Cannot delete "filename": It is being used by another person or program.

Cannot delete "filename": It is being used by another person or program.

Close any programs that might be using the file and try again.
Occasionally you encounter some annoying program that just latches onto a file and doesnt let go.

I've noticed this with Yahoo Messenger 8's file transfer.
Alot of the time I only need to quickly send a screenshot saved on my desktop and then delete it.
After file transfer is complete, it is expected that Yahoo would let go of the file.
This is when a "handle" is not released by a program.

It may also occur when you are viewing your video files in Windows Explorer in thumbnail mode.
Some badly written codec plugins will hold onto a file when the thumbnail is requested, making it near damn impossible to delete the video!

In comes SysInternals' Process Explorer to save the day!
There is ALOT of stuff this program can do, but for the purpose of this post, we only need to close the necessary handle so we can delete stuff!
YAY FOR DELETING STUFF!

Download it, run it.
Click on "Find" > "Find Handle or DLL..." on the top menu.
Type in the filename you wish to unlock (not case sensitive) and click "Search".
Double click on the search result and it'll show you a handle to a "File".
Right click, select "Close Handle" and confirm.

If there were more than one result when you searched, repeat the process until the file is no longer locked.

Windows XP Auto Login

Like many people, we only have one user account for our computers.
However, when we turn on our computers and walk away to get a drink, we expect it to be loaded and ready to serve our every little whim.

Its a shame though that by default Windows XP will wait at the login screen, even if there is one user with no password protection, for us to click to proceed.

Why? Just load damn you!

Luckily, theres a way around it.

1. Go to "Start" > "Run" and type "control userpasswords2".
2. Untick "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer".
3. Click "OK".
4. Enter the details of the account you wish to automatically log in as.
5. Profit!

[ Source ]

VMware massive harddrive lag after pausing/stopping guest

I've noticed that ever since the upgrade to v6.5.1, my laptop has had trouble hibernating.
It would just halt at "preparing to hibernate" and the disk would keep whirring.

After a bit of experimentation, I've realised that its not because of the hibernation processing screwing up, but the to the excessive harddrive activity after shutting down VMware.

The upgrade changed the way some harddrive options worked for the guest.
While the guest is running, any changes to the hdd would be kept in a "redo log" and processed when a snapshot is taken.

After running a guest for about an hour, this equates to ALOT of backlogged processing which takes a few good minutes to perform. Generally, a few good minutes which I dont have.

Luckily, it is quite easy to disable this feature.

Go to your virtual machine and make sure it is not suspended.
Edit the hard disk settings and go to "Advanced".
Click on "Independant" and ensure that "Persistant" is selected.
Save your settings and all should be well.

[ Source ]
No real instructions provided by the source, but it let me figure out where to look.

Remove Nero Search from Taskbar

After updating my Daemon Tools today, which now comes with alot of adware crap, I made some routine checks to ensure that my computer is as adware free as possible.

I noticed that I had an option in my "toolbars" that I never noticed before called "Nero Search".


What the fuck? How did that slip in there?

A quick search online gave the results on how to remove this royal peice of shit from my taskbar.

[ Source ]
Cmd.exe /c regsvr32 /u /s "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NeroSearch.dll" && regsvr32 /u /s "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NeroSearchBar.dll" && regsvr32 /u /s "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NeroSearchTray.dll"
Everything should be working fine after that.

PHP output buffering nightmare

While going through some code at work, I noticed that some output buffering wasnt being ended correctly.

The number of ob_start()'s werent being ended properly, causing a buffer to carry through all the way to the end of the page.

Eventually it was found to be a simple mistake.
The use of "ob_clean()" instead of "ob_end_clean()".
$ret = ob_get_contents();
ob_clean();
return $ret;
Please! Just use "ob_start()" and "ob_get_clean()" !!!
They're both one line, respect the current buffering level and incredibly simple to use!

Eclipse - Windows/Unix new line formatting

Sometimes you have to do work with Unix/Linux machines and the differences in new line encodings can be annoying, especially when doing diffs or merges.

Luckily, Eclipse has options for this which covers a global and per-project scope.

To change the option globally:
1. Open the preferences dialog.
2. Select "General" > "Workspace".
3. Change the "New text file line delimiter" to "Other" and select your preference.

To change the option on a per-project basis:
1. Open the project.
2. View the project properties.
3. Select "Resource"
4. Change it from "Inherited from container" to "Other" and select your preference.

If your project is using UTF8, you might want to take the time to change it to UTF8 while you're at it.

Fix for Ubuntu Vi editor retarded arrow keys

After a fresh installation of Ubuntu (or Kubuntu/LinuxMint), I noticed that the "vi" editor didnt use the arrow keys properly.

It was horribly annoying, and inserting/replacing characters with "A", "B", "C" or "D".
Also, the Home and End keys were acting up, replacing characters with "H" and "F".

The solution? Incredibly easy!
Apparently "vi" is a lightweight version of "vim", so just alias the vi command to use vim instead in your bashrc profile.

To do that:
1. Open up a terminal shell
2. Type: "vim ~/.bashrc" (you may need to create it first, by copying "cp ~/.bashrc_vanilla ~/.bashrc" for LinuxMint)
3. Go to the end of the file.
4. Type: "alias vi='vim' " at the end of the file
5. Save and exit.
6. Next time you start a terminal session, it'll automatically use vim whenever you type vi.

(Optional)
If you want to use it immediately, type the alias command in the terminal window and it'll take effect immediately.

*edited* 19/12/2008
Forgot to mention that you need to create the file first on LinuxMint by copying the vanilla file.

[ Source ]
*edited*
Included source

Firefox 3 - Removing individual auto complete entry

[ Source ]

When typing into textfields, there are some values you dont want displayed again (ie. text values, random jibberish, etc)

Theres a button in the options dialog to clear everything, but I hate letting it learn all my usernames again.

Instead, only delete the ones you dont want by:
1. Start typing into a textbox and some suggestions will appear.
2. Highlight them by pressing "up/down" on the keyboard and then press the "delete" button.
3. Whalla! Gone! Wonder in amazement at how easy it was.

Spyware: My Web Search (MWSOEMON.EXE)

My dad's been installing random stuff again.
It seems some spyware has gotten through.

Luckily, its pretty straight forward to get rid of.

Just go to the "Control Panel" and then "Add/Remove Programs" and uninstall "MyWebSearch".

[ Source ]

Typical Infected folders:

  • c:\program files\mywebsearch

Uninstall Myway MySpeedbar. It might be called 'My Search Bar', 'MyWay Speed Bar' or 'My Web Search Bar'. Remove what you find. Also remove 'Fun Web Products Easy Installer' if it is present.

Reboot and scan using SpyBot to ensure that it is gone.

Increase hard drive size for VMware disk

1. Open up command prompt.
2. Go to your installation of VMware (ie. "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation")
3. Type: vmware-vdiskmanager -x sizeGb "filename"

Example
vmware-vdiskmanager -x 20Gb "K:\Virtual Machines\Kubuntu\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe"
4. Once you're done with that, use some software within the VM to change the partition size.
Linux generally have their own partition software within the setup CD/DVD, whereas Windows would have Acronis Disk Director or Partition Magic.

Personally I'd install Disk Director, because I've lost data on my actual computer before when using Partition Magic. Plus its now a Symantec product, which brings to mind the expression "the cure is worse than the disease".

Either way, the demo would work fine since its a VM.

[ Source ]

*edit 30/03/2009*
I've noticed alot of people getting to this blog in hopes to find a way to stop VM ware from lagging your computer after you suspend a guest.

Google seems to be returning the wrong results as the menu contains a link to the right post.

You can find that post here.

Useful ways of using an FTP server on your desktop

While searching through the net on various ways to set up my SVN server, I found a few tutorials on "how to map an FTP drive", some of which was utter bullshit as it only created a stupid shortcut in your Windows Explorer. [ Example 1, Example 2 ]


1. Use an FTP client
OK, this one is pretty straight forward.
Download a client like CuteFTP, SmarFTP or FileZilla and you're on your merry way.


2. Create a shortcut
Handy, but not terribly useful. As shown in the example earlier, simply right-click "My Computer" and select "Map Network Drive".

A wizard dialog appears, and click on the "Sign up for online storage or connect to a network server" link at the bottom.

Skip the intro page of the new wizard. Select "Choose another network location" and enter in your FTP address, such as "ftp://ftp.blogspot.com".

Next you can enter in your account details and give it a name.

Whalla, it appears under "My Network Places" with the given name, and also "Internet Explorer" as the given FTP address.

This method allows for drag and drop functionality as well as cut/copy/paste too.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us


3. WebDisk
If your web host is using cPanel as a CMS, you can access your host via WebDisk.

In your cPanel home page, click on "Web Disk" and then "Access Web Disk".

Select the appropriate operating system and follow the instructions from there.

Its not as versatile as the shortcut method, but this would work for other operating systems.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us


4. Map to a drive using WebDrive (3rd party software)
South River Technologies have developed a nifty peice of software called WebDrive, which allows you to map various protocols to a Windows drive. Unfortunately, it isnt free.

Once you've set up the details for your FTP site and assign it a letter, it'll work like a normal folder in your Windows Explorer. Definitely my favourite solution by far.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

4 WebDrive - UNC Paths (Optional)
WebDrive also has an option to create a UNC path for this mapped FTP site, making it accessible via the path format of "//hostname_of_your_choice/share_folder". This is the method I used to set up my SVN server.

The options can be found under the "Advanced" item of the site properties dialog.

Remove Bonjour! (mDNSResponder.exe)

Bonjour is Apple's implementation of set of techniques which allow for a zero-configuration IP based network. It comes standard with Mac OS X, and mDNSResponder.exe is the Windows port/version.

In laymens terms, that translates to a simple setup of devices on a network which "just work" without the need of specialised servers or configuration. It makes it easier to find printers, other computers, share files, etc.

The service runs in the background broadcasting your networking information so other devices (such as printers) can respond if they offer a service you may require.

I've noticed it bundled in installers such as Adobe Photoshop, Skype and iTunes.
The annoying thing is theres no uninstallation option for it!

For me, being the sort that likes to set things up myself, I don't need it.
And it is annoying having another application running unecessarily in the background.

To remove Bonjour, follow the steps below:

1. Open command prompt.
2. Type: "cd %PROGRAMFILES%\Bonjour"
3. Type: "mDNSResponder.exe -remove"
4. Type: "rename mdnsNSP.dll mdnsNSP_old.dll"
5. Restart your computer.
6. Once Windows has rebooted, delete that folder and its contents.

Sources
ProcessLibrary, Raymond.cc, Wikipedia

SVN server on Windows XP with repository on remote FTP server

The situation:
My dad's computer died about a fortnight ago. With it down, the SVN repository containing all my nerdish projects also went missing.

So, I took the opportunity to start fresh and rework the structure of my Subversion server.


The plan:
I am going to set up my PC as the server, and store my repository on a remote FTP server online. Since my web host provides daily backups, I wont lose my projects anymore!

I would connect to my FTP server as a mapped network drive, and give it a drive letter. That way, I could treat it like a normal directory and it'd just work. Sweet!

The last time I set up SVN as a service, it was a walk in the park...
This time... "Its just an upgrade to the server, what could go wrong?"
Answer: Lots.


What happened?
So I downloaded SVN from the official site. You can select binary packages for either "Apache 2.0" or "Apache 2.2". (In case you're wondering, download the binaries with the filename similar to "svn-win32-1.5.4.zip")
Personally I dont really care as I dont integrate it with Apache, but its best to pick the version which matches in case you change your mind later down the track.

Extract the contents of the file to where you want SVN to be installed.
For me, I set it up at "C:\Server\svn".


(Optional)
Add ";C:\Server\svn\bin" to your %PATHS% environment variable.
To do that, right click "My Computer" > "Properties" > "Advanced" > "Environment Variables".
Select "Path" from the "System Variables" list and append the string.


Creating a service
Before typing up the commands, be sure to note that the syntax requires a space AFTER the "=" sign. I don't know why Microsoft decided upon that syntax, its stupid.

[ Source ]
To install svnserve as a native Windows service, execute the following command (all in one line).

sc create subversion binpath= "C:\Server\svn\bin\svnserve.exe --service --root Z:\svn_repository" displayname= "Subversion" depend= tcpip start= auto

If any of the paths include spaces, you have to use (escaped) quotes around the path, like this:

sc create subversion binpath= "\"C:\Program Files\Subversion\bin\svnserve.exe\" --service --root C:\ServerFiles\svn_repository" displayname= "Subversion" depend= tcpip start= auto
A breakdown of the command arguments is shown below.
  • "sc create subversion"
    Creates a service named "subversion".
  • "binpath= "
    The executable file.
  • "--service"
    Run it within the Windows native service wrapper.
  • "--root= "
    The root folder for repositories.
  • "displayname= "
    A nice name for the service in the Service Manager.
  • "depend= "
    Dependencies for this service.
  • "start= "
    The starting method.
For more information, see the Microsoft's KB251192.
If you typed something wrong, type "sc delete subversion" to delete the service and start again.

Once created, type "net start subversion" to start it.
If you encounter any error messages, refer to "the problem" section later in this post.


Creating a repository
As I have chosen "Z:\svn_repository" as the root repository folder, thats where all the repositories should be created.

To create a new repository, type "svnadmin create "Z:\svn_repository\new_repository_name""

Using an SVN client (I prefer to use TortoiseSVN), check out a copy of the repository by entering "svn://localhost/new_repository_name" as the location.


Authentication
Once you've tested your repository and know it works, modify the "svnserve.conf" file to disallow anonymous read access by adding the line "anon-access = none" under "[general]".

Also, uncomment the use of the password file where it says "password-db = passwd".
Edit the "passwd" file and give yourself an account.


The problem
Sometime between v1.4 and 1.5, the folks at SVN decided to add native Windows service support to "svnserve.exe".

[ Notable sources: Source 1, Source 2 ]
Although this may seem great, it makes life horrible for people who want to stash their repository on a mapped network drive. Services, by default, are run on the account "NT Authority\Local Service", which has no access to mapped network drives.

When trying to start the service from the Service Manager, I kept getting an error message.
Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.
Spent a good few hours learning that lesson.
Great, there goes my initial idea.
Up until now its been smooth sailing.

I've tried running as my current login, giving it a password, changing to interact mode, switching to "NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE" account and so many other little things that its caused me so much mental distress that my mind choses not to remember. They all failed.

Luckily, all that research didn't go to waste as I discovered an alternative, which is to access the FTP via a UNC pathname.

[ Crosspost: How to configure WebDrive ]
So rather than using "Z:\svn_repository", I configured the FTP server to a UNC path "//uncpath/home" using WebDrive.

The command to create a sevice becomes...
sc create subversion binpath= "C:\Server\svn\bin\svnserve.exe --service --root //uncpath/home/svn_repository" displayname= "Subversion" depend= tcpip start= auto
Now my SVN server runs off my home PC and stores the files onto the remote host via FTP.

In the wise words of Jeremy Clarkson, "SWEEEEEEEET!"

Spyware: Remove Infostealer.Avisa

Since the download off the official site wasn't running at full speed, I decided to grab the demo off bit torrent instead. After (stupidly) installing a program from bit torrent, without first checking the comments, I had trouble moving the setup files after I was done.
Doing a little snooping, I was surprised to find a few extra executables in my Task Manager with somewhat suspicious filenames.

There were 2 instances of "rundii32.exe", as opposed to the usual "rundLL32.exe".

Great! Less than 2 weeks ago I got another virus, wasting another day off.
What a way to kill time.
I'm setting a new record here folks!

The culprit (File properties):
Filename:rundii32.exe
Size:1.30 MB (1,372,160 bytes)

How it got there:
Stupidly I didnt check the comments on the torrent before downloading and installing.

The installer was bundled with a trojan which extracted itself upon execution, making it seem authentic as the application actually installed properly.

The damage:
I'm still not quite sure which strand it was, but it created a file called "rundii32.exe" within the temporary folders "%TEMP%\IXP000.TMP" and "%TEMP%\IXP001.TMP" (where "%TEMP%" is your system temporary folder).

This may just be in my case, as it is a common trait of installer packagers to put files into directories with that naming convention.

I suppose these executables sit around and steal info.

Also, it adds itself into the startup.

The fix:
A nifty program that scans your running tasks (and startup) is Trend Micro HijackThis.
(Yes, I was surprised to find that Trend bought them out too!)

A quick scan showed that it had added itself to RunOnce, so to remove it...
I fired up TuneUp Utilities Registry Editor again.

Locating the keys within "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce", delete the 2 entries which refer to "IXP000.TMP" and "IXP001.TMP".

Now type in "%TEMP%\IXP000.TMP" and "%TEMP%\IXP001.TMP" into explorer to locate the "rundii32.exe" files and delete them.

That should be enough to clear it.
A through scan with an updated antivirus afterwards should do the trick.

What is SVCHOST.EXE ?

Alot of the time I check services through the services manager ("Start" > "Run" > "services.msc"). That's all fine and dandy if you just want to start/stop/disable them, but if one goes rouge and hogs up your memory or cpu time, the Windows XP "Task Manager" wont show you what it is (unless you're running Vista, but I'd rather use LinuxMint).

All that it shows in the Task Manager are a bunch of "svchost.exe" processes. These executables provide a common entry point to execute services (in either DLL or executable formats).

So if you need to know what service resides within the "svchost.exe" which is causing you problems, go to Task manager and then "View" > "Select Columns" to ensure that PIDs are showing. Keep the task manager open.

Then open up command prompt and type "tasklist /svc" to list all services. Find the service information by matching the PID from Task Manager.

Software Update Checker

One day I was curious to see if someone had a good implementation of an idea I had.
Something that checks all the software on my computer to see if it is up to date, and provided some sort of mechanism to update things easily.

Well, its been done already and pretty well at that!

FileHippo have a pretty good software database already and their software seems pretty accurate!
http://www.filehippo.com/updatechecker

Give it a go. Its a tiny download if you use the standalone.
No installation required.

Remove Dell Solution Center link from Start Menu

For those who cant be stuffed reformatting the O/S from the factory default, you can remove the "Dell Solution Center" from the start menu by following the steps below.
  1. Right click on the taskbar and click "Properties"
  2. Click on the "Start Menu" tab and then "Customise"
  3. Click on the "Advanced" tab
  4. Under "Start menu items", scroll down to find "Manufacturer link" and untick it.
  5. Click OK and save your settings.
The settings should take place immediately.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance: Disable Intro Movies

[ Source ]
Props to GoldDragon (for this hack) and Marvel (for this awesome game!)

Its ridiculous how many intro movies they have at the start of this game!
No matter how awesome this game is, I cant stand pressing enter to skip about 6-7 intro movies everytime I play it!
I mean I dont mind them showing that the first time, but cmon!

Yet, theres a surprisingly simple way of disabling the bulk of them.

1. Find the folder which you installed MUA.
2. Explore to the folder "scripts\menus\" and backup "intro_normal.py"
3. Once backed up, edit the original file using Notepad.
4. Comment out every line by adding a "#" character in front of it, except for "openmenu("main_beenox")" so it looks like this.
#startMovie("i102", "afterMovie1")
#waitsignal("afterMovie1")
#startMovie("i101", "afterMovie2")
#waitsignal("afterMovie2")
#startMovie("i103", "afterMovie3")
#waitsignal("afterMovie3")
#startMovie("i100", "afterMovie4")
#waitsignal("afterMovie4")
#startMovie("i104", "afterMovie5")
#waitsignal("afterMovie5")
#startMovie("i105", "afterMovie6")
#waitsignal("afterMovie6")
openmenu("main_beenox")

Starting MUA will still show the ESRB screen, followed by the main menu.
The cursor will not show, but still work. You can still navigate using the keyboard as usual.
Once the game has started, the mouse will reappear and behave as usual.
To keep the mouse in the menu, leave at least one video active.

W32.Harakit

Being a lazy Sunday, I decided to clean up some folders on my computer.
I noticed in my Shared folder that there was a file named "gfvjfe.exe" with the folder icon.
Stupidly, I double-clicked it and executed it thinking it'd browse into it.
When nothing happened, I instantly realised I've been had and disabled my internet connection.

Quickly skimming through task manager processes, nothing seemed out of place.
My Windows Explorer options were changed though, hidden files were now hidden and system folders/files arent showing.

Something is up.

The culprit (File properties):
Filename: gfvjfe.exe
File version: 5.0.0.2
Language: Russian
Size: 497kb

How it got there:
It spreads itself via the network through share folders which have write access or removable drives. Luckily, its fairly simple to fix and doesnt do much damage.

The damage:
It creates a file called "csrcs.exe" in the System32 folder under Windows.

First notable change, as already mentioned, is that it hides hidden/system folders and files.

Second noticable change was that csrcs.exe attempts to create "autorun.inf" in system32, triggering my NOD32 to display a giant red screen.

The fix:
Using task manager to kill off csrcs.exe, I then deleted it and scanned my registry.

It links itself in the registry in the following locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Edit the "Shell" key from "Explorer.exe csrcs.exe" to "Explorer.exe"
Lastly, clean up multiple 0 byte "khq" files found at the root of your drives (ie. C:\khq, D:\khq, etc)

If you have a more severe infection of this trojan, check out this link for more information.
 
Update: 05/04/2010
I forgot to mention, I had all ports forwarded to my computer and there were some unprotected shared folders which had write access.
 
Block off public access to those ports and you should be fine. To figure out which ports it is, see here.

C# - Use different fore/back color for each subitem

Frustrating sometimes when you cant even set a simple color.

The C# listview is an awesome control for displaying data, but when you find yourself checking your code over and over to see if its setting the colors correctly, its quite annoying when you find out its a default setting thats fucking up your groove.

You see, .NET has a little flag on the ListViewItem object called 'UseItemStyleForSubItems' that uses the ListViewItem style for all subitems in that row. Most likely enabled by default for performance reasons, but also the cause of alot of wasted time.

ListViewItem lvi = new ListViewItem();
lvi.UseItemStyleForSubItems = false;

Disable Nero Scout

[ source ]

Every once in a while, I have to format a computer and reinstall some disc burning software. Normally I turn straight to Nero Express, and the copy I got with my writer works great... except for one little thing, it adds some bloat.

Aside from disabling EVERYTHING during the installation apart from the core files, it STILL installs Nero Scout. This extra bit of bloat runs in the background, constantly scanning your computer for new MP3s, images, etc.

Err, why!? That’s ok, I already know what I want to burn!

To disable Nero Scout, go to Windows Explorer and right click on "Nero Scout". Select "Options" and untick "Enable Nero Scout".

If that option is not available for you, then simply run the command below.
regsvr32 /u "%COMMONPROGRAMFILES%\Ahead\Lib\MediaLibraryNSE.dll"
You might also want to take a quick moment to make sure to drive the last stake through its heart and disable the "NMIndexingService" service.

Enabling Hibernation on older PCs

If for some reason you cant seem to use the Hibernation feature, see if the BIOS settings has something silly disabled.

[ source ]
Firstly, check if ACPI is currently enabled or not by...

1. Going to the the Device Manager window and expanding Computer.
2. If the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC option is not displayed, your computer does not support ACPI features.

Reboot and check your BIOS settings and check if anything is disabling ACPI or APM.

Australian Stupidity: Compulsory ISP Level Censorship

If you havent heard already, Senator Conroy is a complete tool and wants to censor our internet.
Its an ok idea on paper, but it'll cripple our net up to 75% and the censorship will cover a "grey area".

Sooner or later, stupid lobbyist groups will whinge and want to add more things to this "grey area" so more and more things become compulsory on the censor list, making our internet more restricted, much like China.

This is a knee jerk reaction to a bigger problem. They are shooting the messenger rather than locking up the sickos producing the child porn in the first place. Lets all just hide it from the internet and pretend it doesn't exist.

I dont send these sort of emails out very often, but this blows chunks.
If I wanted censored internet I would of bought net nanny or moved to China.
Restricting the amount of information people can view will only make them dumber.
eg. hillbillies, texans, bogans, etc.



Please take a quick moment to sign the petition.
http://petitions.takingitglobal.org/oznetcensorship

Cheers!
- Twig

ps. Honestly, I just don't want to end up in the awkward situation where my dad is going to ask me "hey, why cant I visit this *insert xxxsomethingfilthyxxx dot com* site?" or even worse, he'll ask me for ways to get around the filter for him.

More info at:
Filtering out the fury: how government tried to gag web censor critics
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/labors-net-gag-worse-than-iran/2008/10/23/1224351430987.html

'Appalled' opposition hits back at Conroy’s Internet censorship
The Government’s attempts to silence criticism of content filtering sparks outrage.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php?id=879301684&pp=1

Net filters may block porn and gambling sites
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/10/27/1224955916155.html
Guys, do you really want your porn censored?

Minister under fire: IT Professionals say net filtering won't work
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21359/127/

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php?id=355409327&fp=16&fpid=0
Every organisation with an axe to grind and any kind of political clout will be lobbying the government to extend the blacklist to block access to whatever it is that pisses them off

Up to date news:
http://nocleanfeed.com/

Disable Automatic Updates in Adobe Acrobat 8

Method A:
The fact that you're here reading this probably means that you've already tried unticking "Automatically Check for updates" when cancelling the automatic update.

If that is case, you ignore these instructions from Adobe on how to disable Automatic Updates as they just don't seem to work.

Method B:
The first comment (by Overlord) in this post proves to be much more useful than anything else on it.

His instructions? Simply delete the folder "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Updater5". Simple as that, no more annoying updates. I like to be on the safe side and rename rather than delete, and this method seems to have worked quite well so far.

Method C - 1:
This method may seem a bit barbaric for some, so something a bit more "official" could be up your alley. These instructions from Adobe provide a download link to disableupdates.zip, containing a registry file to simply double click and import. I have not tried this method, so let me know if it works!

Method C - 2:
If for some reason that link no longer works, the contents of the registry file is pasted below.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0\FeatureLockdown]
"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\7.0\FeatureLockdown]
"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0\FeatureLockdown]
"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0\FeatureLockdown]
"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

Simply paste it into notepad, save as a "kill automatic updates.reg" and then double click the file. This will kill the automatic update for both Acrobat 7, Acrobat Reader 7, Acrobat 8 and Acrobat Reader 8.

Method C - 3:
The instructions above have been simplified so it'll run in the start menu. Go to the Start menu and click Run, paste the following and click OK.
REG ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0\FeatureLockdown" /v bUpdater /d 0 /t REG_DWORD /f
The downside of this is that it will only work for the Adobe Acrobat Reader 8... unless you're a crafty little bugger and can figure out the registry above and what to do with it ;)

Rockman X7 (Korean to English Patch)

Source:
I'm just migrating some data from the free webhost address twig.150m.com so I can unsubscribe from their stupid spam emails.


History:
11th of February, 2010
- Dr Cossack has been kind enough to upload the patch files to his server and allow me to link to them. Give a big shoutout to him on the forums when you download!

19th of October, 2008
- migrating data off twig.150m.com
- reworded a bunch of things
- combined the info and screenshots page into one
- reordered history
- checked some links

11th of June, 2008
- fixed broken link to download text patch v1.1

29th Jan, 2006
- initial release


Information:
The translation was done by ripping the PS2 files into the PC version of the game.

The patch setup will overwrite your existing Korean files. I take no responsibility for any damage caused by these patches.

Back up your game before applying these patches.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

Please be sure to select the correct folder upon setup. Otherwise the patch just won't work.

You cannot uninstall the patch unless you backed up the original "data" folder. Simply delete the current one and replace with the original content.


Screenshots:
Translated stuff


Minor defects/problems

Half-translated stuff



Downloads:
Download and install the English patches you want.
- Text/Graphics Patch v1.1 (28mb)
- Voice Patch v0.8 (23mb)

- Big thanks to xomegasamaster for uploading the files! Filefront kept deleting my files!
- An even bigger thanks to Dr Cossack for providing stable download links that will remain on the internet forever!

Spanish Patch (by Wesker)
- Text/Graphics Patch (link seems to be dead)


Version History:
Text Patch v1.1
- Included a file to patch the subtitles for the ending movie.

Text Patch v1.0
- Initial release.

Voice Patch v0.8
- Initial release.


Unresolved Issues:
Text Patch

  • Stage Select/Saved Reploids/Stage Options screen show wrong button to change screens. (R1/R2 instead of S and X)
  • When confirming selections, Yes/No is still in Korean.
  • "Game Level" difficulty levels are still in Korean.
  • Random underlining on translated text.
  • Load/Save messages still contain PS2 information.

Voice Patch
  • Voices for bosses are currently unchanged, until someone can help me out with it. (I don't know what the attacks are in Japanese/English).
  • Axl's voice files may be incorrectly ported.
If anyone can help me, please download this file and leave me a message on the forum
http://www.fileupyours.com/files/13661/SND%20folder.rar
After a few years, I guess that link doesnt work anymore. I no longer have a copy of that file on my computer either.


Copyrights:
Of course all this stuff is owned by CAPCOM since they made the game.
I just took the time to use the PS2 English files and replaced the Korean files accordingly.


Help?
For more information, or any bug reports, please visit the following forums:
megaman-community.com or interordi.com.

Disable OpenDNS Guides (Automated search)

If you're like me and tend to get lazy with typing the whole URL in your Firefox browser so it just takes you to the first result automatically, you'd notice that OpenDNS has overridden that feature by default.

Instead of letting Firefox take you to the Google search page, it will take you to an OpenDNS Guides page such as http://guide.opendns.com/?url=search+query

To disable this, open up the OpenDNS dashboard to configure the advanced settings.
Untick everything on this page and it will work, although I believe the main culprit is "Enable OpenDNS proxy".

I still have "Enable stats and logs" enabled, but unsure whether this still works or not.

Disable Optus mobile services (Also works for TPG/Virgin/Soul/etc)

Just signed up for an Optus based carrier, and god-DAMN they've made it hard to set things up.
Optus, why have you become so corporately fat and bloated? =(
Vodafone's website is much easier to navigate looks a whole lot nicer without so many links and stupid terminology with Zoos, animals, misleading service/content names, etc.

No I do NOT want to fucken sign up for your stupid SMS notifications about celebrities or daily jokes!

Why the fuck does "See my mobile bill" take me to a page full of advertising and plans that are NOT MINE!? Does the term "counter-intuitive" ring a bell?

And what the hell is this stupid "Missed Call Service" ?
Does Optus think I'm so stupid that I cannot read the "Missed Call" message on my phone when someone tries to call? Let alone thinking they have to spoonfeed me yet ANOTHER notification via SMS and charging the caller.

No, I dont want my callers to be charged if they cant get through just to leave a stupid SMS notification telling me the number of the person that called. Voicemail was created BEFORE this, and absolutely trumps it in terms of usefulness.

Ok, to start disabling all these useless services (wow, this sounds alot like configuring Windows after you first install it), follow the instructions below for the features you dont want.

Call Redirect:
To disable everything at once, type in ##21# and press the "call" button.
To only disable "no reply" messages, use ##67#, and so on with the pattern ##code#.
To re-enable the options, use **code*.

The codes are defined below.
CodeRedirect typeDescription
21UnconditionalAll calls are diverted
67BusyPhone is in use
61No ReplyPhone 'rings out' not answered
62Not ReachableOut of Coverage area or switched off

Adjust Ringing Time:
To configure the ringing time (in seconds) for "no reply" diversions, call **61*321**XX#.
Values of XX can be any whole number between 5 to 30 which is a multiple of 5.
ie. 5, 10, 15, etc.

Missed Call Services:
Firstly, register your mobile on this ridiculously named website "Optus Zoo" found at mobile.optuszoo.com.au/mobile

The setup pages are embedded deeply in a number of highly confusing links on the Optus Zoo website, so be careful not to register for shit unknowingly like I did =\

Then go to "My Mobile", then "Set up my mobile" in the left menu.

Click on "Set up missed call service".
The direct links to these configuration sites are
http://mobile.optuszoo.com.au/cocoon/missedcall/MissedCallService.xml

Voicemail Services:
While you're at it, you can disable voicemail services too!
Under the "Set up my mobile" menu, click on "Set up voicemail"
http://mobile.optuszoo.com.au/cocoon/voicemailgw/voicemail.do

Within the voicemail service setup page, there is also "VoiceMail Call Recall Setup".
http://mobile.optuszoo.com.au/cocoon/voicemailgw/viewCallRecall.do
Call-Recall is the SMS notification when you get a missed call, something your mobile is already quite capable of doing notifying you of.

Well, 2 days later and I keep getting calls from the Voicemail service telling me to set it up. I just hung up, but for every hour later, it keeps calling me!
The lady at the customer centre gave me some handy advice and told me to call ##002#. Hope that works.

You can also configure your mobile internet here, but the site below does the job much better.

Internet for mobile phones:
These fall under the categories of
  • GPRS
  • WAP
  • email
  • and MMS
Fortunately, there is a nice clean wizard-style site to set this all up, which can be found at http://optusau.wdsglobal.com/mainPage.html

PHP Parse error: syntax error, expecting T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM

What the hell?

PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ')', expecting T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM in file.php on line 12345

According to Wikipedia:
Paamayim Nekudotayim is the official name for the Scope Resolution Operator (::) in PHP. It means "twice colon" or "double colon" in Hebrew.

Windows XP - Disable "Open File - Security Warning" on Files Copied over Network

I hate the "Open File - Security Warning" dialog. Fuck up and let me copy my shit in peace.
To disable it,

1) Run gpedit.msc
2) Local Computer Policy -> User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Attachment Manager
3) Enable "Do not preserve zone information in file attachments"

The files you already have are going to keep annoying you.
Theres not much you can do about it unless you redownload it, or copy it to a drive thats Fat32 and then copy it back.

malware: driver detective claims another victim

A friend pasted a chat log to me, which was between him and another friend.
Worth keeping for entertainment value =)

James:
check this out

mindogg: hey how do i watch movies on my windows media player?
do i need to dl a codec?

me: ye

mindogg: can u find me a link to do this
a safe website

me: lol
http://www.divx-digest.com/software/nimo_pack.html
has all the codecs ull need

mindogg: thanx

mindogg: don't know how to dl it with this website
wait i think i figure it out

me: gp ot
got it?

mindogg: downloaded it

mindogg: it asked me about 1.Manufacturer
2. family
3. model

me: wtf

mindogg: ye
ok what is after driver detective

me: detected?
lol
are u going full or custom installation

mindogg: i just want the codec so i can watch stuff on media plaer

me: lol
i cant direct u like this
sounds like ur doing something else

mindogg: isn't there just a file u can dl a codec

me: lol
ur install it now
i dunno what u roding
its just str8 forward

mindogg: fuck
so the detective is the codec?

me: wtf detective man
there is no detective rofl
detected?
dirvers?
i dunno wtf ur goin about

mindogg: driver dectective

me: lemme try
ill dl and see
did u dl
lite?

mindogg: whats that?

me: dude
wtf
i just installed it
its like 3 next buttons
and thast it
lol

mindogg: the detective just scan! he doesn't give me the codec does he?

me: i dunno
WTF u dld

mindogg: driver detective

me: ive been doing comps an dshit since primary
dunno WTF that is
lol

mindogg: LOL fu
help me!

me: rofl
WTF
is driver detective dude

mindogg: oh shit now my comp said it found some virus!
oh shit im gone!
HAHAHA
ahh gotta love malware... when it doesnt happen to you.

Some software thats helped me in the past are:
- Spybot - Search and destroy
- HijackThis
- TuneUpUtilities

Disable annoying Novell broadcast messages

If you're at work and getting alot of annoying popups with the text "Message from server" and title "Novell Message Popup", then those are broadcasts from the Novell Server to all clients.

Right click on red N "Novell Services" icon in taskbar
Click on "Novell Client Properties"
Go to "Advanced Settings"
Select "Receive Broadcast Messages" from the list
Change "Setting" to "None"
Reboot.

I'm not sure if this actually works or not, but I havnt received any messages yet.

Getting Drupal 6 Clean URLs to work with Apache 2

1. Global configuration (httpd.conf)
Search for
#
# This should be changed to whatever you set DocumentRoot to.
#

and change "AllowOverride None" to "AllowOverride All".

You now have the option to load the "rewrite_module" globally (for all sites) or just a specific vhost.

2. a) Load module globally (httpd.conf)
Search for "#LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so" and uncomment it.

2. b) Per virtual host (conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf)
Search for your vhost and add "LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so".

3. Test settings (
http://server.url/admin/settings/clean-urls)
Restart your Apache server and test the settings.

Windows XP - disable native Zip file support

Once I got WinRAR or something else installed, I dont really need this anymore.

"regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll" will remove zip support from XP.

This includes opening, extracting and searching.

Winamp - remove menu "Add to Winamp's Bookmark List"

In the spirit of keeping unused context menu items out of the system, remove the following registry key

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\Winamp.Bookmark"

*edit*
Or you could do it using the following command under "Start" > "Run".

"reg DELETE HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\Winamp.Bookmark"

NetGear - MrvGina.dll not allowing change of logon options

NetGear, not only the proud producer of crap network cards but also creators of the worst drivers EVARRRRRRRRRR.

I noticed that I was forced to logon to my computer after installing the drivers.
Not only that, I had problems changing the options and using remote desktop.
This was more than a year ago, so details in my mind are sketchy.
The only real thing I learnt from this was that NetGear produced absolute rubbish and the only thing I should of done was not purchase their shit.

It complained about some file called mrvgina.dll and not being able to do anything about it.
(Great name for the file by the way, mr vagina)

To resolve this issue, go to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" and remove the registry key "GinaDLL"

MSN - Unsafe file extensions

In some point in history, MSN decided that it was unsafe to accept certain filetypes such as; mp3s, mp4, mid, midi, rar, zip, jpg, png, doc, xls, avi, mpg, and many others (ref).

Whilst doing so, it'll display messages such as:
  • To help protect your computer...
  • Unsafe file extensions...
  • Windows found that this file is potentially harmful...
  • Windows has blocked access to this file...
  • We are going to make your life difficult...
In regards to the people that made that decision, I'd like to say FUCK YOU.
Thank you for making things more complicated than they should be.
Now I have to explain to computer illiterate people why I cant send them:
  • songs
  • assignments/documents
  • setup files for software
  • photos and pictures
  • video files
Worst thing is that even though I'm able to send them, if the person receiving the files clicks on the blue hyperlink after accepting the file, MSN will decide to delete it anyways.
Once again, FUCK YOU.

But do not fret. Even though file transfers have been crippled to a point beyond the uselessness of Christopher Reeve, theres still a way to Superman that ho!

Copy/pasta the following block of text into a registry file (ie. run notepad, paste it and save it as "msn file extensions.reg")

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Disable SP2 file publisher checking crap:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download]
"CheckExeSignatures"="no"
"RunInvalidSignatures"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments]
"SaveZoneInformation"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations]
"LowRiskFileTypes"=".htm;.html;.swf;.mp3;.mp2;.ape;.apl;.flac;.shn;.mpc;.mp+;.wma;.ogg;.mp4;.aac;.voc;.mid;.mac;.cda;.kar;.midi;.rar;.zip;.wav;.jpg;.gif;.png;.bmp;.jpeg;.doc;.xls;.pls;.pub;.dat;.html;.htm;.avi;.mpg;.mpeg;.nfo;.txt;.torrent;.diz;.ppt;.m3u;.sfv;.tar;.htt;.mht;.aspx;.tiff;.rtf;.ini;.cab;.ico;.icl;.ip;.iptheme;.msstyles;.theme;.dll;.psd;.vbs;.swf;.php;.xaml;.iso;.bin;.cue;.xml;.par;.par2;.ace;.arj;.lzh;.7z;.gz;.bz;.uue;.bz2;.jar;.z;.ade;.adn;.adp;.aia;.img;.date;.aip;.ait;.amf;.ani;.aob;.asf;.csv;.fla;.pxr;.wmv;.nrg;.mov;.sav;.xhtml;.php5;.pxr;.m4a;.qxr;.h;.cpp;.pdd;.rle;.dib;.eps;.jpe;.pcx;.pdp;.raw;.pct;.pict;.sct;.tga;.vda;.icd;.vst;.tif;.tpl;.log;.prx;.cdf;.nls;.ax;.HTM;.HTML;.SWF;.MP3;.MP2;.APE;.APL;.FLAC;.SHN;.MPC;.MP+;.WMA;.OGG;.MP4;.AAC;.VOC;.MID;.MAC;.CDA;.KAR;.MIDI;.RAR;.ZIP;.WAV;.JPG;.GIF;.PNG;.BMP;.JPEG;.DOC;.XLS;.PLS;.PUB;.DAT;.HTML;.HTM;.AVI;.MPG;.MPEG;.NFO;.TXT;.TORRENT;.DIZ;.PPT;.M3U;.SFV;.TAR;.HTT;.MHT;.ASP;.ASPX;.TIFF;.RTF;.INI;.CAB;.ICO;.ICL;.IP;.IPTHEME;.MSSTYLES;.THEME;.DLL;.PSD;.SWF;.PHP;.XAML;.ISO;.BIN;.CUE;.XML;.PAR;.PAR2;.ACE;.ARJ;.LZH;.7Z;.GZ;.BZ;.UUE;.BZ2;.JAR;.Z;.ADN;.AIA;.IMG;.DATE;.AIP;.AIT;.AMF;.ANI;.AOB;.ASF;.CSV;.FLA;.PXR;.WMV;.NRG;.MOV;.SAV;.XHTML;.PHP5;.PXR;.M4A;.QXR;.H;.CPP;.PDD;.RLE;.DIB;.EPS;.JPE;.PCX;.PDP;.RAW;.PCT;.PICT;.SCT;.TGA;.VDA;.ICD;.VST;.TIF;.TPL;.LOG;.PRX;.CDF;.NLS;.AX;"
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download]
"CheckExeSignatures"="no"
"RunInvalidSignatures"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments]
"SaveZoneInformation"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Associations]
"LowRiskFileTypes"=".htm;.html;.swf;.mp3;.mp2;.ape;.apl;.flac;.shn;.mpc;.mp+;.wma;.ogg;.mp4;.aac;.voc;.mid;.mac;.cda;.kar;.midi;.rar;.zip;.wav;.jpg;.gif;.png;.bmp;.jpeg;.doc;.xls;.pls;.pub;.dat;.html;.htm;.avi;.mpg;.mpeg;.nfo;.txt;.torrent;.diz;.ppt;.m3u;.sfv;.tar;.htt;.mht;.aspx;.tiff;.rtf;.ini;.cab;.ico;.icl;.ip;.iptheme;.msstyles;.theme;.dll;.psd;.swf;.php;.xaml;.iso;.bin;.cue;.xml;.par;.par2;.ace;.arj;.lzh;.7z;.gz;.bz;.uue;.bz2;.jar;.z;.adn;.aia;.img;.date;.aip;.ait;.amf;.ani;.aob;.asf;.csv;.fla;.pxr;.wmv;.nrg;.mov;.sav;.xhtml;.php5;.pxr;.m4a;.qxr;.h;.cpp;.pdd;.rle;.dib;.eps;.jpe;.pcx;.pdp;.raw;.pct;.pict;.sct;.tga;.vda;.icd;.vst;.tif;.tpl;.log;.prx;.cdf;.nls;.ax;.HTM;.HTML;.SWF;.MP3;.MP2;.APE;.APL;.FLAC;.SHN;.MPC;.MP+;.WMA;.OGG;.MP4;.AAC;.VOC;.MID;.MAC;.CDA;.KAR;.MIDI;.RAR;.ZIP;.WAV;.JPG;.GIF;.PNG;.BMP;.JPEG;.DOC;.XLS;.PLS;.PUB;.DAT;.HTML;.HTM;.AVI;.MPG;.MPEG;.NFO;.TXT;.TORRENT;.DIZ;.PPT;.M3U;.SFV;.TAR;.HTT;.MHT;.ASPX;.TIFF;.RTF;.INI;.CAB;.ICO;.ICL;.IP;.IPTHEME;.MSSTYLES;.THEME;.DLL;.PSD;.SWF;.PHP;.XAML;.ISO;.BIN;.CUE;.XML;.PAR;.PAR2;.ACE;.ARJ;.LZH;.7Z;.GZ;.BZ;.UUE;.BZ2;.JAR;.Z;.ADN;.AIA;.IMG;.DATE;.AIP;.AIT;.AMF;.ANI;.AOB;.ASF;.CSV;.FLA;.PXR;.WMV;.NRG;.MOV;.SAV;.XHTML;.PHP5;.PXR;.M4A;.QXR;.H;.CPP;.PDD;.RLE;.DIB;.EPS;.JPE;.PCX;.PDP;.RAW;.PCT;.PICT;.SCT;.TGA;.VDA;.ICD;.VST;.TIF;.TPL;.LOG;.PRX;.CDF;.NLS;.AX;"
Now doubleclick that file and it should apply those registry settings.

[ ref ]
If you're lazy, you can always grab a file prepared by someone else from here.

MSN Live - Remove "My Sharing Folders" from Explorer

Argh, more useless services that I dont want!
Can giant software companies stop adding shovelware into the installation files!?

Anyways, to get rid of the extra location "My Sharing Folders" which appears in your Explorer after installing Messenger Live, run this command.

1. Copy this command into the run prompt (but dont run it yet)
regsvr32 -u -s "C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\fsshext..dll"

2. Navigate to that folder and copy the filename starting with "fsshext".
3. Paste the correct filename into the run prompt and run it.

"My Sharing Folders" should now be removed from your Explorer and quite possibly MSN Live.
You can activate it again via MSN when you need it.

Adobe Acrobat - Remove 'Combine Supported Files in Acrobat' context menu option

I like to keep my Windows installation as clean as possible, and that means going through the trouble of removing menu items I never use as they only slow down the system.
To get rid of Adobe Acrobat's context menu options, simply run the following command.
regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 8.0\Acrobat Elements\ContextMenu.dll"
For Acrobat 9, simply change the number.
regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat Elements\ContextMenu.dll"
Another thing to take note of, x64 users have to change the command yet again.
regsvr32 /u "%programfiles(x86)%\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat Elements\ContextMenu.dll"
regsvr32 /u "%programfiles(x86)%\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat Elements\ContextMenu64.dll"
This doesnt actually work for me, I presume mainly due to the fact that its a 32bit program trying to unload a 64bit DLL. So if all else fails... resort to registry deletion.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Adobe.Acrobat.ContextMenu

That will get rid of the menu items shown below. 

a81_image2[1] 
Theres another one for folders.
image_thumb
Run this from a command console with admin access.
reg delete /f HKCR\Folder\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\Adobe.Acrobat.ContextMenu
On Acrobat 11+, you'll need to also use this (untested by me, posted in comments):
regsvr32 /u "%programfiles(x86)%\Adobe\Acrobat 11.0\Acrobat Elements\ContextMenuShim64.dll"
 Or, if you prefer to do it manually, search the registry for "{D25B2CAB-8A9A-4517-A9B2-CB5F68A5A802}" and delete it.

*edit - 19/01/2009*
Updated to include Acrobat 9 instructions.
*edit - 21/08/09*
  • Added x64 users command.
  • Added registry removal.
*edit - 9/7/2010*
So I finally found another menu item from Acrobat. This time it was for the folder.

*edit - 18/12/2013*
Added an extra command for removing it from folders on Acrobat 11. Thanks Anonymous!

[ Source ]

Windows XP - Access "System Volume Information"

Accidently clicking on that folder in Windows Explorer is annoying.
Error messages such as "Access is denied." or "*folder* is not accessible." come up, even though its on your own damn computer!

This can be used to browse that annoying folder, or also grant you access to folders owned by other people if you have administrative rights.

[Method A]
1. Open up command prompt.
2. Type "cacls "Filename with quotes" /E /G username:F" where filename could be "C:\System Volume Information" and username is your current username.

[Method B]
1. Disable Simple File Sharing in Windows Explorer (Tools -> Options -> View)
2. Go to file/folder properties and find Security tab
3. Set yourself to owner and apply to all subfolders/files
4. Close the properties dialog, and open the properties dialog again.
5. Now grant yourself full access to the file/folder then click OK/Apply.

Windows XP - Fake SP2 version

If you're on SP1 and refusing to upgrade, you can trick applications into beleiving you're on SP2 by modifying this registry key.

Go to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows"
And change "CSDVersion" from the SP1 value (0x00000100) to SP2 value (0x00000200)
I'd assume that the SP3 value is (0x00000300)

C# threading > update progress bar

C#, placed so highly on a pedestal by many.
so much shit hits fan when you try to update a label, progressbar or windows control from a thread.

Normally people would go through the trouble of declaring delegates, calling invoke with empty object arrays, shit like that which takes up roughly 6-7 lines of code.

//Declare a new delegate specific to updating the text of a label
delegate void UpdateLabelTextDelegate(Label lbl, string text);

//This method will invoke the delegate and pass our args along
void UpdateLabelText(Label lbl, string text)
{
UpdateLabelTextDelegate dlg = new UpdateLabelTextDelegate(UpdateLabelTextByDelegate);
//Invoke this method on the control's original that owns the label's handle
lbl.Invoke(dlg, new object[] { lbl, text });
}

//This method is invoked by our delegate and actually updates the label text
void UpdateLabelTextByDelegate(Label lbl, string text)
{
lbl.Text = text;
}

//Call the method now
UpdateLabelText(myLabel, "What a great post");
What a waste of time just to change a frikken label!
To make matters worse, it turns your code to garbage and makes it utterly unreadable.

Luckily, Microsoft decided to stop pounding our balls against a wall and provide us with MethodInvoker.

pbarLoading.Invoke((MethodInvoker)delegate
{
pbarLoading.Value++;
});
Short sweet and simple!

[ ref ]

File Properties Dialog Missing MP3 File Properties

If your file properties dialog is missing information from your MP3 files in the "Summary" tab, run this command in the run dialog.

"regsvr32 shmedia.dll"

Remote Desktop not working, no error messages

One day, my remote desktop stopped working. There were no error messages, so I had no idea what was wrong.
I thought it would of been some security certifications that needed updating or my computer needed rebooting after an update.

After rebooting both client and host, the problem persisted.
Scouring the net for a while, I discovered that it was due to my recently updated nVIDIA drivers. Somehow, the new drivers were breaking Remote Desktop, and surprisingly this isnt just with nVIDIA drivers).

The drivers I downloaded were GeForce WinXP 32bit v175.19.exe, but the problem seems to have been from before that. I couldn't be bothered downgrading, so I looked for an alternative.

Luckily, there was an easy solution.

The problem: [ Source ]
The root of the problem is that the session image space is too small and it can't load any more drivers into it. The session image space is shared for the display driver drivers and printer drivers. rdpdd = remote desktop protocol display driver.

You can fix this bug by increasing the size of the session image space via a registry key.

The fix:
In the registry, go to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" and add a new DWORD called "SessionImageSize"

Setting its value to 0x20 (hex) or 32 (decimal) will allocate 32mb to memory for the session image.

Reboot and your Remote Desktop should work again.

Firefox 3 automatic virus scanning

Firefox 3 has an annoying feature which automatically scans a file for viruses upon completion.
Nifty and all, but its not really needed since real-time file scanning is enabled.

Plus, it seems to take forever and do nothing, so I disabled it.

Load up the "about:config" page and filter out "browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone".
Change this to "false" and whalla, no more auto scan!

Removing gigantic splash screen on Lotus Notes 8

Lets face it, Lotus Notes sucks.
Nobody likes it.

They keep trying to fix it, making it look nicer, run faster and do more things but in the end, it's just as lovable as a cripple without arms trying to push themselves on a one wheeled wheelchair up a flight of stairs.

Whats worse is that when you run that flaming heap of shit, it takes a really... long... time.
Normally, thats expected from the application with as much appeal as a sweaty obese transvestite panting heavily in a gimp mask.

But in version 8, they reached a whole new level of brain-fucked senselessness when they decided to make a splash screen that takes up 3/4 of the screen and REMAINS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE until it has finished loading.

Thank you IBM for crippling my PC to a state of uselessness.
After a few times, it does get a little tiresome waiting for the loading screen to disappear.

To get rid of it, modify the shortcut to run "nlnotes.exe" instead of "notes.exe".
The next time you run the retarded redhead child of an email client called Lotus Notes, the splash screen should be gone.

Related posts

Fixing corrupted Thunderbird mail data

I was beginning to get too well acquainted with the Mozilla Quality Feedback Agent when my Thunderbird kept crashing randomly while either:
  • loading emails
  • viewing emails
  • deleting emails
  • completion of email downloads
  • and even upon closing of Thunderbird
It then began downloading the same email more than once after the crash, so I was getting annoyed at cleaning up after it.

Luckily, I found a way to fix it. As always, its a good idea to make a backup before making any changes.

As Thunderbird was still in a usable state, I right clicked the account which I suspected was corrupted and viewed the properties. On the "Server Settings" page, open up the "Local Directory" folder in Windows Explorer.

Now would be a good time to close Thunderbird.

Once in this folder, search for "*.msf" files and delete them. Don't worry, they are not email files, just index files which makes Thunderbird work faster.

Fire up Thunderbird again and view all your folders (ie. Inbox, Sent, Trash, etc). If you have alot of emails, it should take some time to rebuild the index files from your existing email data.
If you deleted the index files from the corrupted inbox, then Thunderbird should be working fine.

If Thunderbird is still crashing, you can either continue hunting down the rogue account by deleting the index files for a specific account one by one, or you can delete ALL index files on ALL accounts. To do this, go to a "Local Directory" for one of your accounts, but backtrack up one folder back to the "Mail" directory and perform the "*.msf" search from there.

If all else fails, try emptying your "Trash" folder.

A few reasons why Thunderbird may have been corrupted are:
  • Power outage.
  • PC rebooted without closing Thunderbird properly.
  • Emails with strange formatting or structure, causing unreadable data to be added to the index file.

[ ref ]

Dell XPS m1330 with Windows XP

Vista came preinstalled with my Dell XPS m1330 laptop and quite frankly, it sucks butter out of camel ass better than anything I know.

I tried using it.
I tried giving it a chance.
I tried to network it.
I even tried to put up with UAC ... for about 5 minutes.

My dad came around to check out my new toy and he said "Wow, your new laptop is slow."
This coming from a man who has only started to use computers in the past 3 months and still trying to figure out why an email address has to be different to a website address.
They weren't kidding when they said "the wow starts now".

Thats it, I had enough. This shit has got to go.
After inserting the vanilla Windows XP disc in, it wouldn't detect the harddrive. Baffled, I searched far and wide to find a solution.

The most elegant way I found to do this was to slipstream the drivers into the setup disc. This will save alot of hassle in the future finding the right drivers again if you need to format again.


Finding the right drivers
Firstly, we need to find the right drivers for the laptop to slipstream. Most drivers can be found on the black Dell disc which came with your laptop. Others will need to be downloaded.

I will be writing this guide for the 32bit Windows XP setup, so if you are following this guide for 64 bit Windows XP, be careful when downloading and slipstreaming the drivers.

My system specs are:
  • Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8100 (2.1GHz)
  • 200GB SATA 7200RPM Performance Hard Drive
  • 4GB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2 x 2048MB)
  • NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS (128MB G DDR3 dedicated graphic memory)
  • Integrated Stereo Sound
  • Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module
  • TrueLife (0.3MP webcam)
  • Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
  • 8-in-1 media card reader
  • Integrated 10/100 Fast Ethernet
  • Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-Card


Preparing Drivers


The following drivers are relatively straight forward to prepare. If you can't find them on the Dell driver disc, just use Google to find the filename and it should be within the first few results.

Only download from the Dell website! Just to avoid dodgy sites or faulty drivers.

Simply download the following files and extract the files using WinRAR.
There is NO need to run the setup process unless specified (ie. Dell QuickSet).

There are a few things which I have omitted such as the fingerprint scanner and various broadband card drivers, just because I don't have a use for them.


Graphics - nVIDIA ForceWare X
[ ref ]

When downloading the driver package, also download the hacked INF file from the same page. I'm not sure why this is necessary, but I followed the instructions just to be sure. Run the file and extract the drivers into a temporary folder and replace the INF file with the hacked one you downloaded. The graphics drivers are now ready to be slipstreamed.

This is a fairly big download, so leave it to download while you search for the other drivers.

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder where you extracted the nVidia drivers.

*edit*
You can now grab the drivers from NVidia directly here. I'm sure theres a fairly simple way to extract files from that executable.


Harddrive - Intel Matrix Storage Drivers [ ref ]
Filename: "R154200.exe".
Drivers: The drivers are located in the extracted folder.

The harddrive will not be detected by a vanilla copy of the Windows XP installation disc, as it does not have the appropriate SATA drivers. I've turned countless CDs into coasters learning this lesson.

Slipstreaming:
When importing the Intel Maxtrix Storage Drivers into nLite, you will see a big list of drivers.
Select "textmode driver" and select ONLY "Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller".
Do not import anything else from this driver set!


Network - Intel (R) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
Filename: "_R164255.exe"
Drivers: The files can be found under "XP\Drivers\x32".

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder "XP\Drivers\x32".


Bluetooth - Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module (Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR)

*edited*

This was found to be the wrong drivers. The bluetooth module would randomly crash if the switch for WiFi/BT was changed.

Dont use these, but kept for reference.

Filename: "Dell_Wireless-355-Bluetooth-_A01_R127314.exe"
Drivers: The files can be found under "BT355_A01\Win32".

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder "BT355_A01\Win32".
The information below is correct and has been working fine for me for a few months now.

Filename: "R161378.exe"
Drivers: The files can be found under "BTW5_1\Win32\drivers".

A rather large download being 96mb.

*edited #2*
As mentioned by sebuahkisahyangtertunda, the new XPS m1330 comes with BT 360 instead of 355. It works perfectly with "R155172.exe".
To check which device you have, view the unknown device in device manager and check the VID and PID values to match "USB\VID_413C&PID_8140".


Slipstreaming:
Import from the driver folder "BTW5_1\Win32\drivers".
I am not sure if this will provide you with the correct Bluetooth stack for Windows.
You may have to run this setup manually after Windows has been installed.


Card Reader - Ricoh R5C833
Filename: "R141246.exe"
Drivers: The files can be found under 3 folders, "MMC", "MS" and "xD".

Slipstreaming:
Import multiple folders and select the parent folder containing the folders "MMC", "MS" and "xD".
Select them all.


Motherboard - Intel Mobile Chipset

Filename: "R153997.exe"
Drivers: The files we want are under the "All" folder.

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder "All".


Network card - Broadcom 59XX 10/100 Ethernet Controller

Filename: "R155246.exe".
Drivers: The files are under "Win2K_XP".

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder "Win2K_XP".


Touchpad - Dell Touchpad / Pointing Stick Driver

Filename: "R155586.exe".
Drivers: The files are under "WinNT5\x86".

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder "WinNT5\x86".


Modem - Conexant D400, External USB 56K Modem

Filename: "R162911.exe"
Drivers: The files are extracted into the folder directly.

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the extracted folder.


Webcam - Creative Labs Laptop Integrated Webcam


*edit*
Drivers have been updated.

From Filename: "R165116.exe".
To Filename: "R173082.exe"

Drivers: The files are under "CTDriver\Oem002" and "CTDriver\Oem004".

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder "CTDriver" and select both "Oem002" and "Oem004".
I'm not sure which one is which, so I just integrated both.
This seems to be working fine.


Sound - SIGMATEL STAC 92XX C-Major HD
Filename: "R171789.exe"
Drivers: The files can be found under the folder "WDM".

Slipstreaming:
Simply import from the driver folder "WDM".

Note:
I cant seem to find a way to slipstream the files under "HDAQFE\win2k_xp\us".
If anyone knows what its for or how to slipstream it, please let me know.


Optional - Dell QuickSet
Filename: "R180759.exe"

This allows you to quickly modify some features of the laptop which arent standard, such as screen brightness.

Just run the setup after installation of Windows XP is complete.


Slipstreaming Windows XP Installation Disc
To slipstream a disk, you will need to download nLite. This program is really quite simple to use, but you can become a bit over-zealous and screw things up.

Grab a copy of your Windows XP disc and copy all the files onto your harddrive.

Fire up nLite and select the copied folder of Windows XP setup on your harddrive. It'll scan and detect the version of Windows.

Click next until you have a screen full of options. The following are the important ones you may consider playing around with.
  • Service Pack: Slipstream a service pack into your installation if you wish. (Optional but recommended)
  • Hotfixes: Similarly, you can slipstream hotfixes into your installation on this step. (Optional)
  • Drivers: This is the step where we will integrate all our drivers. (Required)
  • Bootable ISO: nLite will create an ISO for you upon completion of the process, making it much easier to burn onto CD/DVD. (Required)

Once you're ready to integrate the drivers, simply click on the "Insert" button at the bottom.
Most of the time you can get away with importing "multiple driver folder".

If a driver set only has one selection, then that will work fine. Be careful when you see an option for 64 bit drivers. Selecting the wrong one will cause you some grief.

Once thats all done, create an ISO image of the Windows XP setup and burn it onto disc using your favourite CD burning program.


Optional Drive Preparation
Prior to Installing Windows XP, you may also want to perform these steps.
  • Back up the following partitions
    • Dell recovery
    • Media Center
    • Vista

    A waste of a few good gigs right there.
  • Delete all partitions if you want to make use of the full space available.

Installing Windows XP
If you did not clear your Windows Vista partitions, then remember to tell the BIOS to load via CD/DVD first.

Slide in the CD and let it work its magic.


*edit*
30/08/2009 - Added an alternate download for Nvidia graphics drivers.

 
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