Recent Posts

2551

General Software Discussion / Re: Software to monitor computer start-up?

« Last post by Shades on March 29, 2009, 03:59 PM »

The more technical (but free) option is to run AutoRuns.exe from the SysInternals Suite (available through Microsoft's Technet).

It will show you what (amount of) applications is started during boot. A simple enabling/disabling of a checkbox will result in the software being enabled/disabled during the next startup from your PC. For me the whole suite is a treasure like  a chest filled with 24 karat gold coins, but this tool and Process Explorer would be the diamonds.

ehh, arrrr?

2552

Living Room / Re: which is better for hard drive transfers: ide or usb cable

« Last post by Shades on March 29, 2009, 03:34 PM »

Until now I didn't experience any problem with the software. Copying files through the network really shaves minutes or seconds off (when copying the same file to the same location using only Windows explorer) depending on the size of the file.

However, it is not fast when copying from harddisk to an USB stick, copying from an USB stick does not give me any problem, speed-wise (on my 8Gbyte Kingston DataTraveler). Think it has to do with how files are written to the USB stick.

LukiEdition XP is the same software, except it uses the XP theme. The standard version uses a 'classic' look. It does on my system at least 

[rant]
Also, it is nice to know that there are bugs...without any hint of what they be, it is a useless comment to put on a website. Should be classified in the same league of useless comments like: 'My computer is broken.' or 'I cannot print' etc. 
[/rant]

EDIT: added a rant

2553

Image Manager Shootout / Re: Image management with auto Face Recognition

« Last post by Shades on March 28, 2009, 09:44 AM »

Face recognition in Gallery2?

It is a nice and capable product, but I have now spent already quite some time on its feature pages and could not find anything about that.

However, it is very easy to install/use on a server in your house.

2554

General Software Discussion / Re: Your most used SPECIAL programs

« Last post by Shades on March 25, 2009, 12:21 AM »

The net gave me all kind of sporting related explanations, those were not the ones I was looking for.

So, let's explain myself a bit. In my youth I always saw TV-series addressed to my age-group. Over the course of years several times an actor appeared who had an enormous chin, shaped like the lower part of a motor helmet. His name I cannot remember but he was always cast in a bad guy's role that ended up in a fail, whatever he did.

People always told me that anybody with that kind of facial feature had a "glass" jaw'. Hence my association with that word and the facial feature from 'Tempie'.

But I do like the series though. 

2555

General Software Discussion / Re: Your most used SPECIAL programs

« Last post by Shades on March 24, 2009, 09:03 PM »

The camera guy from the TV-series Bones doesn't like 'Tempie' all that much. She is a rather nice looking woman, but in a lot of shots throughout the first seasons they made her jawbone look like a "glass jaw".

I couldn't help note that...was also a major turn-off for me. The female boss of the whole forensic team of Bones, now that is a very nice example of a good looking woman  

2556

Living Room / Re: Sound problems: help please?

« Last post by Shades on March 24, 2009, 08:53 PM »

Your problem sounds somewhat familiar. Here I use an onboard soundcard, together with an USB 5.1 headphone which has it own hardware on XP SP2. After plugging that one in I have to restart whatever app that uses sound.

Makes sense, hardware needs to be initialized and recognized by the OS before the apps are able to use the intended hardware.

With that in mind, do you check which sound hardware is initialized by the OS at the time you start a game? Since you have two sound cards and every other time the right hardware is used, it looks to me that your OS is switching between hardware.

Connect a set of speakers to one card, another set of speakers to the second card and start a game several times. If each time only one set is playing you'll know in which way you have to find the right solution.
There was a thread on DC here about switching between multiple sound cards with some AHK scripts. Get lucky in that thread I would say 

2557

Developer's Corner / Re: Deisgn of applications at home

« Last post by Shades on March 24, 2009, 09:17 AM »

Nope, scared to admit it...but I'm still a pen & paper guy.

2558

General Software Discussion / Re: Online Photo Album with Download Cart

« Last post by Shades on March 23, 2009, 10:52 PM »

You should also find a shopping cart that is supported by banks/credit card companies for payments. I know that VirtueMart is supported by banks (more common in Europe than credit cards). It is also supported in most CMS systems (although the site only mentions Joomla! and is ideal for small payments and up (micro payments I'm not sure of).

Both VirtueMart and Joomla! are open source. A while ago I did some research on requirements for a webshop and then I found out that (in Holland/Netherlands) banks actually have support for this software. They even sell you code and technical support so the webshop can be open in the shortest amount of time possible.

VirtueMart is extensible with plugins for several banking systems.

2559

Developer's Corner / Re: Deisgn of applications at home

« Last post by Shades on March 23, 2009, 08:05 PM »

Deisgn of applications at home....

The title says it all 

And yes, you should design a piece of software (general functionality)  on paper or in a document first. In the end you will be faster done and it usually ends up in more understandable (and re-usable!) code. It makes the creation of documentation also easier. Also, it doesn't hurt to take some good work habits to your home. 

2560

General Software Discussion / Re: WINDOWS 7 THREAD (ongoing)

« Last post by Shades on March 22, 2009, 03:56 PM »

Windows XP (classic mode)?

2561

Living Room / Re: Dual XP Home start up screen

« Last post by Shades on March 22, 2009, 11:19 AM »

Normally it shouldn't be a problem to start the desired Windows installation and remove the second line from its 'boot.ini' file. The second line of available OS's (the line that does NOT end with '/fastdetect'), I mean. When you see, you'll know.

After a reboot you can just format the partition that holds the undesired Windows installation (when that partition contains no data that you want to keep, of course). Else, you should be able to delete everything but the data you want to retain.

2562

General Software Discussion / Re: Backup software à la dropbox (backups differences in file - revisions)

« Last post by Shades on March 21, 2009, 05:51 PM »

Depends, in default mode (database) storing only the changes would make the most sense...but that would be true for any version control system that uses a database as storage medium.

However, you can set SVN nowadays also in file mode (so it behaves more like CVS) and than the complete file is stored every time. File based version control systems are easier to move/salvage than the ones that use a database.

2563

General Software Discussion / Re: Odd results with Google Translate

« Last post by Shades on March 19, 2009, 10:37 PM »

Was that not the point of computer translations?...to have odd, off the bat translations that become amusing/funny/hilarious?

Although Google is better at it than Babelfish, translations made by the latter were (more) fun to use in some of the conversations I had over here. 

2564

General Software Discussion / Re: Backup software à la dropbox (backups differences in file - revisions)

« Last post by Shades on March 19, 2009, 07:22 PM »

Depending on which OS you want to use....for Linux you have a very nice one that can do what you ask....and it ain't RSYNC), the tool is open source and called: BackupPC

At the time I had to choose between this one and Bacula, I went for Bacula because it had the options I required at the time. That one can also do what you want, but is a true pain in the a.. to setup using the standard method, so I will not even try to imagine the misery getting your request done. This was three years ago and both are very actively developed.

2565

Living Room / Re: Create Animated Gif Typewriter Effect for your Text Online

« Last post by Shades on March 15, 2009, 12:02 PM »

2566

General Software Discussion / Re: Layers: screenshot with layers - must see for Mouser's Screenshot Captor

« Last post by Shades on March 15, 2009, 01:54 AM »

Next time someone asks to put support for PhotoShop plugins as well   

2567

Living Room / Re: How to *really* test if your HD has bad sectors or not...

« Last post by Shades on March 14, 2009, 11:59 AM »

That is the problem, the site (and software) is written by Russians and only the software is in English. My 'Russian' will be just as bad as yours, but I found out about this software from a blog.

I added two attachments, which are log files of my download software. In there should be the direct link to the files. Hopefully those files are still available. When that is not the case I can mail whichever one you prefer, as I don't think that a site like DC is allowed to host them. The first attachment is for the .ISO the second for an .EXE to be stored on a bootable DOS floppy.

MHDD is able to do a lot of things, check your hard-disk is just one of them. It is also possible to adjust the size, create bad sectors (?), hide/enable data, .BAT scripting and a lot of things more. But be warned, make an error and you are in serious trouble. By default the software is setup to check harddisks, only when you have manually changed something the software will do as you have ordered.

Personally, I have used the software only to check several harddisks here and no complaints about that functionality.  When I have a harddisk with a serious problem, I like to play with the other features of this software though 

2568

General Software Discussion / Re: Directory Opus 9 Questions

« Last post by Shades on March 14, 2009, 11:12 AM »

Changing the tab is no biggie.
1. Open the preferences
2. Goto 'Listers'
3. Select there 'Folder Tabs'
4. There you find an option 'Display Folder Tabs at the top'
5. Enable that check box and you're done
6. Profit !!!

 

2569

General Software Discussion / Re: cannot play ripped music files

« Last post by Shades on March 13, 2009, 07:33 PM »

Audiograbber is a good candidate for cd ripping, even though it's no longer in active development.

-lanux128 (March 13, 2009, 08:52 AM)

Band candidate - outdated ripping engine, poor MP3 encoder.

-f0dder (March 13, 2009, 12:09 PM)

Which band is putting it forward as a candidate? 

-Darwin (March 13, 2009, 01:32 PM)

Don't want to be called a 'snitch' or something, but....I think it was the rubber band 

2570

Living Room / Re: How to *really* test if your HD has bad sectors or not...

« Last post by Shades on March 12, 2009, 09:13 PM »

Here you can download some serious harddisk checking software. Seriously, I recommend MHDD. It comes on CD or floppy, boot from it, choose the drive you want to check and let it run. The possibilities of this program are very interesting, but possibly very destructive as well.

2571

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: Portable Software

« Last post by Shades on March 11, 2009, 11:06 PM »

Your mirror tool looks to be very nice and simple...just the way I like it

2572

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Paragon Drive Backup 9 Special Edition For Free!

« Last post by Shades on March 11, 2009, 10:45 PM »

Yep, a merge would be nice...less confusing for me

2573

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Paragon Drive Backup 9 Special Edition For Free!

« Last post by Shades on March 11, 2009, 07:48 PM »

Hey, going through this thread I notice that a lot of posts are missing, including one of my own about a seriously bad side effect after installing this software. Which would be the loss of two from my six partitions.

Did Cody eat some of the posts as a midnight snack or something?

2574

Living Room / Re: Samsung's 24 x 220MB/s SSD RAID

« Last post by Shades on March 11, 2009, 04:42 PM »

Today I did remember the link that was mentioned in my previous post about using SSD as cache for RAID systems:

http://tweakers.net/...als-cachinglaag.html

It is in Dutch, but your friend Google will be able to translate for you.

2575

Living Room / Re: Samsung's 24 x 220MB/s SSD RAID

« Last post by Shades on March 10, 2009, 10:34 PM »

Don't know where I read it, the name of the site slipped from my mind and searching the history didn't turn up anything.

What I do remember from the article was that a RAID setup where a standard SSD drive was used to "police" the file traffic to normal hard disks in the same RAID was seriously faster than a similar RAID setup consisting of Raptor Hard disks. 30% extra throughput was easy to do and in this setup the SSD would take long time before wearing down.