Topics

176

General Software Discussion / WinTasks Pro ... Windows Explorer is a trojan - yeah right!

« on: December 18, 2007, 03:59 AM »

I used to use WinTasks Pro a lot but haven't had it installed for a while now. I though I would check for updates and install it again.

Surprisingly Uniblue have not updated the app since August 2005 (at least that is when I downloaded the last update)!

They now seem to be marketing it as a security tool and have updated the 'Process Library' which provides information relating to common running processes on your system.

This one amused me:



I wonder what Microsoft would think about their Gold Partner Status in light of this ....

177

Living Room / Firewire/iLink speeds set to increase to 3.2Gb/s

« on: December 17, 2007, 06:35 PM »

A new standard is emerging which is faster than eSATA and even faster than HDMI transfer for uncompressed HiDef video.

See article at: http://news.zdnet.co...102.html?tag=nl.e550

This will make external storage really rock - how long until USB catches up?

178

General Software Discussion / Random Reboot issues (was Anyone else having random reboots with Firefox)

« on: December 12, 2007, 10:02 AM »

Since allowing Firefox to update to 2.0.0.11 I have been getting occasional random sudden reboots when I click on the shortcut to launch Firefox - the app starts to load then the screen goes blank and goes through POST before restarting windows.

Anyone else experienced this?

179

General Software Discussion / Your Unistaller 2008 just released.

« on: December 09, 2007, 01:15 PM »

The last version was in 2005/6 so it has been a long time coming. Now Your Uninstaller 2008 has been released.

The email I received had the following info:

We are glad to announce the immediate availability of Your Uninstaller!
2008!, a brand new version of Your Uninstaller! series!

Your Uninstaller! 2008 is a completely new release from previous
version with redesigned scanning and processing method. Here's a brief
new features list:

* New Uninstall technology, removes program completely system wide.
* New Internet Traces Eraser, clear all your surfing traces, surf anonymously!
* New Rescue Center, restore your PC to any date, even a specified point.
* Windows Vista optimized for Microsoft's new system.
* Improved Advanced Uninstall to fix more problems.
* Improved UninstallWizard for both advanced users and common users.
* Improved Startup Manager, find more hidden programs.
* Improved Disk Cleaner, one click to clean. Scheduled clean.
* Improved user experience.
* Improved loading speed.
* Unicode support for all modules.
* Multiple language support. Now supports 12 languages.
* Cache support for fast access to all programs.
* Know more about each program installed on your computer.
* Improved deep system scan after uninstallation to find hidden registry entries.
* Improved Disk Cleaner provides more options and faster speed.
* Improved Drag&Uninstall.
* More options added for advanced users.
* Other many minor improvements and changes.

Please note your current key does not work on version 2008, to upgrade
to this version and get new key, simply visit following link:

http://www.ursoftwar...nstaller/upgrade.htm

If you have purchased Lifetime Upgrade Service, this upgrade is free!
Simply enter the Lifetime Upgrade Service you get from us and get Your
Uninstaller! 2008 for free!

Note the lifetime upgrade is version specific (so Pro gives lifetime upgrades to Pro version) and is a supplementary charge if you want it (though it wasn't expensive at the time and for me cost less than a single upgrade from 2006 to 2008).

I haven't had time to play much with it but the interface looks very familiar.

Note if you install the new version it doesn't update the previous version and is installed separately in a new folder. You therefore need to uninstall version 2006 or earlier manually (using Your Uninstaller of course - though be careful because one of the registry values flagged for removal when uninstalling seemed to refer to the Your Unistaller 2008. This may have been legitimate but I unchecked it to be on the safe side!).

180

General Software Discussion / Acronis release new version of TrueImage Workstation

« on: November 29, 2007, 06:52 PM »

Acronis have released a new 'corporate' version of TrueImage which they are calling TrueImage Echo Workstation. They have also released a new version of their Universal Restore plugin.

It looks very similar to version 9.1 cosmetically and I haven't delved too much yet into what is new.

The obvious (and interesting) new features are:

• You can browse archives in an explorer type window (without mounting them first). You are initially shown a set of icons for each backup point which you double click and a the archive opens in a standard looking Explorer window. It isn't Explorer however so don't expect to see the usual context menu.
• Not sure if this is new but you can consolidate archives by choosing the backup points and creating a new self contained archive.
• With Universal restore you can now convert archives to Vitual Machine drives compatible with VMWare, Virtual PC and Parallels apps.

Looks interesting. I haven't had time to play too much yet but I am hoping that the corporate version doesn't have the usual smattering of bugs that the domestic new releases usually have (fingers crossed).

Full details/version comparison at: http://www.acronis.c...TICW/comparison.html

181

Living Room / Google targeted by Malware sites to give high priority results

« on: November 28, 2007, 10:46 AM »

Interesting (and somewhat worrying) article about malware sites crafting webpages to give high priority Google results ...

see  http://blogs.zdnet.c...=688&tag=nl.e539

182

General Software Discussion / GoodSync free from RoboForm today (not)

« on: November 25, 2007, 11:02 AM »

Earlier today  I updated my copy of RoboForm. As usual when the installer finished it opened a webpage. On that web page was the following message:

Exclusively for RoboForm Users - Limited Time Only

If You Like RoboForm... You'll LOVE GoodSync!

Get GoodSync FREE Today!
Fast and Easy File Synchronization & Backup Solution!

I thought OOOO - I always wanted to give that a try so I downloaded it and installed it. I tried to activate the product (since the Help > About page said it was a trial version) but it would not activate (the only code I had was for RoboForm so I assumed that would be the one as it was a special offer for RoboForm users - right). No joy so I just contacted their customer support. Here is there response:

GoodSync Free is really free, but after 30-days of use it has some
 limitations. You can use it for free after 30-days as well. But if you want
 to get rid of limitations, please purchase the license and activate
 it.

Please see the differences between Free and Pro here:
 http://www.goodsync.com/freevpro.html

Major rant with bad language

So in other words the special free offer for loyal RoboForm Pro users is that they can download the same trail version that everyone else gets and it will go to reduced functionality in 30 days (AKA as fucked mode).

I HATE this kind of crap, shoddy, immoral, lying, deceitful, arsehole .... (get my drift) ... marketing - and any company that resorts to such stupid tactics should be burned !

I used to respect RoboForm - and I will continue to use it because it is the best product - but they will never get another penny from me and I will never recommend their products again.

183

Living Room / Anyone know of software to remove station ident from TV recordings

« on: November 08, 2007, 08:44 AM »

I record programs from TV fairly regularly and then burn them to DVDs with ads removed, nice menu system and printed labels. One of the irritations are the station idents that are common these days. Does anyone know of any software that can automatically clean off station idents frame by frame?

The task is too laborious to do manually but it strikes me that using a photoshop healing brush type technique it could be automated.

OK it would not be perfect but it would better than a lot of the garish and intrusive logos that are used. It would also allow the removal of on screen messages about what comes next etc.

184

Living Room / Genuinely stupid laws - that still APPLY !!

« on: November 07, 2007, 06:27 AM »

This had me rolling about ...

http://news.bbc.co.u.../1/hi/uk/7081038.stm

I want to know how Indonesia enforce their law ?

185

General Software Discussion / New version of Process Explorer available (11.03)

« on: October 27, 2007, 10:25 AM »

See http://www.microsoft...ProcessExplorer.mspx for details

What's new in Version 11.0:

• New treelist control for better UI responsiveness
• Asynchronous thread symbol resolution on threads tab of process properties
• More flags on groups in security tab and SID display
• Thread IDs on threads tab
• On-line search uses default web browser and search engine
• Vista ASLR column for processes and DLLs
• Vista Process and thread I/O and memory priorities in process and thread properties
• Vista Process and thread I/O and memory columns
• PROCESS_QUERY_LIMITED_INFORMATION support on process permissions on Vista
• Run as limited user runs with low IL on Vista
• Reports information for all object types on Vista
• Show details for all processes elevation menu item on Vista
• Supports replacement of task manager on Vista
• /e to launch elevated
• /s switch to select a process at startup
• Compiled w/ASLR, DEP
• Faster startup
• Miscellaneous bug fixes and minor improvements

186

Living Room / HELP !!! Outlook corruption

« on: October 24, 2007, 01:09 PM »

I am really SOOOOOOOOOOO (!!) frustrated.

I have been checking my Outlook PST file recently regularly and have found that EVERY time I open Outlook and close it again my PST file has "Minor inconsistencies". I don't have to do anything in outlook, like check emails, open emails or anything else - just Open app, close app => corrupt PST!

Has anyone else experienced this?

I have WinXP SP2, Office 2003 Pro.

With Outlook I have NOD32 and AdMuncher running ( both of which at least read incoming stuff) and also POPfile.

I have tried the following:

Fix the file using SCANPST - it then scans clean until next time Outlook is run.
Run "Office Detect And Repair", Delete profile and create new profile. Import mail from old PST file.
Reduce the size of PST file (currently 27Mb), repeat 2.
Change file format (Outlook 2003 can use 2003 format or XP/2002 format), repeat 2
Disable AdMuncher/NOD32 OMON and EMON/Remove POPfile

Nothing I do makes any difference at all.

Has anyone got any ideas how to troubleshoot this? There are no error messages unless I manually run SCANPST on my PST file. The log produced during the fix process tells me nothing at all:

Microsoft (R) Inbox Repair Tool
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1995-1996. All rights reserved.

**Beginning NDB recovery

  **Attempting to open database

  **Attempting to validate header

  **Attempting to validate AMap

  **Attempting to validate BBT

  **Attempting to validate NBT

  **Attempting to validate BBT refcounts

  **Attempting to validate header NID high-water marks

**Beginning PST/OST recovery

  **Attempting to recover all top-level objects

  **Attempting to walk all folders

  **Attempting to locate any orphaned folders/messages

  **Attempting to check top-level objects for consistency

  **Updating folder hierarchy

**Attempting to fix original file

  **Attempting to copy back BBT

  **Attempting to copy back NBT

There are absolutley no error message

187

Living Room / Companies Facing Information Overload ...

« on: October 17, 2007, 09:25 AM »

Interesting article I just read on VNUNET ... anyone any ideas.

It's getting bad enough on home systems!

See http://www.vnunet.co...s-facing-information

188

Living Room / ASUS bring out motherboard with built in Linux and Firefox - 15s boot time!

« on: October 13, 2007, 11:29 AM »

Hands-on
Hardware for Webware: A motherboard with embedded Firefox
By Rafe Needleman – October 10, 2007, 6:08 PM PDT

I just got a chance to try out a Webware PC: a computer built around the new P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP motherboard from Asus. What makes this motherboard be hardware for Webware is that it has a Firefox Web browser (running on an embedded Linux operating system) burned into ROM. It also has Skype. You turn it on, and in fifteen seconds (I timed it), you can be in Firefox and surfing the Web.

See http://www.webware.c...2-2.html?tag=nl.e776 for the full article and video.

Looks like a really interesting concept - you don't have to use Linux but it is there if you want it without having to install much! Not sure how ready it is for real use yet but if things head in that direction MS will be worried!

For full tech spec see: http://usa.asus.com/...1872&modelmenu=1

189

General Software Discussion / Is Windows XP too good for Microsoft’s own good?

« on: September 28, 2007, 12:38 PM »

LOL - Microsoft have extended the period in which OEMs can offer new machines with Windows XP (what does that say about demand for Vista - or does it reflect the number of people taking up the 'downgrade to XP' scheme MS have had to set up).

So MS plan to sell XP until 2010 - what is Vista for then? The next generation will be out then - and that will a DRMed boot system!

Here is an article about it: http://blogs.zdnet.c...=759&tag=nl.e539 the discussion following it is quite entertaining if you like the:

"I know more than you 'cos I use Linux"
"No I know more than you because I use an iMac (and I'm richer)"
"What are you talking about Vista is wonderful and lightening fast on 5Kb of memory"
...

type of thing

190

Living Room / Microsoft patches applied - EVEN WHEN AUTOUPDATE IS OFF

« on: September 13, 2007, 08:09 AM »

Worrying trend ...

See http://windowssecret...m/comp/070913#story1 for details

191

Living Room / Anyone know how to capture video + audio (uin good quality) from WMP ?

« on: September 10, 2007, 05:42 PM »

I want to capture a short video in WMP in good quality - anyone know how to do it?

All the software I have tried have come out with poor sound and either no picture or a single still.

What I am trying to do is record a TV programme I missed the other night to record on DVD. Unfortunately the internet download version of tghe program is DRMed so I can't use the file directly. Stupid really since it was show openly on TV and anyone could record it (if they mastered their recorder!)

192

Living Room / MS OpenXML formats fail IOS approval (LOL)

« on: September 05, 2007, 05:24 AM »

See http://www.internetn.../article.php/3697681

Now let's wait to see how the voters get bribed to pass it 

193

Living Room / Outpost - why do I bother ... or am I just paranoid!

« on: August 22, 2007, 12:45 PM »

OK - having uninstalled WebRoot SpySweeper because of issues it was causing my system has been running great (much faster and with not obvious problems in logs etc).

I thought - "I know ... my unused Outpost Family license has a few months still to run." I haven't used it since version 4 was released and caused havoc on my system but I figured that by now they must have ironed out the issues and it does supply at least some realtime spyware protection.

Sure enough - installed it - and immediately started suffering random sudden reboots (no warning blanks screens and restarts - seemed particularly bad when I was browsing with Firefox - but I don't know if it was related).

What gives - or am I paranoid and Outpost is out to get me!

194

Living Room / ARGHHH .... CD/DVD burning woes ... any ideas.

« on: August 15, 2007, 08:06 AM »

My system has been running smooth and happy for some time (apart from the odd minor glitch) and I have had no problems whatsoever burning DVDs.

I use Verbatim 16x DVD+R discs - and they have always been good quality and reliable.

My system started as normal the other day and I was getting odd issues - almost all of which have been cured by removing Webroot Spyware (the last update seems to have caused all sorts of issues). EXCEPT that now when I burn discs I get verification errors.

I have tried using MSCONFIG to restart my system with just MS services and no startup items but I still get problems. I have also tried logging on as Administrator in case my user profile had been corrupted (an account I rarely use - though my normal account is in the admin group).

The discs burn fine if I start in Safe Mode - but then only PIO mode is available and they take up to 45 minutes to burn and verify.

I have tried reducing the burn speed to 4x (the lowest offered by burning apps for these discs) but the problem persists. Normally I have no problems burning at maximum speed setting (16x).

I have used various software to try to burn - ImgBurn, Ashampoo Burning Studio 7, Nero Burning ROM 7 - and they all have the same problems.

Anyone any ideas how to troubleshoot this issue? There are no errors listed in my system logs.

Setup is:

IDE 0: PATA M & S hard discs
IDE 1: PATA M & S Pioneer DVD drives
IDE 5: SATA Hard disc (Win XP system disc)

195

Living Room / Anyone any idea how to fix file assocations?

« on: August 06, 2007, 03:41 PM »

I have a problem with my MP3 and WAV associations. Windows Media Player options settings for file types allows me to set it as default for all file types but when I come back later they are unset again. I also have iTunes installed and I get an error if I try to change that to my default player for MP3 that says I don't have permission to set the file types.

I am logged in as an administrator.

Strangely if I go into Folder Options there are no associations for MP3 or WAV listed and I can't create them. If I do create a new entry it is not there when I come back and check again. I have checked in the registry and they seem to be there and assigned to iTunes, but if I double click on an MP3 or WAV file it opens in WMP.

Anyone got any idea how to sort this mess out?

196

General Software Discussion / WOW - Zoner 90% discount on all titles ... this is VERY good value ...

« on: July 19, 2007, 10:53 AM »

Check out Zoner's summer sale -- currently 90% discount, but it decreases by 20% each week.

That makes Zoner Photo Studio 9 Professional £4.64 (UKP), ie. about $8.95 US.

It is a useful suite to have knowcking about - give it a trial and buy quick to take advantage of this price.

Go to www.zoner.com for details

197

General Software Discussion / TechSmith release Jing (free at the moment)

« on: July 18, 2007, 04:48 AM »

This looks an interesting idea from TechSmith - I am downloading as I type so I haven't tried it yet.

Here is the email I received from them:

You can download the app for free from:

http://www.jingproject.com/

and there is a blog by the developers at:

http://blog.jingproject.com/

198

General Software Discussion / Three freebies from AShampoo

« on: July 03, 2007, 12:56 PM »

No endorsements but here they are:

******************************************************************
Ashampoo Internet Accelerator 2 - More Speed in the Internet!

And surfing the internet is fun again:
  * Faster surfing with an analogue modem
  * Get more out of your ISDN connection
  * Optimise your DSL via LAN cable, cable modem or wireless LAN
  * Better configuration of other LAN connections

Get full verison for FREE - Click HERE:

******************************************************************
Ashampoo StartUp Tuner 2 - Immediate Shut Down of Annoying Auto-starters.

Useful system maintenance functions:
  * Start menu: delete or deactivate unnecessary entries
  * Services: either activate or deactivate available services
  * Software: targeted uninstalling of software which is no longer
needed
  * BHO: delete internet explorer plugins

Get full verison for FREE - Click HERE:


******************************************************************
Ashampoo ClipFinder - The search engine for the most important video portals

Highlights:
  * Finds online videos which fit a search word
  * Supports the popular video portals YouTube, VideU, MyVideo,
ClipFish,
    Google Video, sevenload, Dailymotion, MySpace, Metacafe and IFILM
  * Preview of all hit videos directly in the program window
  * Shows the length, assessment and name of the videos
  * Playing the videos directly in the Ashampoo ClipFinder
  * Download of the videos in the FLV format on your own hard drive
  * Your own favorite videos will be taken over in a separate file
  * Skins change the looks of the Ashampoo ClipFinders

Get full verison for FREE - Click HERE:

199

General Software Discussion / Editing RM Audio files - anyone know any good software?

« on: July 03, 2007, 07:30 AM »

I have a few RM files that I would like to cut sections from. Does anyone know any freeware (or cheap shareware) that will do this effectively?

I don't particularly want to convert the files to another format to do it as I am going to burn them to CD in RealPlayer and so don't want to add another conversion step and the degrading of sound quality associated with that.

200

Living Room / AllOfMP3 closes ...

« on: July 03, 2007, 07:12 AM »

AllofMP3.com closes

2 July 2007 23:53 by Dela
AllofMP3.com closesControversial Russian music download site, AllofMP3.com, closed its doors last week. The site, which sold music downloads for a fraction of the price that iTunes and similar authorized services charge, was the target of international legal and political attacks over the past two years. The site claimed that it was fully legal under Russian law, and for a time was the second most popular paid music download site in the UK.

The once "$30 million a year" site caused ripples across the world and at home, as it was painted as a huge block of Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization. Its business was particularly impacted when credit card and other online payment facilities withdrew their support for the site.

However, the company behind AllofMP3 followed the closure with the opening of yet another music download site, MP3Sparks.com, selling tracks for similarly low prices. The site uses the same legal arguments for its operations as AllofMP3.com.

Article at AfterDawn.com.

Also AllTunes.com still seems to be up and running.