Category: Software

What? Well MySQL of course. It wasn’t broken, just didn’t like to start properly. I really should buy a book on it, so I know what I’m doing.

Turned out it was just permissions on some data.

Now time to restore missing posts and comments. SQL hacking here I come (will backup first).

Well, backed up my MacBook using Time Machine. Replaced the HDD. Reinstalled OS X, restored Time Machine backup and it’s back to normal now. 🙂

So bigger disk, means more junk.  Yep, may stick VMWare on it and dump and XP/Linux virtual computer on the 2nd partition.   This (250gb – well 230gb) is the largest internal drive I’ve ever owned!  Not bad for £46.54 (Western Digital Scorpio Blue 250gb 540rpm Sata-II WD25000BEVT).  Christ I remember paying £400 for a 20mb Amiga HDD.  Just need to get a cheapo caddy and I can use the MacBook 80gb as an external 🙂

(Though not done system updates yet – still impressed how quickly it’s back to normal!)

In terms of my work PC, it’s in a semi state of deadness. Why?

Well, Windows explorer has died and crawled up it’s arse just to annoy me. Normally a reboot would be a good course of action. However the only program that is still working is VMWare. I could reboot it, however i’m not in the office and my 3 VMware sessions are working fine.

As the image illustrates the taskbar is dead, explorer has gone. Though services are running in the background.

I’ll reboot it one day, but as I’m nowhere near it I’ll leave it. VMware is doing the business for me.

Slight moan. Dad was using Vista to view photos on media player. When he had finished viewing, he tried to close media player down. Media player didn’t play ball and decided to lock up.

So Dad’s first play with Vista ended up with a Ctrl-Alt Del and kill media player via Task Manager.

I know I’m going to get so many calls regarding that piece of shit call vista. If it pisses me off too much I’m going to stick XP on it.

That Media Player front end is no Front Row

Two things that tend to send a shiver down my spine. Now I have no problem with either, except when m Dad buys a laptop from said show.

On first look at the new laptop I notice a stuck pixel (not dead, stuck). So off to Comet, had a disagreement with the counter twat about policy (1day old laptop). Eventually ended up with a replacement (despite me asking for a refund). Anyway, they may be within their rights with regards to stuck pixels, however customer service has always been an issue for Comet when it comes to anything technical.

O.k. I admit I’m an Apple fanboy, so naturally I’m always going to hate an Microsoft product. That said the issue I had today wasn’t with Microsoft. I know the issues with Vista and I really do hate the different menus/navigation. Today’s issue is more PC than Microsoft, why does it take 30 minutes to get past the initial setup.

Once that has passed I have to spend the next hour de-shittifying the desktop. Removing all the sponsered internet links (Ebay, Amazon), removing all the trial software, removal of all the time limited software (McAfee 30 day licence) and all the useless applications (picasa, google desktop and some rubbish photo app).

Once all this crap has gone it’s time to de-vista vista – Now this is Microsoft’s fault!
To my Dad all the new features would just be in the way. So out goes gadgets along with the side bar. Also changed is the start menu, the Vista implementation is just crap. Does seem to be any flow to it. So set to standard (as in from Windows 95) start menu, pity I couldn’t select the XP start menu. The final bit of clearing up was to disable the Themes service, thus killing off Aero (or what ever it’s called).

So Dad’s laptop now does what it was bought for, powers up and goes straight to the desktop. DVD player works, desktop isn’t cluttered.

Issues:

No Anti-Virus – Shouldn’t be an issue, as it’s not going onto the internet – if it does it’ll only be Windows update from behind my router.

Shutdown – Seems by default to come up as Sleep, so will need to search for this hack (or GUI) setting.

Bits to do:

Office application – probably will go with OpenOffice.
Dad’s Digital camera – It’s 3 years old, will it work?
Printer – New HP all in one thing bought – should be fine.

We’ll see………….

/edit Found a solution to the Shutdown/Sleep……

Yes, this can be changed. Do the following:
1. Select Start button, "Control Panel" menu item.
2. Click "Power Options".
3. Click "Change plan settings" under the active plan.
4. Click "Change advanced power settings".
5. Locate and expand "Power buttons and lid" option.
6. Locate and expand "Start menu power button" option.
7. Change the "On battery" and "Plugged in" options from "Sleep" to
Shutdown".
8. Click OK button.

This should do the job.

- Chirag

So hopefully Chirag’s solution will be the one.

Nice and easy innit

/edit 2. It worked!