Winzip, WinRar, 7zip, WinAce rematch

Couple of months ago, I posted a mini article regarding Winzip vs WinRar and 7zip and found out that 7zip beat em’ all. However, due to not so proper method that I used in that short test, the result is questionable. Furthermore, Winzip just launch their latest version of Winzip, known as Winzip 12.1 and according to their web, they are pretty confident with Winzip latest algorithm (zipx instead of good old zip). So, I guess it would be nice if I could compare Winzip, Winrar, 7zip and WinAce best compression algorithm.

I Love Streamyx!!!

Hate me if you want but I will stay shout I love Streamyx.

No, I am not working with TM, not even have any relatives or friends that work with TM, but I can’t hold my hands and brain to type I Love Streamyx any longer.

Am I going nuts? Yeah, maybe LAWL.

It is all started when I subscribe Streamyx Combo 60, which is an ADSL 384 kbps service from them (Dec 2008), to replace my pathetic over promised Izzi broadband (which based on iBurst technology). I saved RM50 per month there and yet still getting 300% of Izzi broadband speed (at that time). Fast forward to 24 June 2009, after satisfy with my phone line stability and ADSL reliability, I did myself a favor. I went to Shah Alam TM Point and decided to upgrade my Streamyx 384kbps to 1.0 mbps (Streamyx Combo 110).

My ‘new’ audio experience with X-fi AudioCreationMode

Recently I replaced my Vista with Windows Seven build 7077 and pretty happy with it except on how my SoundBlaster X-Fi Platinum output. Yeah, I know this is not seven fault but more on creative buggy beta driver.

So, in order to listen my mp3 collection as they was in their prime time, I installed WinXP in my other hard disk and update its driver as usual. I was amazed how good my mp3 sound in xp compare to seven lol but what I am going to share today is not related to xp or normal entertainment mode in x-fi but X-Fi Audio Creation Mode + Clock setting + Bit Match setting + Foobar with Noise Sharpening DSP.

I found out that, my music (mp3) sound much waaaaaaaaaayyyy better in audio creation mode when :

• Clock = 96 kHz
• Bit Match = ON
• and….Foobar + Noise Sharpener

The music sound clearer (voice), warmer and more vivid (instrument). I compared with Entertainment mode (with or without crystalizer) and I notice that some of the instruments that I never heard in Entertainment Mode clearly highlighted in Audio Creation Mode (96 kHz and BitMatch activated).

But, the drawback of BitMatch activated is there are no equalizer and crystalizer. So, I compensate this one with Foobar Noise sharpener plugin and equilizer dsp plugin.

Result : Hours of smile and amazement. (never thought that my mp3 could sound this way).

For those who has X-Fi sound card, you may try to play your music collection from Audion Creation mode and experiment yourself.

Link for Foobar : HERE

Link for Noise Sharpener : HERE

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Instruction on how to use Foobar Noise Sharpener.

1. Extract the zip file
2. Copy foo_dsp_delta.dll and paste it in C:\Program Files\foobar2000\components
3. Open Foobar2000 => File => Preference => Playback => DSP Manager and put “Noise Sharpening” on the Active DSP list. Make sure its at the top.
4. On Noise Sharpening settings, slide the bar to 50-125%. (Whatever sounds reasonable, I personally use 75 percent)
5. Play any audio file and notice the increased clarity. Activate it and deactivate it while its playing over and over to see the difference.

++++++++++++++++++

To enjoy the power of x-fi ASIO, download ASIO (for x-fi) plug-in and copy/paste it into foobar component folder.

After that, from Preference –> Playback –> Output (set to either 24bit or 32 bit) and at ASIO virtual device, click Add (Creative ASIO).

++++++++++++++++++

Additional Reading :

http://www.overclock.net/sound-cards-computer-audio/226541-guide-setting-up-z5500-x-fi.html

How to setup foobar theme : http://www.neowin.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t576549.html

Another good setup : http://www.overclock.net/3202137-post9.html

Google Chrome + ‘Ads Block’

I always love google chrome.

I love it simplicity, elegence, speed, small footprint, detachable tab, small download size and best of all.. it doesnt use much screen space.

However, there is one thing that keep make me double click firefox instead of Chrome…which is Chrome has no adblock pluss plug-in which is a very handy plugin in my opinion.

Fred not, here is the work around…say bye bye to ads :p

Download and install Privoxy at http://www.privoxy.org/
Click on the Wrench icon in Chrome in the upper right corner.
Choose options>Under The Hood>Change proxy settings.
In the Internet Properties dialog’s Connections tab, click on the LAN settings button.
Check off “Proxy settings” and in the address setting add 127.0.0.1 and in the port 8118.
If you have the option, you can also check off “Bypass proxy for local settings”.
Click “OK,” close Chrome and restart it.

SyncToy : How to sync your folders (in pc and usb drive)

Scenario

I have a PC, Laptop, 8 GB pendrive and work/study PC outside. I always carry my pen drive wherever I go and obviously I use this pen drive to store all my works, documents, ebooks etc. The only problem is, every night, I need to synchronize the content of that pendrive with my PC and laptop. Sometime, I updated my work using laptop and forgot to send to my pendrive and the other day, it happen again when I used my PC. To give you general idea, ideally, I want to have 3 exactly identical copy which are 1 in my PC, 1 in my pen drive and 1 in my laptop and honestly, updating (and have to remember which files need to) various kind of file every night is not a fun and productivity task.

I need a folder synchronization folder. I tried Allway Sync but unfortunately, free version has limited number of operation. Yesterday, it keep reminded me that I need to upgrade this software to Pro version. Bleh. So, after a quick googling and crawling in cyberspace I found this piece of gem (freeware). A folder synchronization by Microsoft.

 

Solution:

Download SyncToy (FREEWARE) from : Microsoft Website

Install it as usual.

First page that will greet you as below.

Click on Create New Folder Pair.

 

Click on Browse button for both Left Folder and Right Folder. Left folder will be my folder in my PC while Right folder will be my USB drive.

 

Choose your folder that you want to sync between your PC/Laptop and your pen drive.

 

Here is my left and right folder pair looks like. Then click on Next button.

 

Choose any of sync method. I choose synchronize as I want any update I perform in pendrive will update my work folder in pc too and vice versa.

• Synchronize: New and updated files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other.
  
• Echo: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right.
  
• Contribute: New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions.
  

Put any name reflected to your folder sync job. Then click Finish button.

 

Viola…we almost there. This is the property of my Study folder sync pair job. Click on Run button to start syncing.

 

SyncToy is synchronizing my PC and my pendrive.

 

Done.

 

—————————————-

Tips

—————————————-

 

To get SyncToy to autosync when a thumbdrive is plugged in :

1)Setup desired Folder Pairs in SyncToy
2)Use TweakUI from Microsoft and added SyncToy as an autorun handler as seen here
3)Changed the autoplay action for each content type on my thumbdrive

a]Right click on thumbdrive –> Properties
b]Select “Autoplay” tab
c]change “Select Action to perform” -> Sync with SyncToy

How to Re-sync or Re-timing subtitle

Scenario:

You download a movie from torrent, direct download or whatever P2P software but at the end you found out that there is no suitable subtitle for that movie. The entire subtitle you found from the net doesn’t has perfect synchronization with the movie as you hope for. In the other word, the timing between audio (actor/actress voice) and subtitle doesn’t matching.

And now you start to wonder (I was) if you could re-synchronize the ‘not so match’ subtitle to with this video/movie (voice)?

The answer: Yes you can and it doesn’t require even a single cent.

 

Requirement:

1. Download Subtitle Workshop from www.urusoft.net: Download page here.
   
   1. Subtitle Workshop is a freeware.
      
2. Your movie and it’s ‘not so match’ subtitle (example extension .srt)

 

Step:

Install Subtitle Workshop (current version as I type this mini tutorial is 2.51).

Launch your Subtitle Workshop 2.51

Load your movie into Subtitle Workshop by : Click on Movie à Open (from the its menubar)

Load your “not so match” subtitle into Subtitle Workshop by : File à Load Subtitle (from its menubar)

    Note : Alternatively, you can drag and drop your movie and ‘not so match’ subtitle into Subtitle Workshop.

You should have this kind of screen (more of less, if you use Dragon war movie and nedivx dwar.srt subtitle).

 

Now, what you need to do is to know when is the exact time for the first voice will be heard.

So, play the movie (using Subtitle workshop) by pressing play button and listen carefully. Be ready to hit pause button when you start to hear voice related to subtitle wording below. If you miss the exact time, you can either estimate how much fraction of second you need to deduct or simply redo.

As for my case, I notice that the first voice saying “Everyone believes the time….” start at 8.803 sec.

Note that, in my ‘not so correct’ subtitle, the first phrase is at 49.849 seconds which is almost 41 seconds later than what it should be. Indirectly, you should catch up by now, what you should do is, make all phrases (timing) in this subtitle start (49.849-8.803 = 41.046) 41.046 seconds sooner.

In order to do that,

1. Make sure your sliding indicator at the correct time
2. Click on any subtitle phrase and press CTRL+A (or click Edit à Select All)

   

    

    

3. Move Subtitle (Alt+M) or Movie à Subtitles à Move subtitle

   

    

4. Result : All phrase in my subtitle now, move 41 second earlier which is the correct timing for this movie.

 

Comparison

Wrong timing….

 

Perfect timing…. (note that : duration between first and second phrase still remain).

 

Verify

To verify that your new subtitle perfectly match with your movie audio (subtitle) simply click on Play button. Subtitle Workshop will play the movie and display your newly edited subtitle. If you satisfy with the result, save it by : File à Save (or Save As).

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

    

Apache, PHP, MySQL on Vista x64

Install 64bit versions of Apache, PHP and MySQL on Windows 64bit

Currently no official 64bit versions of Apache and PHP exists for Microsoft Windows. Only MySQL supports officialy 64bit Windows. If you have a 64bit version of Windows (2003/XP/Vista) and want to keep your system pure 64bit here is the solution! In this guide I will show you how to install and set up Apache 2.2 x64 web server, PHP 5.2 x64 and MySQL 5.0/5.1 x64 on Windows 2003/XP/Vista 64bit using unofficial binaries. Althought this setup has been tested successfully on Windows Vista 64bit Home Premium, I am not responsible for any damages may occur to your computer by this guide. Proceed at your own risk.

Download needed software

Download unofficial binaries for Apache x64 from blackdot.be:
http://www.blackdot.be/?inc=apache/binaries
Current version (November 2008): httpd-2.2.10-win64.zip

Download PHP x64 from fusionxlan.com:
http://www.fusionxlan.com/PHPx64.php
Current version (September 2008): 5.2.5

Download latest official MySQL 64bit binaries for Windows:
http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/

Install Apache 64bit

Create a folder inside your C drive and named it something like apache64. Unzip the contents of the Apache zip package you previously downloaded to folder: C:/apache64.
Edit Apache configuration file C:/apache64/conf/httpd.conf and change paths to match your system.

ServerRoot “C:/apache64″
ServerName localhost:80
DocumentRoot “C:/apache64/htdocs”
<Directory “C:/apache64/htdocs”>
DirectoryIndex index.html, index.htm, index.php
ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ “C:/apache64/cgi-bin/”

If you want to set up virtual hosts uncomment (remove the “#” symbol) the line bellow and edit the hosts.conf file respectively. Setting up virtual hosts on Windows.
#Include conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

Uncomment the following line to load extension mod_rewite needed by Elxis SEO PRO. Also uncomment any other lines you wish to load the corresponding Apache extensions.
LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Open the Windows command prompt (Start -> Run/Search -> cmd) and navigate to folder C:/apache64 (CD C:\apache64). Execute the following commands:

bin\httpd.exe -k install
bin\httpd.exe -k start

Your Apache should work. Open bin folder and double click the ApacheMonitor.exe file. An icon will be displayed in your Windows taskbar. From there you can start/stop/restart Apache easily. We set the Document root to C:/apache64/htdocs, so this is the folder where you should put your web files (Elxis CMS for example). Open your browser and go to http://localhost/ to ensure Apache runs.

Install PHP 64bit

Create a folder inside your C drive and named it “php”. Unzip the contents of the PHP zip package you previously downloaded and copy the contents of the “php-5.2.5 (x64)” (or what ever version you downloaded) to folder: C:/php. We will install PHP as an Apache module. Open your Apache configuration file (C:/apache64/conf/httpd.conf) to tell apache to load the PHP module. Under the existing LoadModule directives add the following:
LoadModule php5_module “C:/php/php5apache2_2.dll”
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

Also add these lines to tell Apache where PHP is located:
# configure the path to php.ini
PHPIniDir “C:/php”

Copy the following files to your Widnows system folder (C:/Windows/system32):
C:/php/php5ts.dll
C:/php/php5isapi.dll
C:/php/php5apache2_2.dll
C:/php/ext/php_mysql.dll

Copy php.ini-dist to the same folder and rename it as php.ini. Open this file to edit PHP configuration parameters.
extension_dir = “C:/php/ext/”
allow_url_fopen = Off
Load at least the following PHP extesnions by removing the “#” symbol in front of each line:
extension=php_gd2.dll
extension=php_mysql.dll
extension=php_oci8.dll (if you have Oracle database installed)
extension=php_pgsql.dll (if you have postgre database installed)
extension=php_zip.dll

Set sendmail from e-mail address:
sendmail_from = me@example.com

Some settings for MySQL:
mysql.default_port = 3306
mysql.default_host = localhost

Set the session save path to a writable (by anyone) folder in your computer. You can set this to any existing path you wish (For example C:/tmp).
session.save_path = “C:/tmp”

Restart Apache to test if your PHP is working properly.

Install MySQL 64bit

This is the easiest part of the overall procedure as we have downloaded an official 64bit msi package from MySQL. Just double click it to run the installer. Install MySQL as a service.

Finish
Unless I forgotten something your system is ready. You have a pure 64bit WAMP system, congratulations! You can now copy Elxis at C:/apache64/htdocs and run the Elxis installation wizard. If you wish to set up virtual hosts follow this guide: Setting up virtual hosts on Windows.

—————————————————————-full credit to—————————————————————

Written by Ioannis Sannos (datahell),
September 12, 2008
Last updated: November 15, 2008

http://www.apachefriends.org/f/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=32549

—————————————————————-full credit to—————————————————————

nVidia PowerMizer for Acer 4530

NVIDIA® PowerMizer® technology is an intelligent power management solution available on all NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) that can effectively extend battery life and reduce wasted power – all while providing performance on demand even while plugged in the wall.

Key Benefits

• Extends battery life
  
• Intelligently adapts performance based on a user’s needs so it saves power even when the notebook is plugged into the wall
  
• Runs in the background to provide the best balance of performance and battery life
  
• Helps the notebook run cooler and quieter under normal operating conditions by dissipating less heat in the GPU
  

What’s so SMART about PowerMizer Mobile Technology?

The ultimate goal of PowerMizer technology is to optimize power use for the longest battery life in a notebook PC while providing the performance necessary for the task at hand. Some office applications like word processors and spreadsheets require less processing than is necessary for an immersive 3D gaming experience or for viewing a crystal clear high definition video. PowerMizer technology will intelligently adapt itself to suit the performance needs of the application.

Intelligent digital watchdogs monitor the power utilization in various parts of the GPU. When a certain processor engine is not in use or is not required to run full bore, these digital watchdogs will turn them down. This is happening at such a speed that the user will not experience a change in performance, but will know that every watt of battery power is being conserved.

 

So, if you are using nVidia base system notebook or laptop such as Acer Aspire 4530, you can enjoy this features with these little tricks and softwares.

What you need :

• PowerMizer Switch version 1.1 (free). Download here : Mediafire
  
• Supported Driver (185.20). Download here : Notebook2Go
  
• GPU-Z (to check your GPU clock frequency) : Official Website

 

What you need to do :

By default, nVidia driver version 185.20 doesn’t enable PowerMizer by default. You need to enable it manually using regedit.

 

Step 1:

 

**********************credit to Weinter*************************

 

Run Regedit from your start menu or press Windows+R

 

Navigate to HKEY_Local_Machine\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\{ Your graphics adapter}0000 and 0001

(Note : windows will automatically duplicate entry creation in 0000 so you no need to create both entry 2 times. However, just to be safe, cross check either in 0001 has both entries which is PowerMizerEnable and PerfLevelSrc.

To locate the registry entry expand all the entries until you see one with lots of registry setting That will be the the registry containing your Graphics Options

Right click on the right Window to create a new DWORD 32bit value
The value name change to “PowerMizerEnable” value select “1″ in hexidecimal
Repeat
The value name change to “PerfLevelSrc” value data “3333″ in hexidecimal

Reboot

 

**********************Link : http://daemonadvocate.blogspot.com/2009/01/nvidia-powermizer.html *************************

 

Step 2:

(Note: If you skip step 1, PowerMizer Switch will report that PowerMizer option is not enabled)

Extract PowerMizer Switch and run it under administrator privilege (right click on PowerMizer Switch icon and choose Run As Administrator.)

 

There are 3 buttons here. The first one isrecommended to save battery life when your laptop running on battery but you want maximum performance when your laptop is connected to AC power. I choose this one as Adobe CS4 requires GPU to run at full speed to help rendering process….but when I am on the go, battery life is more important.

Choose second button if you want to turn off PowerMizer completely. This is recommended for gamers who don’t want his games fps drop significantly when GPU temperature start to enter overheat territory as PowerMizer will reduce GPU Core Frequency automatically if it think GPU temperature a bit on high side.

Choose third button if you want to permanently turn on PowerMizer regardless your laptop run on battery or AC power. This is recommended who use his/her laptop for non 3D intensive application such as browsing internet, office application and normal programming. Save battery and low GPU temperature.

Click on any of these 3 buttons and reboot your computer.

 

Step 3 :

 

Run GPU-Z utilitiy.

By default, CoreClock frequency is 450 MHz. Click on Sensors tab and check your current CPU Core Clock Frequency. As for my case, GPU frequency will drop from 450MHz to 169 MHz when I pull out my AC charger socket from my laptop and as expected, GPU Frequency jump up back to 450MHz when I plug in my AC charger socket.

 

Result :

When laptop on battery….note CPU Core Clock = 169 MHz.

 

When laptop is connected to AC source. Note that GPU core clock raise up to 450 MHz.

25 Tips Resume Writing

Note : I know this is not tech related, but sooner or later we might want to create our very first resume or rewrite our old and outdated resume. In the journey to help my wife rewrite her resume, I found this interesting article (in pdf) and I thought it would be nice to share with my blog readers.

 

*******************************************

 

 

Are you suffering from resume-writer’s block? Does everyone else’s resume seem more professional and better worded than yours? The following are some guidelines to help you create a better resume:

 

1. Be neat and error free.

Catch all typo’s and grammar errors. Make sure someone proofreads

your resume, preferably someone attentive to details. Even

the smallest error could land your resume in the reject pile.

 

2. Write a powerful opening statement.

Form a solid, clear opening statement that will help you carry a

focused message throughout the resume. The best opening statements summarize

your skills and emphasize your strengths.

 

3. Focus on your benefit to employers.

Focus on highlighting accomplishments that will arouse the interest of employers who read

your resume. Answer the question: “How can this candidate fulfill the role and make a positive

impact?” Remember that the goal is to get the interview.

 

4. Make a good first impression.

On average, employers spend less than 30 seconds scanning each resume. Most employers

are more concerned about career achievements than education. Place the most interesting and

compelling facts about yourself at the beginning, such as a list of accomplishments in order of

relevance.

 

5. Emphasize your skills.

Use a skills or capabilities section in your resume that is organized around the main talents

you have to offer. Prioritize everything.

 

6. Use keywords.

Include specific keywords and phrases that describe your skills

and experience, such as Product Launch, Income Statement,

Balance Sheet, Sales, Account Management, C++, Visual Basic,

Word Processing, MS Excel, Adobe Illustrator, Graphic Design, and Advertising.

 

7. Use industry jargon.

Use industry jargon and acronyms to reflect your familiarity with the employer’s business, but

not to the point where it makes your resume hard to read or understand. Spell out acronyms

in parentheses if they are not obvious, such as TQM (Total Quality Management).

 

8. Use action verbs.

Portray yourself as active, accomplished, intelligent, and capable of contributing. Examples:

Managed, Launched, Created, Directed, Established, Organized, and Supervised.

 

9. Avoid personal pronouns.

Never use personal pronouns such as ‘I’ or ‘me’ in your resume. Instead of complete

sentences, use short Action-Benefit statements, like: “Coordinated and published a weekly

newsletter that raised awareness for local community

events.”

 

10. Highlight key points.

Use bold, italics, and underlining to highlight the most relevant information on your resume.

For ASCII text-only resumes, you may use capital letters, quotation marks, even asterisks, to

emphasize important words or section titles.

 

11. Summarize information.

In your resume, use only the amount of space required to demonstrate your qualifications

for the position clearly and succinctly.

 

12. List only recent information.

The general rule of thumb is to show your work experience only for the last

10 to 15 years, unless there is specific prior experience that

is especially relevant to the position you are seeking.

 

13. Quantify or qualify experience.

Numbers are a powerful tool, and should be included in

your Action-Benefit statements. Instead of writing “Responsible for increasing sales in my

territory,” use “Increased sales in my territory 150% over 6 months. Managed 30 accounts

increasing revenues from $1.5M to $2M annually.”

 

14. Be organized, logical, and concise.

In addition to reviewing your experience, employers also use the resume to sense whether

you are organized, logical, and concise. Make sure your resume is balanced, neat, visually

appealing, and flows consistently. Clearly separate sections and emphasize section titles. Leave

sufficient blank space between sections for easy reading.

 

15. Just communicate.

Abandon the use of exorbitant, exquisite vocabulary. In other words, don’t try to impress

employers with the depth of your vocabulary. Use words everyone can understand.

 

16. Omit salary information.

Never refer to salary in your resume. Save this information for the interview.

 

17. Avoid questionable subjects.

Never refer to personal information such as race, religion, marital status, age,

political party, or even personal views. In all but a few instances, it would be illegal

for the employer to consider such issues. Also, avoid the use of humor and clichés

in most resumes.

 

18. Be honest.

Lying or exaggerating your abilities will always come back to haunt you. Since

employers usually check into serious candidates, you will want every detail to check out.

 

19. Sell your strengths.

Do not under-emphasize your strengths and experience. Portray yourself in the best possible

light. Skills that seem natural to you, others may never grasp.

 

20. Write your own resume.

Be personal, yet professional. Create a resume that reflects your best personal characteristics

and positive traits.

 

21. Personal traits.

If you want to include personal traits in your resume, such as “Dependable, Highly-Organized,

Self-Motivated, and Responsible,” rather than just listing these traits, try

demonstrating these characteristics using examples from your experience.

For example, instead of writing “Dependable”, write “Never missed

an important deadline in five years as a project manager.”

 

22. Position yourself in the best possible light.

To de-emphasize glaring gaps in your work history, consider using a

Functional resume, which focuses on your skills and accomplishments rather

than a Chronological format, which emphasizes the progression of your experience.

 

23. Combine sections when possible.

Try to combine any short sections together to make your resume more compact. For

example, if you only have one entry under training, consider placing it under your education

instead and change the section title to “Education and Training”.

 

24. Use common section headings.

Use common section headings. Examples: Objective, Experience, Employment,

Work History, Skills, Summary, Summary of Qualifications,

Accomplishments, Achievements, Capabilities, Education,

Professional Affiliations, Publications, Licenses and Certifications, and Honors.

 

25. Be positive.

Remove any negative comments or feelings conveyed in

your resume, especially when it comes to previous employment

experiences. Emphasize a positive, can-do attitude.

 

 

******************************************************

 

Download softcopy (in pdf) here : MediaFire

Password : expertester.wordpress.com

DriverMax : Free Driver Scanner and Updater

How many times did you pull your hair when you can’t find your computer drivers especially if it was freshly formatted? How many times did you sighed when you need to browse one website to another website just to find latest drivers of your computer hardware. And how many times did you curse your <insert anything here> when you found a nice driver scanner and updater software but need to pay for that software?

Well… say bye bye to that days.

DriverMax (freeware) is here.

I am so happy when I found this little tool (but huge impact on my daily computing life). And I can’t believe my eyes…it is free (well, you need to sign-up a free account with them to get registration key…but account sign-up is free too).

Download DriverMax here : http://www.drivermax.com/

After installation complete, you can sign-up a free account within the software itself.

Registration code will be send to your email (thus you need a valid email). Copy that registration code and enter it and viola…

 

 

WD 250GB need replacement

I used to use HD Tune 2.55 (freeware) to check my hard disk performance and health. And recently, I found out that data in my almost 3 years old Western Digital Caviar SataII 16 MB Cache (250GB) start to corrupt and certain file can’t be copied to other partition or hard disk. Let alone delete it. Once a while, when I perform scan disk (complete), I notice there was a lot of error need to be fixed.

Finally, I fire up HD Tune 2.55 and I got this :

Health Status : OK….

Hmm… other than very high temperature (I already ignore this one because this model really hot since the very first day I bought it) and Relocated Sector Count, everything seem normal. Like most normal user out there…I thought this is OK. (Actually it is not ).

Still not satisfy with this result, I download Hard Disk Sentinel to check my hard disk. Surprisingly….

There are 72 bad sectors on the disk surface. The contents of these sectors were moved to the spare area.

The drive found 5 bad sectors during its self test.

Based on the number of remapping operations, the bad sectors may form continuous areas.

There are 20 weak sectors found on the disk surface. They may be remapped any time in the later use of the disk.

It is recommended to examine the log of the disk regularly. All new problems found will be logged there.

 

It is recommended to backup often to prevent data loss.

 

 

Very handy isn’t it. HardDisk Sentinal mark which partition is OK and which is not.

 

Still not satisfied… test with Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostic and I got this one :

 

Hmm… all these screen shots really made me aware that I need to backup my data ASAP. And of course I gonna need a new hard disk. Further action : Check this hard disk still got warranty under WD or not.

Western D hdd : http://support.wdc.com/warranty/

Seagate HDD : http://support.seagate.com/customer/warranty_validation.jsp

 

 

Ah ha…. This unit still has warranty. Thanks God.

Last step : Call 1800 88 1908 for their WD Express Doorstep Warranty Service. (That number only for Malaysian :p )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn German Language

http://belajar-bahasa.com/mini%20ebook.htm

http://syams.wordpress.com/

http://n3ss4galz.multiply.com/journal/item/26

http://www.exsas.com.my/bahasa_jerman.htm

http://www.ebook-search-engine.com/belajar-bahasa-jerman-ebook-all.html

http://www.myg2g.com/studi/belajarbahasajerman/index.html

http://www.pdf-search-engine.com/belajar-bahasa-jerman-pdf.html

 

Thanks to my wife for all those links….

PS : u really save me :p

Windows 7 : How to remove watermark & Send Feedback

Remove watermark (desktop) :

Use this tools instead : Download Here

You may need to turn OFF UAC –> restart –> Open this tool with administrative right –> restart –> enable your UAC back.

 

Remove Send Feedback : 

Run Registry Editor (RegEdit), and navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER –> Control Panel –> Desktop –> FeedbackToolEnabled –> Set Value data as 0 (zero)

———————-

Note : If FeedbackToolEnabled registry not exist, you can add manually 

Add in a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named FeedbackToolEnabled, and then set its value data as 0. Restart your computer.

How to Hide Your Hard Disk Partition in Vista

 

Have you ever wished to hide one or more hard disk partitions in your Windows Vista due to whatever reason for free?

As for myself, I just installed Windows 7 Ultimate (build 7000) and I don’t any ‘pro-active’ software (let say TuneUp Utilities, Defragmenter etc) or curious user who is curious enough to access this partition and modify it contents which may compromise Windows Seven file integrity and stability.

 

There is a method (playing with local group policy but it can’t hide my partition completely) so I need to use a bit more aggressive one J

Doesn’t matter what is your motive to hide your hard disk partition (privacy, security or simply because you hate to see that partition there :p), this trick would make your wish come true. Well, at least my wish comes true.

 

Steps :

 

Note :

1. If you want to hide your C: drive, use this method instead. CLICK HERE
   
2. This method only best to hide partition that doesn’t contain any Vista volume information, page files or your vista related installation software.
   
3. This method work best to hide your other operating system partition (which you don’t want Vista to see it) such as Win7, Ubuntu or even WinXP
   
4. This method also work best to hide your partition that contain your sensitive documents, picture, video etc)
   

 

From start menu, right click on Computer and left click on Manage

 

Click on Device Management (as circled). Your hard disk mapping may different, but that doesn’t matter.

 

Right click on partition that you want to hide and left click on Change Drive Letter and Paths (as for my case, I right click on Seven (H:) hard disk partition.

 

A new window as below wills popup. Click on Remove button.

 

Ignore this warning and click Yes button (Please note that you can’t hide any hard disk partition that contain Vista System Volume Information. If you want to hide your C: drive for example, you need to use other trick which you can watch here).

 

Note that in screenshot below, my Seven hard disk partition no longer has drive letter (previously H:) assigned to it.

 

A quick check from Windows Explorer clearly show that, partition Seven (H:) no longer exist. Nice.

 

What if I try to access it thru command line?

Sweet. So now, Seven(H:) completely hidden.

 

Now I need to make sure that even TuneUp Utilities can’t access Seven (H) partition.

What a relief J

 

 

 

Un-Hide SEVEN(H:) partition.

 

To un-hide your hidden partition, simply right click on that partition, and click on Change Drive Letter and Paths

 

 

A window like screenshot below will appear. Click on Add button.

 

Assign a letter for this partition (H for my case) and press OK button.

 

A quick check from Disk Management, note that that hidden partition is assigned H letter.

 

Double check at Windows Explorer exhibit, Seven (H) appears as normal.

 

Credit : Me

How to install WinXP on top of WinVista

All current notebooks or desktop PC come with Vista pre-loaded and for some reasons, you need to use WinXP but still want to keep your Windows Vista. So, how to tackle this problem.

Credit : howtogeek.com

 

Install Windows XP on Your Pre-Installed Windows Vista Computer

The question I am asked most often is “How do I install a dual-boot with Windows XP on my new Windows Vista computer?” The answer is that it’s not that difficult, it’s just very time consuming, and you need to own a copy of Windows XP.

Note that you should not attempt this if you aren’t ready to troubleshoot any problems that might occur.

The first issue we encounter is that computers with pre-installed operating systems take up the entire drive. Luckily Microsoft included the Shrink volume feature in Vista, so we can easily shrink the Vista partition down to make room for XP.

Open the Computer Management panel, which you can find under Administrative tools or by right-clicking the Computer item in the start menu and choosing Manage. Find the Disk Management item in the list and select that.

Now we’ll shrink our volume down by right-clicking on the main hard drive and choosing Shrink Volume.

Now you can choose the size that you want to shrink, which really means you are choosing the size that you want your XP partition to be. Whatever you do, don’t just use the default. I chose roughly 10gb by entering 10000 into the amount.

The next step might be confusing, because we need to change the cd-rom drive that’s invariably taking up D: at the moment, because we want to use D: for the Windows XP partition, but it’s already taken by the cd-rom drive. If you skip this step than XP will install onto the E: drive, which isn’t the end of the world, but it’s not quite as tidy.

Right-click on the cd-rom drive in the list and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths from the menu. 

Now we’ll change the CD drive to use E: by selecting that in the drop-down. 

Now we can create a new partition for XP to live on and make sure that the drive letter is set the way we want. If you do not create a partition now the XP install will do so automatically, but it’s easier and cleaner to do it this way.

Right-click on the Unallocated free space area and then select New Simple Volume from the menu.

Follow through the wizard and select whatever options you’d like, making sure to use D: as the drive letter.

Now you will need to close out of disk management and reboot your computer. This is because we can’t do the next step until we reboot. (you can try, but it won’t work)

So we’ve come back from rebooting… open up Computer from the start menu and then right-click on the D: drive and select properties. Give your partition a meaningful name like “XP”. It would be wise to name the C: drive to “Vista” at this point as well. 

 

Now you’ll want to pop your XP cd into the drive and boot off it. You may have to configure your BIOS to enable booting off the CD drive, or if your computer says something like “Hit Esc for boot menu” you might want to use that.

Once you come to the screen where you can choose the partition to install on, then choose either the unpartitioned space or the new partition you created. Whatever you do, don’t try and install onto your Vista partition! See how much cleaner it is now that we’ve labeled each partition distinctly?

 

We’ll assume XP is completely installed at this point, and you will have lost your ability to boot into Windows Vista, so we’ll need to use the VistaBootPro utility to restore the Vista boot loader.

 

Download and install VistaBootPro from vistabootpro.org

During the install you’ll be forced to install the .NET 2.0 framework. Open up VistaBootPRO and then click on the System Bootloader tab. Check the “Windows Vista Bootloader” and then “All Drives” radio buttons, and then click on the Install Bootloader button.

At this point, the Windows Vista bootloader is installed and you’ll only be able to boot into Vista, but we’ll fix that. Instead of manually doing the work, we’ll just click the Diagnostics menu item and then choose Run Diagnostics from the menu.

This will scan your computer and then automatically fill in the XP version.. click on the “Manage OS Entries” tab and then click in the textbox for Rename OS Entry, and name it something useful like “Windows XP”  or “The Windows That Works” 

Click the Apply Updates button and then reboot your computer… you should see your shiny new boot manager with both operating systems in the list! 

If you get an error saying “unable to find ntldr” when trying to boot XP, you’ll need to do the following:

• Find the hidden files ntldr and ntdetect.com in the root of your Vista drive and copy them to the root of your XP drive.
  
• If you can’t find the files there, you can find them in the \i386\ folder on your XP install cd
  

There’s more information on this forum thread, thanks to nrv1013

This is a critical piece of information: Windows XP will be installed on the D: drive, even in Windows XP… so you’ll need to keep that in mind when tweaking your system.

You can share information between the drives, but I wouldn’t recommend messing with the other operating system’s partition too much… it might get angry and bite you. Or screw up your files. What I do recommend is that you store most of your files on a third drive shared between the operating systems… you could call that partition “Data”.

I’m going to write a number of followup articles dealing with all of the issues with dual-boot systems, so subscribe to the feed for updates.