Recent Posts

151

General Software Discussion / Re: desktop shortcut to do a Simple task

« Last post by questorfla on April 13, 2016, 02:26 PM »

Thanks, to you both.
But I was told i could not install AHK at all.  That was my first suggestion to her as i said in my question.
I have many key re programmers made to do exactly ONLY reprogram the keyboard.  But she doesn't want anything on there so..
All i could think of was find the character code for the CTRL key and the Zero key and try to batch it that wold give her the desktop icon anyway

152

General Software Discussion / Re: Are any of the "coders for hire" sites legit? Is anyone honest any more?

« Last post by questorfla on April 13, 2016, 07:34 AM »

OK!  Count this one closed for me at least. 
If this is of any help to others, I found someone on UPWORK.com. His name is Zohaib Amir from Pakistan ( I think).  He was a very nice guy who took his time and never asked for a dime until the solution was found and tested.  IMHO that gets a 5 star rating.  The payment process through Upwork does use PayPal. 
If anyone uses the site, don't do what I did .  As usual, in a hurry.

It is best to set up a full account before posting a job.   I ended up left with having to do all the -upfront- work afterward which made it look worse.  Plenty of offers from several people ranging from $25 to $250.  Zohaib was at the low end but we got along very well and most importantly, got the problem solved.

153

General Software Discussion / desktop shortcut to do a Simple task

« Last post by questorfla on April 13, 2016, 07:12 AM »

This is something that was requested by a friend that I don't see a simpler way to handle.  They want me to create  desktop shortcut to do the equivalent of pressing Ctrl+0 <is a Zero>.  She only has one Ctrl button on far left with zero on far right on her Surface pro.
 
This combination is the one to revert all ZOOMED screens back to standard size and I saw her problem as it occurred but IMHO while an icon might be nice, i think it would be better to create a different hotkey.  When her screen is ZOOMED to 500% she cant see the X to get out and that is what she keeps trying to do.  An icon would also be covered up.  But that is what she asked for. 

Still, if there is an alternative way to make a different combination of keys do the same thing?  Maybe as a backup in case she cannot see the desktop icons at all?

Maybe Ctrl+Fnc+Winkey which are all next to each other on her system.
If possible, i need to do this without adding any additional software like AHK etc.

154

General Software Discussion / Re: Software to allow Local testing of a website code while monitoring activity

« Last post by questorfla on April 05, 2016, 04:24 PM »

Again, I Thank you Both.
I always know who I am going to get the most replies from .

If I could only find a way to add another 8 hours to every day ... THAT would be a fantastic tool!
Plus the person i had found who knew enough about websites (Or I thought he did?) seems to have vanished.
So I am back to throwing ideas against a brick wall.  Since they are all in my head, i am getting a headache!

I will add both of these to my arsenal and keep plugging away

155

General Software Discussion / Re: Software to allow Local testing of a website code while monitoring activity

« Last post by questorfla on April 05, 2016, 12:19 AM »

Thanks to you both! 
4WD, that may very well be the exact Flash-drive Website setup in the Newest Version.  The write-up sounds exactly like it!  As best as I can remember it was on some site like Geeks-R-Us or ?? It was 5 years ago i think but this one looks perfect for the task.

And Shades' program suggestions may also be right on the Mark.  The thing was, back then, I was only dabbling in HTML web-code with no added confusion of PHP and MySQL.  I and a helper have found several way to setup a PDF viewer using straight HTML but when we try to use the native PHP routines which handle the requests for the documents, it seems to fall off the tracks somewhere.

Flex Paper looked like a good and affordable solution to the problem but contacting their Support Department has been a challenge so far.  If it were not for Chrome being the Party Spoiler, IE11 already handles the PDF's in a viewer and so does Edge.  But Chrome is probably 20% of the Browser market so I can't ignore that.  Besides, using a well-written Hosted Viewer  would allow me to add all the "page-flips" and other toys. .

As for KARMA and HTTP MONITOR, (EVEN the DOM in IE11)  you may well be right that it was something built into the developer tools  such as a Tech Net Package. I should check there.  Thanks for the tips.

156

General Software Discussion / Software to allow Local testing of a website code while monitoring activity

« Last post by questorfla on April 04, 2016, 07:00 PM »

This is a tool that I once had years ago but cannot find now.  It was not much more than a "web-host in a box" kind of thing that supported php and mysql and it was small enough to run from a flash-drive (and back then flash drives were pretty small  . 

I am trying to trace the links from a users click on an object through each step as the item clicked on is added to a download queue.  We are looking for the correct location to insert the necessary code for it to display on-site using Flex-paper or similar and keep getting something wrong in the sequencing (at least on Chrome IE 11 is a little better).  It has to work for all browsers so I am trying to find a way to test each step locally rather than having to load the whole thing on a full Web Server.

The setup I had was maybe 5 years ago though and may not even be relevant any more.  But it would allow you to run the site on a split-screen and watch the various components as they operated in real-time and made it easy to locate all the specific modules in action when any activity was performed on the site such as mouse clicks on specific items etc.  I must be asking for it in the wrong way because i cannot get Google to come up with anything similar.  The one I had was based on a version of WAMP or XAMPP to get the site up but the part that displayed the "code-in-action" i have no idea what it was called.

If anyone happens to know of it or know of something similar, i would rather not have to build a VM just to run a small portion of a website locally for testing. 

157

General Software Discussion / Re: Web accessible Virtual Windows Environment for Collaborative testing of code

« Last post by questorfla on April 02, 2016, 09:45 PM »

Thanks Wraith! 
I knew somebody here would know a way.  I just popped open Koding for a sec and it looked promising so Nitrous probably will too.  The person I a working right now is in Europe so any way that would allow collaborative testing is fine with me.

158

General Software Discussion / Re: Web accessible Virtual Windows Environment for Collaborative testing of code

« Last post by questorfla on April 02, 2016, 07:39 PM »

html mostly  PHP MySQL etc
still trying to embed a simple PDF viewer on an OLD software code

159

General Software Discussion / Re: Web accessible Virtual Windows Environment for Collaborative testing of code

« Last post by questorfla on April 02, 2016, 05:35 PM »

Shades,i can always count on you to keep me grounded
The other party also tossed that back at me.  Cost.

Shame, but no big deal to setup the collaboration on a laptop.
Don't want to crash my day-to-day testing web-code. 
And I am not that well acquainted with the person who is assisting me so...
Easy fix.  Plenty of old laptop laying around.

Thanks.
I had to ask though.

160

General Software Discussion / Web accessible Virtual Windows Environment for Collaborative testing of code

« Last post by questorfla on April 02, 2016, 02:06 PM »

Not sure where the best place to look for this would be.  Maybe AZURE or maybe Google? 

Does anyone know of a not too expensive setup that would offer a web accessed VM running a Windows environment for testing code snippets that can accessed by more than one person simultaneously for collaboration on the project?  I have found a few applications that appear to offer such for commercial development but nothing that seems to be a small and affordable setup for 'personal use'.

This is for an alternative to simply allowing all the users to simply connect via Interviewer or other to a single host system.  Which is the first thing I thought of and may be the only viable option.

 

161

General Software Discussion / Registry Key Locator and Access tool

« Last post by questorfla on March 31, 2016, 12:32 PM »

I am trying to find a utility to create an active virtual link for Windows registry keys that would work to get  any text that refers to a registry key to display and work like an Internet Hyperlink but instead link to that location in the local registry

Maybe display the written text colored and underlined to emphasize it being an active local link which when clicked would open to the local Windows registry at that location (or the nearest possible if it does not yet exist).  I think this would require an indexing of the keys in the windows registry and performing a real-time search of displayed text to add the necessary links.

This would be a useful tool for making registry edits or for comparing a users own registry data to what is shown in the text they are reading.

I have seen a few tools that come close and there very possibly may already exists such a thing.  If so, could someone please point me to it.
Or if anyone has their own favorite tool for working with registry keys, I would appreciate any new tools I could try.

162

General Software Discussion / Are any of the "coders for hire" sites legit? Is anyone honest any more?

« Last post by questorfla on March 20, 2016, 12:54 AM »

I have tried to do this myself but simply do not have the time to learn the necessary skill set.  When I searched for Website Coding piecework I found the market is flooded with such sites but for every one touting a sure-fix site, there were 5 more saying STAY AWAY!  in Bold print and full of scary stories about being ripped off. 

It is a sad state the world has come to.  'Caveat Emptor' was always the byword for anything sold on the web but it seems it is now the "RULE" rather than the exception.
 
What I need it so minor I was hoping to find someone I could pay by the minute to jump in and tweak the necessary spots  by remote and run and instant test as it is done.  The coding is really not that hard if you know what you are doing.   I found several that offered exactly that... But the first one wanted a credit card number before they would even say "Hello".  And many of the others seem to be owned by the same "syndicate".

Can anyone recommend a site that does piece-meal jobs for immediate pay?

I don't mind showing my "good faith" for ability and willingness to pay but it seems a price could be discussed without a credit card number being passed.  How do honest people do business these days.

163

General Software Discussion / Re: server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 12, 2016, 06:46 PM »

OK, Update.  I now have a Moodle App (??) that is a multi file-type webviewer cross platform compatibility but the author does not use Windows at all 
So, i am lost in this mess trying to find the specific PHP command module that is activated when someone clicks on the desired document. 
If any browser reaches the file by going through through this app, it works perfectly as a viewer with all the usual controls available.

So far, though, I have to do this manually by adding the filename to the address I type into the browser.

For it to be of any use it needs to work within the context of the site as being viewed by a user who clicks the name rather than typing it into their web browser   I guess it's back to Website School for me

164

General Software Discussion / Re: bookmark management tool

« Last post by questorfla on March 12, 2016, 06:27 PM »

My advice would be to look on Chrome extensions if you use it as your browser. I found so many i did not know what to do with them all.  FVD Speed Dial is one of the most exotic.  Email link' is one of the most basic and i found it very handy.  'Save as a Shortcut' and so many more i got lost.  All are free to try some have donation support etc.  Once the extension is enabled a right click on the webpage while viewing brings up all the choices

165

General Software Discussion / Re: server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 05, 2016, 04:57 PM »

If i could get Xpdf into the sites display module correctly and if I have interpreted what it does and why, that should solve the problem.  Maybe. 
Either way, I have now dipped into Dark Waters as far as I am concerned.  Adding the viewer into the site even if it works is beyond anything I can do.   And Xpdf was the simplest embeddable viewer i could find. 
As there are no cases where the pdf files would ever be downloaded it would be fine if they Always displayed and had no option to download at all.

166

General Software Discussion / Re: server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 04, 2016, 12:21 PM »

hanks Skwire and I did bring that up to the webdesigners.  The reply was "We have not made any changes to anything".  Along with ...
"This must be something (you) changed on the hosting servers".  Again, as far as I know, "NO one" did anything to anything.  All was well until one day it wasn't.  I was informed just a few days ago and started looking into it so I can't even say for sure how long it has been happening.

But I am very sure of what once happened and this isn't it.

RE: "  ...However, if PDFs are set as a content-type of application/octet-stream.."  there are statements to the exact opposite to prevent them from downloading unless Apache has changed the manner in which it is supposed to be stated.  However, I think you are on the right track. Something along these lines is exactly what is happening if I can only figure out why and when it began.

BUT!  In the process, if I could find a better way that offered more control over the documents themselves it would certainly be a "Bonus".  This has always been a problem even when it worked properly.  The original idea of buying ADOBE Acrobat was a waste before we even got it.   The "crack" programs for all the ADOBE "file-locks" are FREE. 

The applications I looked at a couple of years ago to handle server-side viewing control were either only available if you used that particular  company's web hosting or so expensive and complicated as to make it not feasible for our needs.  Maybe there are better ways now and i should do some research on current methods.

Something that could do both (or multiple products if necessary) would be an even better solution as there are times that we would want specific people to be able to download the files but would like to be able to control further dissemination of them to other systems or other people

167

General Software Discussion / Re: server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 03, 2016, 09:20 PM »

It's like this:
The downloaders are people on a committee who are discussing candidates for a position to be filled at a company.  Because the documents they are reading are only resumes and similar, there isn't much there which could not be obtained from various public resources. 
But!
IF someone were to have access to all the resumes that had been read by a specific committee or member of one they would know who the specific applicants are and could also make a pretty good guess at how far along specific applicants might be in the deliberation process.  Since every document involved is now copied to the downloads folder of every committee member's laptop it just makes a very neat package for anyone who wanted to be underhanded about it.

As this is a temporary committee formed for only this one purpose, they are most likely using laptops drawn from a company "equipment pool" While they "could" just be told be told to make new rules about completely cleaning all files and folders from each laptop after every meeting anyway (something I would have advised doing anyway as a matter of course)  It isn't how things have been done before.  And I get the non-envious job of having to explain WHY things have changed to people who barely understand how things work in the first place as well as defend the methods which once worked one way but now work another while trying to explain that I have no control over it anyway.

In my eyes, if it matters this much they should be doing it altogether differently anyway.  BUT.  That decision is above my paygrade.  I only have to find a way to prevent the files from being automatically downloaded to the "downloads folder" while keeping the names and text in such an obvious and easy to access form.   Even normal people know to look for downloaded files in the downloads folder.  Well... most do anyway.

But few if any would dream that the music they are listening to on Pandora could easily be captured and saved to make a "bootleg" recording to keep if they only knew where to find the stored data stream and convert it back to an mp3 format.  So as long as those files went to that Unnamed temporary data storage compartment, all was well in the Universe.  I need to put them back into the "dark-hole" so to speak.


 

168

General Software Discussion / Re: server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 03, 2016, 07:06 PM »

That IS odd that it would react differently on different systems using the same browser
now I more than ever want to blame Windows 10.  There was always a sort of "default program" for various file types but Windows 10 has taken that to a whole new level.
I may try to send attach a screenshot here.
In any event, your method would work as well or better.  How hard would it be to use that on Pre-existing Apache websites?  Is it an application or a method of display and of course, where can i buy it?  At least with yours, i can see how i could BLOCK downloads.  the other looks to me like it opens in some kind of Apache ...  or maybe it is Fox-it Viewer since Fox-it is my default for opening PDF files on that system.  Shows how seldom i ever use it!  I like yours Better

169

General Software Discussion / Re: server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 03, 2016, 12:48 PM »

Thanks Wraith.  Here is a site that I found the example I described an I am trying to contact whoever hosts this setup so they can explain to me how to institute it on my servers.  So far i have not gotten past the secretary who answers the phone at the business   Maybe it you see what it does, this will look familiar to you. Click HERE

I hope i did that properly as I do not normally post links.

On that page if you click any of the "Download Buttons" it opens a viewer of some kind , it does not automatically download anything
in that viewer, you DO have options of saving, printing etc.  I noticed that the link that opens when you click Download is not direct to the pdf file itself.  I am now even seeing that if the file is rather large you can see that it is being opened by what is called WORD, i am not sure if it is an APP or the full program nor whether it is on my system or on the HOST system. 
 
I am using CHROME as a browser with no special add ons.   My windows 10 system is set to use FOXIT READER as the default for PDF file extensions  This site does exactly what I need my site to do as far as handling pdf files as I cannot ask eash user to make changes to their default configurations.


Perhaps that site has WORD set to be the default viewer for PDF files or some other?   If I choose to open a PDF file using WORD on my own system locally I get various warnings about "may not create a 100% accurate view of the item displayed" and other disclaimers.  But on this site, clicking download apparently causes the document to either open in Word or a WORD APP either at their end or go directly into Word at my end.

While this does leave open the 'OPTION' of saving, printing etc, it would put an end to the Automatic downloading of every pdf when viewed.

170

General Software Discussion / Re: server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 03, 2016, 11:45 AM »

Yes, these are internet users.  And to be honest, "I" personally have no issue with the downloads anyway and I have explained to the >"Powers That Be"< that these files have "ALWAYS" been downloaded.  If they (the viewing person) sees it, they have downloaded it.  The differences are that in the past, this download stayed in their Temporary Internet files and was a random number for a title.

Please remember that I am speaking of "Ordinary Mortals" here and not anyone who has even a shred of an idea how things really work.  So these "Internet visitors" who come to the website to view these files, all I am trying to do is to either get it to work like it used to such that the files and up in the temporary Internet folder as random numbers     >  OR

In some way manage to control how much further they are able to disseminate what they see.  I am well aware the there are hundreds of ways to "cheat" but this issue is about normal use by normal "non-technical" people.   The only reason this even came up was that one of the clients happened to noticed that a laptop they had been using which was not their own but rather one that was to be returned to a "stockpile" contained copies of all these documents they thought they were only viewing now stored in the downloads folder.  While the files are not "secret" they are also not something that was mean to be shared with the next user of that laptop.  This "storage in the downloads folder" is something that has occurred relatively recently, viewing pdf files did not work like this in the recent past, maybe 6 months ago?   I am not sure when I first noticed it but I have known that eventually this issue would come up.

I have considered things like encryption with the file unable to be read without a "key" which could be provided to the people who are reading them ("I"  know this is a dumb idea and pointless as the reader could simply supply that key to anyone along with the encrypted file  But you would be surprised at how many people will BELIEVE that this would help and belief in something even when wrong is sometimes all the "cure" that is needed!)

Anything I can do "server side" to make things "Look" like they used to is what I am trying to find right now.  A way to either automatically prevent the downloading of the file to the downloads folder where it looks like a normal pdf file with name title body etc.    OR    If it IS downloaded to go back to putting it in the temporary internet files folder stored under a random bunch of letters and numbers.

Eventually, the ideal solution would be a way to do something on the “Server-Side” to make the file >"unusable/unreadable"< by anyone beyond the person who was given the link to the website.  The Pdf's are already set with every protection offered by Adobe but almost everyone these days knows plenty of ways to by-pass that type of password protection.  Fortunately, this is not a "High Security" Issue but more one of "What They Want the Site To Do".  I would be more than willing to use a different file type, or any other option that would achieve this. 

Please keep in mind that for a “Quick Fix”  a "Trick" is as "Good as Gold" in this case.  If the "TRICK" works to make it seem as though there is not a copy of that file on the viewer's system that can easily be passed around to anyone they please, I am dealing with people who are only concerned with things "as they know them to be".  Like a magician at a child's birthday party, the problem can be solved with "sleight of hand" temporarily if necessary until I can find a way to employ a "REAL" solution.

The Ultimate Solution will probably involve using some proprietary file type that would require using a "viewer" which we would have to provide to the people who are supposed to be able to "view" it.  If anyone here can offer alternatives, I am open to anything but I need to resolve it, at least in some temporary way, as soon as possible. 

I also would be very interested in knowing what change over the last 6 months would have created this issue?

There are several of these sites and every one of them now has the same issue above but as recently as 6 months ago all of them worked fine (as far as I know).  The shift from ending up as an actual downloaded file in the "Viewer's " downloads folder instead of a rather anonymous file in the temporary internet files cache just "happened".   If I knew what caused this change, there could be an quick solution. 

While looking at other sites that host PDF files, One of them I entered shows their files as  "filename.pdf” with a download button next to it.  When I clicked the filename nothing happened but when I clicked the download button, the file opens in a PDF viewer of some kind.    If I do the SAME THING on one of our sites, the file immediately goes to the Chrome Downloads.   I just found this yesterday so I am not sure which app opened when I clicked that “Download” button  but if I could get my sites to do the same thing that would solve a lot of the problem.

On their site, instead of instantly downloading in Chrome (the browser I was using) , it opened in another application which allowed me to read the whole pdf on-screen.  This "shell viewer" does not look like Adobe and more resembles the one built into Edge.  As long as I did not Click the option to SAVE or PRINT (which were icons of a floppy disk, or a printer) when I closed the file after reading there was no "left over" files on my system that I could easily find.

However this happened, it would be perfect for what I need.  Knowing Windows 10, this could even be tied to whatever program is set as the "Default PDF handler" on the Website Server that hosts the Apache Websites.   At the least it demonstrate that there must be a solution even though I do not yet know what it is.

Thanks to everyone for any ideas as this is an urgent situation in the eyes of some and I have to resolve it in way that would have the least impact to the ability to view the files by the people who were meant to view them.

171

General Software Discussion / server-side configuration Open to View PDFs in browser not download them

« Last post by questorfla on March 03, 2016, 12:59 AM »

This is a pretty urgent need and i would be willing to looks at any alternatives.
In the past years, this was not really problem and I am not sure when the rules changes nor with what software.
On a site we host there are hundreds of pdf files in various library's. 

The Intent is for a User to be able to Open and view the files as much as necessary but other than making a screenshot, they should not be able to download and save the original PDF from the site.

This is a standard Apache Website using a PHP/MySQl setup to manage the documents.  I have tried inserting a few suggested code snippet with no results.  The same sites never acted this way before but i am unable to determine when this new "Download first/Open 2nd" ability became the default.

People visiting the website DO need to be able to view the files but I am beginning to believe it would be best (IF Possible) to find a way to
allow them to view it using a viewer hosted on the Web Server as the only way to accomplish what is needed

And there are so many other PDF viewers out there that I am sure attempts to prevent this after the file is already in their temporary internet files would be a waste

Any Advice Apprciated

172

General Software Discussion / Re: Shortcut to All Apps displayed by letter Alphabet

« Last post by questorfla on February 22, 2016, 10:00 AM »

Probably 
I always remember the "one hour software" slogan though

173

General Software Discussion / Re: Shortcut to All Apps displayed by letter Alphabet

« Last post by questorfla on February 22, 2016, 09:50 AM »

Thanks 4wd.
And to show you just how bad off I am, i have now posted he same question twice in the forum   I was trying to move it to Skrommel's 1 hr list and realized that i was still in General after posting.  Is there a way to move a post once posted?

174

General Software Discussion / Make the alphabetic menu display in Windows 10 the default

« Last post by questorfla on February 22, 2016, 09:43 AM »

Is there a way to make a Desktop Shortcut to access the Alphabetic 'list-by-letter' menu in Windows 10?   Additionally, maybe a way to make that the default display type instead of scrolling through from the 'A' apps to get to the 'R' apps.

Currently I click any letter to bring up the full alphabet then choose the letter I want but for some reason in this one place MS decided not to allow any keyboard interaction to reach a letter.  Logically you would think typing the letter R when in that menu would jump to the R's but nothing happens at all.  It is Mouse Only.  If I could, I would make that my default Display option when clicking All Apps in the Start Menu in the first place since seeing all the tiny tiles listed alphabetically does not make things any faster to access.

There may already be some 3rd party app out there to do this but I have not seen one.  And I know this is the fastest place to find something like that.  This might even be best posted in Skrommels 1 hr software as I bet he already has an answer

175

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« Last post by questorfla on February 21, 2016, 02:00 PM »

This was a VERY long post so i barely skimmed it and i am sure somewhere on it is "Everything" by Void-tools?  Does anyone have a specific reason why it would not be a good Desktop Search as it is the only alternative to Windows I have found to be reliable.