February 12, 2009

Access more memory, even on a 32-bit system

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By Scott Dunn

No matter how much memory you have in your PC, you may not be getting the most out of your installed RAM.

A few little-known system tweaks can improve the way Windows manages memory, freeing up more RAM for your applications.

As described in an entry on the Microsoft Developer Network, all non-server 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Vista impose a memory limit of 4GB. Your system may allow you to install more than this amount of RAM, but with few exceptions, the extra memory won't do Windows or your applications any good.

Moreover, even if you have 4GB of memory installed in your PC, you may not be able to use it all. For example, if your video card comes with 1MB of memory and you have 4GB of RAM, your system actually has 5GB of memory physically installed. But Windows will use only 4GB of that total, regardless.

It gets worse: according to a comment posted to the MSDN article, Windows itself is getting only 3GB because the video card gets 1GB. This happens because the memory aperture — a portion of system memory — is used to work with the video system.

Ways to break through Windows' RAM ceiling

Fortunately, there are techniques you can use to get around Windows' system-memory limitations. One method is to use Physical Address Extension (PAE), a feature of x86 processors that lets 32-bit operating systems overcome the 4GB memory limit.

Another MSDN article explains that 32-bit Windows operating systems support PAE. Even though XP and Vista still cling to the 4GB limit with PAE enabled, the feature may help you get back some of your unused RAM.

In one or two rare cases, a developer may take advantage of PAE technology to get around the usual Windows limits. For example, reader Alan Gorski reports that when he increased a computer to 8GB, the program AutoCAD was able to open large drawing files without generating the "out of memory" errors he previously had seen. As Gorski notes, "AutoCAD has long used special memory management techniques since the DOS days to maximize use of available RAM."

There's a good chance your system is already using PAE. That's because Windows relies on the technology to support the security feature known as Data Execution Prevention (DEP). For more information about Windows and DEP, see my Top Story in the May 3, 2007, issue.

If a computer supports hardware-enforced DEP, then PAE is enabled as well. Here's how to check for it in Windows XP:

Step 1. Choose Start, Run.
Step 2. Type sysdm.cpl and press Enter.
Step 3. Click the Advanced tab. In the Performance box, click Settings and choose the Data Execution Prevention tab.
Step 4. Look for a status message at the bottom of the dialog box. If it indicates that your hardware does not support DEP, chances are PAE is not enabled.

To check your system's PAE status in Vista, do the following:

Step 1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box.
Step 2. Type SystemPropertiesDataExecutionPrevention and press Enter.
Step 3. If prompted by User Account Control, click Continue.
Step 4. If the status message at the bottom of the dialog box says your system supports DEP and the "Turn on" button is selected, then PAE is enabled as well.

If PAE is not already enabled on your system, here's how to activate it in Windows XP:

Step 1. Choose Start, Run.
Step 2. Type notepad c:\boot.ini and press Enter.
Step 3. Under the [operating systems] heading, look for a line that contains the /noexecute switch, which turns software DEP. For example, it may be /noexecute=optin, /noexecute=optout, or /noexecute=always on. Place the cursor directly after that switch and type a space followed by /pae. Save the file and reboot.

If you don't have DEP enabled on Vista (or you don't want it enabled), you can still activate PAE by following these steps:

Step 1. Click Start, type cmd.exe and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
Step 2. If prompted by User Account Control, click Continue. This opens a command prompt window with administrator privileges.
Step 3. At the prompt, type BCDEdit /set PAE ForceEnable and press Enter.

You can read more about PAE in this post on Microsoft's TechNet site.

Microsoft warns in another TechNet article that some drivers will not load if PAE is enabled. After you make this change, keep an eye on your system. If you have problems with drivers or your system starts acting up, remove the /pae switch from boot.ini in XP, or enter the following command line in an administrator command prompt in Vista:

BCDEdit /set PAE ForceDisable

For more information on the switches and settings related to PAE, consult this MSDN paper, "Boot Parameters to Configure DEP and PAE."

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Microsoft DHCP bugs make Windows lose networking

By Scott Spanbauer

Numerous perplexed Windows users have discovered that attempting to connect their PCs (especially Vista) to their existing networks or Wi-Fi hotspots results in flaky or nonexistent connections.

One reason: a change by Microsoft in Vista's Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) is causing conflicts with some networking hardware, which can require a Registry edit to fix.

The many reports of Vista networking snafus range from the gravest of symptoms — no Internet connectivity at all — to occasional connection drops:

No-Fi when in power-saving mode. Microsoft acknowledged last year that wireless connections on portable computers running Windows Vista would slow down or disconnect completely when battery management kicks in.

The culprit is that, unlike Windows XP, Vista assumes that all wireless routers correctly implement Wi-Fi's power-save protocol. Unfortunately, many access points don't support this spec. The solution? Plug your laptop into an AC outlet or modify the notebook's power-saving plan, as described in Knowledge Base article 928152.
Vista insists on the "broadcast flag." The same skewed reasoning led the wizards of Redmond to another infuriating decision, which Microsoft only belatedly explained. You bring home your new Vista computer, or you upgrade your XP system to Vista, only to discover that the machine won't connect to your local network or the Internet.

You try everything to fix the problem. You waste hours — days, even — tweaking settings, plugging and unplugging, resetting, rebooting, and rehashing, but to no avail.

The problem? Windows Vista assumes that your router's DHCP server — the one that hands out dynamic IP addresses to computers and other devices on the network — supports the DHCP broadcast flag. Again, many routers don't support this flag.

The solution requires a Registry edit to toggle off Vista's broadcast-flag expectations. Refer to the Resolution section of KB article cialis generica color=”#000099″>928233 for step-by-step instructions.
Two network adapters spell trouble. Yet another kind of network malfunction afflicts PCs running Vista or Windows Server 2008 that have more than one network adapter installed. The multiple adapters befuddle the Network Location Awareness service in those OSes. This causes the service to disable Internet access to both adapters and label them as Local only.

KB article 947041 explains the problem but provides no solution. The only cure at this time may be to disable one of the network adapters. Thanks, Microsoft.

How to troubleshoot XP and Vista network woes

Network-connection problems are infuriating. Finding their source requires a step-by-step approach. Before editing your Registry for the umpteenth time or tossing your router into the trash, run through this network-troubleshooting checklist:

Temporarily disable your software firewall. It sounds dumb, but often it's your firewall that's blocking your network connection. Even if the firewall has worked flawlessly for months, a small configuration change or automatic update could have caused a problem.

At least twice this year, Windows XP users of Check Point Software's ZoneAlarm personal firewall have lost their ability to connect to the Internet due to a Windows update. Windows Secrets contribtuing editor Susan Bradley described this problem in her Oct. 16 Patch Watch column (paid content).

This alone is not a good reason to stop updating, though. It's true that patches can introduce problems with firewalls, but subsequent fixes that remedy the issue will often appear within 24 hours.
Check the physical connection. Make sure the router, modem, and other network devices are plugged in and powered on. Are the network cables between PC and router still connected firmly? With a device's power switch off, it doesn't hurt to unplug the component and then plug it back in again to make sure the contact is solid. If weak power-cable connections are ruled out, simply powering the devices off and back on can sometimes be all the resetting your network link needs.
Renew your connection. Changes elsewhere on the network can sometimes knock out your connection. To reconnect quickly, click Start, Run in XP (or press the Windows key in Vista), type ipconfig /renew, and press Enter.
Update your firmware and drivers. Makers of routers and network adapters may be caught unawares by patches to operating systems (such as the ones in Vista noted above). But the vendors often issue firmware or driver updates that fix the problems. Check the support pages of your router and adapter manufacturers' sites for downloadable updates.
Return to default settings. Often, we are our own worst enemies as we poke around the configuration settings of our routers and network connections. You may not remember that you turned on your router's MAC filtering, but doing so could have blocked all of your devices from connecting, just the same.

In general, it's best to change settings one at a time and observe the results of the change before making any other alterations to your system. If you don't see an obvious way to return your hardware and software to their default settings, you may have to uninstall and reinstall the device or program to regain its original settings.

In all fairness, Vista isn't the only version of Windows that experiences network glitches. XP has its own series of connectivity aggravations, as you can see by a search-engine query of Microsoft's support center.

If your connectivity problems aren't resolved by using the points discussed above, you may be suffering from an even more obscure issue. If so, ruling out the tricky configuration problems I describe here may at least help you isolate the real problem and restore your network link.

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XP Service Pack 3 blocks .NET security patches

By Susan Bradley

Installing SP3 on Windows XP eliminates the operating system's ability to install important security patches for Microsoft's .NET technology and possibly other software.

This problem forces XP SP3 users to apply patches manually to complete vital updates.

The new error is the latest in a long series of glitches relating to XP's SP3, which Scott Dunn described in his Sept. 11 Top Story. The issues include spontaneous rebooting of systems based on AMD chipsets, as documented by Jesper Johansson in a blog post from last May.

To determine whether your XP SP3 system has a version — or multiple versions — of the .NET Framework installed, open Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs applet and look for it among the list of currently installed programs. If you don't see any .NET entries, you don't have the framework installed on your system and needn't be concerned about the update problem.

If you do see a listing for Microsoft .NET Framework, you need to use a third-party update service such as Secunia's Software Inspector (described below) to patch the program.

A Sept. 16 post on the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) blog disclosed that .NET 3.0 would not be offered to XP SP3 users. On Sept. 23, Microsoft Knowledge Base article 894199, which tracks changes in the company's patches, indicated that .NET 3.0 and .NET 3.0 Service Pack 1 should be offered to XP SP3 workstations as optional patches.

However, when I tested this on various Windows XP SP3 configurations, I wasn't offered .NET 3.0 as an optional patch. Things got really dicey on my first attempt to install .NET on a Windows XP SP3 machine. During that test, updates for .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 failed midstream. I had to use the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility (which is described in KB article 290301) and Aaron Stebner's .NET Framework cleanup tool (download page) to uninstall the partially installed .NET frameworks.

Ultimately, I had to install .NET 3.5 SP1 in order to get any .NET framework loaded onto the test XP workstation. While the latest version of .NET 3.5 is a cumulative patch and thus could be installed in place of prior versions of .NET, what invariably occurs is that line-of-business applications require and install earlier versions of .NET.

For example, one of the programs I use regularly is QuickBooks, which includes .NET 1.1 in some versions and 2.0 in the 2008 and 2009 releases. I recommend against removing various versions of .NET if the frameworks were installed by your applications.

On my second and third tests of Windows XP SP3 machines, Windows Update did not detect .NET 3.0 as an optional update, but the frameworks were installed without error just the same. However, to manually update the XP systems, I first had to install Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage tool, which is described in KB article 892130.

Next, I had to upgrade the installer program, as described in KB article 898461. After installing these two programs and returning to the Windows Update service, the XP SP3 machine was offered .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 as optional updates but not .NET 3.0 as a patchable item.

Windows Update skips .NET 3.0 for XP SP3
Figure 1. Windows Update fails to offer Windows XP SP3 the most recent .NET 3.0 framework.

When I attempted to update a system running Windows XP SP2, I was offered .NET 3.0 as an optional update, as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. On a PC running XP SP2, Windows Update does offer .NET 3.0.

I recommend that you install any version of the .NET framework only when your applications need it. However, Microsoft security bulletins dated as recently as Nov. 25 indicate that XP SP3 machines should be offered .NET 3.0. Clearly, XP SP2 PCs are prompted to install .NET 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0, while XP SP3 users are offered only .NET 1.1 and 2.0.

A full three months after Microsoft's WSUS support blog disclosed that PCs using XP SP3 aren't offered .NET 3.0 as an optional patch, the problem still has not been fixed. If you rely on Windows Update or Microsoft Update for your patching needs, use Secunia's online Software Inspector service to ensure that you're getting all the updates you need.

Even better than the online detection tool is Secunia's Personal Software Inspector (download page), which you download and install onto your PC to constantly monitor the update status of the software on your system. The free program will alert you to older versions of Java, Flash, and other common applications, including Microsoft's .NET Framework. You'll be walked through the process of removing older — and possibly vulnerable — versions.

Based on the numbers from Secunia for the first week following the removal of the program's "beta" tag, you need to scan your PC for out-of-date apps right away. Secunia PSI Partner Manager Mikkel Locke Winther reports that of the 20,000 new system scans conducted in the first seven days of PSI's official release, only 1.91% had no insecure programs, and a whopping 45.76% had 11 or more insecure programs installed.

For a complete rundown of the early PSI scan results, check out Jakob Balle's Dec. 3 blog post.

MS08-067 (958644)
Malware targets recent Windows worm threat

The Microsoft Security Resource Center reports an increase in malware attempting to take advantage of the security breach described in Security Bulletin MS08-067. If you have not already done so, please ensure that you have installed this patch.

There are few reports of problems resulting from this fix, and most of those glitches concern wireless connectivity. In those rare cases, uninstalling and reinstalling the patch, or deactivating your antivirus and firewall programs, appears to remedy the problems.

Support desks are seeing an increased number of calls from people infected by this malware. Quite honestly, there's no excuse for not patching this hole. After an easy install and a quick reboot, you're protected.

Vista Service Pack 2 beta goes public

If you're the type who enjoys paper cuts, tight-fitting shoes, and tax planning, you'll want to know about the public beta of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. You can now visit this page to sign up for Microsoft's Customer Preview Program (CPP) and volunteer as a Vista SP2 tester.

According to a post on the Windows Vista blog by Windows Product Management VP Mike Nash, the CPP is intended for "technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT pros" who want to test the service pack on their networks. Nash recommends that "most customers" wait to install the final release of the service pack.

I'll go even further: most Vista users should wait until several weeks after the service pack's final release to install it. That way, you can let the early adopters work through all the service pack's inevitable glitches and incompatibilities.

You know what they say: you can tell the pioneers because they're the ones with the arrows sticking out of their backs.

MS08-067 (958644)
Malware targets recent Windows worm threat

According to a cialis generic price color=”#000099″>post on the Windows Vista blog by Windows Product Management VP Mike Nash, the CPP is intended for "technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT pros" who want to test the service pack on their networks. Nash recommends that "most customers" wait to install the final release of the service pack.

You know what they say: you can tell the pioneers because they're the ones with the arrows sticking out of their backs.

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February 11, 2009

How to maintain XP after Microsoft ends support

By Stuart J. Johnston

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said recently that it's OK with him if you want to stick with Windows XP until Windows 7 is available late next year.

XP lovers may still be able to buy a new PC with that operating system installed for another year or so, but unfortunately, Microsoft plans to end most free support for the OS within months.

On that date — Apr. 14, 2009 — millions of PC users, some of whom bought their systems less than a year earlier, will be left in the lurch. These users will have to pay Microsoft for Windows XP support, although downloading critical security patches is expected to remain free of charge.

The end of support is planned despite the fact that consumers can still buy a new PC that runs XP rather than Vista, which was released nearly two years ago. It's ironic that no less a personage than Microsoft chief Ballmer tells users that staying with XP until Windows 7 ships late next year is a viable option.

What's a poor Windows XP user to do?

Third-party vendors pledge XP compatibility

Ballmer has said repeatedly over the past 10 to 15 years that the stiffest competition a new version of Windows confronts in the marketplace is the previous version of Windows. If the previous version is "good enough," then a lot of people won't buy the upgrade. XP just may prove Ballmer right.

According to a study by Gartner, there will be more than 1 billion computers in use worldwide by the end of 2008. The vast majority of them run Windows XP.

In fact, according to an analysis by Web analytics firm Net Applications, some 68 percent of the client computers in use around the world use XP. The OS's closest challenger — Vista — represents just over 19 percent of the worldwide PC market. If these stats are accurate, there are nearly 700 million copies of XP on the planet.

While Vista has been picking up steam in recent months, it has a long way to go to catch up with its older, more mature sibling. Even if Microsoft redoubles its efforts to market Vista, it's unlikely the newer version could pass XP in installed numbers by late 2009, which is when Microsoft officials hint that Windows 7 will be available.

Anyone who uses XP — whether on a new machine or an early-2000s model — has to wonder whether new hardware and software will continue to support the old OS.

The answer is a qualified "yes."

XP's huge installed base helps to ensure that hardware and software companies are continuing to support their existing XP users while also making sure their new products will work with the OS. Every one of several third-party hardware and software firms I checked with claims its new products will be compatible with both Vista and XP.

For now, anyway, losing the support of third-party vendors is far from the biggest threat facing anyone who sticks with XP. The bigger problem is Microsoft's impending free-support cutoff date for the OS.

XP's support has been extended once before

Microsoft's policy is to support each version of its operating system for 10 years. For the first five years, users get "mainstream" support, which combines free help and fee-based services. This is in addition to the standard patches and hotfixes that Microsoft periodically releases.

The second five-year period constitutes "extended" support. During this time, users must pay for cialis free support, aside from critical patches that continue to be offered by the company for free.

XP will reach the end of mainstream support on Apr. 14, 2009, despite the fact that Service Pack 3 for XP was released just last spring. (XP first shipped in late 2001, so the end of its mainstream support is coming more than two years later than is typical — a testament to XP's popularity.)

After April 2009, XP moves into the extended-support period, which is expected to last through Apr. 8, 2014.

Under extended support, if you encounter problems installing a security patch or other critical fix, tech support will help you free of charge. Any other help from Microsoft tech support, however, will be on a pay-per-incident basis. Microsoft currently charges $59 per incident for help with operating-system problems.

If you bought a new PC with XP preinstalled, it's important to note that you must contact your PC maker for all support. Microsoft has assembled a list of phone numbers and support sites for major PC vendors.

Even though Microsoft has cut off retail sales of XP, the company will continue to allow PC vendors to sell XP Professional on new systems at least through the end of January 2009.

Today, that's usually done by opting for the vendor's "downgrade" license, which lets the buyer choose between Vista and XP Pro.

For example, Dell Computer says it will sell systems with XP as a downgrade option through 2009 and possibly longer.

There are plenty of XP resources out there

Of course, you aren't stuck with Microsoft when it comes to your XP support options. If you're looking for an XP device driver, and you're not having much luck with the vendors' sites, try browsing through the posts at various PC community forums.

Forums are great places to post questions and (hopefully) receive answers from other users who have experienced the same problems and found solutions. Microsoft's XP newsgroups are a good place to start.

Other useful XP support sites include the TechArena community, BoardReader, and AllExperts.

You'll find all types of XP support from the members of PC user groups, many of which offer live, in-person meetings where participants exchange tips and solutions. Listings for Microsoft user groups are available at the Microsoft Mindshare site.

These are by no means all the support options available to XP users, but they provide a starting point to help you keep XP alive and well until something better comes along — whether another flavor of Windows or something completely different.

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XP and Vista Uptime

If you leave your computer running 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), you might be interested in determining the amount of uptime that has accumulated since your last reboot. Luckily, it's very easy to find that information in both Windows XP and Vista. Let's take a look!

Tracking Uptime in Vista

To find Vista’s uptime, right click on your taskbar and select Task Manager.

Now, with the Task Manager open, click on the Performance tab and you'll see the amount of uptime listed under the System cialis free offer section.

Tracking Uptime in XP

To find the uptime in XP, go to Start, Run, type in "cmd" and then click OK.

That will bring up a command prompt. Type in “systeminfo” (without the quotes) and then hit Enter. It will take a few minutes for the analysis to complete and get your results, but when it's finished, you'll see your uptime listed in days, hours, minutes and seconds.