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TECHLINE
by Jim Youngquist
Something for nothing?
Third
section
[SEPT. 16, 2000] The
internet has enhanced and blessed the lives of many. The ability to
communicate and obtain information in an instant without great expense
has brought even long-term computer holdouts and computer deniers to
purchase systems to gain access to the great riches offered on the net.
And internet users have found one other blessing of the internet age:
access to the treasure of their imaginations — free programs and
software.
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(First
section: There's a hidden cost to playing the internet
free-program game. Your Windows PC is wide open and vulnerable in
two major areas. The first vulnerability your PC has is in the
system REGISTRY.)
(Second
section: There
is a second dangerous result of this free-file age. Computer
programs have become fat in comparison with their predecessors —
the result of poor planning, competition to push products out the
door before they are done, and the adoption of a lazy programming
model.)
As
a side note, a third problem occurs often as a result of
downloading and installing programs. Not all programs can get
along with each other. Quite often certain programs will conflict
with other programs, and the result will be Error and Warning
messages as well as lockups and system slowdowns. This program
incompatibility can slow down your internet connection, make your
computer run sluggish or make Windows stop running completely.
These
three problems come about because of the general structure and
program environment Windows has to offer. Currently there is no
answer to the third problem of program incompatibility. The first
and second problems can be resolved in part by following these
guidelines:
1.
Download and install fewer programs. Be choosy about the
applications you subject Windows to. Fewer intrusions into
Window's REGISTRY and DLL areas means less chances for REGISTRY or
DLL corruption.
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2.
Make complete backups of the REGISTRY and your files to tape or
another backup device often so you can recover in case of failure.
3.
Consult a computer professional or your local computer vendor for
advice on whether a particular program has known bad effects.
4.
Do not attempt procedures on your PC which you have inadequate
knowledge about.
5.
Be prepared mentally and emotionally to have your PC repaired or
to replace Windows yourself if REGISTRY or DLL corruption or
program incompatibilities render your PC useless.
There
is some good news on the forefront. Some leading PC advocates,
such as .NET are leading the way out of this mess by
convincing program developers to abandon the current scheme of
using the Windows REGISTRY to store their program settings and
instead use a program-independent system of recording and
retaining important settings. They are also recommending the
abandonment of using shared DLL's for a system of proprietary
libraries, thereby eliminating that conflict as well. It is
believed that future versions of Windows will abandon the REGISTRY
and the use of shared DLLs completely.
There
is no answer for sloppy programming though, and the word FREE
should serve as a big red flag for computer users, because that
kind of FREE can be really costly in the long run.
[Jim
Youngquist]
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TECHLINE
by Jim Youngquist
Something for nothing?
Second
section
[SEPT.
15, 2000] The
internet has enhanced and blessed the lives of many. The ability to
communicate and obtain information in an instant without great expense
has brought even long-term computer holdouts and computer deniers to
purchase systems to gain access to the great riches offered on the net.
And internet users have found one other blessing of the internet age:
access to the treasure of their imaginations — free programs and
software.
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(First
section: There's a hidden cost to playing the internet
free-program game. Your Windows PC is wide open and vulnerable in
two major areas. The first vulnerability your PC has is in the
system REGISTRY.)
There
is a second dangerous result of this free-file age. Computer
programs have become fat in comparison with their predecessors —
the result of poor planning, competition to push products out the
door before they are done, and the adoption of a lazy programming
model. The problem starts with the tools available today to
construct programs, not with most of the programming itself (it's
the people who program the tools rather than the people who
program the programs). This is one of the reasons you need faster
and faster computers — because the programs, although more
sophisticated, are obese and awkward.
In
an attempt to make programs unmanageable, Microsoft has engineered
a different model of sharing certain program elements. We agree
that sharing can be good under certain circumstances. The way that
Windows shares these elements is by putting certain common
functions into libraries on the computer, and programs regularly
borrow from these libraries to perform their functions. These
libraries are known as DLL (distributed link library) files. Most
of the DLL files are stored in a common area under the Windows
directory and are available to all the programs installed on your
system. Each DLL file has a unique name and contributes unique
functions.
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These
unique DLL files become outdated as enhanced functionality is
required, and a new version of the DLL file is installed along
with new software. The problem comes when the new DLL fails to
provide adequate support for older and existing programs. If a new
DLL replaces an older working DLL, the result can often be
catastrophic.
There
is usually a question associated with every Uninstall session:
"Do you want to remove the shared program components?"
This is asking you if you want to remove the DLL's which other
programs may rely on. Removing shared DLL's can result in pulling
the support rug out from under your faithful, trusted and working
programs. If you don't know what you are doing, answer "NO, I
don't want to remove them" to that question.
(Note:
This article will conclude on Saturday.)
[Jim
Youngquist]
(To
third section)
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Preserving your PC – Part 3
In Part 1 of this
series, I wrote about the dangers to computer equipment from
lightning and surges. In Part 2, we discussed the problems
encountered from computer viruses. In Part 3 ,
we will explore
another consequence of the internet age.
Something for nothing?
First
section
[SEPT.
14, 2000] The
internet has enhanced and blessed the lives of many. The ability to
communicate and obtain information in an instant without great expense
has brought even long-term computer holdouts and computer deniers to
purchase systems to gain access to the great riches offered on the net.
And internet users have found one other blessing of the internet age:
access to the treasure of their imaginations — free programs and
software.
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There
are free programs on the internet to enhance your internet
experience. Browsers and browser plug-ins, email programs and
email managers, alternative communications packages to chat and
hold voice conversations are available to download over your
internet connection at no cost or offered at a fraction of what
would have been their pre-internet age pricing. The list of
internet enhancements goes on and on, the inventions of this new
age.
In
addition to internet-associated programs, there are programs of
every kind on the net for every other purpose. Word processors and
spreadsheets, screensavers, file managers, first-aid programs,
virus checkers and, of course, games, just to name a few. Some of
these programs are worth the time to download, some are mere
distractions, and some are a total waste of time. You never know
whether a downloaded FREE program is going to be great or a dud
until you have downloaded and finished the installation. But the
point is, there's a lot of software out there, and it can be yours
right now for the low, low price of $0. Hmmmm, the price and the
terms seem to be just right!
There
is, however, a hidden cost to playing the internet free-program
game. Your Windows PC is wide open and vulnerable in two major
areas, and — unlike attack from viruses, which can also be
spread via file downloads from the internet — this hidden cost
is not an intentional attempt to cause damage or wreak havoc.
The
first vulnerability your PC has is in the system REGISTRY, a place
where Windows 9X, NT, 2000 and ME keeps most of its settings and
information. Much of your program information is kept in the
registry, as well as color and font settings, the size and last
known position of every window you had open, the location of help
and dialog boxes, as well as all your file association
information. In a previous article I warned you that the REGISTRY
was very important, and regular REGISTRY backup was an essential
element in maintaining or redeeming your PC's health.
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The
REGISTRY is vulnerable, in part, because of the way Microsoft
engineered it. You see, the REGISTRY was actually present as an
infant in Windows 3.1, and with the advent of Windows 95 it
because the adult guardian of your Windows experience. Many PC
experts argue that the REGISTRY is a very poor guardian because of
its inherent flaws and vulnerabilities. They speak out because
REGISTRY corruption is a common experience among Windows users.
A
REGISTRY is corrupted when there are inadequate or conflicting
entries directing Windows behavior. For example, one REGISTRY
setting can turn on a function while another registry setting
prevents that same function. The result is that a program which
previously functioned perfectly now is hobbled and is rendered
less than useful. Uninstalling the hindered program usually
removes all the REGISTRY settings for that program but does not
correct the problem because the instruction to prevent the needed
function is not part of that program's REGISTRY settings.
Installing
and uninstalling programs can corrupt your REGISTRY by leaving
behind or accidentally deleting needed REGISTRY entries, or by
inserting REGISTRY entries that conflict with the entries for
other programs. With the volume and diversity of programs
available to the public for free on the internet, new-program
installation is a daily thing for many computer users. And
REGISTRY corruption is one of the more common problems we see in
our repair facility.
Many of the programs
offered for low or no cost on the internet are wonderful pieces of
software engineering. They truly have been worthwhile in my
computing experience, and I continue to search for the next free
gem which will take me on another adventure and solve another
yet-unknown problem that I have. But there are other programs out
there which are not quite perfect or finished or without problems,
and these are the stuff good registries die for. But you never
know whether a downloaded free program will behave or be
destructive until it is already installed. And then it is too
late.
(Note:
This article will continue with postings on Friday and Saturday.
[Jim
Youngquist]
(To
second section)
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