Glenn

If you don't know what your settings were, your monitor specifications (owner's manual or manufacturer's web site) should list a recommended resolution. If in doubt, given your problem, try the maximum available ... the higher the resolution the smaller the icons. The dpi setting should offer a drop-down with Normal size, Large size and Custom setting. If you never set this, use Normal.

First check for changes in: Display Properties > Settings - Screen Resolution Display Properties > Settings > Advanced > General - Display - DPI Setting

Eraser 5.7 includes DBAN 1.0.1 which is intended for a full hard drive wipe. The current version DBAN 1.0.6, which handles newer drives, is available free at dban.sourceforge.net Determine for yourself if it suits your needs. I've only used it to wipe drives for disposal.

I have Automatic Updates set to notify but not download and install because, when possible, I prefer to test the updates for a few days on the office machine before installing at home. I never had any problems until MS combined the Windows XP & Office 2003 updates. Since then, if I opt to download and install, nothing seems to happen until I manually connect to the new update site. Perhaps a bug in the new updater? If it doesn't get better soon, I plan to stop using Microsoft Update and reurn to just Windows Update.

Because only one index.dat is a problem, I suspect that CCleaner doesn't see that location for some reason. Since MrG has offered to look into it, I'd be patient and wait.

There are several index.dat files. In which folder is the problem one? Have you opened it to see if it contains any data?

The cleared files are recreated on reboot. Each has a default minimum file size (multiple of 16 KB) even if empty.

Do you mean the list is empty (which it should be if you selected Cleaner Settings > Windows > Windows Explorer > Recent Documents)? or do you mean that you've lost the shortcut on your Start menu?

Rule of thumb given me by a serious audiophile ... from a given source, a given set of headphones will match or outperform speakers costing 10X as much for clarity and nuances. The advantage of headphones increases if you can't optimize the listening environment. The disadvantage to headphones ... they won't give you room shaking bass (if your into that).

For those really concerned about speed: Some manufacturers, e.g., Maxtor, LaCie, are offering FireWire 800 / IEEE 1394b (800 megabits/sec) in their newer external drives.

You're right ... the clusters would only have been overwritten once by the new file. Since that data should have some logical pattern, the prior pattern should be easier to discern using magnetic force scanning. But what are the odds that the old file was completely unfragmented and is exactly overwritten by the new file ... and remains "protected" by the new file through subsequent file operations, defragmentations and erasures? Erasing specific files with multiple overwrites and then doing the same with freespace is probably best. But where do you stop? Some standards call for 3 or 7 passes. Peter Gutmann supposedly suggests 35 passes (I can't even begin to understand some parts of his technical papers on the subject). One overwrite prevents software based recovery methods. Beyond that, who do you think is after you?

The best choice for hardware or software depends on your backup requirements and strategy. What is your concern ... hardware failure, data corruption, fire, and/or theft? What cost and effort is acceptable for the protection you'll get? What are you backing up ... static files (e.g., photos, music) and/or changing files (e.g., creative work in progress)? An internal drive is the least cost and effort but for the most part only protects you against failure of your primary drive. An external drive costs more but, if you're willing to make the effort, can offer more protection. Like rridgely, I don't have my backup drive on all the time. I scan the primary system for viruses before connecting the backup drive, run backup, disconnect and into the fire safe it goes. I have files that I am constantly editing so I use software that automatically stores historical versions and allows me to select which to restore (handy when I realized I shouldn't have changed all that formatting 6 weeks earlier). If it was just my photos and music, I could use the simpler duplicating option and use less disk space. I also favour FireWire but have dual connectivity in case I have to recover to a computer with only USB.

I'm currently using Eraser 5.7 (freeware by Heidi Computers). It can erase "unused space" (files which have only been deleted) using single or multiple overwrites. It also adds "Erase" to various appropriate Right Click menus. This feature is convenient if you want to shred specific files but may not be secure if you have edited the files at some point (it'll overwrite the current clusters but earlier versions may be written to other parts of the drive or media). Speaking of edits ... anyone using MS Office may want to download their RHD (Remove Hidden Data) Add-in. It clears comments, versions, etc. that may not be obvious depending on your view settings. I don't know if other apps have similar utilities ... ever notice that if you delete content from a PDF, the file size often doesn't get smaller until you use Save As instead of Save.

I've been using the A01A160 (a version that allows USB or FireWire connection) for about a year. No complaints with the hardware. The Dantz Retrospect Express backup software that was included was awkward but they recently came out with a free upgrade that's more user friendly. The OneTouch series is obsolete (it's been replaced with the OneTouch II series) but there are a lot of them around at the retail level. In my area (Canada) a good price for the 160GB on clearance sale is CDN$150-170 including all taxes. One of my co-workers has been using the Ximeta NetDisk 120GB for about 6 months and is happy with it. He chose it because it allows USB or ethernet connection. He plugged it into the router at his home allowing it to be used as a shared network drive. When he bought it, it didn't include any backup software (apparently it does now) so he's been using the WinXP utility.

With Word closed, search for Normal.dot which is the global Word template. You may find several in different folders if you have changed Word file location settings or there are multiple users on your computer. Delete it (if you're uncomfortable with this, just rename it so that you can restore it later). Open Word. It will create a new Normal.dot in the default template folder. Check Tools > Options. All settings which are saved in Normal.dot (font, styles, etc.) will be MS original. If you customize such settings, I recommend you save a backup copy after you get things the way you want them (I make a copy and rename it Normal.dot.bak) Forgot to mention, you may find a ~$Normal.dot in your search. This is a temp file that is supposed to clear when you close Word but if you have had problems, one may remain. It is also safe to delete.

I have to agree with CaPMan ... nice to have but not a priority. I've used another cleaner with integrated shredder and it wasn't that useful: 1. It slowed things down (several minutes per GB per overwrite pass). 2. It only shredded files it was deleting. Anything that was deleted otherwise (including temp files for some app's) was untouched. Note that a single pass on magnetic media should block recovery software but not serious efforts such as magnetic force scanning. If you want assured destruction of data, I think you want a dedicated shredder to clear all deleted files on your hard drive using multiple overwrites. Also, you want an app that can handle other media, e.g., flash memory stick (single pass only), diskettes, CD-RW's, etc.

Sorry but it won't work (at least in Canada, check the law in your jurisdiction). By law, fuel is required to be sold by temperature corrected volume. The pump register shows the theoretical volume at 15 degrees Celsius. In any case, the fuel is probably at ground temperature which changes very little during the day. You may get slightly more fuel in your tank (that's why pit crews fuel race cars with cryogenically cooled fuel) but you will pay for it.

This is probably a dumb question but ... Do you have a Prefetch folder and is Prefetcher enabled? I noticed that CCleaner only seems to offer you Applications it detects. Does it check for Windows components before offering the option?

Thanks! Is the recommendation for Firewall Zone Alarm Free 5.5.094.000 because of the bad stuff I've seen in user reviews of version 6.0?

I'm using Norton Internet Security 2004 but would like to know if anyone has an opinion on Shaw Secure or F-Secure. Shaw (major Canadian ISP) offers Shaw Secure free to subscribers. It's a re-brand of F-Secure Internet Security (2005?). The few user reviews I've found are at the extremes ... great vs. terrible and often unclear as to the version. I have to renew my Norton subscription next month so the cheap side of me is tempted to try Shaw Secure but one review claimed that it won't uninstall.

There doesn't seem to be an easy way to close Norton. You can disable various aspects of security (which didn't help) but it's not a single app. There appear to be about a dozen processes which I'd have to end using Task Manager. One or more of these appears to be tying up the logs. I'm going to hold off on this because of another issue. I'm soliciting input on another security software in the Software forum. Thanks!

If there was a bug, v1.24 seems to have cleared it up. All cookies including those from previous sessions seem to be listed in the left hand column and can be selected for saving.

I loaded v1.24 and tried Custom > Files. Same result. Anaylze doesn't even see the Norton files but if I put dummy ZZZ.log files in both folders and target them, they are found and cleaned with no problem. I suspect that this is not a bug in CCleaner, but that the Norton log files are somehow protected. It's probably not worth the trouble ... I can just clear the logs through the Norton control panel.

Sorry if I was unclear... Restoration can recover a file if it's deleted and emptied from the Recycle Bin, or deleted by an app like CCleaner. Once a file has been shredded by Restoration, Eraser or the like, software recovery methods shouldn't work. On magnetic media, use multiple pass overwrites and even hardware scanning methods shouldn't work.

I've used Restoration 2.5.14 by Brian Kato (I believe there are other unrelated "Restoration"s. It's less than 0.5MB and doesn't have to be installed; it can be run from a floppy or a USB memory stick. It recovers files quickly but shredding files can take a long time. Eraser 5.7 (Heidi Computers Ltd) offers more shredding options but doesn't have a recovery function. Both are freeware.