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- Ways to Activate Windows XP
- Disk Management: Unable to Start or Connect to Virtual Disk Service
- Cloning a Windows 7 VirtualBox VM - Avoiding Activation Problems
- Using a Car Battery to Recharge a Laptop
- An Unspecified Error Occurred During CHKDSK
- Replacing HDD and Adding SSD, mSATA, and RAM to an Acer Aspire V3-772G-9829 Laptop
- Attempting to Customize the Start Menu in Linux Mint 18
- Using YUMI to Create a Multiboot DVD
- Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM CPU & RAM Upgrade Options
- Verifying or Validating MP3 Files: MP3-Check, MP3val, MP3 Diags, Foobar2000, and Others
Author Archives: Ray Woodcock
A Better Heat Index Chart
The Heat Index (HI) is a familiar concept, often encountered in the media on hot summer days. The popular understanding of this concept is simply that humidity, not just temperature, affects a person’s experience of heat. The U.S. National Weather … Continue reading
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Tagged dew point, dewpoint, Excel, heat index, lookup, national, NOAA, NWS, oceanic, relative humidity, spreadsheet, table, weather, worksheet
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Using a Car Battery to Power Laptop and Desktop Computers
In a previous post, I explored the possibility of using a car battery to recharge a laptop computer. This post summarizes several answers to the question of how to keep a desktop or laptop computer running when the lights go out. The … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged backup, batteries, battery, car, charger, computer, desktop, DIY, do it yourself, marine, power, supply, uninterruptible, UPS
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Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM CPU & RAM Upgrade Options
I was thinking about buying an Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM laptop. I decided not to. Initially, I was attracted by its low price tag for great features and a high rating on Amazon. But as I dug into users’ comments, … Continue reading
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Tagged Acer, Aspire, battery, consumption, CPU, E 15, E5-575-33BM, laptop, memory, power, ram, speed, upgrade
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Capturing a Long Webpage as a Single Image via ImageMagick
I had a long webpage that I wanted to save as a single image (e.g., JPG or PNG). This post describes the steps I took to achieve that, using ImageMagick. UPDATE: I wrote this post because I was finding that … Continue reading
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Tagged capture, complete, convert, entire, HTM, HTML, image, ImageMagick, long, screenshot, webpage, wkHTMLtoIMAGE, wkHTMLtoPDF
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Audio Editing: Changing the Sound of a Voice
In the course of my video editing on Windows 7, I had seen two sorts of instances where I might want to change something about a person’s voice. First, it seemed I might want to modify someone’s voice so that it … Continue reading
Making or Avoiding the Unwanted Transition from Windows 7 to 10
This post continues a previous discussion, with the benefit of another year’s insights and experiences. Why We Are in This Situation: The Microsoft Monopoly In a post dated March 18, 2016, after an extensive review of relevant matters (e.g., Microsoft’s … Continue reading
Capturing a Long Webpage: Merging Hundreds of Screenshots
At times, I wanted to capture an entire discussion thread, or other long webpage, in a single image or document. This post discusses what I learned about achieving that. Contents Summary PDF Solutions Capturing a Long Webpage in Screenshots Choosing … Continue reading
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Tagged Autostitch, Hugin, Image Composite Editor, merge, panorama, Photoshop, PhotoStitcher, PTGui, stitch
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Using ImageMagick to Append One Image to Another
As described in another post, I wanted to combine two images to produce a third image. These two images were composites of multiple screenshots of a webpage. The composites were produced by Microsoft’s free Image Composite Editor (ICE). Each of … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged append, combine, composite, concatenate, convert, file, files, image, ImageMagick, images, jpg, merge, montage, PNG
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Comparing IrfanView and FastStone to Resize JPGs
As described in another post, I was looking for ways to archive thousands of unimportant images in a space-saving way, without simply discarding them. Space was a concern because I was trying to decide whether it would work to combine … Continue reading
Finding Unplayable MP3s: Using MP3 Diags, MP3val, and Others
I had a set of old MP3s, bearing the same names as files in my current set. For instance, both sets might have a copy of “Dead Kennedys–Take This Job and Shove It.mp3.” But DoubleKiller said they were not byte-for-byte identical. Did … Continue reading
Getting Duration (Playing Length) from Many MP3s
As part of a larger effort to check the validity of many MP3 files, I arrived at the question of whether the duration of these MP3s had changed. This post summarizes a few inquiries I made along those lines. (I … Continue reading
MP3 Diags Error Codes
As described in another post, I was trying to understand and use MP3 Diags 1.2.03, for purposes of testing a number of MP3 files. To assist in that effort, I examined the diagnostic codes, or notes, that MP3 Diags used … Continue reading
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Tagged check, code, codes, diagnostic, error, errors, MP3, MP3 Diags, note, notes, test, verify, warning
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Wiping SSD Free Space Without Wiping the Whole Drive
Introduction I had installed Windows 7 on a solid state drive (SSD). I was using VeraCrypt to secure my data drives, but had decided not to use VeraCrypt on the Windows system drive (C:). I had also learned that programs … Continue reading
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Tagged DBAN, empty, erase, Eraser, files, free, Recuva, solid state drive, space, SSD, SSDs, unused, wipe
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Fighting an Unwanted Windows 10 Upgrade at Reboot
Summary Windows 10 inserted itself into my system, so that the Win10 logo and Setup screen were among the first things I saw upon booting my system. I spent two days trying to figure out how it got there. Although … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged aggressive, BIOS, boot, bootup, control, install, invasive, ISO, reboot, unwanted, upgrade, USB, Win10, Windows 10
2 Comments
Secure Compressed Archiving on Optical Disc (e.g., DVD, Blu-Ray)
I had some files I wanted to archive on offline plastic discs. This post discusses why and how I proceeded in that task. The “why” is simple enough. An offline backup in an unwriteable format (i.e., a burn-once ROM disc) offers … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 7-Zip, archive, archiving, BD-R, Blu-ray, Bluray, compress, compressed, data, DVD, optical disc, secure, securely, WinRAR
4 Comments
Comparing 7-Zip and WinRAR (with RAR and RAR5) Archive Compression
I was searching for optimal compression. In that search, I decided to compare WinRAR x64 5.40 against 7-Zip x64 16.02. This post describes that comparison. Configuration Both 7-Zip and WinRAR offered multiple configuration options. I began by choosing what I thought would be … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 7-Zip, 7zip, archive, benchmarks, compared, comparison, compress, compression, rar, rar5, WinRAR, zip
4 Comments
Using Beyond Compare and DoubleKiller for Cautious Backup
During my 30+ years of computing, I had managed to lose data in many creative and exciting ways. I had discovered that files could contain nothing when Windows said they contained something; I had found that one disk drive was … Continue reading
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Tagged backup, Beyond Compare, bit rot, cautious, compare, comparison, data, DoubleKiller, file, files, folder, folders, Windows
1 Comment
Installing Google Earth in a Linux Mint 18 x64 Virtual Machine
As described in another post, I was installing programs in a VirtualBox virtual machine (VM) running Linux Mint MATE (LMM) 18. Google Earth (GE) was not cooperating. This post describes the steps I took to troubleshoot it. The Recap at the end provides … Continue reading
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Tagged 64-bit, Compiz, compositing, download, Google Earth, install, installation, installing, Linux Mint, support architecture i386, version, virtual machine, VirtualBox, VM, x64
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Installing and Configuring VirtualBox in Linux Mint
I was configuring a Linux Mint Cinnamon (LMC) 18 system to serve as host to virtual machines (VMs) via Oracle VirtualBox. This post describes the steps that I took to install and configure VirtualBox, so that I could start using … Continue reading
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Tagged best, Cinnamon, Extension Pack, Guest Additions, install, installation, installing, Linux Mint, MATE, Running in software rendering mode, virtual machine, VirtualBox, VM
4 Comments
Configuring a Basic Xubuntu 16.04 System (aborted)
I had decided to try setting up a Linux system that would serve primarily as a workspace in which I would run virtual machines (VMs), within my dual-boot system with Windows 7. Previous posts describe abortive efforts to use Linux Mint … Continue reading
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Tagged 16.04, basic, configure, file manager, install, installation, Linux, nemo, setup, thunar, tweaks, Xubuntu
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Opera in Linux: “W: Target Packages . . . is configured multiple times”
As described in another post, I was working in a new Xubuntu installation. I had just installed Synaptic, gedit, and the Opera browser. When I clicked Reload in Synaptic, I got an error message: An error occurred The following details are … Continue reading
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Tagged configured multiple times, error, Linux, non-free, Opera, opera-stable.list, packages, sources.list, Target Packages
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Configuring a Basic Linux Mint 18 Cinnamon System
I had decided to install a dual-boot system, Windows 7 and Linux. It seemed that, among the various flavors of Linux Mint, Cinnamon was the most stable. As indicated in a previous post, I planned to use it for the basic … Continue reading
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Tagged 17.3, Cinnamon, hardware, issues, Linux, Mint, networking, printer, problems, system, unavailable, wi-fi, wifi
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Installing a Brother DCP-7065DN Printer in Linux Mint Cinnamon 17.3
I had a Brother DCP-7065DN multifunction machine. I wanted to use it with a new Linux Mint Cinnamon 17.3 installation. This post describes the steps I took to get it to work. The following points convey my interpretation of advice found … Continue reading
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Tagged Brother, Cinnamon, DCP-7065DN, driver, drivers, install, Linux, Mint, multifunction, printer, scanner
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Configuring a Basic Linux Mint 17.3 Xfce System (aborted)
A previous post describes how I installed Xfce on an old 32-bit laptop. This post describes another installation, on a 64-bit desktop. The previous post contains information not repeated here (on e.g., the initial installation process). Other posts cited below … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged basic, bugs, install, installation, issues, Linux, Mint, problems, simple, Xfce
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The Purpose of Linux: A Windows Power User’s Perspective
In spring 2016, after reviewing the reasons for Microsoft’s aggressive efforts to make Windows 7 users switch to Windows 10, I decided it was time to switch back to Linux. I spent several months working through that transition. Along the … Continue reading
Connecting Linux on an External Drive: USB? eSATA? Firewire? SSD?
As described in another post, I was thinking about running Linux, and a Windows 7 virtual machine (VM), from an external drive. I knew that an internal solid state drive (SSD) would be faster than an internal hard disk drive … Continue reading
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Tagged cable, connect, drive, eSATA, external, Firewire, hard, II, III, Linux, solid state, SSD, USB
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Windows 7 Apps in Linux: Wine; Cameyo/ThinApp; VM vs. Native
I was in the process of transitioning from Windows 7 to Linux. I had identified a substantial number of Windows programs for which I would be seeking Linux alternatives. As described in a separate post, I did not find good … Continue reading
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Tagged Acrobat, Adobe, Cameyo, compare, comparison, Linux, Microsoft, Office, Premiere, ThinApp, virtual machine, VM, Windows, Wine
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Cloning a Windows 7 VirtualBox VM – Avoiding Activation Problems
Background As described in another post, I was developing a Windows 7 64-bit virtual machine (VM) in VirtualBox. I had completed the first phase in this project: setting up a minimal machine with no antivirus software installed and no working … Continue reading
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Tagged activate, activation, clone, cloning, MAC address, reactivate, reinitialize, script, virtual machine, VirtualBox, VM, Windows
3 Comments
Using VMware’s ThinApp Trial Version to Virtualize Windows 7 Programs
As detailed in another post, I had made efforts to produce portable versions of a handful of Windows programs using Cameyo. There were some successes, among those programs, when I ran the Cameyo packages in Windows, but virtually no successes … Continue reading
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Tagged Cameyo, free, package, portable, program, software, ThinApp, trial, virtual, virtualization, virtualize, VMware
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Creating a Clean, Basic Windows XP VM in VirtualBox – Overview
A previous post offers a detailed description of the process of creating a clean Windows XP virtual machine (VM) in VirtualBox. This post summarizes the steps in that process. Readers are encouraged to consult that other post for additional detail. … Continue reading
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Tagged basic, Cameyo, clean, install, installation, minimal, virtual machine, VirtualBox, virtualization, VM, Windows XP, WinXP
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Ways to Activate Windows XP
I had just installed Windows XP x32 SP3 in a VirtualBox virtual machine (VM), so as to run WinXP on Linux. Now I had to activate it. This turned out to be more complicated than I had expected. It took … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged activate, activation, alternative, approaches, ID, key, methods, product, register, registration, techniques, Windows XP, WinXP
16 Comments
Creating a Portable Version of Microsoft Office 2003 with Cameyo
This post describes an unsuccessful effort to virtualize Office 2003 using Cameyo. The details are here for anyone making a similar attempt, and also to invite suggestions. Introduction As part of my project to transition from Windows 7 to Linux, … Continue reading
Experiences with Linux Mint Alternatives to Windows Programs
I was refining a new Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon x64 installation. In several previous posts, I described how I identified my primary Windows 7 programs, looked for Linux alternatives to those programs, installed those alternatives, and — where no suitable … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged alternatives, browser, convert, editor, Explorer++, file, image, Linux, PDF, player, programs, scan, video, Windows
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Using IrfanView in Linux via Wine – With and Without Cameyo
Introduction IrfanView was a well-known free multipurpose media tool in Windows. The WineHQ Applications Database indicated that several people had good luck when using Wine to run IrfanView in various versions of Linux. Since I had used IrfanView frequently in … Continue reading
Installing Linux Alternatives to Windows Programs
I was in the process of transitioning from Windows to Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon x64. Obviously, programs were an important part of this transition. As described in another post, I had identified Linux programs (a/k/a packages) that seemed capable of … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged deb, install, installation, Linux Mint, packages, programs, repositories, Synaptic, Windows, Wine
2 Comments
Win7RegEdit-x64.reg – A Reduced Version for Virtual Machines
I had previously worked up a registry edit (.reg) file called Win7RegEdit-x64.reg. That .reg file contained a number of registry tweaks that I used to customize my Windows 7 installations. Now, as described in another post, I was customizing a … Continue reading
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Tagged customize, edit, editing, edits, install, installation, registry, setup, tweak, tweaks, Windows 7
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Making or Finding Portable Windows Programs for Use in Linux via Wine
This post primarily deals with the use of Cameyo to produce portable (sometimes called “virtualized”) versions of Windows programs for use in Linux. A companion post discusses the use of VMware ThinApp for similar purposes. Another post updates some of … Continue reading
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Tagged Acrobat, Adobe, Cameyo, Linux, machine, Microsoft Office, portable, Premiere, programs, reader, virtual, Windows, Wine
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VirtualBox Memory Error: GoogleCrashHandler in Windows 7
I had a problem, and it appeared to be caused by GoogleCrashHandler.exe and/or GoogleCrashHandler64.exe. The question was, what could I do about this? My particular problem came to my attention when VirtualBox stopped running with an error message: “Unable to … Continue reading
Installing a Clean, Basic, Native Windows XP System
In a previous post, I worked through the process of installing Windows XP in a virtual machine (VM). The purpose of this installation was to create a minimal Windows XP installation with as few complications as possible. The advice seemed … Continue reading
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Tagged basic, Cameyo, clean, install, installation, portable, simple, virtualization, Windows XP
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Creating a Clean, Basic Windows XP Virtual Machine – First Try
As described in another post, I needed to set up a basic Windows XP virtual machine (VM) in Oracle VirtualBox, so as to have a place to use Cameyo. This post presents the steps I took to that end. A … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged box, configure, create, install, installation, machine, setup, virtual, VM, Windows XP
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