Computing desk
< May 30	<< Apr \| May \| Jun >>	June 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.

May 31

Partitioning NTFS Drive

Hi, I've been running XP on a 350GB hard drive for several years, but I'm trying to partition it and install Ubuntu. I can't seem to reduce the XP partition, however, and after some googling, it appears many people have trouble with it. After several defrags and running chkdsk /f, I've gotten a fairly large (~60 GB) contiguous segment of free disk space, but it isn't at the end of the drive -- there are some files after it. Here's what it looks like: http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/rbedi100/Defrag_screenshot.jpg So, does the disk space I want to cut off of the XP Partition necessarily have to be at the physical end of the drive, or can it be more in the middle? Thanks! Rishi.bedi (talk) 00:22, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It needs to be somewhere where it doesn't separate the NTFS logical section into 2 sections. What I did when I installed Ubuntu was let Ubuntu handle the partitioning (might have done it through the Live CD feature so nothing on the HDD was mounted). Gparted was able to shrink the NTFS (running Vista) and clear a space for Ubuntu. Later on, it let me shrink the Ubuntu volume and add it back to the Vista partition. Be warned though, it's not 100% safe, and there's a chance of losing data. Better get to backing up. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 00:33, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Have you considered running Ubuntu on a virtual machine within Windows? This will negate any risk to your data, although depending on your hardware may or may not be an ideal solution. -Amordea (talk) 02:05, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Or wubi? F (talk) 06:39, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I would recommend the phenomenal disk management utility Gparted, which is a live CD that can do these partition operations for you. I have found it able to resize/move partitions that other utilities could not, and here's a link to find the [1]. As always, I cannot stress enough, when attempting a partition resize/move, BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP! --rocketrye12^{talk/contribs} 14:32, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, everyone -- I'm running a VM right now, but I need to install it on the HD now. I think I'm going to go ahead and use Gparted - Wirbelwind, if you used Gparted, what did you use the Ubuntu live CD for, re. partitioning? Rishi.bedi (talk) 23:29, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think I used the CD to run GParted, like Rocketrye12 also mentioned. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:47, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

AUTOCAD 2009

How can I plot the cordinates which are created in excel work sheet. (One methord is copy the cordinates to notepad and again copy it to autocad2009 polyline command prompt). Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.43.25.100 (talk) 07:22, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This guide may be of use. Keep us posted.--rocketrye12^{talk/contribs} 14:33, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Firefox bookmarks toolbar

Normally I do not display the Firefox bookmarks toolbar, but when I turned it on, instead of the blank toolbar I was expecting, it was populated with a large number of links. Although the links look like things I may have saved in the past, I cannot find them in my bookmarks list.

Where are the links in the Firefox bookmarks toolbar kept, as I would like to edit them? Thanks. 92.28.254.179 (talk) 11:51, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Assuming Firefox 3.6.3 (the latest version), go to the menu bar, click the "Bookmarks" drop-down menu, and click "Organise bookmarks". This should give you the funtionality you are looking for. Xjmmlpsufmboe (talk) 13:08, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Its not the functionality I'm asking about, but where the links in the bookmarks toolbar are kept? I tried doing as you suggested, did not help or reveal where the bookmark toolbar links are. I've deleted several links on the toolbar, but more links are added so that the toolbar is always full. I'd like to have just one or two links on the toolbar. 92.28.254.179 (talk) 13:38, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I had a look at Bookmarks, then clicked on Bookmarks Toolbar. I deleted every link in that menu one by one. I do not know how they got there, but they are now gone. The Firefox bookmark menu system has a lot of unnecessary duplication and repetation in it and is not as easy or quick to use as the IE bookmarks. 92.28.254.179 (talk) 13:55, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

As a long-time Firefox user, I have never had this problem. I suspect it may have something to do with bookmark importing though. -Amordea (talk) 14:05, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If your OS is 2k or XP, go C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles →bookmarks.html. Oda Mari (talk) 14:21, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In the organize bookmarks window, as Xjmmlpsufmboe mentions, there is a folder called "Bookmarks Toolbar". Firefox keeps these independent of the "Bookmarks menu" (which would explain these behavior), and if you double click that folder to view it, you may find what you are looking for. You'll need to expand the "All bookmarks" tab if "Bookmarks Toolbar" is not visible.--rocketrye12^{talk/contribs} 14:22, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I may have misunderstood something in this discussion but if not Firefox from version 3 onwards I believe doesn't store bookmarks in the HTML file but in a sqlite3 database (along with the history for the wonder bar) AFAIK. There are daily backups in JSON format in the bookmarkbackups directory as well. See also [2] Nil Einne (talk) 04:43, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Using Graphics in Java

I'm trying to make a grid (6rows by 7 columns) of squares. Later on, I want to be able to draw a circle any time a square is pressed. So when I was making my grid, I just stuck a test to see if it would work, and I got a NullPointerException (I tried to get the graphics component for one of my squares and draw a string). My code is at: http://pastebin.com/143x2LZm/ With the commented line (line 45) being the one that throws the exception. I looked up and some board said to use the paintComponent method but I'm not sure how that would work. I guess since getGraphics returns null if the component isn't currently displayable, I guess I should ask how to make the component displayable.

--66.133.196.152 (talk) 12:03, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

getGraphics() is being called in createGrid(), which is called in the constructor Grid.Grid(int,int). This in turn is main() at line 61. At this point the constructed Grid object hasn't been added to content pane, and the containing frame hasn't been set to visible. AWT components don't have native peers until they're "realized", that is they're added to a widget hierarchy (that is, a widget hierarchy with a visible Frame or Window or Dialog at its root). The same is fundamentally true for Swing components too, which rely (behind the scenes) on the underlying Frame's peer to render them (strictly, to provide a place for Java2D to render into). You're calling getGraphics() on an unrealised component; there's no peer, so getGraphics() fails with null. This fundamentally isn't how painting is done - AWT/Swing is event driven, and you have to be ready to paint your controls when you get an event asking you to do so. So the correct thing is to provide an implementation of paintComponent on the objects to plan on drawing (overriding JComponent.paintComponent). When the system calls that, it gives you a valid graphics context, and you paint there. Details here. But really your code is a jumble of objects, making it hard for you to progress. Firstly, you're adding Boxes inside a Box - but Boxes are containers, so those internal things shouldn't be boxes - they should be a concrete subclass of JComponent that you define, that implements paintComponent() as described above. Secondly it's not clear why you have a Grid class with a Box; it seems much more sensible to have Grid a subclass of Box (rather than have a Box instance being a member of a Grid object). Both the calling code and the code inside Grid will be more straightforward and make more sense that way. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 15:01, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the good explanation! Helped alot. I was thinking of extending classes (I have a class that extends Box adding into another class that extends Box - it's the only way I could get them to fit flush with each other), but I was being lazy and just modifying an old grid I had. I got my game to work fine. BTW, why is it that when I had stuff to a JPanel, it won't add flush, even if I change the layout. --66.133.196.152 (talk) 03:41, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

You probably need to call the repaint() method on the JPanel; that throws a damage event which (in due course) will cause the repaint manager to call your paintComponent method(s). -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 14:51, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Environment Variables in Windows Shortcuts

Preliminary: I have a flash drive with several of my technician tools on it. To keep it clean, I want to keep all the data files in separate directories from the executable portions. For accessibility, however, I'd like shortcuts to link to everything kept together in a single directory.

Problem: The problem arises when I change computers. Sometimes the computer will assign a different drive letter to the drive, thus making all my shortcuts defunct.

%CD% Variable: This seems like the most logical solution to me, however when I try to enter (for example):

"%CD%\folder\filename.exe"

as the shortcut's target, I get an error:

"The name '%CD%\folder\filename.exe' specified in the Target box is not valid. Make sure the path and file name are correct."

Now I've made sure that I've made no spelling errors, so all I can assume from here is that either this method does not work or my syntax is incorrect when using this variable in a shortcut.

Batch File: This solution works. However it is ugly. I'd like the program's native icons to go with my shortcuts for a simpler, more visual cue as to what program I'm fixing to run. If there is a way for me to get the batch files to use the linked program's icon, however, I could work with this.

Finally, I would like to avoid the use of non-portable third-party programs to get this done as well. Having to install something on a user's computer is inelegant and even less desireable than having a bunch of batch files to do the work.

Any ideas as to how I can get the desired result, given the aforementioned guidelines? -Amordea (talk) 13:22, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This guide may have what you are looking for. Also, this forum thread discusses some possible solutions including (1) a relative shortcut without variables and (2) a .bat file to launch files deep within the drive. Let us know if you need any further assistance. --rocketrye12^{talk/contribs} 14:32, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The first link was one I had already read and does not address any specific issue regarding %CD%. In fact, to be sure I was doing it right, I dropped a copy of a sample exe into %APPDATA% and created a shortcut for it. Worked. The problem is unique to %CD%.

The second was very similar to one I read before. A novel suggestion was the usage of wildcards in the shortcut, however this appears to generate the same error as the %CD% variable. And I already knew batch files would work, as stated previously, but they do not provide the visual cue that I am interested in. -Amordea (talk) 15:05, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The problem is that the "%CD%" variable is not the directory that the shortcut is in. Actually, %CD% is the current working directory. That value may be undefined if you are accessing the shortcut via the Windows Explorer interface (i.e., by clicking on the shortcut icon). You can work around this by having a shortcut to a batch file - because a batch script will have a well-known, deterministic current working directory. Let the batch file then access the non-portable programs using a relative path based on the %CD% variable. Nimur (talk) 16:02, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Curious. It does beg the question though, in which directory is the shortcut?

I am not sure I follow your workaround however, so it might prove better to spell it out for me so that I understand what you mean. What would I type into the shortcut box for it to execute its intended link regardless of what drive letter it is mapped to? Seems to me that it's irrelevant whether it is pointing to an exe or a batch file, but I might have missed what you were trying to tell me. -Amordea (talk) 16:41, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Oooh, I think it just dawned on me how the shortcuts function. Not at all intuitive, but I take it to mean the shortcut exists as an extension of the main file, sort of as a path? And so by running it in whatever directory I put it, it does not determine which directory the link is in, only where the file it is calling is in, so naturally %CD% is not going to help it find the file? Tell me if I'm warm. -Amordea (talk) 16:51, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I think the point is that %CD% is a variable designed for use in a scripting / shell environment, where every running program or command has a "current directory". In a graphical interface, the "current directory" is less obvious - I can type a full path into the Start->Run... dialog, and reference a file from anywhere on my computer, without changing my "current directory" to anything related to that file.

Generally, I think, Windows executes batch files you double-click on as though the "current directory" is the directory containing the file, so that's why %CD% works there. A shortcut, however, is different - in fact one of the things you can set in the shortcut's Properties window is "Start in", which tells Windows what to set the "current directory" to when it executes the target file, after it's worked out where that file is.

One trick with batch files would be to create a batch file for each program, and then a shortcut to each of those batch files. Since the icon for any shortcut can be edited in its Properties window, it would then be easy to create the "visual cue" you are after by selecting the appropriate icon.

In fact, with a bit of fiddling, you could probably make one batch file with multiple shortcuts - for instance, a shortcut with a target of "convert_path.bat \program1\bin\foo.exe" could execute X:\program1\bin\foo.exe based on the current drive letter... - IMSoP (talk) 22:18, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the reply! That confuses me so much though, because the shortcut does exist as a file within the directory system (as a .lnk file). So why it refuses to allow the variable for shortcuts given that is beyond me.

And I fear I am still lost, as I do not understand how the shortcut will remain functional once the drive letter changes (keep in mind the shortcut will remain on the flash drive with the variable drive letter and never be on the user's computer). Anything I seem to type into the target box which does not include a full path is reported as invalid.

I appreciate all the responses, though. At the least I have gained a little insight as to how these things work. I am not sure why I am not getting this, but maybe it will click with me later. -Amordea (talk) 10:06, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Would it be possible to have all of your scripts and programs reference your own environment variable, e.g. "%AmordeaRoot%\folder\filename.exe"?

Then, all you would need to do at startup is run one script that sets that variable into the environment; alternatively, you could just type it in from a command prompt with about the same amount of effort. DaHorsesMouth (talk) 23:08, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I briefly considered this alternative, but I do not wish to modify the paths of the other user's computer. While a simple operation to add a path and then remove it when I am done, it is an additional step...and I dunno, probably the main reason is that it just feels inelegant, if that makes any sense at all. I think at this point I'm going to content myself with the batch files being the operative (while less pretty) option. -Amordea (talk) 10:06, 2 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The boot partition in XP seems to have been changed...

Ok, so I have a triple-boot setup where Windows 7 is the main OS, and XP and Ubuntu as the other OS'es. On my tower PC, I had used Norton Ghost to make a complete copy of the partition that XP is installed on (labeled as H in Windows XP and D in Windows 7), and had it copy to a partition on a second hard drive, labelled L in XP... Then when I rebooted, I began having problem after problem after problem with various things being unable to load. After a while, I realized that XP had set the boot drive letter to the backup that I had made, drive L... So In Windows 7, I deleted that partition (which probably wasn't a very wise decision...), and attempted booting into XP. It boots up initially just fine, but doesn't even get past the initial loading of the welcome screen, just showing the XP logo. I can see the original partition in Windows 7 and as far as I can tell everything is fine, it just seems like XP is trying to load files from the now nonexistant drive L. So how do I set drive H back as the XP boot partition? (And in case you're wondering, with most Windows OS'es modeled after Windows NT, which would be Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7, the "boot partition" is where the OS is installed, but the "system partition" contains the boot record.) The Thing That Should Not Be (talk) 14:39, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure if I understand. Do you mean the XP logo as in the bootup screen like this [3] or that Windows actually starts and then gets stuck? If Window starts and then gets stuck, perhaps try safe mode? If you mean the former, I'm not entirely sure if this will be of help since IIRC you should get an error message but perhaps take a look in the boot.ini in the Windows XP drive and you should see something like multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1). You may have to change the rdisk option and perhaps the partition option (if you're unsure, you can try making multiple different options with different labels and then keeping trying different ones until one works). Alternatively, you can boot up with the Windows XP CD, load the recovery console and run the bootcfg /default [4] option (perhaps fixmbr and fixboot too although I'm not sure if these will be necessary and you also risk screwing up with whatever bootloader you have depending on how your system is setup and whether you can disconnect drives). If this doesn't work, have you tried F8 and booting without bootscreen so you can actually see what the problem is? Also what is the first boot loader you are using? BTW, with Windows whenever installing a new OS I nearly always remove any unneeded disks to avoid the installer getting confused. Nil Einne (talk) 04:32, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's the welcome screen after the boot screen, but all that showed up was the XP logo. Also, after fiddling with XP's registry in Windows 7, I managed to get it to load the desktop, but there are several problems with programs still trying to start from drive L:... so I'm probably gonna reformat that partition and reinstall XP, or maybe I'll just stick with Windows 7. You know, it's ironic... the XP installation got screwed up by the very thing which was intended to help easily recover from a situation precisely like this one... The Thing That Should Not Be (talk) 04:54, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Port forwarding in Ubuntu II

Follow up to [[5]].

I am still trying to reach the site: http://www.heliohost.org:2082/login/ behind a firewall (which cannot be changed).

I Installed SSH tunnel manager, but I don't know how to configure it, no matter how simple the interface looks like. A picture of the interface is here: [[6]] and here [[7]]. In the second picture, you can choose between local, remote or dynamic. The first picture sets the default port at 22, why does it do so? Why does it ask for two ports in the first picture?--Mr.K. (talk) 17:23, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

In order for this to work, you need an endpoint to tunnel through. This is an endpoint that can connect unobstructed to the Heliohost URL as noted above -- what you will be doing is using that computer as a proxy/routing point. Do you have access to a computer/server with an SSH server running on a unfiltered/firewalled connection? This second point, under your control, is necessary here. Public proxy points do exist, but should only be used as a last resort as they are very fly-by-night.--rocketrye12^{talk/contribs} 13:52, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Supercomputers for financial services, not banking

Why are supercomputers needed for "financial services (H)" as described here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10187248.stm This is different from banking, where I presume millions of simple transactions are being processed. What fiendishly intensive calculations are being done for financial services - some complex models that predict share prices for example? 92.15.1.82 (talk) 17:36, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

When googling for supercomputer finance, the first hit suggests some applications. 88.112.56.9 (talk) 20:50, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

yes, largly option pricing. These days there are all sorts of weird and wonderful financial instruments available for trading on the markets, and being able to find the fair price for these quicker (and more accurate) than your competitors gives a real edge. Option pricing works in principle by "Monte Carlo Simulation", i.e. churning out millions of possible future market scenarios and averaging the value of your option over all of them.213.160.108.26 (talk) 21:20, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Take a look through topics on mathematical finance for an idea. Then imagine the thousands of firms holding (or not holding) thousands of financial products, from annuities to credit default swaps, which all have mathematical models for valuation. The firms, from insurance companies to hedge funds, want to know in real time what change in value would arise in their portfolio if certain events occurred (stock market drops five percent, interest rates increase 0.50%). See financial risk management. Computers are by definition involved in algorithmic trading/high-frequency trading, where decisions are made and communications transacted on exchanges in microseconds (though anyone with a brain would agree that many of these are not "financial services"--ed). This is a simplified and partial answer of course! Riggr Mortis (talk) 23:02, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Quick compact operating system

Which freely available operation system (eg versions of Linux) would be quickest and compact, able to run normal software, but not bothering with fancy graphics or other unwanted bloats? Thanks 92.15.1.82 (talk) 17:41, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

slax is quite good. It can run from a live cd or usb, is 200mb total size, comes with a number of common programs (firefox, vlc, etc) and has the option to add more programs as "modules". I'm sure there are smaller OSs than that, but it's a good starting point. 82.44.55.254 (talk) 19:31, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a comparison of speeds and sizes anywhere please? 92.24.179.218 (talk) 21:05, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If you don't want fancy graphics, disable them. Check blackviper.com for services you can disable (Start --> Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Serivces). You can also remove programs you don't need from your computer (Start --> Control Panel --> Programs and Features). If you disable the Themes Service, the graphics will be gone. Switching to another operating system altogether is not the easier solution. It would be easier to just optimize Windows rather than learn a new operating system. If you disable enough junk on your computer, you can make it faster than a Slax installation.--Best Dog Ever (talk) 00:51, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This presumes he was on Windows in the first place (as opposed to a bloated Linux distro). You make valid points about how Windows can be tuned, but your conclusion needs support. Having first hand experience with Slax and a number of other small Linux distros, as well as with optimized versions of Windows (which are harder to come by,) it's hard to say which is truly faster in the fully optimized state since they each have advantages in certain applications. He also stipulated that he was interested in a "free" solution so cost/legitimacy might be an issue as well, where windows can not compete. One thing is for certain however: if disk space (or running from a live CD) is important, you will get a LOT further with Linux than windows. My advice to the OP: since these are all available in livecd (or better yet live-USB) formats, why not try a few and find out what works best for you? It only takes a little time (unless your net connection is slow). --144.191.148.3 (talk) 16:56, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

You might try Damn Small Linux or Ubuntu lite, both of which I use on a regular basis. Though I find that standard Ubuntu fits these requirements as well.--rocketrye12^{talk/contribs} 02:08, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Slax 200MB, speed ?

Damn Small Linux, 50MB, speed ?

U-lite, ? MB, speed?

Puppy Linux, 68MB, speed ?

92.24.178.172 (talk) 09:54, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Google Desktop - Deleting

I am paranoid about PC privacy - not for any ulterior reason - simply that I place my privacy on a very high plateau. So I am always very careful to delete any computer usage history and cookies etc., after each session. But not being particulary IT savvy, I have just seen a short video that shocked me by illustrating that every thing I do is also stored on Google Desktop. So when I had a look and began browsing, I realised what a fool I had been in thinking I had deleted my actions from Internet Explorer whilst unwittingly leaving a perfect audit-trail behind me on Google. So I now intend clearing that trail too after each session, but it seems I can only click one page at a time to select for deletion. Is there any way I can choose to delete my entire history in one go? I really will be grateful for any advice. Thanks 92.30.45.200 (talk) 18:10, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know the answer to the question you actually asked (sorry), but deleting Google Desktop's history won't be enough to remove all traces of your browsing history from your computer. Even uninstalling Google Desktop and your browser entirely and deleting all of your data files would generally leave traces that could be found by forensic analysis, if it came to that. On the other hand, as long as you control your computer, your browsing history is private no matter how many copies of it exist on your hard disk. So I think it comes down to what kind of threat to your privacy you're envisioning. If you're worried about theft, for example, then full-disk encryption is the way to go. -- BenRG (talk) 02:20, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

At the very least, clear all temporary directories, delete the pagefile and wipe all freespace but that still won't guarantee there's no trace left. In terms of the original question, a quick search for 'Google Desktop history' finds [8] [9] Nil Einne (talk) 05:08, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The freeware CleanUp!, particularly when used in its most severe mode, should remove various histories and logs from your computer. I do not know about any information Google keeps on its servers. 92.24.178.172 (talk) 09:57, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

If you have a Google account (eg. Gmail, Google Reader etc.) and use Google services while signed in, you can go to https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount?hl=en and alter your settings so that Google doesn't remember your browsing history. Under "My Products", "Web History" gives a listing of everything you've used the Google search engine for while signed in and what links you ended up clicking on. If you choose "Edit" beside "My Products" you can switch this facility off. --Kateshortforbob _talk 10:21, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Password

Hi. I created a facebook account, and I thought it was interesting. I didn't go for any of the in-case-you-forget-your-password things because I was sure I wouldn't forget my password. And...I forgot my password :( I had to delete the email address I registered with because it had been...*ahem*...compromised by one of my friends. I also did not set my browser to save it. I don't want to create a new account though. I have heard my computer stores passwords and such that I enter into its RAM or something. Is there any way I can retrieve it? 76.229.166.153 (talk) 18:53, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Unless you told your browser to remember it, it's not on your computer. It's not in your RAM, because your RAM is cleared whenever you shutdown your computer. Your only option is dealing with Facebook directly. I'm sure you're not the only one this has happened to, so they might have a protocol for regaining access to your account in a situation like this.--el Aprel (^facta-_facienda) 19:33, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Or, try lots of different passwords, eventually you should get it right. Or just create another account identical to the last, and remember to write your password down somewhere this time. 148.197.114.158 (talk) 08:23, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Just contact facebook, they deal with this stuff all the time, it might not be super quick but once you prove you own the account they should let you back in. if you've deleted the email it might make it a bit harder but they should still be able to help you. Vespine (talk) 06:18, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

ITV rugby

can people outside of the UK see the highlights at http://www.itv.com/rugby/ ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.128.188.99 (talk) 19:56, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"Sorry, the video could not be found", it says [Sweden]. --Andreas Rejbrand (talk) 20:20, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I get "This video is only available to be viewed within the United Kingdom." I assume this is because ITV only has bought the rights for the UK, and therefore must geoblock the videos to the UK to protect rightsholders in other countries. Xenon54 (talk) 20:24, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

thx -- is there any way round it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.128.188.99 (talk) 21:00, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

You could use a proxy located in the UK. A proxy server is an intermediary between you and the website's server. The server sends the website to the proxy, and the proxy forwards it to you, so if the proxy's in the UK, the website will think you're in the UK. Setting up your browser with a proxy can be tricky, and insecure if the proxy is malicious. Plus, proxies go down or disappear frequently, so you can constantly be looking for a new proxy. You really have to want to access the content if you want to deal with all this.--el Aprel (^facta-_facienda) 21:50, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Surely there's other TV networks that have got coverage of this? It would be safer than using a proxy. Chevy monte carlo 05:44, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

rugbydump (google it) carries highlights of some GP matches, it probably does not block people based on geography 129.67.37.143 (talk) 20:05, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Netbook running XP

I've got a netbook running XP. At present I've got it connected up to an external monitor. The netbook is setup at 800*600 pixels. I want to have the monitor display the same image - 800*600. I can go to display screen settings and set the monitor to 800*600. All works fine. I shut down and later boot up and it boots up at 800*600 on the monitor. But then just as it finishes booting, it changes the monitor resolution to something much finer (maybe 1024*768, I don't recall the exact figure, so i have to go back in and reset it to 800*600. Is there a way to make the 800*600 stay selected and stopit changing resolution at the end of the boot? -- SGBailey (talk) 21:56, 31 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

What netbook? Specifically does it have an intel graphics chip (likely) - if so you should have some intel graphics software installed - try right clicking on the desktop - is there an option "Graphics Properties" - if so click on this - you can set various modes using this, (create one, save it as a scheme and select that scheme) and the effect should survive reboot. Hopefully.87.102.77.88 (talk) 12:46, 1 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

sounds like some tool at the acer/dell/asus/whatever factory added some kind of autoconfig that resets the screen to what is most likely (given that it's a netbook) the native resolution, 1024*600. There are several options here. One I personally use and can vouch for is Ultramon ( http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/ ), a payware program that is by far the finest multi-screen management software available for Windows. It's definitely overkill for what you need, but it has a "profile" system that allows profiles to be applied automatically on startup; that should work. Alternatively, a google search turns up this forum thread: http://forums.techarena.in/windows-xp-support/1042558.htm . You could download the mentioned programs, make a batch file, and dump it in your startup folder. Hope I helped, Riffraffselbow (talk) 08:58, 4 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2010 May 31