Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/0 November 4

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[edit] November 4

[edit] SVG host

Hello. I am looking for a free online image host that will allow me to upload SVG files, and won't delete them. Thank you! Scienceman123 talk 00:25, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

If you're using images you made, you can use the sister project of wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons. If you are using images not made by you, You might want to search for "free SVG image host".--Ac1983fan(yell at me) 01:05, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] macintosh serial

Does anyone know what the macintosh serial interface is? --Shanedidona 00:41, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

For external devices? Up until the late 1990s, most Macs used 8-pin Mini-DIN connectors for devices like printers and modems. Keyboards and mice connected through the Apple Desktop Bus with 4-pin connectors. ×Meegs 01:37, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Earth 2025 terminology

What does FA mean in Earth 2025? Please do not say foreign affairs. --The Dark Side 02:32, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

Why did you post this question to the Computing Ref Desk ? I suggest the Humanities, which includes pop culture. StuRat 02:37, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
According to Google, it means "Foreign Aid"[1]. Sum0 19:05, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Reoccuring BSOD Message

I currenty am running a Chintech VNF4 Ultra with two hard drives, 2 optical drives, a floppy drive, and a PCI-E graphics card (Gigabyte GeForce PCX 5750) with all the recent drivers. Unfourtunately, I am running this all on a VERY CHEAP 400 Watt 20-Pin PSU. Lately, Windows XP has gotten into a habit of getting a BSOD with the headline "Machine_Check_Excpetion" (it is the same message every time). I have tried reinstalling Windows several times, and the BSOD still pops up once in a while. The System failures seem to happen in clusters; the machine will run fine for a few months and have many BSODs in a short period of time. Also, before the system crashes, a clicking sound (much like the one that is heard when the computer's power button is pressed) presents itself many times and then the hard disk activity skyrockets. Is the power supply unit responsible for these messages, or is there another underlying problem in my hardware/software? Mango Sango 07:30, 4 November 2006 (UTC) Mango Sango

I think it's probably your power supply, based on the information given. Splintercellguy 07:48, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, this issue has been plaguing me ever since i built this computer. I'll try replacing the PSU and hopefully that'll clear up the problem. Thanks again. Mango Sango 09:44, 5 November 2006 (UTC) Mango Sango

Does Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable and realtively cheap PSU (between 0-50 USD)?Mango Sango 05:42, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I suggest a Jeantech PSU. They're a lot cheaper than their competitors, considering the high quality of their hardware. I'm not sure of there availability in your country though. --Username132 (talk) 12:24, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to search for a specific string in a file and return the result as an expanding variable in a batch file

I am trying to make a little bat file that enables me to drag and drop an xml file which will be processed by the commands in the bat file, and inside the xml file I need to extract some data to be used as a paramter data before it's run.

it goes something like this:

cmd.exe /k Proggy.exe [options] "c:\SomePath\[DataFromXml]\~xn1

This command works but only if [DataFromXml] is something valid...

What I need is to search for a DATA string of variable length which is enclosed by <DataType>DATA</DataType>

I've have used findstr to isolate the line, and searched for example scripts that I could rip but didn't find anything.

So the question is how do you search for a string of unknow size but you know what comes before and after?

[edit] Wikipedia default skin when not logged in has completely changed?

When I use Wikipedia without being logged in, the page format has no sidebar of links, the search bar is at the bottom of the screen, the wikipedia puzzle globe is missing, the tabs are missing at top (though the text is still there) and near the bottom of the page it says "Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/blahblahArticleNameblablah"

In fact... it looks like bare text almost.. very sparse.

Did i change some sort of setting? It doesnt display this way on other computers. Additionally, if I go to SimpleEnglish instead of English than it looks normal.

When logged in, I also do not see a a format that looks like the Wikipedia I know and love (I know, this isnt exactly a serious issue, but it is irritating me.)

It sounds like it's loading text but not images. Probably means your comp is low on memory, time for a reboot ! StuRat 14:36, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
Internet is normal elsewhere, images load fine.. have 20gb free on HDD, 2gb of RAM that is for the most part not utilized... it's not my computer hardware that is the problem. (And I shutdown last night, it it is still like this today.)
Highlight: If I go to Simple English (or another wikipedia language other than EN) everything displays normally. en.wikipedia.org is the only one that shows up strange. User:VaPerBrew 22:37, 4 November 2006
Clear your cache, and check if you do not have any ad blocker/antivirus/whatever blocking the CSS files from en.wikipedia.org (if you see the "Retrieved from" part, the CSS which hides it isn't working). --cesarb 05:02, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Agonising router issues.

I have a D-Link DSL-G604T router. Everything worked fine until a few hours ago, when uTorrent's speed dropped drastically and its green, cheery network icon switched to an angry red exclamation mark informing me that a firewall or router was blocking its ports. It usually goes at 150kB/s, and it's currently varying from 50 to 100 every few minuets (it isn't the torrents, as some have 4000 seeds and 20 leechers). uTorrent's port checker says the port is not open, though I made a rule for it in my router's Virtual Server menu. Link to image of the rule I made. I'd really appreciate any help any of you could offer. Thanks.

Many small DSL routers seem to get gummed up by the continual opening and closing of connections that most p2p applications do. For my Netgear the only solution is to kill the p2p application and then reboot the router - even then the counterparties in the p2p protocol still remember I was a p2p note, and so seem to hammer me (and the router) for a while afterward, which means a second reboot is sometimes necessary (after an hour or so). Try that. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 15:33, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the response, but I figured out what was wrong with the aid of Efnet's #Help channel: I added utorrent's rule as TDP, when it should be TDP + UDP.

I's TCP, and you don't really need UDP unless you're usint DHT, which in my experiences can slow down cheap routers. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:35, 5 November 2006 (UTC)