this place has been dead for long, i don’t really know what to do with it.

just thought i’d post a couple of *free* random misc utilities that i use occasionally:

Mass File Rename
Bulk Rename Utility (http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Download.php)

File Unlocker
LockHunter (http://lockhunter.com/)

File Type Associations in Win Vista/7
Creative Elements Power Tools’ File Type Doctor (http://www.creativelement.com/powertools/#download)

Convert DVD to ISO
Free DVD ISO Maker (http://www.minidvdsoft.com/dvdtoiso/download_free_dvd_iso_maker.html)

Icon Extractor/Editor
IcoFX (http://icofx.ro/)

MP3 Bitrate Converter
WinLAME (http://winlame.sourceforge.net/download.php)

MP3 ID3 Tag / Image Editor
Mp3tag (http://www.mp3tag.de/en/download.html)

Hard Drive Defragmentation
MyDefrag (http://www.mydefrag.com/Manual-DownloadAndInstall.html)

PDF

doPDF (http://www.software112.com/products/dopdf-free-pdf-converter+quick-download.html)
PDF Split and Merge (http://www.pdfsam.org/?page_id=32)

Web/Network Traffic Diagnostics
Wireshark (http://www.wireshark.org/download.html)

Symbolic Link Editor for Windows
Link Shell Extension (http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/hardlinkshellext.html#contact)

File Synchronisation
Live Mesh (http://www.mesh.com/)
Dropbox (http://www.dropbox.com/)

I’ve been thinking about getting a new monitor for some time now, and maybe my current SyncMaster 740N is giving me hints already. The last few weeks I would turn on my cpu to find that it wouldn’t display anything, but that was solved by simply rebooting. Yesterday while i was facebook-ing, it went blank and the blue LED on the power button kept flashing in frenzy. Apparently I’m quite alone on this phenomenon, since I only found like one related answer on Google which spoke of blown capacitors and dead fuses, which sounds pretty bad. But for some reason, after I gave it some rest, It came back to life Its hinting me to replace it I tell you

I’ve been contemplating on a 24″, either the 245B or the 2493HM, but I’m waiting to see if there’ll be a 24″ version of the T220 instead for the T240 to reach this sunny island. I hope my 740N doesn’t die before then. Oh well..

welcome to the photoshop of videos. ’nuff said.

so my router kinda got fried by my family itself, and it was probably time to get a decent upgrade and in the process, create a new single point of failure. pun intended. lets have a look at some history:

March 07: +3Com Gigabit Switch 8 to make everything local fast

June 07: +Aztech HomePlugs to remove unstable WiFi connection to X360.
In the process, retiring one SMC router that was rather redundant anyway.

July 08: +Linksys WAG160N ADSL2+ Gateway because the 14-G died and the ‘ol 2804 didn’t feel like working either. *shrugs* So since the gateway has a built-in modem, the 305E got thrown out the window. There, much neater! just two devices to serve the world.

funny shit. so exaggerating its believable.

Since Windows XP SP3 is on the verge of release, I guess lots of people will be slipstreaming to make life easier. Here are the steps that apply to any of the SPs:

1. Download the Service Pack to a folder (eg: e:\downloads). SP2 is available here. SP3, here.
2. Copy entire original Windows XP CD to a folder without spaces in its name (eg: e:\winxpcd)
3. Command Prompt:
cd where_servicepack_exe_is (eg: cd e:\downloads)
servicepack_exe /integrate:path_to_xpcd
eg: WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe /integrate:e:\winxpcd OR
WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe /integrate:e:\winxpcd
4. If you get the error: This Service pack cannot be integrated into a destination that also has integrated Software Updates, you are probably using an OEM CD (Dell, HP, etc). You’ll need an original Windows XP CD to do this.
5. If you get the message: Integrated install has completed successfully, you’re done!

Optional: Making the Disc Bootable (Nero required)

1. Start Nero, New Compilation, CD-ROM (Boot)
2. On the Boot tab,
Select Image File under Source of boot image data
Browse to where you downloaded this
Enable Expert Settings, select No Emulation and change the Number of loaded sectors to 4
3. On the ISO tab,
File name length: Max. of 31 chars (ISO Level 2)
Format: Mode 1
Character set: ISO 9660 (standard ISO CD-ROM)
Check the following:
Joliet
Allow path depth of more than 8 directories
Allow more than 255 characters in path
Do not add the ‘;1′ ISO file version extension
Allow more than 64 characters for Joliet names
4. On the Label tab, set your disc label:
Windows XP Professional: WXPCCP_EN
Windows XP Home: WXHCCP_EN
Windows XP Professional OEM: WXPOEM_EN
Windows XP Home OEM: WXHOEM_EN
5. Burn everything in e:\winxpcd
6. Done!

Well, everything above this line is the IT Pro way of doing things. Theres always AutoStreamer and nLite if you’re lazy or need more 1337 customisation..

Once in a long while when things get slow and draggy and I get less lazy for some reason, I decide to wipe out and reinstall Windows et al. And since Adobe CS2, the intuitive folks at Adobe decided that we no longer hit My Computer to look for a psd or ai file and conveniently removed explorer thumbnail support (they seriously think people actually use Adobe Bridge). Well, old news, but i thought i’d post the fix here anyway.

Download Files Here

Extract the two dlls (or just the psd one if you don’t use ai) into:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Shell
Create the Shell folder if it doesn’t already exist
Run the two reg files (again, just the psd one if you don’t use ai)
Restart your computer

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/default.mspx

whats new in a sentence: better standards compliance, pimped up engine, activities management, webslices, and top-level domain highlighting for people who have serious problems reading URLs.

Lots of resources here:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb898842.aspx

The full package is already available to MSDN subscribers.

The download via Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center will be available in March ‘08 aka next month. For the overly eager, the RTM has apparently been leaked and is available on alternative download sources..