Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with computer and technology

More technology plz!

sarahj — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:44:57 -0800

How can I help my parents hook up their computer to their TV? My parents have a nice wall-mounted big screen Pioneer lcd tv and my dad's dream is to have their Dell desktop system in the same room wirelessly networked to it, for music-playing, presumably netflix and online video viewing, and general happiness. I've googled this in as many different verb-noun combinations I can come up with and I'm still not sure what I'm looking for. Is this possible?

My dad mentioned something called RocketFish, and I saw some BluRay players that potentially had wireless networking capabilities but I wasn't sure if that capability was usually used for some other purpose. I'd like to help him on this for a Christmas gift - what would I need to buy and do in order to do this?

Thanks so much! I can definitely provide more information if it's needed.

DDR3 Memory and Motherboard Compatibility

jbreyfogle — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:58:33 -0800

Question about DDR3 Memory and motherboard compatibility DDR3 speeds include: 1066, 1333, 1600, 1800, and 1866 (I am leaving out 2000's series). The motherboard I am looking at has the memory standards of DDR3 1800 (OC)/1666/1333/1066. Question: What is DDR3 1666? Assuming the port is compatible, will DDR3 1600 work with this board?

Great idea for a course--horribly misdirected.

k. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:16:41 -0800

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? My hopes were high at first, because I was really excited about the topic: I wanted to learn how to use my technical skills to do something good for people, instead of just to make money. I'm hoping to find a job in my field that does some kind of good, since I'm not sure I could stand it otherwise.

But the course turned out to be very different: it seems to be entirely about giving people computers. Dumping gadgets on people is of questionable long-term value, and, most importantly, it doesn't teach us students anything about how to use our skills--which are not about donating technology but about making it--to make the world better place. We read case studies of projects that gave people technology, and we're installing a computer lab made from donated computers in a local public housing project. While this kind of community-service might help some people in the short term, it sure isn't teaching us any new technical skills or any ways to use our existing skills to help people in the future.

I don't think using technical knowledge for the common good is an unreasonable idea. Engineers Without Borders does it all the time; so does the Humanitarian FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software) Project. And, given that we're adept at crunching numbers and have a GIS expert on hand, I'm sure there's a lot of climate- and environment-related stuff we could work on as well. All great things, but not what we're doing in this class.

The course is small and somewhat student-directed, so I may be able to push the class (or my own work in it) more toward something I could actually learn from. But I have to do this very carefully, for two reasons. First, our class is effectively committed to the housing project's computer lab, so any additional projects or "field work" we take on has to be in addition to our work on that (in other words, at least some of us have to continue the work on that and probably most will). Second, I don't want to seem oppositional or offensive, because I really like the professor--he's a fascinating person and one of the best teachers I've had--and I want him to like me too.

How should I express my doubts about the course, and how might I try to shift the focus more toward material from which I might actually learn something?

how do I minimize the number of applications I use to track various areas of my life?

esolo — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:44:23 -0800

how do I minimize the number of applications I use, while still keeping my organization online? Over the past year, I have been trying to go fully paperless, and web-based. This meant migrating from Outlook to Gmail, Gcal, etc. However, now I am drowning in apps. I have Wesabe for finances, Google for calendar and mail, Todoist for todo lists, WeightWatchers app to track my food, another app to track my workouts. Is there any way around that? Unfortunately, I am finding that an app meant solely for a specific task work better than an all in one solution... Has anyone figured out the best way? Help!

Activate Windows AGAIN?

~Sushma~ — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:35:26 -0800

After cleaning up my WindowsXP Professional OS (Dell) to give to my son, all of a sudden The nag screen comes up and tells me I have three days to 'activate' my product! I bought the program new years ago, and have legally installed it on three of my Dell machines with no problems. WTF? It appears that I turned off the restore function and automatic updates, I wonder if that has anything to do with it? Any hiv-ers know why this occured? I went ahead and updated it three times, once on the phone because the network card didn't work due to the cleanup losing the driver, then after fixing the networking problem I did it again twice online. I have a sneaky suspicion that Microsnoot fubar'd SP3 because I have been getting a 'server too busy' error on the support site for XP.

Photo Contest Set-up Help Needed

SuperErin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:40 -0800

PhotoFilter: I need to create a monthly photo contest for my clients to participate in. Help me find the easiest way to do this. I've already seen this question, but it is from 2007, and I know things have changed many times since then. I looked at the two programs suggested, but would prefer something online that I don't have to upload to my website.

I'd like to just set the thing up, give out a link, and have my clients upload photos of their dogs and vote on the best each month. I'd prefer an actual voting mechanism, rather than just writing "vote" in the comments.

I'd prefer free, or at least inexpensive for me, free for my clients to use.

I've googled this, but there's a lot of junk to slog through, so I was hoping to get some Mefite expertise!

Thanks in advance.

WTF ~WRL

cachondeo45 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:55:53 -0800

Computer Filter: What does ~WRL2334.tmp mean? And why do I have a million of these "files" (with different numbers after the WRL part) in my folders?

How to save emails offline and maintain a good organizational system?

jeffmshaw — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:51:01 -0800

OutlookFilter: we've been instructed to clean out our work e-mail. My co-worker has been using her e-mail as an effective filing system. Is there a way that she can both a) download the emails to her hard drive and b) maintain an interface that allows her to organize the e-mails by date, subject, sender, etc.? I know how to download e-mail and folders from outlook and view them offline -- but is there a way to stop the folders from syncing up with the folders on the server? That is, is there a way to download folders that are purely offline folders and view them within Outlook?

I'm open to any solution that involves both freeing up space on the e-mail server and allowing this co-worker to maintain access to a pleasing user interface and organization system. I'd prefer not to download additional software, but would be open to it. Thanks!

Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer bought in USA? How to use in U.K?

omaralarifi — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:03:48 -0800

Just returned from fabulous 2 week holiday in New York. I Brought back Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer from Staples costing $230. Unfortunately, I cannot use it in U.K., unless I plug voltage converter/transformer products. Has anyone else bought this set over there with more success? Any advice \ information appreciated. Please specify me What exact voltage converter product to buy & where to buy it from USA online store. Thanks. I checked again the Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer power information:
Power Requirements

Rated voltage: 120 VAC
Rated frequency: 50 – 60 Hz
Rated current: 0.8 Amp

Power Consumption

Approx. 26 W ISO 10561
Approx. 5.5 W (Sleep Mode)
Approx. 0.3 W (Power Off Mode)
ENERGY STAR® compliant

This is why I cannot understand it blowing.

My Brand New Computer Won't Boot from the DVD Drive! Help!

adi — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:09:23 -0800

My brand new Core i7 computer will not boot from the DVD Drive to install Vista - please help me tell my bios what they need to know to make this thing boot! (screen shots included inside, along with full details) I have a Gigabyte GA-EX58-DS4 Motherboard, and the NEC DVD Drive is the only IDE connection I'm using. The jumper on it is set to Master, and I've tried two different IDE cables to no avail.

Here are five screenshots from the boot process:
http://twitpic.com/rt0v
http://twitpic.com/rt10
http://twitpic.com/rt1l
This is what happens past the bios:
http://twitpic.com/rt1w

And this is what happens when it tries to use the NEC DVD drive. Also noteworthy is that the green light on the drive only comes on when the machine is initially booting up, but not when it should be looking for the Vista boot disk:
http://twitpic.com/rt1y

Recommendations for IT learning websites?

karizma — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:11:52 -0800

I need to refresh my memory and grow my understanding of some fundamental topics in the areas of computer and information technology. Where can I find some reputable and detailed primers online? Further details within. Specifically, I'm looking for solid recommendations for online-based and free learning resources for the following technical subjects:

- Active Directory
- TCP/IP (including all the protocols, port information, addressing, etc.)
- SQL (primarily Microsoft SQL Server management, but also general information on writing SQL code)
- Scripting (Windows)
- Network security
- Backup/Disaster Recovery (primarily for the desktop environment)
- Microsoft Office Suite
- OS management and security (Windows desktop and server; Particularly interested in understanding user account/profile management, permissions, file shares, etc.)

I know Wikipedia is always an option but I'm hoping for resource suggestions other than that to learn from. I'm also not looking for forums, blogs, or potentially heavily-biased sites.

If the website suggstions you have were to feature especially helpful graphics, animations, interactive tools, printable guides/reference sheets, etc. that would be extremely valuable as well.

Thanks everyone!

How to read PDF files on Amazon Kindle?

omaralarifi — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:30:24 -0800

How to read PDF files on Amazon Kindle? If your answer in which I have to convert it to whatever file type(s), then please guide me in step by step process (in details if possible) to fully read PDF files in my Amazon Kindle.
Thanks

I didn't know what I didn't know about IT.

joshrholloway — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:20:39 -0800

I'm an entry-level computer technician looking for advice on what skills are most vital for me in today's market, and how to best achieve them. Specifically, I would like to know what hands-on classes I should look into in the Nashville, TN area. This is a bit long, but anyone who will take the time to read it and answer will be greatly appreciated.

I'll give just a touch of background: My very first AskMeFi question was a little over a year ago, about how to get an IT security job and work my way up the ladder. At the time I posted it, I was 19, stubborn, cocky, and a know-it-all. Today I am 21 and still stubborn, but I realize now that I was not the computer genius I thought I was then.

Cutting that intervening period short, I will say that I was extremely blessed with an entry-level computer technician job for a great company that I am loving. Because this job has helped me understand the things about IT that I don't know, I'm looking to expand my knowledge further. Being around great guys who know what they're doing is helping already, but there's just not time enough for them to sit me down and train me on what they do, and I wouldn't want to put them through that.

So I'm looking for help. The main questions I have are essentially "what should I be learning to make myself a more valuable employee?" and "what is the best way for me to learn those skills that fits in with my learning style?" I know these are both pretty general, so I will outline a few things to help narrow it down.

I have been using and fixing PCs since I can remember, and I am very comfortable with Windows as a desktop/workstation OS and the user-facing layers of OS X. At my job, we use an infrastructure mainly based on Windows Server 2003 and Active Directory, with some Linux and UNIX server here and there for various purposes. I have been able to handle my basic support tickets very well, but when any of my co-workers discuss servers and network structure and things of that nature, most of it goes over my head. I'm picking up bits and pieces.

So basically I have a foundation that would probably equate to an A+ certification and maybe a little more than that. I have had some hands-on training for the MCP MDST certification, although I never took the test. I have very little experience with UNIX; I know some very basic commands, and that's it.

So where do I begin? I am not a very good book learner, but I can discipline myself if it is important enough. I am really looking for hands-on or classroom training if possible. Please don't recommend I get a degree. I don't want to be short-sighted, but I have neither the time nor the money to pursue a degree with a university at this point. My company will pay $2500 per year for classes or training, but I may be able to get more if the training would be exceptionally valuable to me. I don't plan on leaving the company I work for now anytime soon, but I want to take on more responsibilities and be able to perform tasks myself that I now have to go to my co-workers for.

I have looked into classes, and have found several offerings for rigorous five-day courses in basic Windows Server 2003/AD administration. From reading the description and the coverage areas, I think this would be a good start for me, but I don't want to jump the gun. I also don't know what training facilities or companies are reputable or worth it, so if you have a better recommendation, let me know. As for classes, I am in the Nashville area if that matters.

I am sorry if this was long and a bit scatter-brained, but I am just trying to get all my thoughts out there. Anyone willing to give me a little help would be extremely welcome. Anything you can give is good. Thank you so much in advance.

How can I get data off a bad hard drive?

deafmute — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:28:11 -0800

I am having a very unusual problem with my hard drive and CANNOT recover any data from it after trying numerous methods. Please help me with your technical expertise. A few weeks ago the hard drive for my Dell Inspiron 1520 became unable to boot into Vista after freezing suddenly. When trying to boot, I get a BSOD with the error message "Stop: c000142{DLL Initialization Failed} Initialization of the dynamic link library winsrv failed. The process is terminating abnormally." When attempting to launch startup repair, boot into safe mode, or boot off of several different Vista DVDs I am greeted with a cursor (that I can control) on a black screen that never goes anywhere.

I ran Dell's built-in diagnostic program, and after being given several hard drive related errors, Dell (very quickly) sent me a new hard drive. Now I need to send them the old one, and I would like to recover my data from it before wiping it and sending it back.

I first put it in an enclosure and connected it to Vista, but Vista does nothing more than prompt me to format the drive.

I then ran Spinrite, which, after 27 hours(!) of operation returned no bad sectors or errors of any kind. What's unusual, however, is that my old drive does not exactly match my new drive in terms of partitions. The data partition is flagged as being too large for the size of the drive, and I am advised to change my BIOS's "understanding" of the drive (which I can't do). It is also missing a partition labeled as "hidden CTOS memory dump". I have no idea what this means.

I then booted off of a Knoppix cd and attempted to mount the drive there. I was able to mount the two partitions containing Dell's hidden diagnostic and recovery data, but Knoppix was unable to recognize the existence of a third partition containing my data.

Google searches have proved inconclusive (particularly in the case of my BSOD error message). Please help me get my data!

Why won't my computer talk to my monitor?

jeffmshaw — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:33:45 -0800

My monitor stopped talking to my PC. Strangely, the monitor shows the Windows startup screen before going dark. It does this every time I boot up. I built my PC in Japan, and it's served me well for a year. For the entirety of that time, it's been attached to a new Dell monitor.

One night last week, I was playing music with iTunes when the screen went dark. The music continued to play. I rebooted the computer, but after the Windows start screen came up, it went dark again -- never saw my desktop.

So I took the box to work and connected it to other monitors. Oddly, the other monitors work fine with the machine. I haven't tested my monitor with other boxes yet. (I do have the CD that came with the monitor still).

Does this sound like a driver issue? A video card issue? What's my next step? Admin please hope me!

How to get Kindle books into Amazon Kindle while outside United States?

omaralarifi — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:28:27 -0800

Can I get Amazon Kindle books into my Kindle even while I am not in the United States? My friend gave a wonderful gift which is Amazon Kindle. If I want to order kindle-version book from amazon, can I still get it even when I am outside the united states?
I heard they send the order in wireless manner, but is it possible I can just download the book through USB from Amazon website even when I don't have Amazon Wireless connection? If not, what is the best way to buy and get Kindle books in my Kindle while I am outside of United States?
Thanks

Please recommend software program for creating/maintaining webpages

jujube — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:49:06 -0800

Please recommend software program for creating/maintaining webpages I would like to be able to create webpages, and also to be able to edit/maintain current webpages. I currently have others do this for me, but I'd prefer to learn to do this on my own, rather than find someone every time I need to update something minor to the webpage, or when I want to add a new link/page, etc. The webpage is currently maintained by using a combination of something called Filezilla to transfer the files, and Seamonkey to edit the files. As I said, this is currently done by various people I find to edit/maintain on an ad hoc basis.

So my question is:
1. My impression of the current method is that it is cumbersome and difficult, and I find the prospect of trying to figure out how to do this rather daunting. So, do the for-purchase programs for creating webpages make the job that much easier than the current free-wares that I'm using?

2. If so, what are the webpage creating/maintaining software out there that will be fairly simple to learn? The key here is ease of learning. I have a few hundred dollars I can spend on this, but not so much time learning how to use it.

3. If there is such a program, does it matter that the original webpage was created using a different software?

Thanks!

Can an Apple-geared print server be set up and used in a Windows-only world?

potch — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:36:40 -0800

Can I configure and use an HP wp100 AirPort print server in an all PC environment? If so, how? I'm currently in a stint as the resident tech guru at a public middle school. My current project is a mobile computer lab, which consists of cart of laptops, and a PoE access point for use in the rooms. My staff has requested that a common printer be added to the cart. I'm looking through my current supplies, and found an HP wp100 wireless print server, unopened. I know Airport is 802.11b equivalent, so once configured, it should work wonderfully. However, I don't have access to Macs to configure the device, and all of HP's product guides speak Apple-only.

More info:

-My school has let its Mac labs become defunct, and the few Macs we have, I don't have administrative rights to.
-If it involves some nitty-gritty down on command lines, I'm completely comfortable in both Mac and PC environments.
-The printer is a Dell Laser 1700, and I have full and free access to any print drivers necessary.
-It's a public school, so I'm trying to do this on the cheap, meaning existing parts. My superior isn't afraid to sign off on a purchase order, but I need to be able to prove we can't do it with what we've got.

How much money does a technology coordinator make?

bonheur — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:11:04 -0800

What kind of salary can I expect as a computer lab technology coordinator at a fancy private school in the Boston area? I am interested in this job as a technology coordinator for a school. The position would involve managing and maintaining about eighty computers and one server, supervising the computer lab while classes use it, and collaborating with teachers to develop curriculum to make use of all the new, fancy technology. I have two years of teaching experience and one year of low-level tech support experience. I would be part of the IT department at the school, and have two supervisors in that department. The salary scale for the position is stated as $30,000-$80,000, depending on qualifications. I need help figuring out what kind of initial offer to expect, or what salary to ask for. Help?

How to create a self destructing folder for my mac?

superdeluxe — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:57:53 -0800

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? I live in a med/high crime area and to provide adequate security would cost a lot. I have come to accept that some of my stuff will get stolen eventually. I have backed up all important data and keep it in a seperate (off-site) location.

I do however have some large files that I access fairly regularly and are therfore stored on my harddrive. (to answer anyones questions, they are recordings of artists who I promised would not find the recordings put up on any file sharing networks).

Ideally I would like to keep these in a file that would last 3/5 days or so. If they weren't accessed they would automatically be deleted. No big deal for me because I have them backed up. The next person who fired up the system however (after the time limit had expired) would not see these files.

I don't need ultra super secure. I just want them to be visably gone so that the average scum of the earth criminal or pawn shop recipiant can't plug it in, search for available mp3's and then share them on limewire.

any help?

thanks

Give my great new hard drive a better body.

mireille — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 00:23:34 -0800

COMBINING Hard Drives. Roommate has fast, great computer. I have slow, antiquated one with (among other upgraded parts I've procured) a fast new hard drive (personally installed). Want to install my current drive in her current machine so that all roommates can use one system and still keep my files/ preferences. Two PCs, the better one a factory Dell. I can do the hardware install, but need to know the finer points of combining two computers. When I access mine, will my Firefox preferences and bookmarks prevail? How will I access mine, and what will the UI be? I think I can set the hardware to slave, but after that, what do I need to do? Will it slow her computer down dramatically? I'm relatively tech-savvy but my skills are under-utilized and rarely required so I only know what I've thus far personally encountered. Thanks in advance!

Is a PDA what I need?

InkaLomax — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:22:31 -0800

I need to organize alot of daily and long term information What I need most is the ability to cross reference. I am a detective and would like to maintain a database of open and recent cases, 50-100. I need to be able to search by victim, suspect, date or location etc. I would love to have photos also. I have no experience with PDAs and have no idea what is out there. What is the smallest item I could get that would serve those functions?

Help No computer sound

orlin — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:11:15 -0800

I have no sound from my computer. I had to have a computer technician reformat my hard drive and reinstall Windows XP (Home edition service pack 2). Ever since than, no sound from speakers or headphones! I went into control panel - sounds - audio device says no audio device found. I am not terrible computer literate. I think I need to install a sound driver. Can anyone tell me what I need to download, where to get it on the internet and where to place the file? I even had my 17 year old son working on it and we both are stumped. Thanks soooo much....

how to tune up (weekly) a computer

Postroad — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 07:47:54 -0800

Useful download program to tune up computer weekly I have downloaded PCRescue and run it. Typically, it records the many things that need to be fixed, say, 18, and then fixes 2 and tells me I must subscribe to fix the remainder. Many tuneup programs seem to do this (is it a scam?), and I am looking for a program I can run to tuneup my computer (Dell, some 6 years old) weeklyh. I do havez Registry First Aid and run that weekly, but are there other things that need fixing that a program can handle? I can not use a CD because at this point my CD slot not working and I don't want to invest in my old machine.

3 GHz is slow?

hwestiii — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 06:26:10 -0800

How can a 3 GHz PC be "slow"? The first PC I ever used at work was one of the old 4.7 MHz dual-floppy IBM XTs back when they were new. When we got one of the new ATs in, we marvelled at how the "Baby" game , written with the XT in mind, was almost unplayably fast on the new machine's 8 MHz 286 processor.

Flash forward twenty years and I'm sitting in office with some co-workers trying to help one of the tech-challenged among us select a new home PC. One of the comments is something like "Stay away from the Celeron's, their slooowwww...." Now this is a computer that is nearly 1000 times as fast as the first XTs, and its slow?!? I guess I'm showing my age, but I'm shocked and offended to even consider that that is so.

The real question is why is this so? I suppose the easy part of the answer is that the software that is being written today is doing so much more than the early PC software was what with bitmapped displays, persistant network connectivity, multi-tasking, background processing, etc. But I can't imagine that that really explains why as machines keep getting faster, they seem just as fast, or slow, as ever from a user perspective.

How is the method of the construction of the software related to this? Each successive iteration of nearly every product I can think of is at least an order of magnitude larger than the last. Windows 3.1 was on 7 or 8 floppies, Windows 95 on a CD, XP on DVD(?)... The underlying instruction sets haven't grown at that rate. Is this just all about inefficiently written or generated software?