Recent Posts

326

General Software Discussion / Re: File Renaming question

« Last post by AndyM on January 04, 2010, 04:09 PM »

I'd cobble together a one-time batch file (DecRename.bat), one line per file:

rename file7005 file7004
rename file7006 file7005
rename file7009 file7008
rename file7012 file7011
etc

Lot's of ways to make the batch file.
- Get a list of the current files, from a command prompt "dir>filelist.txt"
- Edit filelist.txt to get just a list of filenames.
- Paste the list into a column in Excel.  Use a formula to decrement the file number (easy if it's always the same two digits) in another column.  In a third column use a concatenation formula:  +"rename "&firstcolumncell&" "&secondcolumncell  
- Copy the third column and paste it into DecRename.bat
- Run DecRename.bat in the directory with the files  

If you can quickly edit the filelist and do the stuff in Excel this shouldn't take long if the filenumbers are always the same distance from the end of the filename string.  If the files are in numerous multiple folders you could generate a list with full paths using something different than the dir command.

This occurred to me first.  There's probably an easier way...

327

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Script help request

« Last post by AndyM on January 04, 2010, 09:38 AM »

Are you going to use AutoHotkey for your script?

328

Living Room / Re: A list of things to know when time-traveling to the past

« Last post by AndyM on January 03, 2010, 11:37 AM »

A list of winners and losers re wars, politics, markets, sporting events, etc.  Anything on which one could wager financially.

329

General Software Discussion / Re: Must-have Windows Programs

« Last post by AndyM on December 27, 2009, 08:45 PM »

I sort of figured out how I would go about this using Macro Express.

The 4 things you want to do all are triggered by clicks on the Title Bar, which would be easy with Macro Express except that you want different things to happen depending on where the Title Bar is clicked.

I would write two macros, one triggered by a middle click anyplace on the titlebar, the second triggered by a right click on the titlebar.  Then get the location of the cursor in the window, a Macro Express function (really only interested in the horizontal location).

Then get the width in pixels of the current window (another Macro Express function), and divide it by two.  Compare the horizontal location of the cursor to determine whether the right or left side of the titlebar was clicked.  Two subroutines in each macro, one for the right side, one for the left.

Macro Express has an easy way to either exclude or include particular programs or window titles for any specific macro.

Edit:  just remembered you said you needed better 64 bit support, sorry.

330

General Software Discussion / Re: Must-have Windows Programs

« Last post by AndyM on December 26, 2009, 12:22 PM »

    * middle click the left half of a window's caption (title bar) to close it.
    * middle click the right half of caption to maximize/restore a window (same as standard Windows behavior as double click on caption).
    * right click the left half of caption to minimize a window.
    * right click the right half of caption to tray minimize a window.

You could do this with AutoHotkey.  But you'd have to write the code.

331

General Software Discussion / Re: Must-have Windows Programs

« Last post by AndyM on December 25, 2009, 04:48 PM »

Does anyone know another utility (non-free ok) that can allow me to assign different actions to mouse clicks when clicking on different part of a window's title bar?

-mwang (December 25, 2009, 10:58 AM)

Macro Express supports macro activation by clicks on the various Window Parts (Title Bar, Scroll Bars, etc). Also by clicks on specific screen coordinates, which can be used to designate any rectangular area on a window if the window location is either first calculated or placed at specific location.  This could be used to designate certain places on the Title Bar which when single/double left/middle/right button clicked would activate a particular macro.

332

General Software Discussion / Re: How to manage Firefox Smart Location Bar?

« Last post by AndyM on December 24, 2009, 07:07 AM »

I don't know what the 'duh' is about.

-MilesAhead (December 24, 2009, 01:00 AM)

I think just a recognition that the answer was obvious (to check the Mozilla site).

333

General Software Discussion / Re: Possible to display & use 2 mouses simultaenously?

« Last post by AndyM on December 20, 2009, 11:47 AM »

I use 2 USB or one USB and one PS/2 on one computer all the time without any problems.

-techidave (December 20, 2009, 11:33 AM)

but you are still only controlling one cursor with both mice (mouses?), or do you have a second cursor?

334

General Software Discussion / Re: Video player: What's the quickest (fastest/lightest)?

« Last post by AndyM on December 13, 2009, 01:52 PM »

The more from it you take, the more it becomes

-superboyac (December 13, 2009, 02:26 AM)

A hole?

335

Living Room / Re: Good TV series. What do you watch? I used to watch Lost to unwind need successor

« Last post by AndyM on December 09, 2009, 07:25 PM »

Though Battlestar Galactica is one of the best TV shows you will *ever* watch

-Innuendo (December 09, 2009, 05:30 PM)

2nd that

336

Living Room / Re: A Chance to Brag/Explain - What is DonationCoder and What Are You Doing Here?

« Last post by AndyM on December 08, 2009, 11:24 AM »

I've been a heavy pc user since my first 2-floppy drive PC.  Self-taught in that I've never taken a class, and have educated myself by reading, doing, and relying on the public pc community for help (taught myself enough Assembler to write a little utility to send printer codes from a DOS command line).  Got my first questions answered on BIX (Byte magazine's BBS) and then Compuserve.  When these discussions moved to web pages, so did I, always on the lookout for smart people willing to share info.

Stumbled across DonationCoder a few years ago and realized instantly that this was the best tech community yet.  It's the only one I check every day.  I always get some kind of help - if the answer isn't here, I get pointers to other places to look.

For every question I've asked, I've read 100 answers to questions I haven't yet thought to ask (and now won't need to).  Plus another 100 questions I probably would have never thought to ask, whose answers I am delighted to have either in my head or still here when I come back to search.

I know what I've gotten from DC, and it makes me want to give back.  Once in a great while I can help answer someone else's question, which is almost as satisfying as getting mine answered.

And if all that wasn't enough, Skrommel is an active member.  That alone would make this forum one of the best. 

Bottom line: DC makes you smarter.

(oh yeah, I really hate writing stuff like this, but talking up DC is a way of "paying back".  I must have really felt strongly to start and actually finish this)

337

Living Room / Re: How would you improve a standard PC keyboard?

« Last post by AndyM on November 12, 2009, 01:25 PM »

Put the App/Context/RightClick (whatever you call it) back next to the Right-Control key.

-AndyM (November 09, 2009, 01:01 PM)

Nobody else misses the APP key?

338

Living Room / Re: How would you improve a standard PC keyboard?

« Last post by AndyM on November 12, 2009, 01:23 PM »

I've never had a wheel mouse where the wheel click was comfortable enough. Either they are too "tough" to press, or it's too easy to scroll the wheel while pressing it. I've only ever used Logitech mice, so perhaps other brands are better in this regard.

-tranglos (November 11, 2009, 10:15 AM)

WheelUp and WheelDown are commands to rotate the wheel.  I do assign something to MButton (wheel click), but Enter is assigned to <LeftButtonDown><WheelDown>.

This is my second Logitech mouse.  The first one had a much crisper and better middle button click via the scroll wheel.  I can live with this one but I understand your complaint.

339

Living Room / Re: How would you improve a standard PC keyboard?

« Last post by AndyM on November 12, 2009, 01:17 PM »

Another feature I'd like to have back, is the correct layout of the Insert/Home/PgUp/Delete/End/PgDn keys.

AMEN!!

-mouser (November 12, 2009, 05:12 AM)

Second that!

340

Living Room / Re: How would you improve a standard PC keyboard?

« Last post by AndyM on November 09, 2009, 01:01 PM »

... a regular 102+ keys PC keyboard. How would you improve it?

Put the App/Context/RightClick (whatever you call it) back next to the Right-Control key.

I always found that key handy to bring up a context menu, now I have to assign that to a key combination (RightControl-/).

341

Living Room / Re: How would you improve a standard PC keyboard?

« Last post by AndyM on November 08, 2009, 07:57 PM »

If you hold the mouse with your right hand, you have to drop the mouse before you can hit Enter.

Not if you have <Enter> assigned to <LeftButtonDown><WheelDown>

(and <Escape> assigned to <LeftButtonDown><WheelUp>; <Copy> assigned to <LeftButtonDown><RightClick>; <Paste> assigned to <LeftButtonDown><DoubleRightClick>, and a few others...)

342

General Software Discussion / Re: F3 in Excel

« Last post by AndyM on November 01, 2009, 12:59 AM »

Shift-F4, I think.

343

General Software Discussion / Re: Paragon Drive Backup+Recovery 10 Free - good full drive imaging tool

« Last post by AndyM on October 30, 2009, 04:08 PM »

Can you "mount" an image and copy individual files from it, like you can with an Acronis .tib file?

344

Living Room / Re: INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY - OCT 22 & JUNE 28

« Last post by AndyM on October 22, 2009, 09:19 PM »

Oct 22 & June 28, that's two days ...

345

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Monitor a folder and send shortcuts to desktop

« Last post by AndyM on October 20, 2009, 02:16 PM »

This could be very useful.

You are talking about putting the "app" in one folder.  So you'd either be limited to only monitoring one folder, or putting a copy of the app in each folder you wanted to monitor.

I wonder if a better approach wouldn't be to have an .ini file that contained a list of "folders to monitor".  You could add to or edit the .ini file manually, perhaps with a simple interface, and/or be able to drop a folder on the interface/ProgramShortcut to add it to the list, and/or have a right-click folder menu choice to "add to list of monitored folders".

What the heck, as long as you have a list of folders to monitor, maybe add a field to have an optional filter, including/excluding certain file types.

346

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: simple drawing or floor plan program

« Last post by AndyM on October 14, 2009, 09:10 PM »

For really simple stuff I just make a grid in Excel, perhaps both lines and columns at 1/2" and call each box 1 foot.  Use borders for the vertical and horizontal lines and the drawing tool for angled lines.  Text goes in text boxes or cells.   

But only for really simple stuff.

347

General Software Discussion / Re: Visual Basic 2008, Dim help needed.

« Last post by AndyM on October 07, 2009, 12:59 PM »

Try asking at

http://vbaexpress.com/forum/

348

General Software Discussion / Re: Can't copy actual email addresses from Outlook.

« Last post by AndyM on October 06, 2009, 12:24 PM »

Not sure if all you need is just a list of email addresses, and I don't use Outlook, but...

could you export the address book to some kind of text file, maybe delimited so you could just load it in a spreadsheet and copy the relevant column?

349

General Software Discussion / Re: Word xp tabs and excel

« Last post by AndyM on October 03, 2009, 09:47 AM »

this was discussed recently

https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=19680.0

350

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows Security Essentials

« Last post by AndyM on September 30, 2009, 08:08 AM »

Looks like MS has released a free non-subscription antivirus!
Has anyone tried it?

-jgpaiva (September 30, 2009, 04:54 AM)

Woody Leonhard seems to like it -

http://www.askwoody....ty-essentials-today/