Microsoft AntiSpyware

Microsoft purchased Giant Company Software's antispyware program in December of 2004 and now offers that software for free under its own name. I've found the software works very well at detecting and removing adware and spyware. It should be easy to install and use, even for users who aren't particularly technically proficient. The only negative factor I've found with the product is a lack of a capability to generate report files.

The sofware can be downloaded from Microsoft® Windows AntiSpyware (Beta).

Instructions for Installing Microsoft AntiSpyware

References:

1. Microsoft Windows Anti-Spyware Preview

[/security/spyware/MS-Antispyware] permanent link

QuarkXPress 4.0 Installation on XP

I encountered a few problems while trying to install QuarkXPress 4.0 on a new Windows XP Professional system. I was unable to get the software to run from an account with only standard user privileges on the system and had to put the user's account in the Power Users group on the system.

[ More Info ]

[/os/windows/software/quarkxpress] permanent link

Using Ad-aware SE

Lavasoft provides an excellent antispyware product, Ad-Aware. There are several versions available. One of the versions, Ad-Aware Personal edition is free for non-commercial use.

Ad-aware SE Personal Edition is available from the following site:

1. Download.com

If you need help on how to use Ad-aware SE, you can use these instructions.

[/security/spyware/ad-aware] permanent link

WAV Files Using IMA ADPCM Codec Not Playing

A user was unable to play some wav files on her Windows XP Professional system. When I checked the codec used in the file, I found it was the IMA ADPCM codec. Though her system was showing that codec as being installed, Windows Media Player and WinAmp would not play it. I had to reinstall the codec.

[More info ]

[/os/windows/xp/sound] permanent link

Fonts supplied with Windows XP

I've listed below the fonts that Microsoft states it supplies with Windows XP. All of these may not necessarily be installed with a typical Windows XP installation. See Fonts Installed by Windows XP for a list of fonts typicall installed with Windows XP.

For Windows 95, 98 and ME, you can install a maximum of approximately 1,000 fonts. With versions of Windows from NT onwards, i.e. NT, 2000, and XP, there is no limit on the number of files that can be installed. However, the time required to boot your system increases as you add fonts, because the system has to read in information for all of the installed fonts as it is booting.

Font Name	Font File
Aharoni Bold	ahronbd.ttf
Andalus	andlso.ttf
Angsana New	angsa.ttf
Angsana New Bold	angsab.ttf
Angsana New Bold Italic	angsaz.ttf
Angsana New Italic	angsai.ttf
AngsanaUPC	angsau.ttf
AngsanaUPC Bold	angsaub.ttf
AngsanaUPC Bold Italic	angsauz.ttf
AngsanaUPC Italic	angsaui.ttf
Arabic Transparent	artro.ttf
Arabic Transparent Bold	artrbdo.ttf
Arial	arial.ttf
Arial Black	ariblk.ttf
Arial Bold	arialbd.ttf
Arial Bold Italic	arialbi.ttf
Arial Italic	ariali.ttf
Browallia New	browa.ttf
Browallia New Bold	browab.ttf
Browallia New Bold Italic	browaz.ttf
Browallia New Italic	browai.ttf
BrowalliaUPC	browau.ttf
BrowalliaUPC Bold	browaub.ttf
BrowalliaUPC Bold Italic	browauz.ttf
BrowalliaUPC Italic	browaui.ttf
Comic Sans MS	comic.ttf
Comic Sans MS Bold	comicbd.ttf
Cordia New	cordia.ttf
Cordia New Bold	cordiab.ttf
Cordia New Bold Italic	cordiaz.ttf
Cordia New Italic	cordiai.ttf
CordiaUPC	cordiau.ttf
CordiaUPC Bold	cordiaub.ttf
CordiaUPC Bold Italic	cordiauz.ttf
CordiaUPC Italic	cordiaui.ttf
Courier New	cour.ttf
Courier New Bold	courbd.ttf
Courier New Bold Italic	courbi.ttf
Courier New Italic	couri.ttf
David	david.ttf
David Bold	davidbd.ttf
David Transparent	davidtr.ttf
DilleniaUPC	upcdl.ttf
DilleniaUPC Bold	upcdb.ttf
DilleniaUPC Bold Italic	upcdbi.ttf
DilleniaUPC Italic	upcdi.ttf
Estrangelo Edessa	estre.ttf
EucrosiaUPC	upcel.ttf
EucrosiaUPC Bold	upceb.ttf
EucrosiaUPC Bold Italic	upcebi.ttf
EucrosiaUPC Italic	upcei.ttf
Fixed Miriam Transparent	mriamfx.ttf
Franklin Gothic Medium	framd.ttf
Franklin Gothic Medium Italic	framdit.ttf
FrankRuehl	frank.ttf
FreesiaUPC	upcfl.ttf
FreesiaUPC Bold	upcfb.ttf
FreesiaUPC Bold Italic	upcfbi.ttf
FreesiaUPC Italic	upcfi.ttf
Gautami	gautami.ttf
Georgia	georgia.ttf
Georgia Bold	georgiab.ttf
Georgia Bold Italic	georgiaz.ttf
Georgia Italic	georgiai.ttf
Impact	impact.ttf
IrisUPC	upcil.ttf
IrisUPC Bold	upcib.ttf
IrisUPC Bold Italic	upcibi.ttf
IrisUPC Italic	upcii.ttf
JasmineUPC	upcjl.ttf
JasmineUPC Bold	upcjb.ttf
JasmineUPC Bold Italic	upcjbi.ttf
JasmineUPC Italic	upcji.ttf
KodchiangUPC	upckl.ttf
KodchiangUPC Bold	upckb.ttf
KodchiangUPC Bold Italic	upckbi.ttf
KodchiangUPC Italic	upcki.ttf
Latha	latha.ttf
Levenim MT	lvnm.ttf
Levenim MT Bold	lvnmbd.ttf
LilyUPC	upcll.ttf
LilyUPC Bold	upclb.ttf
LilyUPC Bold Italic	upclbi.ttf
LilyUPC Italic	upcli.ttf
Lucida Console	lucon.ttf
Lucida Sans Unicode	l_10646.ttf
Mangal	mangal.ttf
Marlett	marlett.ttf
Microsoft Sans Serif	micross.ttf
Miriam	mriam.ttf
Miriam Fixed	mriamc.ttf
Miriam Transparent	mriamtr.ttf
MV Boli	mvboli.ttf
Narkisim	nrkis.ttf
Palatino Linotype	pala.ttf
Palatino Linotype Bold	palab.ttf
Palatino Linotype Bold Italic	palabi.ttf
Palatino Linotype Italic	palai.ttf
Raavi	raavi.ttf
Rod	rod.ttf
Rod Transparent	rodtr.ttf
Shruti	shruti.ttf
Simplified Arabic	simpo.ttf
Simplified Arabic Bold	simpbdo.ttf
Simplified Arabic Fixed	simpfxo.ttf
Sylfaen	sylfaen.ttf
Symbol	symbol.ttf
Tahoma	tahoma.ttf
Tahoma Bold	tahomabd.ttf
Times New Roman	times.ttf
Times New Roman Bold	timesbd.ttf
Times New Roman Bold Italic	timesbi.ttf
Times New Roman Italic	timesi.ttf
Traditional Arabic	trado.ttf
Traditional Arabic Bold	tradbdo.ttf
Trebuchet MS	trebuc.ttf
Trebuchet MS Bold	trebucbd.ttf
Trebuchet MS Bold Italic	trebucbi.ttf
Trebuchet MS Italic	trebucit.ttf
Tunga	tunga.ttf
Verdana	verdana.ttf
Verdana Bold	verdanab.ttf
Verdana Bold Italic	verdanaz.ttf
Verdana Italic	verdanai.ttf
Webdings	webdings.ttf
Wingdings	wingding.ttf
SimHei	simhei.ttf
FangSong_GB2312	simfang.ttf
DFKai-SB	kaiu.ttf
KaiTi_GB2312	simkai.ttf
Batang	batang.ttc
Gulim	gulim.ttc
Mingliu	mingliu.ttc
MS Gothic	msgothic.ttc
MS Mincho	msmincho.ttc
Simsun	simsun.ttc

References:

1. Fonts supplied with Windows XP
   Microsoft Corporation
   November 20, 2001
2. Fonts Installed by Windows XP
   Styopkin Software
3. Windows Font Limit
   Styopkin Software

[/os/windows/xp] permanent link

Disaster Alert System Proposal from IBM and Cisco Engineers

Engineers at Cisco Systems Inc. and IBM Corporation submitted a draft proposal to the Internet Engineering Task Force on September 11 for a system that would alert people to impending catastrophic events such as the December 26, 2004 tsunami that ravaged southern Asia.

Fred Baker, a fellow at Cisco systems, and Brian Carpenter, a senior engineer at IBM, proposed an Internet-based system, which would not require any new communication protocols. As an example of how the system might work, a NOAA ocean buoy might detect a series of large incoming waves. NOAA could send out a machine-readable alert to communications companies and emergency managers using an existing security protocol, such as Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Exchange (S/MIME), which would mitigate the chance that an alert had been spoofed. Cellular phone carriers might then alert their users by sending an alert message to the phones of all of their users in the affected area. So someone at a beach threatened by incoming waves might be alerted by his phone beeping. That person then might alert others nearby who didn't have cell phones with them.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is also considering ways to enhance communications in the event of such catastrophes as the recent tsunami. The DOD's Chief Information Officer (CIO) is considering the purchase of a system that will allow the DOD to quickly implement a communications system in an affected area which would facilitate coordination with officials in allied countries and non-governmental orgganizations (NGOs) participating in humanitarian relief efforts.

References:

1. Cisco, IBM propose Internet-based disaster alert system
   By Joab Jackson
   Government Computer News
   Published February 11, 2005
2. Structure of an International Emergency Alert System
   draft-baker-alert-system-00
   Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
   Submitted on January 10, 2005
3. Defense seeks humanitarian communication
   By Frank Tiboni
   Federal Computer Week
   Published on Feb. 11, 2005

[/network/Internet/IETF/drafts] permanent link

Ejecting Floppy Despite "Device busy" Message

If you try to eject a floppy using the eject command on a Solaris system, but receive a "Device busy" message, you can just push the button to eject the media, but if you make changes to the diskette and then reinsert it or another one, the system may show the contents of the original diskette and not the contents of the new one when you use ls or try to access files on the new diskette. The Volume Manager may be preventing you from unmounting the diskette, in which case you need to stop it before issuing the eject command. Use /etc/init.d/volmgt stop to stop the Volume Manager. Then use the eject command to unmount the diskette. You can then physically eject it with the eject button. You can then restart the Volume Manager with /etc/init.d/volmgt start as shown below. When you put a new floppy disk in the drive, you can mount it with the volcheck command. You will need to stop and start the Volume Manager from the root account.

# eject floppy
/vol/dev/diskette0/unnamed_floppy#6: Device busy
# /etc/init.d/volmgt stop
# eject
/dev/rdiskette can now be manually ejected
# /etc/init.d/volmgt start
volume management starting.

Tested on Solaris 7

[/os/unix/solaris] permanent link