Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2007 April 25

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[edit] April 25

[edit] Internet in Qatar

Would a site like [1] be aviliable in Qatar. (I read about internet there, but not sure about a site.) 24.10.79.27 00:53, 25 April 2007 (UTC) (User:Teak the Kiwi on IP)

Unless Qatar uses a big national firewall like china, yes it would. ST47Talk 01:40, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
And funny enough, it does (Image:Qtelblock.gif). -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 01:52, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
At least they openly admit they block them... All you see is "host unreachable" or similar error messages behind the Great Firewall. --antilivedT | C | G 01:56, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Second (its me again), I have a friend in the USAF, would they use that (USAF connection) or internet qatar? 24.10.79.27 02:01, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Most likely they wouldn't be bound to the state's internet, but why don't you just have you friend check? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Feba (talk • contribs) 06:39, 25 April 2007 (UTC).
The thing is he isn't on base right now and he's not in Qatar (he is just using normal US internet) Also, my friend and I really don't think the military would care about something like cybernations. Teak the Kiwi 13:39, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mbps settings

I want to use a Wi-Fi service but my Mbps for my network is too high and I want to change it to 1 or 2. How can I do this? Thanks —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.189.57.235 (talk) 01:44, 25 April 2007 (UTC).

You don't need to, a huge pipe can still pass 1 litre per minute, but a small pipe cannot pass 100 litres per second. --antilivedT | C | G 01:53, 25 April 2007 (UTC)


Im trying to limit it so I can make it enough amount for my Nintendo DS to procees for Wi-Fi. Right now my Mpbs is 54.0 and I was told to change my Mpbs to either 1 or 2 or 1-2 or something but I dont know how to change the settings can someone PLEASE explain to me how? The router is built-in the laptop not wireless

Why would you need to change? Am I missing something? Splintercellguy 02:55, 25 April 2007 (UTC)


Well this is what was said at nintendowifi.com: "The Nintendo DS has a transmission rate of 1 to 2 mbps (megabits per second). Most routers transmit at a much higher rate, but are able to adjust for devices that transmit at a slower rate. Your router may have this as a setting that might need to be adjusted.

Look through your router settings for anything that indicates transmission rates. If the router is set to accept high transmission rates only, this will need to be changed to accept all, or for some routers, changed to specifically accept the 1 to 2 mbps range."

I just want to know exactly where do I go to adjust the settings to a suitable transmission rate.Where do I find the router settings? The router is BUILT IN the laptop by the way. Do I have to go to the Control Panel or something?Thanks

I don't think "the router is built-in the laptop". You would probably access the web configuration page for the router. I'm pretty sure this isn't applicable to you. Splintercellguy 04:25, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Word 2004 sporadic crashes

I use Word 2004 at work, and for whatever reason, it will crash on me every so often. The only pattern there seems to be to it is that it usually crashes when I try to save or print, but it's random as to when it crashes. Sometimes it'll work happily for days at a time without crashing, other times it'll crash multiple times in one day.

I'm using an iMac G5 1.6Ghz with 512MiB of RAM running Mac OS X Tiger (either 10.4.8 or 10.4.9, I think). Can anyone explain why Word keeps crashing on me? --Lumina83 02:16, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, it's made by Microsoft, isn't it? More seriously, there are a lot of patches for the Microsoft Office, whether on a PC or a Mac. Are you patched up-to-date? (It's relatively easy and painless to have Office automagically update itself from time-to-time.)
Atlant 12:17, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
I think so; it's version 11.3, if that's what you mean. --Lumina83 12:30, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Microsoft current offers a patch to bring Office/Mac to 11.3.4 here. I'm not sure what version of Word that creates, but it sounds like you might benefit from updating. (You'll probably need earlier updates as well, but they're linked from that page.)
Atlant 15:17, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
I just checked: Word, allegedly patched up to date on my PowerBook, says it's 11.3, build 070131.
Atlant 22:36, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
That's exactly what mine says. Version 11.3, build 070131. --Lumina83 10:05, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
Then I can't be of any further help to you; sorry! If you can pin down one or two actions that seem to provoke the crashes, you could always try Microsoft's support groups. You might also want to see if the problem is known in the PC versions of Word; one of the interesting things that occurred when Microsoft started building Mac/Word and PC/Word from the same(ish) code base is that they started sharing bugs in common. I used to have a (big) document that had a lot of the same problems whether edited on a Mac or a PC.
Atlant 12:19, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What computer should I buy?

My current computer is frustratingly slow, and I want to get another one eventually. I'm looking to use either Ubuntu or Mac OS X, as Windows Vista doesn't appeal all that much to me.

I mainly use the computer for web browsing & email, playing music, viewing pictures & videos, and playing the odd freeware/old DOS game. Also, I mainly prefer to use freeware and/or open source software.

I don't want to buy a computer that's overkill for my needs, but I also don't want a computer that'll be slow and laggy like my current one is. Any recommendations? --Lumina83 02:16, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Probably a Sempron and 512MiB ram would do, plus a motherboard with builtin 6100/6150 graphics or the ATI ones (duno about drivers though), and that should do the job well. --antilivedT | C | G 03:15, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Would a Sempron be fast enough? The Sempron article states it's only comparable to a Celeron D, and my current system is already a 2.66GHz Celeron D--although it only has 192MiB of RAM after the integrated video takes its 64MiB share. --Lumina83 04:29, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
I have a Sepmron 3100+ (got it when it first came out, 2 and a half year ago) overclocked to 2.3Ghz, NF3 motherboard, 1.5gigs of ram and a 6600GT. And I still can play any game out there with at least medium quality on at least 1024×768, run Beryl (beware of the black window bug though) on Ubuntu and I'm very satisfied with it. As long as you don't do 3D rendering or transcoding video all the time you should be fine. --antilivedT | C | G 04:37, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
If you're going to use ubuntu and don't want to go through driver hell, don't use an ATI graphics card. ST47Talk 04:10, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

I recommend making your own computer from parts (newegg.com is the cheapest and most reliable source i've found), as it is much cheaper, and allows you to have much more control. From the sounds of it, you don't need much, so you should be able to go fairly cheap. The laginess from your current computer sounds like it's to do with multitasking, so go with 512MB of RAM and a multicore processor, such as the Core2Duo. a 1.8GHz C2D is probably suitable for your needs. You probably don't even need a graphics card unless you want to mess around with Compiz and Beryl (the former is very much worth it, the latter i've heard good things about), so go with something low end, like a GeForce 5200. As the person above me said, never buy an ATI gpu for Ubuntu, or linux in general. Their driver support WILL make you cry. If you need help, check the contacts info on my user page, i'll be happy to chat about it with yah -- Phoeba WrightOBJECTION! 06:37, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Unfortunately, Newegg's no good for me, as I live in Australia and they don't ship internationally. I don't think I'd have enough know-how to build my own computer, anyway.
I was thinking of just installing Xubuntu on my existing machine, but the two things stopping me are the ATI graphics chip and the wireless card (Acer IPN2220 or something like that, it's only supported in Ubuntu via ndiswrapper and doesn't work out-of-the-box. --Lumina83 08:25, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Other than a slight increase in RAM, I do not see why a 2.66GHz Celeron D wouldn't be plenty sufficient for the uses you listed. Maybe you need to format and reinstall the operating system. Often times Windows will get bogged down by numerous background processes and such and run slow. So rather than spending money on buying a new computer, try formatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows (along with all the other programs you use on a daily basis).--152.23.204.76 13:46, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Is your computer slow because it has relatively slow CPU and RAM, or is it just that your hard drive needs a reformatting. --Russoc4 14:22, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
You need to add some more ram and keep everything else the same. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 204.63.35.15 (talk) 18:57, 25 April 2007 (UTC).

A small note: ATI and Linux are happy again. I finally got everything working and open source on my 4 year old Radeon 9200! Something to do with AMD being so desperate. --Zeizmic 13:23, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Innertube on cbs.com

Whenever I try to watch any of the CBS videos at http://www.cbs.com/innertube/, nothing comes up. My PC won't play the videos, and in fact, my DSL modem drops my Internet connection and I have to cycle my modem and turn off my PC in order to get my connection back. I'm running IE 7 on an NVIDIA HP 19 inch GeForce 6150 LE. I'm running Windows XP on a Compaq Presario AMD Athlon 64 3800+, 986 MHZ. Corvus cornix 03:31, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Compaitibility of Sports Car GT with Windows XP?

SCGT seems to run into issues every time I try to start it. To start, can anyone confirm that it is compatible with XP? Guroadrunner 06:37, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Have you tried right clicking, going into properties, and running it in WinXX Compatibility mode? -- Phoeba WrightOBJECTION! 06:38, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] DDR SDRAM at DIMM (s):1error continues

Hi again. This is regarding your question ". Is the error a bluescreen or some other error? DDR and SDRAM are specific types of RAM. --h2g2bob 13:13, 24 I do not know the color. What appears on the screen is generally white letter print in black and white monitor. When i see that i immediately reset computer, click del tab and set up. I also try fixing the thick belt like that connects the parts inside my computer and some wiring then goes perfect. Windows XP will appear. I just hate to see DDR SDRAM at DIMM(s):1 that sometimes appear. It makes me freak out because i do not know if i will replace my memory or bear with it. You know i can't call technician or whosoever beacuse of my long hours in work and I am just living alone. Reason why i depend on you answer guys so i will not be fooled by any computer knowledge person. Follow up question: Can i use the memory in my compaq Pc to replace my athlon PC? Thanks guys! Keilah Reyes 07:26, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

The error probably occurs during POST. If the mobo in the Athlon can handle the memory from the Compaq, then sure. Splintercellguy 21:32, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] My computer can't reach Google

Distress call! Suddenly yesterday, my Windows XP computer could no longer reach Google. It doesn't even get ping responses, but I can reach the map and news sites and similar. The hosts file seems to be in good shape, the firewall is deactivated and my other computer has no problems. I am most grateful for ideas. —Bromskloss 08:04, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

I'd suggest a few pretty basic/obvious things that I always forget about when this stuff happens ;). First off, clear cookies and cache in your Web Browser. Next, try clearing XP's local DNS Cache by going to Start > Run. Type "cmd" into the box and click okay. At the command line that open type "ipconfig /flushdns" (without the quotes). You may want to give your computer a scan for malware which may be interfering with this (not common but I've seen it happen). gorffy 18:26, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
You should try to isolate the problem. The first step I would take is to check the DNS service. Can you resolve the hostname www.google.com to an ip address? You can use ping to check that. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 84.187.49.35 (talk) 16:09, 26 April 2007 (UTC).

[edit] A program to "undirectorize"

Is there some kind of program (for Windows, Im not asking for some exotic bash scripts) that can move all files from subfolders to its folder. Example:

Books
 Book001
  Book001.opf
  Book001.prc
  Book001.nfo
 Book002
  Book002.opf
  Book002.prc
  Book002.nfo

I would like to move all .opf, .prc and .nfo files to the "Books" directory. Actually, I need only .prc files but anything better than manually visiting each folder to grab its .prc file would be nice. Of course, Books directory usually has a lot of subdirectories.

Shinhan 11:12, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't expect there to be a ready-made program that does precisely this – that is what bash scripts are for. However, you could do a search (with the built-in Windows tool) for the files you want so as to get them on a single list, then just drag and drop them where you want. —Bromskloss 11:45, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
D'oh. I could've just searched for *.prc inside the "Books" directory. Thanks for reminding me :) Shinhan 13:17, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Yes... and what would happen if your search comes up with several files of the same name. That's all cool when they're in separate folders, but putting them in the same folder would cause problems. I hope the search solution worked for you though. Rfwoolf 13:18, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia largest reference in what languages

Wikipedia is the largest singular work in the English language, as well as in Esperanto. Does anyone know what other languages it could hold this title? A reporter is wanting this info for their article. -- Zanimum 13:27, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

While probably not directly answering your question, WP:STATS may be helpful. -- Atlant 16:35, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Thanks, but I do need comparison to the largest works other than the 'pedia. -- Zanimum 18:25, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Sizes of all Wikipedias are at meta: - see meta:List of Wikipedias. --h2g2bob 04:25, 26 April 2007 (UTC)
Again, thanks, but I was hoping for comparisons of "The largest Swedish reference publication is X, which is still twice as large as sw.wikipedia". -- Zanimum 13:30, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] map

Is there a program similar to Google Maps that can enable me to print a map showing a route through various cities?Ipmin 18:04, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

By program I'm taking it that you mean a stand-alone computer program and not other websites, if so there are lots of the around and the granddaddy of them all is Microsoft Streets & Trips otherwise known as AutoRoute if you're on the European side of the Atlantic. - X201 18:10, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Sorry, I did mean online things.Ipmin 18:11, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
With Google Maps, once you have asked for directions from Point A to Point B, there is also an "Add Destination" link which will allow you to add additional places. You can even drag and drop the destinations into any order you want. For example, you can get directions from New York to Miami, and then add Chicago in the middle if you want. Or am I missing something in your question? --LarryMac 18:16, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
No, that answers it. Thank you.Ipmin 18:26, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Boot computer

When I boot my computer, programs come up, how do I stop this from happening? 68.193.147.179 19:14, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

What programs? You can stop some programs from starting by clicking Start, going to All Programs > Startup, right-clicking the program's shortcut and deleting it. I have a feeling some programs can be set to start up in the registry too - if you let us know which program you want to stop, we can probably be more specific. — Matt Eason (Talk • Contribs) 19:52, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
For that matter, what operating system? If it's Windows, click Start->Run-> and type 'msconfig' and hit enter, that's an easy to use tool to control startup. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 19:56, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Beat me to it! JoshHolloway 20:06, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
But beware of what programs you stop, some may be neccessary, and stopping some may be dangerous (eg: anti-virus), - Akamad 21:56, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Look at the program's options and tell it not to start. If it doesn't give you an option, uninstall it using Add/Remove programs (as it's obviously worthless). You can also use MSConfig to select what starts up. Be careful - do not disable your firewall or antivirus. --h2g2bob 04:19, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Saving Liferay passwords.

I'm setting up a Liferay site. My browser refuses to save passwords for it; I can see the passwords in the Firefox preferences dialog, and it remembers the usernames I've entered (I get a drop-down when I click the username field), but it won't fill the password field. I recently went from Liferay 4.1 to 4.2.1, if that makes a difference. grendel|khan 19:20, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Shadow Effect

How do you add a shadow effect to screenshots? 68.193.147.179 20:29, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Our drop shadow article has links to tutorials. --TotoBaggins 22:02, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Paid screen shot software

What is a popular and high resolution paid screen shot software? -68.193.147.179 20:32, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

A resolution of a screenshot is always going to be at the same resolution as your active display. I use Gadwin Printscreen. x42bn6 Talk 20:33, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
If you're not in need of paid software, there's always Print Screen/Paint ;). Splintercellguy 21:28, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
You can just press the Print Screen button normally :-) For DirectX stuff like computer games, Hypersnaps DX does a good job )both free and paid-for versions). For movies, VLC takes snapshots quite well. --h2g2bob 04:08, 26 April 2007 (UTC)
Reading on from your question above, it sounds like you need Photoshop, GIMP or something similar. --h2g2bob 04:11, 26 April 2007 (UTC)
IrfanView works great, too. Cacycle 17:37, 28 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Best resolution

How do you get an image into the best resolution? -68.193.147.179 20:34, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

What does that mean? Use whatever resolution is best for the job... -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 21:56, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Maybe he means for all computer screens? Aaron Bowen 23:43, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Using SVG (or any other vector graphics) allows you to draw pictures and scale them to any size without pixelation. Other than that, please can you give some context to your question. --h2g2bob 04:04, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

You typically want to set it to 100% zoom level. You definitely don't want less than 100%, but there are cases where you would want more. If your screen is at it's resolution limit (say it's set to 1600x1200 pixels), you might want to go with 200% zoom, especially if your pic is small. You could also go with 300%, 400%, etc., but always stick with a multiple of 100%. If you have a program which can do pixel interpolation, then go with the highest zoom level you can get. StuRat 23:14, 26 April 2007 (UTC)