Recent Posts

651

General Software Discussion / Re: ComboFix=GREAT rootkit cleaner. (Kaspersky failed me big time).

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 31, 2010, 09:50 PM »

What learning mode?  I wasn't even aware of one in kaspersky.

-superboyac (August 31, 2010, 05:37 PM)

I've always associated "learning mode" with firewalls, probably because my firewall has one and my AV does not.  Since Curt is using a security suite, perhaps it's the firewall part of the suite that he accidentally left in learning mode.

652

Living Room / Is Apple patenting spyware?

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 29, 2010, 08:35 PM »

Yesterday, I got an email message from a friend who asked me "Have you been following the story re Apple's attempt to get a patent for an app that will use photos, gps, sound (inc heartbeat) to locate a user surreptitiously?!"  I thought she was pulling my leg, but today she sent me this URL from the Electronic Frontier Foundation blog:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/steve-jobs-watching-you-apple-seeking-patent-0. 

I don't usually believe stories like this, let alone post messages about them. However, this one troubles me more than most.  Even if one isn't concerned about what happens to people who use products illegally, the possibilities for abuse of technology like this seem overwhelming.  Does anyone know anything more about this?

653

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 26, 2010, 08:12 AM »

Armando, I too am very interested in what you think/find.  A couple of years ago I tracked down a copy of Yahoo Desktop Search (by then it was no longer readily available), which is based on X1.  Yahoo works well, but I have no idea whether it would work on Windows 7 (my desktop runs XP Pro), nor what other features X1 might offer that Yahoo does not.  I suspect that X1 may also be more configurable than Yahoo.  I've also got Archivarius, but I've never gotten it to work smoothly for me, and it seems very sluggish next to Yahoo.  So I'd really like to know what you find about X1.

654

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 26, 2010, 08:00 AM »

Newish article about the " Best desktop search tools " and a Summary ...

-Armando (August 25, 2010, 09:28 PM)

Both of these links go to the summary.

655

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Ashampoo Burning Studio 2010 Advanced at GAOTD (Aug 26, 2010)

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 26, 2010, 07:53 AM »

This is version 9.2.4, not v10 like the description says. After installing it, they will offer you v10 as an update, but you will not get it free. It's only a trial. So, if you just want the free version, don't try to update it.

-app103 (August 26, 2010, 05:27 AM)

I had been using version 9 and ran into a problem.  I wrote to Ashampoo and they advised me to upgrade to version 10.  I wrote back and asked whether version 10 was free or not (I had received version 9 for free).  They told me version 10 was free, so I upgraded, and the upgrade solved my problem.  To my surprise, I've been very happy with it.  I had always assumed that the company's incessant promotional email messages were a sign of shoddy goods, but at least for me, Ashampoo Burning Studio 10 has been a pleasure to use.  However, I continue to get "special offers" from them to upgrade to version 10 Advanced for a price ($29.95, I think).  I see no reason to do so, given my limited needs.  All I'm trying to say is that there is a version 10 (not version 10 Advanced) that apparently the company is at times willing to supply for free, and in my experience it works well.  However, be prepared for lots of promotional emails to follow.

656

General Software Discussion / Re: It is impossible to remove the network connection icon from the system tray.

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 21, 2010, 06:04 PM »

are you selecting the "hide when inactive" or the "always hide" in the dropdown box?  

-techidave (August 21, 2010, 12:09 PM)

I've tried both.  Neither provided a lasting solution, alas.  I've found it does work for some of the other programs, but not the network connection icon.

657

General Software Discussion / Re: It is impossible to remove the network connection icon from the system tray.

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 21, 2010, 10:11 AM »

You can hide the tray icons in xhttp://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-hide-system-tray-icons-in-windows-xp/ also.  I do it all the time.  here are the instructions.

-techidave (August 21, 2010, 05:36 AM)

If only it were that simple!  I've tried this any number of times, but each time, the network connection icon returns.  It sometimes takes a day or so, but then it's baaaaaaaaaack!   

658

LaunchBar Commander / Re: Right click context menu not working

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 20, 2010, 02:54 PM »

I'm using one version earlier (1.112.01) on WinXP Pro SP3, and I see the same behavior that dluby has reported.  It happens both with files (like his text.txt) and with programs.  I haven't tried this exhaustively, but with everything I've tried, there seems to be no difference between right-clicking and left-clicking: the file or program opens.  I never noticed this before because I never right-click in LBC--I always use it just to launch programs.  But after reading dluby's post, I was curious, so I gave it a try.  I haven't tried it on my Win7 netbook.

659

General Software Discussion / Re: Directory Opus 9

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 19, 2010, 04:09 PM »

The license change (to permit a single license to be used on both a laptop and a desktop) occurred when DOpus went to version 9.  When I bought version 8, I bought a dual license so I could put it on both.  I was expecting to have to upgrade the dual license, but I found to my delight that the policy had changed and that I could buy a single license upgrade and use it on both.  So whenever version 9 came out is when the change occurred.

660

Living Room / Re: Pubctuation display problem

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 14, 2010, 09:56 AM »

And then take a look on the table on this page. Pay particular attention to what you see in the column marked "in own script" If you can't see the characters as they should be, go to the last column and look for a little black box to download the font to make it work. Install those fonts, then go back to the page and check again.

-app103 (August 14, 2010, 09:41 AM)

Hi.  I'm not sure whether your message is meant for John (the OP) or for me.  I just want to say that I have no problem >95% of the time with character encoding on web pages.  Also, I went to the page you've mentioned and had no problem seeing all the characters.  It's not that I need different fonts or that I've set up my system improperly.  But occasionally I'll come upon a website that uses a character-encoding format that doesn't work well with the one I've set as my default.  That's when I simply go into the View menu and change the character encoding setting to one that works for that page.

661

Living Room / Re: Pubctuation display problem

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 14, 2010, 09:30 AM »

John, I've come upon that problem from time to time.  I think it's caused by the website's using a different character encoding format than the one your computer is set for.  But you can change that to accommodate other character encodings.  Just go to the computer's top menu and choose View and then Character Encoding.  You'll see a number of choices.  I usually have mine set for Western (ISO-8859-1).  But sometimes, when I get the question mark you mentioned, I just try one of the other encodings, and that usually works.  I then turn it back to my usual setting once I've finished with the website in question.  (FWIW, I haven't found that "auto-detect" works well for me, so I have it set to Off.)

I should add that Firefox is my default browser, and what I've said above refers to my experience with Firefox.  But I think other browsers also have a character encoding setting under View--I know Opera does.

I hope this helps.

662

ProcessTamer / Re: Config always says Tray prog isn't running.

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 13, 2010, 03:03 PM »

now the right thing for me to do is check this registry setting and warn the user if its disabled.

-mouser (August 13, 2010, 10:43 AM)

Good idea, but you already get good points for including a link to this thread in the Help file!  That's how I found it.

663

ProcessTamer / Re: Config always says Tray prog isn't running.

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 13, 2010, 09:51 AM »

Thanks to JaRC for the super important code he placed here:   
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib
and in all likelyhood you wil find an item named "Disable Performance Counters" in the right hand pane, set it to 0 and everything should be right as rain the next time you boot.

-JesusInsideMe (September 06, 2007, 05:11 PM)

This message from several years ago proved invaluable to me just now.  I had tried Process Tamer briefly in the past, but yesterday I decided to use it again.  To my dismay, I couldn't get it to run.  Same story as so many other messages in this thread, but I wasn't using any of the programs mentioned.  However, when I came upon JesusInsideMe's message, I went into RegEdit and gave it a try.  Bingo!  All is now well. 

I now realize why PT had worked when I tried it earlier but hadn't this time until I made the registry change.  A week or so ago I tried JV16PowerTools' settings to speed up my computer.  Sure enough, one of them had to do with disabling performance counters.  None of what I did made much difference in my computer's speed, and I simply forgot about it.  But I'm almost certain that that was what blocked PT from running.

Anyway, many thanks to JarC and JesusInsideMe (who called my attention to JarC's message).

664

LaunchBar Commander / Re: LaunchBar Commander Screencast Videos

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 11, 2010, 06:17 PM »

Thanks so much for these videos.  I've now watched #2 and #3.  I found #3 especially interesting, since I had never thought much about assigning hot keys, but after watching the video I assigned hot keys to the Everything search engine and to System Restore (i.e., the screen that lets me either use a restore point or set a new one).   I suspect that mostly I'll continue to access LBC from the system tray and launch programs from it with the mouse, but I love the idea that I can also launch programs via the hot keys.

Again, thanks for this terrific program and for the very helpful videos.  And for this wonderful site, and and and... 

665

ProcessTamer / Re: Process Tamer and Process Lasso

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 08, 2010, 12:22 PM »

I think he is trying to say that Process Tamer is better for a single core, and Process Lasso is better for a multi-core.

-app103 (August 08, 2010, 11:43 AM)

That may be what legendcvb is saying, but the Process Lasso website seems to suggest that Process Lasso is especially effective on less powerful computers: "Process Lasso is very useful and effective on even the latest high-end PCs. However, its ProBalance algorithm achieves maximum effect on PCs with relatively little CPU 'power', such as Netbooks, Tablets, and older desktops."

666

Living Room / Re: Should I buy a tablet pc, ipad, netbook, or other?

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 07, 2010, 10:04 AM »

I don't need another computing device.  I'll consider tablets when they become good and offer something great and different from my pc.

-superboyac (August 06, 2010, 11:52 PM)

Superboyac, I don't want to push you to buy something you don't really need.  But I thought I'd mention why I did buy a Toshiba NB305-N410BL netbook.  I too much prefer my desktop, even though it's four years old.  And, like you, I don't own a smartphone and use my cell phone rarely.  But I do travel--not all the time, but when I do, I want to be able to have Internet access without going to an Internet cafe.  Until recently, I used my PalmTX for that.  If there's free wi-fi available, I can read my email and, with some hassle, go to websites.  And it's got great timewasters like Scrabble to keep me happy on an airplane.  I can also load movies on an SD card and watch them with my TX on the plane as well.  But I've come to feel that the screen is just too damn small to make me happy (it's the same size as the iTouch screen, I think, though the iTouch may have higher resolution). 

I own an ancient IBM laptop, but it is too cumbersome for travelling (at least for me).  Hence my decision to get a netbook.  I was attracted by the great reviews that the Toshiba got, especially the comfort of the keyboard and the relatively long battery life.  I now travel with it, and it's a lot more satisfactory than my old laptop or my PalmTX.  Frankly, though, it doesn't have nearly as much zip as I had expected.  I upped the RAM to 2 GB (the maximum it will support), but the processor (Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz) is a lot less powerful than the one in my four-year-old desktop.  I suspect that the iPad would be a lot quicker.  But the netbook can multi-task and is not dependent on iTunes or the Apple Store.  I can also use Linkman with Firefox and use my choice of email clients, something I'm not sure I could do on an iPad.  And it's got a real keyboard, which I much prefer to the iPad's arrangement (based on the three minutes I played with one in an Apple Store).

I'm not saying you should buy a netbook, but your recent messages (including your mention of the Toshiba NB305) made me decide to comment.

667

Living Room / Re: Should I buy a tablet pc, ipad, netbook, or other?

« Last post by cyberdiva on August 05, 2010, 10:55 AM »

Superboyac, I don't own an iPad and have no plans to buy one, but I came upon an article today entitled "Five iPad Applications I Can't Live Without...and Why" that I thought you might find useful.  It was on the ProfHacker blog at http://chronicle.com/blogPost/5-iPad-Applications-I-Cant/25907/. 

668

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: GAOTD-Image Converter Plus

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 27, 2010, 09:44 AM »

Thanks.  It looks interesting.  I've just downloaded and installed it, though I probably won't get around to using it for a while. 

669

General Software Discussion / Re: Whoa, this gal hates MS Office 2010 -- 5 Reasons Why You Don't Need It

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 26, 2010, 08:44 AM »

(I would really like to legally own a license for SoftMaker Office, but as I already do all my office stuff with OO.org, I still need a good reason for paying the price, although it seems to be well worth it.)

-Tuxman (July 25, 2010, 07:05 PM)

When SoftMaker Office 2010 came out, the company actually gave away copies of SoftMaker Office 2008 for free.  I gather they're no longer doing that, but I took advantage of the offer.  That put me on their mailing list AND entitled me to "upgrade" pricing.  Earlier this month, I got a message offering an upgrade to SoftMaker Office 2010 for $34.95 minus a 15% discount to celebrate the World Cup.  So I was able to get an upgrade to SoftMaker Office 2010 for $29.71.  You might see whether you can still find a copy of 2008 for free or for very little and get on their mailing list.

670

General Software Discussion / Re: UltraSearch: a competitor to Everything?

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 23, 2010, 04:35 PM »

looks like UltraSearch doesn't find folder names, only file names.

-sajman99 (February 24, 2010, 02:07 PM)

Thanks for saving me from having to download UltraSearch.  The Everything search engine works flawlessly on my computers, but my Software Sickness made me curious about UltraSearch.  Now that I know it won't find folder names, this latest bout of illness is temporarily cured. 

671

General Software Discussion / Re: Measuring PC boot-up time by component - and tweaking it with Soluto

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 23, 2010, 04:28 PM »

Thanks, Curt.  I thought Ashraf made a number of good points.

672

General Software Discussion / Re: Measuring PC boot-up time by component - and tweaking it with Soluto

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 22, 2010, 10:36 PM »

I tried Soluto on both my 4-year-old WinXP Pro desktop and my rather new Toshiba Win 7 netbook, but I found it of little use and eventually removed it from both computers.  I already had given a good deal of thought to which programs I wanted to start at startup, so Soluto didn't tell me much that I didn't already know.  On my desktop, it called attention to two programs that I hadn't paid attention to, but removing them from startup saved me a grand total of 3 seconds, which was more than offset by the amount of time Soluto itself added to the boot time.  On my netbook, I was hoping that it could help me sort through the large number of mysterious Toshiba-related programs that start at startup, but unfortunately it knew nothing specific about any of them and hence couldn't provide any guidance.  To be fair, I should note that most of them were a mystery to WinPatrol Plus as well.  But the bottom line is that on neither computer was Soluto able to save me more time than Soluto itself added.  I realize that this is a beta program, and that it may indeed develop into something useful, but for now, I see no reason to put it back on my computer.

673

General Software Discussion / Re: save the text of all visited webpages

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 14, 2010, 02:39 PM »

Do you mean automatically, or only saves when you ask it to?  Do you mean plain text, or formatted as the original HTML?

-rjbull (July 11, 2010, 11:16 AM)

automatically and I mean plain text so that it an be searchable

-kalos (July 11, 2010, 02:04 PM)

I've used and like both Surfulater and Web Research.  Though neither of them will save your web pages automatically, all you have to do in either case is highlight the page, right-click, and select "Save article in Surfulater" or "Save article in Web Research."   Both have excellent full-text search mechanisms.   In Web Research, you can indicate that you want to save the article without graphics.  There's no such option in Surfulater, though if you highlight just the text, you'll get just the text.  It's also very easy to get rid of whatever graphics you don't want.  Both programs let you arrange articles into categories/folders/whatever and use keywords, etc., but even without any of that, their full-text searches will probably locate very quickly whatever you're looking for among the pages you've saved.

I should also note that these are shareware, not freeware.  They're both excellent programs.  At the moment, I have a slight preference for Surfulater, which I think is somewhat more flexible and more fun to use, though more expensive than Web Research.

674

LaunchBar Commander / Re: Cannot make a visible window modal

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 12, 2010, 07:03 PM »

Thanks very much, Shades and Mouser, for your responses.  I didn't have other programs open when the problem occurred, so I can't imagine how a window was hiding.  However, I'm happy to report that when I rebooted again just now, after reading your messages, all seemed to be well again, so I'll just assume it was one of the 1,275, 893 minor annoyances that I encounter with Windows.    If by chance it recurs, I'll first look extra hard for a place where a window might be hiding.

Again, many thanks.

675

LaunchBar Commander / Cannot make a visible window modal

« Last post by cyberdiva on July 12, 2010, 03:00 PM »

I have no idea what the subject header means, but it's the error message I received today when I tried to go into Preferences to add new items to my LaunchBar.  I'm using version 1.112.01 on a netbook running Windows 7 Starter.  All was well, I was adding some new programs, I finished and got out of the right-click menu.  I then tried to go back into it (i.e., to go back into Preferences) and I got a LaunchBar message box pop up saying "Cannot make a visible window modal."  As far as I can tell, I can still use the LaunchBar, but I can't access Preferences and I can't close down the LaunchBar tab or box or whatever it's called on my Task Bar.  I tried rebooting, but that didn't solve the problem.  I should add that earlier today I ran both a quick Malwarebytes scan (which I do every day) and a Quick Scan from Microsoft Security Essentials, which I did for no particular reason, and all was well.  I'd welcome some advice about what to do.

Many thanks.