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I just downloaded a trial version of WebEQ which seems to be just what we are looking for.  Its system-wide equalizer permits +10db amplification. But during the most trivial initial tests I can't hear any difference in volume.  I will test more and report back.

Meanwhile you can test also: http://www.blazeaudio.com/products/webeq.html

Vincent

Turns out I forgot to turn it on.  It comes out of the box off -- you have to push the Equalize button.

I can raise the volume so that I can hear distortion on most A/V sources.  But some remain so quite that +10db is not as much as I would want.  Still WebEQ is quite an improvement.

Vincent

I haven't tried it, but according to the AutoHotkey manual:

All Windows OSes should be able to play .wav files. However, other files (.mp3, .avi, etc.) might not be playable if the right codecs or features aren't installed on the OS.

So what features could be missing?

Skrommel

I have no idea.  When I double-click on an MP3 file, RealPayer comes up and plays it.

Thanks -- Vincent

I just downloaded a trial version of WebEQ which seems to be just what we are looking for.  Its system-wide equalizer permits +10db amplification. But during the most trivial initial tests I can't hear any difference in volume.  I will test more and report back.

Meanwhile you can test also: http://www.blazeaudio.com/products/webeq.html

Vincent

[BatteryRun v1.1]

It's kind of simple, I think it needs a proper options screen, but I only had an hour last night.

It uses GetSystemPowerStatus, so a lot more alarms can be added, like battery low, 70% recharged, or whatever.

I've added automatic WAV and MP3 detection to BatteryRun v1.1.

Skrommel

I tried specifying an MP3 file and nothing sounded.

Vincent

I did find this article that gives a way of increasing the sound:
http://www.netlobo.com/laptop_volume.html
By using the equalizer of a particular software, you can even limit the frequencies that will cause distortion (mostly the lower band or bass) and increase those that will allow you to hear better.

What we need to solve this problem in general is an equalizer (with amplification) that comes between the audio card and the rest of the system.

Vincent

[BatteryRun v1.1]

It's kind of simple, I think it needs a proper options screen, but I only had an hour last night.

It uses GetSystemPowerStatus, so a lot more alarms can be added, like battery low, 70% recharged, or whatever.

I've added automatic WAV and MP3 detection to BatteryRun v1.1.

Skrommel

It's much more responsive with the build-in WAV support -- thanks.  And has a more comprehensible call.

BTW the new BatteryRun does nothing with my old call.  I think it parses out the WAV extension and doesn't realize that it is an argument to the command to call. 

Personally, I feel no need for an options screen.  If you add one, it would be nice if everything could also be specified on the command line and, in that case, there would be no INI file.

Vincent

[BatteryRun]

Here a simple command line utility.

BatteryRun - Run commands when the power plug is connected or disconnected.

Command line:
  BatteryRun.exe "<connect command>" "<disconnect command>"
Example:
  BatteryRun.exe "ding.wav" "calc.exe"

You'll find the downloads and more info at 1 Hour Software by Skrommel.

For multiple actions, I suggest making an AutoHotkey script.

Skrommel

That's fantastic!  May I ask what the basic hook you used is?

I note that you left it as an exercise for the reader to figure out how to simply play a WAV file.  Putting the WAV file as a command, as you suggest, brings up the Media Player UI.  I found many discussions about how to simply play a WAV file from, say, a BAT file which concluded that you can't.  But one lead me to SNDREC32 used, I think, to make recordings.  SNDREC32 /PLAY /CLOSE /EMBEDDING Sound.WAV will simply play a sound -- no UI or other irrelevances.  It does take a long time to play -- I'd still like a simple and FAST WAV player.

So the entire Target of my BatteryRun shortcut is:

"C:\Program Files\Utilities\BatteryRun.exe" "C:\WINDOWS\system32\sndrec32.exe /play /close /embedding C:\WINDOWS\Media\tada.wav" "C:\WINDOWS\system32\sndrec32.exe /play /close /embedding C:\WINDOWS\Media\Windows XP Battery Critical.wav"

Thanks -- Vincent

Is there anyway to apply Accents to the %-key?  I'd like to use it for ½, ¼ & ¾.

Thanks -- Vincent

I never thought of the possibility. Are you saying that when you press Shift-CapsLock, CAPshift starts counting? On my PC it toggles CapsLock directly, being ignored by CAPshift.

Skrommel

No, I'm not saying that.  As I said "CapShift doesn't see Shift-CapsLock". My Shift-CapsLock acts just as yours. Is that really your intention?

But my main point was that CapShift doesn't work with the only NumLock I have on my notebook PC.  I was guessing that it is because the only way I can "press" Numlock looks like Shift-NumLock.  I'm not sure.  What I know is that CapShift doesn't work with NumLock and I "press" NumLock using Shift-ScrollLock.  (Maybe this is why the newer Lenovo ThinkPads have switched to Fn-ScrollLock.)

Thanks -- Vincent

http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

That's the mother of all converters and it's free as well.

Maybe, but it sure is difficult to download! I gave up using Firefox, and got it in IE with only two tries.

lol, I know, you have to go through like 10 or 20 pages before you finaly get to the download link, its crazy

http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

That's the mother of all converters and it's free as well.

Maybe, but it sure is difficult to download! I gave up using Firefox, and got it in IE with only two tries.

Really unbelievable!  Here's a direct link: http://updat4.free.fr/9AA...BE98DB54FF/SUPERsetup.exe

Vincent

Every ThinkPad I've ever owned has inadequate volume (using internal speakers).  When the sound is turned all the way up, I can hear no signs of distortion.  So I imagine that it could go louder.

Does anyone know how to get it louder?

Thanks -- Vincent

My Gateway (actually re-badged Samsung) Centrino notebook dims the screen to 25% when the AC cord is removed and restores it to 100% when AC is reconnected. However, I don't know how this is accomplished, as there is nothing in my Power options under the Control Panel to control it. At any rate, this is a very effective notifier and I quite miss it when I play around on my wife's Compaq, non-Centrino, notebook.

My brother's compaq does that also, though kruskal's idea would be good for all the computers that don't do that.

In some situations, it is important for an audible alarm even if the screen makes the power state clear.  Often my notebook is closed and I hear the BIOS beep -- I have no idea if it is complaining that it lost power or is thanking me for restoring power.  For you see, on my notebook, at least, the power cord can appear to be plugged in when not actually making contact.

Thanks for all the comments -- Vincent

I'm looking for a utility that detects loss of power on a notebook PC and when it is reestablished.  I want a WAV file sounded in one case and ANOTHER WAV file in the other.  My BIOS will make an sound, but it is the same in both cases.

I think the trick is detecting the events.  Perhaps Windows Universal Power Supply support could be exploited.

Thanks -- Vincent

Most of the web pages or documents that I save go to one of about 3 folders. Each time I save something, however, I have to find those folders again (I use FF2). I was wondering if someone knows of, or could write, a program which could modify the save dialog so that, next to "Desktop" and "My documents", I could also have 3 custom folders which I could then select with one click.

Thanks for your help, you're all legends.

TweakUI for XP has this option: CommonDialogs/Places Bar.  http://www.microsoft.com/...owertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Vincent

Vincent - did you look at VGrep? I ask only because I decided to re-download it and take a look. It's got a very simple interface and does all that you require! I'm impressed - set up a folder with a large number of copied text files and then had it replace text within them all and it worked like a charm. Won't work with Office files, for example, but anything with plain text works...

VGrap is certainly closer to the limited utility that I was looking for.  I'll look at.  Who knows -- I might really prefer the fancy features of ReplaceEm or PSPad.

Thanks -- Vincent

PS I wonder why I was so unsuccessful in Googling these utilities for myself.  I could find nothing for free.

On a ThinkPad (maybe other notebooks), NumLock shares a key with ScrollLock.  You select Numlock by Shift-ScrollLock.  CapsShift doesn't see the NumLock.  I'm guessing that it comes in looking like a Shift-NumLock.

Similarly, but less importantly, CapShift doesn't see Shift-CapsLock.

Windows treats both Shift-NumLock and Shift-CapsLock as though they were unshifted.

Thanks for the great gadget -- Vincent

Thank so much!  I will try ReplaceEm and PSPad.  Sounds great.

Vincent

I'd like a simple program that would replace all occurrences of a text string with another in all files in a directory.  I've looked around and could only find far more complex utilities with far larger prices.

Bells & Whistles: Options which I could do without:

Only process files with a given extension (or extensions or matching a pattern)
Process subfolders (or not)
Ignore case (or not)

Thanks -- Vincent