Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/Computing/2006 August 30

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[edit] Boot-up Problems (Continued)

A couple of days ago I mentioned I was having boot-up problems. I finally got a message which might further explain what the problem is.

"Alert! PCI Express Card is running in x1 mode."

Any information on what is wrong and how I might be able to fix it would be greatly appreciated. --Demonesque 07:48, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Do you have SLI/Crossfire? --Proficient 03:57, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] hidden file

In windows XP, when you view some pictures in the thumbnail view, windows creates a hidden file. What is the extension of this hidden file? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.174.162.131 (talk • contribs)

Thank you

The file is thumbs.db. See also Computing#IDE_channel where this question was asked before.-gadfium 08:35, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] PC Beep error

My pc has a strange "Siren" sound and wont POST. Its not RAM and its not the GFX card. There is also nothing on the screen. (infact no signal from the gfx card) Its a P4 Mobo with a socket 478 CPU.

I recon the mobo is dead. Whats your opinion?

I don't remember the brand but I built several PCs with motherboards that eventually failed with a siren. It turned out to be the CPU overheating and replacing the fan fixed the problem in every case.

It could be the graphics card, the cpu, the power supply, or even a fan. I seriously doubt there's a siren in the computer. It is just the beep that normally makes a quick "beep beep", but now going "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...." right? I've been able to do that with just a broken keyboard too. --Kainaw (talk) 12:22, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

PC normally makes one kind of beep to tell you all hardware is OK (and proceeds to post screen), and other kinds of beep to tell you of serious hardware problems (and blank screen).

My Asus mobo handbook came with descriptions of various noises and meanings, but most don't.

My PC recently did this, in the end I unplugged everything (disks, RAM, PCI, power) except cpu and plugged it all back in and luckily it works OK now. If this doesn't work I'd assume mobo is dead. Rentwa 14:23, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Numeric Keypad Inverter

In Windows, is there a way to tell the computer that the numeric keypad is upside down (like a telephone). In other words, when I hit 7 on the numeric keypad, I want it to think I hit 1. When I hit 1, I want it to think I hit 7. Then, the numbers will be in the same order as my telephone - even though the actual print on the keys will not change until I pull off the keys and move them around. --Kainaw (talk) 14:40, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

It's ofcourse possible but I doubt there is anything short of reprogramming the driver which will do it. I googled it and did some research, and found nothing. Not very helpful, I guess Oskar 14:49, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
I've found two programs of interest. This seems like a nice simple program to do it, and this comes from Microsoft itself. I havn't tested either program myself, but they seem to be exactly what you want. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 15:16, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
I passed the MS tool along. Now, if I can just hack my phone to be like my keyboard... --Kainaw (talk) 18:08, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
That is a good idea! —Bromskloss 19:49, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] HOW

How i come to know that the programing language that i use, is the C or C++?which things are differ--86.62.212.112 16:38, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Main difference is classes, but there are a number of things. See C and C++ Oskar 16:53, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] processor

i want to know what is a dual core processor and what is the advantages of using it. i want to also know what is meaning of duo and solo.

A dual core processor is essentially a processor that contains two core processors. The advantage? Well, there are many, but basically the computer can be made faster because you can run things in parallel. For details, see Multi-core (computing). Oskar 17:46, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

The terms "Duo" and "Solo" are Intel terms to describe the features of their processors (or CPUs). Duo, as the name suggests, means it is dual-core, and solo, is single. At the moment, Intel has just released their new Core 2 Duo line for notebooks, and several weeks ago released it for desktops. AMD's line of dual-core processors is known as the X2. There are numberous advantages to having a dual-core processor, but it largely depends on what you plan to use your computer for. This is due to the fact that most programs are not designed natively for more than one processor, and as a result will not use the other processor. So unless you use two CPU intensive programs at once, such as video encoding or editing high-resolution photos, you will not notice much individual application speed increases (unless of course, it is designed for one or more processors, also known as being multi-threaded). However, because Windows is capable of using more than one CPU at once effectively, you will notice it being much more responsive, even if you are doing simple things such as web-browsing and editing documents. Also, coupled with the dropping prices, I would recommend to get a dual core processor. Ronaldh 13:09, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Internet Security

I am looking at buying a new laptop and am wondering if Internet security is necessary, I can get Norton for about €40 but a friend tells me that its not worth getting as there is no treats to home users and that all the talk about Viruses, hackers, etc... is just scaremongering by software providers to make profits. He also said that if I really want it there are equally good free ones available on the net. is he right or should i definitely get the normal security? Ken 19:16, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

It's definitely worth using security software - my PC was recently infected with some sort of trojan/spyware, and I hadn't done anything stupid like opening attachments on unsolicited email - my firewall picked it up and my anti-virus zapped it.
If you want to save money there are various free versions available online, also Norton came bundled on my PC driver disk. Many ISPs also offer protection, but whatever you do don't go unprotected! Rentwa 21:15, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
Virus talk is not scaremongering—an unprotected Windows machine will get viruses very quickly (hackers are mostly an issue in connection with viruses—many of the viruses one can get will turn your computer into a "slave" machine for a hacker; if you don't get viruses, you probably won't have a hacker problem). You should definitely get a virus scanner and a firewall if you are using a Windows machine. However you can indeed get free versions of these. I think my Windows XP setup uses the native XP firewall (which seems to work fine), and AVG Anti-Virus, which is free and works great. --Fastfission 23:48, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
Not just virii. I had a severe problem with spyware that made my PC virtually unusable until I ran four different spyware remover programs to get rid of all of it. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:57, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
Avoid Norton at all costs. There are far better alternatives, including the free stuff. A router is terrific network security, AVG (or Avast!, or Anti-vir) is a good free scanner, and Microsoft AntiSpyware / Ad-aware / Spybot are all good at treating and preventing spyware. The best form of prevention is to be careful with what you run, and either use a browser other than IE or use IE on decently high security settings and simply don't agree to every ActiveX pop-up. Also, be absolutely certain that you have Windows patched up; this is incredibly important if you're connected without a router (which I do not advise). -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:30, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
And personally, I only have AVG running actively on the computer, with spyware apps unloaded but installed. I usually disable AVG too, unless I think I need it. I use a router, caution, and Firefox ;) -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:30, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
Internet security is very important... There are plenty of people in the world who will be able to tell you how viruses wiped their hard drive clean, how spyware made their computer extremely, impossibly slow, and how phishing attacks allowed hackers to steal people's credit card details and other sensitive data, resulting in severe financial loss. Security software makers do say it's important and that's because it is. I agree with Consumed Crustacean in that AVG is a good free virus scanner (the free version is at http://free.grisoft.com). Use Microsoft AntiSpyware, Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal, and Spybot - Search and Destroy - three spyware removers are better than one. Update your computer - a completely new standard Windows XP installation can be taken over in minutes. Use an internet browser other than Internet Explorer - Mozilla Firefox and Opera (browser) are two fine examples. And finally - use common sense. Don't open anything that doesn't look trustworthy. Good luck. Harryboyles 13:49, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] SVG file format

I've taken a look at the relevant article and want to know if I understand correctly, that the SVG file format allows an image to be opened and have its components shifted around again, kinda like layers saved in Paint Shop Pro's native file format..? --Username132 (talk) 19:35, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't really get why you are specifically referring to the SVG file format when, to me, your question seems to concern vector graphics in general. —Bromskloss 19:52, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
I suggest you also read the vector graphics and raster graphics articles. --N·Blue talk 19:53, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
People with little experience post questions here. If you know more than they do, instead of criticizing their ignorance, help them out. As for this question, there are two possibilities. The SVG format uses plain text with XML syntax to describe graphical objects. If the file says to draw a ellipse and a line segment, then while editing the description (perhaps with a WYSIWYG editor like Inkscape) it is indeed possible to slide, turn, and scale the objects either separately or together, and to change properties like stroke thickness and color. When viewing the file as part of a web page, no such manipulation is possible unless it has been programmed into the image. Note that an SVG image can contain a raster image, such as a PNG, that itself cannot be broken into parts. Also, SVG provides for "filter effects", which involve image processing on the rendered graphical objects. --KSmrqT 01:06, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
Yes. Try Inkscape's tutorials. Help → Tutorials → Inkscape: Basic. It's wonderfully interactive, in a new kind of way. --Kjoonlee 07:01, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Programming Languages

What would be the best programming language for general use? --Yanwen 22:07, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Let me answer by with another question: what is the best car for general use? Lots of people come up with different answers based on their general use. Similarly, programmers come up with different answers for the projects they do.
If you're asking because you want to start to learn programming and you want to pick a language, they are all, in large part, the same. The ones that are really different are generally not taught outside university settings, and the features that make the ones you are likely to learn different aren't really all that obvious until you try and build very large programs. The standard answer to "what language should I learn first" on here seems to be Python or possibly Java, with Python favoured because of its cleanness and simplicity for beginners (but don't get us wrong, it's not a toy language, it's used by real programmers for real projects), or Java (because of its relatively clean design and wide industrial use). --Robert Merkel 22:18, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
I guess I should rephrase this. What type of language(programming paradigm) should I use if I were to program small applications/programs for personal use? --Yanwen 22:34, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
I forgot to say that, yes, I am going to try to learn a programming language.(I'm not taking a course, I'm teaching myself.) I don't mind if it's hard to learn or isn't simple, because I've had a decent amount of experience with programming before. --Yanwen 23:04, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
Windows, Linux, or Mac? --Robert Merkel 23:38, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
Windows --Yanwen 00:20, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
But I'll be adding Unix/Linux soon. --Yanwen 19:06, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
What kind of applications? Will a command-line interface suffice or do you need GUI apps? Will there be any major CPU usage, or is great efficiency not critical? Do you want to be able to draw on a broad community of programmers working in the same language, with solutions they have found available in code repositories? Since you have already learned programming, what language(s) did you learn? Would you prefer a similar language or something new and rather different? --KSmrqT 01:20, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
I want to make GUI apps. There won't be major CPU usage. The languages I have learned so far are Logo and TI-BASIC, both which seemed kind of easy. I was thinking about trying object-oriented programming but I haven't decided yet. --Yanwen 18:39, 1 September 2006 (UTC)
Do you want to write programs that work in the command prompt window, or do you want to create your own windows? Also, do you want your program to obtain information from any web sites? Do you want the program to obtain information from databases, if so, which one? --Gerry Ashton 01:12, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
FOr Windows, GUI applications, compatible with a background in Logo and TI-BASIC, I'd recommmend starting with Visual Basic 2005 Express and pick one of the starter kits. The VB 2005 Express download is here. VB isn't particularly object oriented, so I'd recommend Visual C++ or C# (same download source) if you're serious about OO programming. Note that Microsoft is not the only source of tools. You can probably just as easily go with Eclipse and learn Java. Borland's C++ Builder is another option. Any of these should be a good start. -- Fuzzyeric 04:04, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Upgrading Windows

Hi,

Sorry that a similar question was asked earlier, but I have a slightly different question. I have an IBM Thinkpad (laptop) that is running Windows 98. I want to upgrade it to XP, but my CD drive doesn't burn CDs, the laptop doesn't recognize any of my flash drives, and my internet connection is not working on it. So essentially, I can't back up my files. If I install XP, will I lose all my files, or will they still be there in XP? Thanks, --potatoman7134

Always back up your files before upgrading an operating system, regardless of whether the files are supposed to be untouched or not. The chances of something not working are simply too great. --Robert Merkel 23:41, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't suggest upgrading. I have a similar IBM ThinkPad, and have decided to leave it "as is". I have a new computer I will use for new stuff, and the laptop will just be used as an archive. BTW, does your laptop even meet the minimum system requirements for Windows XP ? StuRat 23:55, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

I have a VERY old laptop. I put a large drive in it. Put Linux on it (no GUI, just the shell). Then added NFS and Samba. My wife and I use it as a fileserver. That doesn't require a fast CPU or a lot of memory. The good thing is that it has a built-in 8-hour battery to protect at power outage and it is very small so I can grab it if a hurricane is coming. I've often thought of taking it completely apart and mounting it on the back of a picture frame. Then, I can hang the picture on the wall and nobody will know it is actually my fileserver. --Kainaw (talk) 00:54, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

I probably won't upgrade then. The laptop does meet the requirements for XP, but I don't think I'll upgrade. Thanks for the help! --potatoman7134

Still, to answer your question, you could try booting off a live CD and then seeing that could get the flash drives to work that way. you could then copy the files from your harddrive to flash. Jon513 12:21, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
Direct cable connection? Copy over the network? Laplink? Stack of floppies? Null modem? (Some of these options overlap.) -- Fuzzyeric 04:09, 6 September 2006 (UTC)