When you install PHP for the first time one of the best ways of knowing it is configured correctly is to use a simple PHP script. If your browser can read the file and carry out the stated action then you know you are ready to continue with more interesting things.
So without further ado here are a couple of simple PHP scripts that will get you started.
<html>
<head>
<title> Supporting Tech PHP Test Script </title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
phpinfo( );?></body>
</html>
This script will display some of the hosts php specifications. Alternatively, if you want to 'keep it real' then you can always use the classic 'Hello World' script.
<html>
<head>
<title> Supporting Tech PHP Test Script</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
Echo "Hello world";
?></body>
</html>
UPLOADING AND TESTING
1. Type the above and save the file as 'index.php'.
2. Add this to your web server root directory.
3. Open up your web browser and type in the address to view that page .e.g 'localhost' if you're using IIS.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
How to send a file via email using the Philips SpeechExec Pro Dictate5.0 software
Needless to say there is more to life than configuration alone, so i'm now going to demonstrate how to use the Philips SpeechExec Pro interface to send an actual dictation.
SENDING A DICTATION VIA EMAIL
1 Create your dictation on the Philips recorder
2 Place the recorder in the docking station or attach it directly to the PC via the USB cable.
3 You will see the following message and the dictation will appear in the Finished folder within the SpeechExec Pro Dictate software.
4 Highlight the job and press the ‘Submit for Email’ button.
5 You will be presented with an email window. All you will need to do now is enter the email address of the person you want to receive your dictation and click 'Send'.
SENDING A DICTATION VIA EMAIL
1 Create your dictation on the Philips recorder
2 Place the recorder in the docking station or attach it directly to the PC via the USB cable.
3 You will see the following message and the dictation will appear in the Finished folder within the SpeechExec Pro Dictate software.
4 Highlight the job and press the ‘Submit for Email’ button.
5 You will be presented with an email window. All you will need to do now is enter the email address of the person you want to receive your dictation and click 'Send'.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Philips SpeechExec Pro Dictate 5.0 configuration for sendingdictatations via email
Well, it's that time again when Philips bring out a new version of SpeechExec Pro and a request lands on my desk to work out how to configure it for solicitors to send dictations. The software allows you to automatically (and manually) send dictations via email and FTP.
In this post i'm going to illustrate how to configure the software to manually send dictations via email, using the SpeechExec Pro Dictate interface.
CONFIGURATION FOR SENDING DICTATIONS VIA EMAIL
1 Install Philips SpeechExec Pro following the instructions included with the installation CD.
2 Once installed, run the application by going to Start > All Programs >SpeechExec Pro Dictate> Speech Exec Pro Dictate icon.
3 Go to Settings > General Settings and complete the screens as follows.
4 Once the ‘Email’ option is selected, click the ‘Configure’ button and check that ‘QuickSend’ is showing as the Active Profile.
Click 'OK'
5 Go to ‘Send/Receive’ and complete as follows.
6 The Philps SpeechExec Pro software is now ready to send to the typist for transcription.
For instructions on how to send a file once a dictation has been completed, click here.
In this post i'm going to illustrate how to configure the software to manually send dictations via email, using the SpeechExec Pro Dictate interface.
CONFIGURATION FOR SENDING DICTATIONS VIA EMAIL
1 Install Philips SpeechExec Pro following the instructions included with the installation CD.
2 Once installed, run the application by going to Start > All Programs >SpeechExec Pro Dictate> Speech Exec Pro Dictate icon.
3 Go to Settings > General Settings and complete the screens as follows.
4 Once the ‘Email’ option is selected, click the ‘Configure’ button and check that ‘QuickSend’ is showing as the Active Profile.
Click 'OK'
5 Go to ‘Send/Receive’ and complete as follows.
6 The Philps SpeechExec Pro software is now ready to send to the typist for transcription.
For instructions on how to send a file once a dictation has been completed, click here.
Display information from a table and change the column names
In my database table I have two columns : ProdID and Prod. When I query the database to display the IDs and the product names, I would like to make the result a bit more 'User friendly' by changing the column names to 'Product ID and 'Product'. I do this in the following way :
Open query analyser.
Select the required database.
Select ProdID as 'Product ID', Prod as Products from Inventory
Open query analyser.
Select the required database.
Select ProdID as 'Product ID', Prod as Products from Inventory
Display information in Upper and Lower case from SQL database
In my database table (products) I have a column called items that lists a number of products in sentence case. In order to display them in upper and lower case I do the following :
Open query analyser.
Select the required database.
Upper case
Select upper (item) from products
Lower case
Select lower (item) from products
Open query analyser.
Select the required database.
Upper case
Select upper (item) from products
Lower case
Select lower (item) from products
Backup a database using a SQL command
In this example, we are backing up the database called 'Customers' to a location on the c: drive.
Backup database Customers to disk = 'c:\customer_backup.bak'
Backup database Customers to disk = 'c:\customer_backup.bak'
Get current date and time in SQL
There may be times where you will need to insert the current date and time into a database i.e. to record when a transaction has taken place. The command to display this timestamp is as follows :
select getdate() 'Current Date'
If you type this into query analyser you will get the current date and time in a column entitled 'Current Date'.
select getdate() 'Current Date'
If you type this into query analyser you will get the current date and time in a column entitled 'Current Date'.
How do you copy a database table in SQL using code?
Open Query analyser
Select the required database (Use [databasename])
Type :
SELECT * INTO MyNewTable FROM MyTable
e.g SELECT * INTO Customer2 FROM Customer
Select the required database (Use [databasename])
Type :
SELECT * INTO MyNewTable FROM MyTable
e.g SELECT * INTO Customer2 FROM Customer
How do you select all items from a SQL table ?
This is probably the first thing you will ever do with SQL and it's a nice easy one to get you started.
Open query analyser.
Select the required database (This can be done from the drop down menu or by typing "Use [database name"])
Type :
Select * from [table name]
This will now return all the records in the table.
Open query analyser.
Select the required database (This can be done from the drop down menu or by typing "Use [database name"])
Type :
Select * from [table name]
This will now return all the records in the table.
Hide System Tables and Objects in MS SQL 2000 Enterprise Manager
Recently I have been working with SQL tables and stored procedures in Enterprise Manager. By default, the system and stored procedures are visible along with user-defined ones which make it fairly inconvenient when you are only interested in your own tables and stored procedures.
To make life a bit easier I thought I would find a way of hiding the system objects. The instructions are as follows :
1. Right click on the "(Local)(WindowsNT)" in the Enterprise Manager.
2. Select "Edit SQL Server Registration Properties," which opens up a property panel.
3. Uncheck the option "Show system databases and system obejcts."
4. Click OK
To make life a bit easier I thought I would find a way of hiding the system objects. The instructions are as follows :
1. Right click on the "(Local)(WindowsNT)" in the Enterprise Manager.
2. Select "Edit SQL Server Registration Properties," which opens up a property panel.
3. Uncheck the option "Show system databases and system obejcts."
4. Click OK
Get current date and time using C#
In this example, the date and time will be written to 'label1' when 'button3' is pressed.
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
label1.Text = DateTime.Now.ToString();
}
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
label1.Text = DateTime.Now.ToString();
}
C# application that counts the number of characters being entered
This application consists of a textbox and a label. As the user types in the text box the label displays the number of characters that have been entered. The code is as follows :
private void textBox1_TextChanged (object sender, EventArgs e)
{
int charactercount;
string labeloutput;
charactercount = textBox1.TextLength;
labeloutput = charactercount.ToString();
lblcount.Text = "Character count : " + labeloutput;
{
private void textBox1_TextChanged (object sender, EventArgs e)
{
int charactercount;
string labeloutput;
charactercount = textBox1.TextLength;
labeloutput = charactercount.ToString();
lblcount.Text = "Character count : " + labeloutput;
{
For Loop to display user input in C#
In this example, when 'button3' is pressed the application will read what has been added to 'textBox1' and print it the console each time it loops through.
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
for (int i = 1; i <=10; ++i)
{
System.Console.WriteLine (textBox1.Text);
}
}
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
for (int i = 1; i <=10; ++i)
{
System.Console.WriteLine (textBox1.Text);
}
}
Trim spaces from the start and end of string using C#
In this example I have a text box on my windows form to collect the user input and a label to display the outcome once a button is pressed. The code is as follows to trim spaces from the beginning and end of a user input.
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string userinput;
char [] trimchars = {' '};
userinput = textBox1.Text.Trim(trimchars);
lable1.Text = userinput;
}
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string userinput;
char [] trimchars = {' '};
userinput = textBox1.Text.Trim(trimchars);
lable1.Text = userinput;
}
Collect user input from form and change it to upper or lower case in C#
In this example I have a text box on my windows form to collect the user input and a label to display the outcome once a button is pressed. The code is as follows to change the input to upper and lower case.
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
label1.Text = textBox.Text.ToUpper();
}
or
{
label1.Text = textBox.Text.ToLower();
}
private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
label1.Text = textBox.Text.ToUpper();
}
or
{
label1.Text = textBox.Text.ToLower();
}
Check if folder exists and return a message in C#
The form I have used for this example contains one label and one button. The code checks the location you specify and then prints a message in the label to tell you if the directory exists.
using System.IO;
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string foldername;
string path;
string combinedpath;
{
foldername = "testfolder";
path = @"C:\blogexample";
combinedpath = path + @"\" + foldername;
if
(Directory.Exists(combinedpath))
label1.Text = "Directory exists";
else
label1.Text = "Directory doesn't exist";
}
using System.IO;
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string foldername;
string path;
string combinedpath;
{
foldername = "testfolder";
path = @"C:\blogexample";
combinedpath = path + @"\" + foldername;
if
(Directory.Exists(combinedpath))
label1.Text = "Directory exists";
else
label1.Text = "Directory doesn't exist";
}
How do you add a value from a webform to a variable in C#?
In Visual Studio 2005 :
Create a webform with a text field and change it's name to 'txtID'
Create another text field to show the result of the variable and change its name to 'txtResult'
Add a button and then add this code to it's click event.
String info = txtID.Text;
txtResult.Text = info;
When the button is clicked it will take the text that is in the field and add it to the variable called 'info. It will then display the value of the variable in the txtResult field.
Create a webform with a text field and change it's name to 'txtID'
Create another text field to show the result of the variable and change its name to 'txtResult'
Add a button and then add this code to it's click event.
String info = txtID.Text;
txtResult.Text = info;
When the button is clicked it will take the text that is in the field and add it to the variable called 'info. It will then display the value of the variable in the txtResult field.
How to create a folder with a MS-DOS command
To create a folder/directory using a DOS command, do the following :
Open up a command window i.e. Winkey + R and type cmd into the field and press Enter.
Type : md c:\Testfolder and press Enter
That's it, you will now have a folder called 'Testfolder' on your C drive !
Open up a command window i.e. Winkey + R and type cmd into the field and press Enter.
Type : md c:\Testfolder and press Enter
That's it, you will now have a folder called 'Testfolder' on your C drive !
How to merge multiple .csv files into one .txt file using command line
Create a folder on your c: drive called 'All csv files' and place all of your .csv files inside.
Open notepad and add the text below
cd C:\All csv files
copy *.csv Merged.txt
Save the text file and changed its extension to .bat 'merge.bat'.
Double click the file and you will see that a txt file is created in the C:\All csv files folder called 'Merged.txt' with all your consolidated information inside !.
Open notepad and add the text below
cd C:\All csv files
copy *.csv Merged.txt
Save the text file and changed its extension to .bat 'merge.bat'.
Double click the file and you will see that a txt file is created in the C:\All csv files folder called 'Merged.txt' with all your consolidated information inside !.
Disable a user account using command line
Access your domain contoller and type the following format to disable your user :
dsmod user "cn=Joe Bloggs, ou=IT Admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com" -disabled yes
dsmod user "cn=Joe Bloggs, ou=IT Admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com" -disabled yes
Check if user account is active using command line
Access your domain contoller and type the following format to check if the user is active :
NET USER jbloggs /DOMAIN | FIND /I "Account active"
NET USER jbloggs /DOMAIN | FIND /I "Account active"
Find the name of members within a group using command line
Access your domain contoller and type the following format to find the members of a group :
dsget group "cn=IT guys, ou=IT admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com" -members
dsget group "cn=IT guys, ou=IT admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com" -members
Delete a user in Active Directory using command line
Access your domain contoller and type the following format to delete your user :
dsrm "cn=Joe Bloggs, ou=IT Admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com"
dsrm "cn=Joe Bloggs, ou=IT Admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com"
How to see what files are currently open on a network
Sometimes a user may leave a files open on their PC and go away from their desk, leaving the document locked and uneditable for other users.
The solution is to disconnect that user from the file and allow the new user to open it and perform the tasks that are necessary.
To locate these folders and perform this action do the following :
- Access the server that holds your network shares
- Start>Programs>Administrative tools>Computer Managment
- Expand 'Shared Folders' and select 'Open Files'
- Highlight the file in question>Right click and select 'Close Open File' from the menu
Please note that this will not close the file on the users PC it just closes the connection to the network.
The solution is to disconnect that user from the file and allow the new user to open it and perform the tasks that are necessary.
To locate these folders and perform this action do the following :
- Access the server that holds your network shares
- Start>Programs>Administrative tools>Computer Managment
- Expand 'Shared Folders' and select 'Open Files'
- Highlight the file in question>Right click and select 'Close Open File' from the menu
Please note that this will not close the file on the users PC it just closes the connection to the network.
Add a user in Active Directory using command line
Access your domain contoller and type the following format to add your user :
dsadd user "cn=Joe Bloggs, ou=IT Admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com" -samid joebloggs -upn info@YourDomain.com -fn Joe -ln Bloggs -display "Joe Bloggs" -pwd Pa$$w0rd -desc "Systems Administrator"
*ou = is the name of Organisational Unit you will be adding the user to.
dsadd user "cn=Joe Bloggs, ou=IT Admins, dc= Your Domain name , dc=com" -samid joebloggs -upn info@YourDomain.com -fn Joe -ln Bloggs -display "Joe Bloggs" -pwd Pa$$w0rd -desc "Systems Administrator"
*ou = is the name of Organisational Unit you will be adding the user to.
How to create a template in Microsoft Word 2003 and Microsoft Word 2007
There may be a time where you will need to create a document that has the same overall structure but slightly different content. It is possible to copy the document over and over and alter the content but the there is a simpler way of achieving the same result. The way to do this is to create a template within Microsoft Word.
Microsoft Word 2003
1. Open Microsoft Word 2003.
2. Create the document with all of the standard formatting and content that will need to be repeated for every document i.e. your company logo, address, reference etc.
3. When you are satisfied with the above, go to File>Save As
4. The 'Save As' dialogue window will be displayed for you to browse to the location you want to save the template.
5. Once you have chosen a location give the document a name in the 'File Name' field and then select 'Document Template' from the 'Save As Type' drop down menu below.
6. Click the 'Save' button.
7. Close the template
You will now see that your template has appeared in the location you selected earlier. If you double click this icon you will be presented with a new document that will be identical to your template. You can save this document as required without altering the original template.
Microsoft Word 2007
1. Open Microsoft Word 2007.
2. Create the document with all of the standard formatting and content that will need to be repeated for every document i.e. your company logo, address, reference etc.
3. When you are satisfied with the above, go to 'The office button' (Top left contains the office logo) and left click.
4. Select 'Save As'> Word Template
5. The 'Save As' dialogue window will be displayed for you to browse to the location you want to save the template.
6. Once you have chosen a location give the document a name in the 'File Name' field.
7. By default Micrsoft Word 2007 will show Word Template (*.dotx) in the 'Save As Type' drop down menu which can only be read by other computers that are running Microsoft Word 2007. If you require any version of Word to be able to use this template then you should select 'Word 97-2003 Template(*.dot).
8. Click the 'Save' button.
9. Close the template
You will now see that your template has appeared in the location you selected earlier. If you double click this icon you will be presented with a new document that will be identical to your template. You can save this document as required without altering the original template.
Microsoft Word 2003
1. Open Microsoft Word 2003.
2. Create the document with all of the standard formatting and content that will need to be repeated for every document i.e. your company logo, address, reference etc.
3. When you are satisfied with the above, go to File>Save As
4. The 'Save As' dialogue window will be displayed for you to browse to the location you want to save the template.
5. Once you have chosen a location give the document a name in the 'File Name' field and then select 'Document Template' from the 'Save As Type' drop down menu below.
6. Click the 'Save' button.
7. Close the template
You will now see that your template has appeared in the location you selected earlier. If you double click this icon you will be presented with a new document that will be identical to your template. You can save this document as required without altering the original template.
Microsoft Word 2007
1. Open Microsoft Word 2007.
2. Create the document with all of the standard formatting and content that will need to be repeated for every document i.e. your company logo, address, reference etc.
3. When you are satisfied with the above, go to 'The office button' (Top left contains the office logo) and left click.
4. Select 'Save As'> Word Template
5. The 'Save As' dialogue window will be displayed for you to browse to the location you want to save the template.
6. Once you have chosen a location give the document a name in the 'File Name' field.
7. By default Micrsoft Word 2007 will show Word Template (*.dotx) in the 'Save As Type' drop down menu which can only be read by other computers that are running Microsoft Word 2007. If you require any version of Word to be able to use this template then you should select 'Word 97-2003 Template(*.dot).
8. Click the 'Save' button.
9. Close the template
You will now see that your template has appeared in the location you selected earlier. If you double click this icon you will be presented with a new document that will be identical to your template. You can save this document as required without altering the original template.
Entering the current date into a cell in Microsoft Excel
Within Excel there is a method of entering a formula that will automatically enter the current date. The formula is as follows :
=Today()
It should be noted that there is one final step to show only the date as the above will return the current date AND a time that will show as zeros. In order to only show the date in the cell. Highlight the column select format and then choose 'Date'.
As soon as this final step is complete you will be left with the current date.
=Today()
It should be noted that there is one final step to show only the date as the above will return the current date AND a time that will show as zeros. In order to only show the date in the cell. Highlight the column select format and then choose 'Date'.
As soon as this final step is complete you will be left with the current date.
How to show negative or minus numbers in different colours in MicrosoftExcel 2007
There may be instances where you would like to show a value in Microsoft Exel in a different colour when it becomes a negative or minus number. Obviously, you can do this manually by changing the font colour but the instructions below provide a method of instructing Excel 2007 to do it dynamically.
For this example i will turn the value red when it becomes a negative.
1. Highlight a cell with a value that is, or is likely to become a negative.
2. On the 'Home' tab under 'Styles' select 'Conditional Formatting'.
3. New rule.
4. Under 'Select a Rule Type' choose 'Format only cells that contain'.
5.Under 'Edit the rule description' choose 'Cell Value' - 'Less than' - 0.
6. Hit the format button below.
7. This will take you onto the font tab. Select the 'Color' drop down menu and select 'red' (or another colour of your choosing) .
8. Click OK and then Click OK again on the 'New Formatting Rule' window to take you back to your spreadsheet.
You will now see that if you change the value to a minus or negative number it will appear in red !.
For this example i will turn the value red when it becomes a negative.
1. Highlight a cell with a value that is, or is likely to become a negative.
2. On the 'Home' tab under 'Styles' select 'Conditional Formatting'.
3. New rule.
4. Under 'Select a Rule Type' choose 'Format only cells that contain'.
5.Under 'Edit the rule description' choose 'Cell Value' - 'Less than' - 0.
6. Hit the format button below.
7. This will take you onto the font tab. Select the 'Color' drop down menu and select 'red' (or another colour of your choosing) .
8. Click OK and then Click OK again on the 'New Formatting Rule' window to take you back to your spreadsheet.
You will now see that if you change the value to a minus or negative number it will appear in red !.
Count number of occurences of word in Excel range
The example below counts the number of times the word "Computing" appears in Column B of an Excel spreadsheet.
=COUNTIF(B3:B32,"Computing")
=COUNTIF(B3:B32,"Computing")
How to find the size of your hard drive using a DOS command
There are other easier ways of finding the size of your hard drive but this tutorial will show you how to do it using only DOS command.
1. Open the 'run' window by going to the start menu>run (or Winkey + R).
2. Type 'cmd' and press enter and the black DOS window will open
3. Type the following to see the details for C: drive.
'fsutil volume diskfree C:'
4. You will be shown something similar to the following :
Total # of free bytes : 748716032
Total # of bytes : 69265047552
Total # of avail free bytes : 748716032
5. These numbers may be abit confusing so it is best to convert them to Gigabytes or Megabytes using a converter off the net. Here is a link to the converter i used which produced the following results :
Total # of free Mb : 714.03125
Total # of Gb : 64.5081
Total # of avail free Mb : 714.03125
1. Open the 'run' window by going to the start menu>run (or Winkey + R).
2. Type 'cmd' and press enter and the black DOS window will open
3. Type the following to see the details for C: drive.
'fsutil volume diskfree C:'
4. You will be shown something similar to the following :
Total # of free bytes : 748716032
Total # of bytes : 69265047552
Total # of avail free bytes : 748716032
5. These numbers may be abit confusing so it is best to convert them to Gigabytes or Megabytes using a converter off the net. Here is a link to the converter i used which produced the following results :
Total # of free Mb : 714.03125
Total # of Gb : 64.5081
Total # of avail free Mb : 714.03125
How to show system folders that are hidden within Microsoft WindowsXP & Server
By default, system folders within Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Server will be hidden. There may be instances where you will need to access these folders, and the steps are as follows :
1. Go to 'My Computer'.
2. Select 'Tools' and then 'Folder Options' from the drop down menu.
3. Go to the 'View tab'
4. Under 'Advanced settings' untick the option that says 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)''.
5. Click 'Apply' and click 'OK'
The folders will now be visible.
1. Go to 'My Computer'.
2. Select 'Tools' and then 'Folder Options' from the drop down menu.
3. Go to the 'View tab'
4. Under 'Advanced settings' untick the option that says 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)''.
5. Click 'Apply' and click 'OK'
The folders will now be visible.
How to show the extensions of files within Microsoft Windows XP & Server
By default, within Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Server file extensions will be hidden i.e. if you have a text file called 'Testing' it will show as that rather than 'Testing.txt'. In order to show these file extensions do the following :
1. Go to 'My Computer'.
2. Select 'Tools' and then 'Folder Options' from the drop down menu.
3. Go to the 'View tab'
4. Under 'Advanced settings' untick the option that says 'Hide extensions for known file types'.
5. Click 'Apply' and click 'OK'
1. Go to 'My Computer'.
2. Select 'Tools' and then 'Folder Options' from the drop down menu.
3. Go to the 'View tab'
4. Under 'Advanced settings' untick the option that says 'Hide extensions for known file types'.
5. Click 'Apply' and click 'OK'
How to uninstall an application or program
To uninstall an application or program that is installed on Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server, complete the following steps :
1. Go to Start menu
2. Control panel
3. Select Add or Remove programs
4.You will be shown a list of the programs that are installed on your machine. Find the application/program you wish to uninstall and select it.
5. A button titled 'Change/Remove' now be displayed.
6. Click the button and follow the 'Uninstall wizard' which will guide you through the removal process.
1. Go to Start menu
2. Control panel
3. Select Add or Remove programs
4.You will be shown a list of the programs that are installed on your machine. Find the application/program you wish to uninstall and select it.
5. A button titled 'Change/Remove' now be displayed.
6. Click the button and follow the 'Uninstall wizard' which will guide you through the removal process.
How to create and open the contents of a zip file
The steady increase in bandwidth over the last 10 years has brought about the ability to send larger and larger files. However, there are still limitations on most web based email systems which means that the smaller you can make a file the better. The quickest way of doing this on a Microsoft Windows based system is to compress the item to be transmitted using a 'zip file'.
Wikipedia and Austincc describe a zip file in the following way :
"The ZIP file format is a data compression and archival format. A ZIP file contains one or more files that have been compressed, to reduce their file size, or stored as-is. A number of compression algorithms are permitted in zip files but as of 2008 only DEFLATE is widely used and supported".
and
"A file that has been compressed, or reduced in size, to save storage space and allow faster transferring across a network over the Internet. To read the information, the file must be uncompressed into its original form."
The creation of zip file is incredibly easy and can be achieved in the following way :
1. Find the file you wish to send/compress.
2. Right click it once to display the menu
3. Go to the 'Send to' option to expand the list
4. Choose the 'Compressed (zipped) folder' option
5. You will now see that a new folder has been created in the same directory with a zip showing on the icon. The file will have a .zip extension at the end of the name.
To decompress a zip file to read the contents, do the following :
1. Find the file you wish to read/open/decompress
2. Right click it once to display the menu
3. Select 'Extract all' to produce the 'Extraction Wizard'.
4. Click 'Next' and then 'Next' again to have your uncompressed folder appear in the same directory as the zip folder.
5. Click finish and your uncompressed folder will be opened up automatically for you to read the contents.
Wikipedia and Austincc describe a zip file in the following way :
"The ZIP file format is a data compression and archival format. A ZIP file contains one or more files that have been compressed, to reduce their file size, or stored as-is. A number of compression algorithms are permitted in zip files but as of 2008 only DEFLATE is widely used and supported".
and
"A file that has been compressed, or reduced in size, to save storage space and allow faster transferring across a network over the Internet. To read the information, the file must be uncompressed into its original form."
The creation of zip file is incredibly easy and can be achieved in the following way :
1. Find the file you wish to send/compress.
2. Right click it once to display the menu
3. Go to the 'Send to' option to expand the list
4. Choose the 'Compressed (zipped) folder' option
5. You will now see that a new folder has been created in the same directory with a zip showing on the icon. The file will have a .zip extension at the end of the name.
To decompress a zip file to read the contents, do the following :
1. Find the file you wish to read/open/decompress
2. Right click it once to display the menu
3. Select 'Extract all' to produce the 'Extraction Wizard'.
4. Click 'Next' and then 'Next' again to have your uncompressed folder appear in the same directory as the zip folder.
5. Click finish and your uncompressed folder will be opened up automatically for you to read the contents.
Microsoft Windows version release dates
Windows 1.0 - November 1985
Windows 2.0 - December 1987
Windows 3.0 - May 1990
Windows 3.1 - April 1992
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 - February 1994
WinNT 3.51 - June 1995
Windows 95 - August 1995
Windows NT4 - August 1996
Windows 95 OSR2 - October 1996
Windows 98 - June 1998
Windows 98SE- May 1999
Windows 2000- February 2000
Windows Me - July 2000
Windows XP - October 2001
Windows Server 2003 - 2003
Windows XP 64-bit - 2003
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs - July 2006
Windows Vista (Business Customers) - November 2006
Windows Vista (Retail Customers) - January 2007
Windows 7 - October 2009
Windows 2.0 - December 1987
Windows 3.0 - May 1990
Windows 3.1 - April 1992
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 - February 1994
WinNT 3.51 - June 1995
Windows 95 - August 1995
Windows NT4 - August 1996
Windows 95 OSR2 - October 1996
Windows 98 - June 1998
Windows 98SE- May 1999
Windows 2000- February 2000
Windows Me - July 2000
Windows XP - October 2001
Windows Server 2003 - 2003
Windows XP 64-bit - 2003
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs - July 2006
Windows Vista (Business Customers) - November 2006
Windows Vista (Retail Customers) - January 2007
Windows 7 - October 2009
How to start and stop a service using command line
This method of starting and stopping a service applies to all Windows based operating systems e.g. Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows Server 2000/2003.
The first thing you will have to know is the name of the service you want to stop or start. You can find this by going to the services list :
1.Winkey + r
2. Type 'services.msc'
3. Locate the service you wish to start/stop and righ click>properties
4. The Service name is shown at the top on the general tab.
For my example i am going to use Internet Information Server (IIS) as the service i wish to stop. It's service name is 'w3svc'. So once you have the name then perform the following :
1. Winkey + r (or start menu and then click 'Run')
2. Type 'cmd' and press enter to bring up a command prompt.
3. Type Net Start or Net Stop (depending on what action you wish to perform) and then the service name e.g. 'Net stop w3svc'. Press enter.
4. In the above instance the command prompt window would show the messages "The World Wide Web Publishing service is stopping." and "The World Wide Web Publishing service was stopped successfully".
So, to start the service back up i would just use the Net start command.
The first thing you will have to know is the name of the service you want to stop or start. You can find this by going to the services list :
1.Winkey + r
2. Type 'services.msc'
3. Locate the service you wish to start/stop and righ click>properties
4. The Service name is shown at the top on the general tab.
For my example i am going to use Internet Information Server (IIS) as the service i wish to stop. It's service name is 'w3svc'. So once you have the name then perform the following :
1. Winkey + r (or start menu and then click 'Run')
2. Type 'cmd' and press enter to bring up a command prompt.
3. Type Net Start or Net Stop (depending on what action you wish to perform) and then the service name e.g. 'Net stop w3svc'. Press enter.
4. In the above instance the command prompt window would show the messages "The World Wide Web Publishing service is stopping." and "The World Wide Web Publishing service was stopped successfully".
So, to start the service back up i would just use the Net start command.
How to set the homepage in Internet Explorer using the registry
Recently I had a situation where a user couldn't re-set her homepage using the normal Internet Explorer (IE) options.
This was a problem as the site that was set to her homepage no longer existed and every time she launched IE she would get 'Page not found'.
In order to resolve this i applied the following registry hack :
1. Winkey + R or Start menu run
2. Type 'regedit'
3. Go to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Start Page"="http://www.supportingtech.com/"
4. Change the website to the one you require and you are done.
* Please note that the registry is a very important part of the operating system and you should use extreme caution when making changes.
This was a problem as the site that was set to her homepage no longer existed and every time she launched IE she would get 'Page not found'.
In order to resolve this i applied the following registry hack :
1. Winkey + R or Start menu run
2. Type 'regedit'
3. Go to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Start Page"="http://www.supportingtech.com/"
4. Change the website to the one you require and you are done.
* Please note that the registry is a very important part of the operating system and you should use extreme caution when making changes.
How to check the Codec of a video file
Occasionally, Windows Media Player (WMP) may be unable to play a video file because it will say that it does not have the correct Codec. These warnings are not particularly helpful because not only can you not play the file but WMP doesn't tell you what Codec you need.
The video files you are likely to have will have the file extension of .avi, .mpg etc and the most simple way to find out what Codec you need is to do the following :
1. Go to the video file.
2. Right click the file to display the menu and go to 'Properties'.
3. Go to the 'Summary' tab
4. Click the advanced button (If the only button there says '<< Simple' then the Advanced button has already been clicked.
5. You should now be able to see Image, Audio and Video properties.
6. For the necessary Codec you will need to look at 'Video compression'. In my example, it was showing 'XVID'.
7. It's this video compression name that you would use on Google or Yahoo to find the correct Codec to download..
The video files you are likely to have will have the file extension of .avi, .mpg etc and the most simple way to find out what Codec you need is to do the following :
1. Go to the video file.
2. Right click the file to display the menu and go to 'Properties'.
3. Go to the 'Summary' tab
4. Click the advanced button (If the only button there says '<< Simple' then the Advanced button has already been clicked.
5. You should now be able to see Image, Audio and Video properties.
6. For the necessary Codec you will need to look at 'Video compression'. In my example, it was showing 'XVID'.
7. It's this video compression name that you would use on Google or Yahoo to find the correct Codec to download..
How to check the codec of an audio file
Occasionally, Windows Media Player (WMP) may be unable to play an audio file because it will say that it does not have the correct Codec. These warnings are not particularly helpful because not only can you not play the file but WMP doesn't tell you what Codec you need.
The sound files you are likely to have will have the file extension of mp3, .wav, .dss etc and the most simple way to find out what Codec you need is to do the following :
1. Go to the audio file.
2. Right click the file to display the menu and go to 'Properties'.
3. Go to the 'Summary' tab
4. Click the advanced button (If the only button there says '<< Simple' then the Advanced button has already been clicked.
5. You should now be able to see Bit Rate, Audio Sample, Channels, Audio sample rate, Audio format.
6. It's the Audio format that will show the name of the Codec and it is this name that you would search for on Google or Yahoo to find the correct Codec.
The sound files you are likely to have will have the file extension of mp3, .wav, .dss etc and the most simple way to find out what Codec you need is to do the following :
1. Go to the audio file.
2. Right click the file to display the menu and go to 'Properties'.
3. Go to the 'Summary' tab
4. Click the advanced button (If the only button there says '<< Simple' then the Advanced button has already been clicked.
5. You should now be able to see Bit Rate, Audio Sample, Channels, Audio sample rate, Audio format.
6. It's the Audio format that will show the name of the Codec and it is this name that you would search for on Google or Yahoo to find the correct Codec.
Open multiple web pages at the same time using a batch file
Recently whilst working on a customer's PC I noticed that when they booted up they would manually open several webpages. I asked the customer two questions, do they do that every time they use the PC and if so would they like me to show them an easier way.
As it happens the user did repeat this process everytime they worked on the PC and she was more than willing for me to show her how to get the same result with two clicks !.
Solution
1. Open up notepad
2. Type the following (substituting the web addresses you require) :
start iexplore.exe -new http://www.supportingtech.blogspot.com/
start iexplore.exe -new http://www.bbc.co.uk/
start iexplore.exe -new http://www.facebook.com/
3. Save the file to your pc e.g. your desktop.
4. Rename the file to have a .bat extension instead of .txt.
5. Double click the file and you will see that the 3 websites will now open up
As it happens the user did repeat this process everytime they worked on the PC and she was more than willing for me to show her how to get the same result with two clicks !.
Solution
1. Open up notepad
2. Type the following (substituting the web addresses you require) :
start iexplore.exe -new http://www.supportingtech.blogspot.com/
start iexplore.exe -new http://www.bbc.co.uk/
start iexplore.exe -new http://www.facebook.com/
3. Save the file to your pc e.g. your desktop.
4. Rename the file to have a .bat extension instead of .txt.
5. Double click the file and you will see that the 3 websites will now open up
How to register (or re-register) a DLL or OCX file
Go to the Run item on the Start Menu (or Winkey + R)
Type the following :
regsvr32 <path & filename of dll or ocx>
Press enter
Type the following :
regsvr32 <path & filename of dll or ocx>
Press enter
Specify username and password within an FTP URL address
If you are using Windows explorer to access an FTP site you will know that you enter the username and hostname to be taken to the relevant site i.e. ftp:// username@hostname/. You would then be prompted for your password which you would enter into a dialogue box.
However, there is a short cut you can use to take you straight into the directory by just adding or clicking URL. The structure of this is as follows :
ftp:// username : password@hostname/
Although, this is a time saver it does have its dangers with regard to security. For example, the password will be visible in plain text and the username and password can be retrieved from your explorer/browser history if someone else accesses your pc.
However, there is a short cut you can use to take you straight into the directory by just adding or clicking URL. The structure of this is as follows :
ftp:// username : password@hostname/
Although, this is a time saver it does have its dangers with regard to security. For example, the password will be visible in plain text and the username and password can be retrieved from your explorer/browser history if someone else accesses your pc.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
How to add a shortcut to the start menu for a commonly used application
Go to Start Menu>All Programs>Right click the application you want to add and select 'Pin to start menu' from the list.
An icon for the application will now appear in the top portion of your start menu !
An icon for the application will now appear in the top portion of your start menu !
Display hidden files and folders on your PC
Windows XP
Go to My Computer>Tools>Folder Options>View tab and put a marker next to 'Show hidden files and folders.
Windows Vista
Go to Computer>Tools>Folder Options>View tab and put a marker next to 'Show hidden files and folders.
Go to My Computer>Tools>Folder Options>View tab and put a marker next to 'Show hidden files and folders.
Windows Vista
Go to Computer>Tools>Folder Options>View tab and put a marker next to 'Show hidden files and folders.
Keyboard shortcuts (WinKey)
WINKEY + D - Brings the desktop to the top of all other windows.
WINKEY + E - Open Microsoft Explorer.
WINKEY + M - Minimizes all windows.
WINKEY + L - Lock the computer (Windows XP and above only).
WINKEY + R - Open the run window.
WINKEY + U - Open Utility Manager.
WINKEY + F1 - Display the Microsoft Windows help.
WINKEY + SHIFT + M - Undo the minimize done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D.
WINKEY + Pause / Break key - Open the system properties window
What to do when a USB drive won't show up in My Computer
Sometimes when you plug a USB storage device such as a pen drive or hard disk into your PC you may notice that it doesn't show up in 'My Computer' as you would expect. This is normally caused by one of two things. The first is that the PC is trying to assign an existing drive letter to the new device and as a result the new drive cannot be displayed or there are no more available drive letters.
To check what the problem may be you will need to look at 'Disk Management' section of the 'Computer management' snap in. You can do this in the following way :
Start>Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>highlight 'Disk Management'.
Your new device should show up here with a drive letter that is already in use. To resolve the issue
'Right click the device and select 'Change drive letter and paths' from the menu.
Select 'Change' and then choose a drive letter that is not currently in use.
Now when you go to 'My Computer' it will be there for you to access !.
If you have no available drive letters you will need to 'Right click' an existing drive in 'My Computer' and select 'Disconnect'. This will free up the drive letter.
To check what the problem may be you will need to look at 'Disk Management' section of the 'Computer management' snap in. You can do this in the following way :
Start>Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>highlight 'Disk Management'.
Your new device should show up here with a drive letter that is already in use. To resolve the issue
'Right click the device and select 'Change drive letter and paths' from the menu.
Select 'Change' and then choose a drive letter that is not currently in use.
Now when you go to 'My Computer' it will be there for you to access !.
If you have no available drive letters you will need to 'Right click' an existing drive in 'My Computer' and select 'Disconnect'. This will free up the drive letter.
How to see the names of all computers on your network with a single command
Open up a command window i.e. Winkey + R and type 'cmd' into the field and press Enter.
Type : Net View and press Enter
Type : Net View and press Enter
Open control panel items from the 'Run' window
Below are useful shortcuts to items in control panel. Just press 'Winkey + r' to pop open the run dialogue.
Type the commands in bold and the items will open.
control - Control Panel
control folders - Folder Options
control userpasswords - User Accounts
control userpasswords2 - Advanced User Accounts
control desktop - Display Properties
control printers - Printers and Faxes
control mouse - Mouse Properties
control keyboard - Keyboard Properties
control netconnections - Network Connections
control color - Display Properties \ Screensaver
control date/time - Date and Time Properties
control schedtasks - Scheduled Tasks
control admintools - Administrative Tools
control telephony - Phone and Modem Options
control fonts - Fonts Folder
control international - Regional and Language
Type the commands in bold and the items will open.
control - Control Panel
control folders - Folder Options
control userpasswords - User Accounts
control userpasswords2 - Advanced User Accounts
control desktop - Display Properties
control printers - Printers and Faxes
control mouse - Mouse Properties
control keyboard - Keyboard Properties
control netconnections - Network Connections
control color - Display Properties \ Screensaver
control date/time - Date and Time Properties
control schedtasks - Scheduled Tasks
control admintools - Administrative Tools
control telephony - Phone and Modem Options
control fonts - Fonts Folder
control international - Regional and Language
How to restart/shutdown a PC remotely using command line
This question came about when I was on my test server trying to install some software remotely, on a client laptop. I wanted to apply some changes and needed to reboot so rather than rolling the two feet to my laptop I thought "hmmm, how can I do this from here". And here's the answer ...........
Open up a run window (Winkey + R)
Type 'cmd' to open a command prompt
Type :
shutdown m \\computername -s -t : 60 (This will shutdown the PC in question after 60 seconds).
shutdown m \\computername -r -t: 60 (This will restart the PC in question after 60 seconds).
shutdown m \\computername -r -t: 0 (This will shutdown the PC immediately).
shutdown m \\computername -a (This will abort the shutdown once it is counting down)
This code can also be added to a batch file to shutdown multiple PCs all at once !
Open up a run window (Winkey + R)
Type 'cmd' to open a command prompt
Type :
shutdown m \\computername -s -t : 60 (This will shutdown the PC in question after 60 seconds).
shutdown m \\computername -r -t: 60 (This will restart the PC in question after 60 seconds).
shutdown m \\computername -r -t: 0 (This will shutdown the PC immediately).
shutdown m \\computername -a (This will abort the shutdown once it is counting down)
This code can also be added to a batch file to shutdown multiple PCs all at once !
Friday, 25 September 2009
Dictaphone Transnet known support issues
WHAT IS DICTAPHONE TRANSNET ?
Transnet is transcription software that is supplied by the company Dictaphone. It is installed on your computer and requires a footpedal and a Dictaphone Boomerang attachment between the footpedal and PC to control playback. The footpedal is attached via a USB port or can have an adapter that allows it to connect as a game port.
Transnet can be installed on Windows XP, Vista, Win 7 & Win 8 (In WinXP compatibility mode)..
HOW TRANSNET WORKS
Transnet which is the transcription client works in conjunction with a Dictaphone server. A secure connection is made between the two, jobs are downloaded to Transnet and the typist transcribes the files. When the typist is finished they will ’sign off’ the job and this updates the status on the server to show it is complete. Once a job has the left the transcription queue another dictation will download automatically.
KNOWN SUPPORT ISSUES
Problem : Job becomes locked to a typist and shows as in ‘USE’ on the server (Joblister).
Solution : No manual intervention can help, unfortunately, you just have to wait for the system to release the job.
Problem : Typist cannot download any more work even though the queue is empty/Server shows the typist to have jobs transferred to her/him that they dont appear to have in Transnet.
Solution :
1. Close Transnet
2. Go to ‘C:\Program Files\Dictaphone EXV Clients\TransNetAudio’.
3. Inside you will see a folder with the User ID of the typist. Delete this folder.
4. Go back onto the server (Joblister) and release any jobs that were assigned to the teleworker.
5. Open Transnet and login. Jobs should now begin to download as normal
* The above solution will also work when the typist sees a string of questions marks (????) for a downloaded job instead of the job details
Transnet is transcription software that is supplied by the company Dictaphone. It is installed on your computer and requires a footpedal and a Dictaphone Boomerang attachment between the footpedal and PC to control playback. The footpedal is attached via a USB port or can have an adapter that allows it to connect as a game port.
Transnet can be installed on Windows XP, Vista, Win 7 & Win 8 (In WinXP compatibility mode)..
Transnet which is the transcription client works in conjunction with a Dictaphone server. A secure connection is made between the two, jobs are downloaded to Transnet and the typist transcribes the files. When the typist is finished they will ’sign off’ the job and this updates the status on the server to show it is complete. Once a job has the left the transcription queue another dictation will download automatically.
KNOWN SUPPORT ISSUES
Problem : Job becomes locked to a typist and shows as in ‘USE’ on the server (Joblister).
Solution : No manual intervention can help, unfortunately, you just have to wait for the system to release the job.
Problem : Typist cannot download any more work even though the queue is empty/Server shows the typist to have jobs transferred to her/him that they dont appear to have in Transnet.
Solution :
1. Close Transnet
2. Go to ‘C:\Program Files\Dictaphone EXV Clients\TransNetAudio’.
3. Inside you will see a folder with the User ID of the typist. Delete this folder.
4. Go back onto the server (Joblister) and release any jobs that were assigned to the teleworker.
5. Open Transnet and login. Jobs should now begin to download as normal
* The above solution will also work when the typist sees a string of questions marks (????) for a downloaded job instead of the job details
Microsoft Outlook 2007 can’t connect to Hotmail server to download email
For a few years now I have had my Hotmail email account linked to my Outlook client. Like many people out there I use Microsoft Outlook 2007 and this has worked perfectly for some time, and my email has downloaded automatically when opening the program. If I am waiting for an email, a simple ’send/receive’ will pull my new mail down without any issues.
All this changed recently and without warning, one day my mails were being downloaded and the next day Outlook could not access the Hotmail servers.
Folder: Inbox Synchronizing headers: reported error (0×800CCC33) : ‘Access to the account was denied. Verify that your username and password are correct. The server responded ‘Forbidden’.’
The good news is that after a bit of googling I came across a forum with lots of people having the same issue. Luckily someone had done abit more digging and had found an explanation :
In June 2009, Microsoft announced a change to the way Outlook, Outlook Express, and Entourage programs access Hotmail which may require customers to take action.
To continue to receive e-mail from your Hotmail account, please select one of the alternative solutions …... Full details here
As I have Outlook 2007 the solution involved downloading and installing ‘Office Outlook connector‘. This was a simple install and a quick restart of Outlook had my email downloading within no time.
A suprisingly painless fix from Microsoft but I have to agree with the people in the forums that an automatic prompt to install the connector and a less cryptic message from ‘Send/Receive’ would have been preferable.
All this changed recently and without warning, one day my mails were being downloaded and the next day Outlook could not access the Hotmail servers.
Folder: Inbox Synchronizing headers: reported error (0×800CCC33) : ‘Access to the account was denied. Verify that your username and password are correct. The server responded ‘Forbidden’.’
The good news is that after a bit of googling I came across a forum with lots of people having the same issue. Luckily someone had done abit more digging and had found an explanation :
In June 2009, Microsoft announced a change to the way Outlook, Outlook Express, and Entourage programs access Hotmail which may require customers to take action.
To continue to receive e-mail from your Hotmail account, please select one of the alternative solutions …... Full details here
As I have Outlook 2007 the solution involved downloading and installing ‘Office Outlook connector‘. This was a simple install and a quick restart of Outlook had my email downloading within no time.
A suprisingly painless fix from Microsoft but I have to agree with the people in the forums that an automatic prompt to install the connector and a less cryptic message from ‘Send/Receive’ would have been preferable.
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