Recent Posts

1901

Living Room / How to use a parallel port printer on a PC without a parallel port?

« Last post by rjbull on September 17, 2009, 04:28 PM »

Another episode in my ongoing saga of "migrating to Vista" woes.

I have an old but little used Canon BJ-10ex portable ink jet printer.  It only has a parallel port input.  My new Vista laptop doesn't have "legacy ports."  Is there any way to make the printer work with the new computer?  Some way of converting USB to parallel, as it were?

Thanks...

1902

General Software Discussion / Re: How "laplink" Win98SE and Vista Home Premium laptops?

« Last post by rjbull on September 17, 2009, 03:46 PM »

Thanks, folks...  I went to the local computer shop, and the man said he'd tried USB null modem cables and had problems with them.  He suggested just using a USB stick, and pointed out that if I used Ethernet or the router, I'd have to set both machines to the same workgroup, which sounded complicated, especially if I had to do it on Win98.  In the event I just used a WD Passport USB HD.  Less convenient, but at least possible.  I'll have to keep the old laptop around just to be sure I can resurrect something I'd forgotten.

1903

General Software Discussion / How to migrate Palm T3 to Vista?

« Last post by rjbull on September 17, 2009, 03:41 PM »

I'm migrating from my old Win98SE laptop to a Vista Home Premium one.  I also have a Palm T3 (T/3, T|3) which I've used with my old Win98SE laptop.  Unfortunately
the Palm desktop that comes with the T3 (4.something) doesn't work on Vista.  I downloaded the 6.something desktop that comes with the TX and late model Zire, which does work on Vista, but despite HotSynch saying it had synched correctly, nothing showed in the desktop.  Maybe I missed something, of course.  Palm's Web site is useless, "no free support for (your old model)."

Does anyone know, please, how I could migrate the T3 from Win98SE to Vista?

Thanks...

1904

General Software Discussion / How "laplink" Win98SE and Vista Home Premium laptops?

« Last post by rjbull on September 12, 2009, 02:57 PM »

Please, how can I "laplink" between my old Win98SE laptop and my new Vista Home Premium one, as the latter doesn't have "legacy ports?"  Can I use a USB cable, or do I need something else?

TIA...

1905

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: ClipMate at $19.95 on BitsduJour today - Sept. 4

« Last post by rjbull on September 10, 2009, 05:26 PM »

I would have to be ignoring Word in Ditto - and that would be rather self-defeating

-tranglos (September 07, 2009, 11:58 AM)

Sounds like a great "reason" for low productivity   

To answer your question - no, I'm surprised to see Ditto does not provide a way to ignore certain apps.

It should, indeed...

1906

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: ClipMate at $19.95 on BitsduJour today - Sept. 4

« Last post by rjbull on September 07, 2009, 11:38 AM »

every sentence I translate ends up on the clipboard and in Ditto's database. Useless, yes, but it's not a problem at all, since Ditto is really fast, the db is not kept in RAM

-tranglos (September 06, 2009, 06:44 PM)

tranglos, as I said, some programs like ArsClip and CHS allow you to ignore clips coming from certain programs.  That way you could ignore your "industry standard" program.  Does Ditto allow ignoring?

1907

Post New Requests Here / Re: Merge .txt files but with the copy/paste method

« Last post by rjbull on September 06, 2009, 10:39 AM »

In linux, I'd use SED to replace the tabs with spaces. I don't know of any similar tool in windows, though

-jgpaiva (September 05, 2009, 09:04 AM)

jgpaiva, was that a grammatical error?  Surely you know there are Windows ports of SED? Alternatively,
freeware WinGUI search-and-replace apps include BKReplacem and HandyFile Find and Replace (HFFR) last free version.

1908

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: ClipMate at $19.95 on BitsduJour today - Sept. 4

« Last post by rjbull on September 06, 2009, 10:28 AM »

@tranglos:
Thanks.  I found Ditto won't run on my Win98SE laptop, missing DLL.  Yet another reason to face setting up the Vista one 

@Curt:
You forgot ArsClip, CHS, CLCL, ClipCache and MiniCLIP
Most of the clipboard enhancers have a feature to automatically delete messages by number and/or by age.  You only have to set that up once.  Some can be set to ignore clips coming from certain programs, which is great for ignoring clips from e.g. password keepers.

1909

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable macro recorder/player?

« Last post by rjbull on September 06, 2009, 10:19 AM »

BdJ must have to consider specialised programs, just to keep up a discount a day...  glad to hear they follow up.  As you observe there's no guarantee the developer will agree, but it's good publicity and goodwill for them for only a one-off discount.  So we live in hope   

1910

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable macro recorder/player?

« Last post by rjbull on September 04, 2009, 04:05 PM »

Thanks, dan2001.  I just posted a request for Hot Keyboard Pro on Bits du Jour, but don't hold your breath...

1911

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: ClipMate at $19.95 on BitsduJour today - Sept. 4

« Last post by rjbull on September 04, 2009, 04:03 PM »

I've become partial to Ditto myself.

-tranglos (September 04, 2009, 09:25 AM)

Does Ditto use the JET database engine?  I've been wary of JET because Zhorn Software's popular sticky notes program Stickies uses it, and won't run stably on my old Win98SE laptop  (yes, one day I'll have to set up the Vista laptop...)

1912

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend file shredder?

« Last post by rjbull on August 31, 2009, 03:18 PM »

I'm very late to this thread (didn't really get near a computer/DC all summer), but just wanted to give rjbull my condolences on the loss of his mother and his job. Went through redundancy myself 18 months ago and can sympathize.

-Darwin (August 31, 2009, 10:37 AM)

Darwin, thanks for your kind thoughts, and welcome back to DC.

As someone pointed out to me, work is a large part of the structure of your life - you get up at a certain time, visit certain places on certain days, see the same people and so on.  I feel a need for a break, but I'll have to find a new structure before too long.

1913

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend file shredder?

« Last post by rjbull on August 31, 2009, 03:16 PM »

Remember that just because you haven't heard about an exploit in the wild doesn't mean it's not been discovered and is being abused. With small(er) marketshare OSes, it's far more valuable to keep 0day flaws to yourself and target special victims for blackmailing, espionage, whatever than it is to try and do botnet harvesting.

-f0dder (August 30, 2009, 01:42 PM)

Whoa, f0dder!  You're asking for a visit from some very heavy people intent on keeping you quiet!  But it's nice to hear that Windows isn't quite as bad as I thought in comparison with the opposition...

Well, the techie shouldn't be making smug remarks about OS stability if users are allowed to run with admin privileges

I more or less forced his hand.  Haven't had any problems before, everything ran stably for years, only this "uninstall too far" and that's water under the bridge now.  Still, a learning experience, and when (if ever) I get my Vista laptop up and running, I'll have to make sure I run as a user by default, not an admin.  So thanks for that advice.

1914

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable macro recorder/player?

« Last post by rjbull on August 31, 2009, 03:05 PM »

Replying to my own post (as if anybody cared): looks like Hot Keyboard Pro would do what I want.

In Re: Macro programs - advice sought... mouser says he liked it, but has changed to Macro Express now.  But, Hot Keyboard Professional is now portable, and Macro Express isn't.

1915

Living Room / Re: PC-Centric to PDA-Centric... Thoughts?

« Last post by rjbull on August 30, 2009, 01:12 PM »

I've been using my Palm T3 a lot over the last year.  Useful for alarms/reminders on the go, and for contacts, as well as shopping lists (HandyShopper).   Occasionally use calculator, units converter, memos, rarely anything else.  One of the great things about it is I turn it on, and full power is immediately there.  No waiting for the OS to boot up, anti-malware updates, etc, etc.  Bliss after a corporate (or home) PC.

Most of the salesmen and managers where I used to work had BlackBerries, but I'm not sure how much it was because BBs are genuinely useful, or because BBs are this week's must-have accessory.  But some of them did seem to use their BBs an awful lot for email.

1916

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend file shredder?

« Last post by rjbull on August 30, 2009, 01:06 PM »

there's plenty of interesting security holes in OS X allowing for privilege escalation etc

-f0dder (August 30, 2009, 12:48 PM)

I thought current Mac OS was based on Free BSD, and that that was fairly good for security.  Not so?

Btw, HAL.DLL missing? Let me guess, either running XP with administrative privileges,

erm, probably - I was one of the few people that were allowed to install anything, so had at least some level of admin privileges.  I don't know much about that level of operation, and rather assumed I didn't have full power...

1917

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend file shredder?

« Last post by rjbull on August 30, 2009, 12:38 PM »

Thanks for your good wishes, folks...  that's really in the spirit of DC!

I didn't really expect or need to destroy things to a standard that would leave GCHQ or the CIA bamboozled, just to stop cleverclogs with Recuva or something freeloading on my registration fees.  I uninstalled everything I had paid for with my own money, either using Total Uninstall (where I had remembered to use it to install in the first place), or the progam's own uninstall, and shredding the directories and files that contained registration keys with Eraser.  I found a portable version of Eraser on the Eraser site itself without going to PortableApps.  I left everything that was free anyway, or bought by the company, and left all the matching data files.  Then I went home, intending to do something like f0dder's second method on my last day.  Unfortunately I did an uninstall too far, as XP wouldn't boot, complaining that "hal.dll" was missing.  So that was that.  So much for mindlessly saying Yes to all uninstall prompts...  The IT guy had already told me that if they re-used "my" PC he would have re-imaged it anyway, so I probably did enough (one way or another).  Not that he's likely to any time soon, as the company has laid off so many people he's already got enough surplus Dell boxes to build a garden wall.  I told him about the failure to boot, "don't you just love Windows."  He, who spends his time supporting Windows and Unix systems, told me he doesn't use Windows at home, but an Apple Mac!  Paraphrasing: "It just works, and you don't get viruses."   

Thanks again...

1918

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by rjbull on August 26, 2009, 04:15 AM »

@Eli Cohen:
A quick DC search shows a number of hits for WhizFolders and it looks like WhizNote (with an "h") is a de-featured free version of it.  Is WizNotes without an "h" a different application?

Are you associated with WizNotes?

1919

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: UltraEdit bundle on Bits du Jour 31st August 2009

« Last post by rjbull on August 26, 2009, 03:37 AM »

I just heard back from BdJ.  The vendor had to postpone owing to some eCommerce complications, but the UltraEdit bundle will be back on the BdJ schedule, they hope within the next few weeks.

1920

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by rjbull on August 25, 2009, 04:29 AM »

Does anyone know anything about NoteFrog that's supposed to be on Bits du Jour special offer on 30th August?  I say "supposed to be" because it looks like the 31st Aug. UltraEdit Bundle deal is off, see this DC thread.

NoteFrog sounds a bit like AZZ Cardfile and the online demo seems to reinforce that.  One of the BdJ "Real User Say" comments compares it favourably to MemoryMate.  If anyone else remembers MemoryMate, that's a good recommendation.

NoteFrog reverts to a de-featured completely free edition if you don't register.  I suspect that too many good features have been removed, but haven't tried it.  At $19.95 it's pretty low-cost even before the BdJ deal.

NoteFrog looks big on tags, for those who like them, but doesn't appear to do tag clouds.

[edit]
I should have said, NoteFrog has the "live search" feature that many people like.  You can also "live search" within a "live search," as it were.  Make your first search, get your hits; make a second search, and the remaining results are the two searches ANDed.
[/edit]

1921

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: UltraEdit bundle on Bits du Jour 31st August 2009

« Last post by rjbull on August 25, 2009, 03:59 AM »

It looks like the deal might be postponed (or off)

-mwb1100 (August 24, 2009, 04:06 PM)

I'm seeing that today too     I've e-mailed BdJ to ask what happened.

1922

Found Deals and Discounts / UltraEdit bundle on Bits du Jour 31st August 2009

« Last post by rjbull on August 24, 2009, 05:52 AM »

Bits du Jour has an offer on the UltraEdit Bundle of UltraEdit, UltraCompare, and UltraSentry for 31 August 2009. Deal price $49.95, list price $139.95, you save 65%.

UltraEdit is mouser's favourite editor and came top in the DC Best Text Editor review (though the review is getting out of date).  As well as the editor, the bundle includes UltraCompare that lets you instantly review the differences between up to three files or folders, and support file merging and FTP.  Finally, UltraSentry is an application that deletes data to United States Department of Defense standards, making files and folders unrecoverable, and offers secure disk sanitation, registry cleaning, and advanced browser security.

1923

General Software Discussion / Re: AJC Active Backup ---- at Bits du Jour

« Last post by rjbull on August 21, 2009, 07:56 AM »

In case anyone's interested, the offer is being repeated at Bits du Jour - AJC Software today, $17.40 instead of $29.

AJC Active Backup
A Great Safety Net
AJC Active Backup monitors all the files that you change on your PC and then automatically (and silently) backs them up into a compact archive.

Offer expires in 15 hours from time of writing.

1924

General Software Discussion / Recommend portable macro recorder/player?

« Last post by rjbull on August 21, 2009, 05:22 AM »

Please can anyone recommend a macro program with a "learn by example" feature, that can be run no-install from a USB stick?

The obvious answer is AutoHotKey (AHK), but I've had hit-or-miss results with its AutoScriptWriter, and to get anywhere with AHK, you really need to start editing scripts.  What I'm thinking of is the sort of job where you need to repeat an action 20 or 30 times or more, but may never have to do that job again.  In those circumstances, the effort put into script writing might be greater than doing the job manually (if more interesting to do).  A macro recorder would make it quicker and more painless.

I contacted Insight Software Solutions, authors of Macro Express, and they say they're working on a portable version, but can't give a release date (sounds like pressure of too many other things).

WinMacro by Senthil Kumar is a simple freeware macro recorder/player, but may be a bit too simple.  No editing of any kind, for instance.

TIA...

1925

General Software Discussion / Recommend file shredder?

« Last post by rjbull on August 19, 2009, 05:03 AM »

I've just been made redundant - less than seven weeks after my mother died.

Next week I'll need to remove all my own software from the work computer.  It'll break my heart to delete a large collection of good software that's served me well, but if I'm going to do it, better do it thoroughly.

Please can anyone recommend a good file shredder?  I've heard of a few but would like to know DC members' experiences.

I'd really like one that works as a plug-in for Total Commander.  I looked in the TC forums, and found a few references, but apparently Christian isn't interested in shredding, so it's down to add-ons.

TIA...