Quick [tech] Questions Thread

[Chimpy]

So wait, it works when cached exchange mode is on but not when it is off? 

... I refer you to the very fucked.

[Phildo]

No, I think I wrote that backwards.  The issue happens in cached mode, and doesn't occur in online mode.  Sorry!

We rebooted the server overnight and it doesn't seem to have fixed the issue.  I'm going to chalk it up to some arcane setting being broken and talk to the senior exchange guy here.  This is above my paygrade.

[Chimpy]

Did you delete their OST and PST files in their profile?

Outlook rebuilds them on startup and I have seen some wacky shit because of corrupted OST/PST files.

[Phildo]

I didn't delete the OST, but I did repair the PST file about 8 times in a row.  Still don't think it's localized to Outlook, I think I'm going to need to build the client a fresh exchange profile.

[Chimpy]

Seriously, don't even bother repairing PST/OST files. Nuke the mother fuckers from orbit and have them relaunch outlook. 95% of the shit that used to be only stored in those files is kept on the server now anyway.

[Soln]

Having a very strange Win7 problem.  For whatever reason, a new SATA cable I applied either borked something on my motherboard or it caused a Windows update to churn.  Regardless, I removed it, and I've removed every other drive and USB connection, but I'm unable to get a system repair disk or the Win 7 install disk to appear.  Black screen every time.

1. put in system repair DVD (made on a 32bit version of Win7; mine is 64bit)
2. find the DVD and 1 SSD that supposed to be c:\ after POST test -- set DVD to boot
3. boot from DVD -- spins alot, DOS progress bar working
4. DVD stops spinning, black screen, nothing appears (No mouse cursor, no keyboard input)

I assume this is a MBR problem, but I can't get the repair disk to get to it.  Any ideas?  I've checked cables etc.  Also, I tried booting from my Win7 64bit install disk but it similarly goes to the Windows progress animation, and then freezes. 

[Chimpy]

Make sure your bios/uefi boot mode did not get changed. This sounds suspiciously like what happened when dell replaced a motherboard which we had not set to bios boot like we should have. Would not find a valid windows partition.

Also Check your sata operation mode if it is ahci or legacy.

[Salamok]

Doesn't Windows 7 nuke itself if you change the uefi setting in the bios?  Be careful with that.

[Soln]

Im out of my depth.  This is an ASROCK board with UEFI and the SATA cables were set to IDE.  There's only 2 now connected -- the DVD drive and the one SSD with Win 7 as c:\.  Setting them both to "AHCI" didn't solve the behavior below -- DVD just spins out and things hang and go black after the loading animations. 

So, let's assume the UEFI did get changed -- any advice what to do?  Thanks BTW!

[Trippy]

Do you have another computer you can use? If so take the hard drive out of the one that's giving you trouble and back it up on the other computer. As for the motherboard BIOS/UEFI you could try doing a factory reset but again back up your hard drive first.

[Rendakor]

I need a good recommendation for a camera and mic for making Youtube videos. Ideally a webcam so I can also use it for twitch streaming, but that's not a hard requirement. No idea where to even begin, short of just using my phone for video which seems dumb.

[Engels]

Budget, for starters.

[Rendakor]

I've no idea what these sorts of things go for. $100-$200ish total seems reasonable; I don't want some $20 webcam that's going to give me shit quality but I'm not making super-serious, try-to-earn-money-from-YT videos either.

[Yegolev]

I have more than one URL which leads to a Java app, and these Java apps are of course very particular about the version I am using.  One, in fact, only works with Java 7u51.  My question is: does a thing exist which lets me define a particular Java for a particular URL or app, so that I don't have to go into the java console and disable all the versions except the one I want to use at that moment?

[Engels]

I've no idea what these sorts of things go for. $100-$200ish total seems reasonable; I don't want some $20 webcam that's going to give me shit quality but I'm not making super-serious, try-to-earn-money-from-YT videos either.

How portable do you need it to be? Is this just for your desk, or do you want to record video to later post to youtube? There's a cheaper GoPro camera for about 200, but that may be overkill.

[Lantyssa]

I have more than one URL which leads to a Java app, and these Java apps are of course very particular about the version I am using.  One, in fact, only works with Java 7u51.  My question is: does a thing exist which lets me define a particular Java for a particular URL or app, so that I don't have to go into the java console and disable all the versions except the one I want to use at that moment?

For apps, if it's launching as a JAR file you can specify the path to the version of java you want.  If it's an executable then you'll probably have to set up some environment variables ahead of time, and no telling how it will behave if you have multiple apps at different levels going.

For a web page... you might be SoL.

[Yegolev]

The "web page" is just a front end to miscellaneous Java apps.  I'm not executing any JARs directly, these are apps which come packed in software and firmware updates for appliances or nodes of appliances.  I'm not likely to be able to modify most or any of the apps, but I do use launching URLs which are unique.

Sounds like I'm SOL, though.

[Trippy]

Are these using Java Web Start (javaws)?

[Rendakor]

I've no idea what these sorts of things go for. $100-$200ish total seems reasonable; I don't want some $20 webcam that's going to give me shit quality but I'm not making super-serious, try-to-earn-money-from-YT videos either.

How portable do you need it to be? Is this just for your desk, or do you want to record video to later post to youtube? There's a cheaper GoPro camera for about 200, but that may be overkill.

Just for my desk.

[Yegolev]

Are these using Java Web Start (javaws)?

I'm not sure if it's javaws.exe or some other binary.  I'm afeared that I'd need to enable tracing to figure out that (although I can do it).  These are appliances, after all.

[Trippy]

Setup a bunch of different VMs each with a different version of Java? (That's what I used to do to test IE versions)

[Yegolev]

[Salamok]

Go to a programming forum and make a fuck java in the ear post, when the drones come out to defend it present them with your problem?

[Soln]

The confusion continues.  So, I had a SSD reformated to NTFS ready to install Win7 over, but I sense I have more problems upstream.  I have UEFI capable motherboard, and I don't know if the original Win7 SSD install was on BIOS or UEFI (Im learning about these dependencies).  So I assume getting that right is important.

Further complications:  I have ACHI and IDE capable SATA ports, but I don't know which to pick.  The boot up is finding a UEFI and SATA capable DVD player, but only a SATA capable SSD.  Behavior I know get is the DVD drive spins out with animation dying off -- nothing starts.  And this happens even trying to install Ubuntu (just a blank screen with a flashing cursor).

So I assume the problem is picking the right SATA drive, but I don't know why this isn't working.  I mean, it's a clean SSD with a DVD player capable of being found as UEFI or BIOS (only the SSD I guess is BIOS).  Just selecing one or the other for DVD drive is not helping.  HALP!

[Yegolev]

Go to a programming forum and make a fuck java in the ear post, when the drones come out to defend it present them with your problem?

Awesome.  But, who doesn't loathe java?  Everyone I know hates it like hobbitses.

Also fuck UEFI in the ear.

Soln, possibly there are some firmware updates required for mainboard or DVD drive?

[Phildo]

Had a client today experience an issue with converting Word documents to PDF files using Acrobat Elements.  It would stall out about 1/4 of the way through the progress bar for some files, but not others.  Eventually, I worked out that it would work if I changed the font of the documents that aren't working.  The font that didn't work?  Times New Roman.

I'm crazy and there's probably a different/better solution than changing away from one of the most prevalent fonts in the world, right?

[Chimpy]

The confusion continues.  So, I had a SSD reformated to NTFS ready to install Win7 over, but I sense I have more problems upstream.  I have UEFI capable motherboard, and I don't know if the original Win7 SSD install was on BIOS or UEFI (Im learning about these dependencies).  So I assume getting that right is important.

Further complications:  I have ACHI and IDE capable SATA ports, but I don't know which to pick.  The boot up is finding a UEFI and SATA capable DVD player, but only a SATA capable SSD.  Behavior I know get is the DVD drive spins out with animation dying off -- nothing starts.  And this happens even trying to install Ubuntu (just a blank screen with a flashing cursor).

So I assume the problem is picking the right SATA drive, but I don't know why this isn't working.  I mean, it's a clean SSD with a DVD player capable of being found as UEFI or BIOS (only the SSD I guess is BIOS).  Just selecing one or the other for DVD drive is not helping.  HALP!

You have to use AHCI with an SSD for trim support to work. BIOS should be fine for the SSD as long as the motherboard chipset supports AHCI in BIOS mode.

[Soln]

I upgraded my bios to the right make & model, but now there's no bios splash screen at all.  Just a blank screen, no cursor.  Any ideas?  Call Nerd Herd?

[Trippy]

Factory reset.

[Rendakor]

I'm looking at the Logitech C920 and Blue's Yeti for my video/audio recording combo. Anyone have direct experience with either? Both have great reviews on Amazon and Newegg.

[Hoax]

iphone OS update completely fucks router. Apparently while its updating every other device wired or wifi is booted from the network. Its not a problem because I guess it comes back when the update is completed but wtf is wrong with Apple shit?

[Stormwaltz]

I just built a new machine with a fresh install of Win7-64 Home Premium. I'm in the process of installing utilities, and I've come across a problem.

When I try to run some installs - not all, but some - I get the error "The ordinal 459 could not be located in the dynamic link library urlmon.dll." I could install Adobe Flash, but not Adobe Reader. I could install Firefox, but not WinRAR.

A Google search turned up a handful of general urlmon suggestions that did nothing to resolve my issue. Any ideas?

EDIT: Never mind. I installed a stack of "optional" Win 7 updates, and that seems to have corrected the problem.

[Ingmar]

Logitech mice: Is the G400s a worthy successor to the MX518 (greatest mouse ever made)? My MX518 is starting to have problems with the scroll wheel. 

[Trippy]

Texture is apparently a bit different but otherwise very similar. Unfortunately it doesn't have a tilt-wheel* so I haven't tried it myself.

* That also means the G5 was actually the greatest mouse ever made since it was the same shape and design as the MX 518 but was laser instead of optical and it had a tilt wheel (plus weights if you cared about that sort of thing).

[Hawkbit]

I can't speak to the MX518, but I went from a G5 (the greatest mouse ever made) to a G400s recently.  It's like going from an Audi to a Corolla. 

I was trying to save a few bones because the new G5 replacement is like $80, but the added weight and sensitivity to the G5 is missing.  The G400s's cord is so thin that one of my cats will chew through it soon enough, so I'll just splurge for the nice mouse then.