Recent Posts

3126

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by 4wd on May 31, 2013, 10:16 PM »

(see attachment in previous post)

-wraith808 (May 31, 2013, 10:51 AM)

...and number 6 Gets A "Winner" Every Time! That is just so wrong...I love it!

-Stoic Joker (May 31, 2013, 11:52 AM)

Statistically, in a round of Russian Roulette that is using a semi-automatic it's the first person who wins every time.

3127

Living Room / Re: Problem with merging folders

« Last post by 4wd on May 31, 2013, 10:07 PM »

robocopy <source> <dest>

From SuperUser:

Code: Text [Select]

1. File        Exists In   Exists In        Source/Dest     Source/Dest   Source/Dest
2. Class       Source      Destination      File Times      File Sizes    Attributes
3. =========== =========== ================ =============== ============= ============
4. Lonely      Yes         No               n/a             n/a           n/a
5. Tweaked     Yes         Yes              Equal           Equal         Different
6. Same        Yes         Yes              Equal           Equal         Equal
7. Changed     Yes         Yes              Equal           Different     n/a
8. Newer       Yes         Yes              Source > Dest   n/a           n/a
9. Older       Yes         Yes              Source < Dest   n/a           n/a
10. Extra       No          Yes              n/a             n/a           n/a
11. Mismatched  Yes (file)  Yes (directory)  n/a             n/a           n/a

By default, Lonely files (and directories) are always copied, unless /XL switch is used. Changed, Newer and Older files will be considered to be candidates for copying (subject to further filtering described below), Same files will be skipped (not copied), and Extra and Mismatched files (and directories) will simply be reported in the output log.

Normally, Tweaked files are neither identified nor copied – they are usually identified as Same files by default. Only when switch /IT is used will the distinction between Same and Tweaked files be made, and only then will Tweaked files be copied.

So if the source and dest files are really the same, (file date and size), you can just delete the whole directory after it's run.

3128

General Software Discussion / Re: Personalyzed directory tree listing

« Last post by 4wd on May 31, 2013, 07:09 PM »

OS 6.1 ?
Seems Apple.
Nice indeed.
I have windows.
 

-Contro (May 31, 2013, 06:12 PM)

That's the Windows version number:

Windows 7                      6.1
Windows Server 2008 R2   6.1
Windows Server 2008       6.0
Windows Vista                6.0
Windows Server 2003 R2  5.2
Windows Server 2003       5.2
Windows XP                    5.1
Windows 2000                 5.0

Don't know where you got it from but the version of DOpus you downloaded is not the latest:



Addendum: Anyway, I got bored and decided to see if it could be done in DOS......and it can with a little help from Shortcut

Code: Text [Select]

1. @echo off
2. rem RecList.cmd
3. rem Run it from directory you want to list, lists recursively
4. rem output is: Name <TAB> Full Path/Target
5. rem
6. rem eg. RecList.cmd >output.txt
7. rem
8. rem Requires Shortcut.exe from http://www.optimumx.com somewhere in
9. rem your path, eg. C:\Windows\System32
10.  
11. rem That's a real TAB character at the end of that line
12. set TAB=    
13.  
14. rem List all the non shortcuts first as: Name<TAB>Full Path
15. for /f "tokens=* usebackq" %%m in (`dir /s /b /a-d ^| findstr /v /i "\.lnk$"`) do echo %%~nxm%TAB%%%m
16.  
17. rem List all the shortcuts as: Name<TAB>Target
18. for /r %%a in (*.lnk) do (
19.     set "name=%%~nxa"
20.     set "fpath=%%a"
21. rem Line below extracts Target path from output of shortcut.exe and outputs name and target
22.     for /f "tokens=2 usebackq delims==" %%b in (`shortcut.exe "/f:%fpath%" /a:q ^| find /i "targetpathexpanded"`) do (echo %name%%TAB%%%b)
23. )

Output will look like:

Code: Text [Select]

1. testdisk_win.exe    U:\test\testdisk-6.14-WIP\testdisk_win.exe
2. THANKS    U:\test\testdisk-6.14-WIP\THANKS
3. VERSION    U:\test\testdisk-6.14-WIP\VERSION
4. zlib1.dll    U:\test\testdisk-6.14-WIP\zlib1.dll
5. Permissions - Shortcut.lnk    D:\Downloads\Permissions.au3

The last line is a shortcut with its target.

Anyway, an exercise in silliness.  

NOTE: I won't be feature-fying it - the source is included.

3129

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 31, 2013, 07:34 AM »

v0.3.0.25
Changed: Logging disabled

You may pass it on to whoever wants to play with it, I'm in the process of rewriting it from scratch to get rid of all the hacky bits of code I tacked on as I went but otherwise it's not going to do anything different, (and it'll take a while).

3130

General Software Discussion / Re: 'Home' and 'End' and 'FN'.

« Last post by 4wd on May 31, 2013, 07:22 AM »

KeyTweak appeared to do the job, it recognised the mappings and created new registry keys but when I rebooted and tried the keys nothing happened, with or without the FN key, they simply appeared to have been disabled.

-pilgrim (May 31, 2013, 06:30 AM)

Works fine here, I've remapped the PgUp and PgDn keys to Home and End and it survives reboots just fine, (Win8 - which I would think would be even more anal than XP about these things).

Did you run KeyTweak after you rebooted to see if the remap was still there, (it detects any active remappings)?

3131

General Software Discussion / Re: Personalyzed directory tree listing

« Last post by 4wd on May 31, 2013, 07:19 AM »

Note3: I re-read your post and this doesnt work with shortcut files as you want - i.e. shows path to shortcut

-tomos (May 30, 2013, 05:20 PM)

It can if you choose to display the Target field, however it won't ouput a text file in the format Contro wants since you have to output the following headers:

Name        Target           Full Path

For a real file you'll only get Name and Full Path, for a shortcut you'll get all three fields, eg.

   Name                                      Target                                    Full Path
SolusVM VPS Setup.pdf                                                   C:\Users\4wd\Desktop\SolusVM VPS Setup.pdf
test.avi - Shortcut                      U:\test.avi                     C:\Users\4wd\Desktop\test.avi - Shortcut.lnk

Tools->Print Folder





However, you could probably then easily massage the data in an editor.

3132

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 30, 2013, 04:14 AM »

If VIndicator is run at start-up or as I have it set as a scheduled task is that not avoided?

-pilgrim (May 29, 2013, 09:11 AM)

At startup: Possibly, depends whether a VPN  is set to connect on Windows start and whether that happens before or after startup items get executed.

Scheduled Task: Always after the event since the event has to occur for the Task to trigger.

If rasdial does not run would that not prevent a VPN from connecting, at least in the way that I am using it?

I'm not talking about rasdial failing every time, just the time I want, (VIndicator), to use it.

3133

Living Room / Re: Movies or films you've seen lately

« Last post by 4wd on May 30, 2013, 01:22 AM »

I'd give it a 4 on a scale of 10.

-40hz (May 30, 2013, 12:20 AM)

A bit too generous, I'd go for 3. 

Next up will be The Corridor.

Was an interesting idea but, for me anyway, pretty forgettable.

Watched Banlieue 13 the other night starring David Belle, one of the developers of Parkour^w.



Last night was Gin gwai 2.

3134

Post New Requests Here / Re: Idea: Simple app to show/hide desktop icons with a single click as in Fences

« Last post by 4wd on May 29, 2013, 06:08 PM »

Desk Sweeper does not work on my machine. Perhaps, I should have mentioned that I am running Win8.

-nelsonpole (May 28, 2013, 08:29 AM)

Worked fine here on a netbook running Win8Pro + ClassicStartMenu.  All icons disappeared and then returned to Desktop, (mind you there are only two of them ).

3135

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 29, 2013, 08:12 AM »

The Netbook is pretty slow which is why 'sleep' was added between the 'start' items, and because Peerblock always tries to check everything when it starts, its icon still opens several seconds after the connection is made.

-pilgrim (May 29, 2013, 04:15 AM)

That doesn't explain why it works from the CLI but not in the batch file.  If it's fast enough to create the needed pipe in the CLI, it should be able to do it within a batch file.

There's some other weird and wonderful Windows magic at work.

If devcon's speed was an issue surely that would affect my existing batch file as well?

Nope, you're not relying on its output for anything, in fact you have no error checking on any of the commands in your batch script, so if, say, the devcon command failed to (dis|en)able the interface the batch file would happily continue.

I was intending to ask you today if it was ready for a wider audience yet?

If it hasn't formatted your drive yet or caused the sun to go supernova then I guess so. 

You have mentioned before about getting away from its dependency on rasdial but as the most recent versions have proved reliable is there any particular reason for doing so?

I don't want to rely on the output from a CLI command that may or may not be executed or that may or may not throw an error when executed. 

If you start it after a VPN connection and it can't run rasdial or rasdial throws an error then it won't show the tray icon, I don't particularly want to sit in a loop until I get a valid output.

It'd be a lot easier to get the information direct from the horses mouth, so to speak, the same place rasdial gets it from.
Plus I have a long term motive for wanting to hit the dll directly, I want to get all information direct from the Remote Access Service rather than wait for things to show up in the EventLog.

Log files: When I moved the latest update into the folder I am running it from I noticed that it is creating a separate log file for each day that it is run, they are I admit only 1kb each but is there any built in limit to their number?

Nope, just something I thought might be useful - I was going to have it put the data usage against each session but....

If not, once you decide you have gone as far as you can with the program and do not need possible debug information any more will there be an actual need for them?

Nope except purely as a statistical source if anyone wants them.  Maybe I'll stop it creating them unless a certain magic word is enabled, (possibly /rumpelstiltskin or something).

3136

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 28, 2013, 11:24 PM »

Your XP installation doesn't seem able to accept pipes within a batch file for some reason - you have a problem.

XP did have a known problem with STDIN/STDOUT but it was supposedly fixed in SP1.

Apart from trawling the net, not sure I can tell you what's wrong since it works fine here on both physical and virtual XP setups.  The only thing I can think of is that the output from devcon is appearing faster than the system is able to set up a pipe to find or vice versa.

You could try disabling any AV you have running just in case that is causing a delay due to scanning the system executables, (you could try excluding devcon and find from the AV).

You could also try substituting findstr for find, (probably won't make a difference but who knows): devcon status "*DEV_001C*" | findstr /i "disabled" >NUL

In the meantime a small update to VIndicator, that'll be it until I read up a bit more on Dll calls, (which are extremely confusing), to get rid of the rasdial dependency.

3137

General Software Discussion / Re: Help needed with computer problem

« Last post by 4wd on May 27, 2013, 08:44 PM »

But CPU+MB won't do anything.  Which is why I'm going with what Stoic said.  I sort of knew it... but I was hoping I was wrong.  There's no codes at all for the no ram.

-wraith808 (May 27, 2013, 10:08 AM)

Sorry, missed your reply about the battery replacement 

3138

General Software Discussion / Re: Help needed with computer problem

« Last post by 4wd on May 27, 2013, 03:25 AM »

haven't tried taking out all gfx cards... but I have switched it out to no avail.  Do you think that it might be the card slot or something?

when diagnosing computer problems -- the technique is remove and swap everything you possibly can.  you want to eliminate possibilities.  so if there are cards you can remove, remove 'em!

-mouser (May 27, 2013, 12:58 AM)

I prefer starting from an absolutely base system and working forward from there (assuming onboard gfx):
1) CPU + MB                      = beep codes
2) CPU + MB + RAM            = BIOS
3) CPU + MB + RAM + ODD  = run a LiveCD
etc...etc

Gfx card would be the last thing I plug in since this system doesn't need it.

The less components you start with the better, AFAIAC, since I never trust what I swap in unless it came from a known working system.  It also progressively loads up the PSU, (I know you've already swapped it), who knows, it might be that plugging in the gfx card or a HDD causes an unacceptable voltage fluctuation on the supply rails.

If it fails at just CPU+MB+RAM, there's only really two things I'd try: reseating the CPU and/or reflashing the BIOS

BTW, I know you've said it hangs with either RAM stick but who is to say they both aren't bad?

Unless you can test them in another system, (or plug known working RAM in), you'll never know.

It all comes down to how much time/money you want to spend on it.

3139

General Software Discussion / Re: Help needed with computer problem

« Last post by 4wd on May 26, 2013, 09:08 PM »

Just as a matter of interest, since it has onboard gfx: with nothing but the CPU, MB, one stick of RAM and a keyboard, (no drives, no gfx card, no mouse, nothing else), will it sit in the BIOS screen without hanging?

3140

General Software Discussion / Re: Connection Conundrum

« Last post by 4wd on May 26, 2013, 08:52 PM »

ERROR_VPN_DISCONNECT 807
The network connection between your computer and the VPN server was interrupted. This can be caused by a problem in the VPN transmission and is commonly the result of internet latency or simply that your VPN server has reached capacity.
List of Error Codes that you may receive when you try to make a dial-up connection or a VPN connection in Windows 7

It sounds like something on Win7 is interfering with TCP traffic on port 1723, (or the GRE 47 packets), to that specific IP address - that would usually point to the firewall being the culprit.

From a CLI in both Windows 7 and XP:

tracert <vpn that's failing>

And paste the results, munge your IP if it shows up, (first couple of lines), and you're paranoid.

What AV are you using, some won't stop interfering even when disabled.

Even though it works OK from XP Mode on the same computer, if your router has a DMZ put the computers IP into it and try to connect to the VPN again from Windows 7, or if you have a separate modem, plug the computer directly into it and try.  Bypasses any strange firewall rules in the router.

In Computer Management->Event Viewer->Windows Logs->Applications there'll be the results of rasdial commands, a successful connection looks like:



What do you get if it's not the same, (and the actual event data not a picture, thanks) ?

3141

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 26, 2013, 07:05 AM »

devcon status "*DEV_001C*" | find /i "disabled"

So what does the above produce for enabled/disabled?

And what does this output:

Code: Text [Select]

1. devcon status "*DEV_001C*" | find /i "disabled" >NUL
2. if errorlevel 1 goto running
3. echo disabled
4. goto alldone
5. :running
6. echo enabled
7. :alldone
8. pause

3142

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 26, 2013, 05:54 AM »

Code: Text [Select]

1. devcon status "*DEV_001C*" | find /i "disabled" >NUL
2. if errorlevel 1 goto running

You forgot the 1 didn't you?

3143

Living Room / Re: Gadget WEEKENDS

« Last post by 4wd on May 26, 2013, 02:32 AM »

One of the key things about the digitial scales is that you can zero them out after you put a bowl on them....

-mouser (May 25, 2013, 07:49 AM)

And here's the analog version:



Rotate the base when you've measured one ingredient to re-zero for the next ingredient to be added.  The cover which acts as the measuring bowl has an indented base so it doesn't slide off the measuring platform.

Here's the exact model at Amazon.

3144

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 25, 2013, 06:16 AM »

I just tried the devcon script for XP in reply 47, the cmd window flashes but nothing else happens, I suspect it is jumping straight to alldone because none of the programs in the main batch file are trying to open. 

-pilgrim (May 24, 2013, 10:57 AM)

I'm afraid you're going to have to do better than that, being an ex-tech I want want to know every little thing you tried without me asking for it....including the obvious things like typing devcon status "*DEV_001C*" in a CLI and you telling me what it says both with and without the interface disabled.

In the meantime: VIndicator v0.3.0.23
Changed: RAS stats polled every 100ms, icon reflects data direction
Changed: Tooltip auto-scales data kB -> PB, removed transfer rate
Removed: Debugging stuff
Added: Windows version check, doesn't run on less than Vista now
Added: Start with Windows option, (HKCU Run)
Added: Checks for Remote Access Service installation - required for MS PPTP/L2TP VPN connections

3145

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 23, 2013, 09:08 PM »

All the programs I run at start up have that option turned off if they have it, I put everything into HKLM - Run rather than HKCU.

-pilgrim (May 23, 2013, 10:04 AM)

I'm thinking of the people who don't edit the registry, don't set Scheduled Tasks and don't put shortcuts in the Startup menu.

You're probably on a single user system, others might not be and thus prefer a per user basis, anyway, costs nothing to put it in..........so far  

Which reminds me I need to see what happens when UAC is turned on.

Turns out polling RAS stats at 100ms didn't increase CPU by much at all, still around 2% or less on my Neo N40L server.  Drops to 0% when no VPN active but mem use seems to stay at around 9-10MB.

3146

Living Room / Re: Geoguessr. I'm addicted.

« Last post by 4wd on May 23, 2013, 08:55 PM »

Now *that's* cool.

-wraith808 (May 23, 2013, 09:20 AM)

Since it's the only Asian start point I've had so far, here it is for you to play with: The Challenge

I completely missed the clue at the start point of number 3 and ended up on the wrong continent  

The clues

A) Been there, done that   A bit more?  It's European architecture.
B) Got the country right...just....should have traveled further in a direction.
C) Got nowhere near the right country: look at the building carefully, it'll give you the continent - other than that, have fun.
D) Real estate signs followed by the actual office if you head north
E) Sign, sign everywhere a sign.....

3147

Post New Requests Here / Re: Turn a batch file into an AHK script.

« Last post by 4wd on May 23, 2013, 09:07 AM »

NAI makes use of all 4 icons in that icon group in the same way that XP does, in particular when the connection is idle both parts of the icon go dark, in VIndicator one or other parts of it is always bright, if you are using this as a straight toggle between traffic/no traffic it would look better if you used a completely/partly bright icon with the completely dark icon as it would give a more accurate representation, if of course you could incorporate all 4 icons it would be even better and I am guessing that as you are now able to show traffic statistics that might well be possible.  

-pilgrim (May 23, 2013, 08:35 AM)

Possible, yes, but at the cost of increased resource usage.  At the moment it polls the RAS statistics every 500ms and being an interpreted language I strongly suspect if I did it more often, like every 100ms, (which I believe NAI is), then there'll be an attendant rise in CPU usage - it might be excessive....but I'll have a play.

The 'Quit on Disconnect' works perfectly but I have been thinking about people setting it and then wondering why, the next time they start a VPN it doesn't show.  
While I think it is a feature worth leaving in it might be better if the option was hidden from the icon and the exe placed in a ZIP file with a short Readme?  
The Readme could contain details about how to run the program at system start-up and how to create the .ini file to run the auto shutdown option if required, while pointing out that once shut down it would need to be manually restarted. To remove the option they simply delete the .ini file.

No offense, but you were talking about people who couldn't write a batch file - an ini file falls into the same category AFAIAC.

There's nothing simpler than selecting a menu item and letting the program take care of the rest.

The readme could just as easily contain a FAQ:

Q: Where's the icon?
A: Run the program.

Besides which it defaults to always running, they'd only have to delete the ini file to restore it to that if they mistakenly select the option - no editing of ini files required.

I might add a Start with Windows option just for giggles too

EDIT: Thinking about it a Readme could also contain brief details about how to set it up as a scheduled task so it would be fully automatic. I was thinking about putting this information on my friends website but if it was included with the program as well it would probably be better.

I was thinking I'll let you write it  

3148

Living Room / Re: Geoguessr. I'm addicted.

« Last post by 4wd on May 23, 2013, 08:00 AM »

Ha, I don't believe it!

Started one off and found it was in Asia so I thought this'll be a really good challenge, drag the viewpoint around.....to find it's been taken from a spot where I've stood 

The only time I've struck one from Asia and that happens....I'm off to buy a lotto ticket 

3149

General Software Discussion / Re: Advice needed on AHK script

« Last post by 4wd on May 23, 2013, 01:47 AM »

Source added to Terminator archive, maybe someone can make it a lot better, (and neater please).

3150

Living Room / Re: Geoguessr. I'm addicted.

« Last post by 4wd on May 22, 2013, 07:58 PM »

I thought I was doing good... then I'd compare, and I'd be down to .1km different, and you'd be .001km different... very impressive!

-wraith808 (May 22, 2013, 12:28 PM)

Thanks!  As I said, too much free time  

On the flip side, I get to drive all the friends/relatives nuts with challenges as payback for all the "look it's a new virus" emails over the years  

It also didn't help that I missed the first Australia location...

It always helps if you know the general environs of the country, the architecture of the only building and the strip road gave it away for me but apart from that I had to go looking.

I try to keep to a time limit of an hour on these otherwise I'd be going nuts, (I always like to know where I am - it's a caveman thing   )

The clues

A) Restaurant @ 40m
B) Website @ 10m, (misspelt possibly due to image joining)
C) Go east: partial town sign and Time Zone sign further on
D) Look at the silo
E) Knew the type of environment, a guess based on road direction