Quickly switch to the desktop

I realised how much efficiency I have gained through Windows 7 using the Aero Peek or bottom right hand button that shows desktop as well as learning the Windows + D shortcut to switch to the desktop.

A recent modification I made was to go into the mouse settings and assign the middle click button to show desktop, now I can quickly switch applications, open apps or files and folders in 1 click and 1 click to bring back the last program I was using. Its pretty quick and easy, like in games to switch between modes or screens but it will disable the open in now window function which really only works in Internet browsers.

EDIT/Fix: You can add program specific settings and add Firefox to it and allow the middle click button to be Middle Click rather then Show/Hide desktop.

Efficiency in using mouse

I want to reduce my mouse usage and I got inspired from using a tablet today and iPod, You can actually download freeware to change your laptop or pc to use a "drag and scroll" feature to simulate the touch-pads. This will save the time of having to move the mouse to the scroll bar and instead just click an empty area on the window and move the mouse up or downwards.

Google Drag and scroll freeware to find one that suits you.

External Monitor COnnected to Laptop flickers

Here is a new one. I got a new BenQ monitor and connected it to my laptop, brilliant, best add-on to my laptop ever., except for one thing. flickering or refresh rate lines.

After days of search, I finally found on google that if i run the laptop on DC the flickering goes away, when I run it off AC the flickering is there, even more weird if i put the laptop into Max Performance mode the flickering is even worse, if I place it in Battery Saving mode the flickering is less.

I found this website that gave me the idea of testing for the AC and DC differences to flicker.

http://mrgnome.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/external-monitor-flicker-laptop-ground-loop-problem-solved/

To be honest I DON'T condone the use of this method as modifying any electrical parts are dangerous, I will re-post again if I find a fix that doesn't require such a big risk.


EDIT: Seems like it is the AC power pack from the laptop, putting noise onto the LCD cause they share the same power board, when using a different board, the problem does not exist.

Now my experiment ideas are using a DVI to HDMI converter adaptor, My laptop only has VGA and HDMI but my screen has VGA and DVI so if I use the DVI cable and monitor and change one side of DVI cable back to HDMI I can use HDMI port for digital signal, hopefully this will reduce the noise impact as it;'s digital signals not analogue. WINNER (brought a $18 adaptor from DickSmithElectronics, DVI-I Female to HDMI Male)

Other idea is looking into getting special surge boards that split this noise and interference, don't know what they are called or if they even exist.

Lastly use an adaptor to remove the grounder plug, not physically but if you plug the 3 pins into an adaptor with 2 pins it removes the ground pin from working back into the surge board.


EDIT: My power pack died anyway so I went and got a new one, which had 2 pins, so no grounding pin. Fixed the problem with DVI anyway but hey if you have VGA as only option then you can try getting a global power pack to have 2 pins rather then buying a plug to change 3 to 2 pins. =) cheers hope this helps.

JDdownloader

Need to schedule up or simplify downloads from Meagupload, Rapidshare etc.?
Well there is a way! Use JDdownloader!



This free software allows you to:

* Schedule many downloads from Rapidshare, Megaupload etc. automatically, it is hard to do without this software because you need to enter CAPTCHAS. This software can automate that for you.

* Simplify your downloads, as you know when downloading huge files say for example a Linux ISO you will have something like 30 off links from Megaupload as the ISO is split into different parts. Using this software you can have it automatically downlaod all the aprts and even extract all the parts into a single folder with the ISO in it.

* You can easily get the links into JDDownloader by:

1. Copying a website or blog URL into the clipboard (Windows Clipboard so basically just copy the web URL) whilst JD is running, it will then show up a lsit of all links and you choose what you wanted to dwonlaod from that website.
2. Copy each individual link whilst JD is open
3. Copy a big slab of text which contains links, the software is so amazing in filtering out text and keeping links only.

* Many other features and add-ons such as auto shut down, scheduler, unzipper etc. etc. so amazing for a Freeware. So useful in countries where downloads are split into On and Off peaks periods OR shaped traffic plans.


http://jdownloader.org/

MSN/WLM Batch import Gifs as emoticons / Back up all emoticons

Ever wanted to important many GIFs as emotions but hate the long and annoying process? You can do a batch import and after you do that you can backup all your emotions, so if you need to re-install, you don't even need to batch import, just do a recovery/import of the backup file and tada.

Hopefully MSN/WLM will have a save emotions to server one day, so annoying if you can't use the same emotion when on a different computer, using web messenger or need to re-install MSN?WLM.


http://www.emoticonmadeeasy.com/

MSN/WLM Message window pops up

MSN/WLM Message window pops up
MSN/WLM Conversation window pops up

Isn't it annoying when you joke to a friend about soemthing, another friend sends you a message and then that window pops up and you type into the wrong window, hit Enter by impulse and then have a very awkward situation where the friend 2 is reading a very out of context and maybe even disturbing message that is only disturbing due to being out of context?

Yeah, it's a pain in the butt to explain that every time it happens. It seems to happen more frequently when offline contacts send you a message, whoever sends a message last is at the very top all the time.

To my experience the solution is:

Disable the alert/notification pop up you get above the clock, this seems to also disable the actual Message/Conversation windows from popping up to be the active window.

• Open messenger
• Tools > Options > Alerts
• Uncheck "Display an alert when a message is received"

I thought this would turn off everything but you still get the sound and also flashing icon in the task bar, so it only disables the little pop up above the clock and also the actual Message window from opening up in front of you. This applies to Windows 7 anyway.

GOOD LUCK! Hope this helps

Edit: I think this varies depending on how you set up MSN, for example if you're using Windows XP mode where the MSN icons is in task bar or in system bar etc. also combine icons or don't combine etc.

I have tested it and it still seems to happen if a contact is offline and sends you a message, it pops up affecting where ever you are typing to be typed into their window. I have noticed that if the contact has sent you a message and you minimise it then the next messages from them doesn't pop up but again online contacts seem to be less annoying LOL.

Better Internet reliability, less drop outs on Wi-Fi: Solved

This is a place holder for a solution I am still evaluating.
The Solution, if it be one will be posted in around few months time after evaluation of it's effectiveness or relation to solving the problem.

Refer to:
http://gecsoft.blogspot.com/2010/06/wlm-msn-missing-messages-solved.html

WLM/ MSN Missing Messages: Solved

This is a place holder for a solution I am still evaluating.
The Solution, if it be one will be posted in around few months time after evaluation of it's effectiveness or relation to solving the problem.

I had a Modem that was connected to a Wi-Fi router (Router with wireless) and both were in routing modes. I suspect this could have caused issues with speed, drop outs, accuracy and loss of data (especially MSN/WLM lost messages)


Solution (Hopefully):

Set the Wi-Fi rouyter into "Access Point (AP) Mode so it simply just relays everything from the modem into Wi-Fi or Ethernet ports.

Other way is to set up the modem as a modem ONLY (most modems for ADSL have routers inside) and then set up the Wi-Fi router to do all the login and Internet authoisation processes. This process in my opinion is much harder and if the first soltuion above works then why make more work for yourself?

In my case anyway, it was easier to put the Wi-Fi wouter into AP mode, I have a Belkin by the way. Apparently it is harder to undo! so keep that in mind, if you set the Wi-Fi router into AP mode you need to use the Reset button at the back of the routewr to reset it (which emans you've got to set it up as if it just came out of the box which is a pain if you have all the computers set up to access a particular SSID and password.


Just quickly:

• Go to an Internet browser
• Smack in http://192.168.2.1/
• Enter
• Go down to "Set Up as Access Point" or soemthing similar
• Follow the prompts
• Check to see if all the computers can still connect and see the Modem, the router should now be an invisible device with the exception of the Searching for Wi-Fi connections.

EDIT: I've noticed that when messages aren't delivered it now tells me, usually when I send too many messages at the same time, like I type 1 word per message but I guess it is not a 100% fix but at least it's as simple as copy paste and then re-send rather than you or recipient swear at each other for being rude and not replying =]

Can't Install ATI Catalyst on Laptop (Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic)

Toshiba, Sony and Panasonic laptops have drivers that prevent you from installing any other drivers from the graphics card manufacturer unless it is the version by the laptop manufacturer (obviously a modified version)

Now there is little problems with that, if you don't play games or chase after the latest mm of performance gain. BUT it could be a problem if you install Windows 7 on your laptop because Windows Vista that came with your laptop had Catalyst installed already right? but with Windows 7, you should be running a more generic driver or a Toshiba/Sony/Panasonic driver (which would be likely downloaded from Windows Update)

Anyway, now for my story, I realised without ATI Catalyst that my LCD screen can not be calibrated and made brighter (too dark). External LCD monitors can be calibrated through the buttons but laptops don't have buttons for the laptop.

SOLUTION: (Skip to this section if you don't want story or background info)

Go to: http://www.hardwareheaven.com/modtool.php

That's it really haha, all the info is there! Basically a program that modified the drivers so your laptop won't refuse them and if they not refused then ATI Catalyst will recognise the drivers installed as being the compatible ones and tada!

Remember, follow instructions on the site, I won't make a "in a nut shell" guide this time but basically need the latest ATI Catalyst install file and the Mobility Modder program.

Installing D-Link DWA-110 USB Wireless adaptor in Windows XP

You may get a problem with installing this device, after you install the D-Link software, it may say that it can not detect the device.
Windows device installer may also say there is an error installing it with errors such as "Can not find the specific file".
Chances are that D-Link says it's compatible with Windows XP, which it is but didn't say what service pack. You will need to install SP3 in order to use and install some drivers for newer devices such as thumb drives, Ext. HDDs and in this case USB wireless adaptor.

Good luck!

Faster Moving and expanding partition

If you are going to make a partition larger by adding HDD space after that partition into it, you will find it only takes a few minutes to do. If however say you have an OS partition and you want to shrink that and use the extra space into a data partition then you will need to move everything in your data partition over to begin where the new space is formed, meaning that every data has to be moved over.

To speed it up you can do a bit of house cleaning and delete some data you don't need off the data disk so there is less things to move over, for example deleting some movie and large sized files.

Is it ok to buy the display model?

Here is my list of yay and nay for buying display models of technology:

At Full price:

• Nothing

At Discounted price:

• Printers
• Scanners
• Mobile phones
• Speakers and hi-fi units
• Desktop
  

Should avoid:

• Monitors and TVs
• Laptops (they suck up dust and get smashed a bit by unkind customers)

Fell free to add your own here by commenting!

Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

The Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 is out now.

It is basically a virtual machine or a virtual pc running inside Windows 7, just like how you can run Linux or whatnot inside Windows.


It is available for anyone who owns Windows 7 Professional and above.

Runs pretty smoothly, but accessing things off the Windows 7 HDD can be a bit slow and lagging, for example running a song off Windows 7 in Windows XP mode feels like running a song on a weak wireless network, very choppy and lagging.

Yet to install any software on it to run or use a printer etc. with Windows XP. Maybe more RAM can solve the lagging problem, but Windows Xp Mode is much better than most Virtual machines OS you can install because it maps all your Windows 7 HDDs as network drives (BY DEFAULT, not set up required) so you are not stuck with running the local Windows XP virtual HDD only.



The download link is:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

"Windows cannot delete the active system partition"

Windows cannot delete the active system partition

Sounds like you are trying to delete or edit a partition that had/has a Windows installation on it, Trying to install a new window in that partition? (you can just install over it during the install process) Trying to use that partition for something else like as data storage? Well then you will need remove the system before you can re-format the partition for use.

Try this:

• Make sure the account you are logged into Windows with is an Admin one
• Windows + R
• msconfig
• Enter
• Boot > Delete the OS or windows you do not want any more
• Apply > Restart

Now go right-click My computer > Manage > disk Management > Try to re-format the partition, shrink it, delete it etc.

OK, so that doesn't work. This website : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/itprovistasetup/thread/af3a1e24-214f-4e0e-b917-9530a27534de


Deactivate / Inactive an active partition:

Suggests doing things in command prompt to deactivate the partition you want to reformat. After doing a Google search I found out that only 1 partition can be active, so instead of doing the command prompt stuff, I tried this emthod and it worked:

1. Right-click My computer > Manage > Disk Management
2. Select the partition you are now wanting to use > Right-Click > Mark partition as Active
3. The other partition should now be inactive and ready for you to reformat, etc.

Hope this works for you! =]

Recovering / Migrating Mozilla Firefox / Thunderbird Profiles!

OK, I did a hard drive partition whilst running on battery and I left it running and forgot all about it, so.. logical tells us the battery didn't last as long as the process, hence my whole partition was partially stuffed up, big time!

Meaning windows would not boot. I ran the recovery options from the W7 disc and ta-da, Windows now boots.

OK now my desktop won't load at all, so my Windows install is pretty much stuffed up, ad not even the Admin or Safe-mode accounts can load anything up. I'll try a system restore point, opss I disabled that before for some unexplained reason :\

So now I am evaluating what I will lose if I do a fresh install over it, well Firefox Bookmarks NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO and also Thunderbird E-mails and address book, Ahh NOOOOOOOOOO this can't be happening, I don't make a regualr habbit of back up, only like once every 3 months. =.="

So I decided to do a fresh install but on a different partion and keep the sutffed up W7 partition so I can attempt to recover the programs etc. (not really recover but like I can acces the Program files oflder of the stuffed up W7 and at least have a remidner of what programs I had installed etc.

I separate my data and OS for this purpose, so that only Firefox and Thunderbird data is lost (hopefully, I haven't yet thought of anything else I might lose except for windows shortcuts and layouts which some can be copied and pasted and maybe saved games, which can also be pasted, see why I said install in a new partition?? you can continue to recover some stuff)


IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN MY EVENT STORY AND JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW TO RECOVER THE PROFILES OF MOZILLA SOFTWARE DO THIS: (Windows 7)
Read Red Tips below first before beginning to save time =)

• Go to: C:\Users\Gec\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox
  Where C = Drive letter of stuffed up W7
  Where Gec = name of your Windows profile (e.g. Gec's Pictures, i.e. the name you see at the log in screen)
  
  
• Go to "Profiles" > fn489th3.default
  Where fn489th3 = random, your one will not be called this
  
  
• Copy the whole fn489th3.default folder into:
  
  
• D:\Users\Gec\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles
  Where D = new drive letter of working W7
  Where Gec = new windows account name
  
  
• Now in: D:\Users\Gec\AppData\Roaming\Firefox\profiles.ini
  
  
• Change "Path=Profiles/zvdf31jz.default" to "Path=Profiles/fn489th3.default"
  Where zvdf31jz.default = random name made by the new Firefox install
  
  
• Save the changes and now open up Firefox, most bookmarks etc. should be there with the exception of Themes.
  
  
• !!! The same works for Thunderbird, with the exception that the location is
  C:\Users\Gec\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
  
  
  
• !!! To avoid this situation again, try using a Mozilla Backup tool called "MozBackup" (recommendation only, i am no way associated with the promotion of the product, BTW it's free anyway ;P)
  
  

TROUBLE SHOOTING / TIPS:

1. You need Firefox and or Thunderbird installed in the new W7 install first.
   
   
2. You also need to run the application once first and when asked, select "do not import
   anything" as this will set up the profile folders.
   
   
3. You need to go to Tools > Folder Options > View > Show hidden files, folders and drives
   before you can see the "AppData folder in D:\Users\Gec\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird
   
   
4. You may only see profile instead of profile.ini unless you un-check "Hide file extensions of known file types" (Tools > Folder Options > View > Hide file extensions of known file types"

Word table going onto next page with big gaps

The symptom is the table has 1 or 2 rows and then there is a big gap in the page and the table continues on the next page. So in other words the table breaks automatically over pages with gaps in between. Broken up tables across pages? Don't know how to explain it but hopefully I would have typed enough keywords for you to find this blog on Google

CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR LARGE VIEW

Like this I guess:












SOLUTION:

Go to the next page where the table continues, then go to the row where you think the rows before it will fit in the gap and inset a page break at the beginning of that row. This should fit some rows into the gap and then continue the table on the next page to give a constant flow table.

Bit hard to explain in text, maybe I shall make a tutorial?


Measure approximately how many rows can fit in the gap in Page1. Less is better than more else it won't work.

Now place the cursor at the beginning of the first word in the row you want to be the first row on Page 2.

Now, Insert a page break there



You should now have more of the table on Page 1 and less on Page 2 so it has a continuous flow without any gaps.

Hope this helped!! Sure took me forever to figure it out and also the help on forums and Google weren't that helpful, so I hope I have used some keywords for the useless sites I have found, so you can find this blog within 5 clicks on Google and
rest easy and earlier tonight!

DreamScene error: desktop icon text

When you enable a video as the wallpaper with DreamScene you may get black or invisible text for the desktop icons, which renders the text pretty unreadable.

To fix that try this:

1. Right-click the desktop > Personalize
2. Desktop Background
3. Change "Picture position" to "Fill"
   
4. check your desktop, hopefully the text has become white and readable.
   

Upgrading/install new HDD in laptop, not showing up in My Computer

Simple, Your new HDD (upgrade) is a new HDD and so your laptop has no idea who it is. Assign it a drive letter and your computer will acknowledge who it is.

• Right-click My computer > Manage > disk Management
  

• Should have a pop up window, follow the prompts and assign partition method (MBR I would recommend after reading the warning inside the pop up window)
  
  
• Right-click the new HDD in the main window (should be a HDD that is black coloured and says Unallocated)
  
  
• New simple volume > assign space and drive letters as required. Set space to max if you want 1 partition but if want more than 1 then you much around with it, if you know what you are doing.

A really simple solution to a simple problem really but hahah well I kinda forgot and I thought I had a dud HDD but it was hot so it was on and connected, so yeah here you have it~

How to expand a HDD with a different physical HDD

How to combine two paritions on two different physical HDDs
How to make two partitions as one when partitions are on separate HDDs
How to make one big HDD with two physical HDDs


Remember to back up data before attempting this tutorial!

• Have a partition you want to be the main one (Partition # 1) - can have data on it
  
• Mount the other partition in a folder inside the partition above (Partition # 2) - should have no data on it
  

1. Right-click My Computer > Manage
2. Storage / Disk Management
3. Right-click Partition #2 and Create New volume (If you have already formatted this partition, delete it and then do step 3, REMEMBER deleting a partition removes data, you should move the data off this partition before formatting)
   
4. Follow the prompts and select the option to mount to a NFTS folder
5. Select an empty folder in Partition #1
6. Continue with the prompts
7. Open up the Partition #1 folder where you mounted the drive, you should now have a folder in Partition #1 that you can store data in, the data will store in the folder as if normal but the data will be stored on a different physical HDD but with minimal user interface differences.

Good Luck! Remember to back up data before attempting this tutorial! I can make screen shots if anyone is struggling and requests more detailed steps but if you can't follow the steps above then you really shouldn't muck around in the Manage tools of My computer. =) all the best!

Fixing Stuck/Persistant Pixels (White pixel not chaning)

http://www.jscreenfix.com/basic.php

To fix a stuck LCD pixel, go to that ^ website and run the Java application. follow the prompts on the website! =)

Tips:

* Use Internet Explorer instead of Firefox if you are trying to fix a pixel located in the top or bottom of the screen as Firefox has a slight slide-in menu sticking out (border) - You'll understand when you see the app running in the browser.

* Click the URL bar and then press F11 to make the browser full-screen, pressing F11 without selecting the URL bar will send a F11 command to the Java app, which does nothing.


Good Luck!