Subject: GCC - JUNE
From: Mitch
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2003 12:59:02 -0500
To: undisclosed-recipients:;


 SPECIALFEATURE:

2  HELPS FOR 2 VERSIONS OF WINDOWS

                        
----->  98 + 98SE  <-----
Not long ago, Microsoft said June 30 2003 was the last date for Win98 support.
Soooooo...   two weeks from now, Win98 would no longer be patched, updated, or
bug-fixed. 

But just recently, Microsoft quietly extended the date.
This will affect me (oh yeah,  and tens of millions of other users worldwide)!

Now, the "'nonsupport" date for Win98 has been rolled back 6 months to
Jan 16 2004, and the new "end of life" date has been pushed back to Jan
16 2005.

This is the second time Microsoft has pushed these dates back, which---
on the plus side--- suggests MS is being receptive to its customers'
needs: The company probably was getting tons of negative feedback on
ceasing support for so enormously popular an OS. On the other hand it
also suggests that MS may not be seeing the rate of XP upgrades it hoped
for; and/or may be fearing that users will defect to Linux instead of
moving to XP. Keeping Win98 alive at least keeps those users in the
Microsoft fold for now.

But eventually, there won't be any more patches or updates---
so if you're still using Win98, you still need to make plans for the future.
But it's not on the chopping block just yet.!


                     -----> 2000 + XP  <-----
Here's an interesting piece of software that many of you might want to use.
It's FREE and easy to work with:       
http://vtmig.w2k.vt.edu/
Daisy 2- An intelligent auto-hotfix utility for Windows 2000 and XP.
Daisy reviews your system for service pack and OS levels, determins what
hotfixes you lack, downloads and installs them the right way!!
-AND-It checks that the hotfixes already in the system are installed correctly.

Written by Marc DeBonis, Lead Systems Architect, Virginia Tech.
The direct link to the "Daisy" page is    http://vtntug.w2k.vt.edu/daisy.html

  
                               --------------------------------------
It would be great if one of our resident geeks that uses XP will use this thing
and let the club know how it works for them.  It may be a reall boon as we are
all forced eventually to abandon Win98. 

Hope you find some useful stuff in the 'corner' this month.
Don't forget to check the stuff in the "Collections" area for Win 98 stuff.

Later,

(sig)



               USEFUL  APPS
 
Some excellent Firebird links you might check out:
Mozilla Firebird Help:
http://texturizer.net/firebird/
Mozilla Firebird Help - Download:
http://texturizer.net/firebird/download.html
Why You Should Switch to the Mozilla Firebird Browser:
http://mozilla.org/projects/firebird/why/

  Simple 2D Grapher                     W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://simplegrapher.sourceforge.net/
{Data plotter} It's been a long time since I've plotted complex
data for advanced math classes, and looking at this program
reminded me of the long- forgotten math activity, but I couldn't
remember what to do. Use Simple 2D Grapher to plot collected data,
incorporating features of cricket graph for applying a function to
the data. Extrapolate gradients of curves to find an equation that
best fits the data and print it.

WinSwitch                   W98/2k/XP                           FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=106362
A simple Web search tool that uses text you highlight to start
a search. It takes only three steps - highlight the word, copy,
and click the tray icon… and the results are shown in your browser.
It currently supports Google, MSN, and Yahoo!.
You can configure it to use a specific language
for the results and also set your Boolean preferences.




                COLLECTIONS
       (FREE stuff from generous programers)

WOW!  It's the "LIST OF LISTS"
Lot's of really great FREEWARE
(some others too).
http://lists.gpick.com/index.html

WIN 95 98 98SE ME 200 HELPFULL STUFF
http://www.powerload.fsnet.co.uk/win9x.htm
ENG.EXE            IntelliPoint Mouse Driver Update (Version 3.2) for Windows 95/98/Me & 2000
OLDDOS.EXE      MS-DOS Supplimental Files for 9x (Includes INTERLINK, MEMMAKER, DOS HELP & Others)
MSBACK.EXE      MS-DOS Backup Files to restore MS-DOS 6x Backup Sets 
SETUP.EXE            Windows 95 Service Pack 1 (Windows 95A Upgrade) for Original Aug95 version.
WIN95Y2K.EXE      Windows 95 (All Releases) Year2000 COMMAND.COM Update  (Checks 95)
MSMOUSE.EXE       MS-DOS Mouse v11.0 for use in MS-DOS Mode.
Win98Y2KUD1      Windows 98 Year2000 Update (Also Install Secound Update)
Win98Y2KUD2      Windows 98 Second Y2K Update (Only Install After First Update)
TWEAK110.EXE      TweakUI Utility v1.1 for Windows 95 Users (Formally part of Powertoys Collection)
TWEAK125.EXE      TweakUI Utility v1.25 for Windows 98 Users (Improved Version)
TWEAK133.EXE       TweakUI Utility v1.33 for Windows 98, 98se & Me Users (IE support removed)
POWERTOY.EXE      Rest of Microsoft Powertoys for Windows 95 (Select with care for use in Win98)
CFGBK.EXE            Configuration Backup Utility as supplied on Windows 95 CD
ERUZIP.EXE            Emergency Recovery Utility as supplied on Windows 95 CD
CVT.EXE            Windows 95B FAT32 Converter Tool (One Way - FAT16 to FAT32 Only)
BOOTEDIT.EXE      Microsoft BOOTEDIT.EXE - Edit MSDOS.SYS for Startup Options
CAB-SDK.EXE      Microsoft CAB Development Kit (With Full Documentation) c/w MAKECAB & EXTRACT
IEXPRES2.EXE      Microsoft Internet Express 2.0 (Self-Extracting CAB File Wizard) c/w MAKECAB
MAKECAB.EXE      MAKECAB.EXE (MakeCAB.Exe File Only)
EXTRACT.EXE      EXTRACT.EXE (Extract.Exe for CAB Files Only)
Win95 Downloads      Microsoft Windows 95 Downloads Page & Other Links
Win98 Downloads       Microsoft Windows 98 Downloads Page (Save Downloads to setup on more than one PC)
Internet Explorer  Internet Explorer Information & Downloads Page (Latest version is IE 5.5)
Knowledge Base      How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk (FAT 16 & 32)

INDEX.TXT            Complete On-line Microsoft FTP Listing - Updated Regularly
README.TXT            Notes on Microsoft FTP Software Library and INDEX.TXT


REBRAND.EXE      ReBrand will allow you to change the User Details and Serial Number in  95/98
3XSTART.EXE      Fix to enable Windows 3.1x to run under MS-DOS 7.10 and FAT32
DUALBOOT.EXE      Patch to Fix Dualboot Problems with Windows 95 OSR2 
HIMEM.EXE            Fixes Himem Allocation in local versions of Windows 95 OSR2
OSR2_KIT.EXE      3 Patchs for Windows 95 OSR2 = Win31xStart (Also for 98), Dualboot and Himem
XXCOPY.EXE            Freeware update to XCOPY which supports Long Filenames
LFN.EXE            LFN Tools are a set of applications to manage Long Filenames in 'Real' DOS Mode.
MFDDME13.EXE      Real' DOS Mode Patch for Windows Me



                   USEFUL SITES

 
THE ELDER GEEK       http://www.theeldergeek.com/
Jim Foley's fabulous TheElderGeek.com website somehow got overlooked on
its Link of the Week award. I had intended quite some time ago to give
Jim his due, and somewhere along the way I dropped the ball. Simply
put, if you run Windows, you'll find probably 20 things at this site
that'll solve a problem, show you an easier way, guide you step by
step, give you the lowdown, or help you customize something. It's all
there. And then some. You will not be disappointed in this place.

eBayersThatSuck.com
http://www.ebayersthatsuck.com/
{Rate the eBay deadbeats}Despite eBay's best efforts to
make buying and selling a good experience, there are screwed-up
and bad experiences with online auctions. eBay only gives you 80
characters to tell your story in feedback, but this site provides
a full Web page space and pictures for sharing your tale. Some
people are afraid of leaving negative feedback on eBay for fear of
retaliation. Instead, you can post the story on this site and let
everyone know about the deadbeat. Before you bid or sell, check
out the site for possible additional feedback that's not appearing
on the official eBay site.

PluggedInns   http://www.pluggedinns.com/
resource for finding hotels that have in-room high-speed Internet access.

Post a Classified  http://www.postaclassified.com/
{Free classified ads} Post and read classifieds without spam and
aggravating pop-up ads.




             TWEAKS - FIXES - PATCHES

WinsockFix.zip           for Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP                 FREE
If you have suddenly lost your Internet connection after removing spy-ware,
 the following steps will help restore your connection.
1.) Download WinsockFix.zip. (by: Option^Explicit)
2.) UnZip WinsockFix.zip (Pay close attention to where the file is extracted to.)
3.) Run WinsockFix.exe.
4.) Click the Fix button.
This program will clean up your TCP/IP connection and rebuild the database.
After the program is complete, reboot and your problems should be resolved.

Firmware Update Site
http://www.no-source.com/
{Downloads for improved hard drive performance} A drive's firmware
is the permanently-stored program code located on the drive. The
code contains the necessary software routines to make the drive
fully functional. Firmware is the key component that is
responsible for error-free and speedy reactions; in other words,
the drive's performance. The site has instructions for determining
which firmware you have and how to update it in DOS. This site was
supposedly to become extinct according to a March 2003 posting,
but it continues to survive.

ClickZap                          W2k/XP                             FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=106334
ClickZap allows you to select an action that will be performed
when you do a double-click with your right mouse button. Actions include:
Minimize Active Windows, Lock Computer, LogOff, Close All Windows,
Mute Sound, or Shutdown the Computer.





      SHORTCUTS - UTILITIES - SECURITY
 
           2 by  Ninotech
Date Edit 
Win95,98,Me,NT4,2000, XP                 FREE
http://home.worldonline.dk/ninotech/freeutil.htm
enables you to change the date and time (the timestamp) of your files.
You can change the created, modified, and accessed date of a file by
right-clicking  it in the Windows Explorer and choosing Edit Date from
the context menu.  By selecting multiple files in the Windows Explorer
you are allowed to change the date/time of many files in just one action.
                             AND 
Path Copy       Win95,98,NT4,2000, XP                 FREE
Enables to copy the path of a file or directory to the Clipboard. You can
then paste the path in to your document, e-mail, etc. You copy the path of
a file or directory by right-clicking it in the Windows Explorer and choosing
Copy Path
from the context menu. The context menu then offers nine ways
of copying the path, in addition to the methods that you create yourself:

"Error Messages for Windows"
http://www.gregorybraun.com/MSWinErr.html .
"Error Messages for Windows is a small utility that will allow
you to look up MS Windows error code numbers and display a
descriptive message explaining what the numeric code actually
means. If you have software programs that produce numeric
error codes now you can find out what they really
mean.....Error Messages for Windows also provides a facility
to display and print all of the error codes and messages
defined for your version of MS Windows..... XP, Millennium
Edition and 98 as well as MS Windows 2000 and 95/NT systems."

Asterisk Key                       W9x/2k/XP                        FREE
http://www.lostpassword.com/asterisk.htm
You let cookies "remember" your login so you don't have to
type it each time you go to a Web site requiring a login.
Eventually, you forget the password and you find yourself needing
to know what the password is, hidden behind those *****
 hiding it.  Asterisk Key unlocks the code and translates
the ***** into the password you selected for the login.

 Mail PassView                    W98/2k/XP                      FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=106331
Mail PassView allows you to view account information, including
username and password, for POP accounts in Outlook Express,
Microsoft Outlook 2000, IncrediMail, Eudora, and Group Mail Free.
Just run the program and the window will automatically find and
display all accounts. You can choose to save all or selected
accounts to a text file or copy it to the clipboard.

STG Cache Audit                        W98/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=106418
STG Cache Audit is an advanced cache, cookie, and history viewer
that allows you to investigate Web surfing habits on a local
machine. You can set filter words and instantly view sites that
relate to certain keywords, sort the results by different
criteria, and create a detailed printable report from it. The tool
allows you to see which sites were visited, how often, what
cookies are held by the browser, and more.





          WORK - WEBDEV - PRODUCTIVITY

Mozilla or IE?
Viewers in the chat room were wondering if Leo recommends the Mozilla
Web browser over Internet Explorer.

Chances are you didn't hear Leo's answer because he dribbled while drinking
a cup of water and shorted out his microphone. His answer was yes,
He keeps IE and uses it every so often.


OurScripts.net
http://www.ourscripts.net/
{Collaborative script development} To get a feel for the site,
you're required to register (registration is free). It covers geeky
topics like PHP, C++, and general articles of interest. Downloads
are divided into categories: C, graphics, Mac, Python, Perl,
Linux, mIRC, Web site, and game mods.

Cascade DTP                            W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.price-media.demon.co.uk/cascade.html
{Desktop Web publishing} Think of Cascade DTP as a HTML program
that uses a desktop publishing style interface. Those who have
done desktop publishing might find the learning curve lower than
if they were jumping into a full-blown HTML editor. What I like is
that the program converts the layout into an HTML file with CSS
(Cascading Style Sheets), and no <TABLE> code. This concept is
getting popular, because it meets Web standards and allows people
using a diversity of readers and browsers to be able to view the
Web page.

EditHistory                             W9x/2k/XP                     FREE
http://www.edithistory.com/
{Add history to edit fields} Save time by not having to re-enter
keywords each time you open a dialog box, by converting regular
field boxes to drop-down boxes with a list of recently-used
folders or accessed documents to the Open/Save boxes, to avoid
searching everywhere for them. It also has a good memory and
recalls what you entered into other edit boxes, and puts the
information into drop-down boxes.To
add words to the dialog box, follow the steps in the Help file.
The Help file isn't thorough. Definitely a unique utility.
Installing the program doesn't touch the registry.




                  ART - MUSIC - FUN

ISO Recorder PowerToy                        WinXP                       FREE
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm
{CD-Recording user interface} Use the ISO Recorder Power Toy for
CD-Recording of Windows XPr to record ISO images and copy a CD to
another CD, a functionality not included with Windows XPr. The
utility doesn't record CDs; instead, it uses existing operating
system features. Installation is different from the norm. Download
the file, then right-click (not double-click) and select Install.
Removing the utility is done through the Add / Remove software
feature in the Control Panel.

CDBurnerXP Pro                  W98/2k/XP                 FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=106386
CDBurnerXP Pro is an easy-to-use CD burning software that can
write CD-R and CD- RW discs. The program can also write disks
directly from an ISO image file, and save the image as an ISO
image file (*.iso). You can create data and audio CDs; however, it
currently only supports WAV files for audio. It does, however,
support Burn-Proof technology, multi-session disks, import of ISO
images, and more. In addition to CD burning, you can also rip
audio CDs, normalize WAV files, encode MP3 files, erase disks, etc.

Cfont Pro                              W98/2k                           FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=105136
Cfont Pro allows you to quickly view all fonts currently loaded on
your system. You can scroll through each font with a custom
preview of your choice (background color, text color, and text
displayed). In addition, the program lets you preview and install
fonts from any directory, CD, or folder without having to install
them first. The built-in slideshow feature allows you to cycle
through all your fonts and preview them without user intervention.

Amazing Portal Generator             W98/2k/XP             FREE
http://www.rtgsoftware.com/apg/
Build your own Web portal like Yahoo or Refdesk.com
The program stores portal.htm on your hard drive. Choose buttons
from a provided list or add your own. The button list includes
airports, weather reports, news, dictionary, thesaurus, and stock
quotes, to name a few.  The program is free, but the company requests
registering the program so that the company can send news. requires no coding.

Reflect                             W9x/2k/XP                            FREE
http://www.intelore.com/reflex/
{Game of speed and accuracy} In a galaxy far, far away within your
PC, attack targets using the computer mouse without missing and
quickly. The more successful you are, the faster the targets
appear. It's a game of reflex and it's nerve-wracking, at least
for me. Kids just learning to use the mouse can use the game to
get better at that, but the game gets fast... FAST.
They are short intense games that require FOCUS.  I played it 3
times and was ranked 25th in the world on the 3rd game,
then my hand started cramping and the coach took me out.
(Boy this will help the old resume!)

DVD Catalogue                        W9x/2k/XP                    FREE
http://pages.xtn.net/~jcestep/
{Catalog DVDs} DVD Catalogue records, stores, and sorts
information regarding a DVD library.



      For PROPHEADS & UBERGEEKS
 
HouseBot                         W9x/2k/XP                          FREE

http://www.housebot.com/
Home remote-controlled automation software. It requires
knowledge about specific automation devices for
configuring the system. The user is left to his or her own devices
when it comes to configuring HouseBot to interface with the
automation equipment.  Those who try it out should be aware
when using this that every home automation system and environment
is different.

SoftPerfect Network Scanner             W98/2k/XP              FREE
http://www.mywebattack.com/gnomeapp.php?id=106380
SoftPerfect Network Scanner is a multi-threaded IP and NetBIOS
scanner with a modern interface and several advanced features. It
is intended for both system administrators and users who are
interested in computer security. The program pings computers,
scans for listening TCP ports, and shows what types of resources
are shared on a network (including system and hidden). In
addition, it allows you to mount shared resources such as network
drives, browse them using Windows Explorer, filter the results
list, and more. SoftPerfect Network Scanner can also check for a
user-defined port and report if it is found open, resolve host
names, and auto-detect your local IP range

Resource Hacker        Win95,98,ME,NT,2000,XP            FREE
http://www.users.on.net/johnson/resourcehacker/
 Resource Hacker is a freeware utility to view, modify, rename, add, delete
and extract resources in 32bit Windows executables and resource files (*.res).
It incorporates an internal resource script compiler and decompiler and works
on Win95, Win98, WinME, WinNT, Win2000 and WinXP operating systems.
Saving Resources: Resources can be saved as image files (*.ico, *.bmp etc), as
script files (*.rc), as binary resource files (*.res), or as untyped binary files (*.bin).
Modifying Resources: Resources can be modified by replacing the resource with a
resource located in another file (*.ico, *.bmp, *.res etc) or by using the internal
resource script compiler (for menus, dialogs etc). Dialog controls can also be visually
moved and/or resized by clicking and dragging the respective dialog controls prior to
recompiling with the internal compiler.

The OS Files       http://www.theosfiles.com/
This top- secret place calls itself "the one-stop secret portal
 for every x86 operating system."

 myRSS     http://www.myrss.com/
{Create RSS feeds} If you can't find a feed for your favorite
site, create your own RSS feed for any news-oriented Web site
without knowing how to program or understand XML and RDF lingo to
get RSS to work. All you have to do is enter the address of the
page of the feed you desire, and myRSS takes care of it. Before
you leap into creating a channel, check out the channel catalog,
as another user may have created a feed for the site you want.

Inzider                               W9x/2k/XP                                 FREE
http://www.ntsecurity.nu/toolbox/inzider/
Inzider lists processes in the Win system and listening ports. Useful for
finding culprit application that is holding a listening port hostage.
Inzider may help in identifying less advanced Trojans that are
floating around. Note: there are stability problems and the
program isn't perfect. On Windows NT/2000/XP, Inzider can't check
processes started as services. Download and install the program as
usual. After installing, run the program from the Start menu. It
will take a few moments, and then a list of processes and related
ports appears. It's possible some processes aren't listed. In this
case, exit and restart the program until all processes appear in
the list - typically two to three tries.