has changed its name to the Windows
Secrets Newsletter. Get the latest high-tech tricks with a free
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JUNE 19, 2003 - Issue 8
Get ready, here comes more content
With this issue, I've added two new sections, both of which are
called This Week's Top Tips. One section is in the free version of the
newsletter and a longer section is in the paid version. These sections will
include the best new finds that my readers and I have been able to uncover.
I was initially wary of making Brian's Buzz too long.
But I've gotten feedback from readers that they want more
content and are happy to scan for the bits of greatest interest.
It's funny.
When InfoWorld was (until recently) sending out my Window Manager column
as an e-mail newsletter, I wrote only 500 words of it. Everything else
was ads and promotional material. Now that I'm publishing my own
newsletter, people want more and more content. The editorial matter
in both versions of this week's issue - the stuff that appears
on the left side of the newsletter - totals over 3,800 words.
I guess if I print too many tips, you'll let me know.
--Brian Livingston
TOP STORY - making Windows work
Solve your XP network headaches
By Brian Livingston
My readers have discovered some severe problems with Windows XP
exhibiting maddeningly slow printing and file copying on a mixed network
with Win 2000 and Win 9x machines. Fortunately, we've also diagnosed
some causes and found some cures.
First, let's emphasize that these slowdowns are not related
to the problem caused by installing patch MS03-013
on Win XP with Service Pack 1, as reported in the May 8 issue of Brian's
Buzz (see "XP,
IE, and OE patches cause their own problems").
Microsoft on May 28 released a
corrected patch that cleared this up, as I reported in the paid
version of my June 5 issue (see the section entitled "Microsoft
officially corrects the XP patch slowdown problem").
By contrast, the type of XP network slowdowns that we're discussing here
are described by reader John Meyer:
-
"File copies between Win 98/Me and Win XP machines are slow when
the copy operations are initiated on XP, but fast when initiated
on a 98 machine.
"This problem is well documented
in the microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web newsgroup.
No one has yet found a cure.
"All you need is a Win XP machine (SP1 doesn't alter the problem) and a
machine using Win 95/98/98SE/Me. If you copy files using Windows Explorer
on the Win 98 machine and you copy from the 98 computer to the XP computer,
you get normal, fast performance. If, however, you use Windows Explorer
on the XP machine and copy the same files - and copy them in the same
direction (i.e., from the 98 to the XP machine) - the performance is
1/3 to 1/4 what you get in the other direction.
"Dozens of people have reported this problem. (By the way, this is
a different problem from the slow browsing problem, where it takes XP a
long time to 'discover' computers on the network. That problem can be
fixed with a Registry change.)
"Things that don't fix this problem: Changing protocols (NetBEUI
or IPX instead of TCP/IP); turning off NetBIOS over TCP/IP; setting the
NIC on either or both machines to half duplex; defeating XP's firewall;
and deleting stored passwords on the XP machine.
"The one thing that has been reported to work, but isn't an option for
many of us: upgrading both machines to XP. If the Win 95/98/Me computer
is upgraded to XP, the problem goes away."
Well, far be it from me to recommend that everyone pay Microsoft to
"downgrade" to XP. Instead, reader Alan Chattaway describes how he fixed
the problem with a useful, free tool he recommends:
-
"The network used to work well when first set up, but after
one of the XP upgrades, printing from Win XP to the printer attached
to Win 95 took five minutes to start. File transfers out of XP
were equally slow and if the file was large they often died, leaving
a message saying the destination PC was no longer there.
"I had researched every site Google could find that offered tips on
this topic. Many tips concerned 'opportunistic record locking,'
Registry changes, etc. Nothing helped.
"My son - who until recently was a sys admin in another city -
visited last week and downloaded and ran
Ethereal, a free packet
sniffer he recommends. He discovered Win XP was re-sending packets
repeatedly, as if collisions had been detected - resulting in
packet floods, packets arriving out of order, and general chaos.
"But Ethereal reported no actual collisions! As a test, XP and Win2K
machines were removed from the network and connected to each other
with a crossover [cable]. Everything was then perfect. File transfers that
used to take 28 minutes (if they ever finished) now took 55 seconds.
"The evidence (especially the last test) pointed to a problem in the
network hub - but a problem that didn't exist prior to Win XP
receiving the fatal update. We rushed out and bought a switch to
replace the hub. Bingo! Problem solved in all directions for all nodes.
"As all nodes could surf the Net and ping each other at acceptable
speeds during the time the problem existed, I believe the hub had not
developed any defect. Its design simply didn't anticipate something
Microsoft did to XP in one of the free upgrades.
"The other big lesson is this: I had assumed there were no traffic-related
problems on the network because the Task Manager graph never showed the
network more than 1.5% busy while problem files were transferring. But after
the hub was changed to a switch, peak traffic fell to undetectable levels.
I just didn't realize 1.5% was high enough to be a problem!"
That's a nightmare, but one with a happy ending, although it took a real
effort. If you're interested, a good review of a slightly earlier version
of Ethereal with technical tips on its use is online at
Sys Admin magazine.
To send me more information about this, or to send me a tip on any other
subject, visit
WindowsSecrets.com/contact.
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Price Watch
Powered by Amazon.com. Prices fluctuate daily.
Top 10 Bestselling Computer & Internet Books This Week
1.
The Bug: A Novel,
May 2003, List: $23.95, Price: $16.77
2.
The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers,
Mar 2003, List: $39.99, Price: $27.99
3.
Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Second Edition,
Oct 2002, List: $29.95, Price: $20.97
4.
Starting an eBay Business for Dummies,
Dec 2001, List: $24.99, Price: $17.49
5.
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire: Prima's Official Strategy Guide,
Mar 2003, List: $14.99, Price: $10.49
6.
Google Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools,
Feb 2003, List: $24.95, Price: $17.47
7.
Red Hat Linux 9 Bible,
May 2003, List: $49.99, Price: $34.99
8.
Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Classroom in a Book,
Jun 2002, List: $45.00, Price: $31.50
9.
Macromedia Flash MX Hands-On-Training,
Sep 2002, List: $44.99, Price: $31.49
10.
Microsoft Excel 2002 Formulas (with CD-ROM),
Aug 2001, List: $39.99, Price: $27.99
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Circulation: 39,000. Cost per 1000: $5 per 50 words.
Text-only ads get results.
Contact us now
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THIS WEEK'S TOP TIPS - Windows world news
Readers find more problems with Windows Update
The June 5 issue of Brian's Buzz reported that Microsoft's popular
Windows Update feature has a problem with its SSL certificate. If
a PC's system date is outside the date range in which the certificate
is valid - as commonly occurs when a new PC is being put together
for the first time - Windows Update blithely states that no upgrades
apply to the machine ("Windows
Update finds no updates, but it's only a matter of time").
Aside from the time problem, readers have found a wide variety of other
causes of this strange behavior. Here are some of their diagnoses and
a few simple corrections (Microsoft, take note):
-
"I had the exact same problem with Windows Update not showing any
updates for one of my three computers at home. But I sync them all to
the same NTP server. I checked the times and dates, and they were
correct on all three computers - but only one had this issue.
"The solution was that I had to clear out the Cache SSL Certifications
in IE, then close the browser and re-open it. Once I did that, Windows
Update started to work again. There is no mention that it could be a
SSL cache issue anywhere I could
find on the Microsoft support Web sites.
"To clear the cache, go to the Tools menu. Then click on Internet Options,
go to the Content tab, and click the button called Clear SSL State.
Then close the browser and re-open it.
"By the way, Windows Update keep a detailed text log file about everything,
and when this problem occurs it does show an error message that you can
search on." --Jeffrey Litterick
- "The problem with 'no updates found' and the '800A138F' error also
manifests itself if port 443 (https) is blocked by a firewall.
Reading your article got me to dig around and find the answer to
the problem in the Windows Update log file." --D. Dugan
-
"I've been dealing with the 'Windows Update finds no updates' problem
for months. My system clock has been correctly set the whole time.
I used to delete the Windows Update version 4 software that was
loaded onto my computer, but that wasn't a consistent solution.
I finally found out that when Windows Update tells me that there are
no updates, all I have to do is hit Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1's 'refresh'
button [F5]. Then Windows Update reloads and behaves correctly."
--Scott Beatty
- "In some situations, with certain firewalls (not home firewalls,
mainly corporate systems), you'll try Windows Update and get 'nothing.'
However, if you change the http:// to https:// [in the Web address line]
and 'scan' again, out pour the updates you need and all is well. The
rest of the update process is fine. This workaround has to be done
for every update.
"Also, there is a switch in the Registry to disallow Windows Update.
If set, you also get the 'nothing' message." --Joe Gill
And, just to show that the system clock is still making people tear their
hair out, here's another example of the "new PC" scenario:
- "On June 12, I got the 'Windows finds no updates' message
for a Windows 98SE PC. This was a PC that I had just built. I knew it needed
many updates. I found the answer in your newsletter. My system date
was set to 6/12/2011. Reset the date and all is OK. This fix has paid
for my subscription." --Jay Pugh
I'm sending a certificate for a free book, CD, or DVD of the reader's
choice to everyone who sent me a comment I printed. Thanks for your
support.
RECOMMENDED READING - my book reviews of tech topics
Designing with Web Standards
If your company has a Web site, you owe it to yourself to check out
the new book Designing with Web Standards. The author, Jeffrey Zeldman,
was a co-founder in 1998 of the Web Standards Project, a movement that
played a significant role in pushing the developers of Internet Explorer,
Netscape, Opera, and other browsers into supporting styles and other
helpful features. Now that modern browsers share this common baseline of
functionality, Zeldman shows you how to put it to work. His chapter on
making fonts appear the same size on different computing platforms is worth the
price of the book alone.
More info
How to Do Everything with Paint Shop Pro 8
Now that the new Paint Shop Pro (PSP) is out, author Dave Huss is on the
mark with his book that explores this powerful tool. The latest upgrade to PSP
allows you to set "black and white points" that magically correct the
contrast of a photo, select pictures with severe lens distortion and
straighten them up, and more. Huss covers all this while staying eminently
practical, as in his section on preparing images for eBay. Good stuff.
More info
CONTEST OF THE WEEK - if you've got the data, you can win
$100 reward for Lotus Notes information
Formatting a newsletter that Lotus Notes e-mail users can read has always been
a challenge. That's because the 5.0 and 6.0 versions of Notes don't always
display even the simplest HTML e-mail correctly. Nor do these programs fall
back to displaying the short, explanatory plain-text message that accompanies
my newsletter for non-HTML-capable e-mail programs.
A slight change I made in the format of my
June 5 issue, however,
prompted three different Notes users to write to me, saying the new
design now displays perfectly. Previous issues, such as the one published on
May 22, wouldn't word-wrap
in Notes, making it unreadable, they said.
To be perfectly honest, even some big-bucks consultants I've asked are stumped
about what kind of HTML will and won't work in Notes. So
I'm running a contest. I'll send valuable gift certificates
to up to three people who send me by June 30 the best documentation of
how to format HTML newsletters for different versions of Notes:
- $100 reward for the best submission;
- $50 reward for the second-best submission (if I receive more
than one winning entry); and
- $25 reward for one honorable mention (ditto).
Please visit
WindowsSecrets.com/contact
for instructions on sending your information to me by e-mail. (Attachments are
welcomed for the purpose of this contest.) Thanks in advance.
WINDOWS GIZMOS - my product reviews of new stuff
Inexpensive workhorses that print directly onto CDs
The Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg printed on June 11 a
review
of printers that render color directly onto the surface of special, recordable
CDs, giving them a professional look. He found a lot to like in
the Epson Stylus Photo 900 and 960 (left), which the company calls the first
true PC-to-CD printers for consumers. The 960, with six ink colors, is the more
expensive of the two at about $331 (street), but Mossberg liked it for its
convenient front-loading system and its high resolution (2880 x 1440).
Surprisingly, however, he found that only the lower-end 900 (about $200 street)
printed properly from a Mac as well as from Windows.
Both printers also print in high-res on ordinary paper and photo stock.
More info:
Model 900,
Model 960
Gee, that's a fast wireless card
The turbocharged Wi-Fi standard known as 802.11g was finally approved last
week by an official committee of the IEEE. I predict that the new spec will
quickly take over the wireless world. Equipment designed for "g" operates at
speeds of up to 54 Mbps (about 20 Mbps in actual use) but also supports older
"b" devices that pump only one-fifth as much throughput. In the
latest tests evaluating cards that handle every Wi-Fi mode -
"g," "b," and the alternative "a" standard -
CNET gave its highest rating to the Linksys WPC55AG Dual-Band
Wireless A+G Notebook Adapter (pictured at left). In addition,
PC Magazine's June 30 issue also gives an Editor's Choice award to
this card's big daddy, the Linksys WRT55AG wireless router (shipping soon).
It looks like this family of products is a winner. I've already bought the A+G
card for my office (it's about 90 bucks), and I'm never going back to "b."
More info
FORWARDING INSTRUCTIONS - news gains value when it's shared
Please share this information with your colleagues
You're encouraged to refer your friends and colleagues to this free
newsletter. Because most e-mail programs don't correctly display a formatted
message that's been forwarded, simply call people's attention to
the permanent Web address of this issue:
BriansBuzz.com/w/030619.
HERE'S A TIP - you'll get a better newsletter if you choose the paid version
You're reading the free version of Brian's Buzz on Windows
Subscribers to the paid version receive additional information in each issue.
Some of the extras this week are:
- Microsoft bulletins.
Windows Server 2003 bonks printer drivers.
A trick to get into Win 98 safe mode on a dual-boot machine. Tweak
the Registry to run older versions of Terminal Server on XP and Server 2003.
Problems upgrading Certificate Services on NT Server to Windows Server 2003.
- Free software.
Easily upload to and download from Hotmail.com e-mail accounts
using Outlook, Eudora, Netscape, etc.
- Top tips.
How to get critical bulletins without registering for the insecure Passport.
An XP fix makes recordable CDs suddenly readable.
If you make a monetary contribution before July 9, 2003,
you'll be sent the full, paid version of this week's newsletter.
To upgrade to the paid version, please visit
WindowsSecrets.com/upgrade.
Thanks in advance.
WACKY WEB WEEK - playing for you the Internet's greatest bits
Register now for the 3rd Annual Nigerian E-Mail Conference
You're sure to learn business tips aplenty at this fall's Nigerian E-Mail
Conference, scheduled for the Abuja Sheraton Hotel (photo, left)
in Nigeria's new capital city. The conference's Web site describes
many valuable workshops, including "Those Pesky E-Mail Headers" and
"Grammatical Errors: What's the Optimal Number?"
It's all a put-on, of course, engineered by the J-Walk humor blog of
prolific author John Walkenback. Guaranteed to offend all Nigerians.
My thanks to reader Maurice Fuller for helping me find this.
E-Mail Conference site
CLOSING REMARKS - the best is yet to come
Your next Brian's Buzz will be July 10
We're skipping the long Fourth of July weekend and publishing Brian's Buzz on
the second and fourth Thursdays of the month (July 10 and 24).
See you then!
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