Recent Posts

2676

Living Room / Re: Repeated drive corruption

« Last post by Shades on December 13, 2008, 03:17 PM »

If these tools come in iso format, burn them to cd. Turn the PC off (switch at the back!), then make sure only the bad drive is connected to the mainboard. Without a physical connection it is impossible for this software to mess up your other drives and their content. Set the BIOS to boot from CD and (re)boot your system.

Follow the instructions from the tool, wait until it is finished and turn machine off (switch at the back!). Connect all drives again and boot your system (without the boot cd of course) and Windows should recognize a clean/pristine drive.
Use drive management console to partition and format the drive.

And tadaaa, cranioscopical is a happy camper again 

2677

Living Room / Re: Windows software RAID

« Last post by Shades on December 12, 2008, 01:00 PM »

No it is definitely the rebuilding of the RAID (10) that requires that time. That system boots from a separate harddisk, the set of RAID disks even has its own power supply and is always started before the computer itself starts.

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Living Room / Re: Windows software RAID

« Last post by Shades on December 12, 2008, 08:45 AM »

I have a software raid....but on linux.  Because of power failures here that the UPS is unable to catch, that system crashes. Sometimes it crashes so badly that it has to 'rebuild' the data. The problem is that it can easily take two/three days (as in 48/72 hours!) to rebuild 1 TByte. The machine is in all this time inaccessible.

The setup is 4 250GB SATA2 harddisks (maxtor), 2GB RAM, OpenSuse 10.1 server, Athlon64 3400+, Asus K8N-E Deluxe motherboard. In it 4 years of service it has crashed like this more times than there are fingers on both of my hands.

Given the same choice today, I would go for hardware raid solution. In the end it is cheaper and a whole lot less hassle. Likely you will not encounter as much power failures as I do. Even if the rebuilding takes half the time under windows, I still would advise against going for a software raid. They sound nice in theory, but that is it.

2679

General Software Discussion / Re: DeviantArt or WinCustomize Wallpaper Rotator

« Last post by Shades on December 06, 2008, 08:59 PM »

IIRC there used to be something called: WebShots

A piece of freeware that downloaded new wallpapers of your preference at the interval that you chose.

Don't know if their service is still free, though. Years ago it was (or at least some sections were).
Sorry, cannot find a link, my ISP is acting up so be already happy if this message arrives 

2680

DcUpdater / Re: Gothic 3 Community Updater

« Last post by Shades on December 06, 2008, 12:35 PM »

Here in South America live a lot of Germans (as you may or may not know). Since this a mainly Spanish and Portuguese speaking continent most software is available in those languages.

Lately you can get here internet through the GSM network. A lot of laptops use a 3G modem to get access to this type of internet. The problem is that a lot of Germans use a German version of windows and the software to get those modems running are intended for the Spanish/Portuguese versions of windows.

I can tell you from personal experience that it is a b*tch to setup those modems on anything different than Spanish/Portuguese versions of windows? Of course it doesn't help that those modems that are used here are made in China, from brands I never heard of and that most information about those modems is written in Chinese only.

Starting with this trend here, I have become totally fed up with localization issues that Microsoft, their "localized"versions of windows and inept programmers throw my way.

However, there are tricks to use with the good old (read: tried & tested) dialup software included in every localized version of windows with which you can get ineptly programmed modems to do as you please.

Gothic is also an excellent example of an ineptly programmed piece of shitware. Not only shows it its German heritage on any localized version of windows, it is very unstable (on a 2.2 GHz dual core, 2GB RAM and 512MB Nvidia 8800GT) and it 'clips' like hell on 1280x1024. Also it takes a lot more resources than for instance Oblivion, a similar type of game that runs smoothly on the same setup.

A son of a friend of mine here is totally into Gothic and downloads/installs everything he sees about that game. That kid manages each time to totally violate his (US English) windows because something from the JoWood studio requires German localized windows libraries.

Guess who always has to clean up the mess the kid and JoWood make?
There is a thread here on DC about quotes and there I read an excellent one that totally captivates my feeling about this mess: "I have never killed a man, but I read many obituaries with great pleasure."

2681

Screenshot Captor / Re: How to capture drop-down menus?

« Last post by Shades on December 06, 2008, 11:28 AM »

You should definitely go after a piece of software called: Wink
It is an open source screenrecorder that captures your whole screen or parts from it at intervals you specify. If you want it can turn all those screnshots even into a flash (.swf) animation.

2682

Coding Snacks / Re: What language is the best for a new programmer to start with?

« Last post by Shades on December 02, 2008, 09:56 PM »

Someone told me about Green Foot, a free piece of software that is supposed to make it easy to learn to program ( AFAIK it is based on Java).

Actually, it is intended for kids/early teens who want to learn, comes with a lot of examples, documentation and tutorials. When you're outgrown this software, the transition to Java will be easy.

2683

General Software Discussion / Re: Gmail: Looking for a desktop version

« Last post by Shades on December 02, 2008, 09:07 PM »

Deozaan and all the others are right, just use your normal email client software, but configure it to use the Gmail servers (POP3 & SMTP) so you put your ISP's mail server 'out of business'.

Sorry for shooting under your wing, wreckedcarzz...but can anybody explain me how it is possible that POP3 messages from Gmail are not downloaded by Thunderbird (version 2.x+)?

Logging in using my TB goes ok, Gmail also responds by showing me the amount of new messages in its balloon and I know that my configuration is set to download messages. It even initializes the connection for the download to commence and but it never finishes downloading the first message.

Already tried starting with an completely empty gmail inbox and putting in a new message using one other mail account, but the same thing keeps happening.

Other mail clients can retrieve the messages from there, but I don't want to use anything else than TB.
<rant>
Do not mention Outlook in any incarnation as an alternative, because it is something to despise. How anyone can work efficiently with that software is beyond me. Communicating with the MAPI/CAPI implementation from Outlook (mail and crypto) is just as painful as dropping a 3-pound hammer on the same little toe...five times in a row!). The amount of misinformation that is fed to you at MSDN is unbelievable. Those guys should start a spy school or something.

What I think is that the developers of Outlook are not allowed to use C++, but that company policy dictates the use of Voodoo++
</rant>

2684

General Software Discussion / Re: Should licensed Vista users get free upgrade to Windows 7?

« Last post by Shades on December 01, 2008, 08:57 PM »

Ah, I knew I got at his site through another link...and how could I ever think it was not through this forum 

Indeed, thanks for the link urlwolf 
(and city_zen for "letting me see the light"  )

2685

General Software Discussion / Re: Should licensed Vista users get free upgrade to Windows 7?

« Last post by Shades on November 30, 2008, 08:09 PM »

I was reading on (one of) the blogs from Bruce Schneier (a wel known cryptographer and author), that Windows is implementing DRM to keep the movie industry hostage and not the other way around. Any quoting from that blog is impossible because of a very "leaking" memory I'm afraid.

Of course I cannot find the direct link to this particular blog on his site anymore  but you will likely find it when you have more time on your hands than me at the moment. Well, he writes entertainingly so it will not be a punishment to read more of his works anyway.

2686

General Software Discussion / Re: Beerwin's PlainHTML (and CSS)

« Last post by Shades on November 30, 2008, 07:48 PM »

Maybe I should try it again....see if it can take the spot of HTML-Kit on my system.

2687

General Software Discussion / Re: Writing to two folders simultaneously. Possible? Tired of running synch progs

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 11:14 PM »

You're right, I should start playing with that one (but I like to play with nice GUI tools and stuff )

Honestly, I don't like my server to be looking for data on the LAN and store it. The idea of each machine in the LAN dumping the the data on the server charms me more.

True, this method is more headache administration wise but it simplifies the setup of the backup software (Bacula) immensely on the server and I can muster the discipline to sync my windows PC before I go out to lunch and go home.

Simple plans do not have many points on which they can break, and the last thing I want or need is my backup procedure being broken because of a stupidity.

I cannot help it but having one computer doing all the stuff to create backups (searching the LAN, copying over the LAN, making an .iso file of the incremental changes, checking the validity of the iso, burn the iso and check the validity of the burned disc)...it is like putting all eggs in the same basket.

My LAN is not big, so I rather take the administration headache over putting my trust in one system alone.

2688

General Software Discussion / Re: What is your boot time?

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 10:20 PM »

You should really use your car in the same way as your computer.

It is very good for the state of the engine that when you start it up you immediately go full throttle for 30 seconds till a minute (the boot-time of your computer)...I can assure you two things, your car repair shop will love the business that you generate and you will have their phone number on speed dial. 

2689

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Simple line by line truncator

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 10:06 PM »

Yeah, you kick any strange Canadian over your southern border, is it not?   

2690

General Software Discussion / Re: Writing to two folders simultaneously. Possible? Tired of running synch progs

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 10:03 PM »

A few months ago I gave Yadis a spin. It looked OK, but it was not able to copy files from my (windows) system to a (linux) server.

The funny thing is that I can read/write/delete in the storage folder on the linux PC with all the file managers at my disposal, but Yadis was not able to copy one bit of information...so it was wiped from my system. 

Granted, almost none of the suggested backup and/or syncing software is able to copy to the Linux PC (which runs on OpenSuse 10.1). A fellow DC'er (Kartal, I believe) suggested pathsync  , a small (and free) syncing program that is able to copy (sorry for being too lazy to look for the DC thread).

2691

General Software Discussion / Re: Do I need to get worried if my external HD keeps getting undetected?

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 04:20 PM »

I assume you have an external harddisk enclosure with separate power supply? When the harddisk enclosure houses a 3,5 inch harddisk that is very likely the case.

First, check if the power supply plug is correctly seated. Then check the USB cable between the harddisk enclosure and the PC it is attached to.

Sometimes a plug on either end is not seated correctly. If that is not the problem, try a different cable. When the external harddisk works without problems with the different USB cable, it is very likely that one or more of the lines in the old cable is broken and should be replaced.

If that is also not the case, open the harddisk enclosure and check if the cables between the harddisk and the internal controller are seated correctly. When they are seated correctly as well, the possible points of error are its power supply, harddisk or controller.

To be sure, remove the harddisk from the enclosure and connect it to a free SATA or IDE port on your PC. Test the harddisk by copying from this disk to your regular harddisk (saving your important data!) and writing to this disk, read out its S.M.A.R.T. information etc. If this goes ok, then your harddisk is not the problem.

At this point you can still try to exchange your power supply with one from the same type that you know works well and test the harddisk again in its enclosure.

If this also not works then it is very likely that the controller is broken and you should consider buying a replacement enclosure.

2692

General Software Discussion / Re: making a recovery partition

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 02:19 PM »

Pressing F8 before Windows starts booting, shows you a menu that gives you a lot of ways to start Windows, including a Recovery option.

(That would be the answer if I understood your question correctly)

2693

General Software Discussion / Re: What is your boot time?

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 02:06 PM »

Actually, my BIOS is set up to boot as slowly as possible. Any server I setup/administer does the same, especially if it has multiple harddisks. Although harddisks are fast to spin up and register themselves with the BIOS, they are definitely not created equally.

Sometimes a power supply has also problems to keep up with supplying the juice for all components at boot-time.

A BIOS in slow booting mode solves a lot of problems that may occur during the boot procedure.
Therefore I could not care less about the boot time from a PC.

EDIT:
@f0dder
Do you have by any chance an intel motherboard? I have one and mine takes about 2 minutes just to show the XP loading screen.

2694

Living Room / Re: Things your kids will never know - old school tech!

« Last post by Shades on November 23, 2008, 10:10 AM »

<off-topic>
That is an interesting one, zridling. If I may say so, super-capitalism, fear-mongering and (old time "favorite") greed, mixed together as a cocktail became too popular too quickly on a global scale.

Let's hope that the new US president (and his team) will be able to water this cocktail down (a lot) and make that just as popular as the previous one.

Being born in the (early) 70's I experienced a great childhood where inventing/creativity was stimulated in all things virtually without limit. Nowadays as a kid you are hitting boundaries very quickly set by everybody and their favorite community (government/corporation/shareholder).

To me it looks like that environments responsible for my childhood, produce more free minds that in turn produce more innovation which IMHO is the only way forward.
</off-topic>

<on-topic>
Does anyone remember "boomerang guns"? I had a lot of fun with those...not only when hitting the target or catching them in mid-air, but also when climbing on sheds/over walls to retrieve a "lost" boomerang.

They still make those guns 

2695

Living Room / Re: Microsoft drop OneCare subscription product

« Last post by Shades on November 20, 2008, 09:56 PM »

Hey, MS had to give it a fitting name.

If they would have called it 'Early bird' than it would actually have to catch worms...

2696

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Countdown Timer Showdown

« Last post by Shades on November 18, 2008, 02:58 PM »

<bad joke>

Although these exes speak in Spanish...so I don't know if that is a problem.

Rest assured though, Spanish nagging doesn't sound any different than in other languages   

</bad joke>

2697

General Software Discussion / Re: Should licensed Vista users get free upgrade to Windows 7?

« Last post by Shades on November 17, 2008, 12:20 AM »

@Josh:
Although I'm inclined to agree with you, I'll side with Kartal on the Windows updates. Mainly because of my own experience fixing/working with army computers, ISP servers, helpdesk computers, POS systems and ICPC's (ICU = Ignorant Client P.C.), ranging from Windows 3.11 till Vista (including Server editions).

Consider yourself lucky if you yourself did not experience (self induced) Windows update problems. Especially in the army (with certified computers) updates were feared...the POS systems were also a headache but that was mainly because of the POS software itself...created by an official Microsoft Business partner using certified hardware.

After a force fed update by MS on an ISP server (read: traffic monitor) we lost two days of data because there was a fix for the force fed update required (netto result: 15.000 euro's of lost revenue...and a dramatic increase of Linux servers replacing the Windows systems).

Yes, with the ICPC's I agree that drivers and their (mis-)use were the main reason for failure and a good source of income I might add...so you could consider me a little biased  

2698

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Countdown Timer Showdown

« Last post by Shades on November 16, 2008, 08:52 PM »

Than you didn't encounter my (ex-)girlfriends...yet! 

2699

Living Room / Re: Introduction To Public Key Cryptography

« Last post by Shades on November 15, 2008, 10:18 AM »

True, and AFAIK OpenVPN (and the included 'Easy-RSA' certificate creation scripts) makes use of OpenSSL.

Although Abylon reader has the ability to create its own certificates, I have never used it for that purpose. The reader helps you find out the where/which/when about the certificates in your system more quickly and clearly than the certificate MMC console from Windows.

Plus the reader comes with extra tools for the perfect price, free.

2700

Developer's Corner / Re: CSS and field width

« Last post by Shades on November 15, 2008, 09:34 AM »

A (basic) CMS is no solution for them? (like Wordpress, Joomla!, Drupal etc.)

Most of those CMS'es come with an editor (FCK editor, TinyMCE) that looks and feels like a stripped down Word application.

These editors can also be used/included in your own PHP scripts as well (both are open source).