Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2006 August 3

It's really hot in here...
and the airconditioner isn't working. how hot does it have to be before a computer goes from sluggish to not working at all? it's already over 100 (oF) in here, how much more can it take?--152.163.100.130 01:42, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I think it depends on what temperature it normally runs at and how close that is to its maximum running temperature. I know that I ran my PC in a room without AC (it was broken) this summer and the computer crashed saying that a fan was broken (it was confused). You might be able to keep it from crashing by underclocking, but I don't know. BrokenSegue 04:59, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I use a program called Motherboard Monitor on my overheat-prone PC. It puts the temperature readings from the motherboard in the system tray. It can even be set up to sound an alarm. Get it from . There should also be a listing at the website of your Processor manufacturer saying what temperature your CPU can take. I'd avoid hammering your computer until the AC is fixed. CaptainVindaloo t c e 17:49, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Be careful of high temperatures; even if it doesn't stop working, it can increase the wear on moving parts. And if it already became sluggish, it means it's already too hot (and the CPU has throttled the clock to compensate). --cesarb 19:03, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * You might want to install additional cooling. --Proficient 07:49, 5 August 2006 (UTC)

email
what do you mean by e-mail?


 * Try our article E-mail. Harryboyles 08:20, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Electronic mail. - THE GREAT GAVINI  {T-C} 08:56, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * "When I use a word [like e-mail]," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less."
 * "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
 * "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master -- that's all."

Type code for truetype fonts?
If anyone is on a Mac OS machine, could they find the type code of TrueType fonts? Presumably there's a standard one, since the format is an Apple standard. I was looking to fill in the filetype infobox at TrueType. grendel|khan 09:06, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Geneva's TrueType, right? I think so. ResEdit says the type code for the Geneva suitcase is "FFIL", so I put that in the infobox for you. — Saric (Talk) 16:42, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * According to, FFIL is a "font suitcase", which is a bunch of fonts (presumably in the Geneva suitcase are a bunch of Geneva variants). The same page says a "non suitcase" TrueType font is "tfil". Do we have an article about MacOS suitcases? Middenface 16:53, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Please be more careful with the code in the article; uppercase and lowercase are significant. The Mac OS didn't evolve out of MS-DOS. --KSmrqT 18:34, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Resetting MBR on large drives
I need to reset the master boot record on a 300 GB hard drive (x86/winXP), since I'm restoring a system image to an old 2nd drive, and the old disk signature confuses the restored system.

Usually I've done this with FDISK/MBR, and it solves everything. However, I know theres a problem with FDISK on large (64 / 137+ GB) HDs, and on LBA 48 systems, and this is a 300 GB sata drive.

Question is, which version of FDisk (or what other MSDOS program) should I use, so that I don't screw up the hard drive, which has existing data partitions on it.

I dont actually want to create or change the existing partitions. Just a way to reset or wipe the HD signature in the MBR without loss of data, so WinXP has to resign the disk to a new (unknown) serial.

Ideas? 87.113.84.195 13:00, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I don't know if this will help, but I once had problems installing XP on a disk that had previously had bootable lnux on it. Although the XP installer was making the partitions ok, it didn't change the MBR, and on subsequent boots the windows bootloader wouldn't start.  To fix that, I booted into a liveCD linux (Knoppix) and blanked the MBR with dd
 * That should zap the MBR for you (although I don't know if that's really what will fix your problem, and I don't make any representations that it won't cause windows to forget your drives ever existed). Be very careful, as such direct surgery on your drive's contents isn't something I'd recommend experimenting with when live, unbackedup data is at stake. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:16, 3 August 2006 (UTC) -- ignore this, it's not what you really asked. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:42, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * That should zap the MBR for you (although I don't know if that's really what will fix your problem, and I don't make any representations that it won't cause windows to forget your drives ever existed). Be very careful, as such direct surgery on your drive's contents isn't something I'd recommend experimenting with when live, unbackedup data is at stake. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:16, 3 August 2006 (UTC) -- ignore this, it's not what you really asked. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:42, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Other (less extreme) alternatives with dd - just use it to surgically change the field you want (as described in MBR). This is what I'd do:
 * backup the mbr to a flashdrive I'd already mounted
 * copy the mbr file
 * edit new.mbr in emacs' hexl-mode, and surgically change the bytes I wanted to alter
 * write the edited MBR back onto the hard disk
 * This is all fun stuff to play around with, but if you're not familiar with linux, and particularly when you're using live data, this is probably a crazy idea. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:41, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * ...or try looking at this system-recovery-console stuff ("fixmbr") at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/ -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:48, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * You're right in saying that I don't want to play with live data. I don't really want to play at all. I just would like to wipe or reset the serial number in the MBR of a drive so I can use my system backup on a 2nd partition. Unfortunately I don't have a bootable windows drive right now (with or without recovery console). That's part of the problem. I have a single floppy drive and MSDOS available on that machine right now, which basically limits me to Fdisk or some similar program. I'm trying to find which version of Fdisk will be appropriate for resetting the MBR of a 300 GB 48 LBA drive. (I found KB69013 but it doesn't seem to address this issue or the warnings about using Fdisk on large drives with 48 bit LBA). Any hints? 87.113.28.86 17:29, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Are you sure it's the MBR unique ID that's confusing the system? AFAIK, there are other places where a unique ID can be found (IIRC, both NTFS and dynamic disks have their own unique IDs). --cesarb 18:57, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Seems like a problem with explorer.exe
I've recently obtained a fairly old laptop running Windows ME, and I cleaned it up a few days ago (deleted everything that wasn't needed) and had spent some time using it after I installed Firefox and all my other applications when all of a sudden I can't access "My Computer" properly anymore. Instead of bringing up my computer profile when I click in the icon, the "Search Results" window comes up. I have a handful of links to different parts of my harddrive on my desktop, and clicking on any of them gets the same result.

My first instinct was that one of the keys might be sticky, but it wasn't that and the problem consists after rebooting. If I use the run dialog from the start menu, the unknown file dialog appears and asks me to select the appropriate application to open such simple queries as "d:" or "c:". So them I obviously assumed there was a problem with explorer.exe (though it is currently shown running fine in the task manager). If I try to run explorer.exe through the run dialog it sometimes opens My Documents and it sometimes says that it can't find the executable.

The weirdest thing is that it suddenly started happening in the middle of a session, I hadn't deleted any files or changed any settings, and now no matter what I do I still can't access my hard drive through explorer. Does anyone know what the problem could be here? There's no other problems with the computer, I think it's a 4 year old IBM Thinkpad, 128mb and a big enough hard drive. Any help appreciated. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ  14:36, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * WinME is crap. I'd consider changing your operating system.--Frenchman113 on wheels! 15:00, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't really have that option. The hard drive is too small for WinXP, and honestly, for what I'm going to use it for (mostly word processing) WinME should be no problem... in theory. freshofftheufo  ΓΛĿЌ  15:26, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * WinME offers System Restore, you might have a go with that. You should probably do a thorough check of the hard drive also; ScanDisk and Defrag at least, something like SpinRite if you have access to it.  --LarryMac 15:47, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * There are no restore points defined, so unfortunately I can't use Sysrestore. I've WindowsUpdated and checked for any old drivers but everything seems to be working completely fine, except for explorer. I can't think of any reason that the computer would act like this other than sticky keys, and I've already counted that one out. freshofftheufo  ΓΛĿЌ  16:19, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Here's the pull-down menu I get when I right-click any folder in My Computer. It says "search" in Japanese, and the "open", "explore", and a couple other of the default options are curiously missing. I'm starting to get frustrated with this computer. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ  17:25, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * If what I have observed is correct, then explorer.exe handles the entire Windows GUI (taskbar, start menu, et al), so if that were a problem then everything would mess up. This sounds more like a virus infection, but whatever is causing the problem, the first thing you should do with a second hand PC is to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows (or an operating system of your choice, of course). That'll kill any viruses, and should solve any other problem. If it doesn't, then its a hardware problem. CaptainVindaloo t c e 17:31, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Aren't these options stored at the registry? If that's the case, and the relevant keys are missing/corrupted, it's possible that you have other things messed up on the registry. If the standard routine of running three different anti-spyware programs and a couple of antivirus doesn't fix it, and neither does running a registry cleaner, i'd say reinstalling is the easier option (unless you know enough about the registry to be able to fix it by hand). --cesarb 18:45, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * It may be in the registry, I'm pretty sure the equivalent links for WinRAR and Winamp are. I've found a partial and really annoying solution by manually adding the file association to the Folder entry under file types. As expected the only actions under Folder (which is listed as an N/A file type) were find, and the Winamp shortcuts. I added an "open" instruction to the Folder and Drive item, but since I have to link it to "explorer.exe" it now opens a new instance of explorer each time I click on a folder. I don't believe it's any kind of virus, I haven't been loading anything strange onto this computer yet, and I don't get anything if I scan. I've cleaned up the registry, but that never seems to do much anyways. Because I was given this computer, I don't have the OS's install CD (and I definitely don't own a Windows ME CD) and so I'd rather just fix this.


 * I'm beginning to think that WinRAR or Winamp screwed up something when I installed one of them. I don't understand the timing though, because the problem didn't arise until long after I'd installed them. I can't see any other reason the file associations would get so messed up all of a sudden though. freshofftheufo  ΓΛĿЌ  19:28, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I would not blame WinRAR or Winamp; if it occurred that suddenly, it most probably points to registry corruption (or something equally unpredictable), which can be caused by a large number of things. I'd also suggest a chkdsk, just in case (and a memtest86+, if you have the time). --cesarb 20:18, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Maybe you're right. I'm making the mistake here of assuming that it's a relatively fresh installation of ME, when the truth is it's four years old and I had just personally freshened it up myself. Though nothing comes up in scans I'm sure the last owner of this comp had a lot of bad installation habits, so I guess it's best just to assume everything to some unpredictable corruption. Anyways, I managed to get a CD to install the OS fresh and of course the problem is gone now. Thanks for your help! freshofftheufo  ΓΛĿЌ  11:49, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

computer won't turn on: power supply issue?
Turned off computer yesterday morning via switch on PS because it wouldnt shut down properly. Tried to turn it on again, get no response from the computer whatsoever. Ive tried different power outlets, still no response, LED lights dont light up, nothing.

Do you think it is a power supply issue, and if so will it be remedied by swapping in a new power supply? What other causes can we narrow it down to? --Theprizefight 16:45, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Open the computer. There is usually an led on the board to let you know the power supply is on.  If so - it isn't the power supply.  If not - swapping a power supply isn't difficult from a technical standpoint.  It is just a pain because there are so many cables.  I'd start with the power supply.  If you want to get very specific, swap the fan out on the power supply.  Most bad power supplies I've had were just refusing to work because the fan was broken. --Kainaw (talk) 17:23, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * If the motherboard got fried somehow the power LED probably wouldn't light up. I've found that no-response conditions are more often caused by motherboard cracks than by faulty power sources, but it could be either. If you have an extra/old power source around (of proper voltage) that you can temporarily swap you should do that first, and if it powers up you know that the problem is obviously your PS. If it still doesn't power up, and you know that the other PS is in working condition, it's most likely that you've cracked something on your mobo. freshofftheufo  ΓΛĿЌ  17:32, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Oh, and don't forget to turn on the power switch on the back of the computer too (the one on the PS). Even the best of us make that mistake once in a while. : )  freshofftheufo  ΓΛĿЌ  17:34, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I had exactly the same symptoms on my PC when the (cheap and not very good) power supply burned out. Get a good quality power supply (reputable brand, although it'll likely cost a fair bit) and swap the old one out. CaptainVindaloo t c e 17:42, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Before you take the cover off the PC, make sure you have power to the outlet and/or power strip. Unplug the PC and plug a lamp into the same outlet as a check.  It might be as simple as a fuse/circuit breaker/ground fault circuit interrupt. StuRat 17:50, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Good point. If I had a pound for every time a highly vexing problem turned out to be something ludicrously simple... CaptainVindaloo t c e 18:09, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

website not opening
when ever i try to open this site, i get a 'TCP error'(what does it mean?),but a few days ago this site opened perfectly. could u tell me whyit is not opening and why is the error  coming and also could u give me someother link to this same site. [www.globalis.gvu.unu.edu] thank you —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 212.72.14.239 (talk • contribs).


 * If you can access other websites without problem, then it is likely a problem with that website, at their end. Give them a short time to fix it. CaptainVindaloo t c e 18:31, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Try it without the 'www.'. I was unable to connect to www.globalis.gvu.unu.edu but globalis.gvu.unu.edu is fine.
 * --Brie Aleida

GoDaddy email problem
Alright, here's my problem. I bought a domain an email account for that domain on godaddy.com. I decided to test it out before putting it on my business card. I sent an e-mail to my new address from my personal bellsouth account, a gmail account and from the account to itself. The bellsouth email never got there, but the gmail and send-to-self e-mails both made it through. Then I used another bellsouth account on another computer to test it again, still nothing. Is this a problem with bellsouth? Are there any ways to test if the godaddy email server is working properly? Should I just forget it and print the card? BrokenSegue 20:01, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

How do you delete/edit information that you found to be incorrect?
I noticed that the current description of Yankee Group is inaccurate. I tried editing the description by following the online directions, but it does not allow me to delete the current description.

Please advise. Thank you.--Coh 20:14, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Go to the page Yankee Group.
 * Click on "edit this page".
 * Change the information.
 * Click on "Save page".
 * That is all there is to it. --Kainaw (talk) 20:18, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

I tried editing the description by following the online directions, but it does not allow me to delete the current description.

Thank you.--Coh 20:20, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Firstly, the nice folks over at Help desk would be better able to help. But anyway, what exactly are you trying to do? The article isn't currently protected, and you are obviously not blocked. Are you trying to delete the article? Are there any error messages telling you why you can't change it? CaptainVindaloo t c e 20:22, 3 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Just experimenting, it works fine for me. This is a little silly, but which 'Edit' button are you clicking? The 'Edit this page' tab at the top, or the little 'Edit' links down the side of each section in the article? CaptainVindaloo t c e 20:34, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Where can I download the free program "Blender?"
Please tell me what website I can download the free program, "Blender", that creates 3D graphics.

Thank you very much.

--139.168.175.228 23:29, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * See Blender and their download page is here. BrokenSegue 23:59, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Thank you very much. I clicked on the top one (I have Windows Me) and Australia but it came up with an error. Does the same thing happen to you?
 * yep, looks like the link is bad. Try the US link, that one is up for me. BrokenSegue 01:35, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks a tonne! Never thought of trying that...you've been really helpful.

Have a beaut day!! :D

--139.168.175.228 01:42, 4 August 2006 (UTC)