Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2007 August 1

Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

August 1

backup software and external hard drives

At work I have an Iomega external hard drive on my computer and I really like it because it came with some simple software so that everytime I modify a document file, it automatically saves a copy on the external drive as a backup. Now I want an external drive for backing up at home. Do many of these external drives come with software like what I have described above? If not, what are popular methods for automatic backing up of documents (not necessarily whole system). ike9898 01:26, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

It shouldn't be unusual to get some kind of software unless you are building your own external drive, i.e. buying a drive case and putting a hard disk in it. If you don't get software, and assuming you are running windows since you have not specified, "My Briefcase" is quite simple and basically does what you describe synchronising documents between more then one location. If you don't know how to get "My Briefcase" just google the term along with your version of windows and you'll find how to enable it. Vespine 01:46, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

The short answer: most external drives don't come with any software, but there are many, many backup software packages out there which can easily use whatever type of external drive you would be buying. Windows XP even comes with its own backup software, if that is what you are using. See this article for information on how to use it. --24.147.86.187 01:54, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Thanks guys, ike9898 02:11, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I just recently bought a new Maxtor external hard drive (one of the mini 'One Touch' units, I think it was AU$129, so probably about US$100). I wasn't specifically seeking this out, but it came with some simple to use backup software that does exactly what you're suggesting. I've used a few Maxtor external hard drives over the last few years, and never had a problem with them, but this is the first time I've got one with this software. All seems good (and no, I have absolutely no association with Maxtor). --jjron 09:30, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Mozilla Thunderbird Signature Question

In Mozilla Thunderbird when a signature is attached, it automatically ads a '--' above. Is there any way to disable this feature?

--Grey1618 02:50, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I don't know the answer to your question, but note that the dash-dash-space-newline marker for signatures is an email and Usenet standard that's recognized by lots of software. It's used, for example, to avoid quoting the parent message's signature in the reply. So you will annoy some people if you leave it out, unless your signature is very simple. -- BenRG 03:06, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Well we're a little past worrying about Usenet standards, I think. --24.147.86.187 09:43, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I suggest consulting the support options listed at http://www.mozilla.com/support/. --Jeremyb 10:16, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Honor your interwebs history boy or you'll find that suddenly the internet doesn't work. Protocols and exacting standards are what make things work --froth^t 15:04, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Amen! TINLC! Fnord! Etc... --Mdwyer 21:56, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Imminent death of the net predicted! -- BenRG 13:08, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

For everybody needs and Thunderbird glory: https://nic-nac-project.de/~kaosmos/templateloader-en.html

ViaVoice v.10.

I have installed viavoice v.10 so it comes up when I start my computer. How do I persuade it NOT to come up? - Pharrar 10:39, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Well, the best approach is to see if it has anything on this in its preferences screen (because this will keep it from trying to re-insert itself into your startup sequence). Other than that, it depends on your operating system. Assuming you are using Windows XP, look for a link to the program in your Start Menu -> Programs -> Startup folder. If you don't see one, it is probably in the registry; if you aren't comfortable editing the registry, Spybot Search & Destroy, an anti-spyware program, includes a section that easily allows you to monitor what programs are set to launch upon booting your computer, and makes it easy to disable them. --24.147.86.187 12:02, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Saving Yahoo Emails to a Folder

I run a small business and currently store all my sent and received emails in various inboxes. There is now unlimited memory so potentially I could store a huge amount of emails, but the more I store, the slower the system and it's now almost impossible to search thru them properly. Is there any way (and a very easy way as I'm a total luddite) that I can save emails to my desktop? This means I can keep my inbox and online folders pretty clear but at the same time store all the relevant information I need. (I use a standard pc and windows)

Thanks

Mooji 217.34.49.3 11:37, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

You need POP access to your email so that you can use a desktop client such as Mozilla Thunderbird or Outlook Express to retrieve your mail. You can either pay Yahoo for "premium" email service, which allows POP access, or you can look into YPOPs!, which purports to do the same, for free. I would also look into getting your own domain for email, but that's just an opinion. --LarryMac | Talk 13:09, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I believe Yahoo Premium has a free trial period, so you could sign up, grab all your mail, and then cancel it. --TotoBaggins 15:20, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Firewall Help

I am working with a Fortigate F60, I was browsing manual that came with the hardware and it does not seem to state anywhere on how I can use both WAN connection side by side...to increase speed?

anyone have a vague idea at least on how to set this up properly..I already modified the policies to allow access to the WAN 2 the same way access to the WAN 1, but it doesn´t increase speed, I even brought the WAN 1 down and the WAN 2 does not kick in

Anyone know about Load Balancing or Fail Over?

This firewall is capable of both I´ve read

plz help thx in advance Roger @ IntraRed 16:01, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

What's the operating system? We have windows 2000 servers which require a 3rd party virtual LAN connection manager to do this, I'm not aware of a windows tool that does this. Vespine 05:07, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Using both lines together is very difficult to do. Load balancing is simply deciding which line the connection should be on based on the loads on both lines, and the request is still transmitted on one line only. You can increase the throughput with load balancing, but increasing speed by sending requests through both lines at the same time is very difficult to do. --antilived^{T | C | G} 06:44, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Using SATA II drive on SATA I bus

The SATA entry isn't very clear on this matter. But can I use a newer SATA II (300) on a SATA I (150) bus? I of course realize it would be at SATA I speed. But I didn't know there were cabling or other issues that would make SATA II drives incompatible with SATA I connections. (I also assume that SATA I drives can be uses on SATA II buses at SATA I speeds.)

SATA drives often have a jumper that will throttle the speed of SATA II speed drives to be SATA I compatible.

SATA drives are designed to be backward and forward compatible, so you shouldn't have any problem either way. --antilived^{T | C | G} 06:41, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

What is the best computer in the world called?

Want to know.

Define 'best'. TOP500 lists the most powerful computers, if that's what you mean. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 20:37, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I've always liked the Amiga... --Oskar 23:15, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Most definitely the Sony UX UMPC series. Except make them not sony and run linux. --Longing.... 23:41, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Depends which world. Readers of a certain "trilogy" of five books might say Deep Thought - and not the one made by IBM.

-=# Amos E Wolfe ^talk #=- 23:53, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

I prefer the Googleplexstarthinker. --24.249.108.133 00:14, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Any real fan would know that Earth is the most powerful computer. Really... --Longing.... 01:01, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

I overheard this guy getting interviewed in a coffee shop once, and he seemed to be arguing that he felt the universe itself could be regarded as a quantum computer. Personally I felt it was another case of metaphors-gone-wild (drinkin' too much, showin' their tops), but that's just me. --24.147.86.187 16:20, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Well the main part of a computer is that it actually computes something. So yes, it's technically possible the entire universe is a computer, but it's far more likely the entire universe is a simulated reality inside a computer. --L-- 16:31, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Well, before quantum mechanics, everyone thought that the universe was just one big hunkin' Turing machine, even if they hadn't invented the terminology. Such metaphors are very useful for understanding reality. --Oskar 08:50, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

Useful for what? I don't really see how these metaphors have been terribly useful for understanding the universe; I think they've been as misleading as they have been useful. --24.147.86.187 17:19, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

The NeXT machines, of course.

God! In the role of computer, God is the best and most powerful of all. Clem 23:21, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

I guess we are talking about fictional hypotheticals, after all. --24.249.108.133 21:02, 8 August 2007 (UTC)