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!

http://gateway.2wire.net/xslt?PAGE=HURL07 ERROR wehn trying to load a website

If your getting this error: http://gateway.2wire.net/xslt?PAGE=HURL07 or more precisely, Server not found, can not contact gatway or soemthing along that line, You have a 2Wire modem. The chances are You have set the firewall on it to Maximum Protection and the other chance is You have a router which also runs a Firewall, and that is why you need to put the modem into DMZplus mode and let the router's firewall do the protecting. Apparently, if you don't, running two firewalls is inefficient as it double NATs or Network Address Translation which has something to do with local IPs and global IPs and translation between them.

So I think if you go into 2Wire control panel page (http://10.0.0.XXX) and Edit the firewall settings to be DMZPlus Mode you should be safe and also get the websites up and running again.
Weird thing was, for me, My SMTP, POP and MSN (WLM) worked fine, only HTTP has issues)

Here was where my research ended and helped make my final decision of turn down the firewall on the modem. I figured that turning it off was a solution but wasn't sure if it was safe, I think the website says it is (according to a forum poster, lol)

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r20462923-Computer-in-DMZplus-mode

Churing / Changing / ADSL ISP Service providers

One thing to check before telling your new ISP when to change over your Internet is the date that your current ISP refreshes it's download quota. Make sure you have enough time for the new ISP to activate your account and cancel your current ISP account before the refresh date otherwise you can be billed for another month of Internet from your current ISP.

Windows Vista skips Windows XP

Windows XP is no longer showing up as an option in the boot menu after you installed Vista?
Vista boots right up without asking to boot into Windows XP?
Vista looks like it has replaced Windows XP?
Can't select to boot into windows XP after installing windows Vista?


Well then, you'll need to install this software in Vista. EDIT: NO LONGER FREE :(

http://www.vistabootpro.org/

What you have to do is:

1. Install the software
2. Make a backup of your boot manager (using the software)
   
3. Now create a new entry for a OS, give it a name and most importantly select the drive letter that you have install Windows XP on (open up My computer in Vista to see the drive letter)
   
4. Save or apply the entry and re-boot and try

Should be pretty simple, if not post a comment and I guess I'll make a proper tutorial lol.

Pretty much what has happened is Windows Vista runs a newer boot manager than Windows XP and if the drive letters are screwed up, you might not have windows XP in the boot menu and hence vista will boot by default.

So by making a new entry you are creating a option in the boot manager to check the drive letter X for example, and then boot from there when selected.

Automated resize of pics to upload

We all now have better quality cameras, camera phones etc. which is all good until you need to upload over 30 pictures to the Internet at >500KB an image.

Using Photoshop to re-size them is a good way to really compress the size but keep the quality but how long will it take YOU to re-size it in Photoshop? (without learning how to make an automated batch script thingy)

Here is a quick and very small solution! :

RESIZE - http://www.snapfiles.com/publishers/peter-bone/index.html

Also check out the stick figure animation whilst your there, I have also used this before and it was great!

Sending messages to people I didn't add to the To list in Facebook

I've done that twice already -.-"

Sending messages to a few people so I though, but ended up being many more people.

The reason as i found afterward was that I've been sending to friends lists because I was giving them names that are mistakable as a person's name.

I fixed this problem by renaming all my friends lists to have "***# (name of list)" that way I can't accidentally send something to a list of friends when I only wanted a send to a specific person who happened to have the same starting letter as the list name.

e.g. sending a message to Friends instead of Francine.

the other advantage of renaming lists to have ***# is that if you ever want to find a list but can't remember what names you gave them just press * and it will show up all the people starting with * which should only be lists unless you have befriended people who names who start with * (rare cases)

GetCurrentImage failed, hr = 8000ffff

GetCurrentImage failed, hr = 8000ffff

Your getting this error because you are trying to save a image or a snapshot of a video in Media Player Classic (MPC), or at least I would presume, if not your reading the wrong post, lol.

You just need to tweak some settings to make it work:

1. Open up MPC
2. View > Options > Output (under Playback heading)
3. Change all the settings so the Radio button selected does not have a * next to it. * means that save as image will not work if you use that setting.
4. If you are viewing a RMVB file then you can get away with just adjusting the settings under RealMedia Video.
5. Close MPC and then open video and try saving (Important to close MPC before saving, if you're on the scene you want to save as image, it won't work as it's already rendered in the previous settings.

Hope this helps!

How to find out what mobile network your friend is on

1. Ask them duh!

3. EDIT - Refer to Edit below

2. This question has surfaced the Internet before due to mobile carriers providing free sms or calls to numbers on the same carrier, sometimes you want to know for things like Plumbers, contractors, sellers (from poster ads and notice boards etc.) for whom you don't want to ask because it makes you look stingy and cheap, LOL

The Internet reads that with new mobile numbers it is impossible to tell which provider because numbers are no longer allocated to providers specifically. I am sure there are other methods to find out the provider of a mobile phone but I thought of a method to do it by using another service (not designed to tell you what provider the mobile number belongs to but works to do just that if you know how to)

SOLUTION:

1. Go to http://www.web2msg.com/
2. Make sure you go to the web page when all the allocated SMS to all the providers are "currently unavailable", to check this look under the "Current Status" box in the top right side of the web page. You should see all yellow crossed boxes
   
3. Now fill in the form on the website and send an SMS to number you want to send to
4. All providers are unavailable and you will get a message saying that the message was not sent because all the allocated SMS quota to provider XYZABCDEFG Pty. Ltd. are exhausted.
5. That's how you determine the provider, or one of the ways, or the only way I've come up with so far without asking the person (which is sometimes not possible without calling them first).

EXCEPTION:

1. If the providers are not all unavailable your message will actually be sent, so try avoid doing this, the SMS sent will be from Web2msg's number and will be considered as spam if you send it. The quota is reset every 12 hours so if you try at the right time, or analyse the website you'll know what time the quota is always exhausted, I will post some AEST times that I have found them to be most dead.

EDIT: (More reliable as method 2. has issues with carriers using other carrier networks and numbers being transferred to new carrier?)

Just found a better, simpler way to do it, good ol Google work.

http://www.smsfun.com.au/mobile_lookup.php

Shows the previous and current provider/carrier, which can be a bit confusing but;

Current provider: provider currently with (free txt or calls goes with them)

Previous provider: the previous carrier of that number (number change over?)

* A limitation of this 3rd method is that you can check up to ~3 numebrs a day without needing to make an account with the website (who has more than 3 numebrs to check anyway?)

MSN/WLM: Flash Player Required error on start up

"To send or receive Windows Live Messenger content, you need a newer version of Adobe Flash Player. Once adobe Flash Player has been installed, you may need to exit and restart Windows Live Messenger.

To download and install the most recent version of Adobe Flash Player, click install"


SOLUTION: Feel free to post your solutions, mine is still not fixed.

SOLVED: (Special thanks to ParadoX)

ParadoX said...

Hi,

Had the same problem. Go to C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash and launch NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe. That's it, restart MSN, the problem is gone :)

Cheers,
ParadoX

GEC LIVING now with SCREENSHOTS

Hi all!

I don't know why I am an IT student and never thought of this before but I realised I have no screenshots of the errors. I shall add them in up coming future posts as most errors described here are "local" errors or errors I am dealing with personally. I don't think I will add step-by-step pictures for the solution part though because I think my steps are easier and faster to read and follow than to click multiple pictures and guess what's happening.

Best of luck,
Patrick G Leong (Blog admin)

Mass Storage Controller Driver missing (Windows 7)

(Toshiba laptop) device manager: no drivers found for "Mass storage controller"

What it most likely is, is the SD or all-in-one card reader on your laptop. For my model, I installed the Texas-Instrument drivers. Your laptop may be different, search the laptop CD for the drivers or laptop manufacturer's website.


SOLVED

Performance Information and Tools

The Windows Experience Index for your system could not be computed.

Could not measure storage performance.
the temporary file needed to perform work could not be placed on the disk. Could not find a suitable drive for the file.

SOLUTION: tb found

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itproperf/thread/466f9a99-d148-492a-8903-32c010726fa2

^ suggests that the drive letter could be the problem, chances are likely because I also have windows 7 installed on a drive with the letter B: as par the website the link leads to.

I will try to change the letter of the drive to avoid re-installing Windows 7. Will post back if it is not as risky as I am thinking right now. WEI isn't that important anyways.

Unlimited MSN/WLM nudges (Without MSN Plus)

You can use MSN plus but if you only wanted unlimited nudges every now and then, MSN Plus might be an eyesore and extra resource usage on your computer as your not using its other capabilities.

You can use a WLM alternative like emesene that has nudge plugins that do not follow the nudge limit design. They can sometimes not work though.

My discovery is if you open up your WLM window and then open the contact's window, nudge contact hit ESC click the contact again you can nudge again. It seems nudge limits are reset upon closing the chat window.

Lightweight PDF Viewer (SumatraPDF)

I got copped with a 33MB update file from Adobe Reader and that's what tipped me off to get a better PDF viewer.

SumatraPDF is my new replacement:

• At first the lacking of interface buttons compared to Adobe does put you off but then when you use it for a while you realise that you never used those buttons on Adobe anyways.
  

Goods:

• Small download file
• Opens very quickly
• Does the job
• Has the option (on by default) to remember where you last read the PDF up to, very good idea and tool if your reading Uni lecture notes or a big e-book, you'll want to not have to use bookmarks or remember page numbers. This alone is a great competitive advantage. Adobe may have had this feature, I am not sure but my Adobe certainly didn't remember pages upon closing.

DOWNLOAD: http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sumatrapdf/index.html

Windows 7 "no connection error" - ALT + TAB not work

I am calling it the No connection error because I figured the error was caused by Windows Explorer having a box pop up above the system clock that says No Connection.

This box, being not very visible will cause your ALT-TAB to not work at all, Minimise and Maximise not work well and windows being inactive when they pop up (e.g. MSN) and cause you to type not into the chat window.

To fix it just click on the power icon, Wi-Fi icon and try to close that box that shows No connection.

Here are things that won't fix it that I have tried:

-locking computer, unlocking
-restarting explorer and then launching it again from task manager
-logging off and back on

Very strange and ANNOYING error/problem with windows 7 >=( especially as it's run pretty nicely over the weeks.