Quick [tech] Questions Thread

[Yegolev]

Want to rip a cdrom but WMP sucks.  Suggestions?

http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

[Trippy]

Sucks to be you

It's probably complaining about the ebayshortcuts.exe file:

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=1546569

[Goreschach]

CDex has never given me a virus.

I should probably add that it's a lot easier to use than EAC, as well.

[Ginaz]

Quick question.  I can't use my Blu Ray disk drive because it says there is a problem with the driver.  I tried to update it but I can't because it doesn't show up anywhere.  Normally I can find it using My Computer.  It was listed as my E: drive.  I tried un-connecting and reconnecting the drive physically by opening up my computer but it doesn't work.  I have another drive from my old computer I can put in but I'd like to save that as a last resort.  Any suggestions?  Thanks.  And yes, I can't computer.

[Lantyssa]

For XP (though should be similar on all WinOSs):

Open Control Panel -> Computer Management.  Once that is open, under Storage on the left, choose Disk Management.  Does the DVD drive show in the bottom left pane?  If so, you can right click and assign a drive letter.

If not, then does it show in the Device Manager list?  (Another tab in the left pane.)  Look either under the DVD/CD-ROM tab to the right, or for a question mark in an expanded tab.  If it shows there, you can install drivers by right-clicking and choosing the option.

If it doesn't, then your drive isn't being recognized by the computer at all.  Check your cables, both data and power.

[Ginaz]

I was able to get it working by downloading something from the MS site called Mats_Run.dvd. Most likely it was a problem with the drivers. Anyways, everything is gtg now.  Thanks.

[Salamok]

Okay just bought a new laptop, anyone have recommendations for a laptop bag that will handle 17.3" for under $75?

P.S. - WTF is this a WLED, RGB LED or some other kinda LED (bonus points for actual brightness/contrast/gamut specs)?
Dell 17.3" FHD (1920 x 1080) TrueLife WLED (B+RG LED) 1080p

[Azazel]

I'm wondering what the best way to save a whole webpage is for offline viewing, or chunk of a page.

Basically, there's some stuff that's disappeared, but I can still find (most of) it on one of the webarchives. However, it's 101 pages, and I'd like to save them while preserving the links, images, and navigatability.

[Lantyssa]

A webpage, or a website?

If it's a single page, just do a "save as..."  All the major browsers can grab everything linked.

[Azazel]

Well, a website. Or a former one nested within waybackmachine. But obviously not the whole wayback machine. 101 pages.

[Viin]

http://www.sitesucker.us/home.html

[Reg]

I've got the stupidest little problem.  I'm trying to change a shortcut icon on Windows Vista 64 but for some reason the shortcut tab isn't showing up when I do a properties. Not on the shortcut I'm trying to change or on any of the shortcuts I've changed in the past.

I must have messed something up but Google isn't being very helpful today.

[Snee]

anyone have a relatively cheap wireless repeater they like?

I put my gaming box on wireless so I could move my dsl modem to a spot where its wireless would reach the roku in my living room.

my ping went up by a factor of 10 and I can't play anything.


Thanks for all advice.

[Yegolev]

I have a sideways suggestion to look at using a powerline network extender.  Currently using a Cisco model to bridge my DSL modem to my consoles.

[Yegolev]

Looks like I accidentally ordered a 5870 Eyefinity 6 instead of a normal 5870.  I discovered this when I tried to plug my monitor into it.  I am hoping that I am not doomed, but the fact that I seem to be relegated to a preview version of Catalyst 10.3 bodes ill.  Anyone have any experience here?  Should I just go ahead and return it for a non-flight-simulator card?

[Yegolev]

I might have answered my own question since the installer won't actually install.

[Yegolev]

I love newegg because they let me return things that have a No Return policy.  The Sapphire 5870 that I got the wife is sold out, so I was forced to get the 2GB version.

[Sky]

When I first got my 8800GTX, there was a manufacturing defect from evga: memory heatsinks weren't sticking properly and they were very overclocked. Card kept crashing, I returned to evga (their packaging says to do so!), got another crashy one, returned that, got another crashy one that was a refurb. Finally I told them to fuck off, contacted newegg and told them the situation, by then it was outside newegg's return for replacement timeframe. Newegg allowed me to RMA the refurb to them and refunded me the money (I bought the non-overclocked version).

Newegg does indeed have good customer service. They listen to the customer and aren't scripted drones.

[Engels]

I love newegg because they let me return things that have a No Return policy.  The Sapphire 5870 that I got the wife is sold out, so I was forced to get the 2GB version.

Wait, I'm not sure I get why the eyefinity version isn't desireable, even if you're not going to use the multi monitor set up? I have the 'regular' 5870, and I have quietly cursed myself for not waiting to get the eyefinity one, in case I decide that that's something I'd like to do some day. Now it sounds as if you're saying the eyefinity version won't work as a 'normal' vid card? Is the performance gimped when used on only one monitor?

[Yegolev]

I love newegg because they let me return things that have a No Return policy.  The Sapphire 5870 that I got the wife is sold out, so I was forced to get the 2GB version.

Wait, I'm not sure I get why the eyefinity version isn't desireable, even if you're not going to use the multi monitor set up? I have the 'regular' 5870, and I have quietly cursed myself for not waiting to get the eyefinity one, in case I decide that that's something I'd like to do some day. Now it sounds as if you're saying the eyefinity version won't work as a 'normal' vid card? Is the performance gimped when used on only one monitor?

The one I had did not have any DVI ports, instead it had six other ports and a few dongles.  I tried to make it work but the problem was the Catalyst installer on the CD and the one I downloaded from ATi just would not install the drivers.  I'm sure it would have been awesome to have six monitors () but... well the stock Win7 drivers won't help me with that and they didn't even offer my native resolution and so everything looked like shit.  The one I ordered to replace it will support Eyefinity, as my wife's does, but it also has a pair of DVI ports and I expect it will use the normal Catalyst branch.

Have I ever mentioned how much I despise ATi?

I reinstalled the 9800 GTX instead of trying out the 4870 I removed from my wife's PC.  After that I noticed one of my hard disks and my DVD drive did not come back, so I had to shut her down, wiggle some wires and boot up again.  Looking like it is time to start researching a new build.

EDIT: The card in question.

[Sky]

I loathe displayport. There's a reason they put little screws on monitor cable ends. When I upgraded about twenty mac minis from DVI to DisplayPort, the #1 complaint was "My monitor just shut off", meaning they had jostled the computer and the monitor came unplugged at the displayport end. Hasn't happened recently, but now people are doing things like standing their computers up on the face so the ports stick straight up...

[Engels]

Hmm, that's super odd Yego. I am wondering if it had to do with the dongle and your monitor. Some monitors might lose their HDMI compliance when you use a dongle. They essentially don't allow the 'authentication code' or whatever it is to traverse the dongle so your vid card won't even allow the drivers to install. I'm pulling this theory out of my vaguely informed posterior.

I had a situation perhaps similar back in the day; I had a DVI/VGA monitor, and I tried to use the DVI port. When I installed the Netflix player, the installer said that my monitor was not HDMI compliant so I couldn't use the player. I then switched to VGA and the thing worked. Later on, my monitor was added to a list of a approved hardware, and I could use DVI again.

[Yegolev]

I'd like to think that there would be some visible error if it was programmed that way.  Since the installer processes die without an utterance, I'm going to blame shitty programming.  Besides that, the Win7 driver worked well enough that I could use my machine, it just didn't support 1680x1050.

I later found a 10.5 version of Catalyst (CD was 10.2 and ATi's was 10.3) on Sapphire's web site, but since I had already finagled a RMA for a card I didn't want anyway, I didn't bother.  I had concerns about the lack of screws, and Sky just confirmed my suspicions.

[Yegolev]

Installed the new 5870, a Vapor-X 2GB one, and the Catalyst shit would not install again.  I decided to skip the issue and applied the drivers directly, minus Catalyst.  Works great, and I still hate ATI.

Apparently they are no longer "ATi".

[Strazos]

Never heard of Vapor...off-brand? Would that even make a difference?

[Engels]

If memory serves, the Catalyst Control Center requires the C++ redistributable. I'd uninstall whichever one you have installed and try again. The CCC should reinstall. However, before uninstalling, note the version number and find the download so you can reinstall in case the CCC installation doesn't work. Other programs might depend on it.

[Lantyssa]

Installed the new 5870, a Vapor-X 2GB one, and the Catalyst shit would not install again.  I decided to skip the issue and applied the drivers directly, minus Catalyst.  Works great, and I still hate ATI.

This is why I shall never buy ATI again.  Not worth the headaches.

[rattran]

Vapor-X is just Sapphire's heatpipe cooling system name. It's cooler and quieter than stock, and what Sapphire uses on all their oc'd cards. Toxic, and Atomics.

And Yeg is just special, I've been using ATI cards since the 4870 hit, and had no driver issues like his.

[Lantyssa]

I tend to be special when dealing with their cards, too.  You might be fine, but I never have been.  Fool me once, etc.

[Mosesandstick]

Anybody know a good way to search through (multiple) pdfs on both windows 7 and linux? (Academics, give me an answer!)

[Engels]

Search for keywords on many PDFs at the same time you mean, rather than opening one, doing the search function, etc?

[Trippy]

Anybody know a good way to search through (multiple) pdfs on both windows 7 and linux? (Academics, give me an answer!)

Get a Mac? (Spotlight can index PDFs for searching)

Actually Windows Search can do it too if you have the Adobe PDF iFilter installed and configured correctly.

Linux, use grep? (No clue)

[Sheepherder]

If memory serves, the Catalyst Control Center requires the C++ redistributable.

It might be .Net.

The ATi drivers themselves aren't so bad aside from weird glitches with some games.  The CCC utility is bloated, sweaty and hairy man ass.

[Mosesandstick]

Search for keywords on many PDFs at the same time you mean, rather than opening one, doing the search function, etc?

Exactly. My sup was using spotlight (damn you Trippy...) and a little bit of me died inside. I've been using google desktop, but I'm not sure how well it works and it can't do any of the other fancy things spotlight does. And I still need a solution for my ubuntu netbook...

A lot of the papers I need to read for my thesis aren't journal papers but conference ones, making it much easier to find things by indexing, tagging, etc.

[Engels]

If memory serves, the Catalyst Control Center requires the C++ redistributable.

It might be .Net.

The ATi drivers themselves aren't so bad aside from weird glitches with some games.  The CCC utility is bloated, sweaty and hairy man ass.

That's it. So, hum, maybe .Net is horked. I've seen it happen with installations of other programs. AutoCad 2006, for one.