How can I (non-programmer), create a customized installer? (see details please!) [more inside]
posted by stevyb on Oct 3, 2009 - 7 answers

I'm taking an innovative course on using technology for humanitarian causes, taught by a professor I really like. But it's awful! How can I tell him what I think, and/or turn this disaster of a course into something worthwhile? [more inside]
posted by k. on Sep 23, 2009 - 29 answers

High fidelity DVD ripping: collecting short videos from separate DVDs without losing any quality [more inside]
posted by sloe on Aug 25, 2009 - 7 answers

IT Filter: Anyone know of a resource or protocol for opening .QIC files (Old Windows backup file format) short of finding a machine with Windows 95/98 on it? Had a laptop stolen and this is the only format in which I still have ALL of my writing from college/grad school. Any help is appreciated (please no lectures on backing up files... have learned my lesson.)
posted by Prevailing Southwest on Aug 10, 2009 - 4 answers

I'm curious about 'trojan' software for tracking a computer after it's been stolen. [more inside]
posted by kaibutsu on Aug 7, 2009 - 9 answers

What free software (or adroit use of SmartDraw or basic MS Office products) provides a template for making pretty continuum figures/charts for inclusion in a Word document? [more inside]
posted by Clyde Mnestra on Jul 28, 2009 - 3 answers

What are the common form of Computer Virus spread these days? I remeber back in the day it was all about Word macros, then Outlook attachmets auto-running, but therse days is it all Internet Browser Exploits? How does your computer get infected these days? Can you get a virus just by visiting a webpage (but not running any aps / agreeing to intall anything)? [more inside]
posted by mary8nne on Jun 22, 2009 - 13 answers

I'm in the market for a new laptop. Should I get a PC or Mac? What specs are important for me to look at when making a decision? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Jun 2, 2009 - 31 answers

What iPhone flashcard application will best help me study for the bar? [more inside]
posted by yesno on May 16, 2009 - 6 answers

Can I sing (or hum or whistle) into my computer and have it produce notated music? [more inside]
posted by Flunkie on Mar 11, 2009 - 5 answers

Why do many programs on my computer "twitch" up and down uncontrollably when my cursor is on them? When the cursor is over the task bar or at the top of the screen, they stop. [more inside]
posted by Waldo Jeffers on Mar 10, 2009 - 4 answers

What's the modern day equivalent of old school "line number" BASIC as a tool for young children to play and learn with? [more inside]
posted by majick on Feb 21, 2009 - 41 answers

Home computer hosed - what means this message: "load needed DLLS for kernal" ? [more inside]
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit on Feb 2, 2009 - 11 answers

Can anyone recommend great Apple II software for a kindergartner? [more inside]
posted by Mr. Anthropomorphism on Jan 22, 2009 - 32 answers

Do I need to rebuy MS office if I'm replacing a computer? [more inside]
posted by GregX3 on Jan 17, 2009 - 12 answers

Help me rid my computer of clutter for faster performance. [more inside]
posted by mintchip on Jan 9, 2009 - 15 answers

What are the Mac equivalents of great Windows software? This was a great question about what a Mac person should install on a Windows box. I'm going the other way, as my office kindly bought me a new MacBook Pro. I'm a scientist and haven't used a Mac since OS 7.5. For the past decade my machines have been Windows, Linux, or dual-boot. Freeware/shareware programs I use a lot under Windows: Cygwin, Essential PIM, FLVplayer, IrfanView, Maxima, Openoffice.org, Scilab, Winamp, Xemacs, Xplorer2 pro. Commercial software: Mathematica, IDL, occasionally Microsoft Office. I'm mostly interested in freeware or shareware such as great text and image editors, tex/latex, and other nerdware. Thanks! Naturally, the new laptop runs Leopard.
posted by lukemeister on Dec 3, 2008 - 40 answers

What is the major advantage to using one of the large server-based anti-virus solutions over putting individual anti-virus software on all the client computers? [more inside]
posted by cimbrog on Nov 21, 2008 - 6 answers

G5 PPC Tower never lets me auto update software? [more inside]
posted by silsurf on Nov 7, 2008 - 9 answers

Why is MP3 playback sssuuudddeennllyy gggrriiinnddiinngg doowwnnnn? [more inside]
posted by Shepherd on Aug 22, 2008 - 3 answers

I'm sure this question will not make me the most popular student at the dance, but is there a way to identify (via IP) machines running BitTorrent clients within an internal network (ie. work)? My company has around 50 employees, and the old, "Please don't torrent at work" doesn't seem to be doing much good anymore. It brings our email and web browsing to a near standstill, and dropping by the "usual suspects" is not only tiresome, but doesn't seem to find all the sources of traffic any longer. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
posted by numlok on Aug 11, 2008 - 27 answers

How to read PDF files on Amazon Kindle? [more inside]
posted by omaralarifi on Jul 21, 2008 - 6 answers

Help me with some free, easy to use software for elderly people to use on a computer. Specifically: hands-off, self-maintaining security, and a good replacement for Windows Explorer. [more inside]
posted by biwa-shu on Jul 2, 2008 - 9 answers

Help me bring my comic to life. [more inside]
posted by lpsguy on Jun 30, 2008 - 11 answers

I'm a software developer in Pennsylvania. Am I eligible for overtime? [more inside]
posted by brandnew on May 16, 2008 - 10 answers

Yet another wiki question. I would like to migrate away from using TiddlyWiki as a personal wiki to one capable of handling a lot more data, but I need one specific function. [more inside]
posted by i_am_a_Jedi on May 8, 2008 - 2 answers

Please recommend a free and very stupid spreadsheet for Mac. [more inside]
posted by eccnineten on Mar 24, 2008 - 8 answers

Please recommend software program for creating/maintaining webpages [more inside]
posted by jujube on Mar 19, 2008 - 25 answers

What is a good lightweight anti-spyware/anti-virus application that wouldn't slow down an already old, slow computer, and would act as an extra layer on top of good behavior and careful Firefox usage? [more inside]
posted by Ricket on Feb 16, 2008 - 16 answers

MS Excel Problem: CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP? I am a very average PC user having unable to open spreadsheets. I borrowed a copy of MS Office Professional from a friend, but it did not install Excel properly. I no longer have access to those installation CDs. Whenever I try to open a spreadsheet, it prompts me for the CD's. So I bought Excel 97, installed it fine, but still when I try o open a spreadsheet it automatically tries to open it with the XP Professional version... How so I get around this to just use the Excel 97 version now on my computer??
posted by writingjulie on Oct 29, 2007 - 9 answers

Software development: How to best get useful feedback from users? [more inside]
posted by doomtop on Oct 25, 2007 - 11 answers

How can you remove from your computer any trace of using a program? [more inside]
posted by JayRwv on Sep 2, 2007 - 9 answers

After installing OpenSSH on your iPhone, is there a way to disable it except when needed? [more inside]
posted by yesno on Aug 28, 2007 - 11 answers

I often save files to three locations, for example two folders on the desktop and one on the USB. Is there any way of saving files to two or more locations on my computer at once - I'm tired of the extra time this takes!
posted by Nayano on Aug 21, 2007 - 5 answers

My mum loves interior design. She also loves puzzles but finds black belt Sudoku too easy. She's inheriting a laptop. What sort of programs and games can I load on this laptop for her? [more inside]
posted by divabat on Jul 5, 2007 - 10 answers

How can I use iPhoto to put my photos online? [more inside]
posted by triolus on Jun 22, 2007 - 10 answers

I'm going to visit my grandparents, who want me to look at their slow-running PC. What software should I bring with me? [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Mar 13, 2007 - 23 answers

Where can I find good Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) software? I'd love to have this on my phone to read mobile web articles or PDFs. Also, being able to read text on my Macbook Pro would be nice too. [more inside]
posted by k7lim on Mar 8, 2007 - 0 answers

What's the best Windows software package to edit video and create DVDs? [more inside]
posted by IvyMike on Feb 25, 2007 - 6 answers

Help me transfer selected files from a computer running DOS to an XP machine via a parallel cable, and let's see if we can do it for free. [more inside]
posted by chitlin on Feb 7, 2007 - 7 answers

Is there an application for my mac (OS 10.4) that would enable me to have a folder that would "self destruct" if the contents in that folder are not accessed for a user set ammount of time? [more inside]
posted by superdeluxe on Feb 5, 2007 - 15 answers

How can I automate PDF creation with my automatic document feeder, ScanSoft PaperPort and OmniPage? I need to have PDFs that look like the original document and are searchable (not image only). [more inside]
posted by ideaguy on Feb 1, 2007 - 9 answers

I regularly use ffmpeg to encode videos (from mpeg2 to mpeg4) for my ipod. I've been doing this for nearly a year with no problems. Now, every time I start an encode, my system is suddenly under a lot of pressure - I can't use any other application. If I go into the windows task manager and set the priority to 'below normal', all is fine again. Anyone have any idea why this change might have occured, or any idea how I can get around it (preferably without using task manager)? [more inside]
posted by ascullion on Jan 31, 2007 - 5 answers

Help with tagging home movie video files, not DVDs. [more inside]
posted by Pastabagel on Jan 4, 2007 - 4 answers

Can anyone recommend easy to install, cross platform monitoring software for Mac OS X - that is, something that would allow a parent, employer or teacher to, from their PC, monitor the screen of a Macintosh? Will remote desktop do this? Is it relatively easy to install?
posted by luriete on Dec 28, 2006 - 13 answers

How can I use p2p software behind a restrictive firewall? [more inside]
posted by Willie0248 on Dec 13, 2006 - 8 answers

I am looking to buy a tv tuner capture card for my pc. I have a kind of old 1.8ghz P4 with 512mb of ram. [more inside]
posted by antisocialiting on Nov 26, 2006 - 7 answers

Please help me find something to organize this monstrosity of a novel. Oh yes, there is definitely [more inside]
posted by sperose on Oct 17, 2006 - 10 answers

Image renaming software (Win and/or Mac) - I'm looking for some software that will show thumbnail images of several images at a time (the more the better), and let me rename them all in a batch by just typing quickly - no mouse clicks required. [more inside]
posted by amtho on Aug 22, 2006 - 16 answers

After installing the most recent security update for OS X, my PowerBook G4 no longer boots. I've gone through the generic troubleshooting steps on Apple's site, and even paid for the phone support, but couldn't get any better answer than "Archive and Install," which I can't do due to lack of free space. Please help me fix this hopefully simple problem. [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on Jun 3, 2006 - 10 answers