Messages

5476

Living Room / Re: "Waiver of Liability"... suggestions?

« on: September 06, 2008, 12:23 AM »

1)You will not hold Brandon Seal responsible for loss of data, funds, or other items because of the provided services.

-wreckedcarzz (September 05, 2008, 11:52 PM)

You need to go the "All care but no responsibility" route 

I would think it would sound better as:

1) While all due care is taken to ensure the integrity of your data, etc, etc.

Signed & authorized by:____________________ on ___/___/20__

You're limiting yourself to services performed in this millenia, think the bigger picture.....maybe they'll come up with a cure for death 

You could also have the layman's version:

Whilst all due care is taken on work performed, sh*t happens!

5477

Living Room / Re: Hard Drive electrical failure... trash it?

« on: September 05, 2008, 08:58 PM »

If you're hardcore, you can exchange drive circuit boards if you can find an identical match... people have done that with the quantum fireball disks and others.

-f0dder (September 05, 2008, 05:10 PM)

Actually, it might be even simpler than that.

I've had faults where it's just the protection diode has either shorted or gone open and it's just a matter of removing it or bypassing it.

Given that there are indications it's a short, isolating the protection diode might bring it to life long enough to transfer any data off of it.

Any chance of a high-res pic of the HDD pcb?

Who knows, maybe one of us has an identical HDD lying around we can send you the pcb off of.

5478

General Software Discussion / Re: Send some info of your PC!

« on: September 05, 2008, 07:56 PM »

Where to start 

PC 1: Old Dell GX150 Pentium III 1GHz, integrated gfx, sound, 512MB SDRAM, 160GB IDE - now a testbed, OS is whatever I happen to be experimenting with, it's original function was replaced by PC 2.

PC 2: VIA EPIA SP8000EG, VIA 800MHz CPU, integrated everything, XP Pro SP3, 1GB DDR, 120GB Samsung HDD, LiteOn Slimline all in a SNT AR600 case - sub 30W PC always on and downloading.

PC 3: Acer Travelmate 2201LCi laptop, now with Pentium 4 2.4GHz, 764MB DDR, 80GB HDD, Radeon 9000 IGP, XP Home SP2 - odd job and world travelling laptop.

PC 4: Athlon 1600+ on a AsRock K7S41GX, integrated video/audio, 512MB DDR, 80GB HDD, XP Pro SP2 - wife's PC - touching of the PC is strictly forbidden while there's nothing wrong with it 

PC 5: AMD 5000+ X2, Gigabyte MA78G-DS3H, 4GB DDR2, ~2.2TB of HDD, nVidia 7600GT, XP Pro SP3 - general work/play horse, currently waiting for Radeon 4850 and AMD 95W Phenom 9750 to drop in price.

And hiding in the closet is my Amiga 3000 with CyberStorm PPC180, 132MB RAM, 2.8GB HDD, A2065, Picasso IV with all addons, AmigaOS 3.9.

5479

Living Room / Re: Sony Recalls Certain VAIO TZ Series Notebooks Due to Burn Hazard

« on: September 05, 2008, 12:29 AM »

Probably because they started using their own batteries....

 

5480

General Software Discussion / Re: Easy remote access to my home pc?

« on: September 04, 2008, 10:13 PM »

Interestingly enough, that is the main reason why I use it with Mom. I can't convince her that she should use a password and log on to her desktop. She just wants to turn it on an go.

Which goes to show - one product's limitation is another product's feature!

-40hz (September 04, 2008, 06:22 AM)

I don't consider not using a password a limitation - the opposite in fact.  In some cases having a password is a liability.

In XP, for accounts without a password you have to be physically present to use the account - this includes admin accounts.  Having a password allows remote login.

If your remote access security is not up to scratch then having a password is bad, imho.

CrossLoop, (or some other remote program requiring physical interaction), is a far more secure way of doing things.

Having said that though, I run a headless downloader that the only access to is via RDP because it was more responsive and better integrated - then again, there's nothing on it I can't afford to lose.

5481

Living Room / Re: Show us the View Outside Your Window

« on: August 30, 2008, 11:04 PM »

Greetings from Kalorama, location in UICBM, (Universal Intercontinental Ballistic Missile), format: S37.81836 E145.36428

View from my study when not obscured by Police helicopters 

Not in any of the pictures but Melbourne is around to the left approx. 55km away.

5482

General Software Discussion / Re: I love my computer configuration...

« on: August 30, 2008, 07:45 AM »

I make my own portable versions using a combination of InstallRite 2.5 (application cloner) and AHK, or ThinApp.

-the3seashells (August 29, 2008, 10:39 PM)

Silly question but....to make ThinApp packages don't you need the ThinApp Packager ?

If so, isn't it a little excessive at US$5000 ?

Or, have I missed something really obvious ?

You can trial it for 60 days, do the packages still work after this ?

I mean, I use a lot of portable software and try to find replacement portable versions for others but I don't think I'd spend US$5000 just for the ability to create it myself.

5483

General Software Discussion / Re: navigate webpage results automaticaly and save them

« on: August 28, 2008, 07:50 PM »

the problem is that I need to do this inside the web browser, because the website needs authentication, which is not easy to achieve in webpage offline downloaders (it is not webpages in http://user:[email protected] format, but it requires web form authentication)

-kalos (August 28, 2008, 05:43 PM)

Sounds like a job for either GreaseMonkey, AutoIt and AutoHK but unless you're willing to provide some details I don't think anyone will be able to help:

eg.

GreaseMonkey - you need to provide access to the site so as to be able to create a userscript to do the actions you want.
AutoIt/AutoHK - you might get away with providing a screenshot of the site so as to give reference to mouse movement/actions and/or key input.

I think these are the most likely automated options barring a dedicated program.

If the website is using a form for verification then it most likely sets a cookie and you could use a website downloader that can use the cookie.

Try FireFox with DownThemAll! - it can supposedly download all links on a page.

5484

General Software Discussion / Re: Mozilla Ubiquity Prototype Available

« on: August 27, 2008, 10:41 PM »

Powerpint?

-cranioscopical (August 27, 2008, 09:18 PM)

No, that's what you get when you slip the barman an extra $1

5485

General Software Discussion / Re: NirSofer Updater?

« on: August 27, 2008, 06:20 PM »

Nirsof's tools are, for the most part, small and portable.

Being portable makes it kind of hard to provide an updater that can keep track of their whereabouts on people's drives.

About the only ways for an updater to know what's there is to:

1) Have the programs leave a current installed directory key in registry somewhere every time they're run - but who's to say the person won't move them between last program run and running the updater?
2) Have the updater scan all your hard drives every time it's run to find them.
3) Have the updater ask the user to input the path of every one of the programs, (or group folder).

5486

General Software Discussion / Re: Mozilla Ubiquity Prototype Available

« on: August 27, 2008, 01:53 AM »

As soon as anyone uses the word "Empower", I get an overwhelming urge to grab the 12 gauge and do some target practice...   

I don't care how good they think their product/service/whatever is - if they can't sound like a normal human being instead of a personal fitness trainer they've lost me before they've even begun.

5487

General Software Discussion / Re: PC Upgrade - A few questions

« on: August 24, 2008, 10:04 PM »

About the RAM, if you're not going to overclock, you're just fine with plain DDR2 800, but be sure to follow mouser advice.

-Lashiec (August 24, 2008, 07:24 PM)

Unless you're into overclocking and pushing your hardware to the limits, I'll go one further and say buy the RAM recommended for the motherboard.  You'll have far less problems as Gigabyte have tested that RAM with the board.  BTW, though the board is listed as supporting DDR2-1200 even Gigabyte on the QVL recommend running the RAM at 1066 for modules higher rated.

Also, ensure you are buying the latest revision of the motherboard.

5488

General Software Discussion / Re: Graphics corruption -- Why?

« on: August 24, 2008, 09:51 PM »

DriverCleaner is trustworthy?

-Armando (August 24, 2008, 09:19 PM)

I still use the really old version 3.3 from 2004, never had a problem with it.

5489

General Software Discussion / Re: Graphics corruption -- Why?

« on: August 24, 2008, 09:05 PM »

My wild guesses:
1. graphic card's faulty drivers - reinstall them,

-fenixproductions (August 24, 2008, 08:57 PM)

As per fenix, this is the first thing I'd try with the added step of removing them completely using DriverCleaner - DC Pro 1.5 is the last free version.

5490

General Software Discussion / Re: Graphics corruption -- Why?

« on: August 24, 2008, 08:56 PM »

Possibly since your last graphics driver update?

What happens if you minimise the windows, refresh the Desktop, then restore the windows?

5491

General Software Discussion / Re: Desktops V1.0 - a virtual desktop manager from Sysinternals

« on: August 24, 2008, 07:40 PM »

2kartalFor me: this is the first tool from SysInternals which doesn't work like it supposed to. I have the same desktop four times only. I cannot set this up to have i.e. Opera in D1 and TotalCommander on D2. Each application is available on each desktop. When I maximalize an app on one of these... it gets maximizet in others too. Same functionality built in nVidia driversworks without any problems.

-fenixproductions (August 24, 2008, 02:27 PM)

Exactly the same problem, (or "feature"), here - nothing but Desktop 1 replicated 4 times along with all application windows.

5492

fSekrit / Re: A version of fSekrit to handle small binaries?

« on: August 24, 2008, 03:12 AM »

I'm just not sure it's worth it, unless you can come up with compelling reasons why there's no other application fitting your needs

-f0dder (August 23, 2008, 03:17 PM)

I haven't really Googled too hard but the only application that comes close.....isn't an application at all.

It's hardware: a USB flash drive with a password locked partition.

AxCrypt isn't a fully portable, self-decrypting container to which files can be added or removed.

TrueCrypt is probably closer in that you can create an encrypted file that functions as a folder but again, while TrueCrypt itself can be run in Traveler mode to make it portable, in no way can the encrypted file be considered a fully portable, self-contained, self-decrypting container - you need TrueCrypt to be able to add to it, (and possibly even open it).

5493

General Software Discussion / Re: Which Software to Password Protect a Partition on a Hard Drive?

« on: August 23, 2008, 08:04 PM »

You can do it if you're willing to use Compressed Folders, has the advantage of being native to the system thus requiring no extra software.

See KB306531

5494

fSekrit / A version of fSekrit to handle small binaries?

« on: August 21, 2008, 11:32 PM »

Having just found the goodness that is fSekrit, (yeah - I'm kinda slow), I have a request.

I currently use fSekrit just for program serial number info, (I don't keep much of any other personal non-computer related on the computer), but some of the programs I have use more than just a serial number to legitimise the installation.

eg. Daemon Tools Pro Advanced uses small bits of the program code, (I think), as the keyfile - the program just won't work without it.  (BTW, prior to v4.11 these 'keyfiles' were ~400kB but are now in the area of 1-2kB.)

What I would like is a way to store these small bits of binary in fSekrit.

My idea is that if I drag'n'drop a keyfile onto fSekrit it will encode it using yenc, (or whatever - chosen just so I could describe it), and place an appropriately named icon in the fSekrit window.
When I need to use the keyfile, I drag the icon to the Desktop or wherever and fSekrit will deyenc(!?) it.

Optionally, if I drag a keyfile that actually contains text data, I would get a popup asking me how I wanted to save it, either just insert as text or as a yenc encoded binary.

An example is the cFosSpeed keyfile which contains lines of text that have name, address, license type, license data, serial number, etc in a file called key.cfosspeed so you just have to double click on it to have it accepted by the program.

Feasible?

I personally wouldn't mind if it was a separate program or having fSekrit operate in one mode or the other, (text/binary).

BTW, I know this is somewhat different than the way fSekrit currently operates in that it currently leaves nothing behind but I'd be happy having to wipe the file myself after I'd used it.

5495

General Software Discussion / Re: How to clone large HDDs?

« on: August 21, 2008, 10:25 PM »

It should be noted with laptops that if you set a 'Harddrive password' in the BIOS, it's a good idea to remove it BEFORE you clone the drive.

-4wd (August 20, 2008, 07:54 PM)

Shouldn't be necessary - if you can boot the system and the disk password is entered, you'll be getting the right data. AFAIK, it's not like you're going to get scrambled data if you don't have an authenticated disk; you will simply be denied access to it. ATA disk passwords != full-disk encryption

-f0dder (August 21, 2008, 09:33 PM)

I didn't say it was but on my 5 year old Acer laptop if you specify a HD password in BIOS it locks that harddrive to that motherboard by way of the hardware IDs.

You would find that you could no longer boot the system and the data on the drive is no longer accessible by that laptop, (as normally installed), as you said.

The above caused a new motherboard AND harddrive to be installed under warranty in my laptop.

I had a HD Password set when the following happened.

The motherboard developed a fault, so it went in for repair.  They replaced the motherboard, only the laptop would now not boot because the drive and motherboard ID no longer matched for when the password was set.
So, not realising this (because I forgot to tell them and remove it - which I couldn't anyway because of the board fault), they replaced the drive as well.

Result: a new motherboard, drive and lost data.

I was just lucky that it was less than 7 days old and apart from installing a couple of apps I hadn't had much of a chance to fill the drive.

All in all, much easier to remove the password beforehand when cloning or doing a full image backup.

5496

General Software Discussion / Re: Strategies for international travellers regarding new US Customs seizure policy

« on: August 21, 2008, 02:52 AM »

The problem is I store many passwords on my laptop - passwords and other confidential data in word/excel files that provide access to my email accounts and other sites. I'm afraid of this falling into the hands of the TSA people.

-BC5 (August 21, 2008, 01:00 AM)

I suggest you stop storing your passwords in Word/Excel and use something much better like fSekrit. Also, make sure you have a good passphrase. Even 1024-bit encryption would be practically useless without a good passphrase.

The worst imaginable pass phrase (eg, "this is my secret password") is many times more secure than an average single word password (eg, "god123"). And it's easier to remember.*

-http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000360.html

-Deozaan (August 21, 2008, 02:03 AM)

Yes, well the problem with that is that so many systems/programs put such arbitrary limits on the "password", (eg. 3-8 characters consisting of at least one character from at least 3 out of the 4 groups: lowercase, uppercase, number and symbol), that it makes picking an easily remembered "passphrase" a joke.

I used to have all my program serial numbers in a plain text file which was then encrypted using my PGP key, (which was 2048 bit and a passphrase of 25 odd characters).  Very secure but an exceeding PITA when I needed it and didn't have PGP handy   

Nowadays, just a self-extracting encrypted RAR executable - much more convenient and WinRAR's encryption is very strong.

Also, I picked up an imation Atom flashdrive.  Comes with software that lets you make an encrypted partition, if the wrong password is entered 3 times, (or was it 5?), it formats the drive.  If you are accessing the encrypted section and you unplug it, it automatically locks it again.  Even better, it's very, very small - smaller than a Type A USB plug.

But if you wanted to carry your data with you in a non-obvious way, I would suggest grabbing an 8GB MicroSD flash card - encrypt your data, put it on it, hide it - I very much doubt that they would be able to find it with a cursory search or even using the airport x-ray machines.  Don't carry the reader, otherwise they'll know what to look for - just buy a reader at your destination.

5497

General Software Discussion / Re: FIREFOX-PRIVACY PROBLEMS-HELP

« on: August 21, 2008, 02:23 AM »

I don't wish to completely disable the 'Auto-Complete' feature. I want to be able to quickly access websites previously visited by me, instead of having to type the whole name, but I also don't want Firefox to show the contents of what I visited on that particular webpage in the Address bar.

-BC5 (August 21, 2008, 01:03 AM)

Tools->Options->Privacy

Tick "Always clear my private data when I close Firefox"

Hit the Select button next to it and tick "Saved Form and Search History", (un)tick anything else you want or don't want.

Then OK you way out.

Or, Tools->Options->Privacy and Untick "Remember what I enter in forms and search bar".

Should be one or the other - if I read you correctly, the thing you don't want it to clear is your Browsing History.

AFAIK, Firefox has always had the ability to do this, (at least from v1.2 IIRC), but it might have been reset by an update.

I think, however, that if you have a user/password saved for a site it will override that setting so you can log in without having to enter your details.

5498

General Software Discussion / Re: How to clone large HDDs?

« on: August 20, 2008, 07:54 PM »

My Acer laptop HD (5 years old, IDE 40GB) is showing signs of wear. It seems to have problems reading some areas of the disk and gives me a "blue" screen followed with a major crash, at times. I have an 80GB IDE portable drive which I could swap (2 years old).

-PPLandry (August 20, 2008, 07:26 PM)

It should be noted with laptops that if you set a 'Harddrive password' in the BIOS, it's a good idea to remove it BEFORE you clone the drive.

You can then set it back AFTER you have installed the new drive.

The fact that some areas are not readable, will that cause problems with XXClone?

Or if there is no data in those areas, use a program that doesn't read them, eg. TrueImage NOT in Sector-by-Sector mode.

5499

General Software Discussion / Re: Software for use with scanner?

« on: August 19, 2008, 07:54 PM »

For anyone interested in PaperPort, here's a site where you can get PaperPort v11 for ~US$53 and PaperPort Deluxe v8 for US$29.95 - both NEW.

Fresco Bookshop

There are some comments on CNet saying that PaperPort Deluxe v8 was better than the following v9 and v10.

Either way, it's a cheap alternative.

NOTE: Not affiliated, (I'm even in a completely different country ), just found while Googling around

5500

General Software Discussion / Re: Anyone Know of a Multi-Monitor Simulator for Software Testing?

« on: August 17, 2008, 07:26 PM »

Here's a hardware solution that doesn't require two monitors:

If your video card has two outputs and your monitor has two inputs you can enable dual monitors by plugging both outputs into your single monitor. Then just click the button on the monitor that switches what input to display.

-Deozaan (August 16, 2008, 01:11 PM)

Another idea: Most gfx cards have composite/SVideo out of some kind, plug it in to a TV

Another idea: Plug the composite/SVideo out into the input of your TV tuner card.

IIRC, the drivers will allow you use the TV as a second monitor, but you might be required to set your normal monitor to the same resolution as the TV output, (used to be 800x600 or 1024x768 - before HDTVs anyway).