Number 263 - April 2005

Useful Utilities
by Shane Hicks, PC Alamode Magazine Online; Alamo PC Organization, Inc. San Antonio, TX USA
This month, I decided to talk about some useful utility programs I've located from various sources. Let's get started. AM-DeadLink    Bookmarks are handy when you need to keep track of common sites that you visit often. However, as time goes on and the more bookmarks you add, this list of common sites becomes unmanageable. On top of this, sites change and the links may become broken.    AM-DeadLink detects both dead links and duplicates in nearly any browser (including Opera, Netscape, Mozilla, and Internet Explorer). To use the program, merely select your browser from the menu and click the check button. The program attempts to connect to all links, providing a status message next to each bookmark. If dead links are detected, two more clicks delete them from your bookmarks. The interface also maintains a split-pane view, allowing you to visit bookmarked sites, that are still functioning, from within the application. This allows you to clear out sites that are no longer of interest to you. AM-DeadLink can also create a backup file of your bookmarks. This program is available at www.aignes.com. Autopatcher XP    Users must be constantly vigilant to combat modern viruses and to keep software updated with the latest patches to keep these viruses out. Most are familiar with the Windows Update feature, available over the Internet, which works with Windows XP's Automatic Update feature, to keep Windows XP up-to-date. However, as implied above, one must connect to the Internet for this system to work. The problem is, it's dangerous to connect to the Internet without having these patches already in place!    Larger organizations solve this problem using Microsoft's Software Update Services (SUS), which allow a server to store the Windows Updates locally so that workstations may obtain the required patches without connecting to the Internet. This solution is not practical for most users.    This is where Autopatcher XP comes in. It works just like Windows Update. It scans the Registry to determine which patches need installed, allowing the user to select updates and fixes to install. This software also allows a user to combine all available fixes and updates into an ISO file. An ISO file is a CD image that can be transferred to a CD-R/RW and then carried from machine to machine. The updates may then be applied from the CD, without connecting to the Internet. This allows for a 100% patched installation without the computer being connected to the Internet.    The only prerequisite to using Autopatcher XP is the existence of Service Pack 1 (SP1) on the instance of Windows XP that requires additional patching. The suggested solution to handle a non-SP1 instance of Windows XP is to download both SP1 and Autopatcher and burn them to the same CD. This software is available at www.autopatcher.com.	MP3 Album Art Downloader    When ripping music from CD to the hard drive, it's not always possible to connect to the Internet to download the Album Art to include with your ripped files. If you want these graphics saved with your music, and you don't find them automatically during the ripping process, you may have to find them manually. This can be time consuming and frustrating.    Alleviate this problem with the MP3 Album Art Downloader. Simply unzip the utility into your music folder and run the program. It scans your music files and uses data obtained from Amazon.com to download matching Album Art for your collection. It places these files inside your music folders, where you can view the graphics as Thumbnails (by enabling Thumbnail view in your browser).    This software is not 100% accurate. It may download the wrong Album Art or may accidentally skip some folders in your collection. However, the success rate still beats having to hunt down all the Album Art manually! The software is available at http://str8dog.com. Slimserver    Have you ever wished you could listen to your digital music collection while on the road, at work, or at a friend's house? Slimserver allows you to setup your own PC to provide streaming music over the Internet.    Install Slimserver on the same computer where your music collection is stored. Point the utility to your music folder. It'll catalog all your music files during installation. Once complete, run the application. This is all it takes to turn your computer into a streaming music server!    From a different computer, launch an MP3 player and point it to your music stream. You can manage playlists from virtually any web browser. This software is available at www.slimdevices.com. Gspot Codec Information Applicance    Have you ever spent a significant amount of time downloading a multi-media clip from the Internet, only to get sound with no video, no video or sound, or an error message that say the needed codec is not available?    A codec is the piece of software that allows your media player to render the multi-media file you've downloaded. It decodes the file into a viewable format. You must have this codec to watch the video. But how do you know which codec you need if the player does not have it, or is not able to download the codec automatically on its own?    Just use Gspot Codec Information Appliance to learn which codec you need. Pointing the application at the multi-media file and click the Render button. The utility provides the name of the codec being used for both audio and video. If it cannot render the file, it'll tell you why. The software is available at www.headbands.com/gspot.    Shane Hicks shane@absolutepowercomputing.com is an independent consultant and technical trainer, providing support to individuals and small businesses. He's been in the industry for over 10 years. Email your questions, it will be answered as space permits.
Number 263 - April 2005