Recent Posts

401

General Software Discussion / Automatic shortcut creation for items in a folder.

« Last post by questorfla on September 10, 2014, 11:26 AM »

This is something I need to find to put a stop to users who can't seem to understand that their desktop is NOT made to keep all their documents piled up on.

I can make a single shortcut to My Documents on their desktop for them but that isn't good enough apparently.  They want one for every single folder and file. (Not all files within folders, just a few that are "loose files" usually word docs.).

None of them can remember HOW to make a shortcut once shown.  Besides which, it is a matter of they just don't want to do even the least bit of extra effort.  The issue is not just one of neatness, their Documents Folder is automatically backed up on the Office Servers because the files in there are important.  But I cannot automatically  backup their entire desktop due to hidden system files and others. 

I'm trying to find a utility that would automatically create a shortcut on their Desktop to any folders that are created or moved into their My Documents folder.  Basically, the same procedure as "right click, send, shortcut to desktop" but I was wondering if there might be a way to make that just "happen" automatically for any folders created or placed inside another folder.

The same procedure might be used for other Main Storage folders like pictures, music etc.  I am just unsure of how to make this an automated procedure that would occur every time.

402

General Software Discussion / Re: method of network drive-mapping regulated by location

« Last post by questorfla on August 31, 2014, 12:28 AM »

Heck, I am always glad to ask a question that helps others.  Those are the best kind.  I am going to have to look at this utility.  What is the difference in the free and the paid versions?  Personally, I might want the paid version if it offers multiple options the Free one doesn't.  But  for the users of the network that I need to get this to work on, I wonder if all they need is the free one.
I am just looking for a reliable way to make their "Mapped R:  Drive"  Always be available wherever they are.
In the office, everyone would be better off using the Interoffice Network which is full GB throughout. 
But when they leave the office, they have to map back through a "WD My Cloud" configuration to reach the same files. 
This setup allows me to use a single location for all access by everyone so I don't have to "sync" 50,000 files to a "Cloud Storage" and a "Local Server"

Most of the users though, have zero tech-smarts.  They don't know anything about networks or mapping or anything other than they can't find the files needed if R: isn't there.  "net use" can only do so much 

I hope this proves to be the solution.  Thanks ATH!

And to you as well Stoic.  I was just reading you post on http://stoicjoker.com/ClosePort445.html
It was the port 445 block that caused me to have to switch to cloud hosting instead of direct mapping anyway.

I have not looked at Split Zone DNS and to be honest, I am not familiar with the setup either.  Neverused it so I have to get out the manuals and do some reading.  Whatever it take to make the mapped drive letter switch from local network to cloud access as automatic, painless, and reliable as possible for people who just know that "R: should have all the files they need"   That is what I need.

403

General Software Discussion / method of network drive-mapping regulated by location

« Last post by questorfla on August 28, 2014, 02:40 AM »

This is something that I started looking into when I ran across a method of of setting different printers to be the default based on the location of the unit.  If you were at home, your system would know that your HOME installed printer would be the one chosen by default when clicking print.  But if you went to your office, the change of location ( I assume triggered by the change in system IP) would be enough to enable some routine to switch your default from printer A to printer B.

This would be a useful function to have but I never got back to looking into it and I mention this because if that can be done, hopefull there is a similar way to accomplish the following:

We have a database program that requires all data files to be stored on a "networked" drive location designated R: 
When a laptop system is on the local network, that R: drive letter is mapped to an IP address containing a shared folder.  This part works fine.
But for the past couple of years we have had issues blocked this even using a VPN.  The solution we were advised was to use CLOUD Storage mapped to the same drive letter.  when the direct mapped IP was unavailable.  This required changing the mapping from "Local IP address/shared folder" location to the "Cloud mapped drive" location.

If it is possible, I would like to be able to make this switch happen automatically, remap the drive letter from ONE (the local IP) to the other "cloud Mapped" location based on some factor that could be used to determine which mapping would be correct.  I am not sure this can even be done nor if it can, what to use as the determination for which path to choose.

The problem with the dual location was always how to keep so many (50 thousand) files that are in use and changed quite a bit in some kind of synchronization.

Recently, I ran some tests using the newest version of Western Digital  4TB My Cloud unit.  I found that the remote access was not nearly as bad as the other Cloud Service AND since this is a Local 4TB Appliance that would be connected to out 1GB Intranet, it would give people blazing fast speeds when at the office and decent speeds when not.   Plus since it is the same versions of each file regardless of how they get there,  no Sync would ne needed.

With the speed of transfer remaining in the hundreds of KBPS instead of usually Less than 100 kbps, remote access was acceptable for use and those who tried it were happy with it.

The only problem left was the changes in the mapping.  Once the drive letter was mapped to the correct path for inside the office, it takes a bit of restructuring to get this to work correctly outside the office network because that uses the newest WebDAV form of drive mapping.

The WD My-Cloud access , even though it was still a form of WebDAV  as able to handle this arrangement speeds up to 10 times faster than any other Cloud Arrangement I had tried.

Has anyone ever run across a drive mapping utility that could switch the path for the drive mapping based on some criteria i can locate?  Map the dribve to whichever layout provided the best path to follow to reach the files?

I am sure i can do probably write some kind of script and tell the users to run Local.bat fi inthe office or Remote.bat if not to remap the drives to the correct settings based on their location but it would be a "slick trick" to make this fully automatic. 

404

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on August 22, 2014, 03:46 PM »

Yes Please.  I am always hesitant to make changes,     Even it I could remember how.  I am sure there are other posts that I need to move as well.

405

General Software Discussion / Fastest way to get files off a damaged RAID Mirror drive onto a new drive

« Last post by questorfla on August 11, 2014, 12:57 AM »

The raid Mirror failed on one drive.  The otther seems to be in decent shape but that makes it the only viable copy of over 10 years worth of files saved into one place so I am being careful.
My plan was to first try an actual copy onto a single new drive to make sure they were all readably.  That was first catch, Permissions.  I found a way to use a single right click via a reg edit that now does most of the grunt work that but t is still terribly slow and besides it is making my workbench system the owner.  So i probably will have to do again.

I was wondering if there is a way to change the permissions tro "everyone" in general such thatthe copy would work with no edits for permissions once i get the RAID Rebuilt?
.
I could just clone it (and may yet for safety) but in the end I need to confirm the files can be opened and read.  At  least sampling a few.
The fastest copy / backup utility I have found was Good-Sync although I had a few comments on Tera-copy, Karen's replicator. and one i had never heard of called Rich Copy 4 but it seemed a little dated.

Once this is all ready to roll, it is the better part of a 2TB drive that has to be copied to another 2TB drive.  Once i have THAT for a backup, then i will load it onto a 2TB RAID Mirror as it was for years.

Thanks for any names or suggested software. I think I am stuck on the permissions as i have seen nothing but people complaining about the the same issue.

Just wondered if anyone had any Preferences for speed and reliability when used in house, no Internet, this is just one system with  a ton or ram and a Fast processor and i just need to Copy the files to make sure they can be copied.  In case they are corrupted for any reason.  I have not had time to investigate the Raid crash but the other drive half is pretty dead.  Click of Death

406

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on August 02, 2014, 12:19 PM »

You guys are great (and gals if any are reading)  As you can see, I have too much time on my hands because all my efforts are basically just trying to find different ways to do things when the normal ones work fine.
I think too much.  DC has always been a great sounding board to learn new ways of thinking.  Many of the tools you mention are apps I have never heard of and each has a special niche on the "tool-board" in any programmers workshop.

Heck, I still enjoy writing webpages one html at a time  !!

Everything we use is already done in machine-code or binary such that I don't even understand what is done to get from point A to point Z. I can already see the day coming (Like NOW!)  when you will just type in a starting point and the end result and let the system tell YOU how to get there.  Or worse, just DO it without telling us outdated "wet-ware"  users HOW.  But it will work and "the ends" will always justify the "means" in the business world.

This is more like doing crossword puzzles just to feel like humans are still a necessary component in reality.  Just doing it to see if it can be done.  I appreciate the interaction with people who also like to take things apart to see how they work.  Different points of view and alternate ways to reach the same solution.  It doesn't seem to me that there are as many around as there used to be.  To that end, DC has become a fantastic opportunity to meet some really nice people almost all of whom are far better at this than I will ever be.    All of your advice and methods are certainly capable of doing the job.  I save every reply to every post I make just to review them when I need a fresh viewpoint on anything.

I could certainly be more descriptive of the task at hand in a PM but I hate to trash up a Public Forum with the banality of WHY I am even pursuing this.  In the end, it is an effort to do something that shouldn't even be done at all.  Unfortunately, this is what I have to do to make a living at this point.  And I am trying to find ways to at least make it interesting rather than just   a "daily grind"  .

I have yet to find a single "wish list" that I could present on DC and not have at least 4 or 5 people chime in with multiple ways to accomplish every item.  Makes me feel better to know there are still people in the world who will do this.  Not just the ones who use a microwave oven to boil water without ever wondering WHY it gets hot without fire.

Thanks to all of you who offer viewpoints on such banalities as the ones I present.  Your input is appreciated in more ways than just the "How" for a stupid question.

407

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on August 01, 2014, 04:53 PM »

PS:  Miles ahead.  Excuse the re:use of my original post, the SharePoint problem was resolved in the 2nd post and i just kept going.  Hated to wast a good thread
To be honest, anything to do with SharePoint is probably going to be a dead end:  WAY too many issues to deal with.  So.. I Segued into creating an automated script used for creation of a custom very specialized website-app.  More la web-app than a website.   Just trying to get each step to run as a script.

I did finally get the last one to work but not as easily as i would like
using Shift plus right click  can open a  command prompt in the directory I want the folder created in
then run the batch file as is and it works fine even though it is located at c:\.  It let me enter the name i wanted and created that folder and unzipped the files into it.  What i wanted was a way to pass the current location i am in when i press a hot-key combo to the batch file.  dropping out to a command prompt wasn't that bad,  it just seems unnecessary.  
Heck this part is easy,  next this i have to do is use that SAME name to change a line of text in two of the files that go in that directory, as well as use that same name to create a MySQL database.  The command line for MySQL I do have somewhere.  None of this is "essential" i am just trying to see if it would be possible to automate the whole process since it never changes and i have to do it several times a day

408

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on August 01, 2014, 02:28 PM »

I hate it when nothing works right
it MIGHT work if I created some proper links.  Or exited at a cmd prompt at he location where I want the new directory created.
the only way I can get the cmd to run is to type it in at start>run. I think it would run whether cmd or bat anyway.   Not used to having to do things this way.  it still created the directory at c:\
 (or wherever the xxx.cmd or xxx.bat is located).  I need to shift the focus of the run/create command to the location that I am currently opened to which is where I need that new directory to be created and loaded.  The 7z  parameter I had to change to "x" instead of "e" of course.

409

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on August 01, 2014, 10:10 AM »

not sure if mine came ahead of yours or which.  you are probably right in the end.  I have not yet added back the 'call from' AltF5  The script as written was located in the folder I have been testing with.

Just wondering, I have started playing around with AHK and thought maybe I could write the whole thong using AHK to get it started.  Maybe that would get around the need a batch file to be "located" somewhere specific.  Or, use the first step to copy the batch script to the folder in which I need to run it?  This will be complex enough in th end that I hope I can convert the whole thing to an executable.  Each step is always required.  One of my previous projects was something that I could run to create a working list of clickable hyperlinks to send the "BOSS" that I had to run every month to add any new "mini-sites".  Doing it like this, I could add the link to the list as the site was created.

And rather than fight the inevitable, I am also going to find a way to convert the few data-tables it needs from using MyISAM to using INNODB so I can upgrade the version of MySQL I have to use now.  5.5 is as high as I can go and still get support for MyISAM. 

However:  As a side-note, I recently ran across some references to a project called ARIA that is supposed to be a similar setup which does still support MyISAM.  For all the reports of why InnoDB is better, I never had any problems with MyISAM and without learning all the ins and outs of which calls I would need to modify as well as why I would need to do it, it might be easier to simply use ARIA.  I just found this reference last night by accident and have not looked into it at all    Using a different support engine could bring on other problems I don't want to deal with.  IF it turns out to be a simple "change the name' of the program used to create the tables, then I can manage that (I hope).

The scripting for the DB creation and handling is all done in a ".php" file.  This is not my 'forte'" (Nor even my "six-te'" )      But it might bear looking into.

These are all sub-sites of a "Mothership"  Maybe "mother-site" is more appropriate.   Not all awake yet    )

As long as the databases hang together once created, if "PhpMyAdmin" can deal with ARIA then I might be able to keep what I have

410

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on August 01, 2014, 12:04 AM »

set /p input=Entername  :
md %input%
cd %input%
set var=%cd%
7z e c:\preload.zip
echo %var% > path.txt
exit


OK that has got to be close now.  I was thinking too hard on the first step.  don't need to know the path at that point.
And even later with %var%   I don't need the exact path  yet   but I will need part of it eventually to create the "http://www" path so it can be accessed from a browser.
this is going to be a custom site installer utility when completed.  has a few more steps before done

411

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on July 31, 2014, 11:15 PM »

yep.  I feel just like that too,  And I am supposed to know at least what I am trying to ask.  Woke up with what I THINK may be the only adult onset case of Pinkeye I know of.  Had to get some killer drops for my eyes and some other stuff that between the two I cant see what I am even typing.

When you use "set" in a batch file to allow input for the data stored in a variable like "set %name% subdirectory"
I see the word subdirectory and enter the characters I want to use    like "nextone".
then use that to create the subdirectory with the next line md %name%

At the time I am calling this batch, I am already in the place I want to create the subdirectory.  This location varies and so do the name and the path to get where I would be is too long to have to type in the whole thing.  My "plan" was for this batch file to create the sudbir using the entered name right there where I called it from.
I linked the batch file itself to be run when I press AltF5 as a hotkey sequences .  Everything works fine except the subdir gets created under top level c:\ instead of Way down the path where I am running it from.
So .  I tried using "%~dp0" but that was a no go as well.

It could be that because I located the batchfile (I just called it auto.bat) in c:\ so I would be in the default path no matter where I was when I pressed AltF5 that maybe I am stuck.  I was hoping it would use the location of my "cursor" a a reference point and create the subdirectory there.

and thanks for the "enlarger"  I have never seen that one!  
Speaking of SEE.  I can see a bit better now

412

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on July 31, 2014, 11:41 AM »

OK then kick me now while I'm down but I cannot get this next on to follow the focus of the calls.
Simple, easy, and worked perfect but created my folder it root C.
trying to automate a few things that I have pieced together most of on DC over time.
Using Clavier+ I set alt+F5 to run a batch file named auto.bat that was supposed to allow me to input a few characters which should be used to create a folder at the location where my prompt is when I run the Al+F5.   I knew it wasn't going to work but still not sure how to get the file to be created where I run the hotkey.
It could be inside of any one of 30 different root folders.  It then copies the contents of a generic starter setup with al the necessary parts and pieces waiting to be customized for that user.
While it did "Thankfully"! create the subfolder properly before dumping about 1000 misc. files all over the place, it did so at root C:
I have only looked for 15 minutes trying to find the (probably simple) method to get the focus of the command to be inside the folder I am in when I run the hotkey, I can't find anything that appears to work that way.  I cannot write the path into the batch as I will be using it in various places every time I call with ALT=-F5.     I just had a better idea to save room, if I could unzip a zipped copy of all the required stuff that would probably be even better.
Once this part is working, I have to use the same name to create a MySQL Database from a command line.  This something I had help getting to work a while back  have to see who to thank for that one.  Once I put it all together, I should be able to use a single hot key to setup the whole thing.

Only thing let is finding the best image utility to resize an image to a specific size (in pixels) png file with as little loss as possible,  So far, PAINT has been doing a pretty good job since I may have to start out with a jpg or whatever they send me.  I found a few Online utilities but prefer to work with all programs and files "in hand"  I'm just tossing this out to see if anyone has a favorite that I have not yet tried.  Most of them that are any good are far too complicated.  I just need to take a 380x260 (or ?) pixel jpg photo and change it to a 742x350pixel png file and not lose so much resolution  cant ell what it was to start with.     I usually end up looking for a similar but larger one I can shrink instead.

413

Post New Requests Here / Re: Simple Utility to find the value of a specific key in Windows Registry

« Last post by questorfla on July 26, 2014, 12:14 AM »

I am not sure how to make it any clearer so perhaps this is an exercise in futility.
By the time you get this one working , MS will have changed it again anyway. 
The whole month of July was nothing but one crash after another.
Not just ME saying that, the MS forums are FULL of PO'ed people.

At this point, i was more interested in your little tool for other things anyway.
If it can display various messages depending upon the values located at specific points in the registry I might be able to put it to better use later.

This specific update only affects the 40 people i have to deal with and I feel bad enough already that you went to all that trouble to create this for such a trivial (and Temporary) issue.
What I was going to do was have it display the link direct to the update that would be indicated by the values at that location.
My own values being 008C I would have made display the hyper link direct to the update needed for people with 008C and so on for the other two possibilities.
but to be honest, this whole thing is an exercise in futility, especially after all the crashes this month.
I  have been tellig people the BEST thing to do is completely UN install ALL  of the  MS Office suite (yep, there is a "Fix-it" download to do just that)
THEN go back and do a FULL installation to ensure they get the Latest of every part.

This might last a whole month before MS tears it up again.

414

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Easy Script to move all loose files in a folder into it's alphabetic subfolder

« Last post by questorfla on July 25, 2014, 11:51 PM »

 
Yep Perfect, 
The sad thing is even i I tell these people
..... in those exact words that I did this to avoid even  simulated thought on their part.....

They would take that as a Compliment!

415

Living Room / Re: Weird Router Issue Hoping someone has seen before

« Last post by questorfla on July 25, 2014, 09:56 AM »

I've seen similar, intermittent, connection issues when I bought a new Linksys (ea6700) AC router. It was cured after I replaced it with a Netgear aparatus, as the ea6700 was originally bought with the intention to fix connection-issues we had with a Linksys wrt160...
Not even bios updates have yet been able to cure the intermittent wi-fi connection issues with the ea6700 (that is still here, being used in my tech-testing network, not directly connected to the interwebs)

-Ath (July 19, 2014, 05:32 AM)

WEIRD!  This is EXACTLY how we got to this point!  Only difference is my setup went all the way back to the WRT-54G!


Same brands same problems.  I have the new Nighthawk next up as soon as I get time to program it.  There is no real reason why we MUST use the 10.50.xxx.xxx setup (other than it makes it easier to see WHOSE network you are really on) and I am tempted to leave the defaults.
But I wish I still had the name of that automatic Wi-Fi OFF switch to disable Wifi when WIRED is connected.  No one is voluntarily going to do it and that issue with the Cellphone hot-spots crossing through the Wired network "hubs" (or Smart Switches) gave me nightmares over security


OFF TOPIC but a valid question:  I noticed a while back that the forum now has built-in spell check.  Is that from the browser or from the DC coding?  I wish it worked like Outlook's version where I could tell it to auto-correct typos that I make often

416

Living Room / Re: Weird Router Issue Hoping someone has seen before

« Last post by questorfla on July 25, 2014, 09:45 AM »

agreed on that but then WHY do the Mfrs. make them that way?

417

Living Room / Re: Weird Router Issue Hoping someone has seen before

« Last post by questorfla on July 24, 2014, 10:54 PM »

Sorry guys, Been slammed for a while now. but i see there are several good points here.  I will cover them in the order presented.
StoicJ.  The default gateway is the same whether wired or wireless.  It is the same router and shows being 10.0.50.1 no matter which connection is active.

BGM:  yes and no on this one.  Until recently, this was left at DHCP on every system,  However, I have found that in the past few laptop purchases, some that only had wireless and No wired at all, that unless I specifically configured the "alternate config" for IPV4 (which usd to be an area that I swear was not even  there on many systems but i could have been overlooking it) anyway, i found that using autoc/auto for the IP and dns would not work.  These new Ultrabooks with No wired at all require that I put in the Office WORK network specifically and ssign an IP and a DNS and i MUST do this in the alternate or the user would have effectively a No connection laptop once they leave the office.   I recently noticed Another Option there as well.  It says Automatic Private IP as opposed to (I guess) the normal Automatically obtain IP ( Public IP ?) option in the primary window.  I would tend to believe that since they only have  ONE business network that i am better of putting in a static IP in the alternate configuration

40Hz;  The specific i should have just typed it all out are:
10.0.50.1 gateway
255.255.255.0 is subnet
dhcp is set to handle from  10.0.50.100 to 10.0.50.200.

The printers and misc items that have static only are below the 100 so prevent possible conflicts.
10.0.50.75     76    77    78     are all printers
there are a few other misc items that stay down there too.

Above the 200 mark are reserved for special application issues.  currently there are none

ALL laptops I have been able to find retail ALWAYS activate Both Wired and WiFi unless you manually turn on Airplane mode or disable to WiFi adapter.
I have always considered this a bad practice just intuitively without an real reason fo it.  For one thing , in dhcp , it doubles the IP;s in play since each device gets one for each adapter.

There used to be a product that was FREE once and then disappeared for a while then came back as a "pay-to-play" utility that would switch off the WiFi when you plug in wired.  I have even see a few mfrs. say their laptops have this feature.  No One has the old Manual WiFi ON/Off switch (and glad it is gone!)  The utility old for about $20 but I don't even remember the name.  If nothing else it would save battery power if you were wired for network and not connected to a charger.

I am wondering if any of this is related to the continued push toward IPV6  as well?

Either way, Can anyone see a reason to NOT disable WiFi when you have a Better Wired connection?  Wired in our office is always 1GB,  WiFi may be getting better but not THAT fast.  Not even AC band.

This would work like the option to disable the touch pad if using a wired mouse (which IS a good option, everyone likes that one).
If I could find that utility again, I  would consider buying it.  Don't know why it isn't a built in option anyway

Other than for the fact that Windows now seems to use create several Virtual WiFi adapters for ad-hoc connections to whatever devices you are smart enough to configure them for.  Whether or not you even know they are there.  Mini Hot spots broadcasting and receiving though i have never checked much to see what they are meant for nor why some laptops seem to have more than one of them.

Thanks for all the info and i am still on the lookout for any  info to give this a better solution.  If it were an ALL the time thing it would be easier.  But it is intermittent and I am leaning toward the possibility that 40Hz brought up about some router not working well on anything but 192.168.x.x.

For the record, 40HZ, maybe I can one-up your #4.  We had people who, when the office CABLE IP went down, they would whip out their cellphone and connect their WiFi to IT.  But leave their WIRED connection plugged in TOO!

Left me scratching my head as well when i suddenly found half the office able to get internet even though the service was down.  Evewn if i unplugged the router.
The solution got a bit clearer when people started complaining they could not print to the network printer.  THAT was when i checked their ipconfig/all and saw a WEIRD setup. 
Turns out that the Internet connection by one person on the cellphone was provisioning backward through the network switches to offices over 100ft away.
Smart switch did not care if their wire was an IN or an OUT so it happily allowed anyone connected to the same switch that was online before the CABLE went out to stay online feeding though that one cellphone.

I was totally flummoxed!  I would not have thought it would work that easily with no provisions for protection or anything,   We later found out that this same setup was creating havoc on the network when it was up. In this case . YES there WERE two distinct separate gateways as well as two DNS servers.

In our district (not sure how far this applies) COX has begun using a "Locked DNS" setup.  We cannot use ANY other DNS at all.  If i change from the primary and secondary THEY provide, we immediately lose Internet connection.  Error will be Unable to contact Primary DNS server.  I have been told that we are the only place tat has this setup as far as I know.  And no one will even explain WHY.  Just that we MUST use what they give or.. No Internet at all.

Any ideas on that one?

418

Post New Requests Here / Re: Simple Utility to find the value of a specific key in Windows Registry

« Last post by questorfla on July 18, 2014, 06:17 PM »

Yeah, me too.  That was why I was reading MS KB's.  I normally don't get much from them.
Onedrive (as a valid resource) is still in flux.  Most of it is rehashed SharePoint only worse.

They don't spell that out well.

I agree this is more an exercise is letting off some steam in the fast that this is exactly what the KB tells you to do.
A normal user is expected to open Regedit and go tooling around looking for a registry entry with NO idea how or what might happen if they "oops  hit that space bar" before they exit.
Regedit needing no "Save"
Skwire requested a pm of the details so I did not post further back here but the fact the MS has two complete different PM's to tell someone how to update their client for Onedrive, with neither of them excluding the use of the other.  And the one that tells you HOW to know if you need and Update as well as what to do if you need one is written such that I was ready to give up before I got through the 4th paragraph.
But ..I had to at least see if it was a private MS joke.
Apparently not.  The need to Know is Real IF you  have any intention of using Onedrive.  If not.  Then it isn't worth tie electrons it takes up in cyberspace.

Tanks 4wd.  I realize that without the KB numbers to see what I am speaking of it  doesn't make much sense.  I really thought I posted the actual links to the MS KB's  I meant to.  Right now I am deep into another weird problem with a Wi-Fi thing. 
Wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't related to MS as well!!

PS:  For Skwire;  If the post I sent also did not capture the links I can try again.
What you are offering is far  more than I expected, even if they know the contents of that key, the best I can do is tell them
"If Skwire's gadget says you are an "008C" they click HERE and make the HERE be the link to the right update.

By the way, the updates themselves are 3 pages long as it appears when you finaly find the right one, you also then have to tell MS what LANGUAGE you speak just to get the correct update.

419

Living Room / Weird Router Issue Hoping someone has seen before

« Last post by questorfla on July 18, 2014, 05:59 PM »

This is pretty specific and while I have seen just about everything this one has me stumped.  The network layout itself would be hard to even describe but if that is the problem it has been the same for 8 years and never had as issue like this till now.
We are using a Linksys model AC1900 (I think it is the high end AC unit only a few months old)  The router is set to use a "private sub of 10.0.50.xx".  The router is set for WPA. 

The office it is in has connections where people use wired when they think about it and wireless when in a hurry.  Almost every system is a laptop.  In most case they are always plugged in (and while it annoys me that it does so) almost every one of them will always connect (Windows default unless overridden) to Both the wired and the Wi-Fi.

Again, it has been doing this for many years, through different router and different ISP's and no problems till lately.  (by that maybe 2 or 3 months tops).  I am on one of these laptops right now and this is the issue:

Windows is showing the Wired connection being down.  At the same time, this user also said they had no internet.  This was true and windows showed such.  However, I was able to get the Wi-Fi to work by doing the following:  Unplug the wired adaptor.  Nothing changed.  This happened while nothing was being done.  The wire goes to a connector and direct to the router.  The Wi-Fi signal is the only one also coming direct from the router.  Plugging the wire back in immediately kills the wife's ability to connect to the net.  But it does not disconnect the signal or show anything other than Windows saying it is "unable to determine the problem"

Initially we thought it was the ISP.  We had their network techs out yesterday.  He gave a pass on the whole setup and at the time, of course, there was nothing to show. It was all up and running.

The Wi-Fi is a Ralink device if that matters on Windows 7x64.  This is a recurrent issue that intuition says is the router but as for the logic to back-up that guess I have no idea.

I am about to try switching it anyway to one of the new Netgear Nighthawks but I was wondering if there were any Wi-Fi Experts inhere with a reason for this behavior.  This is not the only laptop that has exhibited this.  Worse, in some cases, people have found the exact opposite.  That disabling the Wi-Fi makes the wired start working.  No changes in anything, just use the windows control panel to disable the wireless.

90& of the time, almost every system in here is connected to Both with no problems.  The 10% that are left...
We have done a full power cycle on all components and the issue, when here, stays until.. it stops.  Might be an hour or whenever.
I hate to make this any longer but the one final detail that makes this a real mystery is that on a few occasions,  Every System in here fails and when that happens Windows reports unable to contact primary DNS server.  That was why we called the ISP.  Even during the times when we are unable to connect to the primary dns, the ISP shows we are up with no problems and nothing they can find shows any issues with their DNS.

OK.  That is my question for the weekend.  What  might be the reason  (PS, We just had the whole office network setup re-wired just in case.  No change. Same problems.  New router, New Switches, new cables.  Same Old Problem.
Many thanks for any Input  I am sure someone else has to have seen something like this somewhere.

420

Post New Requests Here / Re: Simple Utility to find the value of a specific key in Windows Registry

« Last post by questorfla on July 16, 2014, 10:30 PM »

It says "BRMMmmmm-PPPP-LLLL-p000-D000000FF1CE"  so that would be the              9 10 11 12  ?  the four P;s  in my case it was OO8C as you show
That is a NEAT tool!!

421

Post New Requests Here / Re: Simple Utility to find the value of a specific key in Windows Registry

« Last post by questorfla on July 16, 2014, 09:52 PM »

I figured SURELY the location would only show what they want you to see or need but No One (without further input) would have the slightest idea which to look for. WAY WAY down the list I find (I guess) that I am an "008C".  I actually found that by searching for the specific item " 008C" since I knew mine SHOULD be that.  PS:  Sorry You did say PM.  I missed that

422

Post New Requests Here / Re: Simple Utility to find the value of a specific key in Windows Registry

« Last post by questorfla on July 16, 2014, 09:47 PM »

I wish i could but the path is as stated, the RESULTS are staggering!  It is a Hex list covering EVERY possible software on the system it looks like
On this one it was over a page full of >>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{092A84C-00A-4CA-9AC-F29D34DAC}  *Note.  I removed a few digits to make me feel a little more secure... not that it matters.  I have no idea what program this is showing unless i open further.
The whole Ordeal with Onedrive is far more trouble than it is worth.

423

Post New Requests Here / Simple Utility to find the value of a specific key in Windows Registry

« Last post by questorfla on July 16, 2014, 08:19 PM »

I say SIMPLE because this is something I need to be able to email out to a bunch of people who are definitely not technologically inclined.  There is no way I would want them running regedit with a sheet of instructions on where to go.  But:
On the specified page for How to Know Which Updates to Run on the Microsoft Website this is all they offer:  Three different sites to go to depending on the value stored in a specific location of the entire value of a Specific Key.  
That is enough to make even ME swear off all Office Products!
This is the key they give.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

This is what it says about the procedure:

Each GUID uses the following format:
{BRMMmmmm-PPPP-LLLL-p000-D000000FF1CE}
In this format, <PPPP> represents the product ID.

To get the correct upgrade of all components:  This is what is needed to determine the version of OneDrive for Business installed on your system.  This next steps after this tell you where to go if you have "which version".  Three different sites depending on what you find in that registry key at that location.

I almost cannot believe this is posted on the Microsoft Help Page!

•If "PPPP" is 008C, the Click-to-Run version of Office is installed on the computer.
•If "PPPP" is 00BA and "LLLL" is a nonzero value, the OneDrive for Business client is installed as part of the Office 2013 suite.
•If "PPPP" is 00BA and "LLLL" is 0000, the stand-alone OneDrive for Business client is installed.


I KNOW I will get a faster solution here than I will on the MS site is why I am asking.  
Does anyone know of an easier way to do this as there is no way I can expe4ct the Users here to be able to follow this procedure.

424

Finished Programs / DONE: Removing zero length files recursively at command-line

« Last post by questorfla on July 12, 2014, 07:14 PM »

In the process of TRYING to use SharePoint I have ended up with a LOT of zero length  (0 kb) files scattered all over a folder that has a total of over 50k small files in it.  These have various names and most if not all may have a space in the filename.  You would think there would be a simple command-line argument to remove all files of zero length.  If there is I can't find it.  And what I did locate used the "find" command with some arguments that may no longer be valid. 

I just need a way to do the scanning and removing of these empty files in various sub-folders and sub-sub-folders of a "c:\Data" directory.
The variations on the Find command only return errors and some of the options may be invalid in newer Windows OS systems even at a command prompt.  have to run this on more than one system,  some running  Windows 7 some 8.1.

Code: Text [Select]

1. find . -empty -type f -delete

as well as

Code: Text [Select]

1. find . -type f -size 0 -delete

These examples are supposed to work but don't
Not only do I get a config error but I don't see any way for this to scan recursively when run from a command prompt inside the Data folder.
It might be a better idea to MOVE those Zero length files to a folder named "C:\Zero" instead of outright deletion.   Just in case.  Paranoia is a good thing some times.

425

Post New Requests Here / Re: Recursively replace characters in all file and folder names Sharepoint restrict

« Last post by questorfla on July 12, 2014, 07:07 PM »

All the answers were Great!      And from  most of the usual people.     I really appreciate your comments and learn as much from the ones that are not exactly what I need as I do from the ones that ARE!  That makes it hard to pick any one as the "best" answer.  They are all good answers in one way or another.

After spending far too much time on the Microsoft Forums with the same questions (As well as just trying to use only the files that fit their "allowed parameters" ) I discovered to my dismay (but not unexpectedly) that I was at the end of a long line of people who had come before me with their own SharePoint needs and every one of them (more or less) said the REAL solution is "DON'T even THINK  about it!"

People far better than I am offered exactly that suggestion in more than one thread.  (Not the MS techs of course).
Needless to say, I went with my usual "go ahead and hit your finger with the hammer" approach just to be sure it would "hurt"! 
 
It did.

Now i can see why so many warned me off.  The problem with the "unsupported" characters would be just the beginning of a long line of "horror-stories".  As soon as you meet one requirement you find the next one you didn't expect.  Not the least of which was the fact that is is extremely difficult to tell the difference between a "real, physical, file on my drive" from a SharePoint "sym-link" to same file on some MS server.
Then there is the issue of speed.  I won't even go there.  Watching 50,000 files try to stay in sync is.... Well, it has to be some form of real torture.  I could do them faster with X-copy at a command line.

So now I have to clean up the mess SharePoint Testing created.  I will post that separately as the topic is slightly different and may help someone else one day.