Messages

51

General Software Discussion / Re: Need some (security/virus-related) advice.

« on: December 11, 2017, 03:22 PM »

Do you think a windows 10 "refresh" would accomplish this?

52

General Software Discussion / Re: Need some (security/virus-related) advice.

« on: December 11, 2017, 11:54 AM »

Actually I think he'll be served perfectly well with a notebook with passwords written down. I love KeePass but I don't see my Dad dealing with such a system.

53

General Software Discussion / Re: Need some (security/virus-related) advice.

« on: December 11, 2017, 10:33 AM »

Hope you're right, Jesse.

Eric

54

General Software Discussion / Re: Need some (security/virus-related) advice.

« on: December 11, 2017, 10:15 AM »

Just talked to Dad, expressed my concerns. He's still not worried - it's been a few months and nothing bad has happened -- no weird charges or anything. He did pay $100 to get his computer "fixed" and he didn't recognize the company that showed up on his credit card bill. I asked if he could recall what happened while the scammer was logged in to teamviewer and he couldn't remember anything other than "it took awhile".

Dad kept all his passwords for things in a file probably called passwords.doc or something. So the scammer definitely has his credit card, name, phone number, and might have his login info for literally every account he has (though not his SSN unless they got it through a keylogger or something)

I told him to print the passwords file, delete it, and then change his passwords, but I won't be able to look at his PC until Wednesday.

Hopefully the $100 was all they were after - although I'd really like to know what they were doing in teamviewer for "awhile"

And I can't get Dad to feel any sort of concern about this! It's "no big deal," ancient history, no problem.

My brother suggested he put some recipes in his passwords.doc file. Maybe save his passwords in recipes.doc. That'll foil them!

55

General Software Discussion / Need some (security/virus-related) advice.

« on: December 11, 2017, 07:15 AM »

Hi everyone.
I was visiting my parents house last week and noticed an icon for "Teamviewer" on my dad's desktop. I asked him about it and he said that he had called support after his computer froze a few months ago, and they had him install it so they could fix his computer. Did he call Lenovo? I asked, and he said no, he thought it was Microsoft. What number did he call? the number that came up on the screen when it froze. He was dismissive (embarrassed?) and said not to worry about it.

But I'm still worried about it. My hunch is that his "locked up" computer was really just a full-screen website and he was taken in by somebody. I didn't ask if he gave anyone money for this...

My question for you: if I have the opportunity to check out his computer, what should I check for? This is Windows 10 and additionally he has Malwarebytes installed. What might someone have done while having complete access to his computer (via teamviewer) and how can I find it?

Nervously,
Eric

56

General Software Discussion / Re: So, what pdf reader app is your fav?

« on: December 10, 2017, 07:13 AM »

Possibly vaguely related:

I tried PDFXchange a couple of years ago, and found no shortcuts for getting various views of a page. Adobe Reader isn't super in that direction, but does have

• Ctrl+1 for page width
• Ctrl+3 for content width (margins removed from view)
• Alt+LeftArrow for previous 'view'
• and still mainly supports mouse zoom: Ctrl+Spacebar[+Alt] Click and drag for zooming in and out

It no longer uses Ctrl+0 to show full page (edit// I may be wrong there but pretty sure they had that as the full-page view shortcut)

But, certainly in the past, none of the aternatives gave much keyboard support for view/zoom-level

-tomos (December 10, 2017, 06:44 AM)

PDF Xchange (viewer v2.5) has similar shortcuts
Ctrl-0 Actual Size
Ctrl-1 Fit Page
Ctrl-2 Fit Width
Alt-Right/Left next/previous view This is documented but doesn't work for me.

Additionally PDF-XChange allows custom keyboard shortcuts for every command in the program via the "Customize Toolbars" window including e.g. zoom levels

57

General Software Discussion / Re: So, what pdf reader app is your fav?

« on: December 08, 2017, 11:39 AM »

I use PDF Xchange like many of you. Am I the only one that, every year or so, finds an entry somewhere (Program Files, Registry, Add/remove...) for "Tracker Software" and freaks out a little bit?

58

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommended Windows 10 app - "Dynamic Theme"

« on: November 14, 2017, 03:47 PM »

Copy elsewhere and rename all to *.jpg to save/use/view normally.

-Stoic Joker (November 14, 2017, 03:38 PM)

I happened upon that page while trying to solve this problem--it's pretty worthless, only describing how to switch from Windows Spotlight to using your own pictures. You've found a way to relocate the lock screen pictures to use them as a slide show. The app I've just found does that same thing, automatically, and continually downloads and displays new images.

I'm no fan of doing anything at all through the Windows Store, nor of having programs running all the time. However this one seems to work really well, with minimal fuss and with minimal overhead (currently using .1 MB RAM and no CPU).

59

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommended Windows 10 app - "Dynamic Theme"

« on: November 14, 2017, 11:22 AM »

I don't believe either of your apps do anything to the lock screen, or I'd switch

I just found another feature, if you like the photography: Dynamic Theme lets you scroll back through past "Spotlight" images to find any you'd like to save, even if you missed them.

And I wanted to direct-link the author's website (in French)

60

General Software Discussion / Recommended Windows 10 app - "Dynamic Theme"

« on: November 14, 2017, 08:39 AM »

I found this app today and thought I'd share it here.

The problem which I was trying to solve was the removal of the click-bait captions on the Windows 10 lock screen pictures. Windows downloads these (often beautiful) images for the lock screen but then covers them with these little spammy captions/links like "You'll never believe where this island is..." and baloney like that. I thought i might find a registry key or something to get rid of these, but I failed—it seems the only option was to stop using Spotlight, instead choosing my own pictures for the lock screen.

Until I found the app (I'm using the shortened word intentionally) "Dynamic Theme". It's available, free, from the Windows App Store. It has no ads or anything.

What this app does is download (from somewhere...) either the Bing or Windows Spotlight image each day, and set it as your lock screen or desktop background. So it acts as a normal picture (indeed if you check in the windows settings it is set to "Picture") This means no more silly captions; the ability to set these pictures to the desktop wallpaper is a nice bonus that I've enjoyed. The program will also archive the downloaded pictures in a folder of your choice, if you wish.

You can try it by searching in the windows store (or just typing "Dynamic Theme" in the start menu), or by going to its page on microsoft.com.

61

General Software Discussion / Re: Use Batch Script to create an acronym from a variable

« on: July 30, 2017, 08:06 PM »

OK, I've got to ask... what are you looking for? What's your desired input/ouput format? And if I can be nosy, what's the purpose of these odd acronyms?

62

General Software Discussion / Re: Organize files using virtual folders

« on: July 16, 2017, 06:24 AM »

For the specific case of files on the windows desktop, Stardock Fences does some of the things you want.

63

FARR Plugins and Aliases / Re: FARR Plugin: FCalc v1.12 (Mar 25, 2015)

« on: July 12, 2017, 08:52 AM »

FCalc is built on muparser; see the built-in functions here:
http://beltoforion.d...hl=en&p=features

I guess you want atan()? This gives results in radians. You can get degrees with the built-in "_pi" constant like
fc atan(1)*180/_pi

64

General Software Discussion / Re: Use Batch Script to create an acronym from a variable

« on: July 11, 2017, 08:44 AM »

Now updated to accept multiline input. Still no errorchecking or anything.
http://ericandchar.com/dc/acronym.html

65

General Software Discussion / Re: Use Batch Script to create an acronym from a variable

« on: July 06, 2017, 04:23 PM »

Quick and dirty:

http://ericandchar.com/dc/acronym.html

66

General Software Discussion / Re: Best Way to Embed Excel Worksheet in Word Doc

« on: July 06, 2017, 02:58 PM »

OK, here's some tips that might help you on the way to a solution. I'm using LibreOffice and I do not have access to Word or Excel; I'll be using "Writer" and "Calc"

First, you can embed a spreadsheet in a Writer document. This is done by "Insert → Object → OLE Object" in Writer, it's probably similar in Word. This embedded document may be "full" which will appear as a table might, or it can be an icon which when clicked will open in Calc.

Second, you can embed a specific cell from a Calc file into a Writer document (whether or not the files are linked as above). This is done by copying the cell in the Calc document (or embedded table) and then pasting it into the Writer document using "Paste Special…", then chosing "DDE Link". The resulting text will be live-linked to its source in the spreadsheet.

Hopefully these two tidbits will help you.
Eric

67

General Software Discussion / Re: Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

« on: December 16, 2016, 06:19 AM »

I'm afraid it will take me too long to do, cost too much, and that I will struggle getting the drawers to fit again.

-mouser (December 12, 2016, 12:50 PM)

It will almost definitely be all of those things. Is woodworking a hobby that brings you enjoyment, or just a means to an end? For me, it usually comes down to when I need the furniture in question. I just bought a pair of bunk beds for my sons that I definitely could have made myself. But I had them "done" in one weekend by buying them, instead of a month (or two) and in this case that was more important. I would disregard cost, by the way. The one you build will almost certainly be better materials and construction than the one you buy. If you want to compare cost, price some furniture made in Amish country—it'll make you feel better about the cost of birch plywood

I am now seriously considering building my second piece of "fine" furniture, a large chest of drawers/armoire.

-mouser (December 12, 2016, 12:50 PM)

Remember you will always regret it if you do not build secret compartments.

68

DC Website Help and Extras / Re: All new posts being sent to RSS?

« on: November 15, 2016, 09:14 AM »

Before yesterday, the last post was 14 months old. Since yesterday I've had about 50 posts show up, including (eventually) this one.

I have three DC feeds set up; this one had been dormant; the other ones work fine. I'm going to just delete the broken feed but I thought I'd let you know first.

Here's the DC feeds I've got in feedly right now:

Official announcements:

[Select]

http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?action=.xml;board=48;limit=20;sa=news;type=rss2

Forum (was dormant, now showing every post)

[Select]

http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?action=.xml;limit=10;sa=blogs;type=rss2

Forum ("promoted" posts from www.donationcoder.com/blog/)

[Select]

http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?action=.xml%3Blimit=10%3Bsa=blogs%3Btype=rss2

69

DC Website Help and Extras / All new posts being sent to RSS?

« on: November 15, 2016, 06:50 AM »

I've been getting, I think, all posts and replies pushed to my RSS feed reader (feedly). This is new, started about a day ago.

70

Find And Run Robot / Re: ALT key problem

« on: November 13, 2016, 08:27 PM »

Also, this whole thread (and a couple others) got pushed to rss, one post at a time. Kind of weird.

71

Find And Run Robot / Re: ALT key problem

« on: November 13, 2016, 08:24 PM »

Do you have something else using right alt? Many systems use it as a modifier for accented characters; I think windows may be able to use it for certain accessibility options as well. I run a utility (WinCompose) which captures right-alt (I use only left-alt for launching farr, and typically numpad for launching programs).

72

Living Room / Re: What other forums do you participate in?

« on: September 28, 2016, 06:46 AM »

Just guessing he meant https://www.reddit.c.../mechanicalkeyboards

73

Living Room / Re: What other forums do you participate in?

« on: September 27, 2016, 03:37 PM »

I'll start. Once upon a time, a child got a new pencil for his first day of school. He didn't have a pencil sharpener, though, so he located a pair of scissors...

74

Find And Run Robot / Re: Testing FARR alternative "Wox"

« on: August 24, 2016, 09:03 AM »

Also I should add that every time I say or type "Wox" I picture some sort of Dr. Seuss character. Probably wearing socks and standing on a box.

75

Find And Run Robot / Testing FARR alternative "Wox"

« on: August 23, 2016, 08:33 AM »

I know this has been mentioned before in this forum. I have just switched one of my PCs to Wox (http://www.getwox.com/) instead of FARR and I'm testing to see if it works as a substitute. The reason for this change now is that in a recent beta Wox has got Windows 10 "Modern" apps working, which FARR still lacks.

For those who haven't heard of it... Wox pops up a search bar with (by default) the same hotkey as FARR. It requires the search index service of Everything which powers its search results. This means there's a lot of unnecessary results if Everything has indexed your whole hard drive(s), but in my experience the ones I want (generally shortcuts to programs) are sorted to the top. I have it set to show 10 results, but there's an invisible scroll bar which actually gives you the whole list from Everything.

Also, like FARR, previously-run commands are weighted toward the top. So, for example, the first time I typed "irfan" the first result was irfanview-thumbnails and the second result was irfanview. However, after I ran irfanview the first time, the next time those two results were reversed (the one I wanted was at the top).

Like FARR, hitting enter executes the first result. There's no shortcut for subsequent results (I don't think...) like FARR's numpad hotkeys.

Many plugins (like calculator, websearch) are included, others are at their website. There's no analog to FARR's aliases.

There are themes but they are poor compared to FARR.

Wox both appears and displays results faster than FARR. Presumably the Everything index explains the latter advantage.

The Windows 10 "Modern" app support has just been put in beta and it still is glitchy (for example, Calendar brings up Mail and vice versa). That version is 1.3.271 which I found here.

I'm going to stick with it for a few days and see if anything gets in my way, but as a user of FARR that generally left everything stock, ignoring most of the aliases and functions, and as someone who already had Everything running all the time anyhow, I think Wox might take over.

Thanks
Eric