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Ask the Doctor: Security Slowdown?

The Maximum PC Staff — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:35:41 -0600

After reading the “Powerful Protection” Doctor question in the July issue, I started wondering what kind of performance hit I was taking from the plethora of security programs on my system. I have two Dell machines: an XPS-600 and an older Dimension 8300 (Windows XP Home, SP3 and IE7). They are connected to the net through a Linksys WRT150N router. Both units also have AOL 9.1, McAfee Security Suite, and SpySweeper. I know this is overkill, but I have no idea what to keep or what to disable.

—Loren

First, you should determine if your security programs are actually affecting your day-to-day use. To do this, install a benchmarking program like OpenSourceMark (http://tinyurl.com/566hsg) and run its full official test three times to establish an average score. Then disable or uninstall all of your security software and repeat the benchmarking process. Calculate the percentage difference (if any) between the scores to get an approximation of how much your machine may or may not be affected. If you see a huge performance loss, run this scenario with a single security program active each time to see which one taxes your system the most.

By the way, AOL 9.1 comes bundled with McAfee Internet Security Suite. It’s not clear from your question whether your install of McAfee is the one that AOL offers or an additional install. If you’re running it twice, that’s certainly overkill—uninstall one of the versions.

You should also consider the features each program brings to the table. It makes no sense to double up. McAfee’s product and Webroot’s SpySweeper both contain anti-spyware functionality and are similarly skilled at addressing that problem—simply choose the one you prefer. Eliminating application redundancies is a great way to ensure that your system remains secure and speedy.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION Are flames shooting out of the back of your rig? First, grab a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. Once the pyrotechnic display has fizzled, email the doctor at doctor@maximumpc.com for advice on how to solve your technological woes.

Hotfix Here for Vanishing Device Manager and Network Connection After XP SP3 Upgrade

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:53:57 -0500

What happens if you blow off Microsoft's advice to disable antivirus applications before upgrading Windows XP to SP3? If you're lucky - nothing. If you're not lucky, you might not be able to finish the installation, or if it finished, you might have a system with an empty Device Manager listing and/or an empty Network Connections listing.

Hey, What Happened?

According to KB953979, this happens when the Fixccs.exe process, which creates and then cleans up temporary registry keys during the upgrade, can't remove some registry keys because an antivirus program says, "U can't touch this". The entries aren't actually missing from Device Manager and Network Connections - but if you can't see them, you can't touch them, either.

Many reports fingered Norton Antivirus as the cause, but it can happen with other antivirus programs if they're running during the upgrade process.

Hey, How Do I Fix This?

Microsoft provides a downloadable hotfix at KB953979, or you can click here and get it immediately. The hotfix is only for XP SP3.

If you still have XP SP2, follow the advice in KB949377 and in our comprehensive coverage of XP SP3 installation problems and solutions - and have a good upgrade!

Image courtesy Techmixer.com

Windows News, Friday the 13th Edition

Mark Soper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:55:14 -0500

WoW! Pro Photo Tools Are Not Just for 32-bit Windows Anymore

32-bit Windows XP and Vista photo fans have been enjoying Pro Photo Tools' combination of metadata editing, mapping and GPS support since early May, but now, thanks to WoW64 (Windows on Windows 64, which enables 32-bit Windows apps to run on 64-bit Windows), 64-bit users can use it too, as reported by the MSDN Pro Photo Community Blog.

Hotmail Gets Faster, Adds More Features

If you're a Hotmail user, you're not just imagining greater speed. As reported by the Windows Live Mailcall blog, Hotmail's classic mode is now much faster and no longer reloads the entire page when the screen updates. If you have a paid version of Hotmail, you can now use its "Add an email account" feature to add many POP3 accounts, even if you don't know your POP email server settings.

CastleCops' Loss is Microsoft's Gain

I first encountered CastleCops, one of the most effective antiphishing websites, while writing my book, Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed. Wednesday, InfoWorld reported that CastleCops founder Paul Laudanski has become a Microsoftie, and will be working as part of Microsoft's Internet Safety Investigator for the Live Consumer Services team. Laudanski's new job started May 16th, but CastleCops is still on duty.

Still looking for a PC with Windows XP? The 'Last Chance' Is Coming

InfoWorld reports that HP, Acer, and Lenovo will be accepting orders for systems with Windows XP installed all the way through June 30, while Dell has announced its "last chance" date is this coming Wednesday, June 18th. Check with vendors to see what models offer Windows XP (hint: you'll probably need to order from the "Small Business" menu).

There's no need to panic, though, if you want an XP-based PC from a major vendor but don't want to order it until the second half of the year. What you'll need to do then is to use the "downgrade to XP" option when you order a system with Windows Vista. The details of the downgrade option vary by vendor, though, so make sure the model you want offers the option, and don't wait too long to make your order.

Watchdog: June 2008

The Maximum PC Staff — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:12:46 -0500

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

I built a new PC using a Galaxy Tech GeForce 8800 GT videocard that I bought from Tiger Direct. Two weeks later, I started getting artifacts and my system would freeze up while playing Crysis or Call of Duty 4. I got a replacement from Tiger, but three months later, that card also went kaput and created the same red and green diagonal lines and lockups that afflicted the original card.

As it had been so long, I went directly to Galaxy Tech for warranty support. Four emails and two voicemail messages later I have received only one response giving me a case number. They didn’t supply any information on how to return the card, and the website doesn’t tell you how to do this either.

Help! I just want to get one of the following: a warranty replacement for the videocard or, better yet, my money back. I am having a hard time trusting Galaxy Tech and the 8800 GT line of cards at this point.

—Jim Rodgers

A reader says Galaxy Tech’s videocard support is far, far away….

The Dog pinged Hong Kong–based Galaxy Tech and heard from a spokesperson named Jam who said: “We appreciate your concern and your allowing us to explain what happened. Galaxy Tech did, in fact, reply to Jim and tried to solve his problem, but we did not receive feedback from him until receiving your email (as you can see from the attachment). An RMA for the card is not a problem, but we’re not sure that is the solution. We were in the process of trying to troubleshoot [the problem] when Jim elected to contact Maximum PC.

“If there is a problem with his system, no matter how many cards we replace, the problem will not go away. We’re sure that you understand this point well. We also understand his concern, but we need his cooperation as well. We would like to solve this and deliver the best service to him!”

The Dog put both Jim and Jam in touch. Jim believed that his PC was not the culprit and asked that Galaxy Tech let him exchange the board for another. Although he was not happy that Galaxy Tech would only ship a replacement card after he sent his board back, Jim did get a new 8800 GT.

Duped by Automatic Update

When Windows XP’s automatic update said I had to download SP3, I said what the heck. If Windows says I should do it, it must be right. Now after many reboots, booting in safe mode, and finally a system restore, I have my computer back to its stock performance. Please warn your readers about the dangers of SP3.

—Noel Puthenveetil

The Dog has no trouble heaping dog paddies on Microsoft’s feet when it’s well deserved, but the Dog isn’t sure it’s Microsoft’s fault this time. You didn’t say which SP3 you were prompted to download, but the Dog assumes it was SP3 for Windows XP not SP3 for Office 2003 or SP3 for Windows 2000, which was released in 2002.

Microsoft hasn’t even released SP3 for Windows XP yet. At press time, SP3 was still in a release candidate phase. RC versions of SP3 have been available since late last year but the only way to get SP3 to show up as a download on Windows Update is to change a registry key. So unless you unwittingly fired up regedit and changed the entry, it’s unlikely that Windows Update would have pushed SP3 out to you. A more plausible answer is that some kind of malware got onto your machine and is doing dastardly things, so you may want to examine your system for suspicious invaders.

Mad at Mad Dog

I bought an external Mad Dog Multimedia hard drive enclosure last summer. It ran for 10 minutes and stopped working. I touched the power brick and it was very hot. I replaced the brick with one from an older Mad Dog enclosure I have and it worked fine.

So began my six-week journey to get Mad Dog to replace the brick. The responses ranged from “it’s being looked into” to no response at all. In September, I was finally given an RMA and shipped the brick back. A few weeks later I contacted the company and was told that the RMA was given by mistake and that the company was still trying to come to a conclusion as to whether the brick was under warranty. I have not heard from Mad Dog since. I’ve tried contacting the company for an update but have heard nothing.

So far I have an external case with no power supply, a receipt for $6.15 for the postage to send the part back, and whatever the phone calls have cost. This has been going on for seven months now. Want a good laugh? Check out the support page on the Mad Dog website. It brags about the great service.

—Edwin Kanady

The Dog also tried several times to reach Mad Dog Multimedia to hear its side of the story. Even emails sent directly to Adam Colton, the chief financial officer of the company, went unanswered. That’s no surprise, though. The Better Business Bureau gives the company a thumbs down and has logged 74 complaints about it in the last three years. Consumers posting on Ripoffreport.com vented about unfilled rebates, while a story on the Washington Post’s website told of a reader who had two bunk graphics cards from the company and was working on a third.

What exactly is going on with Mad Dog? It’s not clear. The main number the company lists for rebate information has been disconnected and the number for tech support gets you voicemail. Given the company’s inability to reply to consumers’ email, let alone the Dog’s requests for information, does anyone really want to risk buying Mad Dog hardware? The Dog certainly wouldn’t and recommends that readers steer clear of the company’s products. Woof.

All Stick, No Carrot

After my kids destroyed my iPod Shuffle’s dock (only Apple could turn a simple USB cable into a proprietary hunk of junk that costs $30 to replace), I went on the hunt for a cheaper and simpler idea. I thought I found it with Carrot Idea’s Flexible Dock, but after more than a month of waiting, and having paid $10 for the cable, I have heard nothing—and worse, I’ve received nothing. The money lost isn’t much, but it’s the principle. Please let other folks know not to order from this store. I guess I’ll just have to buy a second iPod Shuffle and use the dock for both.

—Stephen Palmer

It must be the month for companies not to respond to the Dog because Carrot Idea representatives haven’t answered the Dog’s emails requesting information on the company’s status.

Although the website shows a mailing address in San Jose, CA, the Dog could not locate a phone number for it nor could the Dog locate any papers of incorporation with the California Secretary of State. The actual physical address is likely just a mail drop, though, as a Postal Connection is located at the same address as Carrot Idea. The good news is that the Dog found few gripes about Carrot Idea at the usual agencies that track complaints.

The company actually describes itself as “a leading manufacturer of computer accessories founded in Seoul, South Korea,” so it’s quite possible distance is to blame for the lag in sending your hardware out. It’s not total flim-flam, as others have reported receiving the Flexible Dock. There is another option, however. Incipio makes a similar cable that costs even less than the Carrot Idea Flexible Dock. It’s available at www.myincipio.com/product/IP-300 for $6—far cheaper than a new Shuffle. And, of course, the Dog recommends that readers steer clear of Carrot Idea for now. Woof .

EMAIL THE WATCHDOG If you feel you’ve gotten a raw deal and need assistance setting a vendor straight, email the Dog at watchdog@maximumpc.com. Please include a detailed explanation of your problem as well as any correspondence you have sent concerning the issue.

What We Need to Learn from the XP SP3 Upgrade Fiasco

Mark Soper — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:02:23 -0500

Good (and Not-so-Good) Solutions to the HP Laptop Upgrade Mess

If you've been a victim of the AMD-based HP and Compaq BSOD-reboot loop after installing Windows XP SP3 or you've been waiting for a solution, take your choice. Real solutions include:

- Download and run HP's Microsoft Windows XP SP3 Upgrade Utility, also known as SP37394
- Download and run Jasper Johansson's VB script tool (featured in our last posting)

Microsoft's current "answer" falls into the Not-so-Good category:

- According to InfoWorld, Microsoft has temporarily halted automatic distribution via Windows Update of Windows XP SP3 to HP laptops running AMD processors. Update 5-28-08: WU will offer SP3 to HP/Compaq laptops with AMD processors after the erroneous Intel power-management reference in the Registry is removed (a hat tip to reader Cassandra).

HP and Microsoft's approaches bring us to the following questions: Does HP talk to Microsoft? Does Microsoft talk to HP?

Why It Happened

Microsoft frequently is slammed by computer users for a multitude of sins, but this time, it's clearly not Microsoft's fault.

Way back when Windows XP SP2 was being rolled out, OEM vendors had used the same corner-cutting method of using a common image for earlier generations of AMD and Intel-based systems, and the same BSOD-reboot loop happened. Microsoft's KB888372 discussed why this happened with SP2, and unfortunately required only minor editing to bring it up to date for the SP3 problem.

Preventing "The Fire Next Time"

So, history repeated itself with the rollout of Windows XP SP3. How can we keep this problem from happening again?

Part of the solution already exists: Windows Vista, unlike Windows XP, handles differences in hardware better, so you can prepare a common image that can be deployed to different systems. However, Windows XP still has a long way to go before it joins Windows 98 in the grooveyard of forgotten operating system favorites. What should vendors - and users - do now?

How to Prevent Future Upgrade Fiascos

1. Microsoft should stop assuming that vendors listen to its advice. The advice given by KB888372 - that vendors should not create XP images on Intel hardware and expect them to work on AMD hardware - was ignored by HP - and possibly by other vendors. When Microsoft re-releases Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update, it should improve its hardware-detection features and override the 'time bomb' lurking in some OEM images.

2. Vendors should start paying attention to Microsoft. KB888372 is now in version 4.1, so it's obvious that Microsoft's been telling vendors for quite a while to be more careful about how they create Windows XP images. So, if you're a hardware vendor that builds Windows XP images on both AMD and Intel-based platforms, get your imaging act together if you've been cutting corners. And, to those of you who are already building different images for Intel and AMD platforms - thank you, thank you very much.

3. Users should build their own images instead of relying on a possibly-fouled up OEM image. If you don't want to (or can't) install a fresh Windows XP installation on your AMD-based laptop of any brand, follow the advice in KB888372 to remove the Intelppm registry key if it exists on your system - then use a program like Ghost or Acronis True Image to create an image of your OS and installed applications before installing an upgrade.

So let it be written - so let it be done.

(article updated 5-28-2008)

XP SP3 Installation Woes? More Light on Redmond's Top Reasons - And Solutions

Mark Soper — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:56:11 -0500

Most Windows XP users are sailing easily through SP3 updates, but there are always some exceptions. That shouldn't surprise anyone, since Windows XP can be run on an unfathomable number of hardware and software configurations. Fortunately, the XP team in Redmond's been keeping track of what's going wrong. Here's a roundup of what they found out.

Super Six Solutions to "STATUS_PREREQUISITE_FAILED" Error

If you can't install Windows XP SP3 and the service pack installation log (typical location: C:\Windows\svcpack.log) lists an 8007F0F4 - STATUS_PREREQUISITE_FAILED error along with additional information, there are six causes - and, thankfully, six solutions.

1. If your laptop is on battery power, plug it in. You cannot install XP SP3 on a system that is not running on AC power. If you see this message on a desktop system connected to a UPS, check to make sure the UPS is properly switching back to AC power after a power outage. You might also discover that the AC wall outlet the UPS is plugged into has failed or is unreliable.

2. If your computer has the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP installed, you must uninstall it before installing SP3. The Shared Computer Toolkit was designed to preserve the configuration of a shared computer in lab, school or cybercafe-type environments. Although it's no longer available, it's been replaced by Windows SteadyState.

3. If your computer's running the KB 925877 update (which includes the Multilingual User Interface Pack for Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 [Terminal Services 6.0], you must uninstall it before you can upgrade to SP3. If you can't uninstall it, see this newsgroup thread for help.

4. Windows XP SP3 will not install over the Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (aka WinFLP) operating system, a stripped-down version of Windows XP SP2 made for older systems running Terminal Services or third-party clients. Never heard of it? Unless your company has Microsoft Software Assurance and uses various client apps on older PCs, you'll probably never see it.

5. Windows XP SP3 will not install over the Windows Embedded for Point of Service (aka WEPOS) operating system, another stripped-down version of Windows XP SP2, but optimized for retail POS systems. If you fall into categories 4 or 5, Microsoft promises that there will be a specific version of SP3 for these operating systems made available at a later date.

6. If you have Windows XP Media Center Edition (original version) or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003, you need to install Windows XP SP2 first before you can install SP3. You can get SP2 via Windows Update, or here.

Get more information about these problems by reading KB 949388.

April Showers Bring XP SP3 Flowers

Mark Soper — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:51:25 -0500

Staging, Staging - SP3 Prepares to Roll Out

Windows news source Neowin.net reports that Microsoft's using the following schedule to roll out Windows XP SP3:

- As of April 14 (Tax Day Eve), Microsoft began providing official support for Windows XP SP3.
- On April 21 (next Monday), SP3 will be released to OEMs, Volume License, Connnect, MSDN, and TechNet subscribers.
- On April 29, SP3 will be available to everyone else via Windows Update, Microsoft Update, or the Microsoft Download Center.
- Prefer to wait until Redmond forces you to get SP3? Automatic Updates via Windows Update/MS Update are scheduled to start June 10.

Previewing What's New in SP3

Some commenters on the original Neowin.net article are surprised to hear that Service Pack 3 doesn't contain much in the way of brand-new features. If you've been reading our coverage of SP3, though, you already know what to expect in the way of features and download sizes. Once Windows XP SP3 becomes available, we'll provide you with the links to downloads and installation troubleshooting you need.

Pour Yourself a Refresh of XP SP3 RC2

Mark Soper — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:18:21 -0500

Tuesday, Microsoft rolled out Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 Refresh (no wonder we love abbreviating it!) for public trial.

Why Refresh RC2?

According to the TechNet announcement,

The purpose of RC2 Refresh is to validate improvements to the Windows Update experience with Service Pack 3. Therefore, this beta release will be available only on Windows Update, in English, German and Japanese. Beyond fixes for common Windows Update issues and the inclusion of support for HD Audio, there are no substantial differences between this beta release (build 5508) and XP SP3 RC2 (build 3311).

XP SP3 RC2 Refresh includes all previously released updates for the operating system, similar to earlier service packs. It also includes previously released updates to the latest versions of some system components, as well as functionality that make it easier for enterprises to co-manage both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista PCs within same corporate environment.

[emphasis added]

RC2 Refresh - Available via Windows Update Only!

If you want RC2 Refresh, be sure to download and run the 38KB install script after removing previous builds of SP3 RC, RC2 or betas. The script will enable Windows Update to deliver SP3 RC2 Refresh to your PC.

Note that the SP3 full install versions offered are the original RC2 release, not RC2 Refresh.

RC2 Refresh Needs SP2 First

Remember, just in case you're wanting to do a fresh install of XP before installing SP3 RC2 Refresh, make sure you bring any older XP installation up to SP2 level before installing SP3 RC2 Refresh. You can grab a full installer for XP SP2 here, or use Windows Update to bring XP RTM or SP1 to SP2 status.

Feedback Wanted!

The TechNet gang in Redmond's looking for feedback, so in addition to telling us here at Maximum PC how you liked (or hated) SP3 RC2 Refresh, be sure to post feedback at TechNet.

More About SP3 RC2

For links to other resources, see our original RC2 story.