Wednesday, January 30, 2008

How to Restore Windows

Problem 1:
- You need to restore your Windows to a time that you are sure that It was working fine.

What you need to know:
1. You will need to have Windows XP or Vista to use Restore.
2. How to run restore: Start -> Execute -> RSTRUI
This tool is one of the most usefull I've used, and whan It finished with sucess, It's a solution that really works, 98% of the times, I've used to solve problems caused by worms, viruses an other problems caused by software installation and others. Usually I use this option has a last resort, when everything else fails, we should ponder the gravity of the problem versus the potencial loss of all activites made during the timeframe until the selected date to restore to, being this date a day in wich we are sure that the problems didn't occur.

3. What will be replaced:
- System files will be replaced in case they were changed during the time till restore date.
- Changes on the registryin case there were changes during the time till restore date.
- Softwares will be uninstalled in case they were installed during the timetill restore date.

4. What won't be changed: Users Files contained on My Documents and directories that are not system directories.
5. In case restore results ends with error: You can try again to restore, I've been much more sucessfull executing it in safe mode. To activate safe mode you should restart your PC and after memory tests and Bios tests press F8 before windows starts, then select Start in Safe Mode. Once in safe mode call Restore has described in 2.

6. Restore Backups, make a Backup, solve problems with Worms, recover windows passwords and other problemas you need to solve off-line (without starting windows):
- You can use CD MultiBoot (http://utilsmultiboot.blogeasy.com) allready version 6.0, this CD contains several utils this CD is really for profissionals.
- Usually I use Norton Ghost or PowerQuest.

7. Expand your Partition (speaking of multiboot, let's talk a bit about this theme):
- You can use the MultiBoot CD to do this on XP or other Windows, but Windows Vista allready has this option in its Disk Management (Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management ,or better yet on: Desktop right-click on My Computer and select Manage, there look for : disk management) you should use this option carefully, so that you don't loose any data.
- What is a Partition and why should I extend It?
R: A partition is where all data is, usually it's know has "C:" this is normally the operating system partition, there may exist a secondary partition "D:" usualy created during the istallation of the operating system, usually I join all space in one drive, so that I don't have to manage free space on two diferent drives. Drive "C:" should never be full, because Its the operating system one and there should subsist all installed software, even if you install much of your software on another drive, there should allways be free space on "C:" for DLLs, registry increment and other configurations.
- How to extend: on Vista you have to delete the secondary "D:" and on the primary "C:" select the option from menu (mouse right-click) and select expand, follow the instrucions and select your desired options and your done, just make shure you use all space freed due to deletion of "D:".

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Free Advertising your Site / Blog

Problem 1:
- You have a Site but no one knows about it

Solutions:
Search Engines URLs:
- Google: http://www.google.com/addurl/
- Sapo: http://directorio.sapo.pt/form/
- Scrub the Web: http://www.scrubtheweb.com/addurl.html
- DMOZ: http://www.dmoz.org/ (you have to select your site's category and sub-category untill you can see the Link "suggest URL" link (you can also see the: http://www.dmoz.org/add.html)
- Swap HiperLinks with other Sites / Blogs.
- Write messages with your link on sites with high visit rates.
- your solution will be here... (add a comment for that)

Problem 2:
- You want to create your own Site wich way to turn?

Solutions:
- Use Blogger http://www.blogger.com/
- Use Messenger Personal Live Spaces: http://home.services.spaces.live.com/
- Other Free Hosting Services: http://www.free-webhosts.com/search-webhosts.php
- Install your own server and Create your own page in your PC at home(Explained in another Problem and Solution to come...).
- your solution will be here... (add a comment for that)

Problem 3:
- You want to make money out of your Site, what to do?

Solutions:
- Use Google AdSense : http://google.com/adsense
- your solution will be here... (add a comment for that)

Problem 4:
- You want to count your visitors, how to do this?

Solutions:
- Add a Counter:
- Site Counter http://sitecounter.com/
- Google Analytics: https://www.google.com/analytics/home
- your solution will be here... (add a comment for that)

The Touchscreen Problem on my Laptop

Well It was a beauty, and I allready was having problems with it, it was a Laptop HP tx1000, with Windows Vista, filled up with tecnology... nice looking laptop, but... Damn it there allways has to be a but...

HP TX 1000 + Windows Vista

Problem 1:
- WebCam doesn't work with Messenger, in Audio and Video configuration, the image goes black and there is no image, msn messenger crashes down.

Frustrated expiriences:
- Try to restore factory drivers Thru HP restore partition. Cupidazul
- Try to restore factory instalation of Messenger. Cupidazul
- Try to install / uninstall driver, install older versions of the driver, install last updates of the driver from HP website ask for testfixes from Microsoft. Cupidazul
- Your own tests will be here for you to say...


Initial solutions:
1- Install Chicony_Driver
(Use all steps described in: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=149463)

Tested and Working:
- Install driver ChiconyDriver (Worked for me Cupidazul)
- Your own solutions will be here for you to say...

Problem 2:

TouchScreen miss-adjusted, 1/2 left part esquerda of LCD when touched with the pen shows a desviation of 2mm aprox., plus 2mm of LCD's right border not reachable with pen.

Frustrated expiriences:
- Calibrate Touchscreen [Start -> Control Panel -> Tablet PC Definitions-> Calibrate (General bar)]
- Install another Calibration software/driver from Penmount. This software does nothing more than to do the same call has shown in "Tested and Working".
- You can also find a calibrator on the Internet All_In_One_2k_XP_Vista_4.3.8.4913, however the tests that I did wheren't so sucessfull, since the touchscreen weren't has calibrated has the option "Tested an Working" did. I had some problems with the driver that remained on my system even after I uninstalled the software, what I did to solve this is on the number :"How to Restore your System".

Tested and Working:
- After much investigation I found out thar we can manually activate Calibration via command-line, just go to:
Start -> tabcal (write on Start Search)

I also found out that "tabcal" can have parameters:
tabcal lincal novalidate XGridPts=5,175,512,849,1062,1275 YGridPts=4,137,300,463,630,796

(after calibration logoff or restart to apply settings)

The Options XGridPts and YGridPts have been tested to create a grid, tested still with several variations but this configuration worked best for my screen resolution 1280x800.

I should note that I erased my definitions from the Registry before this Calibration, for the User and the LocalMachine, never do this without making a copy of those keys, thats what I did:

\CurrentUser\ControlPanel\TabletPC\LinearityData
\LocalMachine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TabletPC\LinearityData
(right-click on LinearityData and first "export" then "delete")

And all the small anoying deviations were solved, now wherever I touch the pen, the mouse follows its move.
I just think that I would be so much better if Microsoft made a better Calibration tool, or at least one that gave these options to users, It would save allot of time and trouble to users, some of those users changed their laptops or sent them for repair, all due to a problem so simple has this one.

Problem 3:
- Your reported problem will be here...