Recent Posts

2926

General Software Discussion / Re: StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 12:48 PM »

Thanks for the comment, blarson  I wish there were some words of comfort on net for those of us running ATI Echo with Universal Restore... I've never had a problem with backup and restore to the same hardware, but bought UR anticipating moving installations between machines. Sadly, I've yet to have any reason to do this (ie no new hardware in YEARS) 

2927

General Software Discussion / Re: I need a search software that does not index, searches mp3, email, video, txt...

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 11:05 AM »

heh, heh - kartal was exaggerating for effect. Essentially, he was implying that it takes 3 weeks for indexers to index a harddrive. Hyperbole to emphasise that it takes a long time.

2928

General Software Discussion / Re: I need a search software that does not index, searches mp3, email, video, txt...

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 10:58 AM »

There are some lightning fast non-indexing search tools, but I don't know of any that will search through e-mails. I'd be interested in such a beast as well!

2929

General Software Discussion / Re: StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 09:32 AM »

Can't seem to post anything that requires going into the preview window... I've been trying for 25 minutes to edit the above post by adding a screeshot of the Edward Mendelson article and it just times out... repeatedly. I finally shut down my browser and restarted it but no joy. I gave up on that and tried to make a new post here, but it timed out too!

Question: will this make it...    - Yes!

Update: a reboot solved all of my troubles 

2930

General Software Discussion / Re: Almeza MultiSet

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 09:06 AM »

OK - new thread soliciting opinions/experiences about/with ShadowProtect posted here: https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=12662.0

2931

General Software Discussion / StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 09:05 AM »

Dormouse asked a quesiton about Almeza MultiSet in this post. This coincided with me reading about StorageCraft's Shadow Protect this morning, and got me thinking. At $80 ShadowProtectDesktop is more expensive than Almeza on Bits du Jour BUT given its ability to perform a

Hardware-Independent Restore, which means you can take a backed-up image of a Windows system that uses one kind of hard disk controller and restore it to a new computer that uses a completely different hard disk controller

this is worth a serious look! I have Acronis TrueImage Echo Workstation with Universal Restore (I've never tried this feature), but from what I can gather it really doesn't work that well. Click on the link below for one reviewer's experience using StorageCraft (and the nightmare that resulted from trying out Roxio's BackOnTrack 3 on the same machine) and for the source of the quote, above.

Edward Mendelson on AppScout



I'd like to hear from anyone who's actually given StorageCraft a go... in particular, anyone who has experience using both it and the Acronis (or Almeza) offering. How does it compare?

Enquiring minds want to know. I want to know!

2932

General Software Discussion / Re: Almeza MultiSet

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 08:47 AM »

Here's another option: StorageCraft's Shadow Protect. At $80 it's more expensive than Almeza on Bits du Jour BUT given its ability to perform a

Hardware-Independent Restore, which means you can take a backed-up image of a Windows system that uses one kind of hard disk controller and restore it to a new computer that uses a completely different hard disk controller

this is worth a serious look! I have Acronis TrueImage Echo Workstation with Universal Restore (I've never tried this feature), but from what I can gather it really doesn't work that well. Click on the link below for one reviewer's experience using ShadowProtect (and the nightmare that resulted from trying out Roxio's BackOnTrack 3 on the same machine) and for the source of the quote, above.

Edward Mendelson on AppScout

I'm going to modify this and post in a separate thread, as I'd like to hear from anyone who's actually given ShadowProtect a go...

2933

Living Room / Re: mysterious Codex Transportica book found - i have the website to prove it.

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 08:24 AM »

Fabulous, guys 

2934

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft Office 2007 users, your opinions are wanted

« Last post by Darwin on March 15, 2008, 12:42 AM »

My experience is very similar to Carol's - faculty version of Office 2007 Enterprise for $16 - and the same learning/experiential curve. Bottom line: there is more to like than to dislike for me, and I am finding that each of the remaining "peeves" with it are falling by the wayside as I map out the interface.

2935

Best Dialog Extender / Re: Revisiting (XfilesDialog, File-Ex, Direct Folders)

« Last post by Darwin on March 14, 2008, 05:16 PM »

Thanks for that trip down memory lane, Tom! You've made me miss it all over again  What's missing from the other solutions that I've tried is the customization of the places bar... and the buy-in price is $49.95 (I already owned WindowBlinds so got a discount)! Maybe we should launch a major offensive and start an e-mail campaign to pressure Stardock to release this as a standalone application. I object to paying so much for it and being forced to use Stardock Central to download it... However, I've already corresponded with them and gotten the bum's rush!

2936

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 14, 2008, 07:08 AM »

Heh... I have BareGrep Pro and you're right - it's downright SCARY. Try leaving your search term "in place" exiting the program and opening it again a week later... files are scrolling past you faster than you can read them and you have no idea why!

2937

Living Room / Re: Crashed HDD :)

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 08:01 PM »

 

I particularly like this comment:

did you dip that HDD in cow urine?

and this one, obviously for f0dder:

.... so I slapped everything back together, fired up Spinrite in Level 2. Three hours later, the computer booted and all data was recovered!

For anyone reading this comment first, go look at the pictures. Really, quite amazing...

2938

Living Room / Re: The MacBook Air is So Thin…

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 04:16 PM »

I handled (though did not play) with on in London Drugs on Tuesday night. Carol's comments confirm what I suspected at the time - it's so thin that I can't see that there can be any serious components contained in the case. It also seems too thin to have adequate cooling, though I didn't think to look for cooling vents.

2939

Best Dialog Extender / Re: Revisiting (XfilesDialog, File-Ex, Direct Folders)

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 04:08 PM »

If you're interested in spending $40, you could try Stardock's Enhanced File Dialog... of course you need to buy a one year subscription to Object Desktop to get it, but it's an impressive application. I got rid of it while troubleshooting a problem I was having with a 16bit program and have never bothered reinstalling it, but I do miss it occasionally... I'm using File-Ex at the moment and am reasonably happy. Have used (and have licences for) both the other apps you mention. Left XFilesDialog for the same reasons you list.

I'm going to take a look at FlashFolder now...

FWIW Enhanced File Dialog is ONLY available as part of Object Desktop. It is rarely updated so if it works, consider the first years's subscription price the cost of the application (assuming it works with AutoCad? I've no idea and suspect that you won't be able to test it before paying for it, though I *believe* they have a 30 day refund policy).

2940

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 04:02 PM »

Now you guys are ticking me off  ...

Singing the praises of an app that a software addict such as myself can't actually try out is like waving a red flag at a bull. <Darwin snorts lightly through his nose and beings pawing the ground in front of him...>

Hmph! This is going to wind up costing me $10 just to see what the fuss is all about!

2941

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 03:49 PM »

Ah well, no worries, Curt! Whatever floats your boat! I was content to confirm that SearchGT is not a ripoff of Seeker and didn't dig much deeper than that (would have, I suppose, had I been able to try SearchGT out  ).

One thing to note about Seeker is that it DOES search within files, which may be why it was taking longer than SearchGT. Also, it will only search within the folder (and subfolders) specified in the address bar about above the file tree. To change this location, you need to use the drop down arrow to the right of it...).

2942

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 03:43 PM »

Not really, Tom! XYPlorer started out life as a file searcher:

Historically, XYplorer is not a file manager with a search feature, but a search tool with a file manager attached to it. Not for nothing it was called "Tracker" before...

Source: https://www.donation...49.msg87001#msg87001

2943

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 02:33 PM »

Hmph! So much for that idea - it seems I must have trialled SearchGT in the past because installing it I get a Trial period over warning. At least I was able to confirm that it and Seeker are quite different. FWIW, Seeker is VERY fast!

I've uninstalled both applications now (sorry Veign!) as I already have shareware apps covering this functionality.

2944

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 13, 2008, 01:58 PM »

I saw that too, Curt. Looks a bit like DC member Veign's own Seeker application... 

EDIT: I went and looked more closely. The resemblances are purely superficial. It looks to me like Seeker is much more powerful (regex searching, search and replace, search within files, etc.). Of course, I haven't tried them side by side... Yet!

2945

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 12, 2008, 07:34 PM »

OK - update: dtSearch AND Windows Desktop Search 3.1 are gone... as should be evident from the comments I've already made, I like both a lot. However, I have noticed a significant DECREASE in issues with Outlook's exe not shutting down now that WDS has been uninstalled. dtSearch - what can I say? It may very well be the Rolls-Royce of desktop search applications, but my Volkswagen gets me from A-Z just as well...

2946

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Easy-Hide-IP today on Bits Du Jour

« Last post by Darwin on March 12, 2008, 11:44 AM »

Yes - I managed to edit this point out of my earlier post: for the hassle and the return on investment (dramatically slowed down connection speeds and/or massive resource utilization issues coupled with the fact that what you are doing is obfuscating, rather than obliterating, your real locations/identity, etc.), I think being careful about how you surf is a better prophylactic against web nasties than using one of these IP maskers. As f0dder notes, the only thing I can really see myself using the AdMuncher IPScramble feature for is to watch online television or (and I have done this) to force a retail site to give me the price in US dollars rather than Canadian (despite parity between our currencies, I often encounter SIGNIFICANT premiums being applied to conversions into Canadian dollars, in some cases 50%).

2947

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 12, 2008, 08:48 AM »

Wrong again, smarty pants! I did have Archivarius set up to index pictures. I just ran a search on my son's name and got three hits - must say I like the image preview feature in Archivarius - very nice  Incidentally, his name doesn't appear in either the file or the folder name, so i am curious about how the three pictures (all three of which feature his brother and not him  ) got tagged.

I finally got dtSearch to return picture "hits" by searching for "img". It doesn't seem to have the image viewing functionality of Archivarius, though...

I still have 27 days left on the evaluation and do LOVE dtSearch, but I'm probably NOT going to go the distance on the trial. I simply don't see myself springing for it at this time... I'd need to see at least a 50%, and preferably a 66%, discount on it before I'd be tempted to buy it. Couple this with what appears to be a paid upgrade policy (the site states that you are buying a year's worth of support and upgrade protection) and I'm not overly motivated to part with any cash for it...

2948

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Easy-Hide-IP today on Bits Du Jour

« Last post by Darwin on March 12, 2008, 08:10 AM »

AdMuncher has this capability built into it. It's hit and miss whether or not it slows your surfing down, but it does work. Previously, I used GhostSurf 2005 Platinum from Tenebril and it was incredible - didn't slow surfing down at all but there was quite a hit on resource utilization. If I was going that route again, I'd try the vanilla version of GhostSurf (Platinum comes with an excellent antipsyware and registry monitoring module - SpyCatcher - that you cannot turn off and that conflicts with various types of program installations, which is a PITA). Ghostsurf gives you advanced options (missing from AdMuncher and Easy-Hide-IP though user configurable through the OS) to enable/disable cookies. The really nice thing about Ghostsurf is that it also encrypts data leaving your computer. Also, you can configure its settings per website - so you set up a very restrictive/secure general browsing policy - hidden IP and no cookies with the information flowing in and out encrypted - and then specify sites that you want to have different settings applied to - for sites that use SSL like banks and online shopping, which won't work with encrypted data from your end and require the use of cookies.

Note that the license policy for Easy-IP-Hide is that the program itself is licensed for life but that you have to pay a $20 per year subscription fee for updates and for access to the most up to date network of servers that your outgoing info gets bounced around to annonymize you... This is how Ghostsurf operates as well.

2949

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 11, 2008, 11:18 PM »

Nope... I'm pretty confident that I haven't set Archivarius up to index pictures. I'll experiment and get back to you.

2950

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

« Last post by Darwin on March 10, 2008, 10:38 PM »

Yeah - this is the weird thing, I can't find any pictures in either Archivarius 4 or dtSearch - and I have tried searching for the metadata string. I'll look into it further.