Recent Posts

276

General Software Discussion / dell laptop, vista won't activate

« Last post by nite_monkey on September 15, 2009, 03:44 PM »

I purchased a dell laptop a while back (sadly before the date that would make it elegable for the free 7 upgrade)
It came with windows vista business (which is what the product key on the bottom of the laptop is for), and it had a free xp downgrade, which is what came installed on the laptop.

I reinstalled xp a while back (I won't go into detail why... something about attempting to do a ha**in**sh), and it was preactivated when I got into windows (like dell systems should do)

Well I was bored and wanted to mess around with vista, so I took the vista cd that came with my laptop, and yesterday I installed it on my laptop, but unlike my xp cd, it wasn't already activated when I got into windows.
It had the oem key installed. I don't really know much about dell activation, so I guessed maybe I have to use the key on the bottom of my laptop, so I hit the activate button (with the oem key still on the system) and it asked me to type in a new key. So I typed in the key on the sticker on the bottom of my laptop... the problem is it still wont activate.
So I don't really know what the problem is. I wouldn't think it was something with the bios since my xp pre-activates, but I went ahead and updated the bios (which happens to now let me pre-activate windows 7... if I had it), and then I re installed vista, but with no luck.

My brother sugested that I got a bum vista disk. (if so, that kind of sucks for me... and with my first dell purchase)

So my question is, does anyone know what I can do to allow me to activate my copy of vista on my computer?

277

Living Room / Re: Free Video chat program that allows recording?

« Last post by nite_monkey on September 05, 2009, 11:26 AM »

what about using your favorite video chat program, and then just using a screen recorder? Kind of a crappy method of doing it, but if all else fails.

278

Living Room / Browser tray switch on tekzilla daily

« Last post by nite_monkey on September 03, 2009, 07:23 AM »

I don't know if anyone watches it, but over at revision3 there is a show called Tekzilla.
Today's episode features browser tray switch on it. I thought that was pretty cool, so I decided to share it here.
Watch it here

279

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows glitch: persistent right click menu selections

« Last post by nite_monkey on September 01, 2009, 07:37 AM »

I disabled the fading menu effects, and as of right now, the problem isn't there, so I will have to wait and see if that fixes it permantly.

280

General Software Discussion / Windows glitch: persistent right click menu selections

« Last post by nite_monkey on August 31, 2009, 03:06 PM »

I don't really know what to call this problem, but it happens to me a lot.

Sometimes when ever I right click anywhere that a right click dialog would popup, the dialog pops up like normal, but as soon as I make a selection, what ever I selected stays on the screen, but the rest of the menu goes away. Then that stupid menu stays on top of every window, kind of like a window that is set to always on top.
In the attached screenshot, think of the grey area as my current active window. Now try clicking on something bellow the "Open File(s)..." box that is there. You can't.

I was wondering if anyone knew why this happens. Pretty much the only way to get rid of it is to restart my computer. I also would like to point out that I do have the newest drivers for my graphics card, and I have had this problem on both this current graphics card and windows installation, and on my old computer which had a different card and windows installation, so I wouldn't think it would be a graphics card issue, but maybe a stupid windows bug or something.

Here is another example with the same bug.

281

Living Room / Re: dedication finally pays off for the genuine Apple fans with a new iPhone

« Last post by nite_monkey on August 02, 2009, 12:08 AM »

It would be pretty funny to see someone running around with an empty iphone case, and have someone ask them why they are carrying around an empty case.

282

Living Room / Re: What does this laptop key do?

« Last post by nite_monkey on July 13, 2009, 02:04 AM »

Didn't Dell have (or used to have) a utility called Quickset that, among other things, allowed you to map various things to the function keys. If I recall correctly that was what assigned all the little "icon" function keys (i.e. <Fn> + <icons on the keyboard>).

Is Quickset installed?

-40hz (July 06, 2009, 12:14 AM)

I think that is a used to have utility, because both mine, and my sister's (which is a year or two old) doesn't have that.

I guess it isn't to big of a deal anyways.

283

Living Room / Re: What does this laptop key do?

« Last post by nite_monkey on July 05, 2009, 08:31 PM »

It came straight from dell's website, and I have all the drivers still installed. I did change the power settings though, but I wouldn't think that would change it. Are those Fn keys mapped in the registry somewhere? I know that the media keys on my desktop keyboard are mapped in the registry.

284

Living Room / Re: What does this laptop key do?

« Last post by nite_monkey on July 04, 2009, 09:57 PM »

note: the button might be ignored when the laptop isnt on battery power.

-mouser (July 04, 2009, 08:06 PM)

I tried it while on battery power.

285

Living Room / Re: What does this laptop key do?

« Last post by nite_monkey on July 04, 2009, 08:01 PM »

hm, I turned the brightness up to max and pushed it, but it didn't change the brightness, I will see if it makes the computer go to sleep after a minute
edit: I dunno, it doesn't seem to do anything on mine

286

Living Room / What does this laptop key do?

« Last post by nite_monkey on July 04, 2009, 06:19 PM »

Its driving me crazy! I got a new laptop recently, and I noticed this one key on it that I have no clue what it does. I looked all over the interwebs, but couldn't figure it out. It is on the F2 key, and it looks like a battery with a lightening bolt inside it. I have tried pushing it both on battery power, and on ac power and it doesn't seem to do anything. the little moon button beside it works, so it isn't that the Fn keys don't work, so can someone tell me what it does?
edit: made the image smaller... and added "pretty" arrows to it.

287

Living Room / Re: Another good MakeUseOf.com article: Stop USB Drives from running apps on insert

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 29, 2009, 01:08 PM »

Luckily for me, my computer hates autorun, and it won't auto start anything I plug in whether it is a cd, or a usb device. Not sure what I did to make it do that either.

288

General Software Discussion / Re: What is your favorite program to listen to internet radio?

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 26, 2009, 08:51 PM »

I listen to pandora, so I have a pandora adobe air app

289

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Get a free copy of Speedball 2

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 14, 2009, 08:21 AM »

Thanks.  Got my copy activated, will still have to wait until the 1GB are downloaded...

-MerleOne (May 14, 2009, 06:27 AM)

it downloaded suprizingly fast when I downloaded it.

Is it legit though?

-y0himba (May 12, 2009, 10:27 PM)

It appears to be legit enough for steam to accept it as a retail copy of the game, at least thats what it said when I typed it in and activated it.

290

Post New Requests Here / Re: Vista Multiple Mouse Cursors

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 12, 2009, 08:50 PM »

I kind of like how skrommel's script works. I might play around with it some. 

291

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Get a free copy of Speedball 2

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 12, 2009, 08:42 PM »

Thats pretty cool. I have never played it, but I am downloading the game right now.

292

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Multi-monitor Focus Support

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 11, 2009, 09:56 AM »

It would be great for online games that you can't pause.
You could be talking to someone on an IM, or looking up something in an internet browser, while keeping an eye on your game.
I wish games wouldn't minimise when they loose focus like that, it kind of annoys me. (which is why I usually try to run them in window mode)

293

Living Room / Re: 'PortableUbuntu for Windows' question

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 11, 2009, 09:18 AM »

Speaking of portableubuntu, how does it compare to regular ubuntu (or wubi for that matter)? I can't use it, because co-linux doesn't support xp x64. I like the idea of being able to run linux inside windows without using a full blown virtual machine.

294

Post New Requests Here / Re: Vista Multiple Mouse Cursors

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 08, 2009, 08:48 AM »

You mean like you have 2 cursors who do the same thing or you can use 2 mouses?

-Coeluh (May 05, 2009, 06:02 AM)

One cursor with two mice - I was thinking something like a hotkey-togglable thing (ex: Hold Control+Space to use Mouse Cursor 2)

-wreckedcarzz (May 05, 2009, 04:42 PM)

I don't know why, but that sounds like a really good idea. It might be pretty useful to leave one on a window you use a lot, and then have the other one to use with windows that you close and change all the time... I don't know.

295

General Software Discussion / Re: Do you use ac'tivAid? Which extensions?

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 08, 2009, 08:36 AM »

Some of those sound pretty good. I'll have to try it out when I get home.

296

Living Room / Re: Any idea how to fix my friend's mms problem?

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 08, 2009, 08:21 AM »

yeah, I'm guessing it is probably something with his plan.
No, he has never been able to send multimedia messages. I'll tell him to check with AT&T.

There are plans that support only sms but not mms?

297

Living Room / Any idea how to fix my friend's mms problem?

« Last post by nite_monkey on May 07, 2009, 04:26 PM »

Ok, my friend and I are both on the AT&T network.
I have a pantech slate (I can send and receive mms)
My friend has a razr v3xx (He can't send or receive mms)
I was able to take my sim card and put it in his phone, and send a mms, while when his sim card is in his phone, he can't send/receive them.
I haven't tried putting his sim card in my phone yet, but I might try that tomorrow.

So my question is: Does anyone have an idea as to what the problem is, and how to go about fixing it?
My guess is it is something with his service, since when I put my card in his phone everything works fine.
I couldn't tell you if he can connect to the internet on his phone, because neither of us have a data plan, so I didn't want to try that.

298

Living Room / Re: Has anybody ever tried a FON router?

« Last post by nite_monkey on April 25, 2009, 09:46 PM »

don't own one personally, Darren over at hak5 has one, and in this episode, he talks about it. He doesn't use it for what its designed for, but this episode talks about one thing you can do with it.

299

Living Room / Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?

« Last post by nite_monkey on April 15, 2009, 08:39 PM »

If it works on Vista64, it'll likely work just fine on XP64 as well...

-f0dder (April 10, 2009, 06:22 PM)

lol, try telling that to an installer designed to chew you out if you don't run the installer on vista.

300

Living Room / Re: How many people does it take to fix a phone?

« Last post by nite_monkey on April 15, 2009, 08:38 PM »

I can't really do that tho, because I don't pay for my phone.
I got the phone free with a new contract, and my dad pays the bill.
Plus, I don't really have problems with my phone much, that was the first time.