User:Freshgavin/Sandbox/Reference desk/Computers and technology

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Contents

[edit] October 13

[edit] domain functional level windows server 2003

why should I change my domain functional level ...what are the new features that are added ?

[edit] Wikipedia

whenever i save pages from wikipedia website it does not appear same as on internet.

how can i save so that it looks the same when viewing offline

File, save page as or something like File, save web page (complete) depending on your browser. Alternatively, download the wikipedia cd --frothT C 06:53, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

that is what i do --Utkarshkukreti 13:26, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

  • It doesn't work, without a monobook to refer to the page automatically loads in "classic" skin, in order to fix it, you need to save the source code to the page in question, and look for any links to monobook.js, the default monobook, and manually correct them to link to wikipedia's own servers, which only works while you're online, otherwise it will revert to "classic" skin--66.65.155.117 20:51, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
  • Look through the source for anything containing @import "/skins-1.5/monobook/IE50Fixes.css?1"--66.65.155.117 20:53, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] O in Opera

When I'm using Opera web browser, every so often the 'o' key stops working. It is fixed, I have found, by pressing 'alt' twice in a row. I haven't noticed any patterns as to when it occurs, and I don't think that I'm somehow pressing 'alt' accidentally. Does anybody know why this might be occuring, and how I could stop it forever? —Daniel (‽) 18:35, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sound too high-pitched in Windows.

I did a complete format and reinstall of Windows 2000 on this computer. The sound was fine before, but now it's too high-pitched, and additionally seems sped-up. (A 1:33 song will play in 1:20 on my stopwatch, for instance.) What could have caused this, and where do I look to fix it? The problem occurs in Sound Recorder on WAV files, in Media Player Classic on MP3 files, and in the Explorer preview of said WAV files. The sound card is listed as an "Intel(R) 82801BA/BAM AC '97 Audio Controller - 2445" in Device Manager; I'm using drivers I got from the Compaq website yesterday. 69.173.119.165 18:51, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't have the cure, but note that the increased speed would be expected to cause higher pitch. StuRat 23:05, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to enable windows task manager

All of a sudden after I restarted my computer I tried to open task manager but it said it was disabled by the administrator. I never disabled it that I can recall, and I can't find where to re enable it. If anyone knows how to reenable its use I would appreciate the information. I appreciate any help that is given.

Do you have access to the administrator account? If so, log in as administrator and change your account to one that has the rights to use the task manager. If you don't have access to the administrator account, complain to your computer administrator. --Kainaw (talk) 19:42, 13 October 2006 (UTC)
!!! You probably have the Win32.P2P-Worm.Alcan.a virus !!! Perform a system restore immediately, and follow any applicable instructions on the sites that the Google search has found. Unfortunately I got it so long ago, I can't point you in the direction of more helpful advice. Hyenaste (tell) 19:51, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm logged into the administrator account, this is a single user pc and I've never disabled it to begin with it just happened on its own somehow. I've searched with AdAware,Norton,NOD32,ewido,spybot, and zonealarm pro and the problem still keeps occuring. Recently I've had to kill all access to Internet Explorer because everytime it would open or try to open it would cause Windows Explorer to crash. I don't know what to do about the virus assuming that's what it is if I can't find it with any of these programs, if anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it greatly. Thanks in advance.

None of those programs were able to remove it for me either. I had to actually go in and delete it from folders and registry (ugh). You may not have the virus though. To check, enter your computer via safe mode, and hit ctrl-R and type msconfig. Click the far-right tab and check for a program called KatchEm, or locate anything you don't recognise. Disable these entries (uncheck them). This doesn't solve the problem at all, but I think it does allow you to log onto the computer at least once normally. I would then run a total system search for .exe files that were created today (or yesterday, or from when you first noticed the problem). Check to see if you have several hundred similarly sized files. Also check your documents folder for hundreds of similar .exe files. (I believe the size is 851.7KB.) Hyenaste (tell) 00:26, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
I would recommend that you download some of the tools from sysinternals, most importantly Process Explorer and Autostart. Autostart is FAR superior than msconfig, it will list everything that the OS runs at startup, including all the dlls. Process Explorer is a replacement for task manager, and it too is far superior. There is an option in it that says "Replace Task Manager" that replaces the standard task manager with it, so when you press ctrl+alt+del it comes up. It is also far superior to the standard program, it can TONS of things the task manager can't. You can verify the digital signatures of your legitimate software, it can list all the dlls a program is using, it lists all programs in a tree view so you know what started what, it can tell you the exact commandline a program used to start, it can give you many nice little graphs, and MUCH, much more. And, even with all of these great features, it is still really lightweight (only one exe), it's fast, it doesn't consume a whole lot of memory, it doesn't bog down your system at all. It's fantastic if you've got malware on your computer. All people with windows really should be using it. Oskar 01:51, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
Ohh, and also, there are a number of other programs at sysinternals that greatly help with cleaning your windows box. If there is a file that is impossible to delete for instance, sysinternals provides a program that will set windows to delete it on startup. That will work on every file. You should check the site out, it really can help. However, it may still be impossible to get rid of certain very nasty malware, because sometimes they are just that nasty. To completely clean your system, you need either a system restore (which might not necessarily work) or completely reinstall windows. Oskar 01:55, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Runic alphabet in Unicode

I'm making the assumption that the Runic alphabet is part of Unicode (I'm quite sure I've seen something to that effect, but if I'm wrong, ignore the next question, just tell me it isn't). I found out it is, so I just need the answer to the next question. If I wanted to find it in Windows Character Map, where is it (or is it in it at all?) By finding it, I mean what part of "Group by" (I can get it via code searches already) Thanks. - Рэдхот 21:37, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

That a character is listed in Unicode does not mean yet that your computer can display it. Most fots cover only a small subset of Unicode. So, you need to install either a font explicitely for runes, or a font that aims to cover the whole of Unicode. The latter is a neat thing to have, and there happens to be a good one designed as shareware project: Code 2000. See the link at the end of the article. Simon A. 08:29, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
Runic letters are found starting at U+16A0. Perhaps the following will display for you:
ᚠᚡᚢᚣᚤᚥᚦᚧᚨᚩᚪᚫᚬᚭᚮᚯᚰᚱᚲᚳᚴᚵᚶᚷᚸᚹᚺᚻᚼᚽᚾᚿᛀᛁᛂᛃᛄᛅᛆᛇᛈᛉᛊᛋᛌᛍᛎᛏᛐᛑᛒᛓᛔᛕᛖᛗᛘᛙᛚᛛᛜᛝᛞᛟᛠᛡᛢᛣᛤᛥᛦᛧᛨᛩᛪ᛫᛬᛭ᛮᛯᛰ
Or try this page, which should always work. --KSmrqT 10:22, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for those. By "I can get it via code searches" I was actually trying to imply I have a fonmt that supports it. It's just when I go to "Group by" I can't find it in any individual groups (I don't need it in a group, just wondering is all). But thanks anyway - Рэдхот 12:30, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
Ah. Instead of Windows Character Map, which indeed is incomplete, try BabelMap. --KSmrqT 14:31, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Splitting AVI files

I just want to split films (AVI files) into smaller parts, and I am an absolute ignoramus as far as programming and software in general are concerned. I'm not satisifed with what I was able to achieve with Windows Movie Maker. Which of the available free video editing software would you recommend? Thanks, --194.145.161.227 22:37, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

If splitting videos is all you want, Avidemux can do that quite easily. It's free and open source. It can't do all that much, but it can split video files. Oskar 01:34, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, that was exactly what I needed! --194.145.161.227 10:20, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

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[edit] October 14

[edit] Frames Per Second - limits of conscious visual recognition

Question - what is the typical limit in Frames Per Second (or fractions of a second) of human visual recognition on a conscious level?

Background - trying to do an experiment in subliminal messages using home edited videos. Microsoft Movie Maker 2 appears to edit only at 7 FPS. I have found that when a frame is 1/7th of second, it is clearly visible to the conscious mind. I have scoured articles on how fast the image needs to be (including Wikipedia article on subliminal messages), but cannot find answer to above question. When shopping for a replacement consumer software package that allows editing in more detail, how many frames per second do I need to edit so that, when I insert the subliminal message frame, most of the viewers will not consciously perceive it?

For extra credit, any ideas on consumer software packages that would allow such editing?

Thank you in advance.

I'm in no way an expert on this, but from what I've read, when the numbers of frames per second are 24 or more per second, the human brain can no longer recognize them as individual images, only as a moving picture. That is why movies in movie theatres are at 24 fps (which curiously makes them a few mintues shorter when airing on PAL-television, which is 25 fps). However, I'm certain that the human brain can comprehend images at even higher fpses, whether conciously or uncounciously. That is, if a frame that is radically different flashes by in a 30 fps clip, you probably would notice it (even though you obviously couldn't recall what was actually in the frame). That is my guess anyway. I'd say try it with 24 fps and a few higher numbers and see the results you get. Oskar 01:42, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
This limit is known as the flicker fusion threshold, so see there. A similar question was recently asked on the Science reference desk: WP:RD/S#How many "frames" per second can our eye process?, so see there, too. We also have an article on subliminal message. Simon A. 08:35, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Page views of websites

I want a few links in which I can see the total page views of top 10 English websites. If you dont know any links, I just want to know page views of three sites Yahoo, MSN and google ( all figures must be for global including USA)

The closest you're going to get are the alexa rankings. They are not very reliable however, but they will give you a ballpark number. See [1] [2] [3] Oskar 03:30, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] If, then, how, why

If integer(FOO/2) = FOO/2 then Print "EVEN" ElseIf print "ODD" EndIF Is FOO even or odd?205.188.117.12 14:38, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm confused. How is "integer FOO/2 = FOO/2" a meaningful if statement? There's no way to know whether FOO is even or odd in this case, because there's no meaningful initialization for FOO. Even then, I'm not that fluent in VB, but I don't understand why someone would want to compare FOO/2 to FOO/2, because it should always print EVEN, regardless of the initialization. Something like "if (FOO % 2 == 0)" would be a better choice (not sure how to do that out of C). Wooty 20:31, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
This is an extremely bad way to do it, but in some languages (depending on how it uses types), it might work. See he's using the function "integer()" which extracts the integer value from a float (ie, it floors it). So integer(3.5) = 3. Then for instance if you have FOO = 15, you get integer(15/2) = 15/2, or 7.5 = 7 which is false, therefore the number is odd. I used a similar trick on my old TI-83+ because it didn't have a mod function and it had only one type (a float). Still, in more advanced languages, this is a mindnumbingly stupid way to do it. There are two major pitfalls: if FOO is of type integer, FOO/2 might return an integer answer, thus the statement is always true, also if the integer function returns an int, there might be type error. And it's hard to read.
Still I don't know how VB handles types, but if I remember my BASIC correctly it's pretty liberal. So it might work. That is, however, not an excuse for bad design. As you would say in a c-derivative language, (FOO % 2 == 0) ? "EVEN" : "ODD" is a much better way to do it. Oskar 21:14, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
The even/odd distinction depends on FOO being an integer. (Is 3.14 even or odd? No.) Thus we use a bitwise operator; test if FOO And 1 equals 0. It's cheap and readable.
Here's an old trick along the same lines. To decide if an integer n is a power of 2, test if n equals n And -n. (The latter expression selects the low-order 1-bit in n.) --KSmrqT 23:32, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
This is a clever hack if you are sure that the variable is an int. This might not be the case; even though the value obviously is an integer, the type might very well be a float. You might, for instance, want to know if 14.00 is even or odd. The way to reliably test that number is to do the mod thing. You'll get part of the manitissa if you do the binary and thing. Oskar 01:42, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
If the number is stored in a float, how can we know it's an integer? First, store it in an integer, then test. In fact, VB might even do the desired conversion automatically, since the And operator is not defined for "fractional" data types. The power-of-two test is clever; the even-odd test is neither clever nor a hack, but only an obvious use of radix-2 notation. Is it a "clever hack" to observe that a number written in decimal is divisible by 10 if the last digit is zero? I don't think so. --KSmrqT 08:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
There might be many reasons why you would want to know if an integer float is even or odd, and converting it to an integer first is just a nuisance. You might have an application with a lot of mathematical operations, and you wish to keep variables consitently floats. You might get the number as a result of series of operations on floats, and you knew that the result would be an integer. I called your way a hack because it utilized a special property in how the number was stored, not a special property in the number itself. If a solution is equally good (infact, I believe that if you do the foo % 2 thing on an int, clever compilers will do the binary and thing), there is no reason to go with the more obscure and less clear way. Using "mod 2" makes the code more readable, it makes the code more understandable, it makes the code more portable and it is a more stable solution. Oskar 12:29, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Blocking ads in websites

Is it possible for websites to detect whether the browser is using ad blockers? And if the browser is using ad blockers, is it possible for that website to say a message saying ' you are using ad blockers; you cannot see this page' or something like that. Is this possible or is it ot possible for the website to do this? I would also like to know how many percentage of world Internet users block graphical ads in percent

Now why do I get the impression you want to spam the world with an infinite number of ads and keep them from blocking you ? StuRat 22:01, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
It is possible: use JavaScript to determine whether a popup window exists or not after requesting it to pop up. x42bn6 Talk 22:33, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
That would require the use of a popup window. And it what to do when the user removes it? And how would you distinguish between the user and the computer doing it? In either case, would you wish to send them such a message, basically telling them to fuck off? Not likely. You're talking about a potential customer (if StuRat's assumption is correct). Other than that, a user downloads a page and a browser then renders it. How it does that is something you ultimaltely cannot affect, once you've sent it. So you'd first have to get the viewer's cooperation and only then send the info. DirkvdM 07:05, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
I think most scripts do this action immediately after a window is loaded, so technically a user can't, er, click it that quickly. Basically, JavaScript initiates a window opening call and detects if it exists or not, then closes the window in the next statement. A quick Google search gives you a script, by the way. x42bn6 Talk 11:53, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Printing PDFs in a Different Color

I'm taking a college course right now that doesn't have a textbook; instead, everyone has to print out a bunch of readings for every class. It's taking a toll on my black print cartridge. For Word documents I don't need to turn in, I change the font to a different color (say, blue) because I rarely if ever print anything that needs color. Is there a way to print black and white PDFs, which most of the readings I have to print are, in another color like I do for my Word documents? Thanks. --Maxamegalon2000 17:17, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] I wan't as much Information as possible on:

  • World of Internet & unique websites,IT Buzzwords,Acronyms.
  • Personalities-International,National,Local.
  • Advertisements of IT and Communication companies.
  • Software products,companies & brands,History of IT,humorous side of IT.
  • Areas where computers have made an impact such as education, entertainment, books, multimedia, internet, banking, advertisements, sports, etc.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 59.95.5.64 (talk • contribs).
For all that info I suggest you read Wikipedia, one article at a time. If you have a SPECIFIC question, then come back here. StuRat 20:42, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Best way to send large files over internet

What's the best way to send a large file (~100-500MB) over the internet if you don't have access to a reliable server with that much space? The tech-saavy could set up an ftp/http server on their home computer, configure the hardware firewall, and send a link. Most people aren't going to be able to do this, however. What are the other options? Sending the file through AIM? Is there some good free third-party server for this sort of thing-- an Imageshack for half-gig files, for example? --Alecmconroy 19:34, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Best way? Learn to configure your router (http://portforward.com) and install a server (Apache web server). If there's anyone out there too stupid to look that up, they don't need to be sending their 500 megs of crap.--Frenchman113 on wheels! 19:59, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
www.megaupload.com goes up to 250mb, there are ones out there that go up to a gig. Wooty 20:26, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
You could always use bittorrent, even if you just want to send a single file to one person. Create a torrent from the file and register it to a free tracker and start your torrent-program and act as a seeder on that file. Then you can send the torrent (which is fine, since they're tiny) to every computer you want to download the file to and they can fire up their torrent software and download from the seeder. This method has a number of advantages: easy pause/resume functionality, it's free, it's very simple, as many people as you want can download it, don't have to worry about IPs and such (the protocol takes care of that), and the files can be as big as you want. If you want to send a really large file to someone, this is most likely the best way. You could use something like AIM, but the torrent protocol is much more sophisticated in transferring large files. For instance, what if you need to reboot while it's downloading? With bittorrent that isn't a problem, but it certainly might be with aim. Oskar 21:24, 14 October 2006 (UTC)
Easiest and fastest for files over 100MB would probably be these temporary hosting sites. This list is from the good folks at 4chan/b/; I can't vouch for any of them being non-evil. Here they are, grouped by maximum upload size. grendel|khan 05:06, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
2 GB:
http://www.sendover.com/
http://www.snaggys.com/

1.5 GB:
http://www.megashares.com/

1 GB:
http://www.transferbigfiles.com/

700 MB:
http://www.depositfiles.com/

500 MB:
http://www.filefactory.com/
http://www.zupload.com/
http://www.spread-it.com/
http://www.mooload.com/

300 MB:
http://www.uploading.com/
http://www.sendspace.com/
http://www.bigupload.com/
http://www.rapidupload.com/
http://www.sharebigfile.com/

250 MB:
http://www.megaupload.com/
http://www.updownloadserver.de
http://www.xtrafile.com/
http://www.bonpoo.com/
http://www.filecache.de/upload

200 MB:
http://supload.com/sendfile
I would like to point out, in defence of my bittorrent solution: it will take the same amount of time to upload to one of these sites as it will to transfer the file directly (it's capped by your upload speed), and it is much more "stable". if you will. What if it takes 3-4 hours to upload and you accidentally close your browser? What if a cable is accidentaly yanked out, or your internet connection suddenly goes out? The bittorrent protocol was invented to be able to easily transfer large files over the internet. That was it's purpose. Oskar 12:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

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[edit] October 15

[edit] Revert graphics settings

Is there a way I can revert back to my graphic settings from a previous date in Windows XP?207.200.116.65 00:35, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Did you create a system restore point? If so, you can use that. Alternatively, just go into the display properties (right-click on the Desktop and choose "properties") and reset things to the way they were before. Display settings are very simple to change. Or did you have a specific problem that can't be fixed so easily? — QuantumEleven 20:30, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] cartoon

I want to draw pictures, scan the minto my computer, and put them into a sequence as to look like they are in motion, like a cartoon. What is a good program I can use that's free. I have a MacBook and the latest OS from Apple. Thanks for any suggestions. schyler 03:38, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

GIMP? - Mgm|(talk) 17:34, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I can't find X11 on my install disk. What files mus I open to get to it? schyler 17:54, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] searching wikipedia from the MS Office Research task pane

hi,

how can i add Wikipedia to the MS Office Research feature so that i can search Wikipedia directly from the Research task pane?

thanks.

Xero

[edit] Sort or count by word

I have this page that I'd like to sort by color, and also count the number of times a color appears (each color has a 6 digit string, so this is basically a word sort and word count). Can this be done, maybe on notepad or something? Thanks. NoSeptember 14:59, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I use EditPad Pro (which you can try for free) as a text editor, it allows you to count the number of occurences of a word (by going on find/replace (Ctrl-F) typing in the search string and pressing count), but there seems no easy way to order the list, is this useful?--Bjwebb (talk) 15:11, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
I whipped up a quick little program that sorted the list by date. Is this ok? Oskar 18:00, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
That is very very excellent :). I will link viewers of my list there. Could you run that program once a month (say on the 5th of each month (to allow for my usual month-end updating))? NoSeptember 18:18, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
Sure, no problem. I should use your page as a source, I'm assuming? Oskar 18:59, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
Yes. And if you are interested, you could do two versions, one with the semi-active list included, one without. We can dig through the history of your new subpage to find the version we want. And if this ever becomes a bother to you, just post the code on the talk page and we will find someone to do it. As for myself, I am completely non-tech savvy ;). 19:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)NoSeptember
Allright, I added sections on semi-active, inactive and former admins. I'm putting a note in my calendar to update it every 5th of the month. If I forget, please remind me ;). The code I used is on the talk page. It's filthy, but it works. Oskar 20:20, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Low price computer

What is the lowest price pc, including monitor, that can be bought new?--Bjwebb (talk) 15:11, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

BJWebb lives in England - Adrian Pingstone 17:18, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
That depends entirely on what you want. You can probably get an old PC from someone who is replacing it, or from a company that's getting rid of old material, for very little (under £100). However, it probably won't run modern programs - if that's not a problem for you, then that's your best bet. Check out shops that assemble computers, they can probably point you in the direction of second-hand computer shops. — QuantumEleven 20:28, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
You might even be able to find a friend or coworker who is tossing out an old computer, and get it for free. The computer I'm typing on was given to me free from my brother's employer, as they were planning on tossing it out anyway. It's old (running Windows 98), but works fine, and I couldn't beat the price. StuRat 22:42, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
I think maybe the previous two respondants missed the word "new" in the original query. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 05:30, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why one of my speakers will eventually stop working?

It is very common for me to have my stereo+subwoofer or just stereo speakers to become forcefully "mono". Why is that? How can I prevent my new speakers from breaking down? Thanks.

This might be rather obvious, but just in case, you do realize that when you play mono music on a stereo, it still comes out as mono, right ? StuRat 22:38, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
Well it still might come out both speakers but it'll still be only one channel of data. --frothT C 20:03, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Shell32.dll cannot be replaced because it appears to be in use.

I need to update my shell32.dll to get a program working, but I cannot replace it because "another process is using it". What now? = Mgm|(talk) 17:16, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

  • Additional info: I'm using Windows98, so I'm not expecting support from Microsoft on this one. And I get the error message "HC.exe is gekoppeld aan ontbrekende uitvoer shell32.DLL:SHCreateDirectoryExA" which means so much as "HC.exe is linked to missing output shell32.DLL:SHCreateDirectoryExA". I found something about a fix but that was for a specific other problem with that DLL not mine. - Mgm|(talk) 17:33, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
  • I got a patch from them, but now the program crashes on start up. They're looking into it, but any smart insights are still welcome. - Mgm|(talk) 19:49, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rome:Total War -- Low budget alternative

I've tried Rome:Total War at a friend's place. My computer is very low end (around 700 MHz and very little disc space. Can anyone recommend a war game with a similar gameplay but a little less demanding on my system. I specifically prefer non-turn based games. - Mgm|(talk) 19:49, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

  • I don't mind low-tech or 2D setups. I do like historical battles (Roman, Alexander, etc) better than WWII. If you know of a free game, I want to hear about it as long as it is not turn-based. Non-free suggestions are welcome too. - Mgm|(talk) 19:58, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
Well, there are always the precursor games, Medieval: Total War and Shogun: Total War. Both were outstanding for their time, and if you overlook the somewhat dated graphics both still play exceptionally well (I used to play a huge amount of Medieval before getting Rome, and I can attest that it's excellent). — QuantumEleven 20:26, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
Will those two really work on a 700 mhz computer with no graphics card? I'd recommend one of the classic 2d-rtses, Red Alert 2, Warcraft II, The Settlers III (fantastic game, but you have to have the patience of a small galaxy), etc. Oskar 21:01, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, check out the requirements on the articles. Medieval: Total War requires at least an 8mb video card, but that's still pretty low, and Mgm didn't specify anything in this regard. As Quantum said, it's a excellent game, and despite the low requirements you can still have some massive battles. It just looks somewhat dated compared to Rome:TW and Medieval 2:TW. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 00:01, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] My suck-ass trojan

I've just downloaded this trojan, ntdll.exe. It's not doing anything though. Occasionally, maybe once per day, I'll get a pop-up that explorer.exe has encountered a problem due to ntdll.exe, but that's about the extent of this trojan. None of my spyware scanners can find it. A search for executables created in the past few weeks comes up empty. What's up with it? Hyenaste (tell) 20:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Just because you aren't seeing anything happen doesn't mean nothing is. It's probably using your computer as a bot and either DDoSing people or sending spam using it. I'd suggest you download Autoruns and see what is starting when you put on your computer. Look for the exe there. Look where it's located, remove it from the list and the drive. This probably won't help you, but do it and report what you get (I'm assuming that you've googled for guides to remove it, yes?) Oskar 20:58, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
Nothing unusual. I wouldn't even think I had one except for that occasional pop-up. Hyenaste (tell) 21:21, 15 October 2006 (UTC)
  • Visit symantec.com and get a removal tool. You may not see it, but it may be exploiting a security leak and those can relay all sorts of info from your computer you do not want in wrong hands. - Mgm|(talk) 23:33, 15 October 2006 (UTC)


[edit] October 16

Nothing archived today - my fault - Martinp23 16:46, 18 October 2006 (UTC)


[edit] October 17

[edit] PICAXE programming under Ubuntu GNU/Linux

Hi,

So far, I have failed to find any substitute for the Programming Editor available for PICAXE programming on Windows. I tried to run it on Ubuntu with Wine, but it's really garbage.

So... Any substitutes under Ubuntu or rather Linux as a whole? Thanks.

--inky 05:27, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

Um, have a look at gnupic.org to see if there's something suitable for you. --Robert Merkel 06:58, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Converting Google Video to mpg

Say, I want to convert this google video file I downloaded into an mpeg format. How so? — X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve)08:58, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

That is not possible, A Google Video file is a closed format. But you can download a Google Video file for a Sony PSP or an Ipod, I think you can convert those files to an other format. Tukkaatje 12:44, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
I don't know if it currently exists, but it should be possible via video capture software. StuRat 13:36, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
Naevius GVI Converter claims to be able to convert GVI files to the standard AVI format, though I know nothing about it and have never used it, so can't vouch for that. Loganberry (Talk) 14:41, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
By using regular screenshots, you can capture and re-encode the video. You can then capture the audio as it goes to your sound card. You'll have to get/write the scripts for that yourself though (since Google Video Player is a VLC fork, it should have an option to disable DX overlays).--Frenchman113 on wheels! 22:22, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Does Google rank pages by outgoing links?

I thought Google ranks pages by incoming hyperlinks.

Does the number of outgoing links also affect a page ranking?

What effect does this have on Wikipedia?

As far as I know the basic method involves ranking by incoming links, and it wouldn't make any sense to do it the other way around. I've heard that Wikipedia was granted an especially high rating by Google employees (and I assume many trusted websites are given similar treatment) which may boost articles to the top of the search even when there are few incoming links. I can't say I'm familiar with the methods that page ranking services like Alexa operate on. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:17, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
Yes, I'd say only incoming links (weighted with the credibility of the linking page) have any effect. —Bromskloss 11:56, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
It is my opinion that the age of a website is also used by Google. I've had the same domain name, with an active web page, for many years - long before Google or Lycos or Alta Vista or Yahoo... There are very few sites on the web that link to my website. So, it shouldn't be considered much of anything. But, my site is spidered by Google (and Yahoo and MSN and Ask...) daily. Without the incoming (or outgoing) links to use as a basis for why Google considers my page worth spidering, I'd have to say it is the age of the site. --Kainaw (talk) 17:22, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
(As directed at the top of this page, please sign your posts using four tildes ("~~~~").
Automatic page ranking done well is what boosted Google to the top of Internet search engines. The original theory was published, so is no secret. However, any such system can be manipulated, and many folks have a huge financial incentive to do so. Therefore the details of what is done today are constantly changing, and not made public; here's the little Google itself says. Speculation abounds, some better informed than others.
And did it not occur to you to seek an answer to this question by searching the web? --KSmrqT 04:51, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Image comparison script

We get a quite a few questions about identifying sources for pictures, and I swear I've read somewhere (popular science or something like that perhaps?) about programs/a program that index internet images (like google images does) and then compare them using some sort of algorithm to find similarities, and find duplicates.

I've found a couple pages boasting similar abilities, but only for small limited sets of images. Does anyone know of such a program? freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:12, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

I've discussed just such a program at the Ref Desk before. It's quite difficult, as it would ideally need to be able to deal with the following:
  • Different scale images.
  • Different image formats.
  • Different clipping. For example, a pic should be able to be matched with a close-up of one part of the pic, or two pics which have an area of overlap should be matched.
  • Different color schemes, 32 bit, 24 bit, 16 bit. 8 bit, greyscale, and even black and white.
  • Different aspect ratios.
  • Mirrored or rotated images.
  • The most difficult problem, likely requiring some form of artificial intelligence would be to match pics of the same object from different angles.
You could write a program to do all that, but it would take a long time to compare any two pics. If Google were to try to use it to categorize all their pics, the resources required to get this job done would be extreme. StuRat 13:27, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
If you've ever used a tool which implements the SiFT algorithm, you'd be pretty impressed at how good the feature recognition is. (It deals with stretched, squashed, sheared and rotated images, and image parts.) I wouldn't think it entirely out of the realm of possibility. You'd have to have a human on the end of it, but there are algorithms which can cut down tremendously on the amount of human work. grendel|khan 16:07, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] WIFI 2-way control with Pocket PC

Hello! I want to be able to control my Pocket PC from my desktop via WiFi. BUT: I also want my Pocket PC to send back images from its camera. Is there any easy way of establishing this 2-way control? The reason I want to do this is to control a robot using beeps emitted from the Pocket PC's headphone socket, but also see where it is going at the same time.

I have tried Microsoft Portrait, but that gives me no control of the Pocket PC. Please can you help me. I have also tried Portrait and MS Remote Command but that is a very slow process. Please can you help me! --212.56.97.238 11:35, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Best programming tool for beginner

Whats the best free programming environment for a beginner with no programming experience? It should due GUI stuff and create stand alone executables. Cross platform prefered.

What about Lazarus, which is based on the open-source Free Pascal and runs on Win32, Linux, MacOS, FreeBSD...? Lazarus is a clone of Delphi, which is itself based on Pascal. It's still a work-in-progress so may not be stable or complete enough for large projects, but on the basis of a few minutes' playing around with it I think it's quite good enough for learning on - and you also have the advantage that much of the huge volume of Delphi documentation will be applicable to Lazarus too. Loganberry (Talk) 14:38, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
If by environment you mean something broader than IDE, I recommend BASIC. Try FreeBASIC or PowerBASIC. --frothT C 17:15, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
IMHO, a "beginner with no programming experience" should not be worried about GUI "stuff" and cross-platform executables to start with, but with learning programming. It's like asking what's the best driver's education program? It must allow me to drive an F-1 class Ferrari next week. --LarryMac 19:06, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, I agree. Although, VB makes it pretty easy to do GUIs, if I remember correctly. Newbie easy. It's a very BAAAAD way to learn though, you should learn the basics first Oskar 23:35, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
Oh yes, VB has ruined many an aspiring programmer's career. Learn it much later if you absolutely must, but otherwise stay the heck away --frothT C 02:08, 18 October 2006 (UTC)
A beginning programmer needs to learn programming, which is an uncommon discipline. See Category:Educational programming languages for a selection of languages intended to help, most of which come with development environments and cross-platform implementations. Notable examples are Logo, Scheme, and ToonTalk, from the MIT tradition, and the Smalltalk family out of Xerox PARC.
Programming requires structured thought, structured action, and structured data. Daily life is not adequate preparation for these demands; in fact, most people give terrible directions and unsound explanations. A mistake in a single character in a program can cause it to fail — a daunting challenge when confronting a program requiring thousands of lines of code. Thus programming includes not only problem definition, method design, and program implementation, but also structured testing, structured diagnosis, and structured correction. A final essential is documentation, especially important in a large project.
Do not be embarrassed to begin with a training environment like Alice; the insights and habits gained there will be more important in the long run than wrestling with the obstacles of a “serious” implementation language like C++. And, paradoxically, the total time to mastery of C++ will likely be shortened by including this learning step. --KSmrqT 06:57, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Odd first line on "database" entry page

I think this might be vandalism, but the first line on the entry for "database" reads like a nonsequitur. I don't have a user account and I'm not sure how to fix it, since when I try to "edit" the line doesn't even show on the edit page - only the published page.

Can someone check it out?

Thanks, A.Pacchia

Is this what you were referring to? Seems that it was caught in about half an hour. Well it seems fine now.. in the future use WP:HD instead of this desk --frothT C 17:11, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] USB Cables

I am interested in controlling electricity in a usb cable. My aim is to send a small but significant voltage to a device the other end.

I understand that there are three main parts to a usb cable, a live wire, a ground wire and two twisted wires for data.

Can the two power wires be controlled from a computer?

I don't really know what to search for, Google has given me a list of USB based products which doesn't help much and any pages which are related tell me information I already know.

Could you suggest some online resources which would make this easier or explain how i would go about doing it.

Thanks very much

PeteL 18:28, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

I suppose that actual functionality would depend on your USB controller, but the specification doesn't allow for any variation in power. You're better off just using the power lines for power and resisting it depending on what's on the data lines. USB uses differential signaling to reduce interference so you might want to read up on that before trying to design your own controller. Also the data lines are asynchronous so make sure it's not oscillating before addressing it to the resistors (or variable resistor). Or if I'm totally off here and you don't need variable power, just use the power lines and interrupt them when you don't need power (use the data lines to determine this) --frothT C 18:54, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
Have you looked at our USB article, and more importantly, some of the external links on that page? --LarryMac 18:59, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nokia cell phone

i know this is not exactly a computing question but i hope one of you can help me out. i have a Nokia 3155i (Virgin Mobile edition). i know it can play MP3 and AAC because most of the ringtunes it comes with are in those formats. I am wondering how i could load my own MP3 music from my computer onto it and use it as an mp3 player. does it have a music player interface? i couldnt find it in the menus. Also, i know it only fits 12 MB. is there anyway to expand the memory?

They talk a little about connecting to your computer on their page, but don't mention sound files. You could always ask them. —Bromskloss 01:00, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] October 18

[edit] October 19

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