Recent Posts

526

fSekrit / Re: LATEST VERSION: fSekrit 1.40 shrinkwrapped!

« Last post by MerleOne on December 20, 2009, 12:48 PM »

Thanks for you reply and this info.

The use case about read-only -> read/write is the following.

I open a new fsekrit window, import some text by dragndrop, save it as readonly, then I realize I want to modify something.  Too late !

527

fSekrit / Re: LATEST VERSION: fSekrit 1.40 shrinkwrapped!

« Last post by MerleOne on December 20, 2009, 11:19 AM »

Hi,
I am starting to use it on a regular basis and I have a few suggestions/observations/questions :
1/ When a text has been saved in read-only, could it be possible to turn r/w on again, without creating a new file
2/ Would it be possible to enter a unique password at the beginning of a session so that files created next are all saved with the same password, which would reduce input errors.
3/ When typing the password at save time, could it be possible to un-hide the password (optionally)
4/ Is the support of "rich text" doable a in future version ?

Great tools as it is, but I feel this would improve my user experience even more...

Edited :
5/ Also, when I open a read-only note, select new, the new file is still read-only, so it's impossible to enter text.

528

General Software Discussion / Re: Looking for a difference tool

« Last post by MerleOne on December 16, 2009, 09:35 AM »

AJC Diff, from AJC Software (http://www.ajcsoft.com) ?

529

General Software Discussion / Re: Backup Program: Completely Removes Files in Restore Point Before Restoring?

« Last post by MerleOne on December 16, 2009, 09:06 AM »

I am looking for a program that will backup folder/files (eg Firefox Profiles). Then when I choose to Restore my backup (to the same location it was backed up from), it will remove (delete) all files that currently exist in the location they will be restored to before restoring.

I can not find a backup/restore program that actually removes all files/folder in the location the backup is to be restored to. There are only options to either replace any files that match or keep current files as well as restored files. But neither of these actually remove any newly created files with different names that do not exist in my backup.

I have been testing all the Backup Programs I can get my hands on. So far none of them do this that I can work out. I have these programs installed on my pc right now:
...
Novosoft Office Backup

I guess I restore differently to the norm. But I prefer to actually remove any files/folders in the restore location before restoring my backup.

Does anybody know if there is a backup/restore program that will do this?
 

-Lefax32 (December 02, 2009, 03:00 AM)

Are you sure about HandyBackup from Novosoft : when I create a restore task, I see at the end of the task creation an option to erase files from the source folder, those that are not in the backup, which yields to the same result as you wish I think.

530

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Space Rangers 2 for 1.99$ over at impulse just for today

« Last post by MerleOne on December 16, 2009, 08:58 AM »

Expired ! 

531

General Software Discussion / Re: two more defrag tools - "UltraDefrag" and "Advanced Defrag"

« Last post by MerleOne on December 14, 2009, 06:51 AM »

Advanced Defrag seems quite terrible : on a 90% full disk, the circular map displays over 50% free space.  Exclusions are basic and the reporting seems to be the same as Auslogic Defrag, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same product beneath.

532

Living Room / Re: Looking for two movies

« Last post by MerleOne on December 11, 2009, 03:12 AM »

No, sorry !  I don't think it was a sci-fi movie.

533

Living Room / Re: Looking for two movies

« Last post by MerleOne on December 11, 2009, 02:02 AM »

Perhaps this: Respublika SHKID ?

-4wd (December 11, 2009, 01:32 AM)

Thanks !  It may be the one !  The synopsis describes something rather positive in the end, while I remember a very bitter end, but it is definitely worth trying to get it and view it...  

I think there is somewhere a website proposing public domain movies for download (I got there Rashomon from Kurosawa in MPEG2!, if only I can find it again...).

534

Site/Forum Features / Updated threads in bold rather than with 'new' label

« Last post by MerleOne on December 10, 2009, 03:48 PM »

Would this be possible ?  I find this much more readable.  Thanks.

535

Living Room / Re: Notepad Fun

« Last post by MerleOne on December 10, 2009, 03:43 PM »

After the first 3 lines, my PC freezes, then 10-15 sec later the text is uncovered.  So the anim is a bit lost due to this "overload".

536

Living Room / Re: Virtual London coming January 2010 via Skape

« Last post by MerleOne on December 10, 2009, 03:37 PM »

You had already the same thing for Paris a year ago.  See http://www.lookaround.fr/bsl/index.html

Not sure the demo is still functional, but there may be some videos still working.

537

Living Room / Looking for two movies

« Last post by MerleOne on December 10, 2009, 09:30 AM »

Hi,

I just read the thread below regarding a SF moving one DC member was looking for.  Likewise, I have been looking for quite some time for two different movies I saw while being very young (a long time ago    ).  Both were in B/W I think.

1/ the first one is a spy/thriller movie where a character is abducted or forced into a questioning chamber at the bottom of a big starway.  When he returns with friends / or the police/ the stairs are missing one level so he cannot prove the abduction.  I know it looks like a bit like Hitchcock's North by NW but it's something else !

2/ The second one is, AFAIR, a movie made in an eastern country (Tchekoslovakia ?) in the 60s or earlier.  It takes place in a school for young children that are particularly violent between themselves.  One of them is even killed at the end of the movie, and the little monsters are just waiting for the new schoolboys that will arrive the year after, that will become their next victims.  Quite a difficult movie !

I'd be very happy if someone recognizes them.

538

Living Room / Re: Any old Amiga users among us?

« Last post by MerleOne on December 06, 2009, 12:33 AM »

I am an oldie as well.

Would you please list any software you use on your Amigas or on Uae nowadays?

-kartal (December 05, 2009, 02:42 PM)

On UAE (AmigaForever) I mainly use demos and a few games.  I sometimes use the wonderful lha.  License was incredibly hard to get from its developer,  and it's lost now...  I also use DirWork, but again, no license any longer and the config I had is gone too.

539

Living Room / Re: Looking to "mirror" some videos

« Last post by MerleOne on November 20, 2009, 08:44 AM »

Virtualdub doesn't read MPEG2, as far as I know. You could try an older, but possibly working version at http://home.comcast....er/stable/index.html.

-yksyks (November 17, 2009, 10:42 AM)

Hi,

I tried it, it reads mpg2 files allright; but all filters are missing.

On the other hand, I have come across a handy tool, Easy video Converter (free) at http://www.easy-video-converter.com/ which gives a nice range of effects, including flip (H and V).  I think I'll go for that one if I can find the right setting so that I can also keep output qualiy at a correct level.

Thanks.

540

Living Room / Re: Tricky memory size tuning question

« Last post by MerleOne on November 18, 2009, 10:46 AM »

Start watching ustream streams using Firefox  on 2 different XPs it tops 3D CAD software if I watch a stream for more than half hour or so and it keeps rising

-rgdot (November 18, 2009, 10:24 AM)

A codec memory loss ?

541

Living Room / Re: Tricky memory size tuning question

« Last post by MerleOne on November 18, 2009, 10:11 AM »

Sure, but actually they don't buy new machines any longer, or very few.  They recycle within the company...  Recent machines were bought with 2GB, but older ones only came with 1GB, or even less.

Also, I don't use heavy applications, but a lot of "medium" ones.  And when our admins decide(at least once a day) it's time for a windows update or mcafee update, I can go get a coffee without hesitation...

Regarding eBoostr, I probably made the window capture just at the wrong moment, since I feel it improves a bit the overall usage of my current machine, especially by reducing virtual memory access and HDD trashing.  But I may be wrong on that.

Thanks !

542

Living Room / Re: Looking to "mirror" some videos

« Last post by MerleOne on November 18, 2009, 03:17 AM »

Virtualdub doesn't read MPEG2, as far as I know. You could try an older, but possibly working version at http://home.comcast....er/stable/index.html.

-yksyks (November 17, 2009, 10:42 AM)

Thanks.  I did try the regular VirtualDub with mpeg2 files : it won't load them.  I made a try with a .avi divx file, input file size was 11MB, the mirrored output file size was over 500MB.  And there as so many settings that I am not sure which one to use to keep the size in the same range.

543

Living Room / Tricky memory size tuning question

« Last post by MerleOne on November 18, 2009, 03:13 AM »

Hi,

I am about to get a new PC at work.  I currently have a rather old machine running XP Pro with 512KB.  I have asked to get a 2GB machine (running also XP Pro) but the IT team insists on saying that 1GB is enough.

I would like to provide them some usage data showing that 2GB will be better, but using only my current config.  I am not sure what I could send them, something such as



I intend to load all apps I use at the same time (office 2003 + some specific apps + utilities such as ... FARR)

Could someone recommend and tool and the parameters that would demonstrate my point (is it's the case).

Thanks.

544

Living Room / Re: Looking to "mirror" some videos

« Last post by MerleOne on November 16, 2009, 10:29 AM »

I don't have it on my computer that I am using right now, but I believe virtualdub can mirror videos, and it is free and open source. It also has some tools that can possibly improve the quality slightly (doubt it, but its worth a shot)

-nite_monkey (November 16, 2009, 10:09 AM)

Thanks, will have a look at it.

Edited : seems perfect, with .avi format and horizontal flip filter.  Now I just hope it reads MPEG2.

545

Living Room / Looking to "mirror" some videos

« Last post by MerleOne on November 16, 2009, 09:04 AM »

Hi,

I have recently received a DVD from a relative.  It holds some video clips showing my grandparents back in 1926 ! The person who did the conversion has done this without "unmirroring" them, so that license plates on car are inverted, and cars seem to drive on the left side as in UK.  Is there a free video tool or web service that would allow me to mirror them, if possible without re-encoding them, since the quality is already low.

If you have already used such a tool, and were satisfied with it, could you recommend one.

In total, I have 7 clips, totalling around 200MB in DVD compliant MPEG2.

Thanks !

546

General Software Discussion / Re: File Hound 3.08 released

« Last post by MerleOne on November 16, 2009, 07:01 AM »

It seems it relies on .NET.  I'll try it on my Vista PC...

547

Living Room / Re: Vista : included backup and security software

« Last post by MerleOne on November 13, 2009, 08:17 AM »

For file backup, I would recommend the best one I have ever tried : Backup Platinum (http://www.backup-platinum.com/), excellent but expensive (you may find some working rebate coupons here and there).  On the freeware side, GFI backup would be my choice (http://www.gfi.com/backup-hm).

For imaging, I would definitely stay clear of Paragon and I can recommend either :

• Keriver Image (has a nice recovery CD and USB boot media), not expensive, handles incremental/diff imaging, but no encryption
• Drive Snapshot : the best one, very versatile (able to exclude files, folders, etc.), only drawback : the recovery CD is minimal and may not work with recent hardware (easy to check), you have to build or get a BartCD or WinPE CD to restore the system partition in an easy way.
• Macrium Free or Pay version : the pay version handles diff. imaging as well as CD burning, incredibly fast
• Lastly, a rock solid product : Terabyte Unlimited Image for Windows (the license comes with Image for DOS and for Linux, very useful for building a recovery media)

Regarding A/V, I have currently installed the free Rising A/V on all my machines : very light and seems OK.  www.freerav.com.

548

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

« Last post by MerleOne on November 09, 2009, 12:55 AM »

I am sorry to have to ask you guys to explain to me what it is to mount an image? I really don't understand the expression. 

-Curt (November 08, 2009, 05:05 PM)

I'd like to add that it's extremely useful to :
- quick check that your backup is OK
- restore individual files

549

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

« Last post by MerleOne on November 08, 2009, 02:56 PM »

BTW, about Macrium, their support forum is only accessible to users that have a paid license.  When you are in the 30 days evaluation method, you cannot ask any question.  Not cool.  Especially since I have one : when I mount a virtual drive from an image, I cannot unmount it, it doesn't appear in the mounted drive window.  Am I the only one to see this ?

All these image software tend to show their limits when it comes to image mounting.  I recommend to all to verify this feature works well on their system, and not only the basic backup/restore.

550

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

« Last post by MerleOne on November 07, 2009, 03:36 AM »

I think the FAT32 format for the image is for file-backup only : when you backup files and not partitions, the backup uses the same proprietary format as for partition images, it's just that they have chosen FAT32 as format for this kind of image.

For regular partition images, the mounted drives retains the filesystem type of the source.