Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.9, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # kombitz Tech tips, tricks, how-tos and new products ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.kombitz.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [How to Edit Image and Add Watermark in Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion Web UI using miniPaint](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/06/16/how-to-edit-image-and-add-watermark-in-automatic1111-stable-diffusion-web-ui-using-minipaint/) - In the digital age, image editing and watermarking are essential for enhancing visual content. With the minPaint extension in Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion Web UI, these tasks become a breeze. This user-friendly browser extension simplifies image modification and watermarking, offering a streamlined platform for creative expression. The minPaint extension seamlessly integrates into Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion Web - [How to Use Krea-2-Turbo GGUF Workflow in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/06/26/how-to-use-krea-2-turbo-gguf-workflow-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to use the Krea-2-Turbo GGUF workflow in ComfyUI. Download the workflow, install the required models, and generate images locally. - [SCAIL-2 Released: ComfyUI Workflows Now Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/06/13/scail-2-released-comfyui-workflows-now-available/) - SCAIL-2 is an open-source character animation model focused on motion transfer. Workflow and model links are available for ComfyUI integration. - [Ideogram 4.0 Released: Open-Weight AI Image Model](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/06/04/ideogram-4-0-released-open-weight-ai-image-model/) - Ideogram 4.0, an open-weight AI image generator with powerful text rendering, structured prompting, 2K image creation, and pro design-focused features. - [Improving LTX 2.3 Video Quality With OmniNFT RL LoRA](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/05/25/improving-ltx-2-3-video-quality-with-omninft-rl-lora/) - The open-source AI video scene moves incredibly fast, but occasionally a release stands out because it improves the actual generation quality instead of simply adding another visual style. The OmniNFT RL LoRA for LTX 2.3 is one of those releases. Rather than focusing only on aesthetics, OmniNFT uses reinforcement learning (RL) techniques to improve motion - [Anima AI: The New Anime Image Generator Explained](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/05/20/anima-ai-the-new-anime-image-generator-explained/) - Explore Anima AI, a new anime image generation model for ComfyUI with strong prompt control, lightweight performance, and flexible workflows for creators. - [How People Are Creating Viral Korean Baseball Fan Videos](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/05/13/how-people-are-creating-viral-korean-baseball-fan-videos/) - Learn how to create viral Korean baseball videos using Kling AI Creative Effects with just one realistic image and a simple image-to-video workflow - [New LTX 2.3 Finetuned Models Available - Sulphur 2 & 10Eros](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/05/05/new-ltx-2-3-finetuned-models-available-sulphur-2-10eros/) - New LTX 2.3 finetunes Sulphur 2 and 10Eros are now available, improving video generation with enhanced motion and flexible T2V and I2V workflows. - [HiDream-O1-Image Explained: A New Pixel-Space AI Image Model](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/05/10/hidream-o1-image-explained-a-new-pixel-space-ai-image-model/) - HiDream-O1-Image is a pixel-space AI image model by HiDream-ai with built-in prompt reasoning, VAE-free architecture, and high-quality 2048×2048 generation. - [How to Install FlashAttention 2 on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/05/03/how-to-install-flashattention-2-on-windows/) - Install FlashAttention 2 on Windows with this step-by-step guide. Learn how to set up Triton, download the correct wheel, and install with pip. - [Kling VIDEO 3.0 Brings Native 4K AI Video to Creators](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/04/26/kling-video-3-0-brings-native-4k-ai-video-to-creators/) - Kling VIDEO 3.0 introduces native 4K AI video with realistic textures, natural emotions, and sharp detail. Create cinema-grade videos at just 30 credits/sec. - [How to Use Ernie-Image-Turbo GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/04/17/how-to-use-ernie-image-turbo-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Use ERNIE-Image-Turbo GGUF in ComfyUI to generate high-quality images locally with fast performance, efficient workflows, and low hardware requirements. - [Civitai Splits Into Two Platforms in Major Policy Shift](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/04/12/civitai-splits-into-two-platforms-in-major-policy-shift/) - Civitai launches a two-site strategy with Civitai.com and Civitai.red, separating mainstream content from unrestricted AI creativity. - [daVinci-MagiHuman: Fast AI Human Video Generator](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/03/26/davinci-magihuman-fast-ai-human-video-generator/) - daVinci-MagiHuman is a fast, open-source AI model for realistic human video generation with synchronized audio and high efficiency. - [FLUX.2 Klein 9B-KV Brings Faster AI Image Editing](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/03/16/flux-2-klein-9b-kv-brings-faster-ai-image-editing/) - Black Forest Labs releases FLUX.2 Klein 9B-KV, enabling faster real-time AI image editing with KV caching and improved efficiency on consumer GPUs. - [How to Use Flux.2 Klein 9B KV Image Edit GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/03/20/how-to-use-flux-2-klein-9b-kv-image-edit-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to use Flux.2 Klein 9B KV GGUF in ComfyUI for precise AI image editing. Step-by-step setup, workflow, and tips for better results. - [LTX-2.3 GGUF Image-to-Video & Text-to-Video in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/03/09/ltx-2-3-gguf-image-to-video-text-to-video-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to run LTX-2.3 GGUF in ComfyUI for image-to-video and text-to-video generation. A guide to install models, load the workflow, and generate videos. - [Image to Image Workflow for Z-Image Base GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/02/13/image-to-image-workflow-for-z-image-base-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to build an efficient ComfyUI image-to-image workflow using Z-Image Base GGUF for sharper, more realistic results with optimized settings. - [How to Use LTX-2 Text-to-Video with GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/17/how-to-use-ltx-2-text-to-video-with-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to use LTX-2 Text-to-Video with GGUF in ComfyUI, explore animation strengths, motion quality, and practical T2V workflows. - [LTX-2.3: New Open-Source AI Video Generation Model Released](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/03/05/ltx-2-3-new-open-source-ai-video-generation-model-released/) - Lightricks releases LTX-2.3, a open-source AI video generation model on Hugging Face with improved quality, prompt control, and native vertical video support. - [ImageCritic Improves AI Image Editing Accuracy](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/03/05/imagecritic-improves-ai-image-editing-accuracy/) - ImageCritic is a new AI system that improves image editing accuracy by detecting and correcting fine-grained inconsistencies in AI-generated images. - [Eufy HomeBase 3 Red LED Caused by SSD](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/02/21/eufy-homebase-3-red-led-caused-by-ssd/) - If your Eufy HomeBase 3 LED stays red and never turns blue during setup, remove the SSD first. Here’s the fix that solved it. - [Batch Transcribing Videos with Whisper CLI on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/02/07/batch-transcribing-videos-with-whisper-cli-on-windows/) - Learn how to use OpenAI Whisper CLI on Windows to batch transcribe MP4 videos into SRT subtitles using a simple and efficient batch script. - [Image to Image Workflow for Z-Image-Turbo GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/12/13/image-to-image-workflow-for-z-image-turbo-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn a practical image-to-image workflow with z-image-turbo GGUF in ComfyUI, refining existing images while preserving structure and realism. - [How to Use Z-Image Base GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/28/how-to-use-z-image-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to use Z-Image GGUF in ComfyUI to run a modern diffusion transformer locally, build flexible node-based workflows, and generate high-quality images. - [How to Use Flux.2 Klein 9B GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/20/how-to-use-flux-2-klein-9b-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to use the Flux.2 Klein 9B distilled GGUF model in ComfyUI, including setup tips, and how it compares to the Z-Image-Turbo. - [Qwen3-TTS: Open-Source Text-to-Speech and ComfyUI Integration](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/26/qwen3-tts-open-source-text-to-speech-and-comfyui-integration/) - Qwen3-TTS is an open-source text-to-speech model with natural voices, multilingual support, and ComfyUI integration for AI workflows. - [How to Use Qwen-Image-2512 GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/01/how-to-use-qwen-image-2512-gguf-in-comfyui/) - This guide explains how to use Qwen-Image-2512 GGUF in ComfyUI for local image generation, covering setup, workflow tips, and performance tuning. - [How to Use LTX-2 Image-to-Video with GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/12/how-to-use-ltx-2-image-to-video-with-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Use LTX-2 image-to-video with GGUF in ComfyUI using a proven workflow, refined after testing many approaches and avoiding common instability issues. - [LTX-2 in ComfyUI-Workflows, Resources & Community References](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/11/ltx-2-in-comfyui-workflows-resources-community-references/) - A curated collection of LTX-2 resources for ComfyUI, including workflows, official references, prompting guides, and community experiments worth exploring. - [How to Download Hugging Face Models Using Command Line](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/09/how-to-download-hugging-face-models-using-command-line/) - Learn how to download Hugging Face models using the hf CLI with clear steps, authentication tips, and examples for local AI workflows and LoRA training use. - [How to Use FLUX.2-dev Turbo LoRA in ComfyUI with GGUF Models](https://www.kombitz.com/2026/01/01/how-to-use-flux-2-dev-turbo-lora-in-comfyui-with-gguf-models/) - This guide explains how to use FLUX.2-dev Turbo LoRA with GGUF models in ComfyUI for faster inference, lower steps, and efficient workflows. - [How to Use Qwen-Image-Edit-2511 GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/12/23/how-to-use-qwen-image-edit-2511-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to use Qwen-Image-Edit-2511 GGUF in ComfyUI to create precise AI image edits with strong consistency, clear instructions, and lower VRAM usage. - [Studio-Grade Animation with SCAIL Preview ComfyUI Workflow](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/12/22/studio-grade-animation-with-scail-preview-comfyui-workflow/) - Discover SCAIL, the new AI for studio-grade character animation, with a ComfyUI preview workflow. Try bf16, fp8_scaled, and GGUF preview models. - [Flux.2-dev: GGUF Text Encoder plus 6 Ref Images Workflow](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/12/20/flux-2-dev_gguf_text_encoder_plus_6_reference_images/) - Updated Flux.2-dev ComfyUI workflow using a GGUF text encoder and six reference images to reduce VRAM usage and improve consistency. - [How to Use FlashVSR Upscaling in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/12/07/how-to-use-flashvsr-upscaling-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to upscale images and videos with FlashVSR in ComfyUI. This guide walks you through setup, workflow nodes, and best settings for sharp, AI upscaling. - [Generate Realistic Images with Z-Image-Turbo GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/11/29/generate-realistic-images-with-z-image-turbo-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to run the Z-Image-Turbo GGUF model in ComfyUI for fast, ultra-realistic image generation. This guide explains setup, and workflow steps. - [How to Use Flux.2-dev GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/11/26/how-to-use-flux-2-dev-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn what’s new in FLUX.2-dev and how to use the GGUF version in ComfyUI. This guide covers key features, installation steps, and example prompts. - [Understanding NVIDIA’s sm_80 to sm_120 in Plain English](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/11/23/understanding-nvidias-sm_80-to-sm_120-in-plain-english/) - A clear guide to NVIDIA sm_80–sm_120 compute capability. Understand GPU generations, CUDA compatibility, and why some ComfyUI nodes fail to run on certain GPUs. - [How to Upgrade FramePack Studio for NVIDIA 50-Series GPUs](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/11/15/how-to-upgrade-framepack-studio-for-nvidia-50-series-gpus/) - Step-by-step guide to update FramePack Studio on Windows so your NVIDIA 50-series GPU is recognized and used for high-speed AI video generation. - [How to Generate Video Prompts in ComfyUI with Qwen3-VL](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/11/08/how-to-generate-video-prompts-in-comfyui-with-qwen3-vl/) - Learn how to use Qwen3-VL in ComfyUI to create detailed, cinematic video prompts for realistic video generation. - [How to Use Realistic LoRAs with Qwen-Image in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/10/16/how-to-use-realistic-loras-with-qwen-image-in-comfyui/) - With the rapid progress of AI image generation, it’s now possible to reproduce the distinct look of mobile phone photography — crisp lighting, vivid tones, and everyday realism. In ComfyUI, combining Qwen-Image with mobile-style LoRAs brings this aesthetic to life effortlessly. This article explores how to create authentic, smartphone-like visuals using three LoRAs: SamsungCam UltraReal, - [How to Use Qwen-Image-Edit-2509 GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/09/25/how-to-use-qwen-image-edit-2509-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to run Qwen-Image-Edit-2509 GGUF in ComfyUI. Discover improved consistency, multi-image editing, and ControlNet support for AI-powered image workflows - [How to Use ControlNet with Qwen-Image-Edit-2509 in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/10/03/how-to-use-controlnet-with-qwen-image-edit-2509-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to combine Qwen-Image-Edit-2509 with ControlNet in ComfyUI for AI image editing. Step-by-step guide for structured, precise, and creative edits. - [Simple ComfyUI Workflow for Flux 1 Krea Dev GGUF](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/08/15/simple-comfyui-workflow-for-flux-1-krea-dev-gguf/) - Learn a ComfyUI workflow to run the FLUX 1 Krea Dev GGUF model—load the model, set resolution & samplers, and generate high-fidelity, photorealistic images. - [Simple ComfyUI Workflow for Qwen-Image-Edit GGUF](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/08/28/simple-comfyui-workflow-for-qwen-image-edit-gguf/) - Learn how to use Qwen-Image-Edit in ComfyUI with a GGUF model for efficient local AI image editing, ads, and creative content. - [Turbo Charge AI Image Generation - How to Install SDXL Turbo on ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/12/02/turbo-charge-ai-image-generation-how-to-install-sdxl-turbo-on-comfyui/) - Welcome to the world of cutting-edge AI innovation! In this guide, we will walk you through the process of installing SDXL Turbo, the latest breakthrough in text-to-image synthesis. Developed using the groundbreaking Adversarial Diffusion Distillation (ADD) technique, SDXL Turbo enables real-time generation of high-fidelity images from textual inputs in a single step. Before we dive - [How to Use Lora with Flux.1 Diffusion Model using ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/08/16/how-to-use-lora-with-flux-1-diffusion-model-using-comfyui/) - LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) is a technique used in Stable Diffusion to fine-tune models efficiently without requiring extensive computational resources. It allows users to adapt a pre-trained diffusion model to generate specific styles, characters, or themes by injecting a smaller set of parameters into the original model. This approach maintains the quality of the original model - [Install LTX Video: The Fastest Local AI Video Generator for ComfyUI on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/12/10/install-ltx-video-the-fastest-local-ai-video-generator-for-comfyui-on-windows/) - LTX Video is an innovative tool by Lightricks that brings the power of AI video generation directly to your local machine. Designed to integrate seamlessly with ComfyUI, LTX Video offers unparalleled speed and efficiency, making it an excellent choice for creative professionals and hobbyists alike. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process - [Preparing Images for Improved Image-to-Video Generation with LTX Video in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/12/23/preparing-images-for-improved-image-to-video-generation-with-ltx-video-in-comfyui/) - When working with LTX Video's image-to-video generation, creators often face two key challenges. First, captions for input images can be inconsistent or unclear, leading to mismatched results. Second, the generated videos often appear static, lacking the fluidity expected in dynamic sequences. This article introduces a ComfyUI workflow designed to address these issues. It helps refine - [Hunyuan Video AI Model: Generate Stunning Videos from Text on Low VRAM with GGUF Quantized Models](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/01/24/hunyuan-video-ai-model-generate-stunning-videos-from-text-on-low-vram-with-gguf-quantized-models/) - The Hunyuan Video AI model is a cutting-edge text-to-video generation tool developed by Tencent's Hunyuan AI team. Designed to transform textual prompts into high-quality video content, it offers a range of quantized versions to cater to various computational needs. Quantized Versions Available: The model is available in multiple quantization levels, each balancing performance and resource - [Simple ComfyUI Workflow for WAN2.1 Image-to-Video (i2v) Using GGUF Models](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/03/03/simple-comfyui-workflow-for-wan2-1-image-to-video-i2v-using-gguf-models/) - Creating high-quality AI-generated videos from images has become more accessible with the latest advancements in Stable Diffusion models. WAN2.1 is a powerful method for generating smooth motion from a single image, and when paired with ComfyUI, it offers a highly customizable and efficient workflow. In this guide, we'll walk through a simple ComfyUI workflow for WAN2.1 - [Simple ComfyUI Workflow for WAN2.1 Text-to-Video (t2v) Using GGUF Models](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/03/05/simple-comfyui-workflow-for-wan2-1-text-to-video-t2v-using-gguf-models/) - After exploring image-to-video (i2v) generation with WAN2.1, many creators are now looking for ways to take their AI video generation even further. Text-to-video (T2V) offers a powerful alternative, allowing users to generate motion directly from text descriptions without needing an initial image. In this guide, we’ll walk through a WAN2.1 T2V workflow in ComfyUI, explaining - [Simple ComfyUI Workflow for Hunyuan Image-to-Video (i2v) Using GGUF Models](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/03/07/simple-comfyui-workflow-for-hunyuan-image-to-video-i2v-using-gguf-models/) - AI-powered video generation is evolving rapidly, and Hunyuan Video I2V stands out as a versatile tool for converting images into motion. With support for GGUF models, it enables smooth video creation even on low-power GPUs, making it a practical choice for a wide range of users. This guide will walk you through a straightforward workflow - [How to Use Lora with Wan2.1 Image-to-Video (i2v) Model using ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/03/13/how-to-use-lora-with-wan2-1-image-to-video-i2v-model-using-comfyui/) - LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) is a powerful fine-tuning method that enhances AI models with additional styles, characters, or artistic effects without requiring extensive retraining. When applied to the Wan2.1 i2v model, LoRA can help refine motion dynamics, preserve character consistency, and improve overall video quality. This guide will walk you through the process of integrating LoRA - [Run HiDream-I1 in ComfyUI with 4-Bit Models (Easy Guide)](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/04/14/run-hidream-i1-in-comfyui-with-4-bit-models-easy-guide/) - Generating high-quality, photorealistic images in ComfyUI just got a serious upgrade with HiDream-I1—an open-source diffusion model built for speed, versatility, and realism. Whether you're running on a powerful GPU or a lower-end setup, HiDream-I1 performs impressively well, especially when paired with 4-bit quantized weights for memory efficiency. Thanks to the HiDream-Sampler extension by lum3on, integrating - [Simple ComfyUI Workflow for HiDream-I1 GGUF](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/04/17/simple-comfyui-workflow-for-hidream-i1-gguf/) - If you're exploring realistic image generation with cutting-edge models, the HiDream-I1 GGUF version is a fantastic option—especially for users running on lower-spec hardware or preferring a more lightweight setup. In this post, I'll walk you through a simple and native ComfyUI workflow to get high-quality photorealistic results from HiDream-I1 without any extra extensions or complicated - [How to Use WAN First-Last-Frame-to-Video(FLF2V) Model in ComfyUI with GGUF Models for AI Video](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/04/28/how-to-use-wan-first-last-frame-to-video-flf2v-model-in-comfyui-with-gguf-models-for-ai-video/) - Creating smooth, cinematic video transitions between images has long been a challenge in AI workflows. With the release of the WAN Video First-Last-Frame-to-Video (FLF2V) model, it is now possible to generate highly realistic short videos by simply providing a start and end frame. In this guide, we’ll explore how to set up and use the - [How to Use LoRA Models with HiDream-I1 in ComfyUI for Image Generation](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/05/01/how-to-use-lora-models-with-hidream-i1-in-comfyui-for-image-generation/) - The HiDream-I1 model has quickly gained attention for its impressive image generation, offering remarkable detail. If you're working in ComfyUI, you can enhance your results by integrating LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) models — a powerful way to fine-tune outputs toward specific characters, styles, or aesthetics without retraining the entire model. In this guide, we'll walk through - [How to Use Wan 2.1 VACE in ComfyUI for Video-to-Video AI with GGUF Models](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/06/23/how-to-use-wan-2-1-vace-in-comfyui-for-video-to-video-ai-with-gguf-models/) - The world of AI-generated video is rapidly evolving, and with the release of Wan 2.1 and the VACE node system for ComfyUI, creators now have powerful tools for transforming existing footage into stunning stylized videos. Whether you're working on fashion clips, cinematic scenes, or virtual influencer content, video-to-video workflows with GGUF models offer a new - [How to Use Flux.1 Kontext-dev in ComfyUI (GGUF + GPU): Natural Prompts for Any Style](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/06/28/how-to-use-flux-1-kontext-dev-in-comfyui-gguf-gpu-natural-prompts-for-any-style/) - Natural language image editing has taken a huge leap forward with Flux.1 Kontext-dev—a cutting-edge model that lets you modify existing images using simple, human-like instructions. Whether you're working with anime, photorealistic portraits, fantasy art, or flat illustrations, Kontext understands the context and delivers meaningful edits while preserving layout, style, or identity. In this post, we’ll - [Simple ComfyUI Workflow for Qwen-Image GGUF](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/08/08/simple-comfyui-workflow-for-qwen-image-gguf/) - As multimodal AI continues to evolve, the demand for high-fidelity image generation with embedded text support has never been greater. Whether you're designing posters, creating infographics, or generating multilingual visuals, the ability to render text natively inside images is a game-changer.Enter Qwen-Image — Alibaba’s open-source, GGUF-compatible diffusion model designed specifically for text-aware image generation and - [Using WAN 2.2 Fun Control in ComfyUI: 4-Step GGUF Guide](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/08/22/using-wan-2-2-fun-control-in-comfyui-4-step-gguf-guide/) - Learn how to use WAN 2.2 Fun Control in ComfyUI with a simple 4-step LoRA workflow on GGUF models to create smooth, dynamic AI videos efficiently. - [How to Use WAN 2.2 S2V GGUF model in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/09/02/how-to-use-wan-2-2-s2v-gguf-model-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to use the WAN 2.2 S2V GGUF model in ComfyUI for efficient video generation. Step-by-step guide to setup, workflow, and optimization tips. - [A Simple ComfyUI Workflow for Video Upscaling and Interpolation](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/01/05/a-simple-comfyui-workflow-for-video-upscaling-and-interpolation/) - I have been experimenting with AI videos lately. I often reduce the size of the video and the frames per second to speed up the process. I needed a workflow to upscale and interpolate the frames to improve the quality of the video. I created this workflow to do just that. It's not very fancy, - [How to Use WAN 2.2 Image-to-Video with GGUF in ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/08/06/how-to-use-wan-2-2-image-to-video-with-gguf-in-comfyui/) - Learn how to run WAN 2.2 Image-to-Video GGUF in ComfyUI to turn still images into cinematic AI videos with smooth, realistic motion—right from your desktop. - [How to Install Triton and SageAttention on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/02/20/how-to-install-triton-on-windows/) - Step-by-step guide to installing Triton on Windows using the triton-windows fork, including setup and troubleshooting tips. - [Install Triton & SageAttention on Windows (RTX 50 Series)](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/08/15/install-triton-and-sageattention-on-windows-rtx-50-series/) - Step-by-step guide to installing Triton and SageAttention on Windows for RTX 50-series GPUs, including prerequisites and troubleshooting tips. - [Goodbye DreamHost: How Hostinger Solved My Hosting Issues](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/09/23/dreamhost-to-hostinger/) - After repeated downtime with DreamHost, I migrated to Hostinger for faster speed, reliable uptime, and better support. Here’s why the switch was worth it. - [How to Train a Qwen-Image LoRA with ai-toolkit](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/09/15/how-to-train-a-qwen-image-lora-with-ai-toolkit-with-ai-toolkit/) - Step-by-step guide to training a Qwen-Image LoRA using AI-Toolkit. Learn dataset prep, configs, and tips for efficient fine-tuning. - [Disable RC4 Cipher on Windows: PowerShell + Registry Guide](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/07/25/disable-rc4-cipher-on-windows-powershell-registry-guide/) - Learn how to disable RC4 cipher suites on Windows using PowerShell and registry tweaks. Improve system security and comply with modern TLS standards. - [Transform Your Favorite Anime Characters into Realistic Portraits with Anime2Life for Free](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/07/19/transform-your-favorite-anime-characters-into-realistic-portraits-with-anime2life-for-free/) - Have you ever wondered what your favorite anime characters would look like in real life? Introducing Anime2Life, an intuitive AI tool that brings 2D anime images into stunning realism—one transformation at a time. Whether you're a fan artist, a digital creator, or just curious, Anime2Life makes the process easy and creative. It’s designed specifically to - [Prime Day Tech Deals 7/8/2025-7/11/2025](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/07/08/prime-day-tech-deals-7-8-2025-7-11-2025/) - Get ready for four days of unbeatable tech savings! From July 8 to July 11, 2025, Prime Day brings exclusive deals on the latest gadgets, smart home devices, laptops, headphones, and more. Whether you're upgrading your gear or shopping early for the holidays, now’s the time to grab top tech at deep discounts—only for Prime - [Testing OmniGen2 in ComfyUI vs. Flux.1 Kontext: A Promising Tool That’s Not Quite There Yet](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/07/04/testing-omnigen2-in-comfyui-vs-flux-1-kontext-a-promising-tool-thats-not-quite-there-yet/) - When OmniGen2 was announced for ComfyUI, it sounded like a dream: one model that could handle text-to-image, natural language image editing, and even multi-image composition—all through clean, natural instructions like "make her smile" or "replace the dress with a blue one." On paper, it reads like a direct competitor to Flux.1 Kontext, the current go-to - [How to Install FramePack with Sage Attention on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/04/20/how-to-install-framepack-with-sage-attention-on-windows/) - FramePack is a progressive video generation architecture based on next-frame prediction. It compresses input context into a fixed-length format, ensuring that the computational workload stays consistent regardless of video length. This design enables even 13B models to handle long sequences efficiently—making it feasible to run on laptop GPUs. However, the default Windows installation lacks Sage - [AI-Toolkit Adds HiDream-I1 LoRA Training Support](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/04/18/ai-toolkit-adds-hidream-i1-lora-training-support/) - April 18, 2025 — The open-source project AI-Toolkit, developed by ostris, continues to evolve as a powerful command-line solution for AI-powered workflows. After proving highly effective for Flux.1 LoRA training, the toolkit has now introduced support for HiDream-I1 LoRA training, marking another major step forward for creators focused on photorealistic image generation. The update enables - [Roop - One-Click DeepFake (face swap) Installation on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/07/12/roop-one-click-deepfake-face-swap-installation-on-windows/) - Roop is a Python application that lets you replace a face in a video (deepfake or face swap). It's getting a lot of attentions now. The use is quite straight forward, but the installation could be tricky if you don't know how to fix the installation problem. I am going to show you how to - [Rope – DeepFake (face swap) Installation on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/03/26/rope-deepfake-face-swap-installation-on-windows/) - One of my popular posts on my site is the Roop DeepFake (face swap) installation. Roop has not been updated for a while. Rope is an advanced, open-source GUI application designed for real-time face swapping in images and videos to replace Roop. Developed by Hillobar, it builds upon the capabilities of Roop, offering a user-friendly - [Wan2.1: Pioneering Open-Source Video Generation](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/02/26/wan2-1-pioneering-open-source-video-generation/) - In a significant advancement for AI-driven video creation, Wan AI has unveiled Wan2.1, an open-source suite of large-scale video generative models. This release promises to democratize high-quality video generation, making it accessible to a broader audience. Video credit: Wan2.1 GitHub Key Features of Wan2.1: Versatility Across Tasks: Wan2.1 excels in multiple domains, including Text-to-Video (T2V), - [How to Run DeepSeek-R1 Locally with GUI Using Pinokio and Ollama: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/02/07/how-to-run-deepseek-r1-locally-with-gui-using-pinokio-and-ollama-a-step-by-step-guide/) - DeepSeek-R1 is a cutting-edge AI model that offers high performance for natural language processing tasks. Running it locally provides greater control, privacy, and efficiency without relying on cloud-based services. By using Ollama, a lightweight framework for managing and running AI models, you can easily install and utilize DeepSeek-R1 on your machine. In addition, Open WebUI - [Running DeepSeek-R1 Locally with Ollama: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/01/27/running-deepseek-r1-locally-with-ollama-a-step-by-step-guide/) - DeepSeek-R1 is a powerful AI model designed for advanced data exploration and analysis. If you're looking to run it locally for better control, security, and efficiency, Ollama offers an excellent platform to manage it. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up and running DeepSeek-R1 locally using Ollama. What is Ollama? - [Troubleshooting Azure CLI Login Error: "Authentication Failed Against Tenant"](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/01/15/troubleshooting-azure-cli-login-error-authentication-failed-against-tenant/) - If you’ve encountered the error message "authentication failed against tenant" while using the Azure CLI, it can be frustrating. This issue often arises due to authentication mishaps, tenant misconfiguration, or account access issues. Below, we’ve outlined common causes and steps to resolve the problem effectively. 1. Verify Tenant ID and Login Information Ensure that the - [How to Extract the Last Frame of a Video Using FFmpeg](https://www.kombitz.com/2025/01/14/how-to-extract-the-last-frame-of-a-video-using-ffmpeg/) - When working with videos, you may occasionally need to extract the last frame. This can be useful for creating thumbnails, debugging, or adding a unique ending to your video. FFmpeg, a powerful command-line tool for video and audio processing, makes this task simple and efficient. Why Use FFmpeg? FFmpeg is a free, open-source utility known - [Running Stable Diffusion Efficiently: Forge + Flux.1 GGUF on Low-Power GPUs](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/11/21/running-stable-diffusion-efficiently-forge-flux-1-gguf-on-low-power-gpus/) - Introduction Stable Diffusion has revolutionized AI-generated art, but running it effectively on low-power GPUs can be challenging. Enter Forge, a framework designed to streamline Stable Diffusion image generation, and the Flux.1 GGUF model, an optimized solution for lower-resource setups. Together, they make it possible to generate stunning visuals without breaking the bank on hardware upgrades. - [Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium is Released](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/11/01/stable-diffusion-3-5-medium-is-released/) - As mentioned in the previous blog post, Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium is released. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium is a Multimodal Diffusion Transformer with improvements (MMDiT-X) text-to-image model that features improved performance in image quality, typography, complex prompt understanding, and resource-efficiency. It's suitable for GPUs with at least 10GB VRAM. Here are some resources: Model download ComfyUI - [Introducing Stable Diffusion 3.5: Powerful AI Models for Enhanced Creativity and Efficiency](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/10/22/introducing-stable-diffusion-3-5-powerful-ai-models-for-enhanced-creativity-and-efficiency/) - Stability AI has just unveiled Stable Diffusion 3.5, offering an exciting range of models designed for enhanced customization and use on consumer-grade hardware. The release features an 8-billion parameter "Large" model, promising exceptional quality, along with a faster variant called "Large Turbo" for increased efficiency. This version supports a wider variety of artistic styles, making - [How to Update ComfyUI Manually on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/10/11/how-to-update-comfyui-manually-on-windows/) - If you're using ComfyUI and encounter an issue where the ComfyUI Manager fails to update the software, you can manually update it using a simple Windows batch script. This method ensures you stay up-to-date without relying on the built-in manager. The process involves a series of automated steps to pull the latest changes from the - [How to Inpaint Hand More Efficiently in Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/09/20/how-to-inpaint-hand-more-efficiently-in-web-ui/) - AI hand generation is often flawed due to the intricate anatomy of hands, leading to distorted or inaccurate results. Inpainting helps fix these issues by allowing selective regeneration of problem areas, but it can be challenging to get right. The difficulty lies in blending new content seamlessly with the existing image, maintaining consistent lighting and - [How to Fix onnxruntime_providers_cuda.dll LoadLibrary Error 126](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/09/10/how-to-fix-onnxruntime_providers_cuda-dll-loadlibrary-error-126/) - If you’re diving into ONNX Runtime with CUDA and run into the LoadLibrary Error 126 with onnxruntime_providers_cuda.dll, don’t worry—it’s usually related to your CUDA or driver setup. Let’s walk through a few steps to help you troubleshoot and get things running properly again. 1. Update Your GPU Drivers First, ensure your NVIDIA GPU drivers are - [How to Use ChatGPT to Write Flux.1 Prompts in T5 Style with an Input Image](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/08/29/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-write-flux-1-prompts-in-t5-style-with-an-input-image/) - In the world of AI and creative content generation, using advanced tools like Stable Diffusion models, particularly Flux.1, offers incredible opportunities to create stunning visuals. One of the key aspects of harnessing the full potential of these models is crafting the right prompts. In this guide, we'll explore how to use ChatGPT to write prompts - [How to Fix ComfyUI Running Slowly on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/08/27/how-to-fix-comfyui-running-slowly-on-windows/) - When I tried using the Flux.1 model using ComfyUI, I found that it's running very slowly even though I have a 3090 GPU with 24GB RAM. When I checked online, I found many users experience performance issues that can often be traced back to specific settings on their Nvidia GPUs. One of the key settings - [First Impressions of the Latest Flux.1 Stable Diffusion Model](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/08/09/first-impressions-of-the-latest-flux-1-stable-diffusion-model/) - The Flux.1 Stable Diffusion model has just dropped, and after spending some time with it, I’m pretty excited about what it brings to the table. This model feels like a big leap forward in AI-generated imagery, so let’s dive into what makes it stand out. Realism That Impresses The first thing that hit me with - [How to Install Comfyui-MusePose on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/07/05/how-to-install-comfyui-musepose-on-windows/) - According to the MusePose readme on github: MusePose is an image-to-video generation framework for virtual human under control signal such as pose. The current released model was an implementation of AnimateAnyone by optimizing Moore-AnimateAnyone. I first learned about this on reddit and found it interesting. However, the installation was quite difficult. With help on this page, I was finally - [How to Install R 4.4.1 on Ubuntu 22.04](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/06/20/how-to-install-r-4-4-1-on-ubuntu-22-04/) - A user requested installing R 4.4.1 on our Ubuntu 22.04 server. It turns out to be non-trivial because of the missing libraries. Took me several hours to figure out the problems. My installation is a standard Ubuntu. If you have a minimal installation of Ubuntu, you might need to install extra packages. Here are the - [How to Fix 'InvalidHeaderDeserialization' Error in Stable Diffusion 3 with ComfyUI: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/06/12/how-to-fix-invalidheaderdeserialization-error-in-stable-diffusion-3-with-comfyui-a-step-by-step-guide/) - Stability AI has just made Stable Diffusion 3 available for download today. When I tried to run it using ComfyUI, I encountered this error: "Error while deserializing header: InvalidHeaderDeserialization." After some investigation, I discovered that the issue can be resolved by upgrading the safetensors Python package. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to fix it. - [How to Batch Load Videos in Comfy UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/05/31/how-to-batch-load-videos-in-comfy-ui/) - A while ago, I published a Comfy UI workflow to upscale and increase the frame rate of a video. When you have a lot of videos to process, it becomes very tedious. I spent some time figuring out how to batch load the videos to reduce manual input. Please read on to learn how to - [How to Use Face Swap Extension ReActor in Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/02/20/how-to-use-face-swap-extension-reactor-in-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - A while ago, I posted about the roop extension to do face swap for stable diffusion. That extension is no longer updated. Another extention called sd-webui-reactor has been published to be used for face swap. Follow these instructions to install the extension. Requirements A working Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI installation – https://github.com/AUTOMATIC1111/stable-diffusion-webui Nvidia GPU - [Unlocking the Future of Generative Video: A Guide to Installing Stability Video Diffusion on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/12/05/unlocking-the-future-of-generative-video-a-guide-to-installing-stability-video-diffusion-on-windows/) - Stability AI has introduced a groundbreaking advancement with the release of Stable Video Diffusion. This state-of-the-art generative video model builds upon the success of its predecessor, Stable Diffusion, offering enthusiasts and developers alike a powerful tool for creating dynamic and realistic video content. In this guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of - [How to Install animatediff-cli Prompt Travel on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2024/01/30/how-to-install-animatediff-cli-prompt-travel-on-windows/) - animatediff-cli is a command line tool to help you generate animation using Stable Diffusion models. animatediff-cli-prompt-travel adds prompt travel feature to make it even more powerful. Follow the instructions to install this powerful AI animation tool on Windows. Requirements Python 3.10 - https://www.python.org/downloads/ Git - https://git-scm.com/downloads Nvidia GPU – 4070, 4080, 4090 Installation Open up a command prompt - [How to Install Stability Video Diffusion on ComfyUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/12/06/how-to-install-stability-video-diffusion-on-comfyui/) - A few days ago, I tried to install a stand alone Stability Video Diffusion (SVD) streamlit app on Windows. The process is complicated and not very straight forward. Then, I found that installing SVD on ComfyUI is actually a lot easier. Please follow along to explore the new image to video function introduced by SVD. - [How to Use LoRA Models with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/02/09/how-to-use-lora-models-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation of Large Language Models) models have become the standard to extend the Stable Diffusion models. I am going to show you in this article about how to use the LoRA models with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI. Enable the Extension Click on Extensions tab and then click on Install from URL. Enter https://github.com/kohya-ss/sd-webui-additional-networks.git - [How to Install Latent Consistency Model (lcm) for Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion WebUI for Super Fast Image/Video Generation](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/11/17/how-to-install-latent-consistency-model-lcm-for-automatic1111-stable-diffusion-webui-for-super-fast-image-video-generation/) - Latent Consistency Model (lcm) is a new model to improve the speed of image generation for Stable Diffusion. You only need 4 steps to generate a high quality image. I am going to show you how to install this on Automatic1111's webui as an extensiton. Enable the Extension Click on Extensions tab and then click - [How to Install ComfyUI on Windows with AMD GPU using PyTorch DirectML](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/11/14/how-to-install-comfyui-on-windows-with-amd-gpu-using-pytorch-directml/) - When I tried to install ComfyUI on my laptop with AMD 6800M GPU, I found that the instructions were not that great. I am sharing my steps to install it. Download and install git from this link https://git-scm.com/downloads Download and install Python version 3.11 or earlier (I use 3.10.6) https://www.python.org/downloads/ Open Command Prompt and change - [Pika Labs Text-to-Video Optional Parameters with Examples](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/09/28/pika-labs-text-to-video-optional-parameters-with-examples/) - In the ever-evolving landscape of digital content creation, the ability to transform mere words into captivating visual narratives has become a coveted skill. Pika Labs, at the forefront of innovation, has introduced a game-changing feature in its text-to-video platform that promises to revolutionize the way we tell stories: optional parameters. Imagine a tool that not - [How to Add Restore Faces Option Back to Automatic1111's Web UI After 1.6.0 Upgrade](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/09/03/how-to-add-restore-faces-option-back-to-automatic1111s-web-ui-after-1-6-0-upgrade/) - The recent 1.6.0 upgrade to Automatic1111's Web UI has changed the UI quite a bit. One notable change is the omission of restore faces option from UI. I am going to show you how to add face restoration back to the user interface in this article. Click on Settings and then User Interface on the - [How to Use LyCORIS/locon/loha Models with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/03/29/how-to-use-lycoris-locon-loha-models-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - LyCORIS - Lora beYond Conventional methods, Other Rank adaptation Implementations for Stable diffusion. A new extension enables the usage of LyCORIS models (This includes locon and loha) with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI. I am going to show you how to use it in this article. Enable the Extension [Update: This extension is no longer - [How to Use SDXL 1.0 Models in Automatic1111's Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/07/28/how-to-use-sdxl-1-0-models-in-automatic1111s-web-ui/) - Following the leak of SDXL 0.9 model, the official 1.0 is finally released two days ago. The Automatic1111's web ui is also updated for you to use the new models. Read on to find out how to update webui and use SDXL 1.0. Installation I assume that you already have a working installation of Automatic1111's - [How to Use Latent Couple and Composable LoRA with Automatic1111's Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/04/16/how-to-use-latent-couple-and-composable-lora-with-automatic1111s-web-ui/) - Latent Couple extension let you determine the region of the latent space that reflects your subprompts. Composable LoRA works with Latent Couple and LoRA so that LoRA's scope of influence is limited to a specific subprompt. This article demonstrates the usage of these two extensions on Automatic1111's Web UI. Prerequisite Before you follow the instructions - [How to Brighten AI Images Using an Upscaler in Automatic1111's Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/07/26/how-to-brighten-ai-images-using-an-upscaler-in-automatic1111s-web-ui/) - When I create AI images, I often have this problem. Some models tend to generate backlighted images. I tried to change the prompts to avoid backlighted situation, but most of the time, it's not working well. I recently discovered an upscaler which works pretty well. I am going to show you how to use it. - [How to Use roop (face swap) with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/07/17/how-to-use-roop-face-swap-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - A few days ago, I published a blog article about using roop on Windows. There is a webui extension based on the project and it works with static images. Traditionally, if you want to generate images based on someone's face, you need to train texual inversion embeddings or Lora models, which is a very lengthy - [Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion Web UI Quicksettings](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/05/02/automatic1111-stable-diffusion-web-ui-quicksettings/) - Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion Web UI provides the ability to customize the UI through Quicksettings. The documentation is actually lacking about what are available. I have compiled a list with screenshots to show you what are available. The list is based upon commit 5ab7f213bec2f816f9c5644becb32eb72c8ffb89 on 5/2/2023. To enable the quicksettings options, do the following: Click on - [How to Use Loopback Wave Script in Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI to Generate AI Animation](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/05/21/how-to-use-loopback-wave-script-in-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui-to-generate-ai-animation/) - I first saw this reddit post about a cool video. Decided to give it a try and posted the results on my YouTube channel. One person has asked about a tutorial, so here you are. Read on to learn how to use Loopback Wave script to generate AI animation(AI slide transition). Download The script is - [How to Use ControlNet 1.1 with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/05/12/how-to-use-controlnet-1-1-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - ControlNet 1.1 has published with new models recently. The new models have added a lot functionalities to ControlNet. I am going to show you how to use it in this article. Enable the Extension Follow the instructions in this article to enable the extension. Download the models mentioned in that article only if you want - [How to Use ControlNet with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/02/18/how-to-use-controlnet-with-automatic1111-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - According to the github page of ControlNet, "ControlNet is a neural network structure to control diffusion models by adding extra conditions." You can do quite a few stuff to enhance the generation of your AI images. In this article, I am going to show you how to use ControlNet with Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion Web UI. - [How to Use ModelScope text2video with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/03/28/how-to-use-modelscope-text2video-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - deforum-art has published an extension to incorporate ModelScope text to video(text2video) with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI. I am going to show you how to install the use this extension in this article. Enable the Extension Click on the Extension tab and then click on Install from URL. Enter https://github.com/deforum-art/sd-webui-modelscope-text2video in the URL box and click on Install. Click - [How to Use ControlNet and gif2gif with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/02/27/how-to-use-controlnet-and-gif2gif-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - By combining ControlNet and gif2gif, you can create some creative animated gifs. In this article, I am going to show you how to use both extensions with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI(webui). Follow my ControlNet post to enable the extension. Download the control_sd15_canny.pth model file and put it in your ControlNet model folder if you - [How to Use Infinite Zoom with Automatic1111's Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/04/25/how-to-use-infinite-zoom-with-automatic1111s-web-ui/) - A new extension has been published recently to let you create infinite zoom effect videos using stable diffusion outpainting method. I am going to show you how to use this extension to create a cool video with it. Enable Extension and download models Click on the Extension tab and then click on Install from URL. Enter https://github.com/v8hid/infinite-zoom-automatic1111-webui.git in - [H&R Block on macOS Ventura Problems Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/04/12/hr-block-on-macos-ventura-problems-solved/) - I have been using H&R Block on Mac for years. My exprience with the product was mostly trouble tree. However, I ran into several problems on my M1 MacBook Pro running macOS Ventura this year (2022 tax year). Read on to learn about the problems and how to solve them. Constant Crashing The first problem - [How to Use 3D Open Pose Editor with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/03/18/how-to-use-3d-open-pose-editor-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - With introduction of ControlNet, we can transfer pose from one image to your image. What if you cannot find an image of a pose you want to make? There are quite a few pose editor extensions which are available to do just that. You can create and edit pose within webui. In this article, I - [Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI - AssertionError: Could Not Find Upscaler named []](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/03/08/automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui-assertionerror-could-not-find-upscaler-named/) - If you run into a problem with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI(webui) with this error "AssertionError: Could Not Find Upscaler named []", you can try this fix. I updated my webui directory very often and run into a lot of problems every time I updated it. The most recent problem I had is this error. - [Hassan Blend 1.5 Stable Diffusion Model with Automatic1111's Web UI on a Kaggle Notebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/01/26/hassan-blend-1-5-stable-diffusion-model-with-automatic1111s-web-ui-on-a-kaggle-notebook/) - [Edit 3/8/2023: this model has been removed from the notebook due to Kaggle's ban.] I have updated my Kaggle notebook with Hassan Blend 1.5 model for a while, but I did not have a post for it. Finally got around to write this. If you are a first time visitor of my blog, here is - [Hassan Blend 1.4 Stable Diffusion Model with Automatic1111 on a Kaggle Notebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/12/19/hassan-blend-1-4-on-a-kaggle-notebook/) - [Edit 3/8/2023: this model has been removed from the notebook due to Kaggle's ban.] Hassan Blend 1.4 is a popular Stable Diffusion model for generating photo realistic pictures. Just added this model to my Kaggle notebook for various models. Note that this model might generate NSFW images. You might want to put NSFW in the - [HD-17 Stable Diffusion Model with Automatic1111 on a Kaggle Notebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/12/28/hd-17-stable-diffusion-model-with-automatic1111-on-a-kaggle-notebook/) - [Edit 3/8/2023: this model has been removed from the notebook due to Kaggle's ban.] I came across a nice picture that I want to emulate. No model name is given. It took me a while to track down the model. It is an older version of Hentai Diffusion (HD-17). However, after I entered the same - [How to Use gif2gif with Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/02/24/how-to-use-gif2gif-with-automatic1111s-stable-diffusion-web-ui/) - gif2gif is a script extension for Automatic1111's Stable Diffusion Web UI. It accepts an animated gif as input, process the frames one by one and combines them back to a new animated gif. I am going to show you how to use the extension in this article. Enable the Extension Click on the Extension tab - [Quick Comparison of Anything Stable Diffusion Model v3, v4, and v4.5 using webui's X/Y plot](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/01/15/quick-comparison-of-anything-stable-diffusion-model-v3-v4-and-v4-5-using-webui-xy-plot/) - Anything v3 is a very popular stable diffusion model for generating anime images. Two newer versions came out recently. Some people are questioning the authenticity of these two models. Authenticity aside, I am going to do a quick comparison of these three models. Before we start, the url to download the new models is here. - [Beginner's Guide to Using a Kaggle Notebook to Start Generating AI Images for Free](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/01/20/beginners-guide-to-using-a-kaggle-notebook-to-start-generating-ai-images-for-free/) - I created a Kaggle notebook for using the Stable Diffusion models to generate the images. For people with technical background in programming, it's easy to start using it. However, there are also a lot of people drawn to AI that do not have any tech experience. The purpose of this article is to get those - [ProtoGen X3.4 Stable Diffusion Model with Automatic1111 on a Kaggle Notebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/01/04/protogen-x3-4-stable-diffusion-model-with-automatic1111-on-a-kaggle-notebook/) - A new model, ProtoGen X3.4, was published a few days ago. It's an instant hit in the Stable Diffusion community. According to the model page on civitai, this model is good for photorealism, with RPG elements, Sci-Fi. I have included this model in my Kaggle Notebook. https://www.kaggle.com/code/amida168/stable-diffusion-webui-various-models/ Remove the # from the line below ProtoGen - [DreamArtist Web UI Extension Error: indices should be either on cpu or on the same device as the indexed tensor (cpu)](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/01/11/dreamartist-web-ui-extension-error-indices-should-be-either-on-cpu-or-on-the-same-device-as-the-indexed-tensor-cpu/) - DreamArtist is an extension for Automatic1111's stable diffusion web UI. It allows you to train embeddings by using one photo. I was excited to learn about this extension and wanted to give it a try. However, when I tried it the first time, I got this error: Traceback (most recent call last): File "/mnt/data/stable-diffusion-webui/modules/call_queue.py", line - [ProtoThing_200 Stable Diffusion Model with Automatic1111 Web UI on a Kaggle Notebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2023/01/06/protothing_200-stable-diffusion-model-with-automatic1111-webui-on-a-kaggle-notebook/) - Within days of release of ProtoGen x3.4, a new model, ProtoThing_200 has been published based on Anything V3 and ProtoGen x3.4. The models was created based on BerryMix recipe, but the author substituted NovelAI with Anything V3, and F222 with ProtoGen_X3.4. For more info about how to mix the model, please see this post. The - [Analog Diffusion - Anything - Dreamlike Diffusion - Openjourney with Automatic1111 on a Kaggle Notebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/12/16/analog-diffusion-anything-dreamlike-diffusion-openjourney-with-automatic1111-on-a-kaggle-notebook/) - I have been trying out a lot of different Stable Diffusion models on Kaggle. I thought it would be nice to share this notebook with everyone. https://www.kaggle.com/code/amida168/stable-diffusion-webui-various-models/ Currently supports the following models: Analog Diffusion 1.0 Anything 3.0 Dark Berry Mix 99a1a2f6 Dreamlike Diffusion 1.0 Elldreth's Lucid Mix 1.0 Eimis Anime Diffusion 1.0 (In the add a - [How to Try Out Stable Diffusion Version 2.1 with Automatic1111 for Free](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/12/08/how-to-try-out-stable-diffusion-version-2-1-with-automatic1111-for-free/) - This is an undate to my previous post about trying out Stable Diffusion Version 2.0 using a Kaggle notebook. The new notebook is here. https://www.kaggle.com/amida168/stable-diffusion-v2-1-with-automatic1111 If you are not familiar with Kaggle, please refer to my previous post This notebook supports both 768x768 and 512x512 models. However, you cannot load both models at the same - [Elldreth's Lucid Mix 1.0 Stable Diffusion Model with Automatic1111 on a Kaggle Notebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/12/21/elldreths-lucid-mix-1-0-stable-diffusion-model-with-automatic1111-on-a-kaggle-notebook/) - While browsing on Stable Diffusion on reddit, I came across this post using Elldreth's Lucid Mix 1.0 model. The results are pretty good. According to the model page on CivitAI, this model is good at: Realistic portraits Stylized characters Landscapes Fantasy Sci-Fi Anime Horror No check point file is provided. Only the SafeTensor version is - [How to Try Out Stable Diffusion Version 2.0 with Automatic1111 for Free](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/11/28/how-to-try-out-stable-diffusion-version-2-0-with-automatic1111-for-free/) - Stability AI annouced Stable Diffusion 2.0 last week. I modified one of my Kaggle notebooks to use the new version with Automatic1111. For those who are familiar with Kaggle. Here is the link to the notebook: https://www.kaggle.com/amida168/stable-diffusion-v2-0-with-automatic1111 If you are new to Kaggle, please read on. I am going to share my experience. According to - [CyberMonday Tech Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/11/28/cybermonday-tech-deals/) - CyberMonday is the best time for shopping tech deals. Please support us by using the following links. Thanks. Dell https://fave.co/3F65GmX HP https://fave.co/3VekAgF Lenovo https://fave.co/3GTfJNy BestBuy https://fave.co/3gObvvP Walmart https://fave.co/3Ub1yGv Amazon https://amzn.to/3OL7Zip - [How to Disable Asus Rog Strix Laptop LED Lights in Sleep Mode](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/11/16/how-to-disable-asus-rog-strix-laptop-led-lights-in-sleep-mode/) - Do the LED lights on the Asus Rog Strix laptop drive you crazy in sleep mode? Learn how to turn them off in this article. I bought an Asus Rog Strix G15 Advanced Edition laptop from Best Buy. The performance is greate and the price is right. Nothing in this price range can compete with - [How to Use midjourney-v4-diffusion Model on OnnxDiffusersUI](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/11/09/how-to-use-midjourney-v4-diffusion-model-on-onnxdiffusersui/) - A new Stable Diffusion model fine tuned on Midjourney v4 images has been published recently. It's easy to use it on OnnxDiffusersUI, Follow these simple steps: Open up a command prompt and activate the virtual environment. On my computer, the commands are cd OnnxDiffusersUI .\virtualenv\Scripts\activate.bat Download and convert the model. Note that this step takes - [How to Fix Stable Diffusion Not Enough Memory Resources Are Available Problem on Windows 11](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/11/01/how-to-fix-stable-diffusion-not-enough-memory-resources-are-available-problem-on-windows-11/) - If you try to run Stable Diffusion and got "Not enough memory resources are available to complete this operation" error, this fix might help you solve the problem. When I first learned about arts generated by AI, I was very excited. There are a lot of models out there, but most of them are not - [How to Fix JASP Not Running Problem on Ubuntu 20.04](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/10/19/how-to-fix-jasp-not-running-problem-on-ubuntu-20-04/) - JASP is a new open-source statistic program that is getting attentions from researchers looking to do both classical and Bayesian analysis. If you install it on Ubuntu 20.04 but it's not running correctly, this article is going to show you how to fix it. The installation is pretty easy on Linux. If your computer already - [How to Fix the Infinite Login Loop on Ubuntu 18.04](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/10/12/how-to-fix-the-infinite-login-loop-on-ubuntu-18-04/) - We recently turned on an Ubuntu machine which has been off for a while. It booted up ok, but I could not logon to the machine even I knew the password. After I entered the password, the screen flashed once and back to the login screen. If I entered the password again, same thing happened - [Error Message /usr/local/lib/libgfortran.3.dylib (no such file) on Intel Mac Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/07/28/error-message-usr-local-lib-libgfortran-3-dylib-no-such-file-on-intel-mac-solved/) - If you ran into this problem when you tried to run some .mexmaci files, here is how you fix the error. A user tried to use a Matlab toolbox which uses some .mexmaci files. Part of the error mesage is '/usr/local/lib/libgfortran.3.dylib' (no such file). This is because the .mexmaci was compiled using libgfortran.3.dylib and the - [How to Install fsleyes Manually](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/04/21/how-to-install-fsleyes-manually/) - I recently help a user to install FSL VM on a Windows machine. Strangely, after installaion fsleyes is missing from the VM. There are some possible solutions on the official site. These including re-installing FSL or re-installing fslpython. However, they don't work for me. In the end, what works for me is this single command. - [How to Manually Install R 4.1.2 on CentOS 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/03/02/how-to-manually-install-r-4-1-2-on-centos-7/) - CentOS 7 is an old distro which does not have the new developer tools. In order to install the latest R 4.1.2, I need to install a newer devtoolset. Download the scl repo rpmswget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/7/extras/x86_64/Packages/centos-release-scl-rh-2-3.el7.centos.noarch.rpmwget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/7/extras/x86_64/Packages/centos-release-scl-2-3.el7.centos.noarch.rpmInstall the rpms.sudo rpm -ivh centos-release-scl-rh-2-3.el7.centos.noarch.rpmsudo rpm -ivh centos-release-scl-2-3.el7.centos.noarch.rpmInstall scl.sudo yum install centos-release-sclInstall devtoolset 7.sudo yum install devtoolset-7Enable devtoolset 7.sudo - [How to Install BigFix Client using Command Line on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2022/02/09/how-to-install-bigfix-client-using-command-line-on-windows/) - We use BigFix as our EndPoint management system. It is usually one of the first programs we need to install on our computers. Even though we have some automated system in place to install the BigFix client, there are often times we need to install it manually. First, I prepared a zip file for the - [How I Got My Azure Fundamentals Certification for Free](https://www.kombitz.com/2021/11/23/how-i-got-my-azure-fundamentals-certification-for-free/) - Just passed the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam (AZ-900). Unlike my previous certifications which I paid for training material and exam fee, I got this certification totally free. I'd like to share with you. Follow these steps to get yours. Step one: Sign up and take the free training from Microsoft Virtual Training Days https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trainingdays Microsoft - [Dell Latitude 7390 Fingerprint Reader Tips](https://www.kombitz.com/2021/11/05/dell-latitude-7390-fingerprint-reader-tips/) - I recently set up the fingerprint reader on a Dell Latitude 7390. The results are dissapointing. The reader only worked like one or two times out of ten tries. I tried to google a solution and found these two tips useful. Use finger pad, not finger tip. I used to just use my finger tip - [Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - All Questions Linked](https://www.kombitz.com/2021/10/27/microsoft-certified-azure-fundamentals-all-questions-linked/) - In preparing the Azure Fundametals certification test AZ-900, I am studying the official training material provided by Microsoft. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-900 The training material is divided into to 6 parts and 20 modules. There is a knowledge check section for each module. I really like the knowledge check section because it helps you check your readiness of - [How to Unlock Mio Moov Series GPS](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/05/12/how-to-unlock-mio-moov-series-gps/) - I have been eyeing the Mio Moov series GPS ever since they were announced. The biggest change to this line of Mio GPS is that MioMap is no longer based upon iGo. It is now based upon Navman. The unlock procedure is thus different from other series of Mio GPS. There is an excellent website - [Where you can find Windows 11 KMS Client Setup Keys](https://www.kombitz.com/2021/10/26/windows-11-kms-client-setup-keys/) - Looking for Windows 11 KMS client setup keys? You found the right place. - [How to Extend a LVM Partition on an Ubuntu VM](https://www.kombitz.com/2021/09/29/how-to-extend-a-lvm-partition-on-an-ubuntu-vm/) - We have an Ubuntu 20.04 VM running under VMware. The users reported that the root partition is running out of free space. We first deleted some unused files, and it's still not enough. The user decicded to increase the virtual disk size. After the increase of the virtual disk size, the OS does not recognize - [Nvidia T4 and Matlab on Ubuntu Linux](https://www.kombitz.com/2021/06/07/nvidia-t4-and-matlab-on-ubuntu-linux/) - I setup a PowerEdge server with a Nvidia T4 GPU. The OS is Ubuntu 20.04. User complained that the Matlab benchmark is very slow. The reason is that Matlab is using software OpenGL rendering. It seems like an easy task, but I ended up spent countless hours to find a solution which works for me. - [How to Install Omreport on a CentOS 7 PowerEdge Server](https://www.kombitz.com/2021/05/20/how-to-install-omreport-on-a-centos-7-poweredge-server/) - We recently had a problem with a hard drive in one server. The drive is part of a RAID. After reseat the drive, the server boots up Ok. I wanted to monitor the disk status, but additional software is required. I learned that you can use omreport to do it. However, omreport is not in - [Zoom Problem after Big Sur Upgrade](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/11/16/zoom-problem-after-big-sur-upgrade/) - I upgraded my laptop to Big Sur last week. The first problem I ran to is Zoom did not run properly after OS upgrade. If you open up Zoom, you see the graphic elements are missing from the main windows as in the featured image. Also, when you start or join a meeting, you don't - [Zoom 5.4.7 Adds Support for Apple Silicon Processors(M1)](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/12/22/zoom-5-4-7-adds-support-for-apple-silicon-processorsm1/) - Zoom just release version 5.4.7 client. The biggest feature is the support for Apple Silicon Processors(M1). Here are the release notes: New and enhanced features General featuresSupport for Apple Silicon processors - macOSZoom desktop client will better support computers with ARM CPUs. A separate installer is available for download in the Zoom Download Center.Enhanced cloud contact - [Outlook Stuck on Connecting on Big Sur](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/12/22/outlook-stuck-on-connecting-on-big-sur/) - After I got my new M1 MacBook Pro, Outlook has been giving me problems. One problem I have is Outlook stuck on connecting and it won't connect. I tried re-install Office and I even tried the beta version of Outlook, but neither solves the problem. I then tried to delete the Microsoft Office Credentials from - [Matlab 2020b Benchmark on MacBook Pro M1 2020](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/11/28/matlab-2020b-benchmark-on-macbook-pro-m1-2020/) - I usually run Matlab's benchmark after setting up a new computer, just to see how fast the computer is. After I got my MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020), I was excited to try out the Matlab benchmark. However, the results are dissapointing. I first try the 2020a version, it was very slow. Then, I learned - [How to Set AMD GPU to Compute Mode on AMD Radeon 20.11.1](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/12/20/how-to-set-amd-gpu-to-compute-mode-on-amd-radeon-20-11-1/) - I stopped mining Ethereum when the price dropped under $200, because it's not profitable any more. Not long after the recent Ethereum price hike, I decided to mine again. This time, I choose Windows 10 as the OS. You can use either the AMD Block Chain driver or the latest AMD Radeon driver. The Block - [Default PHP Log File Location on CentOS 8](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/09/30/default-php-log-file-location-on-centos-8/) - I set up a small web server to let my users run some simple PHP scripts. It was running fine for a few years and I didn't have to troubleshoot any PHP related issues. I got a report about a possible PHP problem. Looked under /var/log/httpd and did not find anything related to PHP. Checked - [my_config.h: No such file or directory on CentOS 8](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/04/29/my_config-h-no-such-file-or-directory-on-centos-8/) - When I tried to install MySQL-python module on a CentOS 8 machine, I got this error message: _mysql.c:44:10: fatal error: my_config.h: No such file or directory On previous distribution, I can add the my_config.h by installing the mysql-devel package. However, my_config.h is not included in the package on CentOS 8. I could not find any - [Command Line to Search Files on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/04/16/command-line-to-search-files-on-windows/) - I hope everyone is doing well during this pandemic. It has been hectic for the past few weeks. Things have finally quite down a bit. One user reported that the Software Center has rebooted her computer twice. We tried to help her to figure out what was wrong. Our SCCM admin has suggested looking at - [How to Enable Color Printing using HP Universal Printing Driver on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/02/14/how-to-enable-color-printing-using-hp-universal-printing-driver-on-windows-10/) - I had some troubles enabling color printing when I use the HP Universal Printing driver. After spending 15 minutes on figuring out how to do it. Decided to write a post about this so I don't forget it again. This is how you do it on a Windows 10 machine. Click on Windows logo and - [How to Configure Cygwin X for Remote Connection](https://www.kombitz.com/2020/01/31/how-to-configure-cygwin-x-for-remote-connection/) - I have been working on implementing Docker images in my work place. One hurdle with running Linux docker container with GUI is X11. I have tried a lot of different X11 for Windows. It took me a while to figure out how to configure Cygwin X to be connected with docker containers. (setup-x86_64.exe) I have - [NewEgg Cyber Monday Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/12/02/newegg-cyber-monday-deals/) - NewEgg Cyber Monday Deals are live. 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Dell Cyber Monday Deals - [Dell Black Friday Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/11/29/dell-black-friday-deals-3/) - Dell Black Friday Deals is live. Please click on the link to visit the deals page. Dell Black Friday Deals Link - [How to Use Data Deduplication to Save Storage Space on Windows 2016](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/10/18/how-to-use-data-deduplication-to-save-storage-space-on-windows-2016/) - We have several Windows 2016 servers for data backup. As with any data backup, there are quite a bit duplicated files on the same volume. Windows 2016 introduced a new role called Data Deduplication to help you solve the problem. In order to use the role, you have to add it first. Open the Server - [Command Line to List Licenses on KMS server](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/10/08/command-line-to-list-licenses-on-kms-server/) - One colleague was wondering about the licenses on our KMS server. I helped him look for a list of licenses on the KMS server. Later, I found that the same script slmgr.vbs which we used before to activate the license can be used to list the licenses on KMS server. To do it, open a - [Best Command Line Tool to Delete Large Folder on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/09/20/best-command-line-tool-to-delete-large-folder-on-windows/) - I was working on a Windows 2016 server this week. I had to move some big folders to a different disk. After copying the folders, I needed to delete the big folders. I first tried to use the File Explorer to delete the folders, but it took too long to scan all the files and - [Most popular gaming laptop at Amazon - September 2019](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/09/09/most-popular-gaming-laptop-at-amazon-september-2019/) - Asus TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop is the best selling gaming laptop at Amazon this month. It features AMD Ryzen processors and GeForce GTX 16-Series graphics, the newest TUF Gaming (FX505) adeptly handles modern game titles while providing MIL-STD-810G reliability and an RGB keyboard to stand apart from the competition. The other notable features: IPS-Type Nanoedge - [Command Line to Install Ubuntu 18.04 on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/09/06/command-line-to-install-ubuntu-18-04-on-windows-10/) - Note that the following instructions are tested on Windows 10 Version 1809. If you have an earlier version, please upgrade it first. Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux Right click on the Windows logo and select Windows PowerShell(Admin)Enter the command in the Windows PowerShell WindowEnable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-LinuxReboot your computer Download Ubuntu 18.04 Open Windows PowerShell - [How to Configure an Apple TV to Use MSCHAPv2](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/08/06/how-to-configure-an-apple-tv-to-use-mschapv2/) - When I was setting up an Apple TV to connect to our work's WiFi network, I got this message saying: There was a problem connecting to the network. The network you're attempting to join requires you to install a profile on your Apple TV. For more information, go to http://www.apple.com/support/appletv/. If you check the link, - [How to Recover the Password From an Access MDB File](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/07/26/how-to-recover-the-password-from-an-access-mdb-file/) - One user contacted us about getting access to a password protected Access database file. The previous employee left on bad terms and no one knows the password. There are quite a few programs which let you retrieve the passwords from Access files, but most of them are not free. Fortunately, there is one free program - [How to Use System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Support Center to View SCCM Logs](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/07/23/how-to-use-system-center-2012-configuration-manager-support-center-to-view-sccm-logs/) - One problem we often encounter when using SCCM is the amount of logs generated and how to view the logs efficiently. One colleague mentioned that Microsoft has a tool to help you easily collect and view the logs. It's called System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Support Center. Here are instructions on how to use the - [Amazon Prime Day Computer Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/07/15/amazon-prime-day-computer-deals/) - Amazon Prime Membership required for these deals. 128GB Apple iPad 9.7" WiFi Tablet (Latest Model; Space Gray) $429.00 $299.00 Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop (PH315-52-78VL) $1200.00 $999.00 Lenovo Flex 14 2-In-1 Laptop w/ Active Lenovo Pen (81SS0005US) $650.00 $449.99 Acer Aspire 5 15.6" Laptop (A515-43-R19L) $349.99 $269.00 ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop - [How to Compile Samba 4.10.5 on Ubuntu 16.04](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/07/08/how-to-compile-samba-4-10-5-on-ubuntu-16-04/) - There was a vulnerability for Samba 4.3.11 on Ubuntu 16.04. We were asked to update the Samba version to the latest 4.8 or above on one Ubuntu machine. The problem is that the highest version of Samba offered for Ubuntu 16.04 is 4.3.11. Therefore, we cannot just use apt-get to update the package to the - [Most popular gaming laptop at Amazon - June 2019](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/06/14/most-popular-gaming-laptop-at-amazon-june-2019/) - The Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop is Amazon's most popular gaming laptop this month. It comes with a 6-core processor, a 15.6" Full HD widescreen display, and 16 GB DDR4 Memory. It has an HD webcam that supports Super High Dynamic Range (SHDR) and 6-hour battery life. Specs: 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core - [How I Prepared for ITIL Foundation Certification](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/06/13/how-i-prepared-for-itil-foundation-certification/) - After I got my PMP certification, I set out to find my next certification. Of the certifications I looked at, I found the ITIL Foundation certification appealing mainly because it's required by some of the big companies that I want to work with, and it's not a difficult certification to prepare. My first tool was - [Save 15% on Dell Computers and Electronics - June 2019](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/06/11/save-15-on-dell-computers-and-electronics-june-2019/) - Dell.com is running a promotion now. You can save an extra 15% on select Dell laptops, desktops, gaming PCs, and electronics. Offer ends Thu., June 20 at 8 am ET. Some exclusions apply. Coupon code: SAVE15 Click here for the promotion page on Dell.com. - [Xbox Game Pass Ultimate](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/06/10/xbox-game-pass-ultimate/) - Microsoft just announced a new game streaming subscription service. Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold and provides access to more than a hundred high-quality games, including Xbox Exclusives on the day they release and exclusive member deals and discounts. Games include Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and State of Decay 2. The - [Ubuntu 16 4.4.0-143 Kernel Breaks Nvidia Driver](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/03/19/ubuntu-16-4-4-0-143-kernel-breaks-nvidia-driver/) - One user reported his machine did not let him log on after the recent update. I checked several logs to find out the Nvidia driver was not installed correctly. This message is found on /var/crash/nvidia-415. Title: nvidia-415 415.27-0ubuntu0~gpu16.04.1: nvidia-415 kernel module failed to build I tried to use several different versions of Nvidia driver, but - [How to Clear Samba and Winbind Cache](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/03/13/how-to-clear-samba-and-winbind-cache/) - One user updated his Scientific Linux 7 recently. The version of Samba was upgraded from 4.4 to 4.8. The samba service was not running smoothly after that. One strange problem is that some people could access the samba share, but some could not. You can see the following messages in the log when you set - [PHP SSL CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/03/04/php-ssl-certificate_verify_failed-failed/) - A user reported that a certain PHP script stopped working on the server. The error messages are: Traceback (most recent call last): File "", line 1, in File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/requests/api.py", line 65, in get return request('get', url, **kwargs) File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/requests/api.py", line 49, in request response = session.request(method=method, url=url, **kwargs) File "/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/requests/sessions.py", line 461, in request resp - [How to Add Disks to RAID for a Windows PowerEdge Server](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/01/28/how-to-add-disks-to-raid-for-a-windows-poweredge-server/) - I helped a user to expand storage on a PowerEdge R530 server running Windows 2016. The server has 8 bays for 3.5 hard drives. 5 out of the 8 bays are used already, so we bought 3 additional drives to add storage to the server. Here are what I did to add the disks. Insert - [Most Powerful Gaming Laptop - Alienware Area 51M](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/01/11/most-powerful-gaming-laptop-alienware-area-51m/) - Dell announced the most powerful gaming laptop, Alienware Area 51M at the 2019 CES. What's unique about the laptop is the upgradeability. Not only you can upgrade the GPU, you can also upgrade the CPU. The price of an entry level of the model starts at $2549.99 with 8th generation Intel Core i7-8700 and Nvidia - [Outlook Not Working after Password Change](https://www.kombitz.com/2019/01/08/outlook-not-working-after-password-change/) - We helped our users with a particular problem with Outlook for Windows. The symptoms are the same. It usually happens after the users changed their passwords. When they open Outlook after the password change, it would stuck on the splash screen and you never get a chance to enter your new password. The fix is - [How to Replace the PS4 Hard Drive](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/12/18/how-to-replace-the-ps4-hard-drive/) - My PS4's storage was getting full and I could not play any new games unless I delete some old games from the hard drive. I got a good deal on a Seagate 2TB Hybrid Gaming hard drive during the Black Friday sale, so I replaced the drive in my PS4. Sony has an article about - [$200 Off Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (Latest Model)](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/12/13/200-off-microsoft-surface-laptop-2-latest-model/) - Best Buy is having a promotion right now for the latest model of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2. You get $200 off the one with Intel Core i5, 8GB memory and 128GB SSD. The features of this laptop are: Clean, elegant design Thin and light, starting at just 2.76 lbs., Surface Laptop 2 fits - [13 inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) SSD Recall](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/12/17/13-inch-macbook-pro-non-touch-bar-ssd-recall/) - Apple has a new service program for 128GB or 256GB SSD used in 13 inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) sold between June 2017 and June 2018. Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service the drive free of charge. Please visit this page to check to see if your MacBook Pro is eligible. As - [Your Photoshop CC license has expired Error Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/12/06/your-photoshop-cc-license-has-expired-error-solved/) - We just helped a user install Adobe CC suite on his brand new Surface Pro. After installation, he tried to run any app and got this message: "Your XXXX CC license has expired" We tried to log on as a different user and it worked under a different user account. We thought it's a problem - [Dell Black Friday 2018](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/11/21/dell-black-friday-2018/) - BLACK FRIDAY DEALS ARE LIVE Shop PCs and electronics up to 50% off Dell Black Friday Deals Link - [How to Verify Accessibility of PDF Files using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/11/30/how-to-verify-accessibility-of-pdf-files-using-adobe-acrobat-pro-dc/) - In the process of making our web site compliant with the new web accessibility standard, one issue was brought up. The PDF files on the site have to be compliant, too. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC has functions just for this purpose. You can use Acrobat Pro DC to check the PDF files for accessibility issues - [Dell Cyber Monday Deals 2018](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/11/26/dell-cyber-monday-deals-2018/) - Shop Cyber Monday deals on PCs and electronics up to 50% off. Plus, get 6 months financing on purchases $199+. #Dell #CyberMonday Delll Cyber Monday Deals link - [Amazon Black Friday Deals 2018](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/11/19/amazon-black-friday-deals-2018/) - The biggest shopping season is coming. Bookmark the Amazon's Black Friday page now for quick access. Amazon Black Friday Page - [Active Directory Users and Computers for Windows 10 1809](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/11/16/active-directory-users-and-computers-for-windows-10-1809/) - One AD tool we use frequently is Active Directory Users and Computers. Microsoft decides that those Active Directory tools have to be uninstalled after each feature update for no reason. Therefore, the tools have to be reinstalled after each feature update. If you need to reinstall Active Directory Users and Computers, follow these steps: Visit - [The New Macbook Air and Mac Mini](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/10/31/the-new-macbook-air-and-mac-mini/) - The Macbook Air and Mac Mini used to popular among our users. However, we have not purchased any Macbook Air or Mac Mini for a while because Apple has ignored these two lines for many years. It's not until yesterday when they finally announced the new models. Here are the high lights: Macbook Air Retina - [NEW ALIENWARE M15 GAMING LAPTOP](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/10/26/new-alienware-m15-gaming-laptop/) - BUILT FOR NARROW ESCAPES. 15-inch gaming laptop with the thinnest Alienware design ever. Featuring exceptional battery life, premium materials and impressive power. STARTING AT $1,379.99 Please click on this link for more details and ordering information. - [Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB)](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/10/23/microsoft-surface-pro-6-intel-core-i5-8gb-ram-128gb/) - A best-in-class laptop with the versatility of a studio and tablet More power — now with the new 8th Generation Intel Core processor Ultra-slim and light, starting at just 1.7 pounds All-day battery life, with up to 13.5 hours of video playback Pair with our Signature Type Cover* in luxurious Alcantara material and rich colors - [How to Find the Process for a Window on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/10/19/how-to-find-the-process-for-a-window-on-windows/) - I started to have this dialog window on my desktop from a while ago. If I click on View Certificate, I can see that it's a certificate from PhishTank. Sometimes, I have about a dozen of these windows at once. It's quite annoying. I tried to find the program which generates this window, but I - [Yum Segmentation Fault on CentOS 6](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/09/10/yum-segmentation-fault-on-centos-6/) - I helped set up a cluster couple of years ago. The server OS has not been upgraded ever since because it requires rebuilding the whole system and we don't have the time for it. The OS is still CentOS 6.5. There is a problem with yum for a while now. Some yum commands would result - [Box Drive Installation Blocked on Mac OS 10.13](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/08/30/box-drive-installation-blocked-on-mac-os-10-13/) - When I tried to install Box drive on a Mac Mini running Mac OS 10.13, I found that the installation was blocked. This is the screenshot with the message. If you click on Open System Preferences, it takes you to the System Preferences. Now, all you have to do is click Allow and you should - [How to Disable TLS 1.0 on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/07/24/how-to-disable-tls-1-0-on-windows/) - We just got notified by our security department that they want us to disable TLS 1.0 for the remote desktop connection because it's not considered secure. In order to disable TLS 1.0, you need to modify the registry. The registry key is not there by default. You will have to create new keys for it. - [How to Enable SMB2 on Samba 3.6](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/06/25/how-to-enable-smb2-on-samba-3-6/) - We have a user who reported that he could not connect to a Samba server, because the client does not allow smb1 connection. The Samba server is running an older version of Samba. The smb2 is not enabled by default. In order to use smb2 connection, you have to enable it. I tried different configuration - [How to Add an Admin User on Windows using Command Line](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/06/13/how-to-add-an-admin-user-on-windows-using-command-line/) - Here are the simple commands to add an admin user on Windows. Open up an elevated Command Prompt. Type this command in the Command Prompt window to create an user. net user admin_user_name admin_user_password /add Type this command in the Command Prompt windows to add the user to the local administrators group. net localgroup administrators - [How to Open an Elevated (Admin) Command Prompt on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/07/17/how-to-open-an-elevated-command-prompt-on-windows-10/) - Just installed the Windows 10 Insider Preview and tried to run an Elevated Command Prompt for the first time. I found that it's the easiest since Windows 7. Step by step instructions: Move the cursor to the Windows button and right click. Select Command Prompt (Admin). Click on OK. - [How to Create a USB Flash Drive for Windows 10 1803](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/05/08/how-to-create-a-usb-flash-drive-for-windows-10-1803/) - Microsoft just released the newest Windows 10 1803. My machine had problems with the feature upgrade before. I always had to prepare a USB flash drive for the feature upgrade. Here are the steps of creating a USB flash drive of Windows 10 1803. Have a USB flash drive with at least 4GB storage for - [Mac Outlook 2016 Authentication Couldn't be Completed Error Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/03/16/mac-outlook-2016-authentication-couldnt-be-completed-error-fixed/) - When I tried to open Outlook on my Macbook Pro, I noticed that the folders are not synced. I checked the account settings and there is a yellow dot by my account. I tried to delete the account and set it up again and I got this error message: Authentication couldn't be completed. Tried re-install - [How to Tweak the Motherboard for Mining](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/03/06/how-to-tweak-the-motherboard-for-mining/) - When I first tested my mining rig, I didn't change the settings for the motherboard. It didn't go well. The machine was not stable at all and I could not get the motherboard to recognize some of the GPUs. After some research, I found that you have to tweak the motherboard settings for you to - [My Mining Rig Setup](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/02/27/my-mining-rig-setup/) - Ever since I heard about mining, I was intrigued by the idea that you can set up a machine to earn passive income without much effort. I was lucky to set a mining rig up in December of 2017, when the GPU prices were still reasonable. Here is a list of hardware components I bought - [Samba Net Ads Join "DNS Update Failed" Error Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/03/05/samba-net-ads-join-dns-update-failed-error-fixed/) - I mentioned before that I was able to join my machine to the active directory after updating the /etc/krb5.conf. However, there was still an error even though the join had been successful. The error was: No DNS domain configured for mymachine. Unable to perform DNS Update. DNS update failed! I found an article about how - [How to Change Default Host for Cisco AnyConnect on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/01/21/how-to-change-default-host-for-cisco-anyconnect-on-windows/) - We have 2 VPN networks at work. However, when we installed the VPN client, only one showed up. I tried to find a way to add the other VPN network and set it as default using the GUI interface, but there was no such option. I found a document on the Cisco web site about - ["Menu access is disabled" for HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/07/10/menu-access-is-disabled-for-hp-color-laserjet-cp2025dn/) - We recently got a few HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn printers. I first set one up and set a password for it. When I moved the printer to a different network and tried to set up the network again using the LCD panel, I found that I was unable to do it. There was a message - [How to Add a Classic Start Menu to Windows 2012 Server or Windows 8 without a 3rd Party Program](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/10/29/how-to-add-a-classic-start-menu-to-windows-2012-server-without-a-3rd-party-program/) - I helped a user set up a Windows 2012 server with Remote Desktop service enabled. The interface is similar to Windows 8, which is not appealing to most people. There are 3rd party programs to let you add the classic start menu to the taskbar. I later found out that you could actually add the - [Cannot Enable On-Access Scanner for McAfee VirusScan](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/04/11/cannot-enable-on-access-scanner-for-mcafee-virusscan/) - I recently helped a user with a McAfee VirusScan problem. The On-Access Scanner was turned off and when you tried to turn it on, it would not turn on. The user had just restarted the machine, so restarting the machine again was not an option. I tried to restart the services related to VirusScan, but - [Windows 7 Activation using Command Line Utility slmgr](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/09/windows-7-activation-using-command-line-utility-slmgr/) - Windows 7 uses the same command line utility slmgr as Vista for activation with a MAK (Multiple Activation Key). Follow these simple steps to activate your Windows 7. Open up an elevated command prompt. Enter the following slmgr -ipk your-mak-key-here slmgr -ato To learn more about this command, type the following command. slmgr /? - [How to Delete a Local User Using Command Line on Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/11/07/how-to-delete-a-local-user-using-command-line-on-mac-os-x/) - One user reported that she could not log on using her regular network account on a particular Mac computer. Her account worked on all other computers but not on this one computer. If we configured the login screen to list users, you could see that a local account by the the same name was listed. - [How to Setup Inbox Rules for Shared Mailbox on Office 365](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/02/04/how-to-setup-inbox-rules-for-shared-mailbox-on-office-365/) - When my work email got migrated to Office 365, I found that the inbox rules (filters) were gone. It took me a while to find out how to set up the inbox rules. Here are the steps to get to the site to change them. Open a browser and visit this page https://outlook.office365.com/ecp/shared-mailbox-address/ Replace shared-mailbox-address - [Windows 10 Activation using Command Line Utility slmgr](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/07/17/windows-10-activation-using-command-line-utility-slmgr/) - Windows 10 uses the same command line utility slmgr as Windows 7 for activation with a MAK (Multiple Activation Key). Follow these simple steps to activate your Windows 10. Open up an elevated command prompt. Enter the following slmgr -ipk your-mak-key-here slmgr -ato That's it. To learn more about this command, type the following command. slmgr - [Internet Explorer 11 Installation Failed](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/02/16/internet-explorer-11-installation-failed/) - When we tried to install the Internet Explorer 11 on a recently repaired Windows 7 machine, we ran to this error message. Internet Explorer did not finish installing For more information, see the Internet Explorer Troubleshooter. This link is also on your desktop for later reference. Here are the steps to fix this problem. If - [Box Drive on Windows Script Error Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/02/16/box-drive-on-windows-script-error-fixed/) - I did a repair installation of Windows 7 for my user's computer. After the repair installation is done, we got this script error message whenever we open Box Drive. We found that the problem was caused by the Internet Explorer. After repair installation, the IE version was rolled back to version 8. The Box Drive - [How to Install H&R Block 2017 on a Second Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/01/30/how-to-install-hr-block-2017-on-a-second-computer/) - If you bought H&R Block from the CD mailed to you, you might have troubles installing it on a second computer. Follow these easy steps to install it. Click on Start Here, if the wizard is not already running. Move the cursor to Support and you will see three options. Click on Learn More under - [Adobe Acrobat Pro "Sign In Required" Loop](https://www.kombitz.com/2018/01/25/adobe-acrobat-pro-sign-in-required-loop/) - We installed Acrobat Pro for a user and she had no problems using it for weeks. The program suddenly prompted the user to sign in. My user tried to sign in, but got the sign-in prompt again and again, and the program never opens. I first did a repair installation and that did not help. - [Virtual Box Startup Terminated E_FAIL (0x80004005) Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/12/08/virtual-box-startup-terminated-e_fail-0x80004005-fixed/) - I tried to startup my Windows 8 VM the other day and it failed to boot and I immediately got this message: The virtual machine 'Windows 8' has terminated unexpectedly during startup with exit code 1 (0x1). More details may be available in 'F:\Virtual Machines\Windows 8\Logs\VBoxHardening.log'. Result Code: E_FAIL (0x80004005) Component: MachineWrap Interface: IMachine {b2547866-a0a1-4391-8b86-6952d82efaa0} I first tried some - [How to Schedule a Reboot for Windows Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/11/28/how-to-schedule-a-reboot-for-windows-computer/) - From time to time, we need to schedule a reboot for our Windows servers. I did the screenshots on a server running Windows 2012, but it should apply to Windows 10. Here are the steps. Search for Task Scheduler and run it. Click on Create Basic Task. Enter a name and click on Next Select - [Cyber Monday Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/11/27/cyber-monday-deals-2/) - Did you miss the Black Friday sales? Don't worry. Here are the Cyber Monday deals. Amazon Best Buy Dell HP Walmart Target Adorama B&H - [ASUS ZenBook Ultra-Slim Laptop, 13.3-inch Full HD, 8th gen Intel i5-8250U Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Backlit keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, Anti-Glare, Windows 10, Grey, UX330UA-AH55](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/11/08/asus-zenbook-ultra-slim-laptop-13-3-inch-full-hd-8th-gen-intel-i5-8250u-processor-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-backlit-keyboard-fingerprint-reader-anti-glare-windows-10-grey-ux330ua-ah55/) - The popular Asus ZenBook has a new model. It features: 13.3 Inch Anti-glare FHD 1920 x 1080 Display, Wide View 170 degrees with Windows 10 Pre-installed Latest 8th Gen Intel i5-8250U 1.6 GHz Processor (6M Cache, Turbo up to 3.4GHz), Fast storage and memory featuring 256GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD with 8GB LPDDR3 RAM Extensive - [BitLocker Command Line](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/11/08/bitlocker-command-line/) - If you ever want to use command line to manage BitLocker, there is a tool called manage-bde just for that purpose. If you have not used a command line tool before, remember to open an elevated command prompt first to type the command. Here are some examples: Show status manage-bde -status Show the password for - [BitLocker Keeps Asking for the Recovery Key for Every Boot on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/10/26/bitlocker-keeps-asking-for-the-recovery-key-for-every-boot-on-windows-10/) - We recently encrypted two laptops using BitLocker. After encryption is done, the BitLocker keeps asking for the recovery key every time the machine boots up. We tried several ways to solve the problem to no avail. Finally, we found that in order to fix the problem, we have to change the boot mode from legacy - [How to Disable High Efficiency Format on iOS 11](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/09/28/how-to-disable-high-efficiency-format-on-ios-11/) - I just upgraded my phone to iOS 11 and found that there is a feature called High Efficiency format for photos and videos. I have my photos sync to Google Photos and the photos needs conversion to be used in other places. This is annoying. In this video, I am going to show to how - [Outlook 2016 Stopped Working after OS X 10.13 Upgrade](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/09/26/outlook-2016-stopped-working-after-os-x-10-13-upgrade/) - I just upgraded my Macbook Pro to OS 10.13 High Sierra yesterday. After upgrading, I could not run Outlook 2016 any more. I got this message: You can't use this version of the application "Microsoft Outlook" with this version of macOS. You have "Microsoft Outlook" 15.25 Fortunately, the solution is easy. Just run Microsoft AutoUpdate - [How to Enable RAID on Dell PowerEdge T130](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/08/23/how-to-enable-raid-on-dell-poweredge-t130/) - We purchased a bunch of Dell PowerEdge T130 servers recently. When I first installed it with Windows 2016, I couldn't create a RAID. Upon checking the devices on the computer, there is no RAID adapter. I found out later on that the RAID has to be enabled in order for it to work. Here are - [How to Install TSM Client on Ubuntu](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/08/07/how-to-install-tsm-client-on-ubuntu/) - I helped a user install TSM client on a Ubuntu VM the other day. It took me a while to find all the info I need. Here are the steps that I used. #get the installation file wget ftp://public.dhe.ibm.com/storage/tivoli-storage-management/maintenance/client/v7r1/Linux/LinuxX86_DEB/BA/v716/7.1.6.0-TIV-TSMBAC-LinuxX86_DEB.tar #untar the installation file tar xvf 7.1.6.0-TIV-TSMBAC-LinuxX86_DEB.tar #install the individual files dpkg -i gskcrypt64_8.0-50.66.linux.x86_64.deb dpkg -i - [Publish an Alexa Skill, Get an Echo Dot](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/06/12/publish-an-alexa-skill-get-an-echo-dot/) - Amazon is offering a free Echo Dot device to the first 2500 developers in the US who publish an Alexa skill between June 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017. Please see this page for full details. https://developer.amazon.com/alexa-skills-kit/alexa-developer-skill-promotion No prior knowledge for Alexa development is needed. If you have programmed before, you can follow this tutorial to - [WiFi Problem after Windows 10 Creators Update](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/06/09/wifi-problem-after-windows-10-creators-update/) - Quite a few people have WiFi problems after the latest Windows 10 Creators update. We found a workaround is to disable Receive Segment Coalescing (RSC). Here are the steps to disable RSC on Windows 10. Search for Windows PowerShell ISE x86. Right click on Windows PowerShell ISE x86 and select Run as administrator Type the - [Chocolatey - Package Manager for Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/05/31/chocolatey-package-manager-for-windows/) - For years, the Linux users have been using command line package manager like yum or apt to manage the installation of applications. A colleague has mentioned a similar package manager for Windows and it's called Chocolatey. It caught my attention immediately. I tried it and like it very much. My only concern is the security - [How to Activate SPSS using Command Line on Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/05/09/how-to-activate-spss-using-command-line-on-mac/) - One user reported that she could not activate SPSS on her machine. The error is that her account has no permission to activate it. I shared with her with the commands that I used before to activate SPSS. Here are the steps: Open up Terminal application Type in the commands: cd /Applications/IBM/SPSS/Statistics/24/SPSSStatistics.app/Contents/bin sudo java -jar - [Red Hat Enterprise Linux Registration Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/04/26/red-hat-enterprise-linux-registration-problem/) - We started to install the Red Hat Enterprise Linux on some of our machines. One problem we had early on is the registration. We followed these instructions, but got network errors on two machines. After trying out different options, the workaround I found is to use http instead of https. For example, if you are - [How to Use iptables on Red Hat Linux 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/04/12/how-to-use-iptables-on-red-hat-linux-7/) - Just helped set up a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 server. The firewall is handled by firewalld on rhel 7 by default. To use your old iptables rules, you have to disable firewalld and enable iptables. Here are the steps. Disable firewalld systemctl stop firewalld.service systemctl disable firewalld.service Install iptables yum install iptables iptables-services Enable - [WordPress 2.6 Upgrade Woe](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/16/wordpress-26-upgrade-woe/) - My site was suspended for about an hour yesterday and you might wonder what's going on. Let me tell you what happened. WordPress 2.6 came out on 7/14. When I logged on to my site's WP control panel, I was notified about the upgrade. My site was originally installed using SimpleScripts and I have used - [How to Skip Confirmation in a PowerShell Script](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/03/28/how-to-skip-confirmation-in-a-powershell-script/) - I have recently used PowerShell script to add user to AD groups. It works pretty well except it asks for confirmation everything I run Add-ADGroupMember. It's cumbersome if you have a lot of groups in your script. Later I found out, the solution is quite easy. You just add -Confirm:$false to the end of the - [OpenSSL 1.0.2k and XAMPP](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/02/21/openssl-1-0-2k-and-xampp/) - There is a vulnerability discovered for OpenSSL recently. If you are using 1.0.2 version, it's recommended to upgrade to 1.0.2k. We have a system running XAMPP which is affected by this. Unfortunately, the latest version of XAMPP does not include the 1.0.2k of OpenSSL. You can just update the OpenSSL version though. Here are the - [How to Extract Acrobat MSI File from EXE File](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/02/15/how-to-extract-acrobat-msi-file-from-exe-file/) - To extract an Acrobat MSI file from the executable file, follow these steps. Open a Command Prompt and change the directory to where the executable is. Type the following command Acrobat_DC_Web_WWMUI.exe /a /x /d c:\extracted_directory Note that you have to replace the executable name to the name of the file you downloaded from Adobe. You - [How to Change the Permissions for the Default Shares on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/26/how-to-change-the-permissions-for-the-default-shares-on-windows/) - During the recent security scan, we found that one default share on the server shares a drive to everyone. I ran the Computer Management console and go to System Tools -> Shared Folders -> Shares to change it. However, I couldn't change it using the Computer Management console. I found that later that I could - [Samsung Chromebook Plus Touch-Screen Laptop XE513C24-K01US](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/25/samsung-chromebook-plus-touch-screen-laptop-xe513c24-k01us/) - Flexible 360° profile. Enables you to use upright as a computer to reply to emails or finish a paper and recline to tablet view ideal for surfing and viewing This Device comes with the pen out of the box. Power to personalize your communications by writing directly on screen. Take notes, make a sketch, capture - [How to Update Content of Your Application in SCCM 2012](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/24/how-to-update-content-of-your-application-in-sccm-2012/) - Update the installation files in the original location. Open SCCM Manager Browse to the application you want to change. It's usually in Software Library -> Overview -> Application Management -> Applications Click and select the application. Click on the Deployment Types in the lower left corner. Right click on the item and select Update Content. - [ASUS C302CA-DHM4 12.5-Inch Touchscreen Chromebook Flip](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/19/asus-c302ca-dhm4-12-5-inch-touchscreen-chromebook-flip/) - The flexible 360 degree hinge and 12.5」 Full-HD touchscreen lets you use the C302 in tablet or laptop mode. Extremely lightweight at 2.65 pounds with the protection of a sleek aluminum metal body. Unlock the power of Chromebooks with access to your favorite Chrome Web Store apps like Google Docs and it is Google Play - [How to Create a Package in SCCM 2012](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/19/how-to-create-a-package-in-sccm-2012/) - If a program does not have a MSI file, you can create a package to distribute it. Open up System Center Configuration Manager and browse to Software Library -> Overview -> Application Management -> Packages Click on Create Package on the top left corner. Enter a name and check on The package contains source files. - [2017 Newest Dell Inspiron 15.6" FHD Touchscreen Signature Laptop](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/17/2017-newest-dell-inspiron-15-6-fhd-touchscreen-signature-laptop/) - 15.6 in Full HD LED-backlit touchscreen with Truelife (1920 x 1080), 10-finger multi-touch support, Intel HD Graphics 520 with shared graphics memory 6th Generation Intel Core i5-6200U Dual-Core Processor 2.3 GHz (max boost speed up to 2.8GHz) 4MB L3 Cache, 8GB DDR3L 1600 MHz, 1TB 5400 RPM HDD DVD +/- RW, SD card reader, Waves - [New Nintendo Switch Pre-Order Available Now](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/13/new-nintendo-switch-pre-order-available-now/) - The new Nintendo portable console Switch is available now at Walmart. At home, Nintendo Switch rests in the Nintendo Switch Dock that connects the system to the TV and lets you play with family and friends in the comfort of your living room. By simply lifting Nintendo Switch from the dock, the system will instantly - [The New Dell XPS 2-in-1 is Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/05/the-new-dell-xps-2-in-1-is-available/) - The newly announced Dell XPS 2-in-1 is available for order. Beauty without borders. The world's smallest* 13-inch 2-in-1 with InfinityEdge display for virtually borderless viewing and gorgeous detail with optional UltraSharp QHD+. Starting at $979.99 http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/xps-13-9365-2-in-1-laptop - [How to Create an Application in SCCM 2012](https://www.kombitz.com/2017/01/03/how-to-create-an-application-in-sccm-2012/) - There are two ways to create software installation packages in SCCM 2012. The Application is the new and recommended method. Here are the steps: Download the application in MSI format and put it on a server share. Open up System Center Configuration Manager and browse to Software Library -> Overview -> Application Management -> Applications Click - [Installing Windows 7 on an Inspiron 15 7559 Laptop Problem Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/12/21/installing-windows-7-on-an-inspiron-15-7559-laptop-problem-solved/) - I was trying to install Windows 7 on an Inspiron 15 7559 laptop per my user's request. I copied the installation files onto a USB key and used it for installation. During installation I got this error message "A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing...". From my past experience of this problem, it's because - [How to Create a Task Sequence in SCCM 2012](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/12/21/how-to-create-a-task-sequence-in-sccm-2012/) - My experience with creating a task sequence is that it's better to create one based upon an existing task sequence, otherwise the task sequence might not work correctly. Therefore, I am going to show you how to create a task sequence based upon an existing task sequence. Navigate to Software Library -> Overview -> Operating - [How to Create a Drive Package in SCCM 2012](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/12/16/how-to-create-a-drive-package-in-sccm-2012/) - Most of our desktop computers are Dell computers. You can download the driver cabs for some product lines. At the time of the writing, the following product lines offer driver cabs: XPS Embedded Box PC Venue Latitude OptiPlex Precision I am going to show you how to create a driver package for Latitude E5450. Download - [How to Create a Bootable USB Key in SCCM 2012](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/12/15/how-to-create-a-bootable-usb-key-in-sccm-2012/) - I created a lot of step by step instructions when I learned SCCM 2012. I am going to share the instructions in a series of posts. The first one is how to create a bootable USB key for imaging. Note that there are tons of options for each process, change the options to fit your - [Python Notes for Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/12/02/python-notes-on-mac-os-x/) - I started helping my users with using Python on Mac OS X. This post will be a work in progress. I will add to it when I learn more about using Python on Mac OS X. These commands should work on 10.11 or later. Installing modules The default method of installing modules is using the - [SCCM 2012 Application Installation Stuck in Waiting to Install Problem Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/12/05/sccm-2012-application-installation-stuck-in-waiting-to-install-problem-solved/) - We had this strange problem with SCCM 2012 application deployment for a long time. Whenever we deploy an application, it gets stuck in Waiting to install state for a few hours. The application finally installed, but it's not telling when it would be installed. After trying out a lot of different "fixes", we finally fixed the - [Installing Ubuntu 16.10 on an Inspiron 15 7559 Laptop](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/11/18/installing-ubuntu-16-10-on-an-inspiron-15-7559-laptop/) - I tried to install Ubuntu 16.10 on an Inspiron 15 7559 laptop per my user's request. I ran into a lot of troubles and I didn't know why initially and wasted a lot of time. I learned that the culprit is the nouveau driver for the Nvidia graphic card. Here are the steps I took - [How to Enable VPN for Opera Browser](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/11/29/how-to-enable-vpn-for-opera-browser/) - [Broadcom USH Windows 10 Drivers](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/09/28/broadcom-ush-windows-10-drivers/) - I was setting up a Dell Latitude with Windows 10. When I tried to turn on BitLocker, I got a message saying there is no TPM module on the system. I then realized that the driver for TPM module was not installed. When I opened up Device Manager I saw there is an unknown device - [How to Extract Files from the Lenovo's Driver File](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/08/22/how-to-extract-files-from-the-lenovos-driver-file/) - When I tried to download drivers from Lenovo's web site, I found that the file is an executable. An executable file is good for the consumers, but it's not very useful for deployment in an enterprise setting. Fortunately, it's not very difficult to extract files from the executable file. All you need is a program called - [How to Create an ISO File from a DVD on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/08/25/how-to-create-an-iso-file-from-a-dvd-on-windows/) - There is no built-in tool on Windows to create an ISO file from a DVD. You need to download a 3rd party program to do it. I first tried on a program called infrarecorder, but it did not work for me. The program frequently locks up on my Windows 10 machine. I then tried ImgBurn, - [Psychtoolbox Synchronization Failure Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/08/18/psychtoolbox-synchronization-failure-fixed/) - We just bought some powerful gaming laptops to run experiments. The laptops have a Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M card. They can handle most of 3D games without a problem. When we tried a script for Psychtoolbox, the script failed because of synchronization failure. This is a very common problem and there is a document with - [Command Line Installation of Legacy Java on Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/08/16/command-line-installation-of-legacy-java-on-mac/) - There are a few apps which still require the legacy Java to work. If you need to install the legacy Java using command line. Follow these steps. curl -Lo javaforosx.dmg "http://support.apple.com/downloads/DL1572/en_US/javaforosx.dmg" hdiutil attach javaforosx.dmg sudo installer -pkg /Volumes/Java\ for\ OS\ X\ 2015-001/JavaForOSX.pkg -target / hdiutil detach /Volumes/Java\ for\ OS\ X\ 2015-001/ - [SPSS 24 Installation Notes](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/08/04/spss-24-installation-notes/) - MSI Extraction The installation files we got are executable files, which are not suitable for deployment. In order to extract the files, you need to create a server image. Open up an elevated command prompt and type: SPSS_Statistics_24_win64 /a Follow the wizard and select a folder for the files. When it's done. The files and - [Rocks 6.1.1 Node Installation Stops at Language Selection Screen](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/08/12/rocks-6-1-1-node-installation-stops-at-language-selection-screen/) - We have a Linux cluster running Rocks 6.1.1 for several years. I recently got a report that the nodes were down. When I checked the nodes, they were all in installation mode and stuck at language selection. I think the kickstart file was not generated correctly, but I don't know how to check it. Fortunately, - [How to block automatic driver update in Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/07/25/how-to-block-automatic-driver-update-in-windows-10/) - Windows 10 has a new feature to install the driver update automatically. This might create problems for bad drivers. Learn how to block this feature from this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc51t_zbB-Q - [Lenovo IdeaCentre Blue Screen of Death Problem Solved - Stop 0x00000124](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/06/17/lenovo-ideacentre-blue-screen-of-death-problem-solved-stop-0x00000124/) - One user bought a Lenovo IdeaCentre computer. It came with an Intel Core i7 6th gen processor, one 120GB SSD and 1TB HDD at a good price. We helped him install Windows 7 on it. The machine was stable when I worked on it, but the user reported it crashed repeatedly when he tried to use - [Windows Command Line Tool to Delete Free Space on Hard Drive](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/05/24/windows-command-line-tool-to-delete-free-space-on-hard-drive/) - For those who does not know why we need to delete free space on hard drive, whenever we delete a file, even if we empty the trash can. The file is not actually deleted, it's only marked as deleted. With proper tool, you can still recover the file. If you are worried about someone might - [Samba Problem after Updating to 3.6.23-30](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/04/20/samba-problem-after-updating-to-3-6-23-30/) - One CentOS 6 Linux server got the newest Samba 3.6.23-30 update last week. This is a critical update to fix the Badlock bug. After applying the update, we had some machines which could not connect to the Samba service any more. All the machines in the same Active Directory are fine, but other machines could not connect - [Strange Windows Update Problem on a Lenovo X1 Carbon running Windows 8.1](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/04/14/strange-windows-update-problem-on-a-lenovo-x1-carbon-running-windows-8-1/) - I helped a user with a strange Windows Update problem on a Lenovo X1 Carbon on Windows 8.1. Initially, all the updates failed. I tried to run the Windows update troubleshooter, but it did not help. Checked the error codes and found that it produced different codes each time the updates ran, so searching for - [How to Extract Driver Files from .EXE File Downloaded from Dell](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/04/07/how-to-extract-driver-files-from-exe-file-downloaded-from-dell/) - Dell has driver packs for their enterprise class systems like OptiPlex and Latitude series. It's very useful if you want to import the drivers to SCCM. However, if you want to prepare those non-enterprise systems like Inspiron, there is no driver package to download. You have to prepare the driver package by yourself. When you download - [How to Solve Windows 7 Windows Update Hangs Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/02/19/how-to-solve-windows-7-windows-update-hangs-problem/) - When we built Windows 7 machines lately, we found that Windows Update hangs for some of the computers. We tried a lot of different methods without success. Finally, I found a KB article which fixed the problem. Here are the step by step instructions: Visit this link and download the update according to your OS. Look - [New Trent Airbender 1.0 Wireless Bluetooth Clamshell Keyboard Case Review](https://www.kombitz.com/2016/01/14/new-trent-airbender-1-0-wireless-bluetooth-clamshell-keyboard-case-review/) - I have had my iPad 2 for many years. I only used it initially to get myself familiar with how it works and how to support it. I found that a tablet is good for checking the web for information and connecting to various social networks through apps. However, the lack of a hardware keyboard - [iPhone 6/6S Plus Case, New Trent Alixo 6L Rugged Transparent Clear Bumper Case Review](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/12/18/iphone-66s-plus-case-new-trent-alixo-6l-rugged-transparent-clear-bumper-case-review/) - This is the second clear case I’ve gotten for my iPhone 6 Plus. My first clear case was the Ringke Fusion TPU Bumper Case, which is also good. The shipping is fast even without the 2-day prime shipping. The case comes in a nice paper box that includes the bumper case, two front covers, and - [How to Enable Hibernate in the Power Menu on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/10/12/how-to-enable-hibernate-in-the-power-menu-on-windows-10/) - The hibernate option is removed from the power menu. I created this short video to demonstrate on how to enable the option. https://youtu.be/BM1SrUIBSgc - [grep Exclude Example in R](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/10/06/grep-exclude-example-in-r/) - Just finished a Coursera data science course. In one of the assignments, we need to clean up the weather event types. I was struggling with the grep function. For example, I want to find the event types which have "strong wind" in them, but I want to exclude "marine strong wind". Finally found one example - [How to Delete Previous Version of Windows on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/08/31/how-to-delete-previous-version-of-windows-on-windows-10/) - After I upgraded my Asus X205TA to Windows 10, I found that I only have a few MB left on the system drive. I had to delete the temporary previous version of Windows to save disk space. The system even reminds you to do so. If you did not see the prompt, follow these instructions: - [How to Refresh or Reset Your PC on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/08/24/how-to-refresh-or-reset-your-pc-on-windows-10/) - There are times when you want to reset your PC. On Windows 8, it's two different tools. Refresh PC keeps your personal files while Reset PC delete personal files and reset the PC to factory state. On Windows 10, there is one tool called Reset this PC with two options. Here are the steps. Click on - [How to Upgrade to Windows 10 Manually](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/08/19/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-manually/) - If you are like me who cannot wait for the notification of Windows 10 download, you can upgrade your Win 7 or 8 machines to Win 10 now. Before you begin, make sure you have at least 16GB of free disk space on a 32bit machine or 20GB for a 64bit machine. Download the media - [How to Find MAC Address on Windows 10](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/07/17/how-to-find-mac-address-on-windows-10/) - Move cursor to Windows button and right click. Select Network Connections. Double click on the connection you want to check the MAC address. Click on Details... The Physical address is the MAC address. https://youtu.be/BLOTo5JBAmQ - [Folder Not Accessible after Cancellation of Robocopy](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/07/15/folder-not-accessible-after-cancellation-of-robocopy/) - I was planning for our server migration. One job is migrating the files to the new server. I used robocopy to copy the files. Half way through the process, I found something wrong and cancelled the robocopy process. One problem after the cancellation of robocopy is that I can no longer access the remote folder. I - [AT&T's Unlock Policies Cost It Yet Another Loyal Customer](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/06/03/atts-unlock-policies-cost-it-yet-another-loyal-customer/) - I have been an AT&T wireless customer ever since I got my iPhone 3G. AT&T service has been average, with a lot of dropped calls from time to time. Overall, I am okay with the service and was planning to stay with them. A recent rejected unlock request changed my mind. I had a HTC - [Coursera: R Programming Week 3 Tips](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/05/01/coursera-r-programming-week-3-tips/) - The week 3's assignment is the easiest one. If you can figure out the sample program provided, the solution is very similar to the sample code. You only need to replace a few strings to get your assignment done. Someone in the class forum wrote a small program to verify the assignment. I have modified - [Macs Running Yosemite Freeze on Booting](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/02/23/macs-running-yosemite-freeze-on-booting/) - We recently had some reports about Macs freeze on booting. The computers are all running the latest Yosemite. Here are the possible fixes for this problem. I listed them here with the detailed instructions on Apple's website. Reset NVRam. Reset SMC. Boot to Safe Mode and reboot again. On most machines, you only need to reset - [Uncertified Lightning Cable (almost) Killed my MacBook Pro](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/03/26/uncertified-lightning-cable-almost-killed-my-macbook-pro/) - I recently purchased an iPhone 6 plus and am in need of more lightning cables. The certified lightning cables are expensive, so I was looking for a good noncertified lightning cable. I then found a combo set which includes a 3 in 1 cable and a 8000 mAh external battery for only about $14. This sounds - [Coursera: R Programming Week 2 Tips](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/03/20/coursera-r-programming-week-2-tips/) - Tips about finishing the assignment for Week 2 of R Programming in Coursera. - [Coursera: R Programming Week 1 Tips](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/03/04/coursera-r-programming-week-1-tips/) - After taking The Data Scientist's Toolbox in the Coursera's Data Science Signature Track, R Programming is my second Coursera course. The Data Scientist's Toolbox is very easy, I only spent like a few hours each week to finish the quizz and assignment and I always waited until the last day to do it. When I - [Set-Top Media Players Supporting DVD Menu - 2015](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/03/03/set-top-media-players-supporting-dvd-menu-2015/) - Popular set-top media players supporting DVD menu playback with backed up DVD files. - [Cisco AnyConnect VPN "Failed to initialize connection subsystem" Error after Windows Update on Windows 8.1](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/02/19/cisco-anyconnect-vpn-failed-to-initialize-connection-subsystem-error-after-windows-update-on-windows-8-1/) - After the recent Windows Update applied (February 2015), the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client stopped working on some of our Windows 8.1 machines. Whenever you try to connect, you get this dialog box. "Failed to initialize connection subsystem". My colleague has suggested the following fix. Open Windows Explorer. Browse to C:\Program Files(x86)\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client - [Windows could not search for new updates - Code 8024402C Windows Update encountered an unknown error](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/02/11/windows-could-not-search-for-new-updates-code-8024402c-windows-update-encountered-an-unknown-error/) - During a recent security scanning of our machines, we found several machines have not been updated for several months. These machines are running Windows 7 and set up to get updates automatically. Something was not right and caused the machine to stop receiving updates. I tried to do manually update on one computer and got - [How to Install Debian Packages on Scientific Linux 6](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/01/21/how-to-install-debian-packages-on-scientific-linux-6/) - I have been asked to install quite a few programs on a machine running Scientific Linux 6. Some of the programs do not offer rpm package or source code. The only way to install them is through apt-get. In order for me to install these programs on Scientific Linux, I need to convert the deb - [How to Setup AFP Service on Scientific Linux 6](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/01/16/how-to-setup-afp-service-on-scientific-linux-6/) - I setup Samba service for a group of Mac users for file sharing. After a couple of months, the users are not satisfied with the performance and constant problems with permissions. I then setup AFP service and see if it works better. The setup did not take long and the users are happy with it so far. - [How to Stop systemd-tty-ask-password-agent Wall Message on Scientific Linux 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2015/01/06/how-to-stop-systemd-tty-ask-password-agent-wall-message-on-scientific-linux-7/) - I was trying a new way to setup my Linux machine for Enterprise authentication. I got it to work partially. There is a message which keeps popping up in terminal window: Broadcast message from root@localhost.localdomain (Tue 2015-01-06 10:39:34 EST): Password entry required for 'Password for user@//home.mycompany.com:' (PID 9943). Please enter password with the systemd-tty-ask-password-agent tool! - [How to Enable the On-Board Video Card and PCIe Video Card Simultaneously on a Gigabyte 78LMT-USB3 Motherboard](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/11/17/how-to-enable-the-on-board-video-card-and-pcie-video-card-simultaneously-on-a-gigabyte-78lmt-usb3-motherboard/) - I recently built a computer using a Gigabyte 78LMT-USB3 motherboard. The board has an on-board graphic card. I also installed an additional AMD/ATI HD 3400 card to connect the computer to two monitors using HDMI ports. After I've done assembling the computer, I found that only one video card is enabled at any given time. - [How to Install Numpy and Scipy on Rocks Cluster 6.1.1](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/10/13/how-to-install-numpy-and-scipy-on-rocks-cluster-6-1-1/) - I recently installed Numpy and Scipy on a cluster built with Rocks 6.1.1. The guide I used was based upon this wiki page. Python was installed under this directory: /share/apps/python . Here are the steps I took. Python installation wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.8/Python-2.7.8.tgz tar zxvf Python-2.7.8.tgz cd Python-2.7.8 ./configure --prefix=/share/apps/python --with-readline=gnu make -j30 make install cd .. - [HP Printer Smart Install Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/09/22/hp-printer-smart-install-problem/) - Printer installation is usually a trivial job that only takes about five to ten minutes. It took me two hours to finally get one installed today! This printer is called a HP Color LaserJet M451dn. The printer is equipped with Smart Install, which is supposed to simplify printer installation. However, it ended up causing major - [How to Override Group ID for LDAP in Enterprise Linux 6.5](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/09/16/how-to-override-group-id-for-ldap-in-enterprise-linux-6-5/) - I recently set up a Linux server with LDAP user information. The group id (gid) from LDAP is not useful on this server. It took me a while to figure out how to override the group id. The trick is to modify this file /etc/nslcd.conf . Add this line to the file. map passwd gidNumber - [Rocks Cluster Compute Node Installation Problem using PowerConnect N2024 ](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/08/14/rocks-cluster-compute-node-installation-problem-using-powerconnect-n2024/) - We bought a PowerConnect N2024 switch for a small cluster. During the installation, the DHCP server did not seem to work. The compute node could not get an IP address and the installation failed. I saw a FAQ about the problem with PowerConnect 5224. http://central6.rocksclusters.org/roll-documentation/base/6.1.1/faq-configuration.html#DELL-POWERCONNECT I had a hard time while trying to follow the - [Rocks Cluster Node Installation Problem "Unable to read package metadata" Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/07/31/rocks-cluster-node-installation-problem-unable-to-read-package-metadata-solved/) - When I installed the first compute node in my Rocks cluster, the installation went smoothly and I didn't have any problems. However, I ran into a lot of problems when I installed the second node. The installation always failed with this error message: Unable to read package metadata.This may be due to a missing repodata - [How to Enable Debug Logging on CentOS 6.5](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/06/11/how-to-enable-debug-logging-on-centos-6-5/) - I have been doing a lot of works on machines running CentOS 6.5 lately. The debug logging was not enabled by default. Here is how to enable it. Use a text editor to edit this file /etc/rsyslog.conf. Insert this line *.debug               - ["Adobe Acrobat does not support Internet Explorer's Enhanced Protected Mode (EPM)" Error Message](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/06/02/adobe-acrobat-does-not-support-internet-explorers-enhanced-protected-mode-epm-error-message/) - One user reported that whenever she opened up a link to a PDF file from Internet Explorer, this error message popped up. Adobe Acrobat does not support Internet Explorer's Enhanced Protected Mode (EPM). Either install the latest version of Adobe Reader or disable EPM in Internet Explorer. This message puzzled me for a while - [adb Not Working in KitKat](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/04/30/adb-not-working-in-kitkat/) - After I got a LG F3 as a backup phone, I started to flash different ROMs for my HTC One X. One recent ROM I tried is KarbonKat. It's based on CM11, which is a KitKat ROM. The ROM seems to be more stable than the official CM11 nightly that I tried earlier. One thing I - [How to List Members in an AD Group](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/04/24/how-to-list-members-in-an-ad-group/) - We need to list all the members in an AD group from time to time for review purposes. The commands are dsget and dsquery. A problem I had was that I could not remember the proper syntax for this, and every time I needed to use them, I had to look them up again. Here - [Black Screen After Windows 7 Upgrade](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/04/10/black-screen-after-windows-7-upgrade/) - We have been doing a lot of XP upgrades since January. One problem I encountered was with how the machine boots to a black screen after upgrading to Windows 7. There are quite a few articles on how to fix the problem. Here is a short list. Why is my screen black when I start - [SeaTools DOS - Invalid Opcode Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/04/10/seatools-dos-invalid-opcode-problem/) - I was working on a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop. The computer crashed, and the OS was completely gone. I suspected it was a hard drive problem, so I ran Ultimate Boot CD and selected the SeaTools to test the hard drive. The SeaTools did not load at all, and I got the following error message: - [Mac OS X Mavericks Network Issues](https://www.kombitz.com/2014/01/13/mac-os-x-mavericks-network-issues/) - Some users reported networking issues on the latest Mac OS 10.9 Mavericks. I got this tip from my colleague, and it seems to fix the intermittent network problem. The fix is to create or edit this configuration file /etc/sysctl.conf . Add or edit this line net.link.ether.inet.arp_unicast_lim=0 If you are familiar with editing the configuration file - [Dell Black Friday Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/11/29/dell-black-friday-deals/) - If you are shopping for computers and electronics this holiday season, please visit Dell Black Friday deals page and support our site. Thanks! Here is a coupon code for additional $50 off PCs $499 or above for limited quantity only. Coupon code HF08ZLDCXJM19W Click here: Dell Black Friday Landing Page - [How to Copy Nandroid Backup to PC](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/09/29/how-to-copy-nandroid-backup-to-pc/) - It took me a while to figure out how to root my HTC One X phone from AT&T. After I finally got TWRP installed, I backed up the phone using TWRP. When I tried to connect the phone to my computer, I could not find those files using Windows Explorer. Even if I changed the - [Cannot Delete Folder on Windows - Folder Access Denied (You need permission to perform this action)](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/08/09/cannot-delete-folder-on-windows-folder-access-denied-you-need-permission-to-perform-this-action/) - I have an external hard drive with some software installation files. The hard drive was formatted as NTFS. After a few years of use, it had a lot of temporary directories used by installers. When I tried to delete those directories, I got this dialog: If I clicked on Try Again, the same dialog popped - [How to Fix "Another installation is in progress" Error on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/07/26/how-to-fix-another-installation-is-in-progress-error-on-windows/) - Our users reported that they could no longer install applications. Whenever they tried to install applications, they received the following message: "Another installation is in progress. You must complete that installation before continuing this one." The problem was due to a registry key-HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Installer\InProgress. As the name implies, the key is created when an installation is - [How to fix "Could not create the Java Virtual Machine" Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/07/14/how-to-fix-could-not-create-the-java-virtual-machine-error/) - I worked on a user's computer for a problem related to Java. It took me several hours to figure it out. In the end, it actually wasn't directly related to Java. There was a Java application that they've used for a long time. The program stopped running correctly since last week. Whenever they tried to run - [How to Configure Internet Explorer 10 for Enterprise Web Applications](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/07/05/how-to-configure-internet-explorer-10-for-enterprise-web-applications/) - Ever since we upgraded Internet Explorer to version 10, we have received a lot of complaints that quite a few enterprise web applications did not run properly any more. I have helped my users to configure Internet Explorer 10 so that they can use these web applications again. Since almost all the applications were developed - [Windows 8 100% C Drive Usage Problem Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/06/23/windows-8-100-c-drive-usage-problem-solved/) - When I first upgraded my workstation to Windows 8, I did not notice any performance change. The machine was running as smoothly as it had been with Windows 7. However, a few weeks ago, I noticed my machine started to freeze intermittently. I checked the event logs but did not find anything out of the - [The Fastest Way to Empty Cache from Google Chrome Browser](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/06/18/the-fastest-way-to-empty-cache-from-google-ch/) - If you have ever tried to empty or delete cache from Google Chrome, you'll know that it's a multistep process. Google has a tutorial for it, so I won't repeat it here. I've just found out a way to do it quickly, and it's also easier to write instructions for the process. Copy and paste this - [How to Boot from USB on an Asus CM1855 UEFI Equipped Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/06/14/how-to-boot-from-usb-on-an-asus-cm185-uefi-equipped-computer/) - My user recently bought two Asus CM1855 computers and asked me to install Windows 7 on them. I tried to boot the machine from a USB drive with my Windows 7 installation files. To my surprise, I could not select my USB drive as an option. This machine has the new UEFI firmware that I - [Windows 8 Apps Not Launching](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/02/07/windows-8-apps-not-launching/) - Ever since I upgraded my workstation to Windows 8, I spent most of my time with a desktop and use it like a Windows 7 machine. I rarely use those so-called "Windows Store Apps". The only app that I use the most often is the Mail app: It allows me to access all my email - [Lenovo X1 Carbon Unknown Device Driver on Windows 8](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/05/28/lenovo-x1-carbon-unknown-device-driver-on-windows-8/) - I worked on a Lenovo X1 Carbon yesterday. It's a very capable machine. The CPU is an Intel Core i7-3667U. It comes with 8GB of DDR3L RAM and a Solid State Drive. The performance is amazingly fast. When I installed some software that would usually take half an hour to install on a recent computer, it only - [Angry Birds for PC - OpenGL Error Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/05/03/angry-birds-for-pc-opengl-error-fixed/) - After I got Angry Birds for the PC as a free download, I installed it on several computers. Most of them ran smoothly. After all, this was a game designed with mobile devices in mind. The requirement was not that demanding. It even ran well on an 6 year-old laptop. However, I did run into - [Movie Maker on Windows 8 Error: Movie Maker Can't Start](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/05/16/movie-maker-on-windows-8-error-movie-maker-cant-start/) - I have used Windows Movie Maker on Windows 7 to make photo slideshows. It worked quite well. With a few clicks, you can produce professional quality slideshows that you can burn to DVDs. When I tried to run the program the first time, I got this error message: Sorry, Movie Maker can't start. Make sure - [Angry Birds on Windows 8: OpenGL 1.4 Renderer Not Supported](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/05/10/angry-birds-on-windows-8-opengl-1-4-renderer-not-supported/) - I had trouble running Angry Birds on Windows 7 a few years ago. After my workstation was upgraded to Windows 8, I have not tried to install the game until today. The game was installed using Intel AppUp. I first installed Intel AppUp and that went well. The installation of Angry Birds also went smoothly. - [Set-Top Media Players Supporting DVD Menu](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/04/set-top-media-players-supporting-dvd-menu/) - Situation: You have backed up your DVDs to some storage device and you want to play back these materials on your TV with the original DVD navigation menu. There are a lot of set-top media players that let you play back the VIDEO_TS folder on an external hard drive. However, only a handful of them - [Android: Mobile Data Got Enabled Automatically](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/05/06/android-mobile-data-got-enabled-automatically/) - I recently purchased a Pantech Burst Android phone. It's a nice budget phone with LTE capability. When I set it up initially, I noticed a strange thing about it. I disabled mobile data at home because I have Wifi access. However, the mobile data feature got enabled automatically when the phone woke from sleep mode. - [Mac OS X: Enable an AD User to be Local Admin](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/05/03/mac-os-x-enable-an-ad-user-to-be-local-admin/) - Most of our Macs are bound to AD now. One common task I have to do is to enable an AD user to manage the computer. You can do it through the GUI, but the user has to log on first and create an mobile account on the computer. I found that you can do - [How to Increase Battery Life for Android Phones](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/04/26/how-to-increase-battery-life-for-android-phones/) - I recently upgraded my phone to an HTC One X android phone. The phone performs very well. I have used some Android devices before, including the highly rated Asus Transformer. I was not impressed at all by those Android devices' performances. This phone actually changed my view of Android. It has a large bright screen - [How to Change Default Host for Cisco AnyConnect on Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/04/15/how-to-change-default-host-for-cisco-anyconnect-on-mac/) - I had a post about how to change the default host for Cisco AnyConnnect on Windows. A user has asked me how to change this on Mac. I spent a few minutes to find this information. Here is how you change it: Open Terminal application. Type in the command at the Terminal window. This opens - [How to Protect against Identity Theft for Free](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/04/01/how-to-protect-against-identity-theft-for-free/) - Some users have asked me how they can protect themselves against identity theft. I have researched the topic for a while and found the following steps for you to shield yourself from possible identity theft. Review your credit report periodically The first step is to review your current credit report. There is a website sponsored by the - [Restoring iPhone to Increase Battery Life](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/03/12/restoring-iphone-to-increase-battery-life/) - A few months ago, my iPhone 4's original battery couldn't last more than a day. I bought a 3rd party battery to replace the original one. To my dismay, the replacement battery only lasted a bit longer than the old battery. I contacted the seller of the new battery. They agreed to send a new - [How to Enable Duplex Printing for HP Printers on Windows 8](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/02/20/how-to-enable-duplex-printing-for-hp-printers-on-windows-8/) - We just found out that, when a HP printer is installed- even if the printer is capable of duplex printing- it may not be enabled for some computers. You will have to manually enable duplex printing. Here is how: Click on the printer you want to enable duplex printing in Devices and Printers. Click on Customize - [Disable Network Adapter to Enter Recovery Mode of Windows 8 on Virtual PC](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/02/04/disable-network-adapter-to-enter-recovery-mode-of-windows-8-on-virtual-pc/) - When I first installed Windows 8 on Virtual PC, I ran into a problem: the Guest Additions were not compatible with Windows 8. I had to use Recovery mode to refresh my Windows 8 installation. The Recovery mode was automatically invoked after I failed to boot the virtual machine up several times. I tried the - [How to Disable Java in the Chrome Browser](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/02/04/how-to-disable-java-in-the-chrome-browser/) - Oracle has published yet another update over the weekend to address some critical vulnerabilities. If you are fed up with all these critical updates, you can completely disable Java content in the browser by using  the Java Control Panel. However, there are still quite a few legitimate web sites that require Java. If you disable - [The Application Failed to Initialize Properly (0xc0000022)](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/01/23/the-application-failed-to-initialize-properly-0xc0000022/) - One user reported that regular users could not run Photoshop on one of our servers, but admin users could. Whenever a regular user tried to run Photoshop, this message popped up. The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000022). Click on OK to terminate the application. The cause for this problem was that the application was - [Excel 2010: Workbook Not Visible](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/01/24/excel-2010-workbook-not-visible/) - I was working on an Excel spreadsheet this afternoon. I needed to create a new spreadsheet and keep the current one open. For some reason, after I created a new file, I can not view the original file that I worked on. I tried to close every file and re-open the original file, it did - [Mac OS X: Add an AD Group to a Local Group ](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/01/23/mac-os-x-add-an-ad-group-to-a-local-group/) - I joined a Mac machine to our AD so that users can use their AD credentials to use the Mac. One problem is that when users logon using their AD credentials, they cannot access some of the local folders. The folders all have staff group read/write permissions set and they are good for local users. - [App Store: An Unknown Error Has Occured](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/01/07/app-store-an-unknown-error-has-occured/) - While I was setting up a new Mac mini today, I ran into a strange problem. When I tried to use the App store to install Xcode, I entered my Apple ID and password and got this error: "An unknown error has occurred." To make sure that my Apple ID was working, I checked it - [Set up Metro on the Second Monitor on Windows 8](https://www.kombitz.com/2013/01/07/set-up-metro-on-th-second-monitor-on-windows-8/) - The biggest change of Windows 8 is the Metro interface. While the Metro interface is good for a tablet, it's not designed for desktop computers. I upgraded my main workstation to Windows 8 a while ago. I use the desktop about 99% of time, and I only use the Metro interface when it's necessary. I - [Hidden File or Folder under Finder on Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/12/13/hidden-file-or-folder-under-finder-on-mac-os-x/) - A user reported that a folder he created on a share folder could not be seen by other users. I tried it on several different computers connected to the same shared folder. I could not see the folder that the user created using Finder. I then tried Terminal and issued this command admin$ ls -l - [How to Setup NFS Service on Mac Lion Server](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/11/29/how-to-setup-nfs-serviceon-mac-lion-server/) - Starting from the 10.7 Lion server, Apple has removed the GUI interface for setting up the NFS service. You'll have to set up the NFS service via command line. Here is the KB article about how to set it up. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4695 Basically, you need to use a text editor to edit /etc/exports to define the - [How to Install Gadgets on Windows 8](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/11/29/how-to-install-gadgets-on-windows-8/) - My work desktop crashed a few days ago, I thought it might be better to install Windows 8 on it instead of trying to fix the Windows 7 installation. After a few days, I really missed the gadgets that were on my desktop before. I first tried some clock programs from the App store and - [Dell Cyber Monday Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/11/25/dell-cyber-monday-deals/) - Dell Cyber Monday Sale! Today only! Up to 50% off! 4 new doorbusters every 3 hours! Free Shipping! Dell Cyber Monday Sale! Laptop and Desktop doorbusters every 3 hours! Limited quantity! Dell Cyber Monday Sale! Electronics and Accessories doorbusters every 3 hours! Limited quantity! Cyber Monday Midnight only! $179 off Dell Inspiron 15 laptop with - [Dell Black Friday Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/11/22/dell-black-friday-deals-2/) - Hi, Just wanted to say thank you, everyone. I hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving. If you are shopping for a great computer deal this season, please consider buying from Dell and supporting Kombitz.com. Thanks! Dell Black Friday Sale! Lowest Price Ever. New doorbusters every 3 hours! Dell Black Friday Sale! Laptop and Desktop doorbusters - [How to Unlock Mio C230 Original Release](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/10/31/how-to-unlock-mio-c230-original-release/) - If you are a regular of my blog. You know that I bought a Garmin C320 last year. I liked my Garmin C320 a lot. I even bought a dash mount accessory for it. Unfortunately, the unit got stolen from my car along with the dash mount!!!I was on the market for a replacement. Garmin - [How to Unlock Mio C230 Release 2](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/11/16/how-to-unlock-mio-c230-release-2/) - When I first successfully unlocked Mio C230, the major goal was to have a reliable working unit. I didn't spend much time tweaking it. Here is my first take on tweaking it. Here are what I have done in addition to the first release. I didn't find a good set of icons that I like. - [How to Turn off Services on WDTV with WDLXTV](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/11/15/how-to-turn-off-services-on-wdtv-with-wdlxtv/) - We use a WDTV media player to display slides on a big screen TV. The WDTV was modded using WDLXTV to automate the downloading of the slides. I was not involved in setting it up. However, when we did a security scan, we found that there were a lot of services running and that some - [NFS and Nobody](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/11/08/nfs-and-nobody/) - I just finished setting up a Linux machine that runs Scientific Linux 6. After testing it for a few days, I rolled it out for my users to use. A user later reported a strange problem with one directory. The directory was a NFS mount of an external server. For some reason, the owner and - [Free eBook Windows 8 for Dummies](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/11/01/free-ebook-windows-8-for-dummies/) - Dell is offering a free eBook for those who register on their site. http://marketing.dell.com/windows-8-ebook The book gives a nice overview of the new OS. The printed copy of the book sells for about $14.00. From the Back Cover Just want to get going with Windows 8? This book was made for you! Windows 8 looks - [Windows 8 Upgrading Problem with Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller Driver](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/08/23/windows-8-upgrading-problem-with-intel-usb-3-0-extensible-host-controller-driver/) - Just got the media for the Windows 8 Enterprise 64 bit. I wanted to install it on my Macbook Pro 2012, which has USB 3.0 ports. My Macbook Pro had Windows 7 on it, so I picked the upgrade option during installation. There was a problem when the installer checked for compatibility. The installer prompted - [How to Automount a CIFS/AFP Share on Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/10/18/how-to-automount-a-cifsafp-share-on-mac/) - I set a Mac to be backed up by our TSM server. There was an external AFP share mounted at /Volumes/Data. I wanted to back up that share, too. The problem was that, for some reason, the share got unmounted from time to time. My first attempt at solving the problem was to write a - [Silent Installation of Cisco AnyConnect Client 3 for Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/10/05/silent-installation-of-cisco-anyconnect-client-3-for-windows/) - A user has asked me to install Cisco AnyConnect client on several machines. It's tedious to visit each machine and install the client one by one. I tried to see if there was an option for silent installation and, indeed, there is. You can actually use the MSI option with the executable. Here is an - [Dell Vostro 260 Windows XP Drivers](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/10/20/dell-vostro-260-windows-xp-drivers/) - I still remember, not long ago, when I needed to hunt down Windows 7 drivers for older machines. Now that almost all new Windows machines come with Windows 7, a lot of companies have stopped supporting Windows XP on new machines. We had just received some Dell Vostro 260 desktops, and the user had requested - [How to Refresh Your PC When You Cannot Boot Your Windows 8 Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/09/10/how-to-refresh-your-pc-when-you-cannot-boot-your-windows-8-computer/) - When I installed Windows 8 on a VirtualBox virtual machine, I also installed the VirtualBox guest additions. After the guest additions were installed, I could no longer boot the virtual machine up. All I got was a black screen. After rebooting the virtual machine several times, I saw the option to recover the PC. I - [Windows 8 Elevated Command Prompt](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/09/08/windows-8-elevated-command-prompt/) - The GUI for Windows 8 has changed significantly. In addition, it has changed the way you run an application. Here are the steps to run the elevated command prompt: Press Windows key. Type cmd. Right-click on Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator at the bottom. Click on Yes. - [Windows 8 Activation using Command Line Utility slmgr](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/08/27/windows-8-activation-using-command-line-utility-slmgr/) - Windows 8 uses the same command line utility slmgr as Windows 7 for activation with a MAK (Multiple Activation Key). Follow these simple steps to activate your Windows 8. Open up an elevated command prompt. Enter the following slmgr -ipk your-mak-key-here slmgr -ato To learn more about this command, type the following command. slmgr /? - [Dell Alps Touchpad Driver for Windows 8](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/08/17/dell-alps-touchpad-driver-for-windows-8/) - I just downloaded the Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation today. My test machine was a Dell Latitude D630. After installation, all the drivers were installed. The only problem was the touchpad driver. It used a generic mouse driver, and scrolling was not supported. There is currently no Alps touchpad driver for Windows 8. I tried the - [How to Access X11VNC from a Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/08/14/how-to-access-x11vnc-from-a-mac/) - I have been asked to help install the VNC service on an Ubuntu machine. The installation is straightforward; here is a page detailing how to connect to the VNC service from a Windows PC or another Ubuntu machine. The problem was that my user used a Mac. Here are the instructions that I used to - [W32.Xpaj.B Removal](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/08/07/w32-xpaj-b-removal/) - We have been dealing with an old virus called W32.Xpaj.B for about a week now. It is one nasty virus to remove. Usually, we can boot the system to safe mode and scan the computer for viruses. This one is different: it also infects the  master boot record. Regular virus scanning cannot catch the virus - [Slow iPad/iPhone Wifi Connection with a DD-WRT Wireless Router](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/07/24/slow-ipadiphone-wifi-connection-with-a-dd-wrt-wireless-router/) - I just replaced my old wireless router with a DD-WRT compatible router TP-Link TL-WR740N. The firmware has been reflashed to the latest DD-WRT version. After the switch, all my computers and wifi devices worked fine except iPhone and iPad. The wifi connection was intermittent on my iOS devices. When I tried the SpeedTest app, the - [The Application Failed to Initialize Properly (0xc0000022) - Application Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/07/18/the-application-failed-to-initialize-properly-0xc0000022-application-error/) - I got a report about some problems on one of our Windows 2003 servers. It started last Friday and people got this error message when they tried to run some applications: The Application Failed to Initialize Properly (0xc0000022). This error only applied to regular users; administrators did not have problems with this error. A quick - [The Easiest Way to Analyze Windows Crash Dump Files - BlueScreenView](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/07/13/the-easiest-way-to-analyze-windows-crash-dump-files-bluescreenview/) - I found this utility WhoCrashed a while ago to help analyze crash dump files on Windows. I thought the program was easy enough for the end user to use. There is one restriction for WhoCrashed, but it's only free for home use. For professional use, you'll have to buy the Pro version. I just found - [Error 403 Access Forbidden for Web Server on Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/07/02/error-403-access-forbidden-for-web-server-on-mac-os-x/) - I helped a user fix his web server problem on a Snow Leopard server. Since I do not have much experience with OS X server administration, it took me a while to fix the problem. The user has a server which hosts a wiki site. The wiki site stopped working around the time the server - [WordPress 3.4 Page Variable in Query String](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/06/29/wordpress-3-4-page-variable-in-query-string/) - We have a special deals section where I created some customized pages to present deals available to our readers. I just noticed that there was a problem with one of the pages. The pagination does not work any more. Here is a screenshot of the pagination of my page. When I created these pages, I - [Dell Vostro 470 Windows XP Drivers](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/06/05/dell-vostro-470-windows-xp-drivers/) - One popular post on my site is about the Windows XP drivers for Dell Vostro 260. There is a new model: Vostro 470. I do not have this machine, but here are the drivers for Windows XP based upon the spec. Please let me know if they do not work for you. Network Realtek PCIe - [Boot to Mac OS from Windows on a Dual Boot Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/06/03/boot-to-mac-os-from-windows-on-a-dual-boot-mac/) - I set up a dual boot MacMini to be used with a projector in our conference room. There was a compatibility problem with this combination. Users could not hold down the option key during system bootup and select which OS to boot to. They could only change the default OS after the computer booted up - [Boot to Windows from Mac OS on a Dual Boot Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/06/03/boot-to-windows-from-mac-os-on-a-dual-boot-mac/) - This article is the counterpart of my previous article, in which I created a small Windows application for users to boot to Mac OS from Windows on a dual boot Mac. In this article, I am going to show you how to create a Mac application for users to boot to Windows from Mac OS. The - [How to Change Color Temperature (White Balance) of Photos in JPEG Format](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/05/18/how-to-change-color-temperature-white-balance-of-photos-in-jpeg-format/) - I recently took quite a lot of photos with wrong color temperature (white balance) settings. It is easy to correct the color temperature if the photos are in RAW format. However, all my photos were shot in JPEG format and they are not easy to change. Most image editing tools allow you to adjust the - [Low-Cost Android 4.0 7 inch Tablets Comparison](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/05/17/low-cost-android-4-0-7-inch-tablets-comparison/) - I use an Asus Transformer at work. It is one of the company's higher end models. It has a Tegra 2 3D processor, which is great for gaming. However, I do not use it for gaming that much. I found that, because of the mini-HDMI output, it is easy to use it as a media - [Password Protecting Apache Web Pages on Mac OS X Server](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/05/12/password-protecting-apache-web-pages-on-mac-os-x-server/) - I previously configured Apache server on Linux to use a password to protect some pages. However, when I tried it on a Mac server, I had a lot of trouble when trying to get it to work. I double-checked the .htaccess file and made sure the syntax was right. I later discovered that the problem - [Automatic DNS Registration for Samba Server on Linux](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/05/05/automatic-dns-registration-for-samba-server-on-linux/) - I configured our Linux servers to offer Samba service. The Samba servers were joined to our Active Directory, so that users could use the Windows machines to access the Samba servers without authentication. This worked quite well for several weeks, until the day my users reported that they could no longer access the Samba servers. - [How to Fix Remote Desktop Authorization Failed Problem on Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/05/01/how-to-fix-remote-desktop-authorization-failed-problem-on-mac-os-x/) - We recently replaced a failing hard drive on an iMac. After the drive was replaced, we had problems connecting to it through Remote Desktop. We always got an error message about authorization failure. I am pretty sure the username and password were entered correctly. The problem persisted even though I restarted the Remote Management several - [COMPUTERNAME Environment Variable Under Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/04/19/computername-environment-variable-under-mac-os-x/) - We use ScreenConnect to provide remote support for our users. It has clients for Windows and Mac, which you can pre-install on the machines. When you create the clients, you can specify the client to retrieve COMPUTERNAME when run. That way, you can easily identify the machine when you work with ScreenConnect's Host page. While - [How to Update Video Card Driver on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/04/11/how-to-update-video-card-driver-on-windows/) - The most popular post on kombitz is how to fix the OpenGL error when running Angry Birds. The fix is to simply update the driver for the video card. However, a lot of readers do not know how to do so. I decided to write this post to provide some pointers. Here is a list - [Flashback Removal](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/04/10/flashback-removal/) - The most talked about news for Mac is the spreading of the infamous Flashback trojan. There are manual instructions on how to detect and remove the trojan. However, they are not very user friendly. My colleagues have recommended two tools that are easy to use. Etresoft: http://etresoft.org/freeware/MalwareChecker.zip Kaspersky: http://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/virus/2012/Kaspersky_Lab_Offers_Kaspersky_Flashback_Removal_Tool - [3TB Hard Drive on Dell Precision T5500 Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/04/06/3tb-hard-drive-on-dell-precision-t5500-problem/) - We got a Dell Precision T550 with two 3TB WD hard drives to be used as a storage server. After I installed Windows 2008 R2 on it, I found that the 3TB drives were recognized as 764GB drives. I found one article on how to fix this problem by installing the latest Intel Rapid Storage - [Command Line to Enable Network Connection on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/03/29/command-line-to-enable-network-connection-on-windows/) - A user has reported that she could not connect to the wireless network anymore: the wireless connection appeared to be disabled. I first asked the user to check the wireless switch on the front of the laptop and make sure the switch was turned on. This was first suggested because the switch can sometimes be - [Command Line to Enable Remote Desktop Remotely](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/03/17/command-line-to-enable-remote-desktop-remotely/) - I often use Remote Desktop to log on to a remote Windows machine and perform some admin tasks. The only problem is that this is not enabled by default. If your users do not have the admin privilege, they cannot turn it on for you. You may have to physically go to the machine yourself - [New Command Line Tools in Vista Beta 2](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/07/21/new-command-line-tools-in-vista-beta-2/) - As a system admin with developer's background, I like to write scripts utilizing command line tools to automate admin tasks. With the release of Windows Vista Beta 2, I was wondering about what new command line tools are available. I spent several hours yesterday to find out the new additions. Note that some of them - [Windows Media Player Plugin for FireFox under Vista](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/01/windows-media-player-plugin-for-firefox-under-vista/) - I recently visited some web sites which needs Windows Media Player for their multimedia contents. FireFox complained about x-mplayer2 plugin not available. I found this page which solves my problem. The solution is easy. Just download these two files ( npdsplay.dll and npwmsdrm.dll ) . Copy the files to FireFox's plugins directory (mine is in - [Vista Activation using slmgr](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/02/vista-activation-using-slmgr/) - I finally got my Vista volume license media yesterday. The edition is Business Edition. The license key we got is called Multiple Activation Key (MAK) . I noticed that I didn't have to enter license key during the installation. It turns out that Vista's installation media let you try out Vista for 30 days (this - [Samba Net Ads Join "Cannot Find KDC" Error Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/03/05/samba-net-ads-join-cannot-find-kdc-error-fixed/) - When I set up Samba 3.5.4 on a Centos 5 server, I ran into a problem. I got this error whenever I tried to use the net ads join command: Cannot find KDC for requested realm I first tried to use -I flag to manually specify the KDC , but it did not work. I then - [Windows 8 Consumer Preview Installation Video](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/02/29/windows-8-consumer-preview-installation-video/) - Microsoft has released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. I have downloaded the ISO and installed it on VirtualBox. The download link for ISO images is: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso Here is the installation video. If you had trouble installing Window 8 on VirtualBox, here are some tips: Make sure Enable IO APIC is checked. (Settings -> System) Select - [How to Try Chromebook on Your Laptop](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/02/23/how-to-try-chromebook-on-your-laptop/) - If you want to try Chromebook but  do not want to shell out $300 for the hardware, you can actually transform your old laptop to a Chromebook for free. All you need is a 4GB USB drive and a laptop capable of booting from a USB drive. Sound interesting? Let's get started. The following instructions - [How to Resize Hard Drive on VirtualBox](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/02/06/how-to-resize-hard-drive-on-virtualbox/) - When I first created a Windows XP virtual machine using VirtualBox, I thought 20GB was enough for me. However, as I relied on the virtual machine for all XP related works, I soon filled up the hard drive with all the test programs. I wanted to increase the size of the virtual machine's hard drive, - [Free Daz Studio, Bryce and Hexagon for Windows and Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/02/02/free-daz-studio-bryce-and-hexagon-for-windows-and-mac/) - Daz3d.com is offering its flagship products for free between now and February 29, 2012. Here is a list of the free products: DAZ Studio 4 Pro (Including Genesis, winner of 3D World’s 2011 Software Innovation of the Year Award) : Retail $429.95 Bryce 7 Pro 3D Landscape and Animation Software: Retail $249.95 Hexagon 2.5 3D Modeling Software: Retail - [How to Disable AutoReboot on Windows to Prevent Continuous Rebooting](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/01/26/how-to-disable-autoreboot-on-windows-to-prevent-continous-rebooting/) - I worked on a Windows XP computer recently. This computer kept on rebooting continuously. I did not get a chance to see the blue screen of death for the error message for diagnostic purposes. While there are instructions available on how to disable AutoReboot when the computer can still boot normally, those instructions did not - [How to Use Cisco AnyConnect VPN Start Before Login on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2012/01/09/how-to-use-cisco-anyconnect-vpn-start-before-login-on-windows-7/) - We use Cisco AnyConnect VPN to provide remote users with access to servers behind a firewall. AnyConnect also has a utility that enables users to logon to VPN before logging on to the computer. This is very useful for laptops. The utility is called Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Start Before Login Components. Once you have - [Easier Way to Enter Local Computer Name on Logon Screen for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/12/05/easier-way-to-enter-local-computer-name-on-logon-screen-for-windows-7/) - It's easy to switch from a network account to a local account on Windows XP Professional. The logon screen provides a Log on to dropdown box where you can select (this computer). However, this feature has changed in Windows 7: There is no longer a dropdown box on the logon screen anymore. If you want - [How to Prevent Skype from Using Port 80 and 443](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/11/14/how-to-prevent-skype-from-using-port-80-and-443/) - I was working on a network issue on my computer when I discovered that port 80 was open. This surprised me because I did not install any software that used port 80. For those who are not familiar with port 80, it is usually used by web servers. So, I brought up an elevated command - [Mac Leopard Server and Range Header DoS Vulnerability Apache HTTPD CVE-2011-3192](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/11/08/mac-leopard-server-and-range-header-dos-vulnerability-apache-httpd-cve-2011-3192/) - During a recent security scan of our machines, we found that one Leopard server had this range header DoS vulnerability for Apache web server (CVE-2011-3192). We updated the Leopard server with all the updates from Apple, but this problem still was not fixed. We had to do it manually to fix the problem. According to - [Uncharted 3 Disc Reading Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/11/03/uncharted-3-disc-reading-problem/) - I just got Uncharted 3 on release day from a local Kmart store. Having played the first two games and loved them, I was excited about the third game in the series. When I got home and put the disc in, my PS3 tried to read the disc for a few seconds. I saw the - [Windows 7: How to Disable Ctrl + Alt + Del on Logon Screen](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/11/03/windows-7-how-to-disable-ctrl-alt-del-on-logon-screen/) - We just got an Asus Eee Slate EP121. It came pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium edition. Since it was going to be used in an Enterprise environment, I wiped the hard drive clean and installed the Enterprise edition of Windows 7. When the tablet booted up the first time, I noticed a problem. The - ["Adobe Updater Install Manager has stopped working" Error Message on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/10/11/adobe-updater-install-manager-has-stopped-working-error-message-on-windows-7/) - After I installed Acrobat Professional 9 on one computer, I tried to run the updater. I got this message: A new version of the Adobe Updater is available for installation. Click on OK to install it now. If I clicked on OK, it downloaded the new version and tried to install it. However, the installation - [Audio Controller for Windows 8 Developer Preview on VirtualBox](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/10/03/audio-controller-for-windows-8-developer-preview-on-virtualbox/) - After I changed the network adapter's setting for Windows 8 Developer's Preview on VirtualBox, the virtual machine could access the network. The only thing missing was the sound. The default audio device was ICH AC97 on VirtualBox, and Windows 8 Developer Preview did not have a driver for it. I tried to change the audio - [Use 7-zip to Extract Files from ISO Images](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/09/26/use-7-zip-to-extract-files-from-iso-images/) - More and more software are being distributed as ISO images now. The ISO images are designed to be burned to a DVD or a CD. It is a good idea to have them on a form of media if you need to use them on a different machine. Unfortunately, it is not very practical if - [How to Shutdown Windows 8 Developer Preview](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/09/23/how-to-shutdown-windows-8-developer-preview/) - Speaking as someone who has been an IT pro for over 20 years, I never thought that I would ever need help on how to shut down a computer. However, when I tried Windows 8 Developer Preview, I really did not have a clue about how to turn it off. The user interface has changed - [Status 0xc0000225 Error When Installing Windows 8 Developer Preview on VirtualBox](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/09/16/status-0xc000025-error-when-installing-windows-8-developer-preview-on-virtualbox/) - Just got a chance to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview on VirtualBox today. When I created my virtual machine, I accepted the default settings. I got this error message when I booted up the machine. Status: 0xc0000225 Info: An unexpected error has occurred. I remembered that my friend told me you have to enable - [Windows 8 Developer Preview is Available for Download](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/09/15/windows-8-developers-preview-is-available-for-download/) - Microsoft has recently announced the Windows 8 Developer Preview in the BUILD conference, and the download is now free and open to the general public. No registration is required. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516 If you are interested in installing it on a virtual machine, your best bet is Virtual Box from Oracle. One of my colleagues tried it - [How to Convert WPA Passphrase to Key for Embedded Devices](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/09/05/how-to-convert-wpa-passphrase-to-key-for-embedded-devices/) - I recently changed my home wireless router's encryption from WEP to WPA Personal. Most of my computers and wireless-enabled devices could connect without a problem except for an old set-top media player. The player did support WPA Personal, but it just wouldn't connect. When I looked at the router's status, I could see the player - [Unable to Store Password Error When Joining a Mac Running Lion to Active Directory ](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/08/29/unable-to-store-password-error-when-joining-a-mac-running-lion-to-active-directory/) - I have a Macbook which was bound to an Active Directory. After I upgraded it to Lion, the AD logon stopped working. The fix for this kind of problem is usually to unbind the machine and then bind it again. So, I opened up Directory Utility to unbind the computer. I was able to unbind - [How to Reinstall Lion on the New Macs](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/08/24/how-to-reinstall-lion-on-the-new-macs/) - We got a new Mac Mini with the latest OS X Lion. When we paired it with an Apple 24 inch Cinema Display, we found that the display flickered a lot. The display worked well with other Macs, so I thought the problem was the new Mac Mini. I took the Mac Mini to our - [How to Send an International Fax for Free](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/08/23/how-to-send-an-international-fax-for-free/) - Even though the internet is popular now, there are still a lot of people without internet access. Both telephone and fax are still the main communication tools for those people. Traditionally, the cost to send an international fax is not trivial. You need a fax machine or a computer with a fax modem. You also - [How to Rename Windows Computers and Move Them to a New Domain using Netdom](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/08/18/how-to-rename-windows-computers-and-move-them-to-a-new-domain-using-netdom/) - We have been busy with our Windows domain migration lately. When we first started, we did everything manually. We went to a workstation, renamed the machine and rebooted. Also, we waited until the machine booted up and moved/joined the workstation to the new domain. We had to reboot the machine again and wait for it - [How to Change Scrolling Direction on Mac OS X Lion](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/08/08/how-to-change-scrolling-direction-on-mac-os-x-lion/) - When I first installed Lion on my Macbook, the first thing I noticed was that the scrolling direction was reversed. For example, if I wanted to scroll down a page, I swiped my fingers down on Snow Leopard or any other OS X versions. On Lion, I have to swipe my fingers up to scroll - [How to Convert a PS2 EyeToy Camera to an Infrared Camera](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/08/05/how-to-convert-a-ps2-eyetoy-camera-to-an-infrared-camera/) - I have two PS2 EyeToy cameras that have not been used for a long time. When I tried out some camera security software, I needed an external web cam. Instead of shelling out money to buy a PC web cam, I thought it would be nice to use the EyeToy as a PC web cam. - [HyperCam 3 Free Download Today Only](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/07/21/hypercam-3-free-download-today-only/) - HyperCam 3 - is a new version of the famous HyperCam, being jointly developed with Hyperionics LLC. It is an advanced utility for capturing screen actions and saving them as .AVI, WMV/ASF files. Though HyperCam may be used just for grabbing a movie or game, it has been chiefly acknowledged as an excellent tool for - [Lion is Out Today - Installation Screenshots](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/07/20/lion-is-out-today-installation-screenshots/) - Apple's newest OS is out today. It is the first OS that you can download and install straight from App Store. As with any new OS release, there are quite a few applications that do not work under the new OS. Before you decide to upgrade, make sure you check the application compatibility table here. - [Change User Agent String on Chrome for Android 3 for Better Browsing Experience](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/07/16/change-user-agent-string-on-chrome-for-android-3-for-better-browsing-experience/) - For most Android 3 tablets, the screen resolution is over 1024x768, which is more like a desktop computer. However, when you visit mobile enhanced sites, you can only browse the mobile site, not the full site. Some sites offer you the option to switch to the full site, but some do not. You can follow - [How to Configure Polaris Office to Edit Google Docs or Box.net Documents](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/06/30/how-to-configure-polaris-office-to-edit-google-docs-or-box-net-documents/) - Asus Transformer comes with an exclusive Office application: Polaris Office. The application lets you create/edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. If you have a Google Docs or Box.net account, it even lets you edit the documents directly. Here are a few easy steps on how to set this app up. Tap the icon on the - [How to Root Asus Transformer Running Android 3.1 ](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/06/23/how-to-root-asus-transformer-running-android-3-1/) - I just got an Asus Transformer for learning and testing. There is one thing that bothers me very much. There is no built-in backup and restore app for it. You have to download 3rd party software for backing up your system. There is a popular app called Titanium Backup. A question that may come up - [How to List SAMIDs of Users in Sub Groups of a Group in Active Directory](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/06/21/how-to-list-samids-of-users-in-sub-groups-of-a-group-in-active-directory/) - I was looking for a script to list all the users in subgroups of a group in Active Directory. The directory structure is like this: MainGroup---SubGroup1---User1 | | | -User2 | -SubGroup2---User3 | -User4 There are about 10 sub groups in the main group. Each subgroup has 10 to 20 users accounts. I just wanted - [Sony Announces Playstation Vita](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/06/10/sony-announces-playstation-vita/) - Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) announced the Playstation Vita as the name of the newest Playstation portable gaming device at the E3 press conference on June 6. The PS Vita's assortment of special features includes a 5-inch multi-touch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display with a unique multi-touch pad on the rear. Along - [No Cursor in Ubuntu 11.04 with a Legacy Nvidia Card](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/06/08/no-cursor-in-ubuntu-11-04-with-a-legacy-nvidia-card/) - I tried to revive an old laptop by installing Ubuntu on it. I first tried Lubuntu, a lightweight distro of Ubuntu. The installation ran smoothly. However, when the system came up, the cursor was gone. I could still use the mouse, but there was no cursor. It was really annoying, as I can barely work - [ultrasn0w and Visual Voice Mail](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/06/08/ultrasn0w-and-visual-voice-mail/) - When I jailbroke my iPhone 4 with iOS 4.3.1, I used the TinyUmbrella method to preserve the baseband. One drawback of this combination is that the signal bar is always shown as one bar. The iPhone Dev Team released ultrasn0w to unlock your iPhone while fixing the signal bar problem. There is one side effect - [Skype - referenced memory could not be read problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/05/31/skype-referenced-memory-could-not-be-read-problem/) - A user came to me today because Skype would no longer run on her laptop. Whenever she tried to run it, she got this message. "The instruction at "0x00ae8cd8" referenced memory at "0x00000004". The memory could not be read." "Click OK to terminate the program." She tried to install an older version of Skype, but - [How to Enable Group Write Permission Automatically on Mac OS 10.5 and 10.6](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/05/20/how-to-enable-group-write-permission-automatically-on-mac-os-10-5-and-10-6/) - Whenever you create a file under Mac OS, the group permission is set to read only. This is fine on your personal files but can be a problem when you create files on the network share for other people to use. You have to change the permission manually to allow other people in your group - [Play Angry Birds in Chrome Browser](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/05/12/play-angry-birds-in-chrome-browser/) - You have played Angry Birds on your iPhone, Android device and PC. Now, get ready to play Angry Birds in the Chrome browser. If you have the Chrome browser, visit this link: Angry Birds on Chrome Web Store Link to install the game. Once installed, open up a new tab and you can find it - [Snow Leopard - NFS Mounts Error "Unable to Create Record in /Local/Default"](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/05/12/snow-leopard-nfs-mounts-error-unable-to-create-record-in-localdefault/) - A user reported a problem with NFS mounting on an iMac running Snow Leopard. When he tried to create a NFS mount, the Disk Utility crashed. Afterward, the program always showed a message saying that it was unable to create a record in /Local/Default before crashing. I searched the logs and the only thing I - [How to Update Device Driver in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/04/27/how-to-update-device-driver-in-windows-7/) - Updating device drivers is usually the first step in dealing with any hardware-related problems. You can visit the manufacturer's web site and download the driver manually, or you can let Windows 7 update the driver for you. Here are the steps: Click on the Windows logo on the task bar and type in device manager. - [Ad Hoc Network Encryption on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/21/ad-hoc-network-encryption-on-windows-7/) - When I tested creating an ad hoc network on Windows 7, I could not figure out how to enable encryption. I tried a different combinations of passwords in ASCII or Hex formats and they did not work. It was not until I tried to create an ad hoc network on Leopard that I learned what - [Crackle - Free Streaming Movies for iPad and iPhone](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/04/21/crackle-free-streaming-movies-for-ipad-and-iphone/) - Crackle, a free streaming movie site, has come out with a new app for the iPad and the iPhone. This free app contains many free full-length movies along with various trailers and movie clips. Movies and TV series range from the Ghostbusters, The Da Vinci Code, and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children to Seinfeld, Charlie's - [Android 3.0 Emulator](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/04/19/android-3-0-emulator/) - As the Android market matures, we have more requests about supporting Android devices. Getting an Android device to try it out is out of the question right now. I found out that you can get an Android emulator and try various versions of Android OS on it. Here are the steps for getting the latest - [Outlook 2010 Does Not Retain Autocomplete History](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/04/07/outlook-2010-does-not-retain-autocomplete-history/) - We recently helped a user upgrade from Office 2007 to Office 2010. After the upgrade, the user reported that the Outlook does not retain autocomplete history. The autocomplete history only stays for the session of the application. If the user quitsOutlook 2010, the autocomplete history is gone. We found out that the problem is because - [Angry Birds PC Free Download](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/03/23/angry-birds-pc-free-download-2/) - Best Buy is offering the ultra popular game Angry Birds for PC for free. Just follow the link to download the Intel AppUp Center. Register and download Angry Birds (regularly $4.99). The offer is for a limited time only, so download your copy while you can. Note that the Intel AppUp is only compatible with - [File System Browsing Tutorial for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/03/28/file-system-browsing-tutorial-for-windows-7/) - I have a popular post about fixing Any Video Converter's profile problem by copying one file from one directory to the other directory. A few readers have responded saying that they do not know how to browse the file system and copy files. In this tutorial, I am going to show you how to browse - [MacBook Realtek Audio Driver for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/13/macbook-realtek-audio-driver-for-windows-7/) - When I installed Windows 7 Beta (Build 7000) on my early 2008 MacBook yesterday, the audio driver did not work. The driver provided by Boot Camp is not the right one. Using the hardware id, I learned that the audio card is made by Realtek. I downloaded the driver directly from Realtek and it worked. - [Any Video Converter - "Can not load output profile data" Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/16/any-video-converter-can-not-load-output-profile-data-error/) - I got this error when I tried to run Any Video Converter: Can not load output profile data from the configuration file "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\AnvSoft\Any Video Converter\profiles_v2.xml", please check the installation and try again later. I checked the profiles_v2.xml and it's not in the folder. So, I tried to copy the file from the program folder (C:\Program - [Firefox 4 Classic User Interface](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/03/24/firefox-4-classic-user-interface/) - Firefox 4 features a newly designed user interface, and it looks more like the Google Chrome browser now. The new design saves a lot of on-screen real estate and is good for a laptop screen. However, you might not like the new design- instead, you want the classic look back. Fortunately, it's not difficult to - [Free iPhone/iPad Travel Guides from Lonely Planet](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/02/03/free-iphoneipad-travel-guides-from-lonely-planet/) - Lonely Planet is offering their travel guides for US and Canada cities for free. Each guide was originally $5.99, and there are 13 guides to choose from. The offer ends at 6:00PM PST Friday, February 4th 2011. •        San Francisco •        New York City •        Boston •        Washington DC •        Chicago •        Seattle •        New - [How to Boot to Safe Mode on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/02/25/how-to-boot-to-safe-mode-on-windows-7/) - One Windows 7 feature that is very useful for admins and power users is the safe mode. You can boot your computer to safe mode whenever your computer is infected or there are problems preventing you from booting normally. Once in the safe mode, you can run anti-malware software to clean your machine or uninstall - [How to Perform System Restore on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/03/15/how-to-perform-system-restore-on-windows-7/) - System Restore is a great tool that can help you when you first notice something wrong with your system. I have used it numerous times in the past to remove viruses/spyware . You can give it a try if you are running out of ideas on how to fix your sick computer. System Restore rolls - [Mac OS X: "You need to Restart Your Computer" Error Message](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/02/17/mac-os-x-you-need-to-restart-your-computer-error-message/) - Some users came to me because their Macbooks crashed, and there was a message shown on the screen: You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button. They tried the steps as suggested by the message and restarted their computer. However, they still ran into - [Acrobat Reader X Silent Installation](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/02/03/acrobat-reader-x-silent-installation/) - We started to install Acrobat Reader X on new computers. Here are the command line switches for the setup file: /sAll    Silent Mode for product /sPB Silent Mode with Progress Bar for product /rs Reboot Suppress /rps Reboot Prompt Suppress /ini "PATH" Alternative initialization file /sl "LANG_ID" Set Language; LANG_ID - Code - [Free Download Code for Black Ops First Strike DLC on Xbox 360](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/02/01/free-download-code-for-black-ops-first-strike-dlc-on-xbox-360/) - I got this from twitter. I do not have an Xbox 360, so I cannot confirm it. Let us know if this works for you in the comment section. To celebrate the launch of #FirstStrike, here's a free download code. Be the first to redeem it! 6RXTP-TK96Q-WMW94-7W6GC-6X49Z Here is the link to JD_2020, who is the - [Windows 7: Windows Can't Open Add Printer Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/01/29/windows-7-windows-cant-open-add-printer-error/) - One user reported that he couldn't print from a Windows 7 machine anymore and that the installed printers were all missing. If you tried to add the printer in Devices and Printers, you'd get this message: Windows can't open Add Printer. The local print spooler service is not running. Please restart the spooler or restart - [Nintendo 3DS To Be Released March 2011](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/01/21/nintendo-3ds-to-be-released-march-2011/) - The long-awaited Nintendo 3DS, dubbed by its makers as the "game changer," is to be released on March 27, 2011 at the price of $249.99. The gaming console is available in both cosmic black and aqua blue. Features of the device include the traditional two screens seen on all versions of the DS (a touchscreen - [Mac: Outlook 2011 Cannot Send Email Problem Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/01/08/mac-outlook-2011-cannot-send-email-problem-solved/) - A user reported that he could no longer send emails from Outlook 2011. He could still receive emails, but for some unknown reason, he couldn't send emails at all. The account settings were the same, and the Exchange server was alive and functioning. The machine also had the latest updates from Apple and Microsoft. What - [Desktop Network Share Shortcuts Disappear in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2011/01/04/desktop-network-share-shortcuts-disappear-in-windows-7/) - Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Before winter break, a user reported that some of his network share shortcuts on the desktop disappeared from time to time. The other shortcuts were fine; only the shortcuts for network share were gone. The problem is actually a feature in Windows 7. There - [Free iCare Data Recovery Software for Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/12/17/free-icare-data-recovery-software-for-windows/) - For a limited time, iCare is giving away its data recovery software for free. It's a full featured data recovery software that is usually sold for $69.99. There are four main modules of the program: Partition recovery Advanced Files Recovery Deep Scan Recovery Format Recovery The site also has tutorials about how to use these - [Silent Uninstallation of McAfee Security Scan Plus 2.0](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/12/06/silent-uninstallation-of-mcafee-security-scan-plus-2-0/) - If you have ever downloaded the Acrobat reader from Adobe's web site, chances are you have also unintentionally downloaded the McAfee Security Scan Plus because it comes with the reader by default. When clicked on, the program runs and asks you to purchase the full version. Even though the software is legit, the behavior is - [How to Add Subtitles/Captions to Netflix Streaming on PC/Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/11/30/how-to-add-subtitles-caption-to-netflix-streaming-on-pcmac/) - Netflix has started to add subtitles/captions to some of its streaming content. However, the selection is quite limited. When searching for a solution, I found this article on how to convert subtitles to a format that is compatible for Netflix players on PC and Mac. The original post is about using a Python script to - [Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals Page is Online](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/11/26/black-friday-and-cyber-monday-deals-page-is-online/) - Our deals page is now online, just in time for the holiday shopping season! You can access the main page through the navigation bar on the top or this link. The deals are divided into 3 sections: Sale/Discount Seasonal Coupon The content is generated from a live feed, and the deals go beyond Black Friday - [The Word Document Cannot be Opened Because There Are Problems with the Contents Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/11/25/the-word-document-cannot-be-opened-because-there-are-problems-with-the-contents-problem/) - I got an urgent request last weekend about a peculiar Word problem. The user said that he had been working on a word document all day until suddenly the document could not be opened. The error message was The file filname.docx cannot be opened because there are problems with the contents. If you click on - [Google Sites Redirecting Problem on Firefox](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/11/16/google-sites-redirecting-problem-on-firefox/) - I was working on a site hosted by Google Sites today. After I logged on between several gmail accounts, the Firefox went through an endless redirecting loop whenever I tried to visit Google Sites. I suspected the problem was related to cookies or cache, so I used the Clear Recent History option under Tools menu - [Free Programming Windows Phone 7 ebook](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/11/15/free-programming-windows-phone-7-ebook/) - Microsoft Press is offering the Programming Windows Phone 7 ebook for free. The book is written by the renowned Charles Petzold. Millions of people have learned Windows programming from the author's bestseller, Programming Windows. Now you can learn how to program for Windows Phone 7 from a book by the same author. The book shows - [How to Add Windows XP to Windows 7 Boot Manager](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/13/how-to-add-windows-xp-to-windows-7-boot-manager/) - A reader has asked about how to add Windows XP to Windows 7 Boot Manager. Here are the steps. You do this when you cannot boot to Windows XP after installing Windows 7 or Windows Vista. Open an elevated command prompt. Type the following to create a boot loader for Windows XP. bcdedit /create {ntldr} - [How to Add Windows XP to Windows 7 Boot Manager Using EasyBCD](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/11/08/how-to-add-windows-xp-to-windows-7-boot-manager-using-easybcd/) - I have a post about how to add Windows XP to Windows 7 boot manager manually. However, the post requires you to use the command line utility, bcdedit, which most people are not familiar with. Incorrect use of bcdedit could also render your system not being able to boot up properly. I found an excellent - [How to Repair Startup Problem in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/11/04/how-to-repair-startup-problem-in-windows-7/) - If you try to install Windows XP on a Windows 7 machine, you will find that you cannot boot your machine to Windows 7 anymore. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to repair your Windows 7 machine so that it can boot again. Download a Windows 7 Recovery CD image from this site and - [Windows Easy Transfer Temporary Profile Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/10/29/windows-easy-transfer-temporary-profile-error/) - I helped a user upgrade his XP machine to Windows 7. The first thing I did was to save his files on an external hard drive using Windows Easy Transfer. When I ran the Windows Easy Transfer Wizard, I got this message: "You're currently logged on using a temporary profile. Restart your computer and try - [How to Search the Internet Using an Image](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/10/27/how-to-search-the-internet-using-an-image/) - Most people know how to type in keywords on Google.com to search the information they need. What if you only had an image file, and you wanted to find out more about the subject in the image? For instance, say someone sends you a photo of an exotic car. You find it interesting, and you - [Free 3D Starter Pack for Mitsubishi 3D Ready DLP Home Cinema TV](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/10/17/free-3d-starter-pac-for-mitsubishi-3d-ready-dlp-home-cinema-tv/) - I was in the market for a big screen TV. Originally, I only looked at the regular 1080p sets without 3D capability because of budget concerns. Then, I found this great deal for a Mitsubishi TV. From now until 11/21/2010, if you buy a Mitsubishi 3D Ready DLP Home Cinema TV, you get a free - [OS X: cd /Volumes Returns Unknown Error 118](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/10/22/os-x-cd-volumes-returns-unknown-error-118/) - I spent most of the day helping a user fixed a problem with Xsan. The problem started last night. The user tried to create a share point, but the share point was not created successfully because the mount point was wrong. The share point was deleted afterward. However, the Xsan stopped working, and none of - [Mac OS: How to Open Shared Mailboxes on Outlook 2011](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/10/22/mac-os-how-to-open-shared-mailboxes-on-outlook-2011/) - We have several Exchange shared mailboxes that we use to get support emails. It's easy to set them up on Outlook 2007 or 2010. When we got Outlook 2011, however, we were unable to figure out how to open the shared mailboxes because the user interface had been changed again. Here is how to open - [Word 2011 Duplex Printing Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/10/15/word-2011-duplex-printing-problem/) - One user reported that he could not print in duplex in Word 2011. We tested some documents and found inconsistent results. For some documents, the duplex printing was okay. However, we could not get some documents to print in duplex. Further investigation showed that the ones we could not print in duplex were all in - [Outlook 2010: How to Export Emails](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/09/30/outlook-2010-how-to-export-emails/) - When Microsoft published Office 2007, the GUI change made a huge impact on the users. Outlook 2007 was spared at the time, and there was little change in the user interface. It is not so for Outlook 2010. This time, the GUI has completely changed, just like the other Office products. I spent quite a - [Xsan: Volume Cannot Start After Volume Expansion Failure](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/09/17/xsan-volume-cannot-start-after-volume-expansion-failure/) - We have more and more users switching to Mac. While the Macs are user friendly, their server products are not that great to use. We have a Xsan setup at work. I spent a lot of my time trying to add more disks to it to expand the existing volume. The RAID is a Promise - [Firefox: Ask.com Hijack](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/09/09/firefox-ask-com-hijack/) - When I tried out some software, I accidentally installed the Ask.com toolbar for Firefox. While the toolbar is easy to uninstall, there are some hidden settings which were also changed by the installer. For example, if I entered some words in the address bar and pressed enter, Firefox would redirect the page to Ask.com and - [Windows 7: Wireless Bridge](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/08/25/windows-7-wireless-bridge/) - I just got a Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ last week. It's a great device that can play a lot of different media formats at 1080p. The latest firmware also lets you stream Netflix movies. One problem I have is that it does not have a wireless network card. The FreeAgent Theater+ is placed by the TV - [Windows 7: How to Create an Ad Hoc Network](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/09/windows-7-how-to-create-an-ad-hoc-network/) - There are times when I want to create an ad hoc network to share files or a network connection. Here are the steps to create an ad hoc network in Windows 7. Click on Start (Windows icon) and type wireless. Click on Manage wireless networks. Click on Add to add a network. Click on Create - [How to Share Internet Connection with Ad Hoc Network on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/08/16/how-to-share-internet-connection-with-ad-hoc-network-on-windows-7/) - One of my blog's popular posts is a tutorial about how to create an Ad Hoc network on Windows 7. A lot of readers are asking how you can share an internet connection with Ad Hoc network. I spent some time over the weekend and wrote up this tutorial. Let me explain the scenario a - [How to Enable Flash Support on iPhone 4](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/08/12/how-to-enable-flash-support-on-iphone-4/) - One big issue with the iPhone or the iPad is that they do not support Flash. The only way to get Flash right now is to jailbreak your iPhone and install an application called Frash. The original steps to install Frash are not very straightforward. You need to know how to get the application binary - [How to Jailbreak iPhone 4 Using Mobile Safari](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/08/04/how-to-jailbreak-iphone-4-using-mobile-safari/) - If you have tried to jailbreak your iPhone before, you'll know that it is a big undertaking. There are a lot of files to download and a lot of steps to follow. The release of jailbreakme.com has changed all that. All you have to do is use the Mobile Safari to visit jailbreakme.com and slide - [Terminal Emulation through Serial Port on Leopard Server](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/07/31/terminal-emulation-through-serial-port-on-leopard-server/) - I was asked to help upgrade a Promise VTrak E-Class RAID connected to a Leopard server. The RAID was set up several years ago, and the previous guy did not leave any documentation about how to access it. The RAID has a built-in web server, but again, I did not even know the IP address. - [Panasonic Unveils the World's First 3D Shooting Camcorder](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/07/29/panasonic-unveils-the-worlds-first-3d-shooting-camcorder/) - Panasonic has recently released a new product: a 3D shooting camcorder with full high density, progressive movie recording and an advanced 3MOS system with 7.59 million effective motion image pixels. Its capabilities allow the user to capture large groups, even when shooting up close, as well as zoom in beautifully on shots of distant subjects. - [The Definitive HTML 5 Resources List](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/07/21/the-definitive-html-5-resources-list/) - Recently, there has been a lot of talk about HTML5; companies like Apple say that it will soon become a standard that will replace the ever-popular Flash platform. Six Revisions has compiled a list of resources to help you attain knowledge and information about this technology. One interesting fact that I learned from the list - [Apple Offers Free iPhone 4 Case](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/07/17/apple-offers-free-iphone-4-case/) - On friday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPhone case giveaway to consumers to fix the "death grip" problem: the wireless signal is sometimes muffled because the user is holding the device with a bare hand. This dilemma has been voiced by many users ever since the phone's release in the US three weeks ago. - [Use Your iPhone 4 as a Flash Light](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/07/15/use-your-iphone-4-as-a-flash-light/) - Do you remember those old iPhone apps that simply displayed a white background for you to use it as a fake flash light? With the introduction of the iPhone 4, you can use your iPhone 4 as a real flash light. There are several iPhone apps that can use the flash intended for camera as - [Office 2010 Installation Notes](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/07/08/office-2010-installation-notes/) - Customization Tool To use the customization tool, do the following: Invoke an elevated command prompt if you are using Vista and above. For Windows XP, just use the command prompt. In the command prompt, change directory to where the setup program is. Type setup /admin to invoke the customization tool. Change the settings as needed. - [Flash Player Silent Installation](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/09/flash-player-silent-installation/) - As an adminstrator, finding ways to install software silently is very important. I have not included Flash player as part of my installation script until yesterday. To install the version 10 silently, use the following command: IE: install_flash_player_ax.exe /silent FireFox: install_flash_player.exe /silent You have to close IE and FireFox first before you use these commands. - [Flash Player 10.1 Silent Installation](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/06/24/flash-player-10-1-silent-installation/) - Adobe has published the latest Flash player 10.1 which fixes a vulnerability that has plagued the player for a while. The download site for the player is here. http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ If you want to download the version for IE, use Firefox. Otherwise, the player will be installed automatically. Similarly, if you want to download the version - [iPhone 4 Unveiled](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/06/08/iphone-4-unveiled/) - iPhone 4 has many more capabilities compared to its predecessors. With FaceTime, video calling will be enabled with its new front-facing camera. Its increased 960-by-640 resolution in a 3.5 inch screen allows you to view images with a never-seen-before clarity. What's more, it can allow you to use multiple applications simultaneously without sacrificing performance or - [New Mobile Data Plans for iPad and iPhone from AT&T](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/06/02/new-mobile-data-plans-for-ipad-and-iphone-from-att/) - AT&T announced new mobile data plans for iPad and iPhone. There are two new plans introduced: DataPlus and DataPro. DataPlus charges $15.00 per month for 200MB of data. If you use more than 200MB, you will be charged for $15.00 for each additional 200MB. DataPro charges $25.00 per month for 2GB of data. The overage - [How to Upgrade a Fedora Installation to Release 13](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/27/how-to-upgrade-a-fedora-installation-to-release-13/) - If you have a Fedora 8 or above installation, you can upgrade it to the latest release 13 easily with an application called PreUpgrade. The application supports direct upgrade from Fedora 11 or Fedora 12, so you only have to run it once. Here is the official HOW TO page for PreUpgrade. How to use - [How to Manually Install Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client on Snow Leopard](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/21/how-to-manually-install-cisco-anyconnect-vpn-client-on-snow-leopard/) - Ever since we switched from Leopard to Snow Leopard, the old Cisco VPN client has not worked. The new Cisco AnyConnect VPN client is required. One user had troubles installing the client. I tried it myself and found that the installation was not straightforward. A bit of tinkering is required. Here are the steps: When - [How to Configure Backup in Windows 7 to Save Your Profile](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/17/how-to-configure-backup-in-windows-7-to-save-your-profile/) - I tried to use the default backup utility in Windows 7 to move my data from one hard drive to another. After the files were restored, I found that my Firefox settings and Thunderbird emails were not saved by the backup utility. This behavior is the same as the Easy Transfer Wizard. The non-MS application - [How to Create Bokeh Effect for Your Digital Photos](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/12/how-to-create-bokeh-effect-for-your-digital-photos/) - For those who are unfamiliar with bokeh, it is the blur in the out-of-focus areas of an image. This effect is easily achieved by using a DSLR camera. On a compact camera, it is difficult to have bokeh because of the small lens and sensor. You could however "simulate" bokeh effect using an image editor. - ["You Must be an Administrator" Error for Fix It Center Beta](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/07/you-must-be-an-administrator-error-for-fix-it-center-beta/) - Microsoft has a new tool for less experienced users to fix their Windows problems. It is available as a free download. You can supposedly fix your computer problems through simple clicks of the mouse. Microsoft FixIt Center Online When I tried to run it for the first time, I got this error message: "You must - [ClamCase Transforms an iPad into a Tablet Laptop](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/07/clamcase-transforms-an-ipad-into-a-tablet-laptop/) - When the iPad first came out, I went to try it and was impressed by the performance. However, I was kind of disappointed about the on-screen keyboard. You cannot really touch type using the on-screen keyboard. Even though Apple does sell an add-on keyboard, its implementation is not quite there yet, and it is limited - [New Technology for Creating 3D Posters](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/06/new-technology-for-creating-3d-posters/) - With the technology available to us now, manufacturers will soon be able to advertise with 3D posters that don't require special eyewear of any sort. Modern lighting techniques help create 3D images that can measure up to five meters in size. This advertisement utilizes three dimensional technology to allow the observer to gain a sense - ["Cannot access the kernel driver" Error after Upgrading to VirtualBox 3.1.6](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/05/cannot-access-the-kernel-driver-error-after-upgrading-to-virtualbox-3-1-6/) - I started to have a lot of problems with VirtualBox on my Windows 7 box about two weeks ago. Whenever I tried to shut down a virtual machine, it crashed, and the state of the VM could not be saved successfully. The new version of VirtualBox came out around the same time I had the - [Program Installation Problems on a Windows XP Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/05/03/program-installation-problems-on-a-windows-xp-computer/) - One user reported a problem with a .NET application on a Windows XP computer. The .NET application ran fine when the user first tried it. However, it stopped working after a while. At first, I thought that it was directly related to the .NET framework installation. I then tried to reinstall the .NET framework. The - [Free Audio Books Available Online](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/30/free-audio-books-available-online/) - On http://booksshouldbefree.com/, people can download audio books for free as an MP3 or an iTunes file. Available in over twenty languages, the collection includes works by classic writers like esteemed poet Robert Frost; author of Frankenstein, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley; Edgar Rice Burroughs; Jules Verne, known for Journey to the Center of the Earth; and, from - [New Malware Targeting iPad Users via iTunes Update](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/29/new-malware-targeting-ipad-users-via-itunes-update/) - BitDefender has issued a warning about a malware targeting iPad users. The malware comes in the form of an email which encourages the iPad users to download the latest version of iTunes for Windows. The email provides a link for downloading a trojan disguised as itunesetup.exe. This trojan only infects Windows machines. It does not - [Free DVD to iPhone Converter for Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/27/free-dvd-to-iphone-converter-for-mac-os-x/) - If you ever wonder how can you convert the DVD you own to iPhone format, here is a perfect program for it. This free program is available for Mac OS X. A paid version is also available for Windows. In addition to DVD to iPhone video conversion, it can also extract music and image from - [How to Restore a Computer Affected by McAfee DAT 5958](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/21/how-to-restore-a-computer-affected-by-mcafee-dat-5958/) - McAfee released a virus definition file DAT 5958 today. After the virus definition file has been installed, it will identify a legit system file (svchost.exe) and move it to quarantine. As the file is an important system file, the system will not function properly without it. Major symptoms includes no network access and missing task - [How to Sort Photos by EXIF Data](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/21/how-to-sort-photos-by-exif-data/) - When I used OS X as my main OS, I used iPhoto to manage my photo collection. One feature that I like the most is the photos are sorted by the date taken. I could not find a similar photo management program on Windows. What I want to do is simple. I want to sort - [How to Install a WebCam Instant in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/16/how-to-install-a-webcam-instant-in-windows-7/) - I have a Creative Lab WebCam Instant that I bought several years ago. I didn't try it in Windows 7 until last week. When it was connected to a Windows 7 laptop, the installation failed because there was no driver available. I had some good experience with using Vista driver in Windows 7, so I - [XP AntiMalware 2010 Removal](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/14/xp-antimalware-2010-removal/) - We have seen a few machines get hit by this virus. The symptom of an infection is that you see an unknown AntiMalware or AntiVirus window pop up and scan your hard drive automatically. After the "scanning" session is done, it informs you that the machine is infected by virus and asks you to upgrade - [Opera Mini Web Browser for iPhone Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/13/opera-mini-web-brower-for-iphone-available/) - Apple has finally approved the Opera Mini browser for the iPhone. Here is the link. Opera Mini Web Browser The company claims that they use their servers to compress the data before sending it to your iPhone to speed up page-loads. I did a rudimentary test, and it took Safari 23 seconds to load kombitz.com - [How to Enable Recent Items in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/08/how-to-enable-recent-items-in-windows-7/) - The recent items (recent documents in XP) is not enabled in Windows 7 by default. Here are the steps to enable it. Right click on the Windows button and select Properties. Click on the Start Menu tab and make sure the Store and display recently opened items in the Start menu and the taskbar box - [Microphone Problem under Windows 7 and Vista](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/14/microphone-problem-under-windows-7-and-vista/) - After I installed the Realtek audio driver on my MacBook under Windows 7 Beta, I could hear music just fine. However, I found that I could not record anything through the microphone. I checked my other MacBook under Vista, and the microphone didn't work, either. I checked another laptop with Windows 7 Beta, and still, - [Retailers to Offer Windows Anytime Upgrade Discount Next Week](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/08/retailers-to-offer-windows-anytime-upgrade-discount-next-week/) - With the school year coming to a close, parents often start looking for a new PC to give to their children when they start college in the fall. The next step, after choosing your ideal computer, is to make sure that you are using the right edition of Windows 7. If you use your PC - [How to Disassemble an iPad](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/05/how-to-disassemble-an-ipad/) - On ifixit.com, you can see how to methodically take apart Apple's new iPad. This disassembling reveals the environmentally friendly parts of the device, and shows how to take it apart without using a heat gun or heavily damaging the machine. Interested? Click here. - [iPad Reviews](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/01/ipad-reviews/) - iPad reviews are popping out. Here is a list of reviews available: PC Magazine Wall Street Journal Time USA Today Boing Boing Houston Chronicles The New York Times The reviews are all very positive. The reviewers praise the performance of iPad in general and the 10+ hrs battery life is exceptional. The onscreen keyboard leaves - [Google Street View Goes 3D](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/02/google-street-view-goes-3d/) - On April 1, Google introduced Street View in 3D. The technology used is anaglyphic, meaning that your typical cyan/green 3D glasses can be worn for the effect when using this. Sets of glasses can be found with 3D movies, like Coraline, and used to view the world online from a new perspective. Although the change - [New iPhone Coming This Summer](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/04/01/new-iphone-coming-this-summer/) - According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is currently developing a new iPhone to debut this summer, along with a new model for Verizon Wireless. No further details have been given on this yet, but this piece of news isn't shocking: this summer will mark the one-year anniversary of the iPhone 3GS. There have also - [Sigmatel Audio Driver for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/31/sigmatel-audio-driver-for-windows-7/) - A lot of people are looking for the Sigmatel audio driver for Windows 7. The short answer to this quesstion is that there is NO Sigmatel audio driver for Windows 7. The company's PC audio solution was bought by IDT, and the support for it has been discontinued. Fortunately, there is a way to work - [Free MapQuest 4 Mobile for iPhone Offers Voice Guidance ](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/30/free-mapquest-4-mobile-for-iphone-offers-voice-guidance/) - One major drawback of using Google Map on the iPhone is that it does not offer voice guidance. Therefore, it is not suitable for navigation unless you have someone read the directions for you. However, the newly updated MapQuest 4 Mobile now offers voice guidance at an attractive price: it's free. On top of the - [Nintendo Announces the First 3D Portable Gaming Device - 3DS](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/26/nintendo-announces-the-first-3d-portable-gaming-device-3ds/) - Nintendo has announced its newest portable gaming device: the Nintendo 3DS. The company provided limited information about the product at a press release in Japan, informing us that the new system will use two screens, will not require special glasses, and will be compatible with current DS and DSi games. Consumers can expect it, at - [How to Clean Clogged Inkjet Print Heads](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/25/how-to-clean-clogged-inkjet-print-heads-2/) - Inkjet printers are so inexpensive nowadays, sometimes it is cheaper to buy a new one rather than getting it fixed. However, it is not good for the environment. One common problem for inkjet printers is when the print heads get clogged up. On some printers, you can just replace the ink cartridge; for others, you - [List of Diagnostic, Maintenance and Repair Utilities for Mac](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/23/list-of-diagnostic-maintenance-and-repair-utilities-for-mac/) - As a system admin, I am always on the lookout for utility programs for the OS I support. Although most machines use Windows, we do have quite a few Macs. Both versiontracker.com and download.com offer comprehensive lists of programs available for download. However, it is difficult to know what are the better/best programs out there, - [Panasonic 3-D TVs Sell Out in the First Week](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/24/panasonic-3-d-tvs-sell-out-in-the-first-week/) - Panasonic said its 3-D TVs sold out in the United States in the first week, boosting the morale of those that hope that 3-D technology can extend to living rooms and help boost profits. TV makers are gambling on movies like James Cameron's "Avatar," and sports events like the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to increase - [Blockbuster Brings New Releases to Android, Windows Mobile Phones](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/19/blockbuster-brings-new-releases-to-android-windows-mobile-phones/) - Starting on the 24th of March, Blockbuster is bringing its OnDemand service to Google Android and Windows Mobile phones, with the release of the T-Mobile HTC HD2 smartphone. This phone will allow Blockbuster customers to download and view new movies instantly and gain access to queue management and movie locators tools. They are currently working - [Kindle for Mac Available for Download](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/19/kindle-for-mac-available-for-download/) - Amazon has released Kindle for Mac application. Mac users can now access their Kindle book library from their Mac computers. When you first run the application, there is no books on the Home screen. Click on Archived Items to access your library. If you have no books in your library, click on Shop in Kindle - [Updating SpeedCam file for Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/11/27/updating-speedcam-file-for-mio-c230/) - [8/28/2008] Updated post The default speedcam file for Mio C230 has 0 speed camera which is not useful. I found this post that you can download the speed camera files for US. You will need to register in order to download the attached zip file. The file is called "speedcam script.zip". Unzip the file and - [Internet Explorer 9 Platform Review Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/16/internet-explorer-9-platform-review-available/) - Microsoft has announced that the Internet Explorer 9 Platform Review is available today. The download is for Windows Vista SP2 (32bit or 64bit) or Windows 7 (32bit or 64bit). On Vista, Internet Explorer 8 and Direct 2D (D2D) are also required. Unlike a beta release, the platform review is very limited in the user interface. - [Paris 26 Gigapixels](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/15/paris-26-gigapixels/) - This site, a project made by Kolor and photographers Arnaud Frich and Martin Loyer, takes visitors through an interactive virtual tour of the French capital. Easily navigable, people are able to zoom in on different parts of the city, pan around the area, and click on shortcuts to popular hot spots, like the all-too-famous Eiffel - [Sony Introduces PS3 Motion Controller - Move](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/12/sony-introduced-ps3-motion-controller-move/) - On March 10, Sony officially announced the PlayStation Move controller, which is the finished version of its PS3 motion controller. Similar to that of the Nintendo Wii controller, a camera is used to detect its movement from the position of an orb located at the top of the controller. Also, it has a sub-controller with - [iPad Pre-Orders Start Today](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/12/ipad-pre-orders-start-today/) - The much anticipated iPad pre-orders start today. If you want to get your iPad on the day of launch: April 3rd for the Wi-Fi model and late April for the Wi-Fi + 3G model, you have to act now. Apple Store iPad Pre-Order Link - [Panasonic and Best Buy to Launch 3D TVs](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/10/panasonic-and-best-buy-to-launch-3d-tvs/) - Panasonic has recently partnered with Best Buy to promote their 3-D televisions, discounting their models up to 50% in an effort to encourage consumers' adoption of the technology. A 50-inch TV will be sold for about $2,499.95; in Japan, the same model will be sold for about $4,800.They also hope to call back consumer demand - [VirtualBox 3.1.4 Guest Additions and Fedora 12 Guest Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/09/virtualbox-3-1-4-guest-additions-and-fedora-12-guest-problem/) - There is a problem with Fedora 12 kernel version 2.6.32.9-67 and the VirtualBox 3.1.4 Guest Additions. After you install the Guest Additions and reboot the virtual machine, you can only see a black screen. Usually, I would either press CTRL+ALT+F1 to get to the shell terminal to change settings or edit the Grub menu to - [ASUS Goes Green at CeBIT](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/04/asus-goes-green-at-cebit/) - ASUS has gone green, showing new green technology and innovations at this year's CeBIT. Manufacturing processes have been changed to be more conservative, and various products have been tweaked with to be more energy-efficient. More packaging of their items have become recyclable. Products they have revolutionized include their notebooks (made of bamboo, which is a - [How to Reduce Digital Photos Noise Using Free Tools](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/05/how-to-reduce-digital-photos-noise-using-free-tools/) - I recently got a used Kodak Pro SLR/c camera. It shoots excellent pictures at a low ISO. However, the picture quality degrades greatly at a higher ISO because of noise. One time I accidentally set the ISO to 800, and almost all of the photos were not usable. There are quite a few Photoshop plug-ins - [iPad Coming April 3rd](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/05/ipad-coming-april-3rd/) - Apple has just announced the iPad's release date: April 3rd. You can pre-order it on the Apple Online Store starting March 12 or reserve it for pickup at your local Apple Retail Store. The starting price is set at $499 (16GB Wi-Fi) or $629 (16GB Wi-Fi + 3G). The Wi-Fi + 3G model is not - [iPad SDK Support for Front Facing Camera, Camera Flash, Zoom and Video Conferencing](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/27/ipad-sdk-support-for-front-facing-camera-camera-flash-zoom-and-video-conferencing/) - In late January, Apple introduced the iPad while making no mention of a camera on either the front or back of the device. Because of this, photos and video chat cannot be used on the iPad, even though there are several indications showing that a camera had been thought of for use. For instance, the - [Vista Elevated Command Prompt](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/02/14/vista-elevated-command-prompt/) - When you first use Vista's command prompt as an administrator, you might be surprised to know that you don't get any admin priviledges. On Vista, you'll need to elevate the command prompt in order to do admin functions. Here is how you get an elevated command prompt. Click on Start button. In the Search box, - [Microsoft Security Advisory: F1 Key and Internet Explorer](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/03/microsoft-security-advisory-f1-key-and-internet-explorer/) - Microsoft has issued an advisory about a vulnerability in VBScript through the use of Internet Explorer on Windows 2000, XP and 2003 server. A malicious web site might trick you to press F1 key when you use Internet Explorer to visit the site. If you do, your computer will be infected by a virus or - [Google Adds User Photos to Street View](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/03/01/google-adds-user-photos-to-street-view/) - In Google Maps, Street View has become increasingly complex, with more features than before. It has now included an extensive collection of photos taken everywhere around the world by users, allowing you to see streets and roads in new perspectives. It also lets you navigate through an unfamiliar area with ease and enhance your understanding - [How to Add Vista to Windows 7 Boot Manager](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/09/how-to-add-vista-to-windows-7-boot-manager/) - [Update: This is for adding Vista to Windows 7 Boot Manager. For adding Windows XP, please see this post.] Ok, you have installed Windows 7 Beta on your Vista machine, and you cannot boot to Vista any more. What can you do? This is exactly what I ran into. Let me tell you how to - [iPhone 3G "No SIM card installed." Problem Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/12/iphone-3g-no-sim-card-installed-problem-solved/) - After waiting for 4 hours at my local Apple store, I finally got my iPhone. Like everyone else, I was so excited and hurried home. When I got home, I started to play around with it. When I handled the iPhone, I noticed that the bottom felt hot. Without taking much notice of it, I - [Synaptics Touchpad Driver for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/11/synaptics-touchpad-driver-for-windows-7/) - When I installed Windows 7 Beta on my Acer Ferrari 3400, the Synaptics Touchpad was recognized as a PS/2 compatible mouse. I missed the scroll function of the touchpad driver. Since the Windows 7 is just beta, there is no dedicated driver for it. However, I found that the driver for Vista is working just - [How to Fix Password Problems When Connected to a Workgroup Computer in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/23/how-to-fix-password-problems-when-connect-to-a-workgroup-computer-in-windows-7/) - When you try to connect to a workgroup computer from a Windows 7 machine, you might run into problems where your password is not accepted even though you are sure you typed the password correctly. The problem is not that the password is wrong; it has to do with the authentication method. By default, Windows - [Free Peggle Nights Game for Your Friend](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/24/free-peggle-nights-game-for-your-friend/) - PopCap offers a free Peggle Nights game for the PC or Mac for your friend when you sign up for their Passport membership along with their newsletter subscription. The sign up process is easy, and it only takes a few minutes. You will receive a confirmation email from them after you sign up. Follow the - [Directory Utility and NFS Mount on Snow Leopard](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/22/directory-utility-and-nfs-mount-on-snow-leopard/) - You use Directory Utility to join a Mac to an Open Directory in Leopard. It's convenient because you only need to use one application. When I tried to add a new iMac running Snow Leopard to our Open Directory, I found that there is no Directory Utility in /Applications/Utilities . The utility is hidden in - [Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/22/microsoft-office-compatibility-pack-problem/) - It has been several years since Microsoft introduced Office 2007. However, a lot of people still do not want to upgrade because of the interface issue. For users who do not want to switch, I install a program called Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats so the Office 2003 users - [One Free MP3 Download Everyday from VolumeVote](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/19/one-free-mp3-download-everyday-from-volumevote/) - VolumeVote offers one free MP3 download everyday. Each download is available only for a day. You might want to subscribe to their RSS feed so you don't miss any good song. While you are there, don't forget to vote for your favorite song on the home page. The top rated song will be available for - [Acrobat Preview and Thumbnails not Working in Windows 7 64bit](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/18/acrobat-preview-and-thumbnails-not-working-in-windows-7-64bit/) - I usually do not have preview pane activated in Windows Explorer, so I did not notice the Acrobat preview under Windows 7 64bit is broken. Further investigation shows that not only the preview doesn't work, the thumbnails do not work either. The issue is actually over 2 years old. It happened ever since Microsoft introduced - [Screenshot of Kombitz Version 2](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/17/screenshot-of-kombitz-version-2/) - I am planning to use a new theme for the blog. As usual, here is a screenshot of the old kombitz version 2. The new theme is working quite well. It should be done in a day or two. - [How to Upgrade Ubuntu 9.04 to 9.10](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/09/how-to-upgrade-ubuntu-9-04-to-9-10/) - I downloaded the ISO image of Ubuntu 9.10 last week. Before I created a new virtual machine in VirtualBox, I realized that I have never upgraded Ubuntu before. So I decided to try upgrading my old installation of 9.04 to 9.10. The upgrading process is very simple if you have 9.04. There is an official - [Intel Matrix Storage Console 8.9 and iaStor Event ID 9 Logs](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/16/intel-matrix-storage-console-8-9-and-iastor-event-id-9-logs/) - When I built my i7 workstation, I used the Intel ICH10R controller to build a RAID 5 RAID. The RAID runs fine for 5 months. I have run into a lot of troubles with the RAID starting since one month ago. It started when I first noticed my RAID got degraded. While I was trying - [Boot Camp 3.1 Update Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/12/boot-camp-3-1-update-available/) - Boot Camp 3.1 Update is available for both 32 bit and 64 bit Windows. This is a must-have update if you use Boot Camp 3.0 on Windows 7. This is from the download page: This update adds support for Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate), addresses issues with the Apple trackpad, turns off the - [Microsoft 2010 Feb Patch BSOD Problem - KB977165](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/11/microsoft-2010-feb-patch-bsod-problem-kb977165/) - Quite a few people have reported their Windows computers got BSOD after applying this month's patches. This thread has some of the reports. The exact cause is not known yet. However, people have reported to get their machines back to normal by uninstalling the patch KB977165. If you have access to your Windows XP CD - [How to Edit EXIF Date on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/05/how-to-edit-exif-date-on-windows-7/) - When I installed a new battery of my digital camera, I input a wrong date into the clock. I did not notice the problem until I found that the date taken of the EXIF is wrong. In search for a way to edit the date back to the correct date, I found a program called - [PHP XML Problem - Hyphen in the Element Name](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/10/php-xml-problem-hyphen-in-the-element-name/) - I have been playing with PHP and web services lately. As I did not learn PHP from the ground up, I just tried to assemble my code base upon the examples I gathered. One problem puzzled me for a long time. I didn't figure out what the problem is until I rewrote the program in - [Thunderbird New Messages Notification on Shared Folders](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/08/thunderbird-new-messages-notification-on-shared-folders/) - I use Thunderbird for my work emails. It works pretty well except there is one thing that troubles me for a long time. I have several IMAP shared folder on my account. Thunderbird does not check the new messages on these folders. I had to manually click on these folders to check. This is very - [Windows 7 Installation Resources](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/21/windows-7-installation-resources/) - Here is a list of articles on kombitz.com about installation of Windows 7. How To Use Windows Easy Transfer to Transfer FireFox and Thunderbird Profiles on Windows 7 Installing Windows 7 x64 RC on a MacBook Windows 7 RC Migration Options ATI Catalyst Driver for Windows 7 Beta Windows 7: Folder in Navigation Pane Does - [LinkShare Web Services Coupon Feed PHP Example](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/02/04/linkshare-web-services-coupon-feed-php-example/) - I was working on a PHP page to dynamically generate the links to coupons offered by my advertisers from LinkShare network. Suddenly, LinkShare has terminated my account without a reason. The page is useless now that I am no longer an affiliate. I am listing my code here so that at least someone can benefit - [Free eBook: First Look Microsoft Office 2010 ](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/30/free-ebook-first-look-microsoft-office-2010/) - Microsoft Press is offering an eBook - "First Look Microsoft Office 2010" for free. Two formats are offered: XPS and PDF. Please follow this link to get the free eBook. Free ebook: First Look Microsoft Office 2010 The destination page is temporary. If you want to get updates about it, don't forget to register on - [Alps Touchpad Driver for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/27/alps-touchpad-driver-for-windows-7/) - A lot of my readers have tried to use the Synaptics driver on their Dell laptops when they found my post about it. However, some Dell laptops do not have touchpads made by Synaptics. They have Alps touchpads. If you are not sure about what kind of touchpad you have, please see this post about - [How to Replace Memory for Asus Eee PC 1000HE](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/13/how-to-replace-memory-for-asus-eee-pc-1000he/) - I helped a user with his Eee PC 1000HE and the first thing I did is to replace the memory. The 1000HE comes with 1GB of memory and it has only one slot. Therefore, you cannot just add memory to it, you have to replace the old one. The memory I added is a OCZ - [How to Get Free Kindle Books on Your iPhone](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/04/how-to-get-free-kindle-books-on-your-iphone/) - Amazon has just published Kindle for iPhone. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to get the free Kindle books on your iPhone. You'll need a valid Amazon account to proceed. On your iPhone, invoke App Store. Search for Kindle for iPhone and install the application. Invoke Kindle for iPhone and register using your Amazon - [Ricoh Card Reader R5C833 Windows 7 Driver](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/26/ricoh-card-reader-r5c833-windows-7-driver/) - When I installed Windows 7 on a Dell Inspiron 1420, the only drivers shown missing are for the card reader. The Dell support web site doesn't list Windows 7 drivers under Inspiron 1420, but I found this driver working just fine. Please click on the following link for the download page. Ricoh Card Reader R5C833 - [Sony VAIO Netbook $299 from Microsoft Store](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/21/sony-vaio-netbook-299-from-microsoft-store/) - Microsoft Store has Sony VAIO Netbook VPCW121AX (Pink) for $299.00 plus tax (free shipping). The list price is $499.00. Use this coupon code: MSStore2-PC-40% to get the $200 discount. (Enter this code at the last page of check out screen, after payment information) Some notable feature of the this netbook are: 10.1" LED backlight high resolution - [Playstation 3: Register to Get a Free Movie Download](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/18/playstation-3-register-to-get-a-free-movie-download/) - If you have a Playstation 3 or other DivX certified device, you can get one free movie download when you register. You will need the DivX VOD Registration Code from your PS3 to register. Here is a video showing you how to get the registration code. Once you have the registration code, go to http://moviepromo.divx.com/ - [Free Parental Control Program from Microsoft](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/04/free-parental-control-program-from-microsoft/) - Microsoft offers Family Safety, a parental control program, for free as part of its Windows Live Essentials initiative. The program runs on Windows XP (32bit only), Windows Vista (32bit or 64bit) and Windows 7 (32bit or 64bit). This program offers the following functionality: Windows Accounts: Create different filters for each account and get reports. Content - [Free iPhone/iPod Touch App a Day](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/20/free-iphoneipod-touch-app-a-day/) - Back in December of last year, I reported a web site that offers one free iPhone/iPod Touch game daily for a month. I got some good games during the promotion. A new site goes live this month, which also offers one free app(mostly games) every day. The promotion ends on April 1st, so you get - [How to Diable Firefox's Virus Scanning](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/15/how-to-diable-firefoxs-virus-scanning/) - A feature of Firefox is that it calls your Anti Virus program to scan the downloaded files automatically upon completion of the download process. This feature is nice that it adds an additional layer of protection. However, there are times when you want to disable it. I was downloading a huge file from a trusted - [HP Color LaserJet 2605dn Duplex Printing in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/14/hp-color-laserjet-2605dn-duplex-printing-in-windows-7/) - I have an old HP Color LaserJet 2605dn in my office. When I first set it up in Windows 7, I used the HP Color LaserJet 2605/2605dn/2605dtn PS driver from Microsoft. It worked quite well until I tried to print something in duplex. I spent a lot of time trying to find the duplex option - [How to Enable GodMode in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/11/how-to-enable-godmode-in-windows-7/) - There is a hidden feature of Windows 7 called GodMode. Once enabled, you have a folder full of shortcuts to various settings. Here is how to enable it. Right click on the desktop and select New -> Folder. Change the new folder's name to GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} - [Event ID 4105 on a Windows 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services Server](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/11/event-id-4105-on-a-windows-2008-r2-remote-desktop-services-server/) - We are rolling out a new Windows 2008 R2 server for remote desktop services(formerly terminal services). We decided to use the Per User CAL license model. After I activated the remote desktop services license server, I wanted to make sure the license server is running OK, so I asked my user to log on. I - [goHastings 2 Day Sale - 40% Off on All Used Blu-Ray Movies](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/08/gohastings-2-day-sale-40-off-on-all-used-blu-ray-movies/) - goHastings.com is having a big used Blu-ray movies sale. All used Blu-ray movies are 40% off. A lot of new releases titles are all on sale. Here are some examples: District 9 - $11.99 Inglourious Basterds - $9.68 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - $6.34 Terminator Salvation - $8.25 Night at the Museum: Battle - [How to Disable Indexing in Thunderbird 3](https://www.kombitz.com/2010/01/07/how-to-disable-indexing-in-thunderbird-3/) - The first time you start up Thunderbird, you notice that it's indexing your emails and feeds. If you do not think indexing is going to do you any good. You can disable it. Click on Tools -> Options.... Click on Advanced and uncheck Enable Global Search and Indexer. Click on OK to close the dialog - [Free Map Update for Mio Moov and Knight Rider GPS](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/09/08/free-map-update-for-mio-moov-and-knight-rider-gps/) - Mio Tech has just announced a special one-time offer for one Free Map Update for Mio Moov and Knight Rider GPS customers, who purchased a unit between 4/1/2008 and 1/20/2009. You must register first, otherwise you have to purchase it later on. Please see this page for details. They have a new web site up - [Better Rechargeable Batteries for Your Camera](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/12/10/better-rechargeable-batteries-for-your-camera/) - When I bought my first digital camera, I spent $75 just to get a spare battery. It is not cost effective. When I was choosing my second camera, I wanted one that can take regular AAA batteries. My decision was only partially right. Now that I have a camera that can take regular AAA rechargeable - [How to Download Free Games for iPod Video 5G and 5.5G](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/24/how-to-download-free-games-for-ipod-video-5g-and-5-5g/) - I ran across this article today. Even though I don't have a comparable device, I think some of you might be benefit from it. The article is for changing the firmware of iPod Video 5G or 5.5G. With the new firmware, you can download some free public domain games. The tutorial is for Windows computers. - [Brother Laser Printer "Toner Life End" Message](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/29/brother-laser-printer-toner-life-end-message/) - When I purchased my Brother Laser Printer HL-2170W, I was aware of the notorious premature "toner life end" problem. The printer has a sensor for the toner, it would stop printing when the toner is low. The problem is often times the printer stops working even when the toner is perfectly fine. My printer stopped - [How to Join Downloaded Video Files Using Avidemux](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/18/how-to-join-downloaded-video-files-using-avidemux/) - If you have downloaded some online videos for offline use, you might run to the situation that a large video file got split into several small video files. In this tutorial, I am going to show you how to join multiple video files. Note that in order for this to work, all the video files - [iTunes Gift Certificate - "Your credit card was declined"](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/15/itunes-gift-certificate-your-credit-card-was-declined/) - I have been trying to buy an iTunes gift certificate for a few days. Every time I tried it, I got this message saying: Your credit card was declined. Please click Billing Info and update your payment information. If you cancel you may not be able to buy until this billing issue has been resolved - [How to Set 32-bit Java as Default in Snow Leopard](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/14/how-to-set-32-bit-java-as-default-in-snow-leopard/) - When you run a Java application on Snow Leopard, the 64-bit Java is used by default. This might be problematic when you run some older applications. We ran to this problem earlier when a user tried to activate his Matlab license. The message he got is There was an unexpected exception: Can't load library: / - [How to Determine Volume Path on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/10/how-to-determine-volume-path-on-windows-7/) - When I worked on my user's computer for a possible disk problem, I found this event in the event log. Log Name: System Source: Ntfs Date: 12/9/2009 12:40:53 PM Event ID: 55 Task Category: (2) Level: Error Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Description: The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable. Please - [How to Install 64 bit Printer Drivers to 32 bit Windows Servers](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/31/how-to-install-64-bit-printer-drivers-to-32-bit-windows-servers/) - We just started to deploy 64 bit Windows machines and the first problem encountered is the printer drivers. Our server is still running 32 bit Windows 2003 server and it has no 64 bit printer drivers. I first try to install the additional drivers on the server, but it requires me to provide the 64 - [Windows 7: Media Streaming](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/22/windows-7-media-streaming/) - Windows 7 has made sharing media easy. You can streaming your music and videos to other computers or devices on the network. Here are the steps. Click on Start and type Media Streaming. Click on Media Streaming Options under Control Panel. Click on Turn on media streaming. The media server is ready. You can fine - [Netflix for PS3 Cheat Sheet](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/17/netflix-for-ps3-cheat-sheet/) - Just got my Netflix instant streaming disc for PS3 last week. The interface is intuitive, but there is not a manual or help about what the buttons on your pad are for. I am compiling this cheat sheet for reference. Hope this is useful. I'll also update the post once I learn more about Netflix - [Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox 360 Sale](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/08/modern-warfare-2-for-xbox-360-sale/) - Microsoft Store has Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox 360 on sale for $41.99 + free shipping. Click on the following link to get the deal. Save 30% every week on a featured Xbox game at the Microsoft Store. See site for more details! - [Windows 7 Installation Using a USB Drive](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/04/windows-7-installation-using-a-usb-drive/) - I have heard that you can use a USB drive to install Windows 7 for a while, but I have not tried it myself. I got a chance to do it yesterday, and I was surprised how easy it is. There are several guides when you google it. The one I used to prepare my - [Free Daily iPhone/iPod Games before Christmas 2009](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/03/free-daily-iphoneipod-games-before-christmas-2009/) - BlackSmith Games is offering one free iPhone/iPod game every day before Christmas 2009. To get the games, visit the following site: http://appventcalendar.com/ Each game is free only for one day. You can install the game using the provided AppStore link through iTunes, or simply use your iPhone's AppStore application to search for the game. - [Fedora 12 and VirtualBox 3.0 Guest Additions](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/12/01/fedora-12-and-virtualbox-3-guest-additions/) - To install VirtualBox 3.0 Guest Additions on a Fedora 12 virtual machine, follow these steps. In the virtual machine's menu, click on Devices -> Install Guest Additions . The guest additions CD image is mounted. A message pops up asking about autorun. Click on Cancel. Click on the Applications -> System Tools -> Terminal to - [Cyber Monday Deals](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/29/cyber-monday-deals/) - Abe's of Maine: AVG: Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale! Save $5 on 1 year of AVG Anti-Virus and $10 on 1 year of AVG Internet Security. Best Buy: Buy.com: ClubMac: CompUSA: Dell Small Business: Dell Small Business: Cyber Monday Offers- Sale begins 11.30! NewEgg.com: Discovery Channel: 11/30: Cyber Monday Deals - Our Lowest Prices EVER! One - [Download Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/18/download-microsoft-office-professional-plus-2010-beta/) - Microsoft has made the new Office 2010 Beta download available to general public. As with any other download from Microsoft, it's better to use Internet Explorer for downloading. If you want to use Firefox, make sure you have Java installed. The sign up site for downloading is here. http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/download-office-professional-plus/default.aspx You also need to have a - [Windows 7: Stocks Gadget](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/13/windows-7-stocks-gadget/) - When Microsoft released Windows 7, the stocks gadget was left out. One of our readers has pointed out this great gadget that works under Windows 7. This is adapted from the original stocks gadget for Vista. Here is the link to the download page. Note that the quotes are delayed by 20 minutes. If you - [MacHeist Offers nanoBundle for Free - Today Only](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/12/macheist-offers-nanobundle-for-free-today-only/) - MacHeist offers their nanoBundle for free today. Originally priced at $154 and it's now free for a limited time. The bundle includes the following 6 apps: ShoveBox "Catch all the little scraps of information that you can’t immediately act on, but don’t want to forget. ShoveBox sits up in your menu bar, waiting for you - [Windows 7 Installation: Fail to Format the Partition (0x80070057)](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/10/windows-7-installation-fail-to-format-the-partition-0x80070057/) - While I was rebuilding a Gateway desktop with Windows 7, I got this message Fail to format the partition (0x80070057). The wording is not exact, but you get the idea. The second time I tried it, same error message. Before I took out the hard drive and test it, I decided to delete the partition - [Windows 7: How to Install Drivers for Unknown Devices](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/09/windows-7-how-to-install-drivers-for-unknown-devices/) - Windows 7 comes with a lot of drivers, but you might still have quite a few devices not recognized by the installer. Here is a short guide about how to find the proper drivers for the unknown devices. Click on Start and type in Device Manager. Click on Device Manager under Control Panel. Scroll down - [Silent Install for Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/09/08/silent-install-for-microsoft-office-2007-compatibility-pack/) - As more and more people use Office 2007, I got several requests from old Office users to install the compatibility pack. If you are interested in installing this pack silently, just use this command to achieve it. FileFormatConverters.exe /quiet /norestart - [Windows 7: Classic Menu](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/04/windows-7-classic-menu/) - One feature I like about Windows 7 is the start menu. I can simply find what I want by typing the name of the item I am looking for. However, not everyone likes the start menu. I have been asked several times about getting the classic menu (Windows 2000 style) back. Unlike Vista, Windows 7 - [How to Batch Convert WAV to MP3](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/03/how-to-batch-convert-wav-to-mp3/) - There are a lot of audio converters on the market, but I couldn't find a free one that can batch convert WAV files to MP3 files. My task is simply - I have a lot of speech recording files in WAV format, I just want to convert them all to MP3 files. While I was - [Mac Mini and 30" Monitor](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/11/02/mac-mini-and-30-monitor/) - We just got some new Mac Minis last week. I helped one user to set one up with a Dell 30" monitor. We used the included Mini-DVI to DVI adapter to connect the Mac Mini and the monitor. When the machine was up and running, we found that the maximum resolution is only 1280x800 which - [Windows 7 Upgrade for Students and Faculty - $29.99](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/29/windows-7-upgrade-for-students-and-faculty-29-99/) - If you are a student or a faculty member with a valid email address ending in ".edu", you can purchase the Windows 7 upgrade for $29.99. Visit http://www.win741.com for this deal. Please see this list of eligible universities and colleges that do not offer emails ending in ".edu". You can choose either Home Premium or - [Windows 7: How to Uninstall a Device](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/27/windows-7-how-to-uninstall-a-device/) - You just tried out a new driver for your device and it did not work. It might be useful to uninstall the device completely and start the installation fresh. To uninstall a device, do the following steps: Log on the computer using an admin account. Click on the Windows icon and type device manager. Click on Device - [Windows 7: Media Server](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/27/windows-7-media-server/) - [Update: 10/22/2009] This option has been changed. Please see this post about how to configure it. If you ever want to use your Windows machine as a steaming media server, Windows 7 Beta makes it easy to do so. Here are the steps. Click on Start and type Media Devices. Click on Share with Media - [Apple Announces New Macs](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/20/apple-announces-new-macs/) - Days before Windows 7 goes public, Apple announces its new line up of Macs today. Here are some of the highlights. Macbook Unibody enclosure 7-hour battery LED backlight display Glass multi-touch trackpad Magic Mouse First multi-touch mouse iMac Bigger 27" or 21.5" screen Comes standard with a wireless keyboard and a Magic mouse quad-core processor - [How to Run Live Android or Other LiveCD on VirtualBox](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/16/how-to-run-live-android-or-other-livecd-on-virtualbox/) - A few days ago, I read an article about Google Android is gaining popularity among cellphone makers. One research firm predicts that it will grow to 14 percent of the global smartphone market in 2012. The Android will be the number 2 platform after Symbian. The popularity of Android has also expanded to other devices. - [Canon Authorized Dealers List](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/13/canon-authorized-dealers-list/) - I am in the market for an entry level DSLR. One model that interests me is the Canon Rebel XS. I also found a rebate of $50 for it. To qualify for the rebate, you need to have a previously registered Canon camera and you also need to purchase your new camera through authorized Canon - [XCSoar for PNA](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/11/xcsoar-for-pna/) - License: Freeware Link: Original site One user has requested this application. It a tactical glide computer for the Pocket PC operating system. The original program is available as a cab file which can be installed on a regular PDA running PocketPC operating system. The installation on PNA like Navigon 2100 GPS is not straight forward. - [How to Unlock Navigon 2100 Release 4.2.1](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/12/how-to-unlock-navigon-2100-release-421/) - My original package was designed for Navigon 2100 US model. A lot of people have adapted the package to be used on other Navigon models. There are some reports about my release 4.2 causing some GPSs other than Navigon 2100 to reboot continuously. The cause for this problem is that my script reboots (resets) the - [How to Unlock Navigon 2100 Release 4.2](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/20/how-to-unlock-navigon-2100-release-42/) - learn how to unlock your navigon 2100 gps to run other wince applications. - [How to Unlock Mio C230 Release 4.1](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/05/06/how-to-unlock-mio-c230-release-41/) - Here is what's new about the release. Cab files installation .Net Compact Framework 3.5 Increased Storage Memory Functional Taskbar If you already have a high speed SD card, you are fine. Otherwise, the first thing you need to do is to buy a nice SD card. Note that you cannot just use an age-old SD - [Adding a Program to the Desktop for Unlocking Guide Release 4](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/12/adding-a-program-to-the-desktop-for-unlocking-guide-release-4/) - One reader has asked about some tutorials on how to tweak the tweaks. Here you are. I am going to show everyone how to add a program to the desktop. The program that I am going to add is called NoniGPSPlot. The web site is here. You can find a lot of useful information like - [How to Mount an IMG File on VirtualBox](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/06/how-to-mount-an-img-file-on-virtualbox/) - I wanted to try out Ubuntu Remix 9.04 on VirtualBox, so I went to the official Ubuntu site and downloaded the file. When I first downloaded the file, I didn't notice the download for Ubuntu Remix is an image file not an ISO file. This makes sense, since most netbooks do not have an optical - [Free MP3 Download from Amazon](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/06/free-mp3-download-from-amazon/) - It started out when I saw a post about a free album download from Amazon. The album is called Sarah Chang Selections and here is the link to the album. After I installed the MP3 downloader and download the album, I found more free albums. These free albums can be found by visiting the Amazon.com - [Adobe Creative Suite 4 Installation Problem ](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/06/adobe-creative-suite-4-installation-problem/) - When I install an application, I often copy the files from the media to a network location and install from that location. I ran into a problem when I install Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium. The suite comes with 2 DVDs. I copied both discs to the server, the paths are like \myserver\CS4\disc1 and - [Forums Closed](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/10/forums-closed/) - The forums are now officially closed. They were open because there were a lot of discussions when I was actively involved with unlocking Mio C230. Now that there are not a lot of activities in the forums, it's time to close them. I am keeping the old threads and posts for now. [Update: 10/5/2009] kombitz - [Kombitz is Moving](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/10/01/kombitz-is-moving/) - Kombitz is moving to a new hosting company. Please bear with us if you experience some difficulties with our site. If you have made a comment recently, it might not be moved to the new site. Please note that the forum will NOT be moved to the new site, therefore if you want to keep - [Brother Wireless Laser Printer HL-2170W Setup Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/30/brother-wireless-laser-printer-hl-2170w-setup-problem/) - My Samsung laser printer stopped working after 3 years in service. In a rush to get a replacement printer, I picked up a Brother Wireless Laser Printer HL-2170W based upon various good online reviews. The selling point for me is the included WIFI interface. I could place it anywhere in my house without attaching it - [Nagios Fedora 11 Quickstart Guide](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/24/nagios-fedora-11-quickstart-guide/) - There is an official quickstart guide for installing nagios on Fedora Linux. However, it's for Fedora Core 6. A lot of information is not relevant for Fedora 11. I tried to install it on my Fedora 11 virtual machine and here is the guide. Note that you need to issue the following commands as root - [Windows 7 File Sharing Crashes - srv 2017 Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/23/windows-7-file-sharing-crashes-srv-2017-error/) - My Windows 7 workstation has a big 4TB RAID and I use it for backup purpose. The RAID drive is shared through the file sharing. The performance is amazing and it runs pretty well. The only problem is that it usually works for a week or so and the file sharing crashes. The only way - [How to Modify floppyfw for Windows File Sharing](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/22/how-to-modify-floppyfw-for-windows-file-sharing/) - As we have more and more machines, we use up the allocated IP addresses quickly. To mitigate the problem, I set up a Linux router for an intranet. I have tried quite a few distributions for Linux router, the one I picked is called floppyfw. The setup for floppyfw is not difficult. For most people, - [Yum Stopped Working on Yellow Dog Linux 6.2 for PS3](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/22/yum-stopped-working-on-yellow-dog-linux-6-2-for-ps3/) - I installed Yellow Dog Linux 6.2 on my PS3 this past weekend. The updater yum worked initially, but it stopped working on Sunday. I found that the problem is the server hosting mirrorlist is down. The workaround is to specify the base server manually. By editing the yum repo files, yum is working again. In - [Google Desktop Silent Installation](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/22/google-desktop-silent-installation/) - To install Google Desktop for Windows silently, download the setup file from this site . Open up a command prompt and type: GoogleDesktopSetup.exe /silent - [Linux Command at Examples](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/17/linux-command-at-examples/) - I often use cron jobs to run tasks on Linux. Cron is suitable for running recurring tasks. For one-time-only tasks, at is a better choice. I needed to schedule some of our Linux servers to shutdown, so I wanted to use at. However, I have not used the command for a while and I couldn't - [Intel Pro/100 VE Driver for Windows 2008](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/17/intel-pro100-ve-driver-for-windows-2008/) - I rebuilt a Dell Dimension 3100 with Windows 2008 server. I first tried the new Windows 2008 R2 and the network card was installed correctly right after the installation. I later tried the original Windows 2008 with SP2, the network card was not recognized. The card is an Intel Pro/100 VE. Dell doesn't provide a - [Thunderbird - Error Copying to Sent Folder](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/15/thunderbird-error-copying-to-sent-folder/) - A user has complained about a problem with Thunderbird for a long time. The problem is that sometimes when the user sends a message, the message got sent but then a pop up window shows up saying "Error Copying to Sent Folder". I thought it's related to the mail server and did not pay close - [Cooliris Firefox Plugin Not Working - Fixed](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/14/cooliris-firefox-plugin-not-working-fixed/) - Cooliris is one of my favorite plugins for Firefox browser. Whenever I do a google search of images, I use it to quickly browse to the image I want. For some reasons, the Cooliris plugin for Firefox on my Windows workstation stopped working a few days ago. I just saw a blank wall and that's - [SyncBack Does Not Synchronize Sub-Directories](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/08/syncback-does-not-synchronize-sub-directories/) - SyncBack Freeware is a nice backup software to synchronize between a local folder and a remote folder. I helped a user to setup multiple profiles to back up some folders on a remote server. When I tested the profiles, I found the sub-directories were not synchronized for some of them. I compared the one that's - [Toshiba NB205 First Impressions and How to Replace Memory](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/04/toshiba-nb205-first-impressions-and-how-to-replace-memory/) - I worked on a Toshiba NB205 this week and I am very impressed with it. The model we got is a NB205-N310/BN. It has an Intel Atom N280 processor, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive. It is Bluetooth enabled, so you do not have to buy additional adapter. One nice feature is the USB - [How to Check Process on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/09/03/how-to-check-process-on-windows/) - I am helping a user set up a backup system. The software I use does not support SFTP by default. It only supports FTP. Using an external program called Tunnelier, I were able to use the FTP-to-SFTP feature to backup files on a SFTP server. The problem is that I have to make sure Tunnelier - [Incompatible Software for Snow Leopard](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/28/incompatible-software-for-snow-leopar/) - Snow Leopard is out today. If you are considering upgrading to it, the first thing you need to know is that all the software for PowerPC are not working any more. There are some other Intel based software which are not compatible. For a complete list of those incompatible software, please visit this link. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3258 - [Upgrading to Snow Leopard for $9.95](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/24/upgrading-to-snow-leopard-for-9-95/) - Snow Leopard is due out in a few days. If you have bought a new Mac without Snow Leopard after June 8, 2009, you might be qualified to get the upgrade for $9.95 plus tax. For detailed information, please visit this link. - [Picasa 3 Silent Installation](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/21/picasa-3-silent-installation/) - To install Picasa 3 silently, use the following command. picasa3-setup.exe /S /L Note that it's case sensitive, be sure to use capital S and capital L. Combine it with psexec, you can do remote installation. psexec -c \computer_name picasa3-setup.exe /S /L - [Notes about Windows Easy Transfer](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/17/notes-about-windows-easy-transfer/) - I have used Windows Easy Transfer quite a few times recently to upgrade some of my machines to Windows 7. Here are some of the notes. Use of external hard drive is recommended Windows Easy Transfer supports different ways of transferring data. You can use an Easy Transfer cable to transfer data between the computers - [Stocks Gadget Removed from Windows 7 RTM](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/13/stocks-gadget-removed-from-windows-7-rtm/) - When I installed Windows 7 Enterprise RTM on my workstation, the first thing I noticed is the Stocks gadget was gone. At first, I thought probably they removed it from the Enterprise edition. However, it's not the case, they removed the Stocks gadget from all editions of Windows 7. According to a thread in social - [Bing Cashback Double Saving Days](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/10/bing-cashback-double-saving-days/) - Starting from August 10 through the end of August, the cashback offered by most stores will be doubled through Bing cashback program. Just in case you have not heard about the Bing cashback program, here is a quote from their web site. Bing cashback is a great way for you to save money when you - [Windows XP Mode RC and Windows Virtual PC RC Now Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/05/windows-xp-mode-rc-and-windows-virtual-pc-rc-now-available/) - Microsoft released the beta version of Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode back in April. The RC version is now ready for download. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx The beta to RC upgrade is not supported. Therefore, if you have beta installed, you have to uninstall the beta version first before you can try this out. - [yum Error - TypeError: unsubscriptable object](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/08/04/yum-error-typeerror-unsubscriptable-object/) - We use yum as the patching mechanism for our CentOS servers. It has worked smoothly for several years without incidents. I ran into a problem related to yum yesterday. Whenever I tried to update my system using the yum update command, I got a lot of error messages on the screen and it crashed. The - [Barcode Scanner for iPhone - RedLaser](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/28/barcode-scanner-for-iphone-redlaser/) - Ever wanted a barcode scanner of your own to scan products? Now you can with the app RedLaser. Originally available only for jailbroken iPhones, and it's free. You can get it through the App store now, but you have to pay $1.99 for it. This is a demo video from the official RedLaser web site. - [Remote Desktop Connection Crashes a Windows XP Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/22/remote-desktop-connection-crashes-a-windows-xp-computer/) - Another day, another strange problem. Thankfully, it did not take me a long time to figure it out. We have a Dell Precision T3400 workstation. Whenever we tried to connect to it using Remote Desktop, it freezes and the only way to get it back is to reset it. I checked the logs and the - [WordPress wp-admin 404 Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/21/wordpress-wp-admin-404-error/) - When I came back from my vacation last week, I found that I can no longer log on to the wp-admin of my site. I was freaked out at first and I thought the site got compromised or something. Google search did not find anything useful. I finally contacted my hosting company, Blue Host, for - [Leopard Directory Utility - "The server is not reponding." Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/10/leopard-directory-utility-the-server-is-not-reponding-error/) - I worked on an Open Directory problem on a Leopard server for 5 hours straight yesterday. With the help of an Apple's consultant, the system is finally fixed. The computer setup is like this. We have two Leopard servers, one is the Open Directory Master (ODM), the other works as a client for the Open - [Media Player for Nextar 43LT (iGo Amigo)](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/07/media-player-for-nextar-43lt-igo-amigo/) - The Nextar 43LT comes with photo viewer and MP3 player, but no media player is included. By using the Games feature of iGo Amigo, I was able to install the HPC media player on it. You do not need to unlock it to use the media player. Here are the steps. Download the zip file - [Jailbreaking iPhone 3GS Tool Available Now](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/03/jailbreaking-iphone-3gs-tool-available-now/) - While Dev-Team is waiting for iPhone 3.1 firmware to release its iPhone jailbreaking tool, geohot has released a tool ahead of them. As of this writing, the tool is available for Windows (not Windows 7). A Mac version is coming soon. You need the latest iTunes installed on your computer. The download web site is - [Nextar 43LT Original Configurations](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/01/nextar-43lt-original-configurations/) - Nextar 43LT runs on iGo Amigo which has a lot of settings you can change through sys.txt and system.ini. I want to keep a record of the original settings just in case I do something bad. sys.txt is in iGo directory of the storage card and system.ini is in iGo/save . Note that there are - [Free Windows 7 Upgrade](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/07/01/free-windows-7-upgrade/) - As the release day of Windows 7 draws near. More and more manufactures are offering free or low cost Windows 7 upgrade. I am compiling a list of current offerings. Acer Asus Dell Gateway HP Lenovo Sony Toshiba The upgrade is for computers with Vista Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. That means most of the - [MacBook (Early 2006) Audio Driver for Vista](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/29/macbook-early-2006-audio-driver-for-vista/) - The Windows 7 Beta on my MacBook was about to expire, so I reinstalled Vista on it. After the installation, I put in the Leopard DVD and installed the drivers. Initially, the drivers installation was not successful. I just downloaded the BootCamp 2.1 update from Apple and intalled it. All the drivers except the audio - [Checking iPhone 3GS Availability](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/29/checking-iphone-3gs-availability/) - It has been about a week since Apple began selling iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 3GS is in short supply. The site for checking in-store availability of iPhone 3GS is open now. Apple's iPhone 3GS Availability Checking Tool It appears that the 16GB white iPhone 3GS is the most popular model. If you are in the - [VLC Player No Sound on Fedora 11 under VirtualBox](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/26/vlc-player-no-sound-on-fedora-11-under-virtualbox/) - If you have experienced no sound problem for VLC player on Fedora 11 under VirtualBox, you can try the following steps. Click on Tools -> Preferences. Click on Audio on the left. Under Output section, change the Type to ALSA audio output. Close VLC player and invoke it again. If the sound is still not - [Pre-Order Windows 7 Now and Save 50%](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/25/pre-order-windows-7-now-and-save-50/) - Microsoft has finalized the pricing for Windows 7 and will have a special offer starting tomorrow (6/26/2009). You can pre-order a Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49 or a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $99. Click on the link below to find out participating retailers. Windows 7 Pre-Order Offer I'll also update the post - [iPhone OS 3.0 USB Tethering Requires iTunes 8.2](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/22/iphone-os-3-0-usb-tethering-requires-itunes-8-2/) - One new feature of iPhone OS 3.0 is the ability to do tethering without additional software. Unfortunately, this feature is not enabled in US. For those people whose iPhone carriers that support it, here is a tip. If you want to use tethering via USB, you need to install iTunes 8.2 on the computer. iTunes - [Jailbreaking iPhone 3.0](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/22/jailbreaking-iphone-3-0/) - I really like some of the jailbroken applications like PDANet and Cycorder. When Apple released iPhone 3.0 firmware last week, I thought I was going to wait for a while until the jailbreaking utilities are ready for the new firmware. It took only a few days for the iPhone Dev team to publish the jailbreaking - [Nextar 43LT GPS Unboxing](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/19/nextar-43lt-gps-unboxing/) - While I was searching for info about iGo Amigo, I cam across this Nextar 43LT GPS. It's the first GPS in North America with iGo Amigo and it also comes with lifetime live traffic update(in selected markets) . Nextar 43LT is only available at Best Buy. It was on sale last week for $129.99 with - [iPhone Software 3.0 Tutorial](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/18/iphone-3-0-tutorial/) - Apple published iPhone OS 3.0 ahead of the iPhone 3G S release. The notable new features included are: Cut, copy & paste Landscape keyboard MMS Spotlight search Voice Memos Improved calendar Buy movies, TV shows and audiobooks directly from iPhone Enhanced stocks app Safari improvements Internet tethering (Not available in US) Stereo Bluetooth Automatic Wi-Fi - [procmail Not Available for sendmail Programs](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/15/procmail-not-available-for-sendmail-programs/) - We ran into a procmail problem with sendmail today. One user tried to set up procmail to send out vacation message. He crated a .forward file to execute procmail whenever an email is received. The .forward file has a only one line. "|exec /usr/bin/procmail" The error message we got is smrsh: "procmail" not available for - [Fedora 11 and VirutalBox 2.2 Guest Additions](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/12/fedora-11-and-virutalbox-2-2-guest-additions/) - To install VirtualBox 2.2 Guest Additions on a Fedora 11 virtual machine, follow these steps. In the virtual machine's menu, click on Devices -> Install Guest Additions . Click anywhere inside the VM. Click on the Fedora -> Computer. Scroll down and click on the VBOXADDITIONS CD. Click on the Fedora icon again. Enter konsole - [How to Install Fedora 11 KDE on VirtualBox 2.2](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/12/how-to-install-fedora-11-kde-on-virtualbox-2-2/) - If you want to try Fedora 11 without buying a new machine or partitioning your hard drive, VirtualBox is a good choice. This guide assumes you have downloaded the Fedora 11 KDE iso and you also have installed VirtualBox 2.2 or above. You also need enough disk space to hold the virtual disk on your - [WordPress 2.8 Upgrading Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/11/wordpress-2-8-upgrading-problem/) - WordPress 2.8 is out and I first tested it on my test site. The automatic upgrading was fine on my test site. I then tried to upgrade my production site. I got this message when I tried. Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 33554432 bytes exhausted It seemed like WordPress uses too much memory and - [How to Replace RAM for Asus Eee PC 1008HA](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/10/how-to-replace-ram-for-asus-eee-pc-1008ha/) - The Asus Eee PC 1008HA is a new netbook with N280 processor. The main selling point is the ultra-slim form factor. The computer looks stylish and it's pretty light(2.43lb). However, due to the small case, both battery and RAM are NOT user serviceable. I was trying to find service manual, but didn't find the official - [Turn your Keyboard into a Multimedia Keyboard using KeyTweak](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/08/turn-your-keyboard-into-a-multimedia-keyboard-using-keytweak/) - Not long ago, I inherited a nice Logitech cordless keyboard and mouse. The built quality is good and it also has nice multimedia keys for controlling media and volume. As much as I like it, I got tired of changing the batteries. Later, I just switched to my regular, plain Dell keyboard. After the switch, - [Possible Free Replacement Battery for MacBook or MacBook Pro Purchased in 2006 or 2007](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/08/possible-free-replacement-battery-for-macbook-or-macbook-pro-purchased-in-2006-or-2007/) - One of my MacBook was purchased back in 2006. The battery was working fine until the beginning of this year. The capacity dropped like overnight. Suddenly, the fully charged battery could not last more than 40 minutes. At first, I thought I only need a replacement battery since the I had it for more than - [Opera 10 and Turbo Modes](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/04/opera-10-and-turbo-modes/) - When I first heard about Turbo mode in the new Opera 10 Beta, I was very interested. I downloaded it today and gave it a shot. For those who are interested too, here is the download site. The first time you start up Opera 10 Beta, you see a speedometer icon in the lower right - [Widescreen Desktop Background for PNA](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/03/widescreen-desktop-background-for-pna/) - Some of you have widescreen GPS. Here is a background I made that might be better. The resolution is 480x272. Here is the link. http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?jm13wihy2zz To use it, put it in the \Script\desktop folder and edit the ini files. Here is one example: Code: GLOBALSETTINGS ShowMessage = 0 QuitOnDoubleClick = no X = 0 Y - [iTunes 8.2 Breaks Jailbreaking Tools](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/03/itunes-8-2-breaks-jailbreaking-tools/) - Apple has just released iTunes 8.2. In this release, Genius bar now does video. It also supports the soon to be released 3.0 firmware. It might seem compelling to upgrade. However, if you have a jailbroken iPhone, you might want to postpone the upgrade. The iPhone Dev-Team has warned that this release breaks QuickPwn and - [Windows Firewall Service Name](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/02/windows-firewall-service-name/) - I often need to use command line to manage services for Windows. Knowing the name of the service is important. Some of service names are just not related to the display name. Windows Firewall is such a service. Windows XP: sharedaccess Windows Vista / 7: mpssvc To stop Firewall service on Windows XP, type sc - [How to Open Webarchive Files on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/06/01/how-to-open-webarchive-files-on-windows/) - I got an email with an attachment in webarchive extension. When I tried to open it on a Windows computer, I first used Word, but Word could not open it. Renaming the extension to the popular formats like .doc or .pdf did not help either. Wikipedia has an article about webarchive. The format is supported - [Windows XP SP3 Installation Hangs at "Running processes after install"](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/28/windows-xp-sp3-installation-hangs-at-running-processes-after-install/) - We just got the installation media for Acrobat Creative Suite 4. It requires SP3 on Windows XP, so I tried to install SP3 on the machine first. The first part of the installation went smoothly, but the process got stuck when the installer showed "Running processes after installation." I waited about one hour and there - [Run As Dialog with Firefox](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/26/run-as-dialog-with-firefox/) - I got a message from one of my users about Firefox this morning. The problem is that he gets a Run As dialog every time he opens Firefox. It's kinda annoying. I thought it might be a virus or a trojan. The cause is actually harmless. Every time Firefox opens up, the automatic update kicks - [Asus P6T Driver for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/22/asus-p6t-driver-for-windows-7/) - When I installed Windows 7 Beta on my P6T equipped machine, there were no drivers specifically for it. The drivers for Vista only worked partially. Now that Windows 7 RC is out, Asus has finally released the drivers. For those who are interested about the drivers for Windows 7. Please visit this page. http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us Select - [Remove Cookies for Site - Firefox Add-on](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/22/remove-cookies-for-site-firefox-add-on/) - From time to time, I got this message 'Bad Request: Your client has issued a malformed or illegal request' when I was on Google's web sites. The cause of this problem is because the browser's "cookie" for Google has been expired or bad. The solution is to clear the bad cookie. One Firefox, you have - [Ferrari 3400 and 137GB Limit - Dynamic Disk Overlay](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/20/ferrari-3400-and-137gb-limit-dynamic-disk-overlay/) - The hard drive of my Ferrari 3400 is dying. Thanks to the advanced warning on Windows 7, I was able to replace it before it dies. I bought a big 250 GB Western Digital hard drive from Amazon. The machine was recovered using the recovery CDs. After recovery, I found the hard drive is recognized - [Windows Crash Dump Analysis Made Easy - WhoCrashed](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/18/windows-crash-dump-analysis-made-easy-whocrashed/) - If you use Windows long enough, you would have seen the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) a couple of times. The mesages shown on screen are often cryptic and you don't even get to see the messages if your system is configured to automatic reboot. Often times, you need to do a crash dump - [Free Rag Doll Kung Fu for PS3 Download](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/15/free-rag-doll-kung-fu-for-ps3-download/) - I saw this on slickdeal.net. Playstation Network is now offering Rag Doll Kung Fu for free until May 21. To get this game, go to Playstation Store through your PS3. Click on New Releases and Sprint. I have not played this game yet but it seems like a decent party game. Reviews: IGN GameSpot 1Up - [Publish Your Blog on Amazon Kindle](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/14/publish-your-blog-on-amazon-kindle/) - Amazon has opened up the platform to publish your blog on Kindle. The sign up process is really easy. It takes about 5 minutes to get it up and running. It provides a nice preview tool to let you see how does you blog look like on a Kindle device. Originally, I just want to - [How to Overclock an ATI Radeon Card on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/12/how-to-overclock-an-ati-radeon-card-on-windows-7/) - When you install Windows 7, the driver for ATI Radeon card is installed automatically. With the default driver, you cannot overclock the card. You need the ATI Catalyst driver. The download web site is here. Once you have downloaded and installed the package, follow the steps. Press Start (Windows key) and type CCC. CCC - - [How to Cut Out Background of Your Photo Using GIMP](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/08/how-to-cut-out-background-of-your-photo-using-gimp/) - I have always wanted to learn how to cut out the background of my photo, but I never got a chance. I finally got around to it using GIMP this afternoon. Here is what I figured out. Invoke GIMP and open a photo of your choice. Use the Paths Tool to create a path around - [Running XP Mode and VirtualBox Simultaneously Causes BSOD on Windows 7 x64 RC](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/07/running-xp-mode-and-virtualbox-simultaneously-causes-bsod-on-windows-7-x64-rc/) - Ok, this is a precaution if you have installed XP Mode (Virtual Windows XP) and VirtualBox on Windows 7 x64 RC. I was testing XP Mode and I wanted to do a side by side comparison and guess what. BSOD! My workstation is a Core i7 machine that I built myself. It's running the latest - [How to Replace Memory for Acer Aspire One AOD150](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/07/how-to-replace-memory-for-acer-aspire-one-aod150/) - I helped a user with his Acer Aspire One AOD150 to upgrade memory. The AOD150 comes with 1GB of memory and it has only one slot. Therefore, you cannot just add memory to it, you have to replace the old one. The memory you can use is DDRII 667 MHz. Here is a good one: - [How to Change Settings for Virtual Windows XP (XP Mode) for Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/06/how-to-change-settings-for-virtual-windows-xp-xp-mode-for-windows-7/) - When I first heard about XP Mode or Virtual Windows XP for Windows 7 RC, I was curious about what it is and what it can do. I followed the instructions on this site to download and install it. To my disappointment, the so called XP mode is just a pre-packaged Windows XP virtual machine - [How to Disable Hibernation and Delete hiberfil.sys File in Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/06/how-to-disable-hibernation-and-delete-hiberfilsys-file-in-windows-7/) - I recently addded 6 GB memory to my Core i7 workstation to be able to run multiple virtual machines at the same time. It's not long before I found an issue with this setup. The partition for my Windows 7 is only 40GB. Even thought I didn't install a lot of programs, my system drive - [Windows 7 RC Installation Resources](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/05/windows-7-rc-installation-resources/) - Every tech blog has this, it's like a mandatory post. So, here you are. Microsoft has made Windows 7 RC download public. Point your browser to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx and get your copy. There are some resources on my site to help you with the installation. Installing Windows 7 x64 RC on a MacBook Windows 7 RC - [Installing Windows 7 x64 RC on a MacBook](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/04/installing-windows-7-x64-rc-on-a-macbook/) - After installing Windows 7 x64 RC on my Core i7 workstation, I got to try it on my MacBook (early 2008) today. The installation procedure is similar to the procedure of installing Windows 7 Beta. Here is my notes about the process. The only thing different is the installation of drivers. When I inserted the - [Navigon 2100 Unlocked Video](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/05/01/navigon-2100-unlocked-video/) - Acidrain has contributed a nice video about an unlocked Navigon 2100 using my package. Thanks! Acidrain! And keep up the good work. Here is the original forum thread. - [SHA1 Checksums for Windows 7 RC](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/30/sha1-checksums-for-windows-7-rc/) - Windows 7 RC is available on the MSDN site today. Here are the checksums for the iso files. File Name: en_windows_7_ultimate_rc_x64_dvd_347803.iso Date Posted (UTC): 4/30/2009 6:00:41 AM SHA1: FC867FE1AB2E0A9796F9E4D155B44EA6998F4874 ISO/CRC: 58FB2BE0 File Name: en_windows_7_ultimate_rc_x86_dvd_349010.iso Date Posted (UTC): 4/30/2009 6:00:41 AM SHA1: 7D1F486CA569EFFFFB719CFB48355BB7BF499712 ISO/CRC: E8A1C394 Here is the link to the official MSDN download site. If - [VirtualBox 2.2 Bridged Networking Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/28/virtualbox-22-bridged-networking-problem/) - I was testing the networking under VirtualBox 2.2 environment. By default, the network adapter is set to NAT. The adapter gets an intranet IP and the host computer serves as a rounter. This works fine without any additional configuration. The problem is you cannot use VPN for it. In order to use VPN, you have - [Office 2007 SP2 Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/28/office-2007-sp2-available/) - Microsoft has just made Office 2007 SP2 available for download. Here is the quote about this update. Previously unreleased fixes that were made specifically for this service pack. In addition to general product fixes, this includes improvements in stability, performance, and security. You can find out more information in Knowledge Base Article 953195, where product-specific - [HP LaserJet Printer Memory Upgrade - 128 MB for $579.00?](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/27/hp-laserjet-printer-memory-upgrade-128-mb-for-579/) - We have quite a few HP Color LaserJet 2605dn in my work place. These printers have 64 MB of memory by default. One user has complained about the performance. I think it's probably a good time to upgrade the memory. My first stop is the HP web site. It's not hard to find the product - [How to Install Ubuntu 9.04 on VirtualBox 2.2](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/23/how-to-install-ubuntu-904-on-virtualbox-22/) - Ubuntu 9.04 is released today. If you want to try it without buying a new machine or partitioning your hard drive, VirtualBox is a good choice. This guide assumes you have downloaded the Ubuntu 9.04 iso and you also have installed VirtualBox 2.2 or above. You also need enough disk space to hold the virtual - [Windows 7 RC Migration Options](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/21/windows-7-rc-migration-options/) - My colleague forwarded an email from a Microsoft employee to me. It's about Windows 7 RC news. It is confirmed that Windows 7 RC will be released in just a few weeks. It can be downloaded from Windows.com, TechNet and MSDN when it's available. The downloads will be available at least through June 2009. If - [How To Use Windows Easy Transfer to Transfer FireFox and Thunderbird Profiles on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/18/how-to-use-windows-easy-transfer-to-transfer-firefox-and-thunderbird-profiles-on-windows-7/) - I like the Windows 7 Beta so much, so I transferred my files from a Windows XP machine to a Windows 7 Beta machine using the Windows Easy Transfer. After the transfer is done, I opened up FireFox and Thunderbird and to my surprise, my profiles are not transferred to my new machine. So I - [Printing Admin Scripts on Windows 7 Beta](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/16/printing-admin-scripts-on-windows-7-beta/) - There are some useful printing administration scripts since XP. When I tried to use them on Windows 7 Beta, I couldn't run them. They are not in the system path. I found them in %SystemRoot%\System32\Printing_Admin_Scripts\en-US where %SystemRoot% is usually C:\Windows . To use these scripts, you can set your path to this directory or just - [DVD Decoder Not Installed Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/14/dvd-decoder-not-installed-problem/) - Most Windows computers come with DVD player of some sort for you to play back DVD movies. The popular software are WinDVD and PowerDVD. However, if you install the OS by yourself, you don't have access to those DVD playback software. Most people would try to use Windows Media Player to play DVDs. This is - [EasyShare Software Installation Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/14/easyshare-software-installation-problem/) - While I was helping a user with his Kodak ESP 9 All-in-one printer, I encountered a problem toward the end of the installation. The system gave out an error code and quit. The installer provided a link to a support page. I followed the steps to unregister windows installer and re-register it again. Here is - [Shuttle K48 DIY](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/08/shuttle-k48-diy/) - I recently started another DIY project. Unlike my previous Core i7 storage server, this is a small form factor desktop. The main component is a Shuttle K48 barebone system which includes motherboard and power supply. Here are the parts: Shuttle Computer K48 Intel 945GC+ICH7 Chipset Barebone System (Black) Intel BX80571E7400 Core 2 Duo E7400 Processor - [Acrobat Pro 9 Web Capture Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/07/acrobat-pro-9-web-capture-problem/) - Adobe published updates for its Acrobat line of products in March. The updates addressed some critical issues. It is highly recommended that you update Acrobat on your machine. I helped a user update his Acrobat Pro 9 to 9.1. The installation was not successful initially using the Adobe Updater. I then downloaded the update manually - [Overclocking Core i7 920 on Asus P6T](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/06/overclocking-core-i7-920-on-asus-p6t/) - When I selected the components for my Core i7 machine, I picked Asus P6T motherboard because it's overclocking friendly and its built quality. I spent several days trying to overclock it and finally got down to a configuration that's stable and fast. For details about my setup, please refer to this post. The tool I - [Local Printer not Forwarded in a Remote Desktop Session](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/04/03/local-printer-not-forwarded-in-a-remote-desktop-session/) - When you use remote desktop to connect to a remote computer, you can also make your local printers available in the remote desktop session. It's a convenient feature that you can still use your local printers, because the remote computer's printers are probably not very useful unless they are not that far away. A user - [Free Conficker Scanner](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/31/free-conficker-scanner/) - Most of the IT admins are getting ready for the Conficker worms which are supposed to wake up on 4/1/2009. According to a new research done by Tillmann Werner and Felix Leder, it's easy to detect systems infected by the worm. The feature has been incorporated into nmap 4.85 BETA5. Here is the thread for - [Plug and Play Stops Working on Windows 7 Beta](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/30/plug-an-play-stops-working-on-windows-7-beta/) - Recently the plug and play stops working on my MacBook under Windows 7 Beta several times. I had to restart the machine just to get it to work again. It is very annoying if you are in the middle of something and you have several applications running. I first tried to restart the Plug and - [VLC Media Player Garbled Video under Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/27/vlc-media-player-garbled-video-under-mac-os-x/) - I encountered some mkv files that play poorly under Mac OS X using VLC media player, the sound is OK though. The video codec is avc1. I tried to fix the problem by going to Preferences and change Video Output Module, but that didn't help. The VLC player version is also the latest one, so - [Mouse Not Working after Found New Hardware Wizard](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/25/mouse-not-working-after-foun-new-hardware-wizard/) - It seems like this week is not my week. I ran into all sorts of strange problems that I have not seen before. One problem on my Core i7 machine is that the mouse doesn't work properly. Whenever I plug in a new mouse, it appears to be working initially without driver. Then the hardware - [PCMark05 Hangs at Splash Screen](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/25/pcmark05-hangs-at-splash-screen/) - PCMark05 is my favorite benchmark program for PC performance. I never had a problem running it. I tried to run it on my newly built Core i7 machine under XP, it hangs at splash screen. I had to use task manager to kill the process. I thought it doesn't like my 4.5 TB RAID under - [Ubuntu 8.10 and Virtual Machines](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/23/ubuntu-810-and-virtual-machines/) - Now that I have a fast Core i7 machine, I wanted to try running multiple virtual machines on it. My first choice was the free Virtual PC 2007 from Microsoft. The guest OS of my choice is the popular open source Ubuntu. The combination was not ideal. When I first tried to install Ubuntu 8.10 - [Intel Core i7 Computer - DIY](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/19/intel-core-i7-computer-diy/) - Our tape autoloader is about 3 years old now, which means the warranty is going to expire soon. In the three years that we own it, we have sent it back for repair twice already. I am afraid it might die any time soon. Just in case you are wondering about what tape autoloader we - [Asus Eee PC 1000HE Unboxing and First Impressions](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/17/asus-eee-pc-1000he-unboxing-and-first-impressions/) - There are a lot of ultra portable computers before, but what started the recent trend is Asus's Eee PC series. 1000HE is the latest model from this popular netbook series. Here are the key features and my thoughts. N280 1.66GHz Intel Atom Processor: The speed increase is not that much compared to N270, but N280 - [Windows 7 Compatibility Mode](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/17/windows-7-compatibility-mode/) - There are not a lot of native drivers for Windows 7 Beta now. Even though you can use the Vista drivers for most of the components. Sometimes, you might need to use the compatibility mode to install those old drivers or application. To use the compatibility mode, follow these steps. Right click on the executable - [Windows 7 Beta and XP Dual Boot Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/11/windows-7-beta-and-xp-dual-boot-problem/) - Quite a few readers have reported problems booting to Windows XP after they install Windows 7 Beta. I was curious about how to fix the problem. I took a Dell Dimension which I just rebuilt with Windows XP. I wanted to install Windows 7 and make this a dual boot machine and see if I - [Blu-Ray Sale on Amazon.com](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/11/blu-ray-sale-on-amazoncom/) - Amazon.com is running a Blu-Ray Sale now through March 22, 2009. If you are like me who just started out to build a Blu-Ray collection, now it's a good time to pick your favorite shows at discounted prices. - [How to Modify Power Options Remotely for Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/09/how-to-modify-power-options-remotely-for-windows/) - I have been tasked to change power options for several Windows machine in the past few weeks. I usually asked the user to log off the machine and I used remote desktop to change the power options for them. This is not very efficient and it also interrupts the user's schedule. I found that there - [Fake RAID and CentOS 5.2 Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/09/fake-raid-and-centos-52-problem/) - I installed CentOS 5.2 on a Dell Precision Workstation T3400 last week. T3400 has the Intel's chipset for configuring hard drives as RAID volumes. The RAID setup is often referred to fake RAID on Linux. I first used the chipset's BIOS to set up a RAID 1 volume and install CentOS 5.2 on the machine. - [How to Configure Custom Fields of Thunderbird's Address Book](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/09/how-to-configure-custom-fields-of-thunderbirds-address-book/) - One feature of Thunderbird that I use less often is the address book. The only thing I did was to set up the address book to get the user information from our LDAP server and that's it. One user came to me and asked about how to configure the address book so that more information - [Top Free Kindle Books](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/05/top-free-kindle-books/) - Amazon has thousands of free Kindle books. How do you know what are the popular ones among those free books? To save your work, I compiled a list of the free books in the bestseller section. Tales of the Jazz Age Divine Comedy, Cary's Translation, Hell The First Men in the Moon Anna Karenina Heart - [How to Clear Boot Time Check of Hard Drives on Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/03/how-to-clear-boot-time-check-of-hard-drives-on-wind/) - When you tried to check disk of a partition of a hard drive on Windows, the system usually marks the partition dirty and the partition will be checked during the boot up process. Once the system finishes checking the partition, it marks the partition clean and the partition will not be checked again. There are - [Dell Dimension E510 Diagnostic Lights](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/03/03/dell-dimension-e510-diagnostic-lights/) - One user called me today about his Dimension E510 cannot boot up. The system just beeped and nothing happened on the screen. The diagnostic lights 3 and 4 were both on solid green. It's a typical case of hardware failure. Dell has pretty good documentations about how to determine the cause using the diagnostic lights. - [How I Got a Playstation 3 for under $200](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/28/how-i-got-a-playstation-3-for-under-200/) - I have been eying PS3 for quite some time. However, $399 is kinda steep for me. Over the holiday season, I saw a deal that's just too good to miss. Actually, it's not just one deal, there are two deals combined to bring the total cost down. The first one is the credit card deal - [SATA Connectors on Dell Precision T3400](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/27/sata-connectors-on-dell-precision-t3400/) - I was working on a Dell Precision T3400 yesterday. I wanted to add an additional SATA drive to the computer to make a RAID. It took me a while to figure out which SATA connector is which. I am posting a picture for anyone who is interested in it. The top of the picture is - [Browser Benchmark Tools](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/26/browser-benchmark-tools/) - When Safari 4.0 Beta came out, Apple claimed that it's the fastest web browser. The claim has a lot of media coverage. I was curious about what tools needed to measure the speed of a browser. It turns out most of the tools just measure the JavaScript speed. Here are two popular tools. SunSpider JavaScript - [How to Convert MKV to AVCHD with Soft Subtitles for PS3 Using multiAVCHD](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/25/how-to-convert-mkv-to-avchd-with-soft-subtitles-for-ps3-using-multiavchd/) - Playstation 3 supports a lot of media types, but it's not clear about what are the media types that support subtitles. I tried several different formats and found that DivX format supports subtitles on PS3. I wrote a post about how to convert .mkv file to .avi (DivX) earlier. Even though I can finally watch - [McAfee 8.5 Framework Service Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/24/mcafee-85-framework-service-problem/) - If you have a problem with McAfee 8.5 where the framework service doesn't run, here are things that you can try. Uninstall McAfee Delete the following folders. Note that the third one is for Windows XP, you can look for the equivalent folder under C:\Users on Vista. C:\Program Files\McAfee C:\Program Files\Common Files\McAfee C:\Documents and Settings\All - [How to Convert AAC to AC3 in .MKV File](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/24/how-to-convert-aac-to-ac3-in-mkv-file/) - While I was looking for a better way to convert mkv file with soft subtitles to be played on my Playstation 3, I found there are some tools that allow me to to the conversion. Most of the conversion tools assume the mkv file uses H.264 as the video codec and AC3 as the audio - [What Can You Do When You Cannot Scan Virus in Safe Mode](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/23/what-can-you-do-when-you-cannot-scan-virus-in-safe-mode/) - I helped a friend with her infected laptop this past weekend. Usually I only need to boot the computer in safe mode and scan virus while in safe mode. However, this one is nasty and it got loaded even in safe mode. Without digging into how the virus got loaded in safe mode, I was - [A Better Keyboard for iPhone : 5-Row QWERTY Keyboard](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/21/a-better-keyboard-for-iphone-5-row-qwerty-keyboard/) - Have you ever wanted a keyboard with numbers on the same screen for iPhone? I have. I still remembered how hard it is to enter a WEP password which has a lot of numbers mixed with letters. It took like forever to enter it. Now with a program called 5-Row QWERTY Keyboard, you can enter - [Taking Screenshots on a MacBook Running Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/19/taking-screenshots-on-a-macbook-running-windows-7/) - Under Windows, you press Print Screen key to capture the full screen or alt + Print Screen to capture the active window. However, there is no Print Screen key on a MacBook. How can you capture the screenshots when you boot the machine to Windows OS? One solution I found is to use the on-screen - [How to Make a Windows 7 Search Connector for Your Site](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/18/how-to-make-a-windows-7-search-connector-for-your-site/) - A new feature of Windows 7 lets you search remote sites directly from Windows Explorer. To use it, just download the search connector files (*.osdx) to your computer. Double click on the search connector file to install it. Once it's installed, a new link is created under Favorites. Here is a screenshot for searching "Windows - [ATI Catalyst Driver for Windows 7 Beta](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/17/ati-catalyst-driver-for-windows-7-bet/) - [Update 5/5/2009] The new location for ATI Catalyst Driver for Windows 7 is here. I did some benchmark testing comparing 3D performance under XP and Windows 7. I was quite dissapointed at how poorly the 3D performs under Windows 7. I set out to find some other drivers and I came across this official beta - [AdRotate 2.2 for WordPress Upgrade Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/16/adrotate-22-for-wordpress-upgrade-problem/) - I recently upgraded my AdRotate plugin from 2.1 to 2.2. After upgrade, I found that the ads were not showing up any more. I thought there might be some conflicts between plugins. I tried to de-activate and re-activate the plugin, but it didn't help. Checking the author's web site and I found that the way - [Free Disc Burning Software for MacBook on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/15/free-disc-burinig-software-for-macbook-on-windows-7/) - I used to have a lot of problems using the built-in disc burning function on Vista. Whenever I had to burn a data DVD, it took a lot of time in preparing those temporary files. The burning process often failed. In the end, I installed a program called DeepBurner to burn CDs and DVDs. When - [Happy 1234567890!!!](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/13/happy-1234567890/) - I managed to capture a screenshot of coolepochcountdown.com when the epoch time reached 1234567890. Just in case you don't know about epoch(Unix) time, here is the wikipedia entry. - [How to Convert MKV to AVI with Soft Subtitle for PS3](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/13/how-to-convert-mkv-to-avi-with-soft-subtitle-for-ps3/) - The mkv file format for video is getting popular these days. Even the new DivX standard supports it. However, PS3 still does not support mkv files. If you want to play the mkv files, you have to convert them first. There are several guides about converting mkv to vob or to mp4 without subtitle. Here - [Wordpress 2.7 and Automatic Upgrade Plugin Conflict](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/12/wordpress-27-and-automatic-upgrade-plugin-conflict/) - I have been using Wordpress Automatic Upgrade plugin to upgrade my blog. It has worked perfectly up until 2.7 upgrade. Ever since the upgrade to Wordpress 2.7, I found that some of the new features do not work, like the flash based image upload and the ability to install plugin directly from within Wordpress dashboard. - [How to Take Better Pictures Using ClearCam on iPhone](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/11/how-to-take-better-pictures-using-clearcam-on-iphone/) - One weak feature of iPhone is its camera. The photos you take with it are usually not very sharp. An application called ClearCam might just be the cure for this problem. It's available for jailbroken iPhones through Cydia. The price is $9.99 for the full version. However, the function to create 4 MP pictures is - [LittleBigPlanet On Sale at Buy.com](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/09/littlebigplanet-on-sale-at-buycom/) - I have been waiting for this game to be on sale for a while. As of this writing, it's $44.95 shipped at Buy.com. Most other places still have it for the MSRP of $59.99. The discount might not seem that good, but it might come in handy it if you cannot wait to play the - [Netbook Sale on Amazon](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/06/netbook-sale-on-amazon/) - New models of netbook is coming out regularly. Amazon.com is discounting some of the older models. Click here to go to the Amazon's netbook sale page. If you cannot find the one you like, here is the link to the netbook selection on Amazon. If you ask me how to pick a good netbook, I'd - [How to Run Java Application from USB Flash Drive](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/06/how-to-run-java-application-from-usb-flash-drive/) - I copied Java IRC client jIRCii that I downloaded a few days ago to my USB Flash Drive, hoping that I can use it anywhere I go. When I connected it to my other computer, I found that I cannot run it, because the computer has no Java runtime installed. I thought it would be - [Free PC Games from Amazon.com](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/04/free-pc-games-from-amazoncom/) - Amazon.com is promoting its new PC game download service. Starting from now until 2/10/2009, there are games that you can download for free. The games are Build-a-lot, Jewel Quest II and The Scruffs. Click hereto go to the promotion page. - [Java IRC Client](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/02/03/java-irc-client/) - I have been searching for a good Java IRC client for a while and I finally found one. It's called jIRCii. Being a Java application, no installation is needed. You only need to have Java runtime installed. DCC file transfer and CTCP are supported. The program also includes 70 built-in server aliases. I was able - [Windows 7: Folder in Navigation Pane Does Not Expand to Current Folder](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/30/windows-7-folder-in-navigation-pane-does-not-expand-to-current-folder/) - Most people are used to the Windows Explorer's default behavior that whenever you browse to a sub folder in the right hand side pane, the treeview in the left side pane expands to that folder. This is changed in Windows 7 Beta. This screenshot demonstrates the behavior. Look at the right pane, the current folder - [Say Goodbye to Kombitz Version 1](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/26/say-goodbye-to-kombitz-version-1/) - The transition to the new theme has finished without incidents(I think). I took a screenshot of the old theme and posted it here for future reference. - [Creating a New Logo for a New Theme](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/23/creating-a-new-logo-for-a-new-theme/) - I have been using this Green Park theme for several months now. Even though it looks good on Firefox, it doesn't on IE 6. The theme has not been updated since 2007. I was searching for a better and up to date theme for a while. Finally, I picked this theme called PrimePress. As you - [Notes about Sychronizing iPhone and Oracle Calendar using NotifyLink](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/21/notes-about-sychronizing-iphone-and-oracle-calendar-using-notifylink/) - My work place uses Oracle Calendar for enterprise calendar. It doesn't have a client for iPhone. One solution is to use a 3rd party tool called NotifyLink. NotifyLink integrates enterprise email and calendar. You configure the NotifyLink server as a MS Exchange server on iPhone. The company's web site is here for those who are - [How to Uninstall U3 from USB Flash Drive](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/21/how-to-uninstall-u3-from-usb-flash-drive/) - I just received the SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive that I ordered last week. It's a nice 8 GB USB flash drive with a retractable USB connector. I ordered it when it's on sale for about $15.00. When I first plugged it in, I noticed that this flash drive is U3 enabled. - [Startup Repair on Windows 7](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/20/startup-repair-on-windows-7/) - I was trying out Cisco VPN client on Windows 7 Beta this morning. After installation, I rebooted the computer and got my second BSOD. When I first got my Windows 7 BSOD, I learned that the system reboots automatically whenever it crashes. I have turned off automatic reboots for this computer, therefore, I was able - [Popular Netbooks Comparison](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/16/popular-netbooks-comparison/) - Over the holiday season, I helped my users to pick laptops. To my surprise, those so-called netbooks have occupied the top spots of the best selling list. I have complied a list of several popular netbooks running Windows XP. Brand Acer Asus Samsung HP MSI Model Aspire One Eee PC 1000HA NC10-14GB 1035NR U100-432US Display - [My First Windows 7 Beta BSOD and How to Analyze It](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/16/my-first-windows-7-beta-bsod-and-how-to-analyze-it/) - While I was testing out Homegroup using a newly installed Dimension 8300, I got my first BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) of Windows 7 Beta. Unfortunately, the system rebooted automatically by default, I was not able to take a screenshot. There is one thing strange about the memory dump. The advance system settings shows that - [Installing Windows 7 Beta on Macbook](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/12/installing-windows-7-beta-on-amacbook/) - I got a chance to install Windows 7 Beta on my MacBook today. The installation is pretty smooth. The boot camp assistant has a detailed guide about installation. To get the installation guide, open Boot Camp Assistant under Mac OS and click on Print Installation & Setup Guide to print it. Follow the instructions for - [How I Got My Windows 7 Beta Keys](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/10/how-i-got-my-windows-7-beta-keys/) - When I first downloaded my copy of Windows 7 Beta, I didn't have an activation key. There are some instructions on how to obtain a valid key. This link is the one that I used to get my 32 bit key and 64 bit key. I don't want to paraphrase the instructions again. There are - [Windows 7 Auto-Tuning](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/09/windows-7-auto-tuning/) - When Microsoft first published Vista, the network feature "Auto-Tuning" has created a lot of headache among the users. So, does Windows 7 have this feature enabled? Yes, you bet. You can follow the same steps like the ones in this post to disable it. Here is the screenshot of the commands. If you find your - [Windows 7 Beta Installation](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/09/windows-7-beta-installation/) - I first tried to install Windows 7 Beta on a Dell Dimension 8300. That did not go well. The installation just got stuck and I cannot do anything about it. I then tried it on a newer Dell Dimension 3100 and I was able to install it. This is the first prompt you got. Supposedly, - [Free TechTool Deluxe Download for AppleCare Protection Plan](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/08/free-techtool-deluxe-download-for-applecare-protection-plan/) - My MacBook has been acting strange during the holidays. I wanted to run some diagnostic tests on it. There is a program called TechTool Deluxe that came with the AppleCare protection. However, I couldn't find where I put the installation media. A bit of googling, I found that Apple is actually offering it as a - [DVD Upscaling on PS3](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/08/dvd-upscaling-on-ps3/) - One of the main reasons for me to buy a PS3 is the Blu-Ray playback and DVD upscaling. For those who are not familiar with upscaling, it's also called upconverting, it's a process to scale the DVD signal from 480p to 1080i or higher. Before I bought my PS3, I did a bit of homework - [iPhone Connection Error (0xe8000001)](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/04/iphone-connection-error-0xe8000001/) - After I QuickPwned my iPhone 3G, I got this error whenever I connect it to a PowerBook with iTunes: "iTunes could not connect to the iPhone "iPhone" because an unknown error occurred (0xE8000001)". When I connected it to a differet MacBook and it was OK. I knew the problem lies with my PowerBook, not the - [How to Unlock iPhone 3G](https://www.kombitz.com/2009/01/01/how-to-unlock-iphone-3g/) - The iPhone Dev-Team has finally published the software unlock for iPhone 3G: yellowsn0w (Note that it's a zero in the word sn0w, not letter o). This is the original post. Earlier the team claimed the unlock is only for earlier version of the baseband, however this is not true for the actual unlock. This unlock - [How to Create DivX Files with Subtitles for PS3](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/12/28/how-to-create-divx-files-with-subtitles-for-ps3/) - I just bought myself a PS3 for Christmas. It's not only a video game console, but also a media center. It supports a lot of the video file formats. I have some DivX files with subtitles. These files are AVI files with either SRT or IDX/SUB subtitles. When I first tried them on the PS3, - [How to Unlock Chicago 8000 GPS](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/12/23/how-to-unlock-chicago-8000-gps/) - One of my forum readers has come up with a way to unlock a Chicago 8000 GPS. If you happen to have a Chicago 8000 GPS, you can follow the instructions in this thread . Thank you Jackwang878! - [Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware Cannot Install](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/12/18/malwarebytes-anti-malware-cannot-install/) - I just worked on an infected computer of my user. The virus/trojans are kinda scary. They blocked the malwarebytes.org. Therefore, you cannot go to the web site to download the software. I managed to get the file downloaded on a different computer and move it over. Once I got the setup file over, I cannot - [The Easiest and Fastest Way to Transfer Files between iPhone and Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/12/03/the-easiest-and-fastest-way-to-transfer-files-between-iphone-and-compute/) - I used to use FileZilla to transfer files between my iPhone and computer. It works well with smaller files. I was trying to copy some huge movie files from my computer to my iPhone and the estimated time is several hours! One reader has suggested a program called DiskAid, but I have not tried it - [How to Use Google Street View for iPhone 3G 2.2](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/11/24/how-to-use-goolge-street-view-for-iphone-3g-22/) - When I first learned that the PwnageTool is available for iPhone firmware 2.2, I cannot wait to get my iPhone jailbroken again for the new firmware. After I successfully did it, I wanted to try out the Goolge Street View, but I could not figure out how to use it. There is no indication on - [Python Script to Download Latest FireFox Automatically](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/11/24/python-script-to-download-latest-firefox-automatically/) - In the past, I usually downloaded the latest FireFox manually for setting up machines. It's kinda tedius and I finally decided to write a script to do it automatically. Here is the code. Note that the site doesn't not get updated frequently. For example, the latest FireFox 3.0.4 didn't appear at the site several days - [How to Avoid SMF Spams](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/11/20/how-to-avoid-smf-spams/) - My forum started to get a lot of spams since the beginning of this month. The spams were from some kind of spam bots. My first reaction was to find SMF mods that can deter the spams from coming. There are a few mods available for fighting spams. However, I could not get these mods - [Navigon 2100 Accessories](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/11/13/navigon-2100-accessorie/) - Navigon Traffic Activation Service Navigon FreshMaps Map Update Service Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad Motorcycle Mount for Navigon 2100 2100 Max 5100 7100 GPS invisibleSHIELD for the Navigon 2100 (Screen) Navigon 3.5" Protective Hard Shell Case Navigon 3.5-Inch Premium Leather Case Hard Shell Carrying Case for Navigon 2120 2100 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS - ["Cannot install printer. The print processor does not exist." on Windows XP](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/11/10/cannot-install-printer-the-print-processor-does-not-exist-on-windows-xp/) - When I tried to install a printer on several Windows XP machines, I got this error message constantly. Cannot install printer. The print processor does not exist. System reboot doesn't help and the strange thing is that network printer installation is fine. The printer I tried to install already has a driver on the system. - [Navigon 2100 (Mobile Navigator 6) Skins](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/11/07/navigon-2100-mobile-navigator-6-skins/) - My Navigon 2100 comes with Mobile Navigator 6 preinstalled. Like MioMap 3.3, you can change the skin of it. The file is in MN6 directory and it's called MN6ResourcesBinary.res . There is an active thread discussing the skin for Navigon 2100 on GpsPasSion.com. If you have time, you can read through the 100+ pages of - [Google Earth for iPhone Review](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/29/google-earth-for-iphone-review/) - Google Earth is finally available on iPhone. The options are limited compared to the desktop version, but it still offers a lot for you to play with. There are two functions that are unique to the iPhone version. Firstly, you can tilt your iPhone to adjust your view for mountainous terrain. Here is a screen - [How to Unlock a Mio C230 Bought in Mexico](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/24/how-to-unlock-a-mio-c230-bought-in-mexico/) - I helped one forum user to modify my Navigon unlock package to use in a Mio C230. The default navigation software is Destinator. The original thread is here. Note that the tweaks application is only for Navigon 2100. Please just ignore it. - [Thunderbird IMAP Shared Folders Performance Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/23/thunderbird-imap-shared-folders-performance-problem/) - I have been struggling with my email shared folders for quite a while now. I always thought the problem is at the server end. After working with my email admin for a few days, we finally found that the problem is related to Thunderbird. There is a feature called IDLE command support in Thunderbird. If - [How to Unlock Navigon 2100](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/20/how-to-unlock-navigon-2100/) - I am going to post a series of articles about unlocking and customizing Navigon 2100 GPS. Note that unlocking is a process to enable your Windows CE based GPS to run other programs not intended by the manufacturers. It is possible to run other Navigation software like iGo or TomTom on Navigon if you own - [How to Transfer ROMs to Your iPhone](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/17/how-to-transfer-roms-to-your-iphone/) - There are a lot of emulators that you can try out on your jailbroken iPhone. However, most people don't know how to transfer ROMs to iPhone. Here is my post about file transfer and here are the locations for various emulators. NES: /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/NES/ mame4iphone: /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/MAME/ genesis4iphone: /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/GENESIS/ gpSPhone: /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/GBA/ psx4iphone: /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/PSX/ Note that I don't - [Mac OS 10.4 Network Preference Problem "Your network settings have been changed by another application" Solved](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/15/mac-os-104-network-preference-problem/) - I helped one user to solve a strange network preference problem today. The machine is a Macbook Pro running 10.4.11. According to the user, after he updated it with the 2008-006 patch from Apple, he started to get this message whenever he clicks on the Network preference in System Preferences. Your network settings have been - [Windows XP Activation Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/10/10/windows-xp-activation-problem/) - I got a phone call yesterday from my user about Windows XP not activated. This problem is a first in my years with Windows XP. All the XP machines are installed using a volume license or pre-installed by the vendor. No activation is ever required. My first step was just following the on-screen wizard to - [Navigon 2100 at a Glance](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/09/26/navigon-2100-at-a-glance/) - I saw a great deal for Navigon 2100 on Staples.com . After discount, easy rebate and coupon, the total comes to about $84.00. The price is excellent for a GPS with TTS (Text to speech). The shipping is fast, too. I ordered it on Tuesday and it arrived on Wednesday. It came in a very - [File Transfer Tutorial for Jailbroken iPhones](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/09/23/file-transfer-tutorial-for-jailbroken-iphones/) - I have quite a few requests for about file transfer tutorial for Jailbroken iPhones. I thought there are some tutorials out there, I didn't want to duplicate the efforts. However, I cannot seem to find a good tutorial that I like. So, here is my take of a mini tutorial on how to transfer files - [OCN 8 Is Finally Out](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/09/16/ocn-8-is-finally-out/) - I wrote a post about OCN 8 back in May. It was long over due at that time. Now, 4 months later, it's finally ready to ship. The estimate ship date is 9/19/2008. The regular price for OCN 8 on a 2GB microSD card is $75.00. BuyGPSNow.com has a sale going on right now. If - [Cycorder - The Free iPhone Video Recorder Now with Audio](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/09/05/cycorder-the-free-iphone-video-recorder-now-with-audio/) - Ever since I installed the free Cycorder, I have been checking Cydia every day for the updated version. The long awaited (for me) version with audio recording is finally out. You can see all the changes from this screenshot. I'll make a sample recording later. Ok, here is the recording. Note that when I first - [How to Update SpeedCam File for MioMap 3.3](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/08/28/how-to-update-speedcam-file-for-miomap-33/) - It's been a while for me to write something about Mio C230. Some of you might notice the recent posts about iPhone. I have not forgotten about my little Mio C230 yet. It's just that I don't have much time to cover both topics. Anyway, remember that I wrote a post about updating the speedcam - [How to Check SHA1 Sum on OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/08/26/how-to-check-sha1-sum-on-os-x/) - If you ever wonder how to check SHA1 sum on OS X, here is how. Open up a Terminal window. Change the directory to the file location. Issue the following command. openssl sha1 filename The openssl can also check the following digests: md2, md5, mdc2, rmd160 and sha. This is useful when you download some - [Free Video Recorder for iPhone - Cycorder](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/08/24/free-video-recorder-for-iphone-cycorder/) - [Note:] This is only available for jailbroken iPhone. When I checked Cydia for new programs yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised that there is a video recorder and it's even free. The program is written by Jay Freeman who is the author of Cydia. The program features real-time compression, the algorithm used is MJPEG. Compared - [iPhone 3G: Simple Way to Enter Recovery Mode](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/08/21/iphone-3g-simple-way-to-enter-recovery-mode/) - When I used the Pwnage Tool to jailbreak my iPhone, there is a method to enter Recovery Mode. It involves with several steps and correct timing for pushing the right button at the right time. I found a quicker and simpler way. Here are the steps. Press and hold the sleep button for a few - [Converting YouTube Videos to iPhone for Dummies](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/08/02/converting-youtube-videos-to-iphone-for-dummies/) - I was trying to download and convert some YouTube videos for my iPhone. I found the process is so easy and I'd like to share that method with you. What you need is just the free iTunes. No other paid program is needed. Here are the steps. Open up your favorite browser and go to - [NES Emulator 2.2.5 for iPhone Crashes - Fixed!](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/28/nes-emulator-225-for-iphone-crashes-fixed/) - I just updated my NES Emulator to 2.2.5 and it keeps crashing after the update. It was working before the update. I found one thread about this problem on modmyifone.com. It turns out the executable of NES emulator is not signed. Assuming you have a OpenSSH set up. You can ssh in your iPhone and - [AT&T Customers: Read This First before You Jailbreak Your iPhone 3G](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/27/att-customers-read-this-first-before-you-jailbreak-your-iphone-3g/) - When I followed some of the tutorials on the net to jailbreak my iPhone, I found that there is a critical information that some tutorials do not mention if you are a AT&T customer with an activated iPhone. That is if your iPhone has been activated with AT&T's SIM card, you don't want to check - [Jailbreaking iPhone 3G using Windows - Tutorials](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/25/jailbreaking-iphone-3g-using-windows-tutorials/) - A few days ago, the iPhone dev team released the PwnageTool 2.0.1 to jailbreak the iPhone 3G. That tool is only available for Mac OS X. Now we have a tool that runs under Windows. It's called WinPwn 2.0. While you can download WinPwn 2.0 from the official site, there is no much information regarding - [iPhone 3G GPS Review](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/24/iphone-3g-gps-review/) - Before the iPhone 3G was released, there were a lot of speculations about what the GPS feature of the new iPhone can do. Can it replace your GPS navigation device? I really hoped so. After about a week of use, let me tell you what I think now. The software for using the GPS feature - [Jailbreaking iPhone 3G](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/22/jailbreaking-iphone-3g/) - When I browsed various iPhone hacks on the net, I saw the word "jailbreak" being mentioned in a lot of articles. I didn't know what does that mean at first. Later, I learned that jailbreaking is like unlocking for our GPS, it enables your iPhone to run other programs other than the ones provided by - [iPhone Tips: How to Manage Backups](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/22/iphone-tips-how-to-manage-backupsa/) - Apple has published an article about backups for iPhone and iPod Touch. You can learn about how to create, restore and delete backups. It' quite handy when you are testing out different hacks. Note that the backup is only for your applications and firmware. The contents ( music, ringtones and contacts) are not backed up. - [iPhone Tips: Create Your Own Ringtones for FREE](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/18/iphone-tips-create-your-own-ringtones-for-free/) - iTune lets you create your ringtones from only songs purchased from iTune Store. There is an article on StopGeek.com that tells you how to make your own ringtones for free using just iTune. Here is the link. I followed the instructions and ran into some problems initially. My first problem was that I made the - [iPhone 3G's Sensors Location](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/17/iphone-3gs-sensors-location/) - When I went shopping for a case for my iPhone. I checked the dealextreme's site. There is only one crystal case available for iPhone 3G at the moment. This case is only $1.99 and the shipping is free. The only catch is that it takes a long time ( about 2 to 3 weeks) to - [iPhone Tips - Restarting and Reseting](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/17/iphone-tips-restarting-and-reseting/) - I got these tips from the manual. I figured how to restart iPhone before I read the manual. But, I don't think I'd figure out how to reset it by myself. Restart iPhone: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the red slider appears.Slide your finger across the slider to turn off iPhone. To turn - [iPhone Tips - How to Type Contraction Quickly](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/17/iphone-tips-how-to-type-contraction-quickly/) - One feature that I don't like about iPhone's keyboard is that there is no symbols or numbers on the main keyboard. You have to switch to other keyboard to type symbols and numbers. If you want to type the word can't , you need to tap can first then the 123 button to switch to - [iPhone Tips - Keyboard Tips](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/17/iphone-tips-keyboard-tips/) - iPhone has a great OS and it's very user friendly. However, some of the features are not that obvious. Here are some keyboard tips I found either on the net or from the manual. I'll keep this post updated once I found new keyboard tips. Quickly type a period and a space: Double tap the - [15% Corporate/Education Discount for iPhone 3G Plan](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/14/15-corporateeducation-discount-for-iphone-3g-plan/) - Just in case you don't know about the corporate or education discount for your iPhone 3G paln. You can sign up for the discount following this link. http://wireless.att.com/discounts You need to have a valid business or school email address to do it. While I was waiting on the line to purchase my iPhone, I heard - [NIS Problems and Fedora 9](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/11/nis-problems-and-fedora-9/) - I helped a user to set up a machine for dual boot with Windows XP and Linux. Initially, I used CentOS 5 for Linux, but the ability to mount NTFS partition is not supported by default. Even though there are ways to get around it. I finally settled for Fedora 9 which has the ntfs-3g - [Zone Alarm and Windows Update KB951748](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/07/11/zone-alarm-and-windows-update-kb951748/) - One user came to see me after the recent windows updates. Her machine suddenly lost internet connection after the updates were applied. From my experience, the problem is usually caused by firewall. I turned off the ZoneAlarm firewall and internet started to work again. ZoneLab published an article about this issue. You can visit their - [Arrival Time off by One Hour for Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/06/30/arrival-time-off-by-one-hour-for-mio-c230/) - One reader has experienced a problem with the arrival time on Mio C230. Even though I do not have this problem on mine, I thought this might benefit other Mio C230 owners. Question: "I have a C230 that is set to Eastern Std time and the clock is correct but my Arrival Time is behind - [TildeTech Free Dictionary for PNA](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/05/30/tildetech-free-dictionary-for-pna/) - License: Freeware Links: Site I have been searching for a dictionary program for my Mio C230 for a long time. Finally, I found one that's working. It's the Free Dictionary from Tilde Tech. The installation is not that straight forward, so I am writing down the steps. It requires .Net Compact Framework, so you'll need - [Seagate 750GB SATA Drives from Amazon.com](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/05/27/seagate-750gb-sata-drives-from-amazoncom/) - I was looking for some good SATA drives for our new server. Of all the companies that offer 750GB SATA drives, Seagate has the best 5-yr warranty. Initially, I wanted to buy them from NewEgg.com, but then I found that Amazon has better price. Click here for the product page. The positive reviews on Amazon.com - [Are You Willing to Upgrade to iGo 8 ( OCN 8 )?](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/05/21/igo-8-upgrade/) - Now that Mio Tech switched to Navman navigation software. iGo 8 is not going to be an upgrade from Mio Tech. OnCourse is going to release iGo 8 as OCN 8 in US. The release date is in the first half of June according to the company. No pricing info is available yet. However, based - [HP Photosmart 385 - "Cannot Display This Photo" Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/05/09/hp-photosmart-385-cannot-display-this-photo-error/) - I have a HP Photosmart 385 which has been printing fine since day one. What I have been printing are photos straight from my camera. I tried to make an image out of several photos using GIMP. When I took the image I made to the printer, the printer complained about the photo(image) cannot be - [What's New in the Next Release](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/30/whats-new-in-the-next-release/) - Just an update on what I am working right now. The following new features are going to be in the 4.1 release. Cab files installation .Net Compact Framework 3.5 Increased Storage Memory Functional Taskbar Regarding the new Daylight Saving Time rules for US, I am still working on it. I have tried out teddy_b's suggestion - [Dungeon Master for PNA](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/28/dungeon-master-for-pna/) - DOWNLOAD License: Freeware Links: site 1 , site 2 This is the PocketPC port of the Dungeon Master from the late 1980's on Atari. I have written a small script to help run the game. Execute run.exe in the directory to play it. - [Custom Coupon Code from TheNerds.net](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/25/custom-coupon-code-from-thenerdsnet/) - TheNerds.net has offered a custom coupon code for our readers. Please enter the coupon code: kombitz at the check out and get $8.00 off your purchase. The offer ends on 5/31/2008. - [Leopard Cannot Upgrade Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/21/leopard-cannot-upgrade-problem/) - Most savvy users know it by now that in order to upgrade your Mac to Leopard, you need to have Tiger on it. If you don't have Tiger on it, you need to upgrade your Mac to Tiger first. What if your Mac is already running Tiger and the installer still doesn't install and complains - [Adobe Illustrator CS2 for Mac Keeps Crashing](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/21/adobe-illustrator-cs2-for-mac-keeps-crashing/) - A user has reported a strange problem about Adobe Illustrator CS2 on a PowerMac G5 running Leopard. It started about two weeks ago and whenever he tries to run Illustrator, the splash screen appears and then it crashes without any error message. I checked the logs and crash reports. I didn't find anything related to - [WinPilot VFR for PNA](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/20/winpilot-vfr-for-pna/) - DOWNLOAD License: Trial Web Site: link This is another software requested by my reader. It's not free, but you can run it in simulator mode. Unlike the other programs, the program has to be in \Program Files\ directory and all the other files have to be in \My Documents\ directory. Since we don't have direct - [Notes about Programs for PNA](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/19/notes-about-programs-for-pna/) - When I created the new category for the programs I found for Mio C230, I thought you might be able to run these programs on other Mio GPSs or other Windows CE based Personal Navigation Assistant. I decided to name this category Programs for PNA. These programs are tested using Mio C230 which runs on - [XnView Pocket for PNA](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/18/xnview-pocket-for-mio-c230/) - DOWNLOAD License: Freeware I have got some requests for a photo slide show program. This is it. You need a copy of AYGSHELL.DLL which I didn't include in the package. A reader has warned about distributing AYGSHELL.DLL is illegal. Even though I don't know if the claim is true, I decided not to distribute it - [Migration from WordPress.com to BlueHost.com](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/14/migration-from-wordpresscom-to-bluehostcom/) - After I posted hacks about Mio C230 in November 2007, my blog became even more popular than before. I wanted to try out Adsense and other affiliate programs to make some money from my blog. I didn't make a decision until the first week of April 2008. The first step is to pick a hosting - [How to Make Word 2003 or 2007 the Default Program to Open .DOC Documents](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/11/how-to-make-word-2003-or-2007-the-default-program-to-open-doc-documents/) - I just helped a user to install Office 2007 without uninstalling Office 2003, because we want the ability to use applications from both versions. The problem is after installing Office 2007, the Word 2007 is now the default program to open .doc documents and this not what the user wants. I tried to reset Word - [Welcome to kombitz](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/05/welcome-to-kombitz/) - Hello, my move from computerbits.wordpress.com to kombitz.com is finally complete. Enjoy the new site while I get a break from the hardship of the move. :-) The traffic to my old site is being redirect to kombitz.com automatically. However, please update your bookmarks when you get a chance. Thanks! - [Special Announcement](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/04/special-announcement/) - We are in the process of moving to a new hosting company. Please do not comment before the transition is complete. 4/4/2008 As you can see the transition is now complete. The new domain for our site is now http://www.kombitz.com If you have been visiting us through WordPress.com's tag http://wordpress.com/tag/mio-c230/ This is the last post - [Increasing Storage Memory for Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/03/increase-storage-memory-for-mio-c230/) - Mio C230 comes with 64 MB RAM and by default only 512KB is reserved for storage memory. The storage memory is for system files, it's kinda like the system drive for your computer. Because of the limitation, you often encounter error messages when you tried to copy stuff to the Windows directory. You can adjust - [Next Generation GPS - Dash Express](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/02/next-generation-gps-dash-express/) - From time to time, there is a break through product that can change the industry. If you are tired of the existing GPSs on the market with similar functionalities, this one is for you. I found this GPS device called Dash Express while I was browsing Amazon.com. What's unique about this GPS is the two-way - [Getting Programs for Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/02/getting-programs-for-mio-c230/) - Now that you have unlocked your Mio C230, you are eager to try out various PocketPC or Windows CE applications. But where to start? There are a lot of PocketPC freeware sites. I like this particular site very much because it has ratings for most of the freeware you can download from the site. http://pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php - [New Page for Mio C230 Accessories](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/04/01/new-page-for-mio-c230-accessories/) - Just in case you didn't notice the new Mio C230 page I created. Here is the link. http://computerbits.wordpress.com/mio-c230-accessories/ My personal favorites are the friction dash pad and the battery extender. - [How to Set Word 2008 Default Fonts](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/28/how-to-set-word-2008-default-fonts/) - When I first created a new document in Word 2008 for Mac, I found that the default fonts are now Cambria for body text and Calibri for heading. There is nothing wrong with the new fonts, it's just that if you exchange documents with someone who doesn't have the fonts, the formatting of the documents - [Skins Page Updated](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/27/skins-page-updated/) - I have just updated my skins page with screenshots and downloads for the two new skins contributed by Quicksilver13. Give it a try and tell us what you think. Here is the link. - [Geocaching Take 2](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/26/geocaching-take-2/) - The major problem when I tried to use Mio C230 to find geocaches is that by default the static navigation is turned on. What is static navigation. Murphyfields has found a great link about static navigation. Here is the quote about static navigation from SiRF. 93. Explain the static navigation parameters. Since SA was turned - [Vista Service Pack 1 Available](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/19/vista-service-pack-1-available/) - The Vista Service Pack 1 is finally available to general public. You can download it here. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb738089.aspx You need at least of 3 GB disk space to install it. One of my colleagues reported problems with one system file (tcpip.sys). He has tried to installed it several times and always ends up with a crippled - [Geocaching Take 1](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/17/geocaching-take-1/) - After learning about Geocaching, I finally got around to try it out. If you don't know where to find the information. Here is the site where you can find out all about it. I went on the site to find nearby geocaches. Surprisingly, there are a couple of geocaches within 2 minutes drive from my - [Adding a Desktop for Unlocking Guide Release 4](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/17/adding-a-desktop-for-unlocking-guide-release-4/) - Adding a new desktop to this release is quite easy. You can use the new desktop to add any programs you want. After trying out the tutorial on how to add a program to the desktop, you know that we use INI files for desktop configuration. main.ini is for Main desktop, games.ini is for Games - [Free NTFS File Recovery Tools](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/11/free-ntfs-file-recovery-tools/) - I have been asked to recover some deleted files from NTFS partitions from time to time. There are a lot of programs on the market that does the job well. Some of the tools are even free. I have tried the following three tools and found them quite useful. Recover Files link PC Inspector Smart - [Wishlist for Unlocking Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/08/wishlist-for-unlocking-mio-c230/) - If you have any new features that you would like to see in the future unlocking guide, please comment here. The use of unlicensed maps is illegal. Please don't ask where can you get maps not licensed for your device or how can you get MioMap to recognize the unlicensed maps. Any question regarding unlicensed - [Can't find KNOPPIX filesystem Error](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/07/cant-find-knoppix-filesystem-error/) - I tried to use KNOPPIX to prepare an image for a Dell Inspiron 530S machine the other day. When I booted the machine up using the KNOPPIX CD, I got this message "Can't find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry. Dropping you to a (very limited) shell.". Usually, if I use the failsafe option, it would run, but - [How to Unlock Mio C230 Release 4 - The Easiest Guide Ever!](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/03/how-to-unlock-mio-c230-release-4-the-easiest-unlock-ever/) - Right after I published the release 3.1, MoonBear contacted me and asked about some system files for the default Mio C230. He helped me to figure out a SD card based unlock procedure. I have since changed my unlock procedure to accommodate this. What are the advantages using a SD card? Firstly, the unlock is - [New MacBook Pro with the Multi-Touch Trackpad On Sale](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/03/01/new-macbook-pro-with-the-multi-touch-trackpad-on-sale/) - Apple has unveiled a new line of Macbook and Macbook Pro this week. In addition to the new Intel Core 2 Duo Chip (Penryn), the biggest feature is the inclusion of the Multi-Touch trackpad. With Multi-Touch, you can scroll, swipe, pinch and expand, rotate to manipulate text, photo and image. You can visit this page - [Tweaking SYS.TXT for MioMap 3.3](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/02/08/tweaking-systxt-for-miomap-33/) - Some of you might have tried to modify the SYS.TXT file in the MioMap (or MioMap2) directory to let MioMap behave differently. I found a post by Andy Elliott. You can find a lot of information regarding SYS.TXT. Note that the way he posted the info is not what you should put in the file. - [Running ScummVM on Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/01/30/running-scummvm-on-mio-c230/) - You have played some simple games on your unlocked Mio C230. Mio C230 is actually powerful enough for more sophisticated games. I have tried ScummVM and it rocks! So what is ScummVM? Here is the quote for ScummVM's web site. ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic graphical point-and-click adventure games, - [Thunderbird Attachment Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/01/23/thunderbird-attachment-problem/) - I am working on a strange problem today. One user complained that he cannot send any pdf document properly through Thunderbird. The user could send other attachments alright, but whenever he tried to send a PDF as attachment, the attachment would be treated as XHTML. I tried to send the same PDF from another account, - [iWork '08 Quit Unexpectedly](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/01/14/iwork-08-quit-unexpectedly/) - One user tried to install iWork 08 on a Mac Pro running Tiger. After installation, none of the applications worked. The applications crashed right after we tried to open them. Here is part of the crash report. Thread 0 Crashed: 0 com.apple.Foundation 0x9282b45f _NSRaiseError + 227 1 com.apple.Foundation 0x92852247 +[NSException raise:format:] + 57 2 com.apple.Foundation - [MioMap 3.3 Skins for Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/01/09/miomap-33-skins-for-mio-c230/) - There are a lot of MioMap v3.2 skins out there, but there are not a lot of MioMap v3.3 skins. There is also no skin tested for C230 either at the time of this writing. With help from MoonBear at GpsPassion.com, I was able to modify a split screen skin for use in C230. The - [MioMap 3.3 DATA.ZIP Tweaks](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/01/09/miomap-33-datazip-tweaks/) - MioMap (iGo) uses DATA.ZIP for a lot of user interface configurations. I have included the DATA.ZIP from my US Mio C230 in my unlocking guide. My reader found that the DATA.ZIP is not compatible with EU model. I am starting this post and record whatever tweaks I know for it. You can then modify your - [How to Unlock Mio C230 Release 3.1 with Route Management](https://www.kombitz.com/2008/01/04/how-to-unlock-mio-c230-release-31-with-route-management/) - I tested the route management from this thread and found it quite useful. I have decided to publish this interim release. This release has many more files. If you have not moved some of your map files to the storage card. This is the first thing you will have to do. This release uses about - [How to Unlock Mio C230 Release 3](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/12/26/how-to-unlock-mio-c230-release-3/) - [Update] Release 3.1 is out. It's been a while since I posted the release 2. Now it's time for release 3. Unlike the previous two releases, this release has many more files. If you have not moved some of your map files to the storage card. This is the first thing you will have to - [Universal HDD Adapter USB to SATA and PATA](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/12/21/universal-hdd-adapter-usb-to-sata-and-pata/) - I often need to test internal hard drives for my job. In the IDE era, I have an adapter for 3.5" PATA hard drive and an adapter for 2.5" PATA hard drive. With USB to PATA(IDE) adapters, I can connect those internal hard drives to a computer using a USB cable. Now that almost all - [Adding Canada Maps to Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/12/21/adding-canada-maps-to-mio-c230/) - There are two locations for MioMap to store maps. When you connect your C230 to the computer with a SD card in it. Assuming that C230 shows up as F drive and the storage card (SD card) shows up as G drive, the two locations are F:\MioMap\MioMap\MAPS (or F:\MioMap\MioMap2\MAPS if you've unlocked your unit) G:\MioMap\MAPS - [Mac Pro Booting Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/12/20/mac-pro-booting-problem/) - We recently ran into a weird booting problem on a fairly new Mac Pro. The computer couldn't boot if we do a warm restart. It boots alright if we turn the machine off and wait for a bit while. Resetting PRAM doesn't work. Resetting PMU doesn't work either. The machine also doesn't boot to diagnostic - [Adding Exit Door to MioMap 3.3](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/12/18/adding-exit-door-to-miomap-33/) - One reader has contributed a great hack to add an Exit Door to the main screen of MioMap 3.3. It's easier to quit MioMap this way and MioMap shuts off cleanly without the need to reset the machine. This hack is only useful if you have unlocked your Mio C230. I assume that you have - [Adding Custom POIs to Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/11/28/adding-custom-poi-to-mio-c230/) - I always thought POI Explorer is the only way to add custom POIs to Mio C230. I just found out a feature of C230. Adding custom POIs is so easy. Find the POI set from the sites like POIfriend.com . Download the POI set in Google Earth format (kml). Create a folder called POI in - [MacBook Pro Sale on Amazon](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/11/20/macbook-pro-sale-on-amazon/) - [Updated: 3/28/2008] MacBook Pros feature the Intel Core 2 Duo processor; Multi-Touch trackpad technology; a discrete, powerful graphics processor; a choice of two display sizes; advanced connectivity; and a powerful architecture. It is the epitome of mobile computing--and it can serve as a desktop replacement as well. Amazon now offers $150.00 rebate for MacBook Pro's. - [Plugins for Viewing Podcast on TCPMP](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/11/20/plugins-for-viewing-podcast-on-tcpmp/) - To view podcast on TCPMP, you need AVC plugin for H.264 video and AAC plugin for audio. These two plugins are not part of the TCPMP package. I found this post with a link to a cab file of these plugins. I tested these plugins with TCPMP 0.72RC1. It runs great most of the time - [Great 500 GB External Hard Drives for Time Machine](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/11/07/great-500-gb-external-hard-drives-for-time-machine/) - Leopard has introduced a neat feature called "Time Machine". It's a great backup utility with easy to use interface. Now that you have this utility, you also need a place to save the backup. Otherwise, it won't save you when the internal hard disk fails. One user has asked me to find a good external - [How to Unlock Mio C230](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/10/31/how-to-unlock-mio-c230/) - Original Release This is the original release that started it all. It is the first unlock guide ever published for Mio C230. The guide has made hacking/unlocking Mio C230 possible and it has inspired other efforts for making Mio C230 a wonderful device to own. Release 2 In the first release, I did not tweak - [How to Fix Broken X11 in Leopard](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/10/29/how-to-fix-broken-x11-in-leopard/) - One colleague told me about a useful link about how to fix broken X11 in Leopard. Even thought I haven't got my copy of Leopard yet, I suspect that I am going to do this sooner or later. Hopefully, Apple would fix the issue so I don't have to do this manually. - [Error Deleting File or Folder under Windows](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/10/24/error-deleting-file-or-folder-under-windows/) - One user reported that a file cannot be deleted under Windows 2003. The error message is "Cannot delete File: It is being used by another person or program. Close any programs that might be using the file and try again." We tried to reboot the machine and make sure no program is accessing the file. - [Remote Desktop and InstallShield](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/10/17/remote-desktop-and-installshield/) - I often use Remote Desktop or Terminal Service Client to install programs on remote computers. Most of the time, it works pretty well. From time to time, I ran into problems that InstallShield fails with unknown errors. If you ran into similar situation and you don't know what to do. I'd suggest that you try - [AcqKnowledge Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/09/17/acqknowledge-problem/) - One user is having problems with a data acquisition program called AcqKnowledge. The program recognizes the hardware only when logged on as the user who installed the program. No other user can use it. Not even another administrator. After digging the online resources and the files in the program directory, I found there is a - [Xorg Problem on CentOS 5](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/08/27/xorg-problem-on-centos-5/) - I just tested upgrading a Red Hat Linux 9 machine to CentOS 5. The upgrading process ran smoothly except after upgrade the X server did run. Usually, the problem might be due to the installer uses horizontal or vertical frequency that the monitor could not handle. The fix of this kind of problem is easy, - [Matlab Installation Problems on CentOS 5](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/08/24/matlab-installation-problems-on-centos-5/) - One user requested Matlab on a CentOS 5 system. The installation was not as smooth as before. When I popped in the installation disc and ran the installation script on the disc, I got a lot of errors about permission denied. The problem was the disc was mounted by the system using noexec option, therefore - [Red Hat Linux 9 FTP Site](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/08/24/red-hat-linux-9-ftp-site/) - I am planning on upgrading our old Linux server from Red Hat 9 to CentOS 5. I want to try the upgrading on a test machine before I do it on the production machine. The problem is I don't have the media for Red Hat 9 and most Linux sites don't have it either. I - [Cisco VPN Client Problem on Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/08/21/cisco-vpn-client-problem-on-mac-os-x/) - One user had troubles with the Cisco VPN Client 4.9 on a brand new MacBook Pro. Whenever you tried to connect, it just failed and without any warning. I turned on the log and found the following entry: Unable to bind to IKE port. This could be because there is another VPN client installed or - [How to Remote Login to a Mac in Active Directory](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/08/08/how-to-remote-login-to-a-mac-in-active-directory/) - I started to join our Macs to Active Directory and test them. One issue came up. Can I use a network account to remote login? Here is what I found out. If you have logged on to the machine before, you can just use the following to remote login. ssh username@machinename If you have NOT - [Fedora 7 Installation Notes on an Acer Ferrari 3400](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/07/10/fedora-7-installation-note-on-an-acer-ferrari-3400/) - Fedora 7 came out just before I went for vacation. Therefore, it took me a while to get a chance to try it on my Ferrari 3400. Extra Yum Repositories Even though the current Fedora has tons of packages. Some of the necessary ones for functional desktop are not included. There are two nice repositories:livna - [Support Computer Bits, Buy a PS3](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/07/10/support-computer-bits-buy-a-ps3/) - Just in case you don't know about the recent price drop of Sony Playstation 3. It's now only $499.00. Amazon also has a great deal. If you buy it from them, it comes with a Blu-Ray Remote Control , one Blu-Ray DVD and a rebate of FIVE additional Blu-Ray DVDs! Click here to buy it - [SPAM!](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/05/23/spam/) - Ever since last week, I got a lot of SPAMs for my blog. I had to change my blog's setting so that only registered users can leave comments. - [How to Repair a 2GB Outlook PST File](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/05/11/how-to-repair-a-2gb-outlook-pst-file/) - After wrestling with a corrupted Outlook PST file most of yesterday, I finally got a working PST file. The cause of the corrupted file is that the size is over 2GB and Outlook 2000 cannot handle it. I first tried Outlook 2003 to import the corrupted file without success. I then came across this article. - [Poor Man's DreamScene: VLC Media Player](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/05/01/poor-mans-dreamscene-vlc-media-player/) - Vista has a cool feature called DreamScene. It lets you play a video file on your computer's desktop. However, it's available only on Ultimate edition of Vista. You can somehow simulate it on Windows machines using VLC Media Player. Download VLC Media Player from this site and install it. Change the "Video output module" to - [FC6 Automount Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/04/20/fc6-automount-problem/) - I just upgraded one of our machines from FC5 to FC6. After the process, the automount failed during startup. This is the message from the log. master_read_master: can't read master map auto.master This is strange, because there is an auto.master file in the /etc directory. I then modified the /etc/sysconfig/autofs and uncommented DEFAULT_MASTER_MAP_NAME and set - [MS07-017 Problem - Illegal System DLL Relocation](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/04/05/ms07-017-problem-illegal-system-dll-relocation/) - One of my machines got this message after the recent MS07-017 update. Rthdcpl.exe - Illegal System DLL Relocation The system DLL user32.dll was relocated in memory. The application will not run properly. The relocation occurred because the DLL C:\Windows\System32\Hhctrl.ocx occupied an address range reserved for Windows system DLLs. The vendor supplying the DLL should be - [How to Create GPO for Vista Only](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/04/04/how-to-create-gpo-for-vista-only/) - We have third party firewalls on all our XP machines, so I had to disable the built-in firewall for XP using domain GPO. Now that Vista is out, the situation is different. The third party firewall doesn't work under Vista. Therefore, we have to rely on the built-in firewall for Vista machines. Our current GPO - [MacBook: Script to Eject CD-ROM under Vista](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/26/macbook-script-to-eject-cd-rom-under-vista/) - The MacBook has no eject button under Vista. The eject key doesn't work either. To eject CD-ROM, you need to use Windows Explorer. Once you have Windows Explorer opened up, you need to right click on the optical drive and select "eject" assuming you have an external mouse. If not, you will need to run - [Enable MacBook's Microphone under Vista](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/22/enable-macbook-microphone-under-vista/) - Apple's Boot Camp Assist 1.1.2 b includes SigmaTel audio driver for MacBook. However, when I first installed it, the microphone was not working. I first thought the microphone driver is not compatible with Vista. Later, I found that it's not a compatibility problem. The microphone is just not enabled by default. Here is how you - [MacBook's Audio Problem after Vista Upgrade](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/21/macbook-audio-problem-after-vista-upgrade/) - I just upgraded my MacBook from Vista Business to Vista Ultimate. After the upgrade, the audio device is not working any more. I tried to uninstall the audio device and re-install it several times and it didn't work. I then try to google for solution, and what do you know, I found the solution in - [AppleScript: Current Directory](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/16/applescript-current-directory/) - I wanted to create an AppleScript to launch a shell script. The problem I ran into is whenever I do a shell script the working directory is my home directory. I need to find out a way to change the directory to the current directory. With the help of this book and some hints I - [Java NoClassDefFoundError](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/16/java-noclassdeffounderror/) - One user reported problems trying to run a Java program. We tried to run the program on several computers and some worked but some didn't. The program was launched by a batch file. The command is something like java program_name We got this java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError constantly. From past experience, it's usually related to environment variables not - [First Donation](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/09/first-donation/) - I set up the PayPal donation on 3/6/2007 and I didn't expect anyone would contribute very soon. I was wrong! I just got my very first PayPal donation from M.R. yesterday. THANK YOU! I really appreciate your kindness. I'll update my donation page with people's initials and state. - [ISO Files under Vista](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/03/07/iso-files-under-vista/) - Vista has many new features over XP. However, the ability to manipulate ISO files is still missing. If you buy a system pre-installed with Vista, it probably has some 3rd party utilities for burning ISO files to CD/DVD. If you are like me who upgrade to Vista by myself, you are out of luck. There - [Virtual PC 2007 Note](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/02/21/virtual-pc-2007-note/) - Microsoft has just released Virtual PC 2007 and it's available for free. You can download it here. CD Device The first problem I ran into is the default virtual machine tried to boot the machine using secondary controller which doesn't exist on my test machine. To use the main CD/DVD drive, click on CD menu - [Vista Auto-Tuning](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/02/14/vista-auto-tuning/) - Vista introduces a new feature called "Receive Window Auto-Tuning". What it does is to adjust the receive windows size continually based upon the changing network conditions. You can see this article if you are interested in details. Some people reported that auto-tuning cause network time-out problems with some applications and routers. You can turn it - [Vista Keyboard Shortcuts](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/02/05/vista-keyboard-shortcuts/) - I was going to compile a list of keyboard shortcuts under Vista. However, I found that the list provided by Vista is quite comprehensive. There is really to have a list of my own. Here is how you access the keyboard shorcuts under Vista. Click on the start button and then click on "Help and - [Safari Browser Hijack](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/02/02/safari-browser-hijack/) - One user took his iBook with him when he travelled overseas. He used a service called DataValet. It worked well and he was able to use Safari and email client. The problem was when he got back, Safari still "remembers" DataValet. Whenever he opened up Safari, the page got directed to DataValet's web site for - [VLC Media Player Problem under Vista](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/01/25/vlc-media-player-problem-under-vista/) - [Update] I tried the latest version of VLC player (0.8.6d) and it played OK without modification. 12/27/2007 VLC is my favorite media player. It plays almost every media format and you can get it for every major platforms. I tried VLC to play some AVI files on Vista RC2. It didn't play them properly. I - [HTA: Check Process Example](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/01/16/hta-check-process-example/) - Microsoft has a less known technology called HTA (HTML Application). Basically, it gives scripts a GUI front end using HTML notation. I have known HTA for years, but I never get around to try it. While I was thinking about writing a script to check running processes on a computer, I thought it would be - [How to Prepare Intel RAID Disk for Multi-boot](https://www.kombitz.com/2007/01/04/how-to-prepare-intel-raid-disk-for-multi-boot/) - I often help my users set up their machines for multi-boot. For older computers without RAID, it's quite easy. There is a nice GUI application QtParted to do it. The problem is QtParted doesn't work on RAID disks. We have quite a few new Dell Dimensions with DataSafe (RAID 1) configuration. For these machines with - [How to Restore Solaris Tapes under Linux](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/12/20/how-to-restore-solaris-tapes-under-linux/) - We retired our Solaris server several years ago. I thought I am done with it forever. I was wrong. One user asked me to restore some 8mm tapes which were backed up under Solaris. The major problem is that we don't even have the tape drive to restore them. Fortunately, my friend still has one - [How to Add User to Admin Group Using nicl under Mac OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/12/08/how-to-add-user-to-admin-group-using-nicl-under-mac-os-x/) - Under most flavors of Unix, it's quite easy to add a user to a group. You just edit the /etc/group file and it's done. You cannot do that under Mac OS X. OS X introduced NetInfo database. The files are in binary format and you cannot just edit the database files. There is a utility - [Carbon Copy Cloner Trouble: Cannot Login after Cloning](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/12/01/carbon-copy-cloner-trouble-cannot-login-after-cloning/) - I finally decided to upgrade my MacBook's hard drive from 60 GB to 120 GB. In preparation, I first cloned the old hard drive to an external hard drive. After cloning, I booted my MacBook to the external hard drive. The booting process seems to be OK. However, I couldn't login to the system using - [How to Restore Grub on a Multi-boot Computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/11/27/how-to-restore-grub-on-a-multi-boot-computer/) - I have made my Ferrari 3400 a triple-boot machine. I have Windows XP, Vista RC2 and FC6. The proper way to set it up is to install the XP first, then Vista and finally FC6. Therefore, I can use Grub as my boot manager to switch between Linux and Windows. However, if you decide to - [PowerShell Example for Checking PS3 Availability on Amazon](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/11/17/powershell-example-for-checking-ps3-availability-on-amazon/) - I used a PowerShell script to check price of Garmin i3 on Amazon. It's very easy to modify it to check the availability of PS3. When the PS3 is not available, the price from the query is $0.00. So, if the price is greater than 0 that means it's available. The script then prepares an - [Compiz Key Combinations List](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/11/02/compiz-key-combinations-list/) - Here is a list of default compiz key combinations list for Fedora Core 6. Remember that you can always use gconf-editor to change the default key combinations if you don't like them. Legends: Button1: Mouse left button Button2: Mouse middle button Button3: Mouse right button Button4: Mouse wheel up Button5: Mouse wheel down Button6: Mouse - [Fedora Core 6 Installation Notes on an Acer Ferrari 3400](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/10/27/fedora-core-6-installation-notes/) - [Note] Click here for Fedora 7 installation Notes. I spent a good chunk of my time trying to upgrade my previous FC5 on an Acer Ferrari 3400. After the upgrade, I got tons of problems of my system. In the end, I decided to do a fresh installation. Here are the notes. Extra Yum Repositories - [How to Create a Bootable Dell Diagnostic CD](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/10/20/create-a-bootable-dell-diagnostic-cd/) - I am working on a Dell OptiPlex GX400 which was rebuilt once. The machine freezes during boot process. I suspect that it's a hardware related problem. I want to run the diagnostic utility to find out what's wrong with the machine. However, the diagnostic partition is long gone. If you go to Dell's support site, - [IE6 Installation Problem](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/10/17/ie6-installation-problem/) - I helped a user do a repair installation of Windows 2000. After reinstallation, I had to install IE6 again. When I ran ie6setup.exe, it says "A previous installation has pending work requiring s reboot. you need to restart your computer to complete the installation before running Internet explorer. Setup will now close." . The problem - [Laptop Battery Recall List](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/10/03/laptop-battery-recall-list/) - There have been quite a few laptop batteries recalled recently. I have compiled a short list of major brands. Surprisingly, Sony hasn't recalled VAIO's batteries. Sony https://esupport.sony.com/perl/compatibility.pl?comp_project_id=7 Dell https://www.dellbatteryprogram.com/ Apple https://support.apple.com/ibook_powerbook/batteryexchange/https://support.apple.com/macbookpro15/batteryexchange/ Toshiba http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlView.jsp?soid=1482876 Lenovo (IBM) http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=BATT-LENOVO - [$399.00 Laptop](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/09/27/39900-laptop/) - Do you remember that people get in a long line to buy a $399.00 laptop after Thanks Giving? There are several incidents that people actually fight to buy the laptop they want. Even though you don't see a $399.00 laptop that often, if you pay close attention to your Sunday circulars, you'll see one from - [Vista RC1 on MacBook](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/09/15/vista-rc1-on-macbook/) - When I heard that RC1 is available for download, I downloaded it and installed it on my MacBook right away. Compared to my Vista Beta 2's installation note, I found the following favorable points. The installation is a breeze. You don't need to delete the EFI partition any more. There is also no need to - [MD5 and SHA1 for Vista RC1](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/09/07/md5-and-sha1-for-vista-rc1/) - The information is from the Windows Vista RC1 download page. 32-Bit MD5 hash: 22486e815a38feffd9667317dfeec55a SHA1 hash: e00b4ebbc81fb420cf047973b95a9cfb7cdf51b7 64-Bit MD5 hash: f3a385aae6e4dea9226e31d9f1148b56 SHA1 hash: 8e4de7a72c828a3543ff1663243eb0836da07eea - [Windows Vista RC1 Available for Download](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/09/07/windows-vista-rc1-available-for-download/) - Microsoft has finally released Vista RC1 for everyone to download. You will need to join Windows Vista Customer Preview Program to get the product key. If you have done so for Vista Beta 2, you already have the product key which is the same. The download page is here . When Vista Beta 2 was - [How to Use nvram to Set Startup Disk for a Dual Boot MacBook (Vista Beta2)](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/08/23/how-to-use-nvram-to-set-startup-disk-for-a-dual-boot-macbook-vista-beta2/) - A little background before I go into the details of this guide. If you install Vista Beta 2 on a MacBook using BootCamp Assistant, you cannot set the default startup disk at ease. You can only set Mac OS X as the default startup disk using the Startup Disk tool in System Preferences. You cannot - [ps Display Width in OS X](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/07/27/ps-display-width-in-os-x/) - In one of my OS X scripts, I used the following to check the running process. ps -aux | grep '/etc/bkupexec/agent.be' However, it doesn't always work. I didn't know exactly why. On one occasion, I found that if I run the script in a wide window and it works every time. I knew that it's - [How to Use Vista Beta 2 Boot Manager to Dual Boot Vista and OS X on a MacBook](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/07/24/how-to-use-vista-beta-2-boot-manager-to-dual-boot-vista-and-os-x-on-a-macbook/) - UPDATE: [The trick detailed below only works if your default startup disk is set to Mac OS X. The boot.efi file only let you reboot the machine, it DOES NOT boot the system to Mac OS X partition. My MacBook was set to boot to OS X by default when I tried it, therefore I - [PowerShell and Amazon Web Service](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/07/19/powershell-and-amazon-web-service/) - I got some experiences with Amazon Web Service when I created my Anime Reviews site. It's pretty neat that you can write a query to look up very detailed product information. Recently, I am thinking to buy a Garmin StreetPilot i3 from Amazon. The regular price is around $308.00, but I heard that sometimes Amazon - [How to Create a FAT32 Partition in MacBook under Vista Beta 2](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/07/14/create-a-fat32-partition-in-macbook-under-vista/) - After I made my MacBook dual boot with Vista, I found that the files I save under OS X partition cannot be accessed under Vista. One solution is to install MacDrive under Vista, but it's not free. It would be nice if I can create a FAT32 partition so that both OS X and Vista - [elm Installation Note for FC5](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/30/elm-installation-note-for-fc5/) - I am helping a user install elm on FC5. The version of elm is 2.5.8 which is the latest version. I installed it on a RedHat Linux 9 without a problem. However, when I tried to compile it under FC5, I got the following messages: In file included from curses.c:53: /usr/lib/gcc/i386-redhat-linux/4.1.1/include/varargs.h:4:2: error: #error "GCC no - [Where is boot.ini? - Vista Beta 2 Boot Manager](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/26/where-is-bootini/) - When I installed Vista Beta 2 on my MacBook, I had to do system recover to fix the installation. After the system got recovered, I have two entries in the boot screen. To fix this problem in Windows XP, just edit the boot.ini file in C: . However, I couldn't find boot.ini in Vista. I - [My MacBook Scratches CD/DVD](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/26/my-macbook-scratches-cddvd/) - After I installed Vista Beta 2 on my MacBook, I found that there are a lot of circular scraches on the installation DVD. At first, I thought it's just a single incident and didn't pay much attentions to it. Later, I tried to burn a DVD under Tiger. The burn failed and when I checked - [Prompt, prompt, prompt, ...., and prompt! - How to turn off User Account Control prompt in Vista Beta 2](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/23/prompt-prompt-prompt-and-prompt-how-to-turn-off-user-account-control-prompt-in-vista/) - People trying out Vista Beta 2 would soon find out about the new security feature "User Account Control". Every time you try to perform an admin function, if you are using an administrator account, system will prompt you for consent. If you are using an regular account, system will ask you to use another credential. - [Vista Beta 2 on MacBook](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/22/vista-beta-2-on-macbook/) - I just got a MacBook for testing. After the initial setup, the first thing I downloaded was Boot Camp Assistant. I have setup an iMac with Windows XP before and I thought Vista Beta 2 should be the same. I was wrong. :-( Later, I found that I need to delete the EFI partition in - [Vista Beta 2 - First Impression](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/13/vista-beta-2-first-impression/) - I finally got Windows Vista Beta 2 installed on my Acer Ferrari 3400. The installation went smoothly once I got the right iso image. You can only install Vista on a NTFS partition, if you don't have one, the installer would ask you to convert the partition to NTFS first. I didn't clock the installation, - [MD5 for Vista Beta 2](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/12/md5-for-vista-beta-2/) - 32 bit: vista_5384.4.060518-1455_winmain_beta2_x86fre_client-LB2CFRE_EN_DVD.iso 0E733AB1A8E8FF9A8684FD3639332773 64 bit: vista_5384.4.060518-1455_winmain_beta2_x64fre_client-LB2CxFRE_EN_DVD.iso E43502D0A15EADD551119D5639859E04 - [How to Install Latest Catalyst Driver on Ferrari 3400](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/06/06/install-latest-catalyst-driver-on-ferrari-3400/) - The Ferrari 3400 comes with a nice ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 video card. However, the driver provided by Acer is dated and you cannot install the latest Catalyst driver from ATI. I found out later that I can still install the latest driver from ATI if I get it modded. Here are the steps: Before - [MSH is now Microsoft PowerShell](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/05/12/114746666333201513/) - I haven't played with Monad shell for a while, the next thing I know there is a new scripting language called "Microsoft PowerShell". At first, I thought it's a brand new language, but actually they renamed Monad and made it PowerShell. After installation, I tried to run one of my earlier Monad scripts. Just like - [Windows Hidden File Attribute](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/05/10/114728072132624961/) - Recently, I used xcopy to backup all the files from a bad hard drive to another drive under Windows XP. After all the files got copied, the directory is hidden and cannot be seen. I tried to use attrib.exe to remove the hidden attribute, however the command warned me that the directory's system attribute is - [How to Run Applications Written for Other Languages (Windows XP)](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/04/30/114642396162680008/) - If you ever install applications written for other languages in Windows 98, you know that most of the time the user interface is not readable. With introduction of Windows 2000 and Windows XP, Microsoft has added the ability to display application user interface in other language. I'll show the steps to enable the system to - [Fedora Core 5 Installation Notes](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/03/24/114323582451879322/) - Just downloaded the FC5 DVD iso from the mirror site. Here are some of the notes. The test machine is Acer Ferrari 3400. Note that most commands require root privilege. So, use su or sudo to obtain a root shell first. I tried the i386 distribution first, but later I used the x86_64 architecture. Burning - [How to Setup RAID on Dimension 8400](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/03/20/114289413130831546/) - We have a Dimension 8400 that came with a single SATA drive. Recently, we retired some IDE drives that we want to add to the system. These IDE drives are kinda old, so the reliability is a concern. If we can set these IDE drives up as RAID 1 (Mirror), it would give us some - [WQL and Path](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/03/02/114131622734763052/) - I am playing around with WQL today. For a longest time, I couldn't get this query to work. Set colFiles = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("SELECT * FROM CIM_DataFile" & _ " WHERE Drive = 'c:' AND Extension = 'mdb' And Path = '\windows\' ") Have you noticed anything wrong with the query? It's the Path! I found - [How to Create a Hyperlink in Excel Spreadsheet Using VBScript](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/02/28/114115852332316734/) - Someone at the newsgroup asked this question. This is the VBScript that I wrote to accomplish this. Dim objExcel Set objExcel = WScript.CreateObject("Excel.Application") objExcel.Visible = TRUE objExcel.Workbooks.Open "C:\bintest.xls" objExcel.Workbooks(1).Activate objExcel.Workbooks(1).Worksheets(1).Range("A1").Select Dim sLinkAddress sLinkAddress = "http://www.google.com" objExcel.Workbooks(1).Worksheets(1).Hyperlinks.Add _ objExcel.Selection, sLinkAddress objExcel.Workbooks(1).SaveAs "C:\bintest.xls" objExcel.Quit set objExcel = nothing - [XviD Files Crash Windows Explorer](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/02/04/113911268344302725/) - I copied some XviD encoded AVI files to a machine without XviD codec installed. Whenever I open the folder containing these files. The Windows Explorer crashes with the following event created in the Application log. Event Type: Information Event Source: Winlogon Event Category: None Event ID: 1002 Date: 2/2/2006 Time: 12:27:02 PM User: N/A Computer: - [Intel iMac and Samsung ML-2551N](https://www.kombitz.com/2006/01/23/113803104050280405/) - We usually use the IP Printer option in Mac OS X when setting up network printer in our environment. We got this shiny iMac with Intel Dual Core processor the other day and had tons of troubles setting up a Samsung ML-2551N network printer. First, we tried IP Printer with either Samsung driver or the - [Silent Installation for Firefox and Thunderbird](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/07/13/112127169923376705/) - "Firefox Setup 1.0.5.exe" -ms "Thunderbird Setup 1.0.2.exe" -ms - [VB Script wrapper function for regular expression](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/05/10/111574760510496331/) - Function Found(strTarget, strPattern) Dim regEx Set regEx = New RegExp regEx.Pattern = strPattern regEx.IgnoreCase = False Found = regEx.Test(strTarget) set regEx = Nothing End Function - [WMI script to find files last accessed on a certain date](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/05/10/111574517708105364/) - dtDate = "5/2/2005" strSearchFolder = "C:Windows" Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") WScript.Echo "File(s) last accessed on: " & dtDate & " in: " & strSearchFolder EnumAndCheckFiles objFSO.GetFolder(strSearchFolder), dtDate Sub EnumAndCheckFiles(objFolder, dtDate) Set objFiles = objFolder.Files For Each objFile in objFiles CheckFile objFile, dtDate Next For Each objSubfolder in objFolder.SubFolders EnumAndCheckFiles objSubfolder, dtDate Next End Sub Sub - [Mac OS 10.4 Tiger Stealth Mode](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/05/02/111505840248617837/) - The new stealth mode in Tiger is just this ipfw command ipfw -q add 20000 deny icmp from any to me in icmptypes 8 - [Free Windows Rootkits Detection Tools](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/04/25/111444888485203585/) - RootkitRevealer http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/rootkitreveal.shtml - [WMI and Day Light saving time](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/04/08/111299569986165447/) - If you use the "Bias" property of Win32_TimeZone to convert time to UTC time, remember to check "DayLightInEffect" property of Win32_ComputerSystem to determine if you need to adjust the "Bias" according to Day Light saving time. - [How to Use Computer Management to manage remote computer](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/03/30/111221147343966319/) - compmgmt.msc /computer:remote_computer - [Batch file to list all the methods in WMI command line tool (wmic)](https://www.kombitz.com/2005/02/08/110789559525063389/) - @ECHO OFF FOR /F %%a IN ('wmic alias list instance ^| FIND /v "Friend" ') DO ( FOR /F %%b IN ('wmic %%a /? ^| FIND /i "%%a CALL"' ) DO ( ECHO wmic %%b CALL /? wmic %%b CALL /? ) ) - [How to disable Windows XP SP2 Firewall](https://www.kombitz.com/2004/10/28/109897509548177774/) - Windows XP Service Pack 2 enables firewall by default. To prevent firewall enabled after installation, apply the registry setting BEFORE install SP2. Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsFirewall] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsFirewallDomainProfile] "EnableFirewall"=dword:00000000 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsFirewallStandardProfile] "EnableFirewall"=dword:00000000 - [How to set FireFox as your default browser for Mac OS 10.3](https://www.kombitz.com/2004/10/19/109821559887421408/) - Open Safari. Yes, this is strange but you have to change it in Safari. Click Safari -> Preferences... Select FireFox in the "Default Web Browser" listbox. - [How to Hide your Windows computer from Network Neighborhood](https://www.kombitz.com/2004/09/10/109478992235438183/) - Use the following command. net config server /hidden:yes [ad#adsense-ad-1] ## Pages - [Contact Me](https://www.kombitz.com/contact-me/) - Absolutely no soliciting. 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The information is provided by kombitz.com and whilst we endeavor to keep the information up-to-date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or - [Mac OS](https://www.kombitz.com/mac-os/) - [redirect /category/mac-os/ 0] - [Gadgets](https://www.kombitz.com/gadgets/) - [redirect /category/gadgets/ 0] - [About](https://www.kombitz.com/about-2/) - I am a sys admin for a small size network. My environment includes Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. I use this blog to record whatever I find useful about computers. I started to write unlocking guides for PNA devices since 2007. These guides have made my site even more popular than before. 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