Recent Posts

1151

General Software Discussion / Re: recover an SQL .mdf file that is currently written to a bad sector

« Last post by Shades on June 21, 2015, 12:51 AM »

While I'm not a fan...try if you can use CHKDSK, in the off chance Windows is actually able to repair the bad sector(s) or capable of moving data around to spare sectors.

Then I would try software such as TestDisk to retrieve data. At least it doesn't give up that quickly as Windows explorer when copying files. UnstoppableCopier is another piece of software that won't give up easily when copying files. Both are free to use.

If you don't trust the hard disk to last much longer, you might be better off to clone the current hard disk to a new (similar storage capacity or bigger) hard disk, disconnect the current hard disk to keep the original data as safe as possible and try to retrieve data from the cloned hard disk. This way is likely best, as you will need a new hard disk for your server anyway. And with cloning you have a 1-on-1 copy, so the server should work immediately after the cloning is finished and the original HD is disconnected. Especially when you can get a new hard disk that is the same brand and model as the original.

If you have more than one SQL Server running, you could dump the original database and import it in the other SQL Server. That would be fastest and give you an option to check for content and/or structural differences between both databases and make fixes where necessary. Which is also not hard to do with the software that comes with the server software. As your database is only 2.3 GByte in size you can download the free SQL Server 2012 Express software, with which you are allowed to run a database smaller than 10GByte. There might be already an express edition from SQL Server 2014 available, if you fancy the latest.

And as a general rule: always verify if your dumps are correct...don't trust the message saying the dump was created successfully, but upload it again and actually check for errors during import and do random checks for structural and/or content integrity. I have been burned by dumping Oracle databases that show no error in the dump log file, but still are capable of generating import errors. This hardly ever happens, so if you feel lucky, go without the verification...but don't say you weren't warned.

Making backups/dumps from a MS SQL Server database is quite easy and fast. At least it is on my MS SQL 2012 Server with the management software that comes standard with the server software. PowerShell is very handy too when making SQL database dumps.

1152

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Shades on June 18, 2015, 06:39 AM »

The fat one...or the one on top?

1153

General Software Discussion / Re: LastPass hacked

« Last post by Shades on June 16, 2015, 09:22 AM »

Allowing one entry a minute is already a big boost in security and is easy to setup. If it takes much time, most attackers loose interest. Return rates of hacking accounts is financially much less viable this way.

Granted, this method isn't convenient for the end user when he/she doesn't remember the password. The ones that do remember aren't affected at all.

It might even get people that have trouble remembering to use phrases they can remember as a password, which would be an even bigger boost to their security. That is, if they aren't blocked to do so by stupid password systems that are used by companies that provide on-line services that is. Ah well, there's hoping for you...

1154

General Software Discussion / Re: Maxthon Browser Users: Maybe one of you has already solved this

« Last post by Shades on June 16, 2015, 08:39 AM »

Now let's hope that the link to the file you download still exists after say...six months? Or worse, the user/company moving domains? Or change the system behind their website (for example from Wordpress to Joomla)?

In my experience links do not always exist that long and you'll still end up with no info at all. As a serial downloader I have been burned enough by this. Nowadays I stopped with being a serial downloader and have used my system for years when I do need to download something. Granted, it isn't ideal either, but I have all the info (links, descriptions, screenshots, etc.) about the download, structured and searchable locally, but if I choose to in the cloud as well.

It all depends on what you want, I guess.

1155

General Software Discussion / Re: Maxthon Browser Users: Maybe one of you has already solved this

« Last post by Shades on June 14, 2015, 08:01 AM »

Not sure if there is an add-on for IE/Maxxthon, but I (mis)use the FF add-on 'Zotero' just for this purpose. Although the idea behind this add-on is for keeping references to whatever subject you do research on...it is actually very usable for storing the url (and a copy of the page behind that url) of your download. When you have a list of URL's like this it is easy to search through them, you can add/remove tags easily. Even better, you don't even need an internet connection to see the copy of the page you put in Zotero (but it is able to update the copied page when you do have an internet connection.

There is also a stand-alone version of Zotero, if you are more interested in using the software as intended.

1156

General Software Discussion / Re: Free Task Manager total resources for multiple instances?

« Last post by Shades on June 12, 2015, 01:03 PM »

To my knowledge Process Explorer only shows the usage of resources per process. It doesn't sum the resource usage of linked processes. At least I didn't see such an option in version 15.22 (or previous ones) of Process Explorer.

Process Hacker is an excellent alternative to Process Explorer, but it doesn't sum resource usage of linked processes either.

NirSoft also doesn't appear to have a tool that sums up resource usage.

All your other requests are managed very well by either Process Explorer or Process Hacker.

1157

General Software Discussion / Re: Scary Windows error: Failure to log in to profile, loading of temp profile

« Last post by Shades on June 08, 2015, 10:56 PM »

I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of bad sectors on your hard disk just yet. This error can also appear when (parts of) the registry aren't loaded on time.

CHKDSK may report that there are no errors, but I have learned that the outcome of running the CHKDSK command isn't that helpful.
Yes, it will mark bad sectors as bad sectors and use sectors that are intended as replacement. However, I got the feeling that it doesn't verify if the replacement sectors are any good.

In my case I had a hd with 6 partitions and the same error kept happening on that system. That got irritating pretty quick and Windows/CHKDSK kept telling me that all was fine with the HD. Common sense kicked in, so I shrunk the second partition so much that I had enough room to clone the first partition into the free space that was available.

After cloning I marked the clone as active and removed the drive letter from the previous first partition. In essence I disabled the first 10GByte of storage space on the HD.

In 3 years time this error didn't appear anymore and that database server still runs like new. CHKDSK and Windows may tell you everything is fine, but if this error keeps returning, use the trick above or use proper tools to investigate the state of your HD. Preferably with software such as MHDD that uses a cd/dvd/pen drive to boot.

Windows and CHKDSK are way too forgiving if you would ask me (and I know you didn't).

1158

General Software Discussion / Re: Dumb question but maybe somebody knows how. Probably a form of Sync.

« Last post by Shades on June 08, 2015, 09:21 PM »

 

Code: Text [Select]

1. @echo off
2.     echo @ECHO OFF>> zerobytefilesremover.bat
3.     for /r %%F in (*) do (if %%~zF==0 echo DEL /F /Q "%%F">> zerobytefilesremover.bat
4.                          ) else (
5.                             if %%~zF==".tmp" echo DEL /F /Q "%%F">> tempfilesremover.bat
6.                             ) else (
7.                                 <fill in other arguments/conditions if you like>
8.                              )

IF...ELSE... structure is allowed in batch script. But it makes the execution of it (a lot) slower. Just make sure that when you use the () characters in a script, you terminate each condition properly with a ). Decent text editors light these characters up when a set is terminated properly...so if you select one such character and it doesn't light up, you have to investigate your code. Although this lighting up is a great help, it won't save you from all possible error scenarios with the use of () characters.

But that is something you learn best the hard way...
Code indentation is your friend. It makes working with IF...ELSE... structures easier.

Another word to the wise, don't start the holy war between the use of spaces or tabs for indentation back up... 

1159

General Software Discussion / Re: Dumb question but maybe somebody knows how. Probably a form of Sync.

« Last post by Shades on June 07, 2015, 05:28 PM »

OMG!  I just opened the last box of drives anbd they are ALL IDE.  I am not sure i even havd a bvoard with an IDE plug.  Nothing but fun around here.  Other day one guy comes up with an old Okidata (OLD-Old) printer and asks me why his USB can't work on it.  This was NOT the model that had both. Wanted an adapter for a USB to ..SERIAL..  Where in the heck he found the Printer itself I have no idea  I have not seen a serial printer since..  I think i was watching the Fonz on Happy Days?


I adapted it right to the trash bin.  Adapter wold cost at least 10 bucks IF one exists which is more than the printer would be worth IF it worked and it probably didn't.  This stuff is so old the salvation army wont take it.

That is why they want me to get these files off before there IS no more IDE even.

-questorfla (June 07, 2015, 01:34 AM)

Serial printers are common in POS setups. Industrial label printers (2000 USD and up) also work with the serial port. Thermal printers  often make use of the serial port too.

You might have to hunt a bit, but there are 3.5 inch portable hard disk enclosures that work with IDE drives.

1160

Clipboard Help+Spell / Re: How to use spellcheck

« Last post by Shades on May 31, 2015, 06:15 PM »

I should have been clearer. After installing Aspell, my browsers (FF & Iron) and text editor (notepad++, SQL Developer, SQLTools, TOAD) suddenly support spell-checking. Notepad++ comes with a spell-checker, but when it sees that Aspell is there, it asks you if you want to use that one instead. From my own experience I can tell you that Aspell functions like this on XP Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 2012.

Because of how Aspell functions it hasn't got its own interface, instead your standard text editor should now be able to do the spell-checking you need (if it couldn't do this before).

I took a look at the Metapad FAQ page and question 30 covers the use of Aspell with Metapad.

1161

Clipboard Help+Spell / Re: How to use spellcheck

« Last post by Shades on May 31, 2015, 10:21 AM »

Aspell is what I use and that is a system wide spell checker. It's open source and very, very light on resources. Dictionaries for a lot of languages are already available.

1162

General Software Discussion / Re: Dumb question but maybe somebody knows how. Probably a form of Sync.

« Last post by Shades on May 30, 2015, 07:46 AM »

@echo off
echo @ECHO OFF>> zerobytefilesremover.bat
for /r %%F in (*) do if %%~zF==0 echo DEL /F /Q “%%F”>> zerobytefilesremover.bat

This creates a batch file that should delete all the 0-byte files when executed.

1163

General Software Discussion / Re: Dumb question but maybe somebody knows how. Probably a form of Sync.

« Last post by Shades on May 29, 2015, 08:14 PM »

Do not consider a file that is stored in 2 different locations on the same hard disk as 'backed up'. That attitude will bite you at your most inconvenient moment(s).

Different disk - mweh
Different computer - getting there
Different house/company - better
Different country - even better
Different continent - great
Different planet - awesome!

1164

General Software Discussion / Re: why MS Word breaks format

« Last post by Shades on May 29, 2015, 11:42 AM »

Believe me, you will notice the difference in looks between Office 2010 and Office 2013. Office 2013 has the tiled look from Windows 8. Also, with commercial software there is always an 'About' option in a menu available. Most of the time in the main menu, called 'Help' or sometimes in main menu 'File'. There you usually find the exact title and version number(s) of the software you are using.

Anyway Tomos was right. 'Paste special' is the option you need to use.

1165

General Software Discussion / Re: why MS Word breaks format

« Last post by Shades on May 29, 2015, 10:02 AM »

That is an option in Office 2010, not in Office 2007 or earlier.

So, which Word version is kalos using?

A proper error description always includes the version number(s) of the software you used that got you into the mess you are in. Without that info, you are more or less praying (a.k.a. hoping for the best) for a solution. It will also take dramatically much more time to solve.

1166

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Best Windows Giveaway Sites

« Last post by Shades on May 28, 2015, 07:11 PM »

There is also: MostIWant

1167

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Process Lasso Pro for Free

« Last post by Shades on May 23, 2015, 10:10 PM »

A small warning though, this free offer from Process Lasso won't work on any of the Windows Server editions. The installer will detect if you run such Windows edition and automatically download the server edition of Process Lasso. The generated activation code from this offer won't work with that edition.

1168

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Contraption Maker is FREE this weekend! (23rd May 2015)

« Last post by Shades on May 23, 2015, 11:54 AM »

1Mbit ADSL fair-use-policy connection that costs 35 USD/month. And this is one of the cheaper ones here in Paraguay.

1169

General Software Discussion / Re: how to delete this empty file?

« Last post by Shades on May 23, 2015, 09:58 AM »

this works on 32-bit Windows only...there is also such a thing as portable linux. A 1.4GByte installer last time I checked. When you start this software a small bar appears in your Windows session. That small bar grants you access to Ubuntu and you can use that to remove files. Even if Windows says those files are locked in any way...Ubuntu doesn't care and removes it for you. Folders that are inaccessible under Windows? Ubuntu grants you access without any problem.

Last time I checked the coLinux software that virtualizes Ubuntu inside a Windows session only comes in 32-bit and won't work on 64-bit Windows.  

1170

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Contraption Maker is FREE this weekend! (23rd May 2015)

« Last post by Shades on May 23, 2015, 09:06 AM »

On slow connections like mine, the installation procedure is a drag...and when you try to play the game, only then it starts to download the actual game ?!?

Not a good first impression. Don't know if this is common practice these days, but the one who thought this up deserves to be taken out back...
[/grumpy mode off]

1171

General Software Discussion / Re: sharepoint question

« Last post by Shades on May 19, 2015, 06:24 AM »

<iframe src="http://www.w3schools.../tags/tag_iframe.asp"></iframe>


Put the line above in a html file and open that html file in a browser.

1172

General Software Discussion / Re: HDD primary partition not able to resize!

« Last post by Shades on May 18, 2015, 07:10 AM »

Do you have another Windows PC (no laptop) that does work?

If so, get: Eassos Partition Guru (the freeware version will do) and install it on that PC. Transfer the hard disk from the broken system into the alternative Windows PC. Make sure the hard disk in the alternative system has sufficient storage space for the data you are going to transfer. If there isn't enough storage space, use your portable HDD instead. The transfer will take (a lot) longer in that case.

Start the software and let it detect all the hard disks and available partitions. Take a good look at the options menu to find transfer and backup methods that you prefer. You are able to transfer files one on one with an interface that looks like the Windows explorer.

When you are done, you have a file backup. Make sure you can access a random set of files without problem on the alternative system. If that check succeeds you can put the hard disk from the broken system back into the broken system. You can use GParted or the Windows installer to wipe all partitions from the hard disk. You should have now one big block of umpartitioned space on the hard disk.

Start the Windows installer and create just the partition for the Windows installation. The installer will say that it creates the 100MB partition. Continue with the installation. Remember the limit of 4 primary partitions? This way your hard disk used up 2 primary partitions already. If you want to make 1 or 2 partitions more everything is still fine. If you want more, you have to return to the extending partition tricks.

I would also suggest to use the Windows 7 installer instead of the XP installer. Because that installer will not burden your hard disk with hard disk alignment problems like the XP installer does.
Also, use the Windows installer or Windows' Disk Manager itself to create the extra partitions. Use GParted only to create the extended partition and all the logical partitions you need or want.

After all the partitioning is done you can continue with the installation and start putting back your data. You could even attempt again to put back the image to see if acronis doesn't f.ck up now. If it does, cut your losses. Use the Windows 7 installer again to remove both the Windows partition and the 100MByte partition and reinstall Windows 7 in the unpartitioned space. You should be getting the idea by now.

All of the above results in in a fresh Windows 7 installation and backed up data.

Making images and putting those back is one way of starting fresh. Creating an optimized rebuild routine is another. Especially if you are the only user on your PC, consider the rebuild routine. Do that properly and the same routine will work with different Windows versions as well.

1173

General Software Discussion / Re: HDD primary partition not able to resize!

« Last post by Shades on May 17, 2015, 05:13 PM »

Do you remember if the hard disk had a 100MByte partition as first partition before you attempted to put the image back?

That 100MByte partition contains information your system requires to boot. Windows 7 creates this small partition on a fresh installation on a fresh hard disk or hard disk that has enough unpartitioned space (located at the beginning sectors of the hard disk).

In a few situations Windows 7 (and higher) forgoes the creation of this 100MByte partition. Usually when the hard disk you use is already partitioned to its fullest extend. For example: you have a partitioned disk under XP, but you decide to re-use the partitions created by XP to onstall Windows 7 over it.

So, if you forgot to take that partition into the image...you will get into situations like this.

GParted states your current hard disk situation to be:
- a 8MByte primary partition
- a 298GByte extended partition, that is sub-divided into logical partitions of about 70GByte each
- and 10MByte of unpartitioned space

One of these sub-divided partitions inside the extended partition was likely intended as your system disk. When the BIOS in your PC only supports the old-skool MBR partitioning, you cannot have more than 4 primary partitions. However, if you need/want more partitions, you can use an extended partition and create logical partitions inside it.

From what I see and understand, best thing to do is:
- use GParted to remove the extended partition intended as your Windows partition
- shrink the extended partition to accommodate the rest of the partitions
- remove all the different unpartitioned spaces in front of the extended partition to create one big unpartitioned space
- re-install windows (to recreate the 100MByte partition and the Windows partition) in that unpartitioned space
- overwrite (only!!!) the new Windows partition with the image you have and try if you can boot

You might end up completely re-installing windows 7 anyway. With the 20/20 hindsight you have now, you will agree that for the next time, try if your image works on a spare hard disk first, before you try it on your main disk.

One good thing: f..k-ups like this teach you so much more about these matters than any successful image restoration ever could.

If you managed not to touch the Movies and Stuffs partitions, the data inside these partitions should be safe and available after you restored the image.

1174

General Software Discussion / Re: sharepoint question

« Last post by Shades on May 16, 2015, 08:45 PM »

If the admin(s) closed off access to the command-line, he/she/they should definitely have closed down PowerShell. The latter is much more powerful.

With no access, do you mean: you are not allowed to start the command-line box or are you not allowed to run batch scripts? If only the first is true, then use a (portable) text editor, create the batch file in there and execute it after you saved it in the folder where you need to rename your files (your user account proved to have read/write rights there).

4wd is right about asking your admin(s) to do this. That or do what it takes to get promoted to admin status in your place of employment...which would be handier, if the renaming job is a recurring job. 

1175

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Dayu Disk Master Pro giveaway

« Last post by Shades on May 15, 2015, 10:52 AM »

When I see something I like from GOTD (which is less and less, to be honest)...I fire up my VM, install it there, register it, "virtualize" it (also known as making it portable)and run the portable on my normal system. If that works, fine. But if it doesn't, I lost maybe 30 minutes...however, if I really like/need it, then I will install & register it again on my normal system.

Bits Du Jour is usually the site with the better offers, although GOTD positively surprised me on occasion. That is the reason I still go there.