Replies

ON MARKET GREED
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Your commentary on mystical “market forces” cannot disguise the pathological opportunism of greedy speculators. Consumers are not deceived by magical mythology of supply and demand, because price speculation is the issue here.
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Price speculation relies on false perception– created and sustained by market suppliers– of a shortage. That speculation relies on the same inflated perception of value as the pyramid scheme and fraud of Wall Street banks.
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Every consumer understands the current price gouging is not “Forces of Nature at Work”, but the greed of a few, very fallible men.

SEAGATE REPUTATION AT STAKE
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Seagate once enjoyed a good reputation, but not because it claimed a higher Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) than other OEMs, but (in part) because it provided a longer, multi-year warranty than other drive manufacturers. Consumers believed they bought a Seagate drive covered against loss for a full two, three, or five years– and if a drive failed within that period, they would get a replacement drive of equal or better quality than the drive which failed, with a warranty that reflected that quality. Such, they believed, was Seagate’s confidence in its own product.
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Now, we understand how the Seagate warranty actually works– Seagate manages to avoid the penalty of a heavy failure rate with its 7200.11 series by offering a recertified drive with only a 90-day warranty. Yet, according to Seagate, the recertified 7200.11 drive it offers meets all production performance standards and is the functional equivalent of a new drive of the same type. So, why is the replacement drive warranty only 90 days?
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That sharply reduced replacement warranty, in itself, reveals the unfairly reduced value of the replacement drive Seagate provides under original warranty. We consumers could understand if the replacement warranty were pro-rated to reflect remaining time on the original multi-year warranty. But a simple 90-day replacement warranty is a remarkable evasion of responsibility by Seagate to consumer expectations on which it made the original sale.
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In the market contest between Western Digital and Seagate, Seagate attempted to edge out WD on the length of its original warranty, but now that claim is now essentially meaningless. Even the WD recertified warranty, itself, is twice Seagate’s– a total of six months– which is the bare minimum trial period to establish the drive’s survival prospects.
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Speaking of unfair Seagate warranty practice and hard drive price speculation, some are so cynical they do not admit the difference between such corporate price manipulation, and a mere “market adjustment”. Presumably, they consider both Wall Street speculative fraud and price volatility Adam’s Smith’s invisible hand at work. Clearly, price speculators in any commodity– oil, gas, or hard drives– do not serve the market, but act as parasites, leaving no benefit to the market, itself. Their higher prices cripple the ability of consumers to purchase their products, and everyone suffers (including producers) in the long run.
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Three years into recession after the Wall Street bank scandal, we know an economy does not regulate itself in its own interest– even Greenspan confessed that much in his memoirs. So, how long before the peasants at the carnival of values we call our economy discover they are tricked at every arcade into paying unfairly inflated prices? We Americans need an economic system that serves both producer AND consumer, and considers each an honored member of the same community– because neither player can be ignored without hurting the other.
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Time and again, history shows greedy market speculators ruin a thriving economy in pursuit of the last dollar. Only an economy regulated in the public interest can be relatively safe against excessive and wild swings in prices when there is no supply crisis, in fact, only a fiction profitable to sellers. Seagate, for example, profited handsomely from price increases while it experienced no direct flooding losses whatsoever– for Seagate, the “crisis” was a speculative bubble. Once again, consumers end up paying for the profitable market manipulations of a few players, and all but a few end up the poorer.
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Those who naively insist the market price should be allowed to bounce wildly during speculative periods are silent when farm price support legislation in the hundreds of millions of dollars is passed in every budget bill. That price support legislation was designed– originally– to keep farmers in business when the “bottom dropped out” of commodity prices. Today, consumers need protection against similar market abuse– predatory and speculative price increases by OEMs and resellers.

In a few seconds, Tree Size reveals (in descending order) the chief offenders in hogging disk space. Since Windows is a bloat machine, Tree Size is a vital tool in trimming wasted space.

The beauty of this utility is it not only identifies the biggest space hogs, but lets a user view them individually– program by program– within the Explorer-style folder tree. A user can drill down well beyond six levels deep, to actually expose the specific program responsible.

At that point, the program can be deleted, if appropriate.

When I discovered Tree Size about one year ago, I spread the word whenever possible– and continue to use it to keep my regular Windows environment as clean as possible.

Good points and suggestions. Although I am already using the USB ports directly connected to the mobo, I will try updating the BIOS. Thanks for your inputs!

Ted, you did not mention how long you have done USB data transfers, but all equipment begins to lose its performance specs over time. In my case, I did whole-system image backups of 100-110GB routinely in approximately 120 minutes. That happy routine became noticeably slower over time until my “overnight” imaging sessions were still unfinished next morning– some 12 hours later. The culprit was probably a USB ext HD enclosure port adapter board that fell out of spec and imposed time-consuming (automated) corrective measures. Put another way, and barring problems with defective cabling or faulty source drives, your slowdown comes from either the USB ext HD enclosure or the enclosure HD itself.

As an experiment, try to isolate the HD from the enclosure by installing the HD on the IDE primary, and doing the same operation. Yes, speed will improve dramatically, but this also will tell you more about the HD, if it does not. Alternately, put a known good drive in the enclosure, and do the same operation. At some point, you will discover whether the enclosure / port or the HD, itself, is the source of delay.

Hard to say for sure but it sounds like the index was off so chkdsk interpreted all files as being “off.” You can take a look at the drive with the software from Runtime.org or the free version (buy the full if it looks like it will work) of EaseUS recovery. That may work best if the drive is removed from the enclosure and hooked up directly PATA. You can also send an email to Scott Moulton at Myharddrivedied.com and see if they think its worth an evaluation.
Ultimately though it may be the best course of action to get a replacement drive (if the one knackered now is done for) and restore the backup from the original data. Sometimes it works in reverse like that where the original data bails out the backup.

As I said I would, I checked out Scott Moulton of MyHardDriveDied.com. Moulton, who normally runs a computer tech road show out of Atlanta, Georgia (I believe), very kindly gave me a quick tip on USB– that format, he said, is terrible for handling important data. If anything goes wrong with a USB external HD, only transplantation of the HD to the full (IDE) data bus offers adequate diagnostic and recovery measures. That is why in many instances, the only remedy is to remove the USB drive from its factory enclosure (as arduous and warranty-killing as that may be) and install the drive on a full IDE bus.

In all cases, Moulton said, never, ever let Windows’ chkdsk have its own way with a USB external HD, or it may make unrecoverable hash of the data.

So, for the original, offending HD, I took Moulton’s advice, installed it on the IDE primary, and instantly was able to see and access all data structures,as if nothing had happened. While this was a great relief to me and a vast improvement over the Windows system message “The disk in drive X is not formatted. Do you want to format the drive now?”, I am now on notice I probably have a persistent problem with the USB ext HD enclosure– its USB stage may be failing (as a check, I already have swapped USB cables).

Now, to find a more reliable archival device than USB. Since I do not completely trust DVDs or CDs, either, the best remaining archive device is another HD, mounted on the IDE primary, but removable. The industry still makes these, and while they are not “hot-swappable” as is USB, all that matters is removable, high-density storage.

This is clearly a case of vote with your $! I’d write to the president of the company, reference this post, making it clear that they have lost a customer for life and that a very visible record of their policy toward their customers is online and will be read by a very large and influential group of Windows users.

Thank you for your post– I can only hope some vendors actually care about quality, despite the production disincentives, but it runs against nature that the field should be all one, or the other. Occasionally, we find delightful surprises, and should reward these people with word-of-mouth positive comments, at every opportunity.

I’ve long held ZoneAlarm, the Norton Suites (not the pure antiivral portion) and McAfee with equal disdain and at the bottom of the list…none of them ever get near one of my Windows PCs and if they come preinstalled on anything, first to go even before first run. Guess how many security problems I’ve had?…Well, its one because about 6-8 months ago something in Threatfire was interacting badly with MSE on one system, but other than that, zero for forever.

Over time, one develops a core of excellent and trusted software programs and in total, that changes very little, and any program that trickles off center a little from that group is an anomoly, so for me at least Windows is almost exactly what I want it to be amost all the time. Yes, there is an avalanche of software junk out there for Windows but also some of the best software imaginable, some of it even free or low price.

You’re actually asking for better ZoneAlarm behavior, which seems to be out of your control. Good alternatives abound.

You could even install SteadyState on an XP system and not run a stitch of security software…unless you’re one of those worryworts about what software is trying to connect to what home server for a chat about updates or something like that.

Thanks for your response, Byron. As you advise, I do have a group of trusted, reliable programs, but am very careful about apps which do not contribute to productivity and introduce needless risk. Adobe, for example, is fond of installs that may bring along other, minor programs from its product line, and complicate the whole process.

Like you, have found a high level of security despite using apps which do not come from Norton, McAfee or other industry names. Because of bandwidth issues, I have settled in happily enough with Sunbelt Vipre Premium, a good, lean AV and firewall combination which so far, at least, has met every system threat.

Besides, the omnivorous MS OS eventually attempts to cover all its bases, including firewall and AV. Since we might suppose Microsoft knows its code better than anybody else, MS coders working with such neglected functions may help improve future Windows code even if third-parties continue to do a better job.

For some reason I am reminded of the Shakespearean quotation, “The laddie doth protest too much, methinks.” Hamlet, Act III, Scene II (lightly amended).

Problems happen in all walks of life, including computing, and even in Windows! The aim is to deal with them with equanimity…

My post pleased the gods of equanimity, and roused an entire caste of users, from a part-time prophet of low-wattage despair to one, like yourself, who does not see much of an issue here.

You have one excellent point– Windows taught millions of computer users to expect less, not more.

This is another reason why I use the free MS MSE AV, and the free firewall that comes with Win 7 (yes I graduated from XP a year ago and have never looked back) Free apps never have expiration dates, and to date MS has not once nagged me to purchase a paid product to replace these free alternatives. Now mind you this is MS, the evil giant (or many want to believe) offering free apps, that seem to actually work very well and are both very highly rated. Go Figure!

Good points– Ray Ozzie and his widening influence in the Microsoft orbit is a sign Microsoft of old has learned at least a few more user-friendly behaviors. Ballmer is probably nearing retirement (though he may be the last to know), and that will remove the last roadblock to major, even uplifting change at a corporation with enormous potential for doing good– even if it has realized far less of it over more than two decades, to the detriment of all users..

Sysinternals is responsible for many of the free apps you praise, and Russinovitch’s Process Explorer has become a valuable tool for me, especially for “unjamming” a system, and tracing problems to a single app.

Let’s try a little sarcastic humor this time around…
(I am not speaking as a mod or representative of the Lounge, but as a user such as yourself)

Yes, you are asking too much

Zone Alarm, once upon a time, was a very decent firewall, and from a very decent company.
But things change and this is no more. Recognize this and move on, almost everyone else has.
It’s good that you have recognized this but are a few years late, shame on you.

If you want an example of what is not a vending machine for software try moving to the MAC.
Motto: Our way or the highway, and you don’t get to decide anything.
If you want near absolute control over software & your operating system, try one of the traditional Linux distros.
Motto: We take all the fun out of computing and reserve it exclusively for only the geeks among you.
Windows: Windows is like the wild west, anything goes, and you are just a heartbeat from being hosed, hacked, cracked, or otherwise
violated by just about any one with a want or need, including software vendors. Live with it and learn to enjoy your next clean install,
because that is the only way you will ever enjoy any measure of peace.

The root certificate system isn’t exactly infallible, nor are the folks who write your programs, nor are the program users themselves.
So in otherwords, you don’t have much control over anything, and to believe otherwise is a delusion. In which case you should seek professional
mental health help, which sadly is… fallible.

Clint, I had higher hopes for you than this raft of preening cynicism. My principal, first and major point is unless users continue to insist on higher standards, nothing will change for the better. As you say, change is inevitable, so why not make that change for the better ?

As the joke once ran, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get you!” Or, if you prefer, “You’d be paranoid, too, if everyone were after you!”

Poster RC’s suggestion about the flash player settings panel is one of the first places to start. Yet, a Flash or audio user control interface is sometimes bypassed by those who want to provide a reassuring cover capable of fooling most users. Even if you can use the camera, and make photos at will, this does not mean the user control interface behaves properly at other times.

Poster TheGadgetFixer made some in-depth and excellent points– the remote software is out there, and has been for years. Even teens are using it, we can be sure.

Which brings us to motivation. If TheGadgetFixer is intuitively close to the answer, it might have something to do with a prospective court case, pending litigation, divorce, etc.– somebody may believe (even mistakenly) you are a valuable / interesting / important target. The camera operator, if there is one, may not have any way of knowing in real time what the camera has captured until he gets the file.

In turn, that brings up Clint Rossmere’s suggestion of a packet capture utility– if anything is definitive, that should give you a reliable basis to determine a camera that goes “click” all by itself is actually the tool of a remote party.

But I kid you not– spycraft relies on people’s habitual aversion to paying attention, and to question odd things. You have done the right thing by observation, and wondering about the possibilities.

A final case in point. In 2008, the office of the Dalai Lama was the object of a remote viewing / listening probe thought to have originated in Beijing. The political motivation for monitoring email of the Dalai Lama was certainly present, but the special feature of this probe is it also could activate a camera and microphone on the infected system. The Dalai Lama system was captured when one of the Dalai Lama’s special assistants was enticed to visit a web forum to read something “really interesting”. After visiting the forum, the aide never imagined his own computer system had been rendered an electronic spy– not only an email monitoring device, but a viewing and listening post, as well. If the aide communicated with PRC dissidents via camera, PRC security would have both the IP and a facial image, as well as voice signature.

All to say, in today’s world, it pays to be a little suspicious about what you observe. Congratulations for paying attention.

Hard to say for sure but it sounds like the index was off so chkdsk interpreted all files as being “off.” You can take a look at the drive with the software from Runtime.org or the free version (buy the full if it looks like it will work) of EaseUS recovery. That may work best if the drive is removed from the enclosure and hooked up directly PATA. You can also send an email to Scott Moulton at Myharddrivedied.com and see if they think its worth an evaluation.
Ultimately though it may be the best course of action to get a replacement drive (if the one knackered now is done for) and restore the backup from the original data. Sometimes it works in reverse like that where the original data bails out the backup.

Thanks, Byron. I went to both sites. It appears GetDataBack 4.01 requires pre-purchase for $69, without option to try a full recovery on a trial bases. MyHardDriveDied.com may be more promising, so I’ll let you know.

To be frank, once the chkdsk ran automatically, the options are limited.

Hello.

Am I missing the point here or what ? In the last paid article from Langa, he says that even if one has 4 G of RAM only 3 will be seen but he maintains that the 4 G are indeed used. I always thought that it was a question of the OS mode and that a 32 bit system, due to the binaries, could not use > 3 G. Is Langa missing a cog or is my information slipping ? Fire away, my shield is up.

Jean, I have read XP32 uses the fourth GB for internal processes and resources. Only a Windows programmer could talk more in detail about what internals that actually involves, but this is surely what Langa means by Windows making use of that last GB.

Langa is an excellent editor with a wide range of experience, and I keep all his older LangaList issues from way back, because they provide an instant refresher on almost any computing issue.

LATEST FINDINGS ON HARD DRIVE CUT-OFFS

This past weekend, with some time to go into the machine deeply, I examined everything, starting with the DC connections via Molex (white nylon) connectors.

Immediately, I discovered the “old faithful” Molex on my system was not consistently tight. In one case– the SCSI HD at issue– I found actual play between two connectors, and this was just sensitive enough to account for the “spontaneous” cut-off, and restart.

Of course, long before posting here, I had checked and rechecked the connectors.

However, my technique was faulty. Having forced the two connectors together firmly, I simply left them alone, on the presumption they would stay as tightly-connected as they seemed— I did not also attempt to wiggle them afterward for play. Had I done so, I would have noticed the play in the SCSI power connector.

That left me with two options– replace the connector, hoping for a better fit, or do some Midnight Engineering. I chose a plastic-based bag tie to pull the two connectors toward each other, and twisted the tie, leaving the connectors tightly and permanently connected. Appropriate technology, and it works fine– no further cut-offs of any kind.

Sorry to disappoint those who expected a real bear hunt.

BTW, all the attention paid to my system did reveal some errors in one of my IDE drives which I use for data. Seagate’s Seagate Tools, v. 2.07, the Long Test, revealed one error on the 400 gb HD, and once fixed, I left the drive on SpinRite 6 overnight. After SR6, the plan is to run through chkdsk on boot for a full system consistency check. Since this drive has some really important data, it was fortunate to have noticed the problem. This IDE never has been in storage, and has been used for about 12,900 power-on hours (POH), just a pup.

Thanks to Gerald, Byron and PT for your prompt responses–

1. Gerald, your suggestion about a power-down setting is good, and the possibility occurred to me, as well. I’ll try to determine what the jumpers on the drive are set to enable, as well as whether I have set my Windows and/or CMOS to power down– and post a response, soon. I keep a running system log to keep track of such things, but I need to double check against the actual settings, anyway.

More weight attaches to the power-down hypothesis, since the loud click and whirring of a restart occurs when no activity has occurred for some time. But I cannot make a categorical statement the restart occurs only after inactivity, and so this is a watchful waiting period..

BTW, the SR6 readings were flawless, but I’m on notice the lubricant issue hangs over this drive.

2. Byron, your information is very useful, in case this turns out to be something other than a power-down behavior. Do you have a link for Scott Moulton?

3. PT, thanks for the warning– three of the four drives have been in storage for more than five years, but under reasonably good temp and humidity control. However, I know I have pushed the lube envelope. Here, I plead distraction, and have not had time to build the system yet for which the drives had been purchased.