Recent Posts

3776

General Software Discussion / Re: shut down with one click

« Last post by 4wd on May 16, 2012, 02:49 AM »

Just create a shortcut on the Desktop with:

C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /s /f

eg.



/s = Shutdown the computer.
/f = Force running applications to close without forewarning users.

If you want it in one click, move it to the Quick Launch area.

There's also some registry settings you can change to speed things up, (WARNING: make a backup, make sure you know what they do AND the consequences of changing them): How To Speed Up Windows Shutdown Process

3777

Living Room / Re: Apple drops '4G' from iPad adverts

« Last post by 4wd on May 15, 2012, 09:11 PM »

They got called out on it in Australia by the ACCC, (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission), a couple of months ago because they put 4G on the boxes and lo and behold....it didn't work for exactly the same reason.

You really have to wonder if there are any engineers wandering around Apple saying, (about marketroids), "I told them it wouldn't work."

3778

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend bulk editor for EXIF/IPTC metadata?

« Last post by 4wd on May 15, 2012, 08:00 PM »

GeoSetter is free, has a thumbnail view and will allow you to copy/paste EXIF/IPTC data from one picture to as many as you like.

Data is not written to the pictures until you choose to do so - uses exiftool to do the work and updates it when a new version is available.

This is my number one tool for general picture EXIF/IPTC manipulation - you don't have to use it for just doing Geo-tagging

Add info through the edit data dialog:


You can edit the Custom View to only display the metadata you want to edit, metadata relating to specific things will be under a tab, eg. Location:

Author appears to be equivalent to Contact Byline in GeoSetter.

Copy data and then paste into selected images:



You can also create templates of EXIF/IPTC data from an image, (location, author, copyright, etc), and save them to apply to other images, eg. select your images, choose a template - job done.

But then, you can also use it for what it was originally designed for

3779

General Review Discussion / Re: Quick Review: Collusion - Firefox "tracking" add-on

« Last post by 4wd on May 14, 2012, 07:41 AM »

I think the reason I get all those Google hits is because I am logged in to Gmail most of the time I am online, even though I might not be using it.

-IainB (May 14, 2012, 05:26 AM)

Don't forget, I also clear all cookies when Firefox shuts down, so any Google cookie will only be regenerated when I next do a Google search - along with OptimizeGoogle it means it's an anonymised ID each time I start Firefox.

3780

Living Room / Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)

« Last post by 4wd on May 13, 2012, 07:54 PM »

I have never killed the antivirus before and this problem has only recently showed up.

-Mizraim (May 13, 2012, 07:51 PM)

It could be an AV program update has made it more aggressive in its behaviour.

You could try running Game Booster and turning the AV off before running a game offline, (ie. unplug from the network altogether).

3781

Living Room / Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)

« Last post by 4wd on May 13, 2012, 07:45 PM »

Just out of interest, is it only while playing games ?

eg. No mysterious slowdowns or seemingly interface freezes while using other programs ?

Have you checked the Event Log for any warnings or errors possibly related to disk access, (or anything else) ?

Have you tried killing all unnecessary background tasks before running games, (this includes any antivirus) ?

3782

Living Room / Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)

« Last post by 4wd on May 13, 2012, 07:36 PM »

You didn't mention whether this is to do with online or offline gaming, as for online there could be a problem with lag occasionally.

3783

General Review Discussion / Re: Quick Review: Collusion - Firefox "tracking" add-on

« Last post by 4wd on May 13, 2012, 06:37 AM »

How do you anonymise them?

-IainB (May 13, 2012, 02:06 AM)

The now unsupported OptimizeGoogle addon - whether or not it now actually works due to changes Google may have made in the meantime is another question.

But I don't get any kind of cross-linking between sites connected to Google, (as you see in your pic),


there is only one "ring" of sites feeding back to Google, (as opposed to the possible 3 or more in your pic),


nor do I get ads related to anything I type, (after disabling other addons), since installing it, eg. as Renegade found here.

So something somewhere must be doing something

Then again, I'm never logged into Google for anything except maybe once a month to check the spam folder in email, so really I guess the only thing they can go on is my IP.

I might do a little testing in a VM with just OptimizeGoogle and Collusion installed and see what eventuates.

Addendum:
I thought I'd do something simpler: do a search, read the cookie ID, delete it, do another search, read the cookie ID again.

Before ID: e3d6010785247c84:FF=0:TM=1336956597:LM=1336956597:S=PEa3IUp2Cw-N-RTt
After ID:  d6389bb5e8d134bb:U=7c4d84c4aa943c7f:FF=4:LD=en:NR=100:TM=1336956662:LM=1336956662:S=1ZXOzkMmGGEFmo_U

I've done it a few times and the only item that seems consistent is the TM, (time), entry - the other are always something different.  I would think that if they wanted to track me using a cookie then they would have to use a consistent ID string based on my machine configuration, (or Google login - which I don't).

BTW, Data Liberation Front - something I just read about in APC, (Australian Personal Computer).

This site is a central location for information on how to move your data in and out of Google products.

It's run by Google - so take that how you will

3784

General Software Discussion / Re: In search of ... downgrade option for Win7 install.

« Last post by 4wd on May 13, 2012, 03:29 AM »

Create an ISO of the W7 install DVD, (any retail version), use the ei.cfg Removal Utility on it, then write the ISO back to a DVD.

3785

Living Room / Re: Google.com is suddenly redirecting me to Google.co.uk ?!

« Last post by 4wd on May 11, 2012, 07:48 PM »

Using Firefox with the search settings at default I get the following:
1) search term in the search field will auto-redirect to .au
2) search term in the address field will stay at .com

Been this way for at least a couple of years.



Addendum: Forget what I said, it's the OptimizeGoogle addon which kicks it to www.google.com when it forces it to https 

Still, interesting side effect.

3786

General Software Discussion / Re: owncloud - alternative to big brand backups

« Last post by 4wd on May 11, 2012, 07:22 PM »

What's the difference between OwnCloud.com and OwnCloud.org?

-Deozaan (May 11, 2012, 01:46 PM)

I think the front page answers that question

Boston, MA – April 3, 2012 – ownCloud Inc., the commercial entity behind the popular open source enterprise file sync and share project, today launched commercial offerings based on Version 3 of the community edition, bringing business-class flexibility and security to the file sync and share market.

As a guess, being "based" on the Community Edition means it probably has more features than it, kind of like NexentaStor.

3787

General Software Discussion / Re: owncloud - alternative to big brand backups

« Last post by 4wd on May 11, 2012, 08:03 AM »

... it is quite slow for the web interface but there is desktop client to browse and upload the files. That worked for me on ubuntu.

-mahesh2k (May 11, 2012, 05:30 AM)

Yes, I don't think the sync clients were there when I first tried it out - they make it a rather more interesting option.

Might have to look at it again.

3788

General Software Discussion / Re: owncloud - alternative to big brand backups

« Last post by 4wd on May 11, 2012, 02:51 AM »

If big parties like Microsoft and Google back out of this market because of lack of customers, why wouldn't a relatively small/new party like owncloud not back out/disappear if business isn't as expected? You'd be bitten by a mouse instead of either the cat or the dog...

-Ath (May 11, 2012, 01:43 AM)

You run ownCloud on your own web server, (or in the web space your ISP gives you), it's a set of PHP scripts - I tried it on my XAMPP server and accessing it via WebDAV was very slow, (possibly due to my ADSL rate but still, boring old FTP is so much faster).

So it doesn't really matter what happens to any other player in the market - it's your cloud server on your hardware.



From what I understand, GetFreeCloud and OwnCube are just two providers that use ownCloud and provide free accounts - so not really unrelated Deo

3789

DC Gamer Club / Re: F.E.A.R. 3 (PC Download) $4.99 until 11:59PM PST on May 10

« Last post by 4wd on May 09, 2012, 06:23 AM »

GameFly took over Direct2Drive, IIRC you had to use their software to download your purchases also, (Comrade or something like that).

I'm not even sure you can gift in GameFly, just noted that there was an area under your account that mentioned it.

PITA that they don't accept PayPal, otherwise I could probably do it myself with a VPN and a fake name.

So much for "globalisation".

3790

DC Gamer Club / F.E.A.R. 3 (PC Download) $4.99 until 11:59PM PST on May 10

« Last post by 4wd on May 09, 2012, 02:58 AM »

Unfortunately, the download is region discriminated, (ie. if you don't live in North America, FU).

Anyone like to do a little gifting for me please....cheque's in the mail....honest.

3791

General Review Discussion / Re: Quick Review: Collusion - Firefox "tracking" add-on

« Last post by 4wd on May 08, 2012, 08:43 PM »

So now I'll see how far I get with the Third Party ones off.

-TaoPhoenix (May 08, 2012, 08:45 AM)

I've had Third Party cookies turned off for years without causing me any problems but then again, if a site relies on the fact that you need to accept Third Party cookies then I just don't go to it after the first time.

Cookies are also only kept until I exit Firefox then they're cleared, again, causes me no ill effects.  Google cookies are either blocked or anonymised so it's a bit hard for them to build any type of cohesive personal profile on my browsing habits and probably explains why after 2 months I have no humongous chains in Collusion like IainB did after 24 hours

3792

Living Room / Re: Pirate My Film... Dot Com.

« Last post by 4wd on May 04, 2012, 09:44 PM »

Is there the bit where you get to let off a broadside?

If so, I'll be in that.

3793

General Software Discussion / Re: Seagate ST9408114A not recognised by Winxp Disc

« Last post by 4wd on May 04, 2012, 08:54 PM »

The HDD is Seagate ST9408114A....

-shadowman (May 04, 2012, 09:43 AM)

As you mentioned in your first post - it's an IDE, (Parallel ATA), drive.

ST9408114A Momentus 5400.2 ATA notebook hard drive
Part #                         ST9408114A
Key Specifications       Seagate Momentus 40GB Hard Drive
Manufacturer              Seagate
Manufacturer Part #      ST9408114A
Interface                    ATA-100
Interface Connectors    44 pin IDC

A couple of things to try:
1) Go into the BIOS and reset it to Safe defaults if possible.
2) Grab Darik's Boot And Nuke and if it finds the drive, let it run for about 5-10 minutes - long enough to destroy any existing MBR or partition table.  Then see if the XP installer finds the drive.  NOTE: This will effectively destroy any data on the drive if you let it run over the whole drive.

What model laptop?

There's also MHDD which you can use to check for errors, (if it can see it of course).

3794

Living Room / Re: Anybody In Favour of the blocking of PirateBay, Please Read

« Last post by 4wd on May 04, 2012, 08:31 AM »

Good luck getting past mah doggies 

-Stephen66515 (May 04, 2012, 08:28 AM)

A piece of 2x4 is a great leveller of doggies....and people.

Not to mention a water pistol filled with cloudy ammonia will also deter doggies quite well. 

3795

General Software Discussion / Re: Seagate ST9408114A not recognised by Winxp Disc

« Last post by 4wd on May 04, 2012, 08:12 AM »

Is the drive recognised on the POST screen?
Or can you access the BIOS and see if it appears there?

If it doesn't appear to the BIOS then it could either be a cable problem, (power or data), or the drive is faulty.

One of these:



is great for testing drives - plug it in to the drive and then plug it into a USB port.

If it doesn't appear to the BIOS then no OS is going to see it either.

BTW, that model is an IDE drive.

3796

General Software Discussion / Re: Restore in 7 BootManager:

« Last post by 4wd on May 04, 2012, 04:48 AM »

Can you provide more info, ie. a screengrab of the Disk Manager, (from XP or use bootable partition manager media), showing all drives and partitions connected to the computer.

If there is more than one drive, highlight the drive that the system is supposed to be booting from.

3797

General Software Discussion / Re: Powerful Yet Light Weight Image Editor

« Last post by 4wd on May 02, 2012, 08:03 PM »

Developer's Website is at http://photofiltre.f...e.fr/download_en.htm

-PhilB66 (May 02, 2012, 07:57 PM)

Thanks for correcting.

3798

General Software Discussion / Re: Powerful Yet Light Weight Image Editor

« Last post by 4wd on May 02, 2012, 06:55 PM »

Also PhotoFiltre Free which can be run as portable.

3799

General Software Discussion / Re: No more WinPE?

« Last post by 4wd on April 29, 2012, 08:11 PM »

I presume this is because HDM 12 is out.

-Carol Haynes (April 29, 2012, 11:00 AM)

I know, still doesn't stop it being annoying.

Strangely I can no longer see any of their Linux boot disk downloads on my account ???

IIRC, Linux Boot Media is created from within the programs, (the ISO is part of the install), whereas the WinPE had to be downloaded and written separately.  eg. In HDM11Pro it's called bootcd.iso in the Hard Disk Manager 11 Professional\iso directory.

Except for those free products which specifically run from a Linux Boot CD, I've never seen a separate Linux ISO download in my account.

Just a shame you can't add multiple products to the same ISO.

You can, (albeit in separate WIMs), just requires a little BCD editing on your part

It would make sense for Paragon to produce one media builder and you can register whichever products you own to add to the build.

Agreed.

3800

General Software Discussion / Re: No more WinPE?

« Last post by 4wd on April 29, 2012, 08:42 AM »

What annoys me a bit is, they've made their Boot Media Builder available for Partition Manager 11 Professional but not for Hard Disk Manager 11 Professional which includes everything PM11Pro can do and more.

That just plain sucks.