Messages

76

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Laptop Security - Lock system/send keystroke unless key pressed in n sec

« on: June 06, 2009, 10:11 PM »

UPDATE: Added link to the program here. It's beta and doesn't yet have all the super-secure (if the adversary is prepared and knows what he's doing) features discussed here, but it works.
http://www.mediafire.com/?wtgywzo2znt
Edit the file to set the timer values. The key combination to reset the timer is Win+3.
You also need to have http://www.autohotkey.com/ installed.
Original code that has a different timeout (fake) warning (task tray balloon) below.

Use the computer with full confidence in situations where it can be snatched (stolen) from your hands. Any public areas actually qualify - and even your (g/b) friend, parent, teacher, bouncer, security guard, police, may just choose to take a look. Or if you absentmindedly leave your system unsupervised for a while, they can't get a (long) peek. The more portable things get, the more easily you lose physical control of them. The solution: you need to provide a "heartbeat" to the computer. They'll get the body but not the mind...
Send keystroke, activate screen saver, blank screen, display an image (favorites: black screen with "Missing Operating System", or "NTLDR is missing", or "Operating system not found", actually switching to DOS graphics mode or the trusty old BSOD), run video, run program, shut down, etc. unless a key is repeatedly pressed within, say, 10 sec. Could be one time only, e.g. during startup.
If you fail, it will optionally ask for a (probably quick and easy to type) password or a (modifier combo) key (or no dialog, you'll just type it) and if you fail to provide it in, say, 30 seconds, it will send a keystroke which will e.g. forcefully dismount encrypted drives.
Optional visible countdown timer with custom position, font, color, transparency. It could stay invisible until 5 sec remain and then change color from green through amber to red, or become more opaque and start blinking when 3 sec remain. If wrong key is entered, the color will optionally change, and optionally a sound will play (lowest priority feature).
Use a string of characters that has to be entered in order, repeating, or any one of them. So e.g. you'd keep on pressing Ctrl+Win+A, Ctrl+Win+S, Ctrl+Win+D to keep the system happy.
The key can be anything, with a modifier or modifier combo or no modifier.

Could support the finger print reader, microphone input (one of a group of recorded sounds/words).

77

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Set non-focused processes low/below normal priority

« on: February 04, 2009, 12:47 AM »

Almost a solution:
Setting every process to idle and running one small exe that raises focused process priority
http://www.lockergno...5/actual-booster-31/

78

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Button/hotkey pause every process except focused and...

« on: February 03, 2009, 05:09 AM »

I've tested the effects of this by suspending using ProcExp. I've also stopped/disabled most services leaving

DCOM Server Process Launcher (some software won't start without this)
DHCP Client
Event Log
Plug and Play
Remote Procedure Call
Windows Audio

And when installing, Windows Installer.
For LAN, Workstation and Server.

Some processes need to be closed/killed because suspending them makes Windows UI not receive clicks.

This is fairly useless when not running anywhere near 100% CPU load, but when you do, the effects are clear - things that reacted sluggishly are smooth, audio, video stutters especially the ones that happen rarely once or twice a movie, are gone. This is hardly surprising since the CPU gives the software its full attention. Obviously lower-end machines will benefit more. Before gaming, just pause/kill everything, play, then resume/start. The number of context switches drops from around 5-10K (20-30K max) to around 800-1200.

79

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Set non-focused processes low/below normal priority

« on: February 02, 2009, 09:24 PM »

Idle/low priority non-focused processes, except system processes, though idling most of them is ok - it seems only csrss.exe and System need to remain normal or higher unless you want UI slowdowns and audio/video dropouts. Also as groups: when any of X, Y, or Z are focused, all are non-idle.
Each process can have its focused and unfocused priority set; you could have non-focused at a higher priority. You need to be able to set all process priorities permanently. Prio http://www.prnwatch.com/download.html helps but doesn't do system processes.

See also suspending processes
https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=16746.0

80

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Hotkey Save files & presets with auto incrementing # and current date time

« on: January 29, 2009, 06:54 AM »

A universal search and replace for the save text field. Instead of doing it all manually, it automates as much as possible so all you need to do is what can't be automated.

Automatically add a date at the end or start of a file or preset name or, more usually, replace an existing date time, optionally leaving the dialog box open for further edits.

It should be also able to increment a 0001 or 001 or 01 somewhere in the line, determining the next one from the last one if possible, or you set the starting number and it has its own counter that it increments whenever it is used.

I may have a name for a file or a preset in this format

Name Save# Description DateTime

e.g.

Microsoft Windows 7 SP 1 123 Explorer becomes unresponsive 20091231 2359

A hotkey should save it as

Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 124 Explorer unresponsive AGAIN 20100101 0000

Save# and DateTime can be positioned anywhere and either can be omitted. You set their positions manually.

Another hotkey would leave the dialog open (i.e. not press OK/Save) and position the cursor at any place in the name or automatically in front of the description.

Another hotkey would in addition delete the description so all you need to do is type the description.

In practice:

1 Press hotkey
Name 124 | 20100101 0000
(| is the cursor)
2 Type description
3 Press enter

This is a lot less work than
1 Click save preset
2 Move cursor
4 Increment number
5 Select old description
6 Type description
7 Move cursor
8 Modify date and/or time
9 Press enter

Sometimes Save Preset is not available as a shortcut key, and in the worst case  you must click a button, which opens a menu, and then select Save. I don't know how the hotkey would click the save preset button. Perhaps every UI element  has an identifier and you can teach it the right button, per software. Or the software author could be asked add a shortcut key for saving presets.

81

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Button/hotkey pause every process except focused and...

« on: January 27, 2009, 11:34 PM »

Think of it as a Ghoster for processes. It could automatically resume processes when the current window loses focus.

82

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Button/hotkey pause every process except focused and...

« on: January 27, 2009, 11:31 PM »

How about some coding...
1 List running processes.
2 Remove exceptions and focused process from the list.
3 Suspend everything on the list.

Done?

83

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: PreDelete

« on: January 25, 2009, 08:53 PM »

Probably better as a separate program: move the data back to where it came from at a predetermined time, or pop up a reminder asking "Restore?". You could set up a new reminder date or snooze it for n days/weeks/months/years.

The one that asks you to "Restore or delete?" would be the program you ask for (or the one I proposed, just run with a different option.)

C:\Folder\File.txt
goes to
C:\Boomerang\Folder\File.txt

and

D:\Folder\File.txt
goes to
D:\Boomerang\Folder\File.txt

You could set the folder name and location (on each drive or on one drive).

84

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Button/hotkey pause every process except focused and...

« on: January 25, 2009, 12:54 AM »

A button/hotkey that I could tap and everything else except the focused process and the vital system processes would be suspended. Another tap would resume. You could stop/start services too.

You could have several different types:

Maximum: Suspend everything except focused process and vital system processes.
Medium: Leave some vital UI processes running, like FARR and TapTap, etc.
Minimal: Suspend only processes that have larger than n% usage.

See also
https://www.donation....msg139975#msg139975

85

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA:Intelligently gather files & folders with same words in names to clusters

« on: November 30, 2008, 03:16 PM »

Locate32's database would be perfectly suited for implementing this sort of an application because it deals with searching or "knowing" the locations, names, and other attributes of files and folders. You would simply create a list of files and folders that have, in their names, groups of words appearing together in any order (even with some random words in between) and then move each found member of such group to a common folder, resulting in the clustering of files and folders with similar names.

Seems doable and rather simple, and UberUseful - I mean, who would do such tedious file and folder grouping ever again if it was handled automagically? You could restrict to one folder or its subfolders or a set of folders anywhere (also network shares) or do it on all folders (not so useful because most of the stuff you want organized is probably already under a few folders, which may be on different drives).

Perhaps some of these features could already be created simply as somewhat complex searches, or if not yet possible, perhaps Locate32's search terms and capabilities could be extended to make such smart searches possible. It would automatically create searches based on groups of words that exist in names, like: if it finds files and folders with names such as "Word1 Word2" and "Word2 Word1" and "random words Word1 random words Word2 random words" it would create a search folder (search preset, for now, until search folders in Explorer are implemented) that searches all those files, naming it "Word1 Word2 cluster" or something. From there you could move everything to a common folder manually, until full automatic functionality is in place.

86

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Locate32 saved searches as folders in Explorer (shell namespace objects)

« on: November 30, 2008, 05:42 AM »

This is so obvious it probably has been suggested already. Searches as shell namespace objects (folder views). You just click the (virtual) folder and see the results of the search and can work with them just like in a Locate window. Couldn't be simpler and easier. Right click the folder to configure search terms. Ctrl-drag to copy. Place them in any folder (as junctions?), but if not possible, with the Shell Object Editor, you can at least add them to the Desktop or My Computer.

87

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Pause/Suspend Others

« on: November 28, 2008, 10:15 PM »

You could have a process list with checkboxes for Suspend and Kill. Necessary system processes would be left unchecked by default, but if they can be suspended/killed and then resumed/restarted with no ill effect, why not?
The processes you want to be able to resume, such as Firefox, you would suspend, others you'd kill for the free memory. Resume restarts the killed processes.

88

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Pause/Suspend Others

« on: November 28, 2008, 10:08 PM »

Another software would be one that just suspends every other process with one click. Another click/hotkey resumes everything.

It should be as easy as: list processes, suspend everything but the active window. With excludes of course.

89

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: MinimOther new feature: timed

« on: November 28, 2008, 09:55 PM »

If apps are switched between often, perhaps you don't want them minimizing.
Timer that minimizes other windows only after they've been non-focused for n seconds.

90

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Pause/Suspend Others

« on: November 28, 2008, 09:46 PM »

-Every other process gets paused. 100% free CPU.
-Excludes (e.g. right click window title "Don't pause this process" or in the Task Manager)
-If possible, the paused process gets dumped to virtual memory, freeing up RAM.
-Timed: if processes are switched often between, don't pause them until they've been non-focused n seconds.

With ProcExp and PsSuspend.exe
http://technet.micro...ernals/bb897540.aspx
you can pause processes.

The difficulty is switching back to paused processes... perhaps another switcher, replacing alt-tab. Even an alternative taskbar.

91

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA:Intelligently gather files & folders with same words in names to clusters

« on: November 19, 2008, 09:17 PM »

See also

IDEA: DeEntropizer - File and Folder Auto Organizer by Similarity and Patterns
https://www.donation...96.msg43589#msg43589

Not much enthusiasm... no messy file systems, eh?

We need to start a Manhattan Project for seriously intelligent file management automation... The goal: You drop your files on the desktop or some Inbox folder and they find their way to the right place, exactly where you would have put them, creating subfolders if necessary and renamed like you would have renamed them. A shortcut list of the locations of the new stuff gets updated.

92

Post New Requests Here / IDEA:Intelligently gather files & folders with same words in names to clusters

« on: November 13, 2008, 04:29 PM »

When you search stuff, download it, it just stays in the download folders, which you may have on several hard drives. Despite all this computation power, it doesn't go where it's supposed to by itself. You need to move it where it belongs.

I want a program that does that. How do you code a program that does that?

Just model what you do when you do that.

In a nutshell: Big clusters of similarly named files and folders act like magnets that suck similar named files to their vicinity.

You look at the filenames. When you see similar words, you know they should go into a folder.
Which folder? You know where there are files and folders with similar names. Those clusters of files and folders are your destinations. For example, you already have several albums by some artist in a folder. All the spread-around files should go there.  program would have to locate every file, perhaps utilizing Locate32's database, count how many times words occur in all filenames, and determine matches when those words are in any order, the more similar, the higher the match.

something A something B something
something B something A something
A B
B A

A B C
C B A
B C A
A C B

etc.

Option: Move only files that have two or more matching words in their filenames.
Option: Only move files or folders or files with some extension.
Option: Limit search folders.
Option: Simulate to see what would happen.

Just ONE run of it would seriously clean up your hard drives. It should check whether there's enough space on the drive. If it notices that you're going to run out of space, it suggests moving the cluster, i.e. the whole subfolder where similar named files are, to another drive with enough space under the same tree structure.

After it has gathered files into big piles, it would sort them further into subfolders if tighter matches are found.

Build as much intelligence into it as you can. Make it work exactly like you would.

Oh, and why not throw in automatic archive extraction into subfolders and clean up unnecessary folders. Just like you would.

And file & folder name cleanup with a simple txt file of words and sentences to kill. It could determine that if you have two words, like

Artist Name - Song

And you have lots of names like

Name, Artist - Song

it would think, "perhaps I need to rename all 'Artist Name - Song' to  'Name, Artist - Song'" while I'm at it. The user seems to prefer it that way. It might ask you.

93

Post New Requests Here / DimScreen to refresh on screen resolution changes and rotation

« on: November 13, 2008, 02:35 PM »

Just make it restart itself. That's what I have to do when changing the res or rotating.

I have .bats for various resolutions, so I can make DimScreen restart there.
Rotation by hot key. How do I make a .bat punch a hotkey?

I don't have a command line screen rotation exe. Got one?

94

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Easy: Stop/suspend processes and services installer/config dialog

« on: April 10, 2008, 05:06 PM »

http://www.cockos.co...owthread.php?t=20069
Seems to work great according to benchmarks, asking for an AHK script to install the thing for newbies. The installer is simple and is described in great detail.

95

Find And Run Robot / Re: Latest FARR v2.00.59 ALPHA PREVIEW Release - MARCH 14, 2007

« on: March 22, 2007, 01:45 PM »

It would be great if you didn't hard code fonts and just used the system fonts

That's the way the program operated until recently -- but i had to modify that to deal with people who had large fonts enabled to handle a problem where the fonts were too big for the dialogs. I guess you also have large fonts enabled on your system?

-mouser (March 22, 2007, 10:36 AM)

No, normal as you can see in Folder Options. Only my system fonts are 14 pt. Perhaps you could take a look at how Microsoft deals with the normal/large font issue in its own dialogs and mimic that. Or you could just design two dialogs for normal and large fonts.

Why large fonts and icons? A larger click area takes less time to aim. You don't have to be so precise. Sure, you see less per screen but... two solutions: use VirtuaWin and/or buy a larger screen - like a ViewSonic 28" $879 in April.

96

Find And Run Robot / Re: Latest FARR v2.00.59 ALPHA PREVIEW Release - MARCH 14, 2007

« on: March 22, 2007, 10:28 AM »

Notice the truncated status bar.

97

Find And Run Robot / Re: Latest FARR v2.00.59 ALPHA PREVIEW Release - MARCH 14, 2007

« on: March 22, 2007, 09:33 AM »

customizable fonts are on my todo list.

-mouser (March 22, 2007, 09:20 AM)

Great. Hope the theme color issue is there too.







Left is preferable. Just standard UI elements.

The dialog font is Meta Medium substituted by tweaking the Registry. It would be great if you didn't hard code fonts and just used the system fonts, like Microsoft does - because the user knows best.

98

Find And Run Robot / Re: Latest FARR v2.00.59 ALPHA PREVIEW Release - MARCH 14, 2007

« on: March 22, 2007, 08:54 AM »

Text is what we read. It's our interface to data. Not the frame. Not the colors. So skins are secondary, fonts are primary. People with bad eyesight have a hard time using FARR and people with a sense of typography are in constant pain. Solution: customizable fonts.

32-128 pixel icons.

The skins don't support white on black color themes. Try it and you'll see the problems.



On the left is what I'd like to see.

The fonts are Share and Audimat

http://www.smashingm...fonts-audimat-share/

99

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Mini-Review: Altiris SVS

« on: March 02, 2007, 01:33 PM »

It's just awesome.

Install all software in a clean virtual machine.

Multi Export everything with three clicks.

Multi Import them all with three clicks to any system.

And it's going to be portable. Run virtualized apps anywhere without installing.

Check this out for "The Perfect XP System" utilizing Faronics Deep Freeze and SVS. ShadowStor ShadowUser should work too.

http://www.joewang.n...he_perfect_xp_system

100

Find And Run Robot / Re: Latest FARR v2.00.37 ALPHA PREVIEW Release - January 21, 2007

« on: January 27, 2007, 04:42 AM »

Graphical errosr





Column headers. Moved the line between Score and Location.



Use Appearance fonts instead of hard coding the hideous Much$uck fonts, so it can look something like this





Here hard coding colors is obviously required



Been using white on black since the days of the command line and my eyes thank me for it. The logic: My brain needs photons only for information. Background isn't information.

This problem is common. Lots of software has colors and fonts hard coded. Just don't do it

The displayed black theme is attached.