Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2007 May 2

Computing desk
< May 1	<< Apr | May | Jun >>	May 3 >

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.

May 2

question on.What is the different of driver disabled displayed AND any other device?

What is the different of driver disabled displayed and any other devices?

What do disabled display and what dose any other device have in common? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 206.57.3.154 (talk) 00:12, 2 May 2007 (UTC).

Do clarify what you are asking about. A disabled device cannot be used, unlike other devices? Splintercellguy 00:39, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

On some OS if you have some particular name for a particular device, whether it is enabled or disabled, you cannot assign a different device of the same type with the identical name, but you can delete the first, then assign the same name to something else. You can use the same identical device name to several different device types. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:50, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

By example, our security system, where I work, has a certain # of password guesses allowed before it assumes we have an intruder instead of a klutz, at which point the plug is pulled on the ability of whoever to connect the way they were trying, until a security officer reviews the situation, with the option of re-enabling the disabled device connection. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:52, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

Another example. We have a particular communication port that can be used by any one of a dozen different business associates, each of which uses a different set of communication protocos. So when one calls up by voice phone & asks to be "switched on", we check to see if the port is being used by anyone else, then we run a program cluster which enables all the drivers & special needs for their connection. When they done, we run another program cluster to disable all that they needed. We have a pair of program clusters for each such scenario.

We also have interchangeable printers that need different drivers for different places they get connected, so again we have program clusters to turn on & off whatever is relevant to a situation, where we have previously researched what is needed for something to work, in a world which should be plug and play, but has many exceptions. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:56, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

Bookmark datestamps

I was looking through the HTML of my exported Firefox bookmarks, and noticed these datestamps on one of them:

ADD_DATE="1149368722" LAST_VISIT="1173067319" LAST_MODIFIED="1150862454"

How are these deciphered? --zenohockey 03:06, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

I'm tempted to say those numbers are expressed in Unix time. Splintercellguy 03:28, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

It is Unix time. Enter the following into your address bar to see when you last visited that page. --TotoBaggins 04:45, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

 javascript:new Date(1000 * 1173067319)

Wow...neat. Thanks both. --zenohockey 08:17, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

xmms with recover

This topic has gone round and round on every xmms discussion page I can find without resolution. Does anyone know how to make xmms automatically recover if it stops. The problem with xmms is that if you have a processor spike, xmms just stops playing. You have to manually click play again. It would be nice if it realized that it stopped and started back up again by itself. --Kainaw ^(talk) 12:27, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

This is a known problem with XMMS and some other stream based applications. The sarcastic answer would be to learn enough C to fix it yourself ;-).

More usefully, you may want to consider trying other XMMS-like programs like Audacious, or avoiding the problem entirely by changing the priority of XMMS with a tool like renice. Changing the priority of XMMS would mean that it gets first crack at the CPU, before whatever is causing the spike gets processed. --Ptelder 06:44, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. I like that audacious appears identical to xmms. So far it hasn't died while playing mp3/ogg files. However, it won't connect to a streaming source. I'll have to see if I'm missing a library. --Kainaw ^(talk) 20:02, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Well I can tell you that I occasionally use Audacious to list to SomaFM, and streaming tends to work for me. I'd try their forums for more specific help.--Ptelder 13:35, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

locating outlook.pst

I'm trying to recover from a system crash (XP computer). I have a backup, which I restored, and also reloaded Outlook 2003. It worked after someone helped me locate the outlook.pst file and move it to the proper place on the new (Vista Home Premium) computer. But then I had serious problems with the new computer and had to return it to the store. Now I have restored the files to the second new (Vista) computer, but I don't know how to relocate outlook.pst and what to do with it. Can anybody help? Thanks. --Halcatalyst 12:35, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Desktop search? --TotoBaggins 12:57, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

As you probably know the outlook.pst file probably contains a backup of your emails and stuff, and thus you could do a search on the crashed system for "*.pst" (without the ""s) by clicking Start -> Run... Rfwoolf 13:58, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

• I did find outlook.pst in a subdirectory of Documents and Settings in my backup. However, when I try to place it in the same place on my new computer, I am denied access to the Documents and Settings directory. Is there a (safe) way I can gain access and place the outlook.pst file in the directory where Outlook will find it? --Halcatalyst 20:43, 2 May 2007 (UTC)
• Maybe there is another way to achieve my goal, which is simply to retrieve my e-mail, contact, and calendar information. If I could do so, would it be possible to convert it for use in other applications? For instance, the e-mail, contacts, and calendar applications which come with Vista? --Halcatalyst 21:45, 2 May 2007 (UTC)
• I actually figured this out by myself! and now have access to my data. Thanks to those who responded. --Halcatalyst 02:58, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

• FYI, here is the path for Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\Hal\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
• The path on Vista is C:\Users\Hal\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook --Halcatalyst 15:46, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

rovclock

I have a few questions about rovclock (linux tool). It displays my radeon x1600 as having ".15 mhz" core. That's not possible! I thought it had around 450 mhz. Could someone explain this? And also, does overclocking save after reboot? Thanks, I want a little more performance from my card. (And I do have fglrx installed, if that helps.)--Ryan 13:19, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Using a telephone pickup with my MacBook

I have a MacBook which has an Audio-In jack. The specifications are:

Analog line and optical digital audio input is accepted through a 3.5mm mini phone jack which does not provide power to a connected device, so you must use self-powered peripherals. The sound input jack accepts line-level stereo signals up to 24-bit stereo 44.1-192kHz sampling rate. It also accepts a stereo miniplug-to-RCA cable adapter for connecting stereo equipment to the computer.

Optical digital audio input is S/PDIF format and uses a standard Toslink cable with a Toslink mini-plug adapter, accepting up to 24-bit stereo and 44.1-96kHz sampling rate.

Which is pretty much in Chinese as far as I am concerned. I have a Removable Telephone Pickup which I bought at Radio Shack that I would love to use to record audio directly into my computer; it has a 1/8" plug. I've tried plugging it into the audio in port but I get no response — which I switch the microphone input in Audacity from the "Built-in Microphone" to the the "Built-in Input" I just end up getting absolutely no input. Where does my error lie? Was I wrong to think it would work with this port? Do I need a converter of some sort (it fits in the jack snugly)? Should I try some different hardware/software settings? Any ideas would be appreciated. --140.247.250.12 16:47, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

I think it has to do with a 1/8 pin in a 3.5 hole the plug might physicaly fit but the wires might not line up exactly

3.5mm and 1/8" are two names for the same jack size. They normally come in mono (the tip is neutral and the shaft carries the signal) or stereo (the tip is still neutral, but the shaft has two sections - one for each signal). So, it shouldn't be an issue of wrong plug size. --Kainaw ^(talk) 17:31, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Hmm. OK. Well I tried it with Quicktime Pro to see if it was the software — it isn't. Setting it to record via the Line-in also gets total silence. I get a blip when I plug and unplug the microphone into the port so something must be wired right. Hmm... I'm perplexed. I guess I could try it on a different computer and see if it is just something wrong with mine... --140.247.250.12 20:45, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Are you plugging the microphone/input into the wall, like the spec says you must? ST47Talk 23:50, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, it is just a simple microphone, I wouldn't imagine it needs to be powered? I don't know. There is no way to power it that I know of (it doesn't have its own power supply). Maybe that's the issue? Is that normal for a line-in? --24.147.86.187 23:57, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

I think you'll find that a telephone pickup puts out a very small signal (on par with that from a low-impedence dynamic microphone); this is far less signal than the Macintosh audio input requires. You'll need a microphone preamplifier or a different connection method.

Atlant 00:02, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, I see the problem now. OK, no problem. I will get a cheap USB sound input and that should do the trick. Thanks! --24.147.86.187 00:13, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

Editing Acrobat reader files

Is there a way to edit Acrobat reader files? IS there a solution to it by using Acrobat writer? Whats the alternatives?

You need to use Adobe Acrobat Professional to edit it. There may be other software available, but I have found this to work very well (and is the official software) JoshHolloway 19:17, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

And even then it depends on what kind of editing you want to do and what kind of file it is (is it a PDF that was converted directly from a word processing or desktop publishing program, or is it an OCRed bitmap?). PDFs are not meant for editing and it is not easy to do, even with Reader and under ideal circumstances. --140.247.250.12 20:48, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Indeed. Readiris PRO (and I'm sure its many competitors too) does a nice job of turning scanned PDFs into pretty nice editable Word documents. I've never thought to try it on a PDF that actually has the text in as text entries (rather than a bitmap). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:51, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

If the files are not protected, you can also edit them in Adobe Illustrator. — Michael J 21:17, 2 May 2007 (UTC)