Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2008 March 30

= March 30 =

I want to learn about .Net
Hi,

anyone here who can help me, I want to learn about .Net which Inernetsite is Better for me ?

What is Architectures of .Net ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jitendra.padhi (talk • contribs) 08:24, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

I would first go to .NET Framework, read the Wikibook .NET_Development_Foundation and come back here for the great Wikipedians could come with other great, free Internet resources just for you. Kushal 16:47, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

Vonage VT2442 and wireless Internet
I have a Vonage VT2442 equipment used to make phone calls. The instrument has only RJ 45 and RJ 13 ports. How can I make calls on a Wireless Internet connection using Vonage? Can I connect my laptop to wireless Internet and then connect the Vonage to the computer to make calls? 212.35.100.181 (talk) 08:59, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

Googling for took me to a .ca website where the person mentions Netgear Wireless Ethernet bridge reviewed by CNET Networks which mentions that the product does not have WPA support.

Depending on your Internet configuration, unless you have an "closed" or WPA-protected network, this device may NOT be for you.

I hope this is good lead to follow. Hope it helps. Kushal 16:45, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

how can a global human resource manager benefit from a computerized human resource information system —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.24.111.250 (talk) 09:28, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

This so looks like a homework question. Kushal 14:08, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

Retrieving overwritten file in Excel
I am using Excel 2002 on Windows XP platform. While backing up Excel files from hard disk to Flash Drive, I erroneously copied the other way round; i.e. copied from flash drive to hard disk. Is there any way of retrieving my old file from hard disk?Tachs (talk) 11:33, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * If you replaced the original files, I'm afraid there's no way of retrieving them.   A R  TYOM    12:04, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Often on a hard disk, files that are "overwritten" are written to new physical locations. Try an undelete program. (Look for one you can run from floppy, flash or CD. The fewer files you have to create or expand before doing the undelete, the better your chances.) Neon  Merlin  16:56, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

If I think it right, you should use data recovery software to see if there is any chances of retrieving the data. Unless the data is very valuable, I would try to take the hard disk out, install some data recovery software in a second computer, and connect the hard disk that had the .xls file and try to recover it. If it were really important (AND irreplaceable), I would turn off the computer NOW and call a professional data recovery company. Kushal 16:53, 30 March 2008 (UTC)


 * Or you could just install the recovery program on USB stick on another computer and then plug it into to your computer.
 * Isn't it so that on NTFS, the new contents of a file actually does not overwrite the old contents, but instead it is written to a different location on the disk? If that is the case, you could be able to recover the data with a recovery program, such as PhotoRec (it does support .xls files, too). --PauliKL (talk) 15:00, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Sorry for the late response, but this program worked great for me.

http://www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/

Check out this site and software on another PC and just as PauliKL said put it on a USB stick. I suspect this is too late now, but put you may want to put this on your PC for future reference. I've used this a few times and was glad I did.--Wonderley (talk) 06:48, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

Audio Music File Conversin Software
How can we convert Wav Audio Music File in to GENERAL MIDI FORMAT ?

Can we Convert a Karokey Audio file to MIDI Format ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hermanfernandez (talk • contribs) 12:41, 30 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I don't think that's possible. However, List of MIDI editors and sequencers might be helpful. I hope someone knowledgeable with music comes to help out here. Kushal 14:07, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * You can convert any audio format to any other audio format with the right file converter, but there will be a loss in quality. George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 14:09, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Let me rephrase myself. I don't think you can do it in an automated manner. Kushal 16:34, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Converting WAV audio to General MIDI format is a little like converting orchestral music into sheet music notation; in other words, it's very difficult to do it right. If you don't have the time to learn how to edit MIDI music, maybe it would be best to look for a good MIDI file instead. Which song do you need? --Kjoonlee 16:16, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * There are programs that do this surprisingly and they can do it very well. However, the MIDI file will be convoluted - it even tries to digitise the noise.  You'd have about 200 notes at any one time playing at the same time to get the same sound.  But I don't know of any program that does this.  x42bn6 Talk Mess  19:16, 30 March 2008 (UTC)


 * There was a similar question recently about converting audio to MIDI: Converting an mp3 into something readable. For WAV to MIDI, you can try the freeware AmazingMIDI. --Bavi H (talk) 03:08, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * However, AmazingMIDI doesn't work very well. The result sounded like random playing of the instrument after I converted a file without vocals. Chenzw (talk · contribs) 12:41, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Computer Science
What is the full name for the acronym PS2? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.210.19.33 (talk) 13:22, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * "PlayStation 2". For more info, you can read our article about it here: PlayStation 2. -- Jamie  S93  13:52, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * You might be looking for that connector thingie that used to connect your mouse and keyboard to your computer before the world was taken over by Universal Serial Bus. Or, if you come from the good ol' days, you might remember IBM Personal System/2. Hope that helps. Kushal 14:04, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I hate it when people talk about "legacy" hardware such as PS/2 connectors as if they don't exist anymore. My brand-new computer is happily connected via PS/2 to a keyboard and mouse, as are all other computers at my home. In fact, a few weeks ago I didn't even know USB keyboards exist. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 15:37, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Sorry, boss. Kushal 16:33, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Hah, how timely. There was a woot-off a few days ago and they dumped a few hundred (maybe a few thousand I don't remember) crappy PS/2 keyboards for cheap.. don't read that thread if you're sensitive to ruthless PS/2 bashing and nonstop awful PS2 puns D\=&lt; (talk) 18:02, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * What makes a keyboard crappy? All a keyboard needs to do is to send the correct signals to the computer when its keys are pressed. Optimally, the keys should be easy to access, not stick and not make an unpleasant sound. All that can be obtained with a 5 year old keyboard which cost 10$ at the time. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 01:22, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * An incomplete List of Crappy Keyboards : Keyboards with too little key travel. Keyboards with too much key travel. Keyboards with too many extra buttons. Keyboards with non-standard layouts, especially of the 3x2 insert/delete block, or the arrow keys. Keyboards with bad grid-layouts stopping it from registering certain common key combinations.  Keyboards with poorly thought out ergonomic improvements. Keyboards with half-sized F-keys. Keyboards lacking the little unfoldable feet to put the keyboard at an angle. Keyboards with cables that are too short.
 * Personaly, I recomend a Model M keyboard. I think they can be found for $20.  Or if you're a nerd, and don't mind wasting $70 on a silly keyboard, you could try a Das Keyboard, which I use myself and find that it works quite well. APL (talk) 14:12, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I also recommend the Model Ms but they're big and pretty ugly. I have a laptop so I don't use an external keyboard, but I do like my Thinkpad keyboard.. it's not all disgusting and membraney like MacBook keyboards; it has a weird and surprisingly-durable collapsing plastic frame underneath every key. D\=&lt; (talk) 16:47, 31 March 2008 (UTC)


 * Amen to that. Thinkpads have the best keyboards, in my opinion. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 19:21, 31 March 2008 (UTC)


 * Hmm, do you know of any blank keyboards that are "normal"? That is, no fancy stuff like varible key resistance like the Das Keyboard. I've been meaning to get one for a while, and if there isn't one for cheap I'll have to clean the labels off my existing keyboard. (For the record, I use a USB keyboard with a PS/2 converter.)206.252.74.48 (talk) 15:44, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Personally I just switched around all the letters on my keyboard.. not that I look at them anyway but I can't if I want to because most of them are wrong. D\=&lt; (talk) 16:47, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * My second-hand laptop came with plastic labels stuck to the keys (the original transfers had worn off). I don't know where they came from - but that could be an easier way to change the layout. Doesn't help if you want to keep changing the layout, though! AJHW (talk) 20:55, 2 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Sorry to be pedantic but is it an acronym or an initialism? Mix Lord (talk) 12:14, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * An initialism I guess D\=&lt; (talk) 13:56, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

Parallel Problems
Whenever i run Parralels Desktop, I usually the virtual machine, and get a message that squawks a hardware problem is preventing Windows from booting. WHy is this, and how can i fix it to work? My OS is Leopard and the Virtual Machine OS is Vista Basic. --69.127.64.22 (talk) 15:17, 30 March 2008 (UTC)


 * Hmm, not sure. Have you asked on the Parallels Forums? They sometimes can help. I've only used Parallels on Tiger with XP. Did it work at any point before? Did you do anything odd to it recently? I've had boot record problems with the virtual disks before that I fixed by creating a new virtual disk, fresh installing Windows on it all the way, and then overwriting the entire partition using GParted with my old disk image, and that worked fine. Just an idea. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 16:38, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * No, i didn't change anything in any way. This is the first time i started Paralels. I'm using my current boot camp partition, if that helps. --69.127.64.22 (talk) 19:30, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Try VMWare Fusion? I've noticed no issues with it whatsoever, and from what I've heard others find it more stable than Parallels (as well as faster in some instances). -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 21:51, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

On second thought, never mind. i tried Captain ref desk's first idea and it worked. --69.127.64.22 (talk) 22:41, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

Good fake images
Are there any good (and by that I mean realistic) images of Avril Lavigne naked? Fake ones of course, unless you've heard something I haven't. Also, as a side thought, is the rumor about a Lavigne sex tape true? Is there a link so I can view it. Thanks all. 79.75.132.81 (talk) 16:41, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I DON'T NORMALLY SEARCH THIS STUFF BUT I DECIDED TO LOOK SO I COULD ANSWER. Try www.avrilnaked.org.  George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 16:53, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I like! But the movies won't play. It says I need active x control and then my anti-virus says Exploit Trojan Fake Codec. But thanks for the pics! Not really in her style though, they seem a bit contrived. 79.75.132.81 (talk) 17:00, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I didn't open the site, just typed 'Avril Lavigne naked' in Google and that was the top result. George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 17:10, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, there are.. Look around there pages 1-10, there is currently a thread. I'm under a connection that blocks certain sites, so I can't just get it for you. I haven't looked, but the thread supposedy has some good ones. Click [Reply] to view an entire thread. Mac Davis (talk) 17:44, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Mac Davis, you are my hero! As a commenter on that site preached to the heavens, "Holy shit, that's really fucken good..." 79.75.132.81 (talk) 17:51, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * If you need anything else, check out /r/ (same site linked above), that's where you should be asking, not here -_-; D\=&lt; (talk) 18:00, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Did anyone bother to think that 79.75 might be under age or resident in Indonesia. I don't think it should be Wikipedia's job to suggest porn sites to people.  Astronaut (talk) 10:04, 31 March 2008 (UTC)


 * If he's a resident of Indonesia, that's his own problem to deal with (Indonesia has no jurisdiction over people not in Indonesia). But if he's a minor, then yes, it could go under jurisdiction for the people enabling. But all the people above are doing is linking to content the poster himself could easily have found. I don't think there's a legal issue here. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 14:06, 31 March 2008 (UTC)


 * It's more to do with the moral issue. If the OP is old enough to look at porn, he is old enough to find it for himself.  And, do we really want everyone coming here and asking us to suggest a porn site for them?  Astronaut (talk) 16:12, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * For moral issues you're going to find that Wikipedia doesn't normally judge information like that (rightly so, IMO), and if you try otherwise a million people will pop up seemingly out of thin air to remind you that Wikipedia is Not Censored. As for your second point, there's no indication that "everyone" is going to ask these sorts of questions. Sure, this question was slightly outside the refdesk's usual purview, but a question was asked and then answered, there's no problem.  If, as you seem to fear, it becomes a problem at some point in the future, then something would have to be done. APL (talk) 16:44, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Of course, my last response was based only on your post. You don't even mention that OP asked about a celebrity photochop, which carries it's own legal issues. APL (talk) 16:46, 31 March 2008 (UTC)


 * A moral issue? What? D\=&lt; (talk) 16:40, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Ads leading nowhere
If Web advertisers are so desperate for traffic, why do so many of the banner ads I click lead to 404 errors? Neon Merlin  16:49, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I don't know, but I wouldn't recommend clicking banner ads or popups. Did you know that about 30% (no exact figure to hand) of them download malware to your computer? George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 16:51, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Then why do legitimate businesses ever buy them? Neon  Merlin  16:57, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * About 70% are legitimate and most people click them, so businesses can make a lot of money from them. It's just a good idea not to click them.  I clicked one and got a trojan once.  George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 17:09, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Unlikely if you're using a patched Windows (drive-bys are pretty rare), impossible if you're using Linux D\=&lt; (talk) 17:59, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Could it be possible to serve different content on same web address based on geographic location or IP address? If so, maybe some ad companies could use them as well? Kushal 04:11, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, the BBC website only shows ads to international users. 81.174.226.229 (talk) 09:44, 1 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Another example are the ads that say something like "Find single women from XXXX" where XXXX is your home town. The page pulls up your IP and finds where the server you're on is physically located.  Dismas |(talk) 10:08, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

Amarok Collection
Just wondering, unless I change the tags myself, will adding files to my Amarok collection cause them to be altered? Just wondering, because I run Ubuntu/Vista and on Vista I use iTunes and don't want to duplicate my existing files for use on Amarok, but I don't want it messing with the iTunes files either (my plan would be to set the Amarok directory to the Windows Music folder). Also, are things like ratings stored in the files, or in the DB? Thanks for any help. - 84.203.49.123 (talk) 17:14, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * ID3 tags support ratings.. the little stars in windows explorer modifies that. I'd think itunes would use its own bullcrap proprietary tagging.. no idea about Amarok. It certainly wouldn't just go through and erase tag data on everything. The most you'd have to worry about is manually changing a tag in one and seeing the change in the other. D\=&lt; (talk) 19:08, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm pretty sure Amarok keeps all the tags in the file itself. --antilivedT 05:22, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

HTML Frames
I am working with frames, and have run into a bit of a snag. In one frame I want to show a webpage from an outside source. However, I still want to be able to change the contents of that frame from another frame. I know that the reason it doesnt work is because the outside page changes the name of the frame. How can I get this to work? --Omnipotence407 (talk) 17:34, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * If it changes the name of the frame, could you not just set the "target" to be that of the new name? If there is an issue, such as that it won't always have that name (i.e. sometimes it will have the name you give it) then could you not then change the default name to what it will be changed to? - 84.203.49.123 (talk) 17:44, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I don't think you understand what's going on.. the name of the frame doesn't change at all, only what it's displaying. And don't use frames. D\=&lt; (talk) 17:58, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * To protect you, you web browser will prevent you from doing this. You could make a web proxy which makes changes. --h2g2bob (talk) 20:18, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

The thing that is kinda weird is that if it opens up in the window it is supposed to be in (its a paypal add to cart button), any successive clicks open in the same window, but if i do it in the framed page, the first click sends it to the proper frame, and any others send it to another tab. --Omnipotence407 (talk) 20:58, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

Vista folder permission problems
I have a Windows Vista Home premium loaded machine and am the sole administrator and user. Once I have enabled myself to view the hidden folders in Control Panel and attempt to open the "Cookies" folders under C:\Users\[username]\Cookies, a pop-up opens up and says "C:\Users\[username]\Cookies is no accessible. Access is denied" Why does this happen and how do I solve this problem? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 19:10, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I dont even have a cookies folder there. Try using takeown at the command prompt, then right click the folder, go to Security, and give yourself full rights D\=&lt; (talk) 20:01, 30 March 2008 (UTC)


 * Yeah, I already have full rights. You may not be able to see it because by default, it's a hidden folder. You have to enable viewing of hidden folders in the control panel. Acceptable (talk) 20:58, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I could never open hidden files. That might be why they're hidden - you're not supposed to open them.  George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 21:15, 30 March 2008 (UTC)


 * (edit conflict) Erm, I have view hidden files on, and I'm not seeing any cookies folder at that location. You sure you have the right path? CaptainVindaloo t c e 21:16, 30 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I've noticed that Vista seems to throw up shortcuts or links all over the place in the Users directories (for backwards-compatibility with XP, maybe), but you can't follow them in Explorer or the command prompt for some reason. Applications can use them to read/write though. In explorer, is it actually showing up as a folder, or does it have the little shortcut symbol on it? -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 21:48, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

Oh yeah, I just noticed that. It's got a shortcut arrow on it. Acceptable (talk) 00:56, 31 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I found the same problem. I read somewhere that it was for backwards compatibility with previous Windows versions.  The cookies folder you are seeing is in fact a "junction" to the actual location (ie. it's the same idea as links in unix/linux) which exists elsewhere.  They exist in your user folder so that older install programs are not confused by their absence.
 * You can see these junctions from the DOS command shell using the command "dir c:\users\[username]\ /ad". On my PC, I can see the following junctions: "Application Data", "Cookies", "Local Settings", "My Documents", "NetHood", "PrintHood", "Recent", "SendTo", "Start Menu" and "Templates".
 * Don't do what I did and change the permisson and owner of these folders. It is a BIG hassle to reset them to the default vista settings.
 * Astronaut (talk) 10:23, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

How do I type ⇧?
I have come across the character ⇧ and I wondered how it is typed. What is its alt code, ASCII code, unicode etc? George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 20:31, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * The answer, I believe, is in Arrow (symbol), but darned if I know what it means.  bibliomaniac 1 5  Hey you! Stop lazing around and help fix this article instead! 20:40, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I looked there first but I can't make head nor tail of it. George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 20:43, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

The UTF is 21E7, but i cant find its alt code --Omnipotence407 (talk) 21:20, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * In the notation U+21E7 for "UPWARDS WHITE ARROW", 21E7 is the hexadecimal number assigned to that character in Unicode. Alt+numpad character entry is usually in decimal. 2*16^3 + 1*16^2 + 14*16 + 7 = 8679. Just about calculator program should be able to do hex to dec conversions, including http://www.google.com/search?q=0x21e7+in+decimal --tcsetattr (talk / contribs) 21:32, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Alt+8679 gives me: þ. George D. Watson  (Dendodge). Talk Help 21:36, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Try Alt+08679. There's a shortage of Windows computers around here, so I can't test it myself. --Carnildo (talk) 20:05, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * ⇧ redirects to Arrow (symbol), which has some information. --h2g2bob (talk) 22:09, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * ASCII does not contain arrow symbols, so there is no ASCII code for it. On Windows, you can insert special symbols using Character Map tool (on XP, it can be found in Start → All Programs → Accessories → System tools). But you need to select a font that contains the symbol (for example GreekMathSymbol).
 * If you are creating HTML file, you can use HTML entities, in this case  (displays as &uArr;) or use numeric code   (displays as &#x21D1;). For list of HTML entities, see this WDG page. --PauliKL (talk) 00:01, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

FluxBox on Debian
I have a standard, base Debian install in Parallels Desktop on my Mac. Can someone please tell me how to get FluxBox running on it? I tried once myself, but had to reinstall the OS. Right now I have no X11 packages or FLuxBox installed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.239.187.247 (talk) 22:25, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * apt-get install fluxbox will probably do it.. if you don't have another desktop environment installed then the install script should set fluxbox up for you automatically. D\=&lt; (talk) 23:42, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

I've got it figured out. I installed xserver-xorg-core and xorg, then xdm and then fluxbox. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.127.62.211 (talk) 04:00, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Can I convert a desktop computer to a server?
Can I use convert a desktop computer to a server? I want to buy an desktop computer because it's cheaper than a real server. I want to use a HP computer. Can I do this? Jet (talk) 23:19, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * You have no idea what you're talking about :/ D\=&lt; (talk) 23:38, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Froth, I am a friend and admirer of yours. It might just be me but I feel your remark above was not very comforting. Could you please modify it? Kushal 00:18, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Ooh you're good, but nah. I was composing a good response like Crustacean's below, and realized OK if he doesn't even know what a server is he's not going to be able to set one up or do anything to do with it.. so I just told it like it is D\=&lt; (talk) 01:08, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Froth(:D\=) is just an ass. There's nothing wrong with learning by doing. And for that you'd need the machine first. There's no shame in asking advice before making such an investment. Or the original poster may be planing on hiring an IT person to set up the server, but wants the machine purchased and ready to go by the time the IT guy starts work.  There's absolutely no reason to at all to refuse to answer a question because you feel the user isn't smart enough to understand. Frankly, Froth (:D\=) often posts answers that are inaccurate or misleading, and the reference desk hardly ever tells him he's an idiot. APL (talk) 13:54, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * My answers on Computing are rarely misleading! D\=&lt; (talk) 16:38, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Install whatever server software you want (say FreeBSD and Apache, for instance). Connect an ethernet cable. Done. The advantages to dedicated server hardware is just that they're made for it. They can support more CPUs, more Harddrives, more RAM, have higher quality components in general, and are often designed to be rack mounted. And such. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 23:41, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I don't know what exactly the OP wants to do, but I doubt it's just these two steps. here is a good tutorial on how to host a website on a desktop computer. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 01:14, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I've found that on Windows, the by far easiest way to set up a complete Apache-MySQL-PHP system is simply to install EasyPHP. Install that and forward port 80 (if you have a router), and BAM!, you're done. You can run pretty much anything you'd want off of that (MediaWiki, Drupal, Wordpress, etc.), with not much configuration. --Oskar 01:28, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
 * (oh, and yeah, if you want to have a human-readable web-address and still not spend any money, just use something like or   --Oskar 01:33, 31 March 2008 (UTC) )
 * Well, it is technically a server after those two steps. The domain name and actually being able to access the server on the internet are icing. But let's just put that aside. Other than getting a free dynamic DNS entry, paying for your own domain really isn't all that much. Verisign is being a pain and jacking up the prices, but they can still be had around $10/year (and No-IP, as linked to, has a dynamic IP domain service for only $15/year). It's cooler than just having a subdomain, and still affordable. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 02:40, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Just a quick word that may require attention: Read the fine print of your Internet service contract (or something). If you got a new contract within the last year, you need to look if your contract has a "no server" clause. I noticed that the ISPs do not treat limewire clients in my friends' computers as servers, and they will probably not mind if the volume of traffic is low, but it is still worth finding out what your contract says. Kushal 12:48, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Absolutely. In fact that's probably the most common case. There are many small servers on the internet that are made from a wide variety of small computers. If a computer is sold as a "Server" that simply means that it's powerfull enough to handle (they think) lots of traffic, and has some features that people find useful on a server. It would help to know what you intend to do with the server, if you want us to help decide what kind of computer you need. Keep in mind that some features that those expensive "server" computers have that most desktops don't may be useful for your application. For example, if you're making a file server to hold business-critical documents, the computer should probably be equipped with some manner of RAID. Hope this helps. APL (talk) 13:44, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

I've done this for my web site. www.wonderley.com is a simple Pent III running Windows 2000 - non server. I used to have the server OS loaded, but all of the software for a server was so much more expensive that I drop it back down. The bad news when you do that though is that you can only have 10 people on your site at any one time. --Wonderley (talk) 19:20, 2 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Uhh, the BSDs and Linuxes are "Server OSs" and they're free. The software to go with them is also free. No need for Windows Server or whatever. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 05:45, 3 April 2008 (UTC)