September 2006

By Cliff Millward, Editor cliffm@xmission.com

Competition is Wonderful!
Competition is the life blood of our republic. Without it, most things would stagnate or fail to make meaningful progress (Bill Gates please take note.)
A little while ago I purchased a music composition program entitled “Sibelius” and compared it to another music composition program which is called “Finale.”
At first, I didn’t care for Sibelius because the commands were different from Finale. After a short time, however, I realized that Sibelius was faster and much more flexible and intuitive than Finale.
One great advantage it had over Finale was its ability to create all the parts when the score (the compilation of all the parts) was created. Also, all the parts were linked so that if you changed anything in the score, the part (or parts) were also changed (and vice-versa!)
Finale requires that you create the score before you extract the parts and nothing is linked, so that if you changed anything in the score, you must re-create the part -- not an impossible task, but very awkward. Also, this procedure is very prone to mistakes.
Well, the latest version of Finale now includes this part creation feature. However, it is not as elegant as Sibelius and has a few bugs. Obviously, Finale is feeling the pressure of competition and attempting to play “catch up.” So far, it is only a good attempt; they have a long way to go. Also, as I continue to use the upgraded version of Finale, I continue to find more bugs!
Many other features of Sibelius far surpass the features in Finale. I have only demonstrated one.
I don’t want you to think that I am back-tracking on my statements given above, but I still use Finale most of the time. The reason for this is most of the music I have composed, or am composing, is located in Finale. Unfortunately, Sibelius does not import Finale files very well (and Finale is not helping them) so any new compositions I start will be in Sibelius. (By the way, Sibelius is a Finnish composer whose compositions include the famous National Anthem of Finland, Finlandia.)
Viva Sibelius!
Worried About What Your Kids are Watching?
TiVo is developing a new feature that helps parents control the TV shows their children watch. It is called KidZone. It is a free service which features a menu of programs recommended by non-profit organizations which concentrate on children and the media. Parents have the ability to add of delete programs or channels available to their offspring.
All new TiVo’s will carry the feature. However, it is not available on TiVos built with DirecTV satellite receivers.
(An interesting thought: perhaps the opposite of KidZone is SkidZone!)

Big Brother (Mother?)
Could be Watching You
Trisent, A Scottish company has released some hardware that will enable your boss to track where you are by pin-pointing your mobile phone.
The good points are (if there are any) that you can shut the phone off and that it will notify you when you are being tracked. Your boss cannot secretly monitor you. I am only guessing, but I believe this system could be abused to track you when you are not working.
Another good point is that I believe it could be programmed to let parents know where their children are (but I am sure the kids would not like this feature!)

Lexus Anyone?
There is a new chip on the block (?) NEC is manufacturing a chip called IMAPCAR. The chip is designed to check if your car is too close to something in front of it. If so, the brakes will be applied automatically. It will either stop or reduce the speed at which the object is hit (either another car or a person, etc.)
The first car to use this chip will be the Lexus LS460.
I would assume that some way to shut this feature off will be necessary. What if you try to park with the front end close to a wall? What if you are forced to give someone a push

Finè

Index

Meeting Memorandum for August 9, 2006

The meeting was convened at 7:15 pm by President Rick Gregory

Rick noted two calendar items: the North Davis Senior Fair on October 13 and the Utah Senior Fair on October 20 at the South Towne Exposition Center

The evening’s presentation was by LeAnn Gottlieb of Heritage Makers. She described her talk as being about the power of story. Heritage Makers is a company that maintains a web site, www.heritagemakers.com, where you can put together a book and publish it relatively inexpensively. Since she didn’t like scrapbooks, she found this approach a more attractive alternative. Prices for an individual book are as low as $34.95. How? Using digital printing, Heritage can print 10,000 different books instead of 10,000 copies of a single book. And, the books are always archived and easily replaced for half price.

LeAnn described the power of individual stories, particularly those written about or to your family members. She told about books she had written to her children and those written by others that impressed her. Heritage Makers makes it possible to publish your story in small numbers.

Access to the web site requires a lifetime membership fee of $19.95 which is waved if you purchase a book. The site provides all the tools to build your book online. You can also build photo albums. However, only limited editing of photos can be done. Your project can be a collaborative effort by providing others your user name and password to access your projects. The site very nicely keeps track of your completed and uncompleted projects for you. LeAnn passed out a list of ideas for projects which anyone not attending the meeting can obtain.

A book can contain up to 78 pages. Storage space of 4 gigabytes is provided. Any input uploaded to the project must be a jpeg file. This includes any text you may prepare offline. Text can also be entered online if you wish. The density of photos must be at least 200 dpi for sharp printing. Photos can be grown or shrunk or cropped, but the resolution can’t be changed on line. This must be done offline using a photo editor before uploading to the web site. The printed book produced using a digital press will be commercial quality with sharp, full color. Turn around time from project submission to receiving the printed copy is less than two weeks, often as little as four to eight days.

Pricing of a book depends on the. The minimum price for a given book size is based on 20 pages size and ranges from $34.95 for a 5” X 5” brag book to $89.95 for a 12” X 12” photo journal. Each page beyond 20 is an additional, $1 - $1.50 per page in 2 page sets. You get a discount if ordering in 5 book lots which can include more than one type of book. Additional price breaks are at 250, 500, etc. Other products such as posters and family foldouts are less expensive. See the web site for more information on products and prices. Although a scrap booking program is not available, it is planned for the future.

As you build pages, you can preview them in a PDF form. However, in order to reduce download time, resolution may be reduced resulting in some fuzziness. But the final product will be sharp. The site provides many page layouts and backgrounds that can be used to make your book look spectacular. If you go to the web site, you can browse existing projects. Search for LeAnn Gottlieb and you will find two projects that you can look at to see what can be created. Once completed, the book content is yours, i.e., you retain the copyright. Heritage Makers does retain the copyright on the exact format which includes the page layouts and backgrounds, so you can’t have someone else make additional copies. Heritage Makers does retain the book in its archives forever, at least, at present, so you can obtain additional copies at any time. You can also store pictures and other material on the site without producing a book for no additional cost. You can restrict access to your book to yourself, or you can make it available to the public by placing it in the library.

Heritage Makers is a network marketing company. It is always looking for new consultants. These people can present the company to friends, neighbors and others in a local setting, and they earn income when other consultants join through them and purchase books. They will also provide assistance to those doing projects and need help. Unless the assistance is minimal, consulting fees are $25/hour.

Prepared by Stuart Gygi

Index

Undelete 5.0 Professional

Reviewed by Don Nendell

Manufacturer:
Diskeeper Corporation
7590 N. Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91504
Phone: (818) 771-1600 / (818) 252-5514
FAX: (818) 252-5514
Sales Phone: (800) 829-6468 or (800) 829-4357 /
Customer Support Contact:
8:30 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. Pacific Time
E-mail: tech_ support@executive.com
Note. All Diskeeper manuals can be downloaded online
90-day Free Customer Support
Note. Diskeeper Corporation’s philosophy in regards to Customer Support is to service you as near-instantly as possible. They also have one of the best-trained Support staffs in the business. If possible, they like to get your questions answered on the spot. In the event that it is not, they will ensure that you get your answers as quickly as they possibly can.
Web site: www.diskeeper.com
Blog: www.diskeeperblog.com
Knowledge Center: www.diskeeper.com/products/documentation/documentation.asp
Infodesk@executive.com
Available at major retail stores, on-line resellers, and downloaded at their web site
Pricing: Undelete 5.0 Home $29.95 (13.0 MB Download)
Undelete 5.0 Professional $39.95 (13.1 MB download)
Note. Professional Edition upgrades require Undelete Professional 3 (or higher)
Note. One (1) Undelete license is required for each computer Undelete protects
System Requirements:
The various editions of Undelete run on the Intel® x86 platform (including the Intel Pentium™ and Pentium-compatible CPUs from other manufacturers) running Microsoft Windows XP (Professional / Home / Tablet PC / Media Center editions), Windows 2000 (all Professional and Server editions), Windows Server 2003 (all editions), Windows NT 4.0 (all Server and Workstation editions)
Undelete supports NTFS and 16/32-bit FAT file systems, but the 12-bit FAT file system is not supported. (The 12-bit FAT file system is used on FAT volumes smaller then 16MB in size, such as 1.44MB floppy diskettes.)
Undelete supports a wide range of SCSI and IDE disks, including: Primary partitions, Extended partitions, Logical Drives, Volume Sets, RAID arrays, Removable disks (such as ZIP drives, REV drives, and many memory cards)
4 MB’s of disk space is required for Undelete Professional and Undelete Desktop Client
After Undelete is installed, a Recovery bin is created by default on each disk volume detected on your computer. Although these Recovery bins initially use no disk space, they will eventually grow as files are deleted. The default size limit for these Recovery bins is 20% of the disk volume, but this can be changed easily with the Recovery bin Properties option on the Tools menu.

Prolog
FYI This is going to be a multi-purpose type review – it is not simply going to be just a Diskeeper Undelete 5.0 review. Oh no! The reason being, this is because the real problem is actually much bigger than all that – and as Paul Harvey would intone; all this is simply a means to an end!
Page 1...
To Begin With
This particular - and latest - episode (in my hectic life) all started about 10 days ago when my XP Pro (which, as it ultimately turned out to be, was the real culprit) started running like a “slug” and eventually just stopped “dead in its tracks;” the dreaded BSD; but in this case, the screen was “Black, not its characteristic Blue?”

Even with my four (4) year guarantee plan with Best Buy, it still cost me $139.95, and 10 very costly days of delay to fix (BTW Sad to say, it’s still acting up however?). BTAIMB (Be that as it may be) here we are again. Keep your fingers crossed for me, would you please? I am still installing stuff by the boat loads, and you don’t want to hear my moans, groans and screams of anguish, that’s for sure? Bottom line, that unopened box of NTI’s BACKUP NOW! 4 DELUXE Suite sitting right there within an arms reach could have been a great help, he sadly cries. What? You’ve never seen a grown man cry? Stick around. You, ain’t seen nothing yet?

Page 2... Caveat

Hold your horses, we’re getting to the actual review, but first, you’ve got to see precisely “Why you should use stuff like Diskeeper’s Undelete 5, Diskeeper 10, BACKUP NOW!, Anti-virus programs, SpyWare programs, Firewalls, Knives, Guns, Guard Dogs, even Burglar Alarms connected to a monitoring company, et al.?” Sorry! I got a little carried away there, I just got back from Las Vegas where I just finished attending my 7th (Hackers) DEFCON convention <www.defcon.org> and my 3rd Black Hat Briefings, and I’m absolutely terrified. It’s Dejá Vu all over again.
Just FYI A QUICK GLANCE AT A DEFCON 14 FAQ:
Do criminals go to DEF CON?
Yes!
They also go to high school, college, work in your workplace, and the government. There are also lawyers, law enforcement agents, civil libertarians, cryptographers, and hackers in attendance. Ssshhh! Don’t tell anyone?
To see what the Hacker’s are taught there you just might be interested in seeing the DEFCON 14 education schedule? <http://www.defcon.org/html/defcon-14/dc-14-schedule.html>
Caveat. Regardless, you all have simply got to learn to protect yourself better, and that’s been my intention all along really, to help as best I can.

Page 3... Soapbox Stuff
Thankfully there’s more help out there besides our other beloved members of Blue Chips (re. Those Members Helping Members), and we all certainly need all our valuable local volunteer organizations’ help, that’s for sure. FYI Magazines like Smart Computing, and their web site (www.smartcomputing.com) and a relatively new one (for me anyway) like CNET TechSpecials’ (CNET_Networks_Member_Services@newsletters.online.com), immediately come to mind. Take the latest CNET TechSpecials “Weekly Question Section” for instance, which immediately spurred me toward writing this review of Undelete 5.0. Extracted from this week’s e-mail from them:

“CNET TechSpecials
August 25, 2006
From: CNET_Networks_Member_Services@newsletters.online.com
Check out next week’s question:
I have a hypothetical question: What if you’ve accidentally deleted important files, emptied them from the recycling bin, then want to get them back? If you immediately realize what you did, is there anything that can be done to get the files back? Is there any software I can purchase to recover those files? Are there any available recovery services? What other steps should I take in event like this - turning off the computer right away? Is there any hope to recover these files, or are they gone for good? I hope these questions don’t sound silly to you, but I want to know just in case I ever do such an unthinkable mistake. Thanks!
--Submitted by: Katherine R. of Glendale, California”

Everyone interested in an answer to Katherine’s queston will simply have to go to their web site to get the actual CNET TechSpecials “members” responsive answers, because we can’t wait that long - we’ve got a publishing deadline to meet. While you’re there sign up for their weekly e-mails, you’ll be glad you did. However, you must, by now, already have your first inkling (clue?) as to what’s certainly going to be suggested to Katherine R., don’t you? Well, keep reading!

Page 4... And Now, The Rest of the Story!
Katherine, in answer to your question, Diskeeper advertises Undelete 5 (UD5) as being, “Worry-free data protection with instant file recovery - faster than going to backup!” FYI I happily reviewed Undelete 4.0 (UD4) over two (2) years ago (See June 2004 BCM archives at <www.ucs.org>. And be sure to select the “gorgeous” .pdf version). After straying momentarily from the beaten path (above), I think it’s about time I got back to the basics of “file recovery.” So here goes.
Accidental (and malicious) file deletions are a fact of life. Just think of all the valuable data on your computer and/or network: Financial records, work and school documents, PowerPoint presentations, database files, or even digital photos that you’ll never be able to take again, et al. Here’s a real frightening thought, “What if Katherine R’s fears actually did happen to you (they really came true?) and all those files were accidentally (or otherwise?) deleted, and you couldn’t get them back?”

It’s a fact of life, accidental file loss happens more often, and is a lot easier, than you might think. And here’s the worst part: Windows doesn’t capture all deleted files. So, what would you do? The answer is, Undelete replaces the Windows Recycle Bin with a catch-all Recovery Bin™ that intercepts all deleted files, no matter how they were deleted. However, be forewarned, it’s an entirely different story if the files are actually “Destroyed;” which Undelete 5 can actually do with the SecureDelete option. This can be explained simply by paraphrasing the Kingston Trio’s famous song, “. . . No, they’ll never return . . . on the MTA!”

The moral here? You have but to ask Monica Lewinski or Oliver North what they think about “Deleted Files?” But then, you’re different, you want those precious files back again. Well not to worry, Undelete has gained popularity for its data recovery ability, as it can instantly recover deleted files from anywhere on a home (or corporate network); even the many files that bypass the Recycle bin like those on Digital Cameras, USB Flash Drives, or Memory Cards/Sticks. But I’m just a little ahead of myself here.

Background Info . . .
About Diskeeper Corporation
Diskeeper Corporation (formerly Executive Software) exploded onto the computer marketplace - ranking on Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in America for four years in a row and appearing on Software magazine’s list of the Top 100 Independent Software Companies in the World. Diskeeper’s product line includes automatic disk defragmentation, fragmentation analysis ((See my March 2006 Diskeeper 10 review in the BCM archives at <www.ucs.org>. Remember, select the “gorgeous” .pdf version), powerful file and site management software, the most complete file recovery system for lost files on Windows networks, and automatic data caching software.
Note. FYI Visit <www.diskeeper.com> for information about Diskeeper 10.0 and www.sitekeeper.biz for information about Sitekeeper 3.5

With Undelete 5 you can recover deleted files and provide a data protection safety net for all future deleted files, plus Now! UD5 gives you automatic file version protection for Microsoft Office files on desktops, laptops and network file servers. UD5 is sold in four distinct flavors (editions): Server Edition, Desktop Client Edition Home Edition, and Professional Edition.

Here’s a quick overview of what each UD5 program can do: 1) Undelete 5 Server Edition protects server files, including files deleted by network clients; 2) Undelete 5 Desktop Client allows connected workstations to recover files from Undelete 5 Server recovery bins. (Note. Find out more about the Undelete Server and Desktop Editions by visiting the Diskeeper web site); 3) Undelete 5 Home Edition provides comprehensive protection of locally-stored files, but it does not support the Undelete networking features; and 4) Undelete 5 Professional Edition protects locally-stored files and allows files to be recovered from Undelete Server recovery bins, and then some. UD5 Pro is applicable to Home Use, Small Office, and Small/ Medium/Large Businesses.

Promo: Recover Files in Seconds with Undelete
Undelete 5 protects the files that the Windows recycle bin and backup systems miss: 1) Files deleted on Windows network shares; 2) Earlier versions of Microsoft Office files; 3) Files too large to fit in the recycle bin; 4) Files created and deleted by certain applications; and 5) Files deleted from the Windows command line. Bottom line, Undelete 5 captures and protects all deleted files on all disk drives, allowing instant file recovery with just a few clicks of the mouse.

So, What’s it All About Alfie?
Please note, there is a very important distinction to be aware of right off the bat. The Recovery Bin feature is similar to the Windows Recycle Bin. (Caveat. Deleted files aren’t really deleted - they’re simply moved to the bin and held there until the bin is “emptied” or purged. Even then they’re not entirely erased. Just ask Monica and/or Oliver about that little known fact?) Now here’s the all-important difference, Undelete replaces the Windows Recycle Bin with a catch-all Recovery Bin™ that intercepts all deleted files, no matter how or where they were deleted, or who deleted them. But what about files already purged from the Recycle bin (or the Undelete Recovery bin, for that matter), or files deleted before Undelete is installed, you may ask? You can even recover a previously deleted file right at the beginning of the initial installation process. This is accomplished by Emergency Undelete, which is a separate utility used to recover accidentally deleted files before installing the full Undelete product.
Undelete also allows you to search for and recover files that have been deleted on all drives on your system by “Name & Location, Date and Owner & Deleted By” - even after you’ve really deleted them: 1) by emptying your Recycle bin, 2) by deleting files from Windows Explorer, 3) even those deleted from the Windows command prompt, or 4) from other applications, for that matter.
Lost file?

File recovery is no problem! Use the Recovery Bin’s Windows Explorer-like interface to navigate to the file, or take advantage of Undelete 5’s powerful search capabilities. Right-click the file, select Recover, and the file is back. And here’s a handy little feature, the new Version Protection makes it even easier to restore overwritten versions of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) files. Just right-click the file and select View Versions and restore the file you want. You can even preview the files before recovery to help you find the right version. (Caveat. Please note that encrypted files cannot be recovered with the Search disk feature. Even my program can’t help you there.)
Undelete 5: The Leader in File Protection

Here’s what’s new in UD5:
1) Version Protection allows recovery of overwritten Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files; 2) Open and preview files directly from the Recovery Bin™; 3) Lightweight Undelete 5 Client allows workstations to recover files directly from Undelete Server recovery bins; 4) Enhanced recover-from-disk functionality allows enhanced recovery of files deleted before Undelete was installed; and 5) EXCLUSIVE! SecureDelete™ which allows files to be erased with no chance of recovery.
Note. When SecureDelete is enabled, files that are purged from the recovery bin are overwritten with random data using a methodology developed for the National Security Agency.
This SecureDelete feature alone is worth the price of UD5 by itself as it saves purchasing similar “standalone” products, like Access Software’s SecureClean, et al. However, I must quickly add that PowerDesk 6.0 also (See my July 2006 PowerDesk 5 review in the BCM archives at <www.ucs.org>. Remember, select the gorgeous .pdf version), is the perfect candidate to replace Windows Explorer, SecureClean, and a whole host of other programs, but not UD5. You will still need both programs to tackle and defend against this critical world of malicious, nefarious ne’er’-do-wells (re. DEFCON’s, et al.). Do give it a try, besides it’s a “free-to-try” download.

Undelete Professional Specifics
Undelete Professional provides the following: 1) Recovery Bin protection for files on workstations (Desktops) and laptops. Even if users store most of their files on a server somewhere, there’s always some data on the local machines, such as files stored on the desktop or files on roaming laptops. Undelete, a “Set It and Forget It®” file recovery system, safeguards that data and allows instant recovery. 2) The Recovery Bin itself catches all files no matter how they were deleted, allowing instant recovery with just a few clicks of the mouse. The Recovery Bin mimics the directory structure of your disk and includes a powerful search function, making it easy to find and recover files; 3) Undelete automatically captures old versions of Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), allowing recovery of earlier versions that have been saved over. (Note. Version Recovery is integrated with Windows Explorer - simply right-click a file to recover earlier versions); and 4) You can now even preview files in the Recovery Bin (it’s called Enhanced Browsing) to find the exact one you want to restore. FYI: There are many Microsoft Office file types available for Version Recovery (savings).
Simply stated, Diskeeper Corporation says that, Undelete Professional Edition is the right choice for desktops (or business laptops) where important data is stored both locally and/or on network file servers. Kindly Note. It’s equally a great choice for us Home User’s as well - it goes without saying - else why would I be writing about it here in BCM?
Time and Again I’ve lamented, “Happiness will forever be a working computer!”
Once again here’s a hat’s off, truly “sincere” [e.g., “Without Wax!” Note. I’m curious. As I intrigued you to do in June 2004 UD4 review, did any of you ever find the explanation for “sin cere” in Dan Brown’s NY Times best-selling thriller, Digital Fortress? ;-}] special thanks to Executive Software, and most especially to the ever-so-efficient Colleen Toumayan, Director of Public Relations. As always, I’ve certainly enjoyed working successfully with Undelete 5.0 - and of course with, as well, my pride and joy, the Diskeeper® 10.0 Professional Edition. They’re both truly “Life Saviors’!”

Ciao!