Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2006 December 7

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Computing desk
< December 6 << Nov | December | Jan >> December 8 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.


Contents


[edit] December 7

[edit] ADOBE ACROBAT .pdf files

How do I download a Web file using Adobe acrobat to open a .pdf file--AND THEN how do I save such a file in Microsoft Word, as an ordinary Microsoft word (Word File) ?

I'm not sure it's possible, the best option is to copy the contents of the PDF file and paste it Word. If you want to edit the content though you'll only be able to do this PDFs that consist of actual text. If the text is within an image then you'll need to use some OCR software. --Kiltman67 02:17, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Yeah. You can't just convert from PDF to Word. You can strip the text of many of them (depending on how they are created) and then re-create the layout and design within Word, but that's as good as it gets. --24.147.86.187 00:08, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Windows Updates

Why do Windows XP Automatic Updates take forever to download? --Russoc4 00:35, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

They always seem to download pretty fast for me, perhaps it's a problem with your connection. --Kiltman67 02:06, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Do you have a dial-up connection ? That would explain it. StuRat 11:21, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] printer ink

How do i check the amount of ink that i have left in my cartridge in the printer?

Either you, or your printer software can only guesstimate based on how much has been used rather than exactly what is left. --Russoc4
The service people do it by weighing the cartridge. –mysid☎ 21:56, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How do I change or delete the "User Profile" / "Registered to: " name on my PC?

I've been given a PC that's running Windows XP and the previous owner's name is listed under "Registered to: " and also under "User Profiles". I've managed to change the name under "User Accounts", but I can't alter it at the other two places I mentioned. Thanks 172.189.150.172 01:09, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

You will need to reinstall Windows XP. As far as I know that's the only way to change the "Registered to:" field. — QuantumEleven 08:41, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Inherited and fiddled-with computers are a problem. There are programs that will do this for you. This blog explains Magical Jellybean, so you can change your name, and you can use something like RockXP to get other passwords. I have had to use it once to repossess my own machine after leaving my home in the care of teenage family for a while:). I have no clue what this does to the "Genuine Windows" authentication. --Seejyb 20:28, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
User profiles is, if I remember right, not easily changable. I know in past version of Windows (98) you could edit the user/company information by editing the registry. Unless this is an OEM machine (EG. it has a company's logo in "System properties"), changing the registered to name shouldn't affect WGA/WPA. 68.39.174.238 06:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Changing the Registered user information can be easily done in the registry. To change the user profile, simply create a new user account and delete the old one. Be sure you save or transfer anything you need from the old profile first, such as My Documents, Favorites, etc. --Alan 11:54, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] TI-86 program

I think this belongs here, but if someone disagrees, feel free to move it. I am trying to program in a something that will find the mod26 of any number inputted. I have a program that works fine on the TI-83 and TI-84, but there when I try to run it on an 86, it pops up with an error message. Why doesn't it work? Deltacom1515 02:04, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Post your code here. WP 07:41, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Alrighty
:Menu(1,"POS",A,5,"NEG",B)
:Lbl A
:Prompt M
:Lbl S
:If M<26
:Then
:Disp M
:Goto Z
:Else
:(M-26) -> M
:Goto S
:Lbl B
:Prompt X
:Lbl Y
:If X>0
:Then 
:Disp X
:Goto Z
:Else
:(X+26) -> X
:Goto Y
:Lbl Z

Once again, works on the TI-83 and 84, not the TI-86. It show up all as one block here, but it's supposed to be on a different line in the calculator (obviously). By the by, the error is "Error 10 Data Type" when i click goto, the cursor goes to the space right after the M in "Prompt M"Deltacom1515

Seems like your Menu syntax is incorrect for the TI-86. The manual has an example :Menu(1,"Again",A,5,"Stop",B), and the general syntax Menu(menuItemNo,"name1",label1[...]). –mysid☎ 21:52, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Ok, so I did that, and when I select the "Negative" item, it works, but when I select "Positive" it pops up with another error message "Error 10 Data Type" again and the cursor jumps after the ":Prompt M" line. (I changed the above code to reflect what the program now looks like) Deltacom1515 02:07, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

That's odd... It works well in my TI-86. –mysid☎ 07:22, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

For some very odd reason, using "M" in the prompt doesn't work so I changed it to "D" and now it works. Go figure. Thanks for all of your help Mysid. Deltacom1515

If I remember correctly, the data type error is the result of storing data in to the wrong variable type. Try deleting your M variable, and running it again. Alternately, you can take a look at what kind of variable it is. (Is it a REAL?) jdstroy 04:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Porting and debugging is great experience and all, but the TI-86 already has a mod() function that does precisely what you want (even for negative numbers; this is the difference between modulo and remainder (or positive and negative remainders, respectively)). The only difference is that you will return 26 instead of 0 for -26 (since you check for X>0 and not X>=0); this is presumably a bug. (I'm surprised the TI-83 doesn't have it, but perhaps my opinion of the relative usefulness of number theory and automated annuity calculations is an unusual one.) --Tardis 07:26, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dock

I have a dual monitor configuration on my Macbook. I want the dock to be on the bigger monitor (the second one), but on the bottom. I can get it on the other monitor, but only if I choose for the dock to be on the right, and when I unplug my second monitor, it shows up on the right of the laptop's screen. I want it where when the second monitor is plugged in that the dock is on the bottom of that one, but when unplugged, it is on the bottom of the rugular screen. How can I do this? If there is no easy way (i.e. you can't do it through system preferences or downloading something), just say so, don't try and explain. Thanks. schyler 03:49, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Good question. But answers, not so good. You might find Bruce Tognazzini's Top Ten Nine Reasons the Apple Dock Still Sucks worthwhile reading. Then, investigate TinkerTool and DragThing. (Some folks prefer Drop Drawers.) I make no recommendations. --KSmrqT 16:58, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Viruses

I was at a campout this weekend with my boyscout troop. I got to talking to one of the adult leaders about programming (since he's a full-time programmer) and what I've been doing in Java. For some reason or another, I told him I had a Mac and he said he wished he could use one because his workplace doesn't use OSX because he's the one to always have to fix the viruses. I asked him why Macs just simply don't get viruses and went off into a long speech about how there isn't any executable content and you can't be sent macros and other stuff like that. I just nodded and went along with it saying yah and okay and of course. Of course I didn't really understand and I was hoping someone could explaim it to me better because I am trying to talk my mom into getting herself a Mac for her landscaping and home improvement buisness and I want to be able to explain to her one of the greatest reaons. schyler 03:59, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Macs can get viruses like any other computer. This explains perfectly why there aren't as many of them, though. --Wooty Woot? contribs 04:50, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Yah...that's not cool. PCs suck and Macs are better. I don't care what anyone says. I used PCs for the first 16 years of my life, and was sad every time I had to press Control + Alt + Delete, every time I had to update my anti-virus software, and every time I got a virus even after downloading the new protection. Anyway, back to the topic, does anyone have a REAL answer? schyler 05:02, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Are you disregarding my answer because I disagreed with you? I could argue with you all day about PCs vs. Macs, but that's not the question. You asked if Macs were any less virus-prone, or if they had some sort of wonky executables that prevented viruses. That's not true, so the answer is no. --Wooty Woot? contribs 05:07, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Ignoring the satirical nature of the comic, there is a bit of truth to it. But not in the "uncool" sense. It's most likely due to the overwhelming market share that PC/Windows has versus Mac. If you're a bad guy intent on doing the most harm, are you going to spend your time on the tiny target? No, you're going to want the biggest "bang" for your virus-writing effort. Yes, Macs get viruses, but not nearly as many as Windows machines. - (Nuggetboy) (talk) (contribs) 05:20, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Exactly my point. Why program a virus when it's only going to hit a few thousand computers? --Wooty Woot? contribs 06:39, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Macs can get viruses like any other computer. Will they be targeted as often as Windows? Probably not. If Macs did manage to overthrow Windows in the OS market, that trend would probably change. As for this "no executable content and macros" stuff, huh? Of course you can execute dangerous applications on a Mac, and if you use a product that supports macros, of course you can execute a malformed macro. Splintercellguy 06:22, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Actually, Mac OS X is actually safer, mainly because of its UNIX background. Accounts created aren't all "admins", and normal accounts can't modify system files, unlike in Windows. Programs must have the execute permission set, otherwise it won't run. In Windows, anything with an exe extension can be easily run (by easily I mean run by beginners, because anyone can modify some settings and you could even run a file named "!!!" or something). --wj32 talk | contribs 08:40, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Gotta agree here. Too bad running Windows as anything less than an admin is pretty much useless. - (Nuggetboy) (talk) (contribs) 16:11, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
The market share of Mac OS has varied over time. Over all that time, and still today, Mac viruses "in the wild" have been rare. So as a practical matter, if security is a priority, Mac OS is the way to go. Try Apple's web info for some details. (Any ecology that is a monoculture, like everyone running Windows XP, risks disaster from a shared vulnerability. For this alone, using Mac OS has benefits. Apparently, genetic variability is one of the benefits of sexual reproduction.)
The deep-seated weaknesses of Windows, and of Microsoft's philosophy, are well-known to security professionals. Apparently it has started to hurt Microsoft's bottom line, which may account for the new emphasis on security in Windows Vista.
I once heard Butler Lampson say something to the effect that every known computer system had been totally compromised, with an intruder able to gain complete and undetected access. It would be foolish to imagine that Mac OS X is immune.
Still, running Windows is like a skinny wimp waltzing through a bad neighborhood wearing nothing but shorts while waving a stack of hundred dollar bills. You can take steps to make it more secure, but it's always at greater risk.
Consider that Apple has an excellent track record of posting security fixes for theoretical problems before they ever affect anyone, while Microsoft has a horrible track record of not posting fixes for actively exploited weaknesses. The BBC web site describes a recent example. --KSmrqT 19:41, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
I've been working with vista RC for a few months, and there's quite a few new features that make it a bit safer. To be honest, Windows isn't the greatest problem. I think it's safe to say that IE6 is the main cause of grief. yandman 19:45, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] new job

I am a java programmer. But the new jo ask for something I haven't heard of JSP, JavaScript, OO Design Pattern Knowledge, Database Programming, XML, Version Control Knowledge. I know the java stuff but I need some help. I am new to this aand wound like some input.

                                               Neo

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Sslavedog2006 (talk • contribs) 04:15, 7 December 2006 (UTC).

Here is a breakdown of what each of the requirements mean:
    • JSP (JavaServer Pages) is a form of server-side scripting, like PHP (which is producing the output you see on Wikipedia).
    • JavaScript is a form of client-side script. It allows a web page to execute code in the user's web browser.
    • Object-oriented programming is one of the fundamental design concepts of Java and other languages like C#, Ruby, etc. The main benefits are code reusability (you can create an object that can be easily customized to several applications) and encapsulation (all methods and variables are contained in the object).
    • SQL (Structured Query Language) is what Database Programming is likely referring to. Using SQL, you can easily write to and read data from a database using a common language. Some popular SQL databases include Microsoft SQL server, MySQL, and Oracle.
    • XML (Extensible Markup Language) allows you to share data across multiple applications easily. It uses a standardized format that is easy for an application to parse.
    • Version Control refers to an application that most corporate developers use to maintain a version history of source code. A developer checks out source code from the server and checks it back in when they are finished. Multiple developers can be working on the same project at the same time and merge their results back together. Some version control systems include Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, CVS, and Subversion.
Best, Hagerman(talk) 04:32, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
To add to the above, JavaScript technically has nothing to do with Java, but you will see similarity in the syntax. Also, look at the Design Pattern article; these are concepts separate from any language implementation (Java, in your case). - (Nuggetboy) (talk) (contribs) 05:27, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] .pcb file (I think it is Altium, not sure)

This .pcb file. Can someone open it and post a screenshot for me please? Alternatively, are there any free tools that can open this file? Thanks. WP 07:35, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Slow computer

I have an Acer Travelmate 2201LCi laptop that is rather slow. The system specs are:

Processor: 2.66GHz Intel Celeron D
RAM: 256MB (only 192MB in practice, though, because 64MB is permanently eaten up by integrated graphics)
Video: ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 integrated video
Sound: RealTek AC97 integrated audio
Hard drive: 40 GB (divided into two FAT32 partitions of around 17.6 GB each, and a recovery partition which I don't know the size of)
Removable Media: Combo drive (reads DVDs and CDs, but burns CDs only)
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition w/ Service Pack 2

The computer takes about two minutes from when the Windows desktop appears until Windows finishes loading and stops accessing the disk, and if I try using the system before Windows finishes loading, it behaves very sluggishly. The system also has a tendency to stop responding for about half a minute or more during use.

I've tried to optimise the computer (disabling visual styles, deactivating unnecessary Windows services) but to no avail. Does anyone have any advice on how else to improve the system's performance? --Lumina83 10:44, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Tried reinstalling Windows? Also, 256MB ram is not that much. WP 10:50, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
It sounds to me like your computer is in a severe need of an upgrade in RAM. Druss666uk 11:46, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm not sure if it would be worth it. I looked up RAM prices a while back and to upgrade the RAM in my machine to 2GB (the maximum it supports) would cost about AUD$550.00. At that price, I figure I'd probably be better off buying a whole new computer. I agree with you though; I'm sure the system's lack of RAM must be the main culprit. Case in point; the computer I use at work is an old 500MHz iMac G3 running Mac OS X Tiger, but upgraded to 512MB of RAM--and despite the wide gulf in processor speeds, my work iMac seems to run better than my Acer laptop does! --Lumina83 12:11, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Whoah. Wait a minute. You don't really need to do such a big upgrade. 256 MB for sure is to little, and 512 also is somewhat "on the small side" albeit a lot better than before. My recommendation would be to upgrade only to 768 MB or 1024 MB (3 or 4 times your current amount of RAM). That should be enough for most "normal" users. Which one is most cost-efficient depends on your laptop's current memory configuration (are there free slots? If yes, how many? If you have to replace memory already in the laptop that will bring costs up). Cost for high capacity memories (especially larger than 1 GB ones) grows very rapidly with size, to the point where cost per byte actually increases, so avoid doing an "overkill" upgrade. It won't be very economical... TERdON 17:13, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I'd suggest...
  • Scan for viruses with your anti-virus software and with spybot search and destroy. Many viruses will not harm your PC but will slow it down by using it to send spam or DDoS attacks to other machines.
  • Likewise, check for copy protection technology (if possible) - like XCP - as that will also slow your computer.
  • Look for things which start automatically when your computer does (normally putting themselves in the system tray) and tell them not to - this will help it start faster. I'm talking about programs like QuickTime here. If they don't let you tell them not to load automatically, uninstall them. You may also be able to use msconfig to turn them off manually.
  • Use a program like sysmon (System Monitor) to check your memory usage and see if you need to upgrade your ram.
  • Use faster programs. If Windows Media Player has lots of features you never need (feature bloat), use Media Player Classic or VLC which are faster.
  • If you use firefox, you can tweak the options to use less memory, if that is an issue. If you use Internet Explorer, switch to firefox.
--h2g2bob 14:14, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
I should probably clarify here that when I say turn off stuff which starts when your PC starts, I don't mean your antivirus/internet security. Even though antivirus and internet security really slow down your PC, you do actually need them. Make sure you use a respectable brand, and don't have more than one antivirus or more than one internet security running. --h2g2bob 14:20, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
However, it's still worthwhile to shut things off one at a time, using the Task Manager (CONTROL-ALT-DELETE), including anti-virus software, to see if you can find the culprit or culprits. If one particular anti-virus software product is unacceptably slow on your computer, then perhaps you should replace it with a more efficient product. If, on the other hand, the culprit is something you don't need, then you can just disable it on startup or uninstall it, and your problem will be solved. StuRat 11:12, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Format your PC and install a version of TinyXP, which has certain subsets of Windows' functionality ripped out making it run MUCH faster on systems with little RAM. Presumably you have a XP Home license that came with your machine; however I doubt that you could legally install a hacked version of XP Pro on it. Zunaid©Please rate me at Editor Review! 07:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] signal phase

Consider this sentence: "From the unwrapped phase difference between consecutive frames [of a STFT-transfomed signal] we can get the instantaneous frequency for frequency bin k at time instant (s+ 1)R by

f_i((s+ 1)R,k)=\frac{\Delta\phi((s+ 1)R,k)f_s}{2\pi R}"

s is time, R is the sampling step (hop size), K the frequency BIN, Δφ is the difference of phase between consecutive frames but what is fs? The sampling frq.? Why?

Since getting the instantaneous frequency it's like searching wi in sin(wi + 1t − φ) = sin(wit), I'd expect something like

(wi + 1t − φ) / t = wi

--Ulisse0 22:09, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Can you give us a link to the source so we can take a look ? StuRat 11:04, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

i got it from this pdf, but I think that this should be real for any STFT-transformed signal which is [similar to] a sinusoid in the time domain. tia --Ulisse0 12:37, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] taking screenshots from dvds

Does anyone here know how to take a screenshot from a DVD on computer? I have tried pausing it and pressing Print Screen, but when I paste the screen anywhere I just get black space where the picture should be. I have tried it on both Windows Media Player and Dell Media Experience.

Thanks, Peter —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 195.92.67.74 (talk) 13:39, 7 December 2006 (UTC).

It is common for the video card to do the video processing. The CPU draws a black box and passes all the processing off to the card. So, when you do a screenshot, the CPU only knows what it sees - a black box. In order to take a screen shot of the video you are seeing, you either need to have the CPU do the video processing by disabling it on the video card or you have to get a program from your video card maker that takes screen shots of what the video card is displaying. --Kainaw (talk) 13:48, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Play the DVD in VLC media player, pause it, hit video->snapshot, and a copy will be saved in your My Pictures folder. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 14:08, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
The techinique is called video overlay. Any decent video player can take screenshots regardless of it (MPlayer, VideoLAN, to name two) ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 15:33, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Disable your hardware acceleration (in your display settings) and you can take screenshots. Then re-enable it after you are done with that (hardware acceleration is good, just not when you are taking screenshots). --24.147.86.187 00:22, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
Usually, your video card will only run one video, any more will be done by the CPU. So open the video twice, and you should be able to PrintScreen the second one just fine. --Alibenny

[edit] TCP/IP?

I posted this earlier, and have been slaving away for days to figure it out, to no avail. The problem is, I can recieve emails (as far as I know, most if not all that are sent TO me), and I can send them through the verizon webpage. However, when sending Emails through Outlook, or ACT!9 (which works through outlook) I get the following message, and cannot send email:

A TCP/IP error occurred while trying to connect to the server. Account: 'incoming.verizon.net', Server: 'outgoing.verizon.net', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800CCC15

I was told to reset the TCP/IP, but I do not have a CD. Does ANYONE have any idea of what to do? I worked on the firewall to no avail, I went through a 3 hour fixing with verizon to reset passwords and assure everything was configured, but still get this message! Help? 151.204.223.7 16:30, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Error 0x800CCC15 is a socket failure. It is expected to only happen when connecting through a proxy, but there was a bug in Outlook before version 2003. Updates were supposed to fix it, but spammers wrote many malware programs to make Outlook send spam while you were connected to the Internet. So, the updates to Outlook were basically blocked by the anti-spam programs. That means that you can't easily uninstall/install Outlook. What you really need to do it uninstall Outlook. Then, search the files for any file names mapixxx.xxx (any file beginning with mapi followed by other stuff). I delete them, but you can rename them to something like mapixxx.old or mapixxx_delete_me_later.xxx. Then, reinstall Outlook (preferrably the latest version). Finally, cross your fingers, spin twice right, once left, bounce twice and hope for the best. --Kainaw (talk) 18:30, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
TCP/IP isn't something you can reset, it's the two most important protocols in basically the networking protocol, and the world wide web functions over it. If you have a healthy heart you might want to try to work through Internet protocol suite. --frothT C 20:50, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
Who is your network service provider? Some ISPs choose to block all outgoing SMTP connections except to their own servers. jdstroy 04:14, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] SQL database - defined transactional tables

I would like a definition of "defined transactional tables". —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Hankb (talk • contribs) 17:06, 7 December 2006 (UTC). 24.39.182.101 17:55, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Please read the Online transaction processing article. Not sure in what context the 'defined' is, but a transactional table is a (usually) volatile table of data in an OLTP system. "Volatile" means that the data is changed (modified/added/deleted) at a rapid rate, as opposed to a read-only or warehouse table in a typical Decision support system. Sandman30s 09:26, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Thought experiment: other name for 'window'?

Hi all! I was wondering if it was so obvious and intuitive to call 'windows', er, windows, since about the introduction of the GUI paradigm by the Xerox PARC (I guess). (The name WIMP, of course, predates the Windows OS by some years, so that's not where the name came from.) It's a paradigm, after all, meaning that it's a thought pattern that someone invented and everyone accepted, and the name followed; or perhaps it's just so evident to call windows windows that no one had to convince anyone of it? Could we have called them something other than windows? I can certainly come up with several names other than windows, which are equally intuitive to me (notwithstanding what those words may mean today): frames, portals, gates, or even docs, since some GUIs were designed as desktop metaphors, and thus 'windows' would look like documents over a desk, and 'docs' would sound useful (and cool, at least in other... universes:). Also, I'm not a big fan of the name box, for "dimensional" reasons...

I ask this, among other things, because the name Windows obviously has unbreakable connotations nowadays, particularly to the copyrighted name of an OS belonging to a certain 'not always likable' corporation(and this might have added to the paradigm, of course).

I know it's hard to imagine (and perhaps it sounds more stupid than I think), but I just wanted to know if it was possible (in an alternate history version of things, for example) for a name other than windows to have become more popular, so we would be using it as casually as we use the name window today. (I'm sorry if this had been asked before, but googling for "other names for windows" only brings a bunch of insulting if albeit hilarious results concerning the aforementioned corporation). Thanks in advance! Kreachure 17:18, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Rob Pike, while talking about "windows", also refers to "layers" in his 1983 "Graphics in overlapping bitmap layers". Dan Ingalls, in writing about Smalltalk in his 1976 paper on The Smalltalk-76 Programming System, is already using "windows". Doug Engelbart is the godfather of GUIs, but I don't recall that his lab had evolved the equivalent of Xerox PARC's windows. Maybe Alan Kay had another name in some of his earlier writings about FLEX and the Dynabook; but his 1977 article with Adele Goldberg, "Personal dynamic media", naturally uses the Smalltalk term, "windows". Kay was a doctoral student in computer science at the University of Utah, which was a fertile home for computer graphics. There he was exposed to the likes of Ivan Sutherland, whose 1963 MIT doctoral thesis on Sketchpad laid the foundation for much of computer graphics and graphical interfaces. Of course, in 1963 graphic displays were calligraphic, not raster, and both memory and processing power were strained to keep up. Hidden line elimination was a research challenge, surfaces were not drawn at all, and multiple windows, whether overlapping or tiled, were a dream for the future. --KSmrqT 21:04, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, GEM on my Atari ST back in the early 80s called them Windows. I can't really think of any other term that is popular for the concept than window, though OpenGL uses the word "viewport" in a similar way. - Rainwarrior 21:08, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
"Could we have called them something other than windows?" Of course. Just because something happened one way doesn't mean it was destined to. Could our keyboards have had other than a QWERTY configuration? Of course. But a little thing called technological momentum kicks in after awhile and one gets initially adopted as a standard ends up becoming self-perpetuating. --24.147.86.187 00:25, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

I actually like the name "Windows" for the O/S, as it accurately portrays how paneful it is to use. :-) StuRat 10:59, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Getting into my router

I am trying to get into my router to check settings, but 192.168.1.1 will not work.

How can I get in there to change settings?

omnipotence407 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.39.182.101 (talk) 17:55, 7 December 2006 (UTC).

Try 10.1.1.1


That took me to the login page for what i think is the firewall of the building. Im trying to get into the one router thats in this room.

It brings up the SonicWall login page. the router im trying to get into is a GVC 24.39.182.101 18:15, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

If you are in a company, college, or organization, you have to know the router's IP address. If you are home user, you should have one router that will be either 10.1.1.1 or 192.168.1.1 by default (I'm sure some manufacturers use other IP addresses). Also, make sure you are referring to a router and not a switch or hub. Finally, keep in mind that not all routers allow you to login through the web. --Kainaw (talk) 18:21, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Try 192.168.2.1, and if that doesn't work, click start, connect to, show all connections, find yours, double click, support, and get that IP address. chop off the last number and use a .1 ST47Talk 19:16, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Open a command window and type ipconfig. The value at "default gateway" is your router. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:32, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes that's probably the best way --frothT C 20:40, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
If all else fails, take it down for a reset. :) jdstroy 04:16, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] modem for dial up for networking

Hello good sirs, I search for need of modem I can connect router to use with ethernet cable. Do exist? Are dial up modems here that I can use to connect to wireless router with ethernet cables? Thank you your assistance in this discussione —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.61.113.84 (talk) 18:00, 7 December 2006 (UTC).

First you must stop using the phrase "dial-up". You are referring to DSL/Cable internet, not dial-up. For wireless, you can use a wireless network card. For Ethernet, you can use an ethernet card. Both are sold at all office supply/electronic stores. I strongly suggest taking your computer in so you can ensure you buy something that can be plugged into your computer. --Kainaw (talk) 18:23, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Umm... are you sure he's not referring to dialup? I read that question completely different from how you seem to have. To me it seems that he's looking for a dialup modem (NOT DSL or Cable) that he can plug into an Ethernet router so that more than one computer (that's already connected to that router) would be able to access the modem to get online. You're just telling him how to connect his computer to a router, which seems completely unrelated to the question.
To answer the original poster, I don't know of any that do that. However, you can install a modem in one of the computers on the network, and in Windows 98 or XP you can run a "Internet Connection Sharing Wizard" to allow other folks on the network to share your internet connection, which would also prompt the modem to auto-dial if it isn't already connected when somebody else tries to use it. Be warned though, that this method of sharing can cause the connection to be extremely slow through a dialup modem if more than one person is trying to use the connection at a time. --Maelwys 18:32, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes - we read it completely different. There used to be a demand for boxes that had multiple dial-up cards in it and had ethernet connections to go to the comptuers. The demand for that is mostly gone now. Your best bet is finding equipment from an old dial-up service company or building one yourself out of an old (preferrably very old) computer. It will have to be on whenever any other computer wants to get on the Internet. I'd use Linux, but you can use Windows per Maelwys instructions. If money isn't an option, you can use a nano-itx computer and make it really small. --Kainaw (talk) 18:37, 7 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Because even those who answer have questions(aka: the question about my computer)

Which seems to have the tendency to decide, that right as I'm writing my midterm(four pages in) to shut down without warning, then reboot and laugh in my face(not literally, that would be cruel), and then become Extremely slow. Xiaden 22:16, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

I would be very concerned about a hard drive that's about to go out. Is it clicking? Droud 22:28, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

hmm... it's doing that thing where it makes noises when it reads data... but not clicking loudly... Xiaden 22:37, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Is it making more noise than it used to? That's a sure sign of a drive going out. Droud 00:08, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
Do you have Windows set to reboot upon bluescreening? If you don't know, go into the System applet in the Control Panel. In the Advanced tab, click the Settings button under the Startup and Recovery heading. Then make sure that Automatically restart is unchecked. This might provide an error message for you instead of just rebooting, which could be useful in diagnosing the issue. If it is not bluescreening at all, then I highly doubt it's a hard drive issue. More likely it's a power supply or motherboard problem. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 09:32, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

And, since the immediate issue is your need to complete the midterm, I suggest saving it often to external media, so you have a safe copy, in case of a hard drive failure. StuRat 10:52, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

I ended up finishing the essay at a friends house, but the problem with my computer continues, so i'll check the settings about the bsod, and get back to you on that.Xiaden 15:52, 8 December 2006 (UTC)


Common computer failure noises and causes include:

  • Whining:
    • Bad power supply capacitors
  • Rattling:
    • Bad fan
    • Bad hard drive, spindle is probably failing
  • Ticking:
    • Hard drive is going bad, has to re-align heads
  • Clanking:
    • Hard drive has gone bad, can't align heads
    • AKA "click of death"
  • Beeping:
    • Something is missing or out of socket (check manual)
  • Buzzing:
    • Something is touching a fan

Droud 01:33, 9 December 2006 (UTC)


a lot of ticking. what does that mean, and is it easy to fix :'( Xiaden 02:18, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../r/e/f/Wikipedia%7EReference_desk_Archives_Computing_2006_December_7_dda0.html"