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Topics - wreckedcarzz [ switch to compact view ]

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101
Developer's Corner / Help with autohotkey: Command line switches
« on: February 18, 2008, 01:06 AM »
I am having trouble figuring out how to add support for command line switches for AHK programs (completed EXEs). I have googled over and over again, searched the AHK forum and documentation, and I can't find anything on it anywhere. I know it can be done due to Skrommel's BatteryRun.

Can anyone help me?

-Brandon

102
Living Room / Cooking my PC: what NOT to do
« on: February 16, 2008, 10:27 PM »
My stupidity often overrides my logic. It is just me. It cannot be explained. This is a prefect example of what NOT to do when messing with your CPU.

Back in November, about a week before my birthday (I do the same with Christmas), I went on some sites with my dad's login, and found out what I was getting on my little day. One of them was a Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU fan I had asked for. Upon opening the box and acting as surprised as possible, I found that the thing was about 1 CM to big for my case (it was a small form factor case, and I didn't take the time to measure it). So waiting another week and after receiving the case, I continued to attempt my new case swap and fan replacement. I spent 4 hours getting 2 little standoffs out of the legs that attached to the motherboard (this made the heatsink + fan too high, not touching the CPU, and thus emitting a siren-like sound upon boot, followed by an emergency system shutdown).

After getting that done, I screwed the heatsink into the slots, and booted it up. Success! It works!

Coming to about 4 hours ago, I was testing my system boot time, and noted that it took longer than usual to boot. I went into the BIOS and changed the hard drive to the primary boot device; but I also decided to take a look at the system fan speeds and temps.

CPU temp     67C

I about wet myself- 67C?!?!?! Thats roughly 153F!

After thinking for about 5 minutes what could be causing the heat problem, I remembered that I, for whatever moronic reason, did not apply thermal grease to the CPU!

I kept it in my drawer of computer supplies, so I pulled it out and got to work disassembling the thing. After 45 minutes of work, I plugged everything back in to find that it would not boot. Another 30 minutes of troubleshooting revealed that if I remove all USB devices, it boots (I have not yet rebooted with them plugged in).

With the new fix, the computer seems to run a little faster and a little cooler, although I am going to stress test it for the next few hours on some of my games.

Moral: Follow instructions- not your stupidity ;D

-Brandon

103
General Software Discussion / Getting more desktop for free
« on: February 15, 2008, 09:08 PM »
On my old CRT monitor, back in the days of Service Pack 1 (and now, 2) for XP, I was able to make my resolution MORE than my monitor supported. This turned the monitor into a scrolling window type of deal, where, upon "pushing" the screen with the mouse on an edge, it would slide over and show other windows/objects/etc. I was able to take a 1024x768 max monitor and make it like 2500x2000 (or something like that, very big). It was very useful when someone walked in and something on screen was undesirable in the current situation... :-[ - Just slam the mouse to an edge and its gone :)

I want to do this with my LCD, but Windows (Vista) won't seem to let me. There was a setting somewhere, but I can't find it. Does anyone know how to do this?

NOTE: I did not use TweakXP, it was just a "right click desktop > Properties > Tinker with settings" job

-Brandon

104
Gridmove will not recognize Songbird as a window (I assume it sees it as an object or something) and therefore does not allow me to dock it into my grid configuration. The grid does not appear. Other programs running at the same time as Songbird, however, such as Pidgin, will dock normally.

It is notable that Songbird runs and has totally different window setups via skins- so fixing this may be quite tricky (I am using a skin where the buttons and layout are VERY different from the default installed skin). The program window name can change dynamically, too. (Mine scrolls every 400ms to show another character in the song name, artist, and current time into the song).

You can get Songbird here if you want to see if you can get it working: http://www.songbirdnest.com/

I will watch this topic and provide what I can to see if this can be resolved :Thmbsup:

-Brandon

105
DC Gamer Club / Lets get organized so we can get gaming!
« on: February 14, 2008, 07:01 PM »
OK, thanks to some help from wordzilla, I was able to locate many fellow gamers here at DC. Unfortunately, we have not setup a good system in order to cooperate and whatnot (Hamachi was good, don't get me wrong, but there is room for improvement).

In my spare time, if I am not coding, I play games. Lots of games. 50+ GB of games. But no one here has any of the games I have (and vice versa). What we need to do is make sure everyone has the same games so that we can all play.

Solution: Use Xfire to make a DC Gamer clan and utilize that to converse. "Xfire" is basically MSN/AIM (whatever you choose to think of) with voice chat, in-game instant messaging (no alt-tab :D), and one-click-game-join (if I am in a Halo game, and Deozaan wants in, he can just IM me and let me know, then click a button and be in my game in seconds).

Obviously, this is an improvement over the tedious setup and working of Hamachi. Hamachi is only good, IMO, for setting up virtual LAN games (that is good, but why not play a clan game vs other people around the world?).

You can catch a copy of Xfire here (freeware): http://www.xfire.com/ - Just download it, and it will help you sign up when it launches.


To get things going on making sure everyone has some games in common, here is my current list...

(Freeware games are in bold, to help with choosing games if you are strapped for cash)
(URLs to game info are next to game names)


Action/Shooters:
Counter Strike 1.6 http://www.steamgame...p;AppId=10&cc=US
GTA San Andreas (Multi Theft Auto) http://mtavc.com/
Halo http://www.microsoft.com/games/halo/
Halo Custom Edition http://hce.halomaps....rg/index.cfm?fid=410
Halo 2 for Windows Vista http://www.microsoft.com/games/halo2/
Sauerbraten http://sauerbraten.org/

Driving:
Drift City http://drift.ijji.com/index.nhn
Live for Speed (Demo is available) http://www.lfs.net/
Midnight Club 2 (DEMO) http://www.rockstarg...s.com/midnightclub2/
Need for Speed Underground 2 http://www.ea.com/of...nfs/underground2/us/
Test Drive Unlimited http://www.testdriveunlimited.com/

Online (MMORPG):
Second Life http://secondlife.com/
There http://www.there.com/


-Brandon

106
I am trying to run multiple (anywhere from 2 to 6) programs after the user clicks a button. I can do that just fine, with the exception of them all starting at once. I have tried using the Shell command and using that to Wait, however VB9 doesn't allow that to do anything, so I am stuck with Process.Start("myprocess.exe").

I need to know how to wait for the first program to complete its work and close before executing the next (I don't want to get into loops or anything timer based, if that is possible). I don't want it to time out and run the next program- it has to wait for the program to close to work properly.

Anyone?

-Brandon

107
Living Room / Making a router biased to a certain PC?
« on: January 20, 2008, 06:55 PM »
Hi everybody!

I have a small home network going (wired/wireless) that I need to have primary access to (I do major (5+GB) file down/uploads, game server hosting, and other heavy net usage). However my dad, having gotten into the internet, has decided to take a seat in the Web 2.0 world, and eat the life out of any bandwidth I may be getting.

So I thought that, since his PCs are wireless and my primary PC is wired, I could tell the router to make wired PCs more priority than wireless, and therefore get back my share of the internet. Does anyone know of a way to do this? I have a Linksys WRT300N Draft N router, latest firmware.

-Brandon

108
Living Room / Strange error messages, linked to card reader (help!)
« on: January 18, 2008, 05:57 PM »
Hey everyone,

Been getting this freaking ANNOYING error message ever since I installed my Dynex card reader. I get 4 error messages (upon boot) and they sometimes appear randomly if I have a drive in one of the ports. It only happens during those times. The error is one of those "No disk" ones, with Cancel / Try Again / Continue buttons (clicking cancel gets rid of it).

If needed I can reboot and post a screen shot, but was hoping someone could give me a quick, jury-rig fix for it without needing one?

-Brandon

109
Hey everyone,

My goal here is 2 things: 1, see if anyone can help me finalize my PC (finalize meaning use all the ports the motherboard has available - all my PCI/PCIe ports are already used :P) by suggesting items that may be useful, and 2, to help other people get good deals on their computer upgrades.

As some of you may know, I have been burning an infinite hole in my pocket for the last few months in computer upgrades constant computer upgrades. Fortunately, I was able to get a decent gaming PC running for about $800 (the PC itself, a graphics card, RAM, monitor, 3 year warranty and Windows Vista Home Premium Anytime Upgrade).

But knowing me, that wasn't enough. I always want to be able to do more with my computer, no matter what it is. So I started browsing NewEgg and TigerDirect for things I might like, need, or be cool to show off (:P). After about another ~$1,325 in upgrades (totaling about $2,125), I am at my present day computer. However, I am still not happy (surprise surprise).

Despite the above amounts, I always search on at least 3 websites (the usual ones are, in order, NewEgg, TigerDirect, ClubIT, Circuit City, Best Buy, CompUSA) before I buy anything. I pay for about half of the upgrades myself, with the other half being either birthday/christmas gifts, or just random "I need this because ..." every couple months.

Right now I am looking for a good front panel 5.25" USB hub with as many ports as possible, and a front panel 5.25" temp/fan speed monitor (and controller?). I don't care who makes it, but money is the main issue (I have to wait 10 more months for my birthday to roll around again).

Anyone got ideas?

-Brandon

(BTW, you can see my current PC setup under my bio in my profile)

110
Hey fellow DCers...

Here with a strange, possibly not completable, probably confusing-and-complex-to-answer question. Here goes...

I have a VB application with various tabs, items on the tabs, and everything working as planned. However, on some tabs I have lots of content, and on others I have next to nothing. What I want to do is when the user clicks a tab, ANIMATE the GUI to resize to the needed size (like Apple Software Update).

Private Sub MyTab_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyTab.Click
        On Error Resume Next
        'I don't know what to put here
    End Sub

Anyone know how to do this? Or have anywhere to point me to? :tellme:

-Brandon

111
Living Room / The Sims 2 Project: "The World's Greatest House"
« on: December 29, 2007, 07:27 PM »
(FYI: This post has a link to all the images available at the bottom)
NOTE: DC won't take the post attached images. Too long to upload. :( Just download the ZIP file that is linked below (or PM me).

OK, so the house's name isn't all that original or catchy, but it is a name.

Anyways...

If you know about, have played, or are a fan of The Sims series of games you probably want to keep reading. Otherwise you will end up getting confused (go on if you want, but unless you know how everything works it ends up being a jumble of confusing crap).

I have taken the last 2 weeks and used a little bit of time each day developing the best house I have made in The Sims (1 or 2) - and I have been playing for...8 years now?

I decided to build a house simply because I love architecture and whatnot, and making a house "optimized" for usage is something that always challenges me. It has to be functional, easy to access, and quickly reachable all at the same time. It can't be basic and it has to be one level. Basements are fine but no 2nd or 3rd story stuff. And I think I have finally figured out how to do it- all without a freaking driveway! Oh well, the grass is green enough to park a car on anyways :P



Here is my home realtor style info sheet explaining everything- it is pretty much to the point, but be prepared to read...



The Sims 2
CompuTech Computer Maintenance and Coding
Brandon Seal

Home name: The World's Greatest House
Size: Extra Large
Number of stories: 1 1/2
Number of rooms: 9
Number of baths: 1/2
Number of bedrooms: 1/2
Total price: 247,031 (encounting)

Summary: This large single-story home is designed for the party animal. It sports features never before seen, and is capable of holding over 75 sims at any given time.

Details: This house is the most detailed ever made by Brandon Seal. It has a unique 10 (outer) wall design, and the inner rooms range in size greatly. The entire house is made based on symmetry, although not being 100% symmetrical (due to house sizing and foundation problems).

It has a mid-sized welcome room with 8 couches able to hold a total of 22 people.

The kitchen and dining area has 3 large tables and is able to seat 24 people at once. The kitchen itself has enough room for an entire buffet just in counter space, and sports 3 top-of-the-line refrigerator/freezer combos (these have been connected to provide the ultimate in food storage)!

There is a luxurious entertainment room with a full surround sound entertainment system, plasma screen TV, 3 couches and 3 full recliners. This room holds up to 10 people being seated at once.

The computer area is where the action takes place. Up to 12 people can duke it out in the ultimate frag contest. All computers are Alienware and capable of running resolutions over 2000 pixels wide. In addition, each station has a comfortable seating setup and personal desk lamp so the action can go on through the night!

The bedroom/bathroom combo is the strangest portion of the house. There is no divider between the bedroom area and the bathroom area, because it is a single sim home. The room itself is quite spacious with plenty of room for additional areas if the need were to arise.

There is also a unique hallway connecting the bedroom and kitchen together; both for ease-of-access and emergency use.

The pool area, built directly into the ground as if it were an outdoor pool, is lower than the rest of the house. It is in the middle, surrounded comfortably by concrete walkways capable of having 4 people walk past each other in the same location at once. On 1 side of the pool there is no fence and the driving board and 2 ladders are located here. On the 2 sides of the pool are a glass wall and outdoor recliners for relaxation. On the far side of the pool is another glass wall, but with soft, indoor lounges for napping or relaxing after a dip in the warm water.


Bonus features:
The pool area is fenced in on 3/4 of the sides
The pool is lit by underground lighting whenever needed
The pool has a porch type of system for accessing it. Both doorways into the area have this.
The kitchen has lights strategically placed over the counter tops that have items needing lighting.
All rooms have a phone (except the pet rooms)
All rooms have a smoke alarm (except the pet rooms)
All rooms are generously lit for nighttime access
All windows (with the exception of behind the shower and refrigerator) feature curtains
All rooms have a plant (except the pet rooms)
The front porch is very large and has many plants around the front wall of the house
The walkway up to the front porch is extremely large and comes in diagonally from the sidewalk.
The walkway up to the front porch and the front porch itself are lit very well from solar night lighting on either side of the walkway.
The public sidewalk has been equipped with solar night lighting as well.
The mailbox has been moved on to the front porch walkway to add ease of access for the homeowner(s)
There is a side porch that has 2 swings, a table and chairs (seating 6) and a barbecue.
The perimeter of the home is enclosed by wood fencing.
The front room of the home has a burglar alarm to herd away intruders.
The front doors are colored differently than the interior doors.
The doors going into the pool area and to the 2nd porch are sliding doors, unlike the rest of the house.
All windows are the same, and offer a large amount of sunlight each.
All lights inside are built into the ceiling to prevent floor and wall clutter.
All wall coverings are the same, but carpets are not. The colors look good together and no two colors are repeated.
The grass has been over-seeded and is extra green for the homeowners.
The house also offers a magnificent view of the Pleasantview bridge, as well as easy access to the silent tram that runs by on the hill several hundred feet away.
The house is on the beach, high enough to be safe from natural disaster but close enough to be just less than a hundred feet away.
The exterior of the house is made of brick to keep it secure and stable in storms.
The ground was leveled out to be the same as street level prior to building.


And the house isn't even done yet!!


Here is a link to a ZIP with all 25 images in it, and 5 individual images are below (they are included in the zip also).
http://www.wikiforti...s Greatest House.zip

I also plan to upload a YouTube video tour of it sometime soon.

-Brandon :)

112
N.A.N.Y. 2008 / SnapSuite 2008
« on: December 28, 2007, 06:24 PM »
(Sorry about the large number of images, but I figured I should show all the parts of the program)

Hi everyone,

Here is my N.A.N.Y. 08 submission, a large combination of many programs made by myself in order to simplify many daily tasks.

SnapSuite is a fully featured program with manu unique features.

It has a program launcher recognizing many popular programs like Opera and Thunderbird (known as AppLaunch)
It has a semi-automatic typing tool to automate long words and phrases (AutoType)
It has an Instant Message/Chat Room cleaner for times when the boss/the parents come in and the content on the window is not..."suitable" (AutoType)
It has a media control "center" that lets you control playback and volume levels (MediaControl)
It has a full callendar, notepad (known as "MultiNote") and file downloader (MultiBar)
It has a basic web browser based on the Internet Explorer engine (SmartBrowse)

SnapSuite's main feature, however, is none of these. It has a complete, automatic, and extremely simple to use computer maintenance solution. This part of the program, known as SystemCare, allows you to do 4 stages of file system cleaning, registry cleaning, system optimization, file system defragmentation, registry defragmentation, malware scans, Windows/Office updates, Apple Software updates, and updates to other programs (most of this is powered by 3rd party, freeware programs - these are tested extensively and used on all computers in my home for maximum peace-of-mind and usability). If you don't have something that SystemCare needs to help you keep your system in tip-top shape, it will automatically download AND install it for you! SystemCare also includes 2 schedulable programs for quick, automatic system maintenance while you are sleeping or otherwise away from the computer.

SnapSuite has a simple and very fast updating system, and a full "About" section listing many people (mostly here at DC) that have helped me make SnapSuite possible.

As an added bonus I also include random features now and again in updates, the newest one is the ability to show the main GUI window by single-clicking the tray icon :)

I do hope everyone that does download my program benefits from it, and if you do or don't feedback is always welcome  :)

-Brandon

113
Developer's Corner / A little help with an AHK web-browser?
« on: November 21, 2007, 06:42 PM »
Hi all...

Been working on this thing for a bit (few days) and I am starting to grasp how it all works. I have a fully (see note @ bottom) working web browser, with working (see note again) controls. An options area is planned, and it is made to be a bare-bones, get-on-the-internet-and-find-what-I-want-in-5-seconds-flat type of browser. Just totally...basic. (Some icons wouldn't hurt, but thats not what I need help with.)

So, its all going well. Except for a couple things...

1) I am using mostly my own code, with a little from examples from the AHK site. Problem is (shhhhh...) I don't know what half the stuff is that I end up editing. I understand it, then...I don't. Then, I have a problem (duh). (I now understand all but this one piece here, and I think I can fix it)
Example:
ieM := Gui_IEAdd (HWnd, 300, 38, 338, 378) ;I have no idea how I got this. I pulled it from somewhere...

2) This is the main issue. I can't get the thing to load any pages via my URL bar! >:( Its driving me mad! I have my variables setup, they submit and then are read and the browser is told to go to that...but...it...doesn't :'(
Example:
Gui,2: Add, ComboBox, x10 y75 w300 vAddressBar
... ;Insert loads of code here...
Go:
Gui, Submit, NoHide
IE_LoadURL(pwb, "AddressBar")
Gui,2: Hide
Return

3) The enter key doesn't work. This made no sense to me at all. The freaking key doesn't work. And its the ONLY key that doesn't work. I tried making a hotkey for when Enter is pressed, to relay Enter to the window...and that didn't go so well.
Example:
Enter::
IfWinActive, CompuTech SmartBrowse
Send {Enter}
Return

4) I can't move the web page anywhere!!! GAH!!! I have tried 2 3 methods, and it still won't work. :huh:
Example:
ieM := Gui_IEAdd (HWnd, 300, 38, 338, 378)
... ;Insert a lot of code here
hWnd := WinExist()

CLSID_WebBrowser := "{8856F961-340A-11D0-A96B-00C04FD705A2}"
IID_IWebBrowser2 := "{D30C1661-CDAF-11D0-8A3E-00C04FC9E26E}"
pwb := CreateObject(CLSID_WebBrowser, IID_IWebBrowser2)
AtlAxAttachControl(pwb, hWnd)

5) I can't move the web page, so therefore, I can't put the controls in the same window. You have to hit Control + Shift + Z to get to your Back/Forward/Stop etc buttons.
Example:
See above

A lot of problems, minor (mostly) but problems. You can effectively use the browser, but unless you can find everything by Google, don't mind clicking Login and Search, can handle Ctrl + Shift + Z for EVERY command, and no options whatsoever (to be implemented), it's not really that user-friendly.

 :tellme: Can anyone help? I have a sinking ship, and right now it's not looking so good. :tellme:

All code below:
Spoiler
#Include IEControl.ahk
#SingleInstance force

GoSub, GuiStart
Gui, +LastFound +Resize
Gui,2: Add, Button, x10 y10 gBack, <-- Back
Gui,2: Add, Button, x63 y10 gForward, Forward ->>
Gui,2: Add, Button, x132 y10 gStop, Stop [X]
Gui,2: Add, Button, x183 y10 gRefresh, Refresh
Gui,2: Add, Button, x233 y10 gHome, Home
Gui,2: Add, Button, x274 y10 gOptions, Options
Gui,2: Add, ComboBox, x10 y75 w300 vAddressBar
Gui,2: Add, Button, x315 y75 gGo, Go ->>
ieM := Gui_IEAdd (HWnd, 300, 38, 338, 378)
Gui, Show, w800 h700 Center, CompuTech SmartBrowse
MsgBox, 0, CompuTech SmartBrowse, Welcome to CompuTech SmartBrowse- the no hassle

web browser. Running with Internet Explorer and coded in AutoHotkey this browser is bare-

bones. It allows quick and basic web browsing without annoying toolbars or add-ons in your

way.`n`nTo show controls (Back/Forward/Stop etc) you just need to push Control+Shift+Z.`nYou

may start using SmartBrowse now.
hWnd := WinExist()

CLSID_WebBrowser := "{8856F961-340A-11D0-A96B-00C04FD705A2}"
IID_IWebBrowser2 := "{D30C1661-CDAF-11D0-8A3E-00C04FC9E26E}"
pwb := CreateObject(CLSID_WebBrowser, IID_IWebBrowser2)
AtlAxAttachControl(pwb, hWnd)

IE_LoadURL(pwb, "http://www.google.com/")
Return

GuiStart:
AtlAxWinInit()
CoInitialize()
Return

Back:
IE_GoBack(pwb)
Gui,2: Hide
Return

Forward:
IE_GoForward(pwb)
Return

Stop:
Gui,2: Hide
Return

Refresh:
Gui,2: Hide
Return

Home:
IE_GoHome(pwb)
Gui,2: Hide
Return

Go:
Gui, Submit, NoHide
IE_LoadURL(pwb, "AddressBar")
Gui,2: Hide
Return

Options:
Gui,2: Hide
Return

^+Z::
Gui,2: Show, Center, CompuTech SmartBrowse Control Panel
Return

Enter::
IfWinActive, CompuTech SmartBrowse
Send {Enter}
Return

GuiClose:
Gui, %A_Gui%:Destroy
Release(pwb)
CoUninitialize()
AtlAxWinTerm()
ExitApp


114
Living Room / Today is my birthday- when is yours?
« on: November 09, 2007, 11:58 AM »
Well, today is my birthday. :D I got out of the hospital yesterday and am having a good time enjoying my stay away from School (that dreaded place! :P) and figured I would post that today is my day- then I started wondering, what is the most common birthday month. So...

Vote your month!

:)

-Brandon

115
Just an FYI: Mac/iTunes users, please don't take offense. This is a LONG rant about how much iTunes sucks (just my opinion, you see *cough*).

Some background info:

I used to never listen to music. Ever. It was boring. A few years back I got an AM/FM radio w/ a CD player in it, and eventually got bored of it- it didn't integrate with my PC in any way. (Everything I own anymore has to be able to work with my computer in some way or I will use it about 3 times and forget about it). I had Windows Media Player 9, with version 10 coming in the near future, but nothing to play. Apple was not exactly one of my most favorite companies, but they did have something everyone used- iTunes.

iTunes was slow and confusing to me, so I went back to my FM stations. A couple years ago, I gave out and got the new iTunes (it was version 6 I think). A few friends gave me some songs via MSN and I was all excited. Except...iTunes was still the slow, confusing thing it used to be. And the FORCED install of the buggy and insecure QuickTime didn't exactly make me all excited about it, either. But it was the norm, and I was just another follower of a bandwagon of annoying teenage iTunes lovers.

About a year ago, I got extremely angry. iTunes had taken up a chunk of my hard drive, it was slow even on my new laptop, and the store took ages to load. I dropped out once again.

So, 6 months ago, I got it one last time (for my laptop, that is) and all was well. I was finally happy with version 7, and it was starting to be more logical. So, good deal! I also installed in my new desktop PC, and it ran great. I was buying music like crazy, playing it 24/7, and having a great time.

So why switch from iTunes?

Basically, it was a big trail of events. First, it wasn't open source (I find it ironic that Apple uses a UNIX base for Mac OS X, but you have to buy the thing...). After I was kinda bugged by that, the problems with Vista were insane. It wouldn't open. It would give errors. This, that, the other. So I almost uninstalled it, but kept faith. Apple released a patch, and all was well. But then, I noticed 2 things that I had forgotten about:

"iTunesHelper.exe" starts up on boot automatically- if you remove it, the next time you start iTunes, it makes the startup entry again. >:(
"iPodService.exe" starts up in the same manner as iTunesHelper, except that if you DELETE it, it either:
a) makes it again
b) gives you this error, with an option to not show it again, but the option does nothing- it shows up EVERY SINGLE TIME
You would think iTunes would ask "Do you have an iPod?" before installing the other 50+ MB of crap that goes with it.
There is also an iTunesService (or something along those lines) that puts itself as a freaking Windows Service, to FURTHER slow your boot down (and IMO, it is probably a marketing thing to make you think "Wow this PC is slow, I wonder if a Mac is faster?")

(In case you don't know, I am very critical about programs I use, and if just one thing is off (ex: "theobject" instead of "the object" in a window) somewhere it will force me to send an email to the developer, and possibly uninstall the whole program. I am *VERY* picky.)

I am happy to announce...
I uninstalled iTunes from my laptop a month ago- it hasn't changed a bit, and will never see my hard drive again.
As well as my desktop PC that is running Vista

However, this is what blew me off the edge. I spent an hour looking on the Apple Support site for an iTunes feedback option, that is no longer there (that made me even more angry!!!), after finding out...

If you are on Vista, and you run iTunes: iTunes does not uninstall fully. :o >:(

I kept getting Apple Software Update appearing every week or so, and about 2 1/2 hours ago, did a search (I love the Vista search :-*) for "Apple". Out of a total of about 50 items, about 30 were leftover from iTunes/Quicktime. They took up almost 200MB! :o And I havn't even run a RegEdit search yet, oh boy...

-----New Music Player-----

I have switched (both personally, and other people) over to the open source program musikCube (http://www.musikcube.com/) that does the same thing as iTunes, but I can put it on my Linux PC, WITHOUT DRM, and WITHOUT lag or suspicious startup entries. :Thmbsup:

-Brandon

116
General Software Discussion / Best (free) program to recover files?
« on: October 26, 2007, 01:28 AM »
Hello everyone,

Looking for a really good file recovery program. I just deleted about 2 weeks of confusing work via CCleaner's Recycle Bin Tray Menu extension, and Recuva (made by the same people who make CCleaner) can't find it. I used to know a good stand-alone EXE program for doing this, but I can't think of it right now.

I have CCleaner set to just basic delete files, and I know that they are still physically on the disk, so I need to get the files back before they get overwritten. :o :'( :(

Any suggestions/programs that work?

EDIT: Got the files :), I thankfully had (by chance) backed them up onto the root of the drive earlier today. Still, a good file recovery tool would be good to know for everyone just in case stuff like this happens.

Thanks!

117
Developer's Corner / Best way to start learning C++?
« on: October 11, 2007, 06:43 PM »
Hello all,

Trying to get a basic understanding of the C++ (or C in general) programming language, and have read a couple tuts, but I am kinda lost. Does anyone have any tips on getting a basic "program" made, or links to tutorials that might be helpful? I can already make extremely basic "programs" but I am looking for a more solidified basis to work with before getting into (anything) complicated.

Ideas? Help? Links? :read:
-Brandon

118
Hi all!

Here with a question, its kinda strange, but I can't understand half of what I am reading about it, so here goes.

I am trying to use a GPL program (ClamAV - ClamWin specifically) and install it with another program (without using the "official" installer, BUT also without modifying any of the program's files).

I have skimmed the GNU General Public License before, and seen a few of the update/amends to it, but half of it just makes my eyes spin.

So basically all I need to know is, Yes/No can I include the full (unedited) version of ClamWin within another program, without breaking the license?

I would assume so, as it is open source, but I want to make sure first.

Thanks in advance!
-Brandon

119
Living Room / wtfCody.com reboot? outage?
« on: September 28, 2007, 08:03 PM »
Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone knows why wtfCody is down. There haven't been any updates to the site in a while, and he said there was going to be a "reboot" with a fresh website, so I am not sure if that is what is going on or not. Just wondering, I was trying to get there to get a picture of Cody for a project, but I guess that won't happen (soon anyways).

Anyone have ideas? I was last at the site about a month ago so if there was news I didn't catch it.

 :tellme:

-Brandon

120
Not my program, but I will post about it anyways.

D2OL (Drug Design Optimization Lab) is a project run by The Rothberg Institute and researches for diseases (specifically, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)) using your computers CPU idle time. I have it running on both my desktop computers right now, and (personally) it makes me feel good about doing something helpful (and it takes next to no effort, I just download, install, and every once in a while when I am not using the computer for anything demanding, open it up). You can run it on almost any PC, no matter how old.

(Windows system requirements)
Requirements: 64 MB RAM, 350MHz processor, Windows 95/98SE/ME/NT4/2000/XP
Recommended: 256 Mb, PIII 700, Windows 2000/XP

From the website (http://www.d2ol.com/)
The Rothberg Institute For Childhood Diseases is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for children suffering from Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). We operate at the intersection of molecular biology, chemistry, computer science, and nanotechnology.

Our modern understanding of cancer comes from animal models of TSC, and the first description of autism comes from a TSC patient. Work done on TSC will have a direct impact on cancer research and can also form a basis for understanding and treating other childhood disorders. TSC is a genetic disorder that leads to benign tumors in multiple organs, including the brain, kidneys, heart, eyes, lungs and other organs. During the first few years, the severity of TSC can range from mild skin abnormalities to, in severe cases, seizures, mental retardation, renal failure, or the need for a lung transplant in young women with TSC.

D2OL is freeware, with just one little graphical ad in the bottom-left corner (it looks like part of the GUI, so most won't notice it) and doesn't have any malware or "badware" with it.

If you want to try it out and help, head over to http://www.childhood...es.org/download.html and pick your OS (Windows, Mac, Solaris or Linux!).

121
Living Room / Keyboard shortcuts
« on: September 08, 2007, 01:11 AM »
Figured I would start a thread about this because it would most likely be useful to a large user base here at DC and not just me, so maybe this will get some attention...

Anyways- I recently became keyboard nut. I am going insane with hotkeys and shortcuts. My mouse has a longer battery life :o and I am working faster. My point is, what other hotkeys are there (for most programs, they seem to share the same ones for the same/similar functions, thats what I am talking about)?

For those that may not know, I will list of what I know (off the top of my head)

Control+Alt+Delete - the infamous key combo seconds before the bashing on the keyboard (Starts Task Manager)
Alt+F4 - close the current window
Start key+E - open My Computer/Windows Explorer
Control+T - TABS! Open a new tab in your web browser
Control W - close the current window/current tab in web browser (and some other apps, ex Pidgin)
Start+R - Run! (your program or command)
Backspace - go back a page/up a level
Insert - in word documents, overwrite text after the current letter by hitting insert and typing your text. Hit insert again when done to toggle off.
Delete - delete a file/folder/etc and delete characters after the current cursor line thingy...
Start key+Tab (Vista only, AERO required) - Vista's "Windows Flip 3D" version of Alt-Tab
Alt+Tab - view and switch to different running apps by holding alt and tapping tab
Control+O - open a file
Control+S - save a file
Control+F - find
Control+H - find & replace
Control+X - cut
Control+C - copy
Control+V - paste
Scroll Lock+X - Xfire In-Game Chat

I am sure I missed a lot, but this is (supposed to be) a learning thread, and I am sure that I at least helped someone learn a new hotkey (I hope...) :)

Please list any others that you know of!

-Brandon

122
Hi all,

I was able to have a semi-positive (more or less confusing) experience with a Macbook G4 running Tiger a few days ago, and about 2 months ago I was also on a Panther iMac. With the upcoming release of Leopard, I must ask:

Is it worth a go?

I am a die-hard Windows fan. Linux is cool, and has its pros and cons, but I am an Apple hater. But, to be honest, I am interested. I have been using iTunes for the last year and also have been using Safari, and as much as I hate to say it, I am impressed.

Is it worth it to setup a dual-boot Windows-Mac computer? Any Mac-savvy people here at DC (come out, we know your here :P)?

I have been wanting to try it full-on for a while now, just the single button mouse thing gets to me ;D

Opinions, anyone?

EDIT: This doesn't inspire confidence, though...(see attached screenshot)

123
Living Room / DRM in Vista is getting on my nerves...anyone else's, too?
« on: September 02, 2007, 09:43 AM »
I have been enjoying using WMP 11 in Vista for the last few days. I love the AERO :). But when I get my CPU fan starts acting like something is on fire in my computer, and I open Task Manager and see like 4 new processes eating my resources faster then I can read, there is a problem. (and all of them have something like "Windows Media Player protected mp3 service scanner" or some long thing that requires you to drag Task Manager to a width of almost the whole screen to read)

But I have been coping, I pause it and wait for it calm down then I resume with no problem. Except I just booted up today, and for some reason WMP now makes my little orb-circling-loading mouse cursor go nuts, making a 25% circle, then snapping back, in an infinite loop. When I close WMP 11, it gets less occurring, and when I close my Music folder, all is well.

Right now I am enjoying MPlayer Portable, no DRM and no problems. Has anyone else had issues with DRM?

124
Post New Requests Here / IDEA: DC Windows Sidebar Gadget
« on: August 27, 2007, 06:09 PM »
Hey all,

Was sitting on my bed thinking, watching my Vista PC boot. As it showed my desktop and Windows Sidebar appeared, I was thinking about Cody (I want to put his sticker on my PC :P). So I got this idea...

Why not have a Cody/DonationCoder Windows Sidebar gadget that opens the forum and/or chat when clicked (and maybe even wtfcody.com)? I am not sure about the coding end, but it would just be a simple little gadget (as Vista calls it) that has a couple options as to what to do when clicked.

Any takers?

125
 :) :) :) :) :)

Hi again all,

I have been working, for the last couple of months, on making a new version of mouser's app, Dr. Windows. It is my favorite DC app to date, and it has gone almost 2 years without an update :o
So, I downloaded, installed and ran Dr. Windows, and have a clone made up. It does NOT (as of right now) have any options, so that is the only thing missing. It will do the following things, (as of right now):

Open (not that this is really needed in a list, but it is something it does :P)
Close
Enable/Disable Protection (exactly like Dr. Windows, the checkbox does nothing. Made it easier on me, too!)
Activate Now (run a joke on demand)
Run a random joke every 30 minutes (if requested, I can change this timeframe).
Upon opening, Dr. Windows 2 welcomes you, and it confirms that it "is loaded and protecting your computer."
Features the About box from Dr. Windows.

It is also faster to load (I think, I will have to confirm this), it allows adding of additional jokes (via AHK), and I am looking into getting an icon now.

I will post here with a more "final" versions screenshots, and after I confirm everything is working.

Thanks all (and mouser, for letting me make it - I wasn't sure about using the same name & configuration, but it looks like its ok),
Brandon

[Ed ... Topic title changed as requested. Carol Haynes]

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