Recent Posts

301

What's the Best? / Re: PDF Cataloger - Any Suggestions

« Last post by bob99 on December 22, 2009, 12:00 PM »

Thanks for the suggestions.  I will check them out.  I had even commented on BenuBird in the thread tomos references.  So much for MY memory.

302

What's the Best? / PDF Cataloger - Any Suggestions

« Last post by bob99 on December 22, 2009, 09:53 AM »

Over time I have collected or created a number of PDF's.  Work and non-work related, each in a variety of categories.  I try to set-up and keep each in it's own category folder.  After a while I still end up looking through the different folders, sometimes drives, for a PDF I know I've saved.
Anyone know of an app that will allow me to catalog PDF's? Set up titles, keywords or tags, etc for each for easier retrieval.  I am using PDFCreator and Foxit Reader at present.  I have tried a variety of search phrases on DC and web for a PDF catalog and nothing so far.  Am I missing something obvious?  Thx.

303

N.A.N.Y. 2010 / Re: NANY 2010 Teaser: FenixContacts

« Last post by bob99 on December 22, 2009, 09:10 AM »

http://www.customaddressbook.com/

Just a typo.  Should have 2 d's

304

Living Room / Cat Receives Diploma

« Last post by bob99 on August 15, 2009, 08:37 AM »

 

http://www.msnbc.msn...gadgets/wid/6448213/

305

General Software Discussion / Re: 30 Days of DonationCoder Screencasts - Video Links Here

« Last post by bob99 on August 03, 2009, 04:01 PM »

ScreenShot Captor really has a lot of options and these videos gives a great overview.

+++1 

306

Living Room / Re: A Dog Goes Blind: It's nighttime always now. Huh. How about that.

« Last post by bob99 on July 28, 2009, 08:48 AM »

VERY good essay.  Glad you posted the link.
Continuing proof to counter the "just dumb animals" bull.  It is amazing how much can be learned from a pet if you take the time to listen, watch and interact.  Actually I need to re-word that to furry (or feathered) member of the family.  Since to many they are much more than just a pet.

307

Living Room / Re: ExtremeTech website closing

« Last post by bob99 on June 23, 2009, 11:23 AM »

Just into the beginning of their #177 podcast (about 45 seconds in) they say everything will be maintained as an archive but no new content after the end of the week.

308

Living Room / Re: Battery Backup - Get One

« Last post by bob99 on June 07, 2009, 03:25 PM »

Both are needed and the good ones I've worked with have a grasp on both ends of the rope.

Shouldn't have said this... my apologies!

309

Living Room / Re: Battery Backup - Get One

« Last post by bob99 on June 07, 2009, 03:13 PM »

@Stoic - I opened the door with my reply to your initial post - sorry  .
I've dealt with theory vs. practical people over the years also.  
Both are needed and the good ones I've worked with have a grasp on both ends of the rope.

While looking around for info on, let's change the term to power disturbances, I found this site.
http://www.fpl.com/l...s_for_business.shtml
Ironically it's your own FPL.
Some good info.  I like the FAQ's, FPL Lingo, etc. toward the bottom of the page.  If surges, sags, spikes and the like didn't exist why would they be discussing them, what they affect and methods of prevention?  A rhetorical ques.  

Found another one on Pacific Gas & Electric's site but can't get just the link to copy. It is to a pdf on their site.  If anyone is interested:
http://rds.yahoo.com...vf9k/EXP=1244489196/**http%3a//www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/about/news/outagestatus/powerquality/avoid_pwr_disturb.pdf  

There's also some good info on some of the different manufacturers and consultants web sites.  Don't want to post them for fear of being considered a spammer.
Google or Yahoo 'power quality disturbances' and take your pick.

All done for me.

310

Living Room / Re: Battery Backup - Get One

« Last post by bob99 on June 07, 2009, 12:49 PM »

@Stoic Joker - Good way to say it... different paragraph.

I was trying to point out that over time, internally, a more expensive surge unit can turn into the less expensive unit (plain power strip) without knowing it. 

Most surge protectors will continue to function as a power strip, even though the surge trap mechanism may have been destroyed by the power spike.

There is no forewarning or visual indications given - just failure.

Although there are units, typically the higher quality ones, that have a type of indicator of how the protection circuit is functioning.  Some that have a separate indicator, one unit I read about says:

"* NOTE REGARDING SURGE PROTECTORS:  The surge protector power switch is typically illuminated with a red light that should be on when the surge protector is operational.  If the light is off but the power is on, that is an indicator that the "surge protection functionality" of the unit is NOT FUNCTIONAL and should be replaced."

Since all AC power is subject to surges, doesn't have to be lightning, and suppressors are working 24/7 it is a good idea for anyone using a surge strip to check and see if theirs provides any type of indication like this.  And not get lulled into a false sense of security just because the strip is there.

311

Living Room / Re: Battery Backup - Get One

« Last post by bob99 on June 07, 2009, 09:45 AM »

Below are a couple of excerpts from the following site.
http://www.nmsu.edu/.../Surge_unit_info.htm

"The MOV is the heart of surge suppressors. The role of the MOV is to divert surge current. However, MOVs wear out with use. As more surges are diverted, the MOVs life span shortens, and failure becomes imminent."

There is no forewarning or visual indications given - just failure. And while failing, they can reach very high temperatures, and actually start fires."

Most surge protectors will continue to function as a power strip, even though the surge trap mechanism may have been destroyed by the power spike. This presents two possible dangers:"

My only point is that protection devices can weaken and not be as effective and some (edited to) sometimes you won't know if they are still working (edited to add) properly.
It is good to be careful and make sure whatever you are using is in working order.

@Stoic Joker - Your subject topic is a good recommendation.

312

Living Room / Re: Battery Backup - Get One

« Last post by bob99 on June 06, 2009, 06:17 PM »

Here's a couple of links on surge and transient.
http://www.cvel.clem...ction/t-protect.html
http://www.extremete...,1697,1155237,00.asp
Both are from the links at the bottom of the page at http://en.wikipedia....iki/Surge_protection

My only point is that protection devices can weaken and not be as effective and some you won't know if they are still working.
It is good to be careful and make sure whatever you are using is in working order.
Even then, mother nature can still prevail. 

313

Living Room / Re: Battery Backup - Get One

« Last post by bob99 on June 06, 2009, 02:17 PM »

The toasted one on the server however has adopted much the same behavior you described (battery went to Zero & it beeps occasionally). Sure it'll power up...but it's a gonner.

On mine even the battery still worked fine.  It just stared kicking in/out more frequently.  I went to a seminar once, by coincidence hosted by a mfg located in FL, that discussed lightning versus AC powere transients.  One of the things that came out of it was constant power transients can be just as damaging as a lightning event.  I've seen it on equipment I provide.  In some areas even where they haven't had any recent storms they still lose equipment due to the transients.

Interesting side note: The server's battery backup is plugged into one of those cheap-O "Surge Strips" ... The breaker in the strip never tripped.

This was one of the things that was brought up during the seminar.  The type of protection circuit in the strips is also weakened over time with hits as well as transients.  And over time the protection portion of the strip just won't do anything anymore.  People think if the light on the strip is working so is the protection.  Not the case.  All they have is a power strip and false sense of security/protection.  Sounds like what may have happened in your case.  It went straight through the strip and into the battery back-up.

314

Living Room / Re: Battery Backup - Get One

« Last post by bob99 on June 06, 2009, 01:23 PM »

The battery backup took the brunt of the hit and still survived.

I would still be cautious about trusting this one too much.  There is a good chance that while it didn't fry, the protection and filtering circuit that took the hit has been weakened.  And you may not be as lucky on even a smaller storm.  I had one one that protected my system.  But then afterward I started hearing it beep and switch over for short times (few seconds at a time) for what seemed to be no reason.  Sunny days without a cloud in the sky.  It started seeing and reacting to the transients in the AC that it had been filtering out before.  There are devices that can monitor and provide counts of AC transients on the line.  It is amazing on the number that can occur over time and how high they can be.  They are only milliseconds in duration but do weaken power supplies, UPS and other sensitive devices.

315

Living Room / Re: Malicious Software Removal Tool Ques.

« Last post by bob99 on June 06, 2009, 01:01 PM »

I've been hesitant adding SP3.  Though it has been out for over a year I hear of problems attributed to using it over SP2.  Even a Dell tech I was working with late last summer didn't recommend upping to sp3.  Whether it was a personal opinion or there was something to back it up at the time who knows.  He wouldn't go into specifics.  So I went with that and the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy.  I've been doing the custom updates and selecting everything except sp3.
I see a lot of others out there running sp2 only.  Maybe the lack of sp3 is what is causing the msrt problem.  Even tried tried RootKit Revealer and it hangs at System Information.  Others on the RKR forum have experienced the same thing and no reason has been found. Read where some of them recommend, and I ran the basic version of Prevx and it said I was clean.
I'll have to make a decision on sp3 and if I do, make sure it is when I have enough time to thoroughly test the programs I use to make sure there are no un-expected gotchas'.
Thx!

316

Living Room / Re: Malicious Software Removal Tool Ques.

« Last post by bob99 on June 05, 2009, 07:35 AM »

I disabled and and re-enabled restore, re-booted and tried again.  Same thing happened.

Are you using Outlook in conjunction with a Microsoft Exchange server, or do you show unattached shares when you open My Computer?

I am using Outlook but not Microsoft Exchange server.

Left this out before.  Running XP Pro with all SP2 patches. 
Thx.

317

Living Room / Malicious Software Removal Tool Ques.

« Last post by bob99 on June 04, 2009, 08:26 AM »

I'm hoping someone can point me in a direction to help find an answer to what's happening when I run the Malicious Software Removal Tool.
Each time I run it, about half way through it just stops.  And each time it stops when it reaches C:...\MountpointManagerRemoteDatabase
When I go to task manager it still shows it as running, until I click end task.  Then I receive the not responding message.
Last time I ran it, a month ago, the same thing happened.  It did run in safe mode though.  Just not in regular mode.  I am running it under admin.
I've googled a number of different ways, searched the microsoft site, etc and haven't located anything yet that is similar.
While I'm looking I thought I'd also post here.
Maybe someone has had a similar situation or knows of a site/forum.  Thanks!

318

Living Room / Re: What annoys you to no end?

« Last post by bob99 on June 03, 2009, 02:27 PM »

wraith808: cases like that suck. The pirates get a much smoother ride than normal paying customers.

The pirates play with the innocent until proven guilty card.

How far will DRM go to inconvenience their paying customers!

DRM uses the guilty no matter what card, even if you can prove you are innocent!

319

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: BenuBird Pro is now freeware!

« Last post by bob99 on May 15, 2009, 11:33 AM »

Thanks for the review link.

320

Living Room / Re: whats that smell???

« Last post by bob99 on May 15, 2009, 11:28 AM »

I think, just the fact that the person cleaning the fridge wasn't affected; probably means that a lot of people were overreacting :p

some people are affected by smells differently than others.  That's why I get to clean the cat box
or could be documenting they were affected in the event a liability lawsuit comes out of it.  Easy way to make some money.

321

Living Room / Re: Tell me what your software DOESN'T do... (a rant)

« Last post by bob99 on May 12, 2009, 01:12 PM »

I recently read a phrase posted on a forum, may have been here somewhere, that has become the mantra of too many...
I think this is how they said it, 'admit nothing & deny everything.'
Miss the days of basic honesty and responsibility.  That's what's refreshing at DC.  The exception to the mantra.

322

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: BenuBird Pro is now freeware!

« Last post by bob99 on May 04, 2009, 12:42 PM »

do you just want to be able to find them in the OS and get a different view of them?  Or do you want to separate your document management from the OS completely?

This is something I haven't thought out completly.  If this makes sense... my initial thought was something similar to a table of contents in a book.  Or if you have ever cut or photocopied articles and placed them in a binder.  It would have different chapters (or tabs if a notebook) broken down into different topics.  ie (chap 1) laptop computers then link the appropriate (in this case) pdf file articles, (chap 2) DC forum postings, (Chap 3) lawn & garden, (chap 4) any other topic... and so on.  I see this as working if there aren't a lot of files or some files could be listed under multiple chapters.  Then more of an index would work better.  I would want this to reside on my pc or probably an external drive so the links would stay consistent.
Right now I have a combination of files in different folders with some written notes in another place of what they are.  It would be nice to have it all in one easy to locate place.  This may do it for me.

[edit] I'll try cmpm's suggestion.

323

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: BenuBird Pro is now freeware!

« Last post by bob99 on May 04, 2009, 09:38 AM »

Here's a link to their product overview:
http://www.debenu.co...nubird/overview.html

I haven't installed to try yet but it looks like the type of application I've been trying to locate.  I am accumulating more and more documents in pdf format.  Manuals, correspondence, etc.  Also trying to reduce the number of magazines I have accumulated over time for the one or two articles that have been of interest.  I'm scanning them and saving as a pdf.
Sounds like this would provide the way of cataloging by keywords or index.
Someone correct me if I'm off base.
Anything else someone is familiar with that could also do this?


 

324

General Software Discussion / Re: How to subvert Big Brother's blocking of URL shorteners?

« Last post by bob99 on April 20, 2009, 03:41 PM »

From what I read and am experiencing with ZA, tinyurl is considered a big source of malware by ZA and blocked by default.
Here is a link to one of the ZA forum pages someone has provided their solution.

http://forums.zoneal...uery.id=59910#M20224

When you search the ZA forum for tinyurl a number of posts are brought up with other explanations why and other workarounds.  Could even be one better than the above I haven't seen yet.

325

Living Room / Re: Maddening little online game

« Last post by bob99 on April 20, 2009, 02:14 PM »

Darn you...  I shouldn't have looked at your post.
Finally did get a 16.587 though.  After a bunch of some reaallly low scores.