Recent Posts

4976

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 10:29 PM »

Correct. There are actually multiple configurations that can result in ones documents not being stored on LM roaming profiles, Group Policy based redirection, etc. or just the garden variety Right click My Documents->Target tab->Move button and select a network share. The point being that everybody's documents are stored in a central location so they can be backed up in a reliable and expedient fashion.

So I was kind of assuming that Techidave had something of that nature setup given the size of the network he is on from the beginning.

in short:
1. yes
2. yes - the assumption is that the folder was redirected to a network drive.
3. yes
4. yes - But it depends on the executable, some (.NET) require additional futzing with permissions before they will run from the shortcut.

4977

Living Room / Re: Too Stupid to Own a Computer

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 05:48 PM »

Of course anyone can, and most of us at some point in our lives probably have fallen for a scam, maybe not even that good of a one. But, I do think everyone is entitled to laugh when we see someone displaying such an extreme degree of stupidity and cluelessness.

-Eóin (November 12, 2010, 03:21 PM)

But everyone has such a degree of stupidity and cluelessness about something. None of us knows everything about everything and never has a moment of weakness where we aren't thinking clearly.

-app103 (November 12, 2010, 05:11 PM)

Quite true, however we're also not dumb enough to start throwing cash at a problem we don't fully understand.

Should I laugh at the holes in your knowledge? It's funny, right?

Might as well ... I do. Taking yourself too seriously is a sure fire way to fail.

You know, when you don't know something, it can sometimes be hard to find people to trust. Often the people with the knowledge would rather laugh at you than help you...while others will take advantage of you and scam you.

A question that isn't properly formed, can't be answered. It also deserves a chuckle or two ... Granted most of us will try to answer the question after regaining composure...But there are some things you just gotta let pass.

That whole laughing thing could also make your friends and family afraid to admit to you that they don't know something and need some help and advice, placing them right into the hands of the scammers that seem caring and sympathetic, while they take advantage of them and laugh about it later.

Well, if somebody made a habit of treating their friends and family like shit, and then felt guilty for it when they got scammed. I'd laugh at them too (it's a karma thing).

What happened to this guy is NOT funny!  

Now if they scammed somebodies middle-class grandmother out of her life savings, then yes I'd say outrage was called for. But an oil tycoon loses 6 million - What's that like a nickel to the rest of us?!? - That's funny. He's got a flock of lawyers on retainer, security staff, business managers, etc., etc, etc. The man had some frigging options... He just chose to ignore them. Hence he deserves the scorn.

4978

Living Room / Re: Too Stupid to Own a Computer

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 04:00 PM »

A business provides a good or service, generally in exchange for money

-Deozaan (November 12, 2010, 02:46 PM)

Just because there is a product in the box doesn't mean it's worth (anywhere near) what you were charged for it, or any more than the box it came in.

Scareware, you get your product, you pay your money...fair deal right?

Insurance companies, Constantly try to over insure everybody for everything ... seriously, are you really worried that that many things might actually happen to you? I have full coverage insurance on my truck, because the bank says so... (hay that's a freebie example) I got rear ended by a hit and run driver. Now, do you really think I was stupid enough to tell the insurance company about that?!? Hell no. Why you ask?
First I get hit with the deductable (so they don't really "cover" the damages)
Second my rates go up (Oh goody that'll teach my to stop at a red light in front of some jackass on a cell phone)
Third, the resale value of my truck goes through the floor...because the insurance company reports it to carfax.

So WTF am I paying these people for? I fixed the damn bumper myself.

Investment companies, It's amazing how they manage to get filthy rich in the process of loosing other peoples money ain't it? Oh but they provided a service... Yeah a funeral service for your savings.

I could probably think of a few more, but the wife says it's dinner time.

4979

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 03:36 PM »

Yepper, that would be the culprit. Pin a shortcut to a local file first, then modify the shortcut to point to the remote target file.

4980

Living Room / Re: Too Stupid to Own a Computer

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 12:46 PM »

I just don't understand how our capitalist societies separate scams from business?

-Eóin (November 12, 2010, 11:32 AM)

It does seem to be a very thin gray line don't it...

4981

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 12:42 PM »

Is your My Documents folder redirected to the server?

4982

Living Room / Re: Why Apple's Distortion Field Works

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 06:44 AM »

i think we crave a dedicated apple hating specific blog. the more insane and biased the better. c'mon, Renegade, it would be cathartic.

-nudone (November 12, 2010, 04:28 AM)

Cathartic, yes - I like that - Therapeutic also in allowing a sane and comical response to the barrage of iMmercials we're sure to be (enraged by) hit with during the holiday season.

4983

Living Room / Re: coolest ipad app

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 12, 2010, 06:13 AM »

Not sure if it qualifies, but I like the (Microsoft) RDP App. It was quick, simple, well laid out, easy to use, and allows someone to instantly connect to a real computer where they could actually get some work done.  

4984

The Getting Organized Experiment of 2009 / Re: Why Trying to be Productive is a Huge Waste of Time

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 11, 2010, 02:56 PM »

In short, I don't want to be productive, I just want to do good work

-housetier (November 11, 2010, 12:41 PM)

+1 

4985

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 11, 2010, 12:35 PM »

There was a hotkey involved with one version (XP/Vista/7) of the SP, but I don't recall which (or when). Ctrl+ Right click drag sounds right ... I'm just not sure if it's Ctrl on release/drop or before the click/drag. Could also try both with shift - I'm fairly sure it was only one key. But the target must be on a local drive...Unless you want to try tricking it by modifing the shortcut after it's pinned.

4986

Living Room / Re: EPIC Amazon Fail: The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure [Kindle Edition]

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 11, 2010, 07:37 AM »

*Shrug* Sounds like a great idea for an FBI sting operation. Just click here and dark sedans will surround your house in 5, 4, 3...

Now outside of that, I'd say crucify Amazon.

4987

Living Room / Re: Too Stupid to Own a Computer

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 11, 2010, 07:10 AM »

Okay, so after you cut a 7 figure check to a small computer shop because you've been convinced that this mom & pop shop has a finger on the pulse of the criminal underworld (most do right..?). Only then do you think to ask the cops if this might just be bullshit?!?

Wow! ...A fool and his money (really) are soon parted.

(given that it was an oil tycoon they targeted) Just let those two crazy kids go, they've earned the money. Have them donate half to an educational charity and then put them on tour explaining to people why being gullible is bad.

4988

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 11, 2010, 06:46 AM »

First of all, I do have the classic menu as shown in Joker's post.

-techidave (November 10, 2010, 08:58 PM)

What he has showing in his post is NOT the classic start menu.

What I have showing is.

-app103 (November 10, 2010, 09:37 PM)

Correct! ...That's why I kept referring (in earlier posts) to the item in the screen shot as the Start Panel which it what it has been called since 2001 when XP was released. I actual hated the thing when it first came out (minimalist that I are...). But I finally decided to give it a fair shot (sometime in 2k3), and now can't function without it.

4989

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 10, 2010, 07:45 PM »

Ah! Picture painting thousand words...

But...

4990

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 10, 2010, 06:23 PM »

Pin document to start menu in XP? ...I thought that was a Vista/7 only option...Guess it's been awhile since I used XP much. 

Anyhow, the pin to start menu rules require that the item being pinned is (machine local and) an .exe/.msc/etc.. So if you want to pin something else you need to trick Windows into it. Start with an .exe target (that's on LM) to get the shortcut pinned, then edit the shortcut to point to (where/) what you really want. I've done this on Win7 to pin some apps that are in a network share to the start menu here at the office.

-Stoic Joker (November 10, 2010, 03:56 PM)

Nonsense! You can put a shortcut to any file type there. You can even make folders and drop the shortcuts in to sort them how you like.

-app103 (November 10, 2010, 04:07 PM)

Ya know I did add a disclaimer that stipulated I was working it from the Vista/7 angle - which do impose the limits I'd mentioned for pinning an item to the (first level) Start Panel.

But you are correct for XP (I fired up a virtual copy in the lab to be sure I wasn't nutz) you can pin anything to the Start Panel - I even got a document (not a short cut to it) to stick in there. So Techidave should be safe once he turns off the customization-ware.

4991

General Software Discussion / Re: pin a document to start menu

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 10, 2010, 03:56 PM »

Pin document to start menu in XP? ...I thought that was a Vista/7 only option...Guess it's been awhile since I used XP much. 

Anyhow, the pin to start menu rules require that the item being pinned is (machine local and) an .exe/.msc/etc.. So if you want to pin something else you need to trick Windows into it. Start with an .exe target (that's on LM) to get the shortcut pinned, then edit the shortcut to point to (where/) what you really want. I've done this on Win7 to pin some apps that are in a network share to the start menu here at the office.

4992

Living Room / Re: Why Apple's Distortion Field Works

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 10, 2010, 06:57 AM »

ROFLMAO - I may actually have to print and frame that one.

4993

Living Room / Re: Violence in Video Games & the Law

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 09, 2010, 07:02 PM »

Instead, foment cooperation instead of competition. All games and school are about competition instead of cooperation. Heck the whole system is about competition.

-rxantos (November 09, 2010, 10:36 AM)

I, for one, am very intrigued by how you would suggest you/we/they "foment cooperation?"  

-CodeTRUCKER (November 09, 2010, 05:08 PM)

Second place is the first loser is a common mantra these days; win, win, win at all cost. I've always thought Donald Trumps show the apprentice sums up perfectly just what is wrong with the corporate world of today...$5,000 for an inedible cupcake, nice.

I'm guessing rxantos is driving at a more team building synergistic type of game play where cooperation is a mandatory part of success, or everyone fails together. I rather enjoy that sort of thing. You have 20min, a pile of seemingly random objects, and a task to perform... Now what?

It's also interesting to see how many of the folks that do the most (If-they'd-just-listen-to-me...) bitching in the "break room" actually will step up and volunteer a solution to the task put before the group. The team has to gel quickly, work out a game plan, and make it happen. Or fail as one.

4994

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for Quasi-"Project" Manager that can be published to Web

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 09, 2010, 03:45 PM »

I did some quick googling and found this  PHP Gnatt Chart
With a MySQL backend that might be a good place to start

4995

Living Room / Re: Violence in Video Games & the Law

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 09, 2010, 02:55 PM »

and "kill bald, unshaven men wearing pink dresses."

wtf game is that?

-Stephen66515 (November 09, 2010, 02:32 PM)

*Shrug* Perhaps the San Francisco chapter of the KKK created their own video game?

Possible Game Titles:
Heil Sodomy
It's all white to nail me
Drag Nazis in heat

...There's really no low limit to this one folks...It's just flat wrong to start with.

4996

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Internet disconnection logger

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 09, 2010, 11:56 AM »

Not sure if anyone noticed, but... The source code for Karen's Net Meter is available at the original link. It seems a fairly minor adjustment, and I gotta think someone here codes VB (I don't).

Any chance of scaring up a volunteer to fix that for App103?

4997

Living Room / Re: Violence in Video Games & the Law

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 09, 2010, 11:17 AM »

Is a violent world we live in. Sweet coating it will not help the children. Instead,foment cooperation instead of competition. All games and school are about competition instead of cooperation. Heck the whole system is abut competitiom. And that is what keeps a few controlling a rat race.

-rxantos (November 09, 2010, 10:36 AM)

He's got a point there...and a damn good one me thinks.

4998

Living Room / Re: Why Apple's Distortion Field Works

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 09, 2010, 07:02 AM »

Damn that's a hard act to follow...

But my impression of the article is that they're saying that Apple came up with inovative ways of presenting technology to the masses (Which is not the same as creating inovative technologies - colored plastic doesn't count - which they're never done). Which seems (to me) to fit perfectly with the idea that Apples primary "product" is there marketing (which is true).

Sorry Renegade, much as I love you're rants...I'm having trouble getting behind this one.

4999

General Software Discussion / Re: Why am I having a frozen screen trying to install Windows 7?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 09, 2010, 06:30 AM »

Are your SATA interfaces set to AHCI in BIOS?

Try setting them back to IDE mode if they are.

-4wd (November 08, 2010, 09:20 PM)

LOL I got burnt by this one on a Vista install last week (cost me a whole day). Installing the SATA driver (same procedure as a RAID driver) is another option but this issue manifests differently (completing install takes forever) than he's describing.

Probably help if you could take a photo of the BSOD and upload it here.

Also, a capture of the partition layout might help us.

(I'm thinking memory, but...) Definitely need to know what the BSOD says

5000

Living Room / Re: How do I test router vs. Internet connection?

« Last post by Stoic Joker on November 07, 2010, 01:49 PM »

For Quick-N-Dirty network connectivity testing ping is your best friend.

Make sure the WAN side of your ADSL router is ping-able.
Make a list of external IP addresses that you know will respond and keep it handy for testing.

When the connection fails, try pinging the LAN side of the router, if you can the WiFi is fine.

Log into the ADSL router and look at the WAN status, you should have an assigned IP address and gateway. Ping the WAN IP Address. if it responds, then you can get traffic across the router (e.g. it's fine). Ping the WAN gateway, with the internet light blinking/going out this is where it will most likely fail (anything from here on will be an ISP issue).

Ping the external IP addresses from the above list... if they succeed, then you are connected to the internet, but have a DNS issue. Some ADLS boxes seem to hing the internet light on/of pass/fail on DNS lookups - I don't know why - But checking this has saved me a bunch of time on several occasions.

Note: do not rely on the default 32 byte ping packet for these tests, use a large unfragmented packet to put a bit of oomph behind the "question" to be sure you have the equipments attention.

ping -f -l 1024 [target]

Note2: when ping replies remember these two points:

Destination host unreachable means target is down/nonexistent.
Request timed out means target is there, but is unresponsive.


In the field I frequently use a custom written ping program that I colloquialistic-ly refer to as a "line stressing" utility (It's actually more of a ping flooder). Handy as it is for identifying weak equipment I'm afraid to release it for fear of it's misuse. But if you can find something that will send a constant stream of large unfragmented packets with zero wait time between them...it can speed up the diagnostic considerably by causing the weak link to fail on request (so to speak).