Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2007 June 30

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[edit] June 30

[edit] Advice for firewall users

Why doesn't software documentation ever seem to explain how and why a program uses the Internet does, so that a user knows how to respond to a firewall alert? It could be something like this:

This program will attempt to connect to the Internet to:
  • Check for and download automatic updates on startup.
  • Open Web Help in your Web browser when you select it from the menu or press Ctrl-Alt-F1.
  • Open links in documents when clicked.
Other functionality of the program will not be affected if a firewall blocks this access or you do not have an Internet connection. This program should not attempt to:
  • Accept incoming connections.
  • Connect to an IP address other than 123.45.67.89 without going through your Web browser.
  • Use a protocol other than TCP/IP.

NeonMerlin 00:51, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Because software documentation is written by poorly-paid college kids :). Splintercellguy 01:06, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
Because any software you're likely to actually read the documentation on is usually something boxed you'd buy at a software store and therefore not suspect as doing anything suspicious. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 01:13, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Decaying images? Madness?

Hi there. I had this lovely high resolution portrait as my desktop wallpaper. A few months ago it seemed really clear and beautiful, but now it seems slightly grainy and kind of a bit more compressed looking. Am I just seeing things or is the image being damaged somehow? It seems to be hapening to other pictures on my laptop. I'm using Windows XP, with plenty of memory and disk space and I dont run any strange programs or image editing stuff, nor have I fiddled with any settings or anything. Anyone know whats going on? Thanks! Name | Talk 03:18, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Oops! its me! Tree Kittens | Talk 03:23, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps it's time to clean your computer monitor? :) --inksT 04:34, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
Hehe! It really isn't that. It is strange though - the image started off crisp and clear, but now it looks much more compressed. Does anyone know a mechanism for this? I haven't changed the file at all, and there has been no change to it's size or "last modified" date. Mysterious... Tree Kittens 05:47, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
Change of screen resolution?
Perhaps your screen is becoming 'old' or losing its sharpness/colour brightness/correction. I know there are LCD-setting gizmos that you can buy to calibrate your monitor's colours. It may be that the pixels have got themselves away from the standard you set and need 'resetting' (or something). See (http://www.amazon.com/Pantone-MEU103-Eye-One-Display-2/dp/customer-reviews/B000CR78CO) this product for example. Users seem to suggest that the monitor loses quality after a while and needs re-calibrating...No idea if this is true but there you go. ny156uk 23:44, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
Microsoft Frontpage used to recompress and *overwrite* jpeg images when it was just ordered to *open* them and in the process destroyed many pictures all over the world. Maybe you are a victim.
Hmm, ok thanks for those answers everyone. I haven't changed my screen resolution or image display settings. It's possible that my laptop screen has decayed, but it seems to show other images just fine. As the above poster suggests - it is almost as if the image has been compressed and overwritten a few times. It's just got that look. Strange. Maybe I've just got more and more used to it and familiarity has bred contempt... Anyway, it isn't important really. I shall do an experiment - I'll burn some images onto a cd so I can compare them after a while to ones I use as wallpaper. Thanks a lot for your help guys Tree Kittens 03:13, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Separating audio from video in WMM

How do you separate audio from video in Windows Movie Maker? Every time I expand the video to show the audio track, and then edit the audio, the video disappears. Basically, I want to run Video Y's audio track over Video X's video, discarding Video Y's video (I can do this) and discarding only Video X's audio (which I can't do). This is the XP SP2 version of WMM. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 04:37, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps you could try VirtualDub for this particular usage, instead of Windows Movie Maker? Dubbing in VirtualDub is so easy, it's in the application name. It's also a fairly powerful tool for other purposes. Nimur 16:51, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Laptops being placed upside-down

I find my laptop gets REALLY hot on the bottom when i'm running some games, this is made worse by the fact that my table is matted. The laptop's mysteriously turned off for no reason a few times and i suspect that overheating may have something to do with it.

Since i don't actually use the laptop's screen or keyboard (i have an external screen and keyboard plugged in), i figured i could just place my laptop up-side down, so the bottom (which is what usually gets really hot) of the machine is facing up, and the screen half of the laptop is actually on the bottom.

I found this helped a lot, the bottom of the laptop (now the top) is no longer so hot to touch, the fans haven't been so loud, and i haven't had any more cases of the computer suddenly dying on me.

However, someone pointed out to me that leaving the laptop upside-down while it's on may be bad. I can't really imagine what the problem would be, but i'd like some second opinions just to be sure.

Is it bad for me to keep my laptop upside down (screen-side down) on my table while it's on?

Not too sure about the upside thing, but another option to keep the bottom cool is to elevate the laptop from its four corners. - Akamad 05:35, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, i'm looking to buy a laptop stand where the laptop is held up only by its edges, so the middle part of the bottom can air. Haven't found one yet. I'm a bit relunctant to try and elevate the corners using something like books, because i just know i'm going to end up knocking it over at some point.
You could just get one of the dozens of laptop cooling pads (pieces of plastic to put your laptop on that have fans inside them). I know people that have them, and they work very well. They're usually made to have the laptop in your lap, so they do a good job of cooling it off.--ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 08:18, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
There was a time when hard disks were designed to operate with the drive spindle vertical, and the right way up. This was because the weight of the spindle and platters was supported by a ball bearing, thus fixing its vertical alignment. There was no corresponding bearing at the top of the spindle, so turning the drive upside down during normal running had some unwelcome effects as the spindle shifted in its sleeve bearings controlling horizontal alignment. Things have improved over the years, and the size of hard disks has shrunk to such an extent that there is no longer space for the end ball bearing, a single bearing being sufficient to control horizontal and vertical alignment. If you prefer to keep the laptop the right way up, leave the screen open a bit - it's surprising how much heat escapes through the keyboard.86.137.79.237 09:40, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
My main concern with leaving it upside down would actually be the stress being put on the monitor. Most laptops are rather flimsy like that, I wouldn't be surprised if putting a laptop upside down could crack the screen. CDs/DVDs might also be a problem, but I doubt it would be nearly as bad. --ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 09:48, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
It may make it easier to read the new signature fad on the Reference Desk... Nimur 17:01, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
As someone mentioned earlier, it could cause problems with the hard disc. I know the classic rule that if you put your hard discs upside down you increase the risk of hard drive failure or read/write errors. Over time I assume this isn't a major issue any more, but I'm sure the theory still exists: it is not best practice for your hard drive to be upside down. I recommend against it. If you value your laptop and it's expensive, make a plan to keep it uprite, or at the most on its side. Rfwoolf 18:44, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
I see, thanks for the advice everyone.

[edit] java programming

hallo am a learner on programming using java language. my main purpose for learning is to be a ble to be able to transmit data and for security puposes encrypt the data. I have not been able to come up with a workable encrypting and decrypting programs. Would you please give me say a sample java program to encrypt the following information and a separate java program to decrypt it"Read a four digit integer in an input dialog box and encripted as follows: replace each digit by the sum of that digit plus seven modulus ten, swap the first digit with the third digit and swap the second digit by the fourth and print the encrypted data." Regards!

Sounds like you've got a pretty good description on what you're supposed to do to encrypt the data, you aren't going to need any type of industry standard encryption. Check out the Javadocs for the appropriate objects for modifying string objects. Sun also has a pretty good Tutorial too. -- JSBillings 14:42, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
With all due respect, I hope that the information you plan to encrypt is not extremely important, (you self-identify as a novice; you may not notice a security flaw, which may be subtle). In light of this, perhaps you should consider using some of the ready-to-use Java tools for encryption, such as Secure Sockets and the Java Security APIs. Nimur 16:55, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

... unless this is a homework assignment ... Nimur 16:58, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] converting a macromedia flash projector .exe to swf

hi!

does anyone know a solution to extract a embedded .swf from a macromedia flash projector .exe?

thanks,84.56.57.48 20:44, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] weird .mid file

hi again!

some two years ago i created a .mid file on the cellphone of a buddy (some sony ericsson stuff). the mid file plays fine on all cellphones i have, but not on my computer. in file it identifies as:

marco@debian:~$ file dani.mid
dani.mid: Standard MIDI data (format 1) using 11 tracks at 1/192

vlc and xmms refuse to play it :(

does anyone know how to convert/play it?

84.56.57.48 20:49, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

...I didn't know it was possible to play MIDI files with VLC, and XMMS can only do it with a special plugin. Are you sure you can play other MIDI files? —Keenan Pepper 21:25, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
yes, i can play ordinary cellphone ringtones and normal midi files with xmms. 84.56.48.3 06:51, 1 July 2007 (UTC)