Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2008 August 14

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 14

Wireless network problem

I have a password protected network in my house, through a Belkin G 2.4ghz router. Recently, I bought a dell laptop with vista and have noticed that if I close my laptop and then turn it on again, my network will only have "local" and not internet access. I then have to reset my network adapter to get back online. Is there anyway to fix this?71.212.190.75 (talk) 02:09, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Nothing is actually "broken". Your getting disconnected when your laptop goes into "Standby" mode. You just need to use your WiFi software and reestablish connection. The reason why resetting your adapter works is because it automatically does the reconnect when it's finished resetting. One way to change that behavior is to change your settings to not go into standby mode when you close the lid. ---J.S (T/C/WRE) 02:14, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Ok, what should i set it to when the lid is closed? And will that use up more power than standby?71.212.190.75 (talk) 02:53, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

"Do nothing", and yes, it will.

jdstroy (talk) 22:06, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

so, im stuck with either having my computer lose the connenction in stnadby or wasting power?71.212.190.75 (talk) 23:36, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

No, when you come out of standby it will reaquire your network connection automatically. Make sure you are COMPLETELY patched. The Windows Update thing is in the start menu somewhere. 90% sure that will fix it. --mboverload@ 02:20, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

I have all the updates. I think this is some kinf of IP problem, but i have no idea how to fix it.71.212.190.75 (talk) 05:05, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

Go to Dell.com and make sure you have the latest chipset+ethernet+wireless drivers. Drivers also fix these kinds of bugs. --mboverload@ 22:41, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

This is a common problem in laptops, and is not specific to your hardware. You need to configure Windows to prefer your wireless network to other networks, and to try and connect to it automatically. The procedure is well described on the Web. Zombiestan (talk) 12:55, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

I have Memory Improve Professional, but I don't know how to use its "smart list".

I have Memory Improve Professional, but I don't know how to use its "smart list", can anyone here help me? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Crystal AB (talk • contribs) 03:43, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Anybody else suspect that Greenlanop, Crystal AB, Lsonfey, and Pdonbuff are all the same spammer trying to get free publicity by pretending to be users of the products they are selling? It might be a coincidence that Pdonbuff and Lsonfey just created accounts 36 minutes apart from each other, and one had a question and the other had the answer and those were the only contributions they've made. And it might be a coincidence that decompileflash.com and memoryimproveprofessional.com are in the same /24 (at 209.200.229.222 and 209.200.229.115 respectively). And monkeys might fly out of my butt! --tcsetattr (talk / contribs) 04:12, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, that sounds about right to me. Good call. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 10:03, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

I heard that Memory Improve Professional has spyware and viruses that charge gay porn to your credit card, so I wouldn't use it at all if I were you. --Sean 14:33, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Another interweb mystery solved at WP:RD/C! Nimur (talk) 18:50, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Standby makes internet not work

I have a fairly new Vista-powered Dell computer. When it goes into standby mode, the internet stops working altogether, whether plugged in by ethernet cord or wi-fi. The computer has to be restarted completely, meaning that we can't even close the lid. I remember experiencing this on a Windows 98 Dell machine. Is there a solution? Magog the Ogre (talk) 03:50, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Can you give us some details about how your network is configured? What does your computer connect to? Is there a "modem" involved? Is there a switch between your computer and the Internet connection? How about a router?

I'd try to diagnose at which layer the system fails, first. Is it a routing problem, or a TCP/IP stack problem? Can you ping the closest neighbor (router, other computer) to your computer? Do you have an IP address? Can you ping your own computer? jdstroy (talk) 22:22, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

There have been recent patches that fix standby issues. Make sure you are COMPLETELY up to date with Windows Update. Forgot what it's called in Vista but it's in the start menu. --mboverload@ 02:18, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

OK, I can do that, but Windows up date is a pain in the neck; it takes literally days to install on my machine (it was so bad my mother almost returned it, no kidding). Magog the Ogre (talk) 02:43, 17 August 2008 (UTC)

Converting portion of a .pdf file to jpeg or other format

I have several .pdf files that each contain a small photograph amongst typewritten forms. The originals were Petitions for Naturalization that had small photographs attached to the bottom. On each file, I want to crop out just the photograph and then convert it to a jpeg or another type of image file. I do not have Photoshop or any other Adobe program other than Adobe Reader. Is there a way to do this with the software I currently have on my PC, which is running Windows XP Home Edition SP-2? Thomprod (talk) 03:51, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

There are two ways you could do it. If you have a version of Reader from the last decade, you should be able to find the selection tool in the toolbar, then highlight the picture and copy-and-paste it into MS Paint. Alternately, if the image fits on a single screen (I'm guessing it does, from the adjective "small"), you can take a screenshot of the Reader window using the key combination "Alt-Print Screen" and copy it into Paint, then crop it as necessary. « Aaron Rotenberg « Talk « 06:16, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Why do people use Linux when Unix is now "free"

Why do many proponents of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software - note Free = speech) prefer Linux over Unix? Unix is also now "Free" with FreeBSD, and many other flavors of Unix released for free. I understand, they're pretty similar, and that Linux was created to be a Unix close, but Unix seems to be the one OS which has been there from the start, and one tested by many, many years, and perfection. So why don't people switch over to Unix? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Legolas52 (talk • contribs) 04:58, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Good question. Frankly, I wonder why Linux ever took off in the first place. They should have just waited a couple of years and then they would have had a much-less buggy 4.4 BSD to use. And in case anyone was planning to bring it up, the GPL is worthless. You could save yourselves the trouble and release your software into the Public Domain. Or better yet, say something like "Here's the source code. Have fun." That way, we wouldn't have to deal with wannabe lawyers like Stallman.--67.166.55.248 (talk) 05:12, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

This might give you an idea... at least in some cases! --Alinnisawest(talk) 06:08, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

This question is as pointless as, "Why do people use UNIX when Plan 9 from Bell Labs is now "free"?" Rilak (talk) 06:49, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

According to the BSD article, BSD Networking Release 1 (Net/1) was made available under the BSD license in 1989. That's quite a good time ago. 24.76.161.28 (talk) 07:26, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Why do people use Linux when Vista is "cheaper"? --mboverload@ 07:28, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

As a FreeBSD user, and former committer, I am sympathetic to the question. The "short answer" is that there were legal problems associated with the BSD code, which delayed its adoption. Linux gained a foothold during these troubles, and it retained the leading market-share position ever since. (When I started using both, in the mid-1990s, my perception was that Linux was for people who hated Microsoft, and *BSD was for people who loved Unix.) -- Coneslayer (talk) 12:17, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Despite what .248 said above, I think it *is* due to the GPL that it got popular with developers. I personally would be very annoyed if a commercial company took something I had written, closed the source, introduced incompatibilities with my version, and made a ton of money while giving nothing back. I don't believe in the "software should be free for moral reasons" stuff, but from a practical point of view the GPL is a lot more attractive than BSD. --Sean 14:42, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Actually, the GPL is not a contract, so none of the parties to it are bound by it. For valid contract, you need consideration (payment). So, even if you gave it to them, you could still get it back if you wanted. The only thing the GPL does is say what you'd like to have done with it. That's why it's worthless. No one needs the GPL, including Wikipedia, and anyone who goes around quoting the GPL and Stallman is acting out a bizarre tragedy.--67.166.55.248 (talk) 18:26, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

This is pretty completely false. Courts have (finally) ruled that the GPL is legally binding. The naive summary is that without agreeing to the GPL you do not have the right to redistribute GPLed code. (And would therefore be guilty of copyright violation.) If you don't redistribute the code, no one cares if you're bound by it or not. APL (talk) 18:45, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

You can ignore the GPL, but then the code simply reverts back to the copyright default. That is: no distribution under threat of law-based ass kicking. 24.76.161.28 (talk) 01:57, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

websites

How can you create a new website? Philosophia X Known(Philosophia X Known) 06:14, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

--Earthan Philosopher

Well, most websites are written in HTML or some form thereof. There's some excellent books about both HTML and website design; I'd suggest you go to your local library and see what they have to offer. If you know the Dewey Decimal System, they'd likely be located before the 100s. --Alinnisawest(talk) 06:20, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Google used to let you create your own web page free on this site, but it looks like Google has temporarily disabled this utility. Read the link on the page and check back every once in a while until the relaunch service.--El aprendelenguas (talk) 20:57, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Uh, did you read the page? They're terminating Google Pages, because they've moved on to Google Sites, which is similar but more featureful. 24.76.161.28 (talk) 01:28, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

u could also use freewebs i dont know whether Google Sites or freewebs is better. Xor24 ^{talk to me} 16:29, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

Virus

According to an AVG scan, my computer has a virus called "User_Sardaka(1).html". Have you ever seen viruses like this before, which appear to have originated at Wiki, and do you have any idea how it happens?

203.164.190.202 (talk) 13:23, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

That's not the virus name - that's probably the file at which the virus is located at. No idea what virus exists on that file - User:Sardaka doesn't complain for me. x42bn6 Talk Mess 13:36, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Audiobooks on iPods

Just wondering, can someone tell me how fast the "Faster" setting for audiobooks on an iPod actually is? Thanks - 84.203.46.156 (talk) 15:55, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Bug tracking

Hi, I need a way to input and keep track of bugs for a program a friend of mine is working on. I have used a version of Mantis before which was excellent, however I have one limitation that I don't really want to go through all the hassle of setting up a server-side bug tracker on a server I don't actually have. Therefore I was wondering if there are any solutions involving the following:

a) Free hosted bug tracking site (something like sourceforge entered my mind, but that's a bit more general, I literally want to track bugs).

b) Client side bug tracking program

At the end of the day, I can resort to good ol' Notepad but it would be nice to use some kind of organised system. Any thoughts? 81.187.252.174 (talk) 15:57, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Haven't got any personal recommendations but WP does have a list Comparison_of_issue_tracking_systems - X201 (talk) 16:08, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia, NASA, [[[Facebook]] and Mozilla all uses Bugzilla. Other then that I don't know much about how it works or what is required for it. It might be server-side, but I have no clue. If your the only one imputing tickets and mantianing thier status, why not just an excel spreadsheet or something like that? ---J.S (T/C/WRE) 19:55, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

IP

Is it possible to know if a particular IP address is shared IP or not? Otolemur crassicaudatus (talk) 17:34, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Not really. There is no "this is a shared IP" setting. You just do a lookup and see who owns it. If it is an internet service, it is likely a shared IP. -- kainaw™ 17:49, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Do you mean a Dynamic IP, or an IP that multiple computers are sharing at once, through network address translation? (The answer is probably "no" either way, but it's good to know what we're talking about.) -- Coneslayer (talk) 17:58, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

You can get some good hints by doing a whois on the IP address. The Whois will tell you who owns it and from there you can google search the particular ISP. If it's owned, for example, by Comcast then it's -basically- a static IP address of a single cable customer. If it's owned by a small business, school, etc, then everyone in that organization will likely be sharing it. In other cases, it's not necessary clear. ---J.S (T/C/WRE) 19:48, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Could do an RBL on lookup on, for example, [1]. This will tell you if the IP is on any email blacklists and why; dynamic IPs are usually on email blacklists. Other types of "shared" IPs might not be. 24.76.161.28 (talk) 01:24, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

DVD problem

I have a couple of favorite standard DVD's that don't bear evidence of major scratching, however, they no longer play properly. It seems like both of them work fine for the first half of the presentation (movie) but when I try to view the later chapters it just freezes and I wind up having to eject the disc. (I have tried them on several different players and computers) Is there any cause for this other than scratching? More importantly, is their there any way to repair the discs? I have been looking at devices that actually "sand" off the outer surface to remove scratches, but I am really not sure scratches are the problem. any suggestions? thanks and cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 18:34, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

DVDs can fail for various other reasons. See CD rot (it's not a great article but it has some links). In addition to what's mentioned there, if it's a DVD±R(W), the dye may have faded or diffused. None of these problems are repairable, and they'll just get worse with time. If you can find any DVD-ROM drive that can still read the disc, even very slowly with many retries, rip it and burn a new copy. If it's a commercial disc and it failed through no fault of your own, you might be able to get it replaced (it might have come from a defective batch, for one thing). -- BenRG (talk) 22:04, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the advice. It is actually a commercial disc that worked great for a few months and then started to fail. I am sure there is litte possibility of free replacement. If the problem is due to scratching (I have others that are scratched) are the "sanding" devices effective for buffing off the top layer and restoring the discs? Thanks again and cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 13:58, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes, resurfacing devices (we use something called Disc Doctor, I think) do work. We had a bought copy of Finding Nemo that always cut out just before the end; there were no visible scratches, but the repair kit fixed the problem after one go through. It's fixed a number of discs for us with no problems. Matt Deres (talk) 20:08, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

HP LaserJet M1522nf MFP

Dear Wikipedians:

Is it possible to use an HP LaserJet M1522nf MFP as a modem to dial-up BBS's and dialup Internet?

In other words, is there a way of mapping an HP LaserJet M1522nf MFP unit attached to the local network as a modem device under Windows XP?

Thanks.

74.12.37.153 (talk) 21:36, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

You want to use your printer as a modem to connect to the Internet? Unless I am mistaken, network printers only have Ethernet interfaces that may or may not be assessable by the computer, not modems. Rilak (talk) 10:37, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

This is a MFP with integrated fax. Unless HP has some software that allows your PC to see the MFP as a modem, then no. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 11:08, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Modems are extremely cheap nowadays anyway, being an obsolete product. Even if it's doable it's not worth the trouble. --antilived^{T | C | G} 12:25, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

SIP outbound proxy (media relay) software suite

Hi,

Could I get some pointers to software that implements an Outbound Proxy, media relay, or relay stream for the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)? I'd prefer open-source licensed software, but that's not required. I'd like to run it on Linux or a Unix variant.

The outbound proxy server should be able to relay the SIP message requests between other SIP agents and its clients, along with RTP audio streams. A client behind a symmetric NAT should be able to connect to it to connect to other SIP agents, and it should relay incoming requests from external SIP agents to contacts registered on it.

If it's any help, a more concrete example of such a SIP relay/proxy would be FreeWorldDialup's NAT outbound proxy (fwdnat2.pulver.com:5060).

(Even if you don't think a particular software suite supports everything that I mentioned, it might be worth noting here anyway. I'm open to ideas, and I'm willing to modifying code to make it work.)

Thanks,

jdstroy (talk) 21:51, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

SIP Express Router, rtpproxy? (I haven't use these things, barely understand what they do, just read the descriptions) --tcsetattr (talk / contribs) 23:52, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I'm looking in to both, but I'm still open to suggestions. jdstroy (talk) 01:30, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

how to create a new page

I have figured out out to edit pages but I really want to create a new page. I've read hella tutorials on how to do it but can someone please send me a link to like a text box where I can get started and uploadDylanlittle (talk) 23:05, 14 August 2008 (UTC)dylan little

Just visit any page which doesn't exist yet - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_non-existent_page, for example. There'll be a tab at the top which says 'create this page'. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 23:36, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

You could also try the Wikipedia:Article wizard. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 11:05, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Does such a computer exist?

Is there a basic computer/device that serves only as a digital notepad? 66.53.219.38 (talk) 23:51, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Have you looked in to Electronic paper? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jdstroy (talk • contribs) 01:32, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

And you could of course choose to use any PDA as such a device. One could also develop an appropriate software for the task (if one does not like the apps supplied with the OS). --Andreas Rejbrand (talk) 08:38, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

I remember in elementary school, my school did not have enough money for a computer for every student so we had these keyboards with a small LCD screen at the top. I forget what they were called, the first part of the name was "alpha". The machines allowed you to type up a text document and when a computer was free, you could upload the text to Microsoft Word.

Edit: they're called Alphasmarts Coolotter88 (talk) 12:41, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Posible answers include :

• CyberPadWrite on a real pad of paper and everything you write down is recorded and can later be downloaded to a PC. (I think there are a couple of competing devices that work in this fashion, but this was the only one I could find.) I've never used one of these so I can't vouch for them.
• Palm Pilot Palm Pilot is a nice simple PDA without the complexity of a WindowsCE device. Of course, Mine is an ancient Palm III, so I can't vouch for modern ones either.
• Tablet PC Most 'complicated' and computer-like of things that could qualify as a "digital notepad". Still, you could set one up to automatically launch "MS Journal", which is a very nice pen&paper simulator. I've got a tablet, it's pretty neat. I use it for browsing the web more than anything, actually. It's a handy way to view "how-to" websites.

Hope this helps.APL (talk) 12:46, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

You could, again, use an AlphaSmart :)  ARTYOM  03:50, 16 August 2008 (UTC)