Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2010 December 27

= December 27 =

RFID tags
I am looking for some RFID stickers. They should be smaller than 2cm*6cm. I want around 200 of them. Is there a cheap place to find them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.61.218.145 (talk) 09:06, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Presuming you need RFID labels, you should check the website or contact the manufacturer of your label printer. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 18:40, 28 December 2010 (UTC)

IE C API
how can I invoke Save as command in IE from c code? t.i.a. --83.103.117.254 (talk) 09:40, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * First, read this article about Internet Explorer interoperability, called Managed HTML Rendering and note that it is hosted by the popular Coding Horror blog. Then, run through the tutorials and API documentation at MSDN's WebBrowser control overview (or the older ActiveX version if you are not writing C .NET).  Finally, reconsider your question - are you sure that you actually want to actuate "Save as" from Internet Explorer, or did you simply want to accomplish some other task (such as downloading a web page or rendering some HTML) ?  Nimur (talk) 16:16, 27 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Depending on the version of IE, you're going to use IOleCommandTarget or for modern versions a .net WebBrowser control that wraps it. I don't believe you can automate it for security reasons for certain modern versions.

Something along the lines of this: Smallman12q (talk) 22:22, 28 December 2010 (UTC)

Copying several large files to pendrive without errors
When I try to copy large files to a pendrive, using WinXP, I always get an error during the copying process. The capacity of the pendrive is far more than the total size of the files and folders I want to copy. There are no problems copying smaller files.

What free software can I use to copy the above without errors, and which ideally checks that the source and destination files are identical? My guess is that too much of a queue at some bottleneck is building up, so something that for example pauses between copying each file, or which copies slowly, would be worth trying. Thanks 92.28.250.245 (talk) 10:57, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * FastCopy is good. I've also used 7-Zip file manager to copy files and it works great as well. 82.44.55.25 (talk) 11:10, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, I tried 7zip which I already have installed. After a while I got a yellow bubble which said "Windows - delayed write failed" and a 7zip diagnostic message: "The system cannot find the file specifed". The file does actually exist on the HD though, and ironically is a 7zip part file of about 0.7GB. These are the similar error messages to what I got previously. My computer is a second-hand old custom computer and appearas to have a USB2 core inside it somewhere but USB1 sockets to the exterior of the computer case. The pendrive is USB2. The first (Chinese) USB hub between the pendrive and the computer that I tried was labelled as USB2, but as it only cost £1 (from Poundland) that could easily be false. I tried a USB1 hub since then. The Sandisk pendrive will not physically fit directly into a USB case socket. The Sandisk pendrive has a light that blinks when active, and it is still blinking as I type even though windows appears to have given up copying. I've had the same problems with other brands of large capacity pendrive on another similar old computer; the small capacity pendrives work OK. 92.28.250.245 (talk) 12:07, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

I've tried making the adjustments to both Hardware Properties and also System Properties suggested here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330174 but I still get the same error messages. It would be nice to find some software than would simply do the copying while avoiding the error messages. 92.28.250.245 (talk) 13:44, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * hmmm, from the delayed write failed warning I'd say the problem is not software related but hardware; ie the cable, hub, usb connectors, or the drive itself. Windows is basically saying "I was trying to copy but the drive disappeared!" Try individually using a different port on the computer, a different cable, and connecting the drive directly to the computer without the hub, to determine which part of the set up is causing the issue. 82.44.55.25 (talk) 14:03, 27 December 2010 (UTC)
 * I think its unlikely to be some simple hardware fault as it copied a 0.25GB file OK, but its a 0.7GB file I have not been able to copy. 92.29.122.99 (talk) 19:00, 27 December 2010 (UTC)
 * I've had several pen drives fail, often like you've just described. I suspect that it's the index area on the drive, which is constantly updated to list file locations.  This happens more quickly on large capacity pen drives, since they are likely to have more files and thus read/write cycles, than a small pen drive.  Unfortunately, the cost is also higher for large pen drives.  So, this makes large pen drives a questionable investment; I prefer to use one just as big as needed for each app.  The largest thing I ever copy onto a pen drive is a (non-Blu Ray) movie, and they are usually under 4GB or 8GB, but sometimes just over 8GB.  Based on the size, I use a 4GB, 8GB or 16GB pen drive.  There are also lots of unnecessary files included with a movie, and I try to delete those, prior to copying, to reduce the load on the pen drive. StuRat (talk) 15:01, 27 December 2010 (UTC)
 * The pendrive is brand new so its unlikely to have worn out. 92.29.122.99 (talk) 19:00, 27 December 2010 (UTC)
 * There is no constantly updated index area if the drives use wear leveling, which as far as I know they all do. The manufacturers are not very open about those kinds of details, so I suppose non-wear-leveling pen drives may exist, but it would surprise me. -- BenRG (talk) 21:52, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

I also changed the pendrive from FAT32 to NFTS, as described here http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-175885-copying-files-to-pen-drive, but I still get the same error message. 92.29.122.99 (talk) 19:00, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * You should never see a failure like this from any copying program. The solution is not to find a program that doesn't trigger the problem, whatever it is, but to track down the problem and fix it before it causes permanent data loss. If you only see the problem with this one pen drive, the drive is almost certainly defective and you should return it for a replacement or refund. If you see this with every pen drive, one possibility is that you're waiting for the copying program to say that the copy is finished, then yanking the drive out. Don't do that. Instead, use the "safely remove hardware" wizard, or at least wait for the drive's activity light to stop blinking, if it has one. -- BenRG (talk) 21:52, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for implying that I'm an idiot. The pendrive is pernamently in position, never removed. As I mention above, this same behaviour has ocurred with other pendrives with another similar computer. 92.29.122.99 (talk) 22:59, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * People of normal intelligence have made this mistake before, since earlier storage devices didn't need permission to eject (well, CDs/DVDs somewhat did, but they physically prevented it from ejecting without permission, so it wasn't the same problem). StuRat (talk) 23:42, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * One other possibility is "pen drive sag". That is when the weight of the pen drive causes it to sag somewhat in the connector, resulting in an intermittent connection.  Is it at all loose ? If this is the problem, use a USB extension cord so the pen drive can rest on a table, and thus not pull down on the connector. StuRat (talk) 23:44, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

FWIW there are many posts on the internet about this problem, but no solutions. I'm wondering if my old computer truely has a USB2 internal hub, as the computer case sockets are listed as being USB1. I've read something about the UDMA mode but only have a hazy idea about it so far. 92.29.122.99 (talk) 23:53, 27 December 2010 (UTC)
 * You might be onto it. I have strictly USB2, and have never had any problem copying files to an external drive, regardless of size (as long as they were smaller than the target drive's capacity, obviously). ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 18:29, 28 December 2010 (UTC)


 * I have a cheap hub that allows me to read large files, but not to write them. I have no idea why, but cheap hubs seem to be unreliable.  I've also had problems with intermittent connections using a USB extension lead (similar to StuRat's "pen drive sag").  I think these are more likely causes than the pen drive internal controller or the computer, but if you have access to (or loan of) a different connection, a different pen drive, and possibly even a different computer, you could narrow down the cause of the problem with appropriate testing.    D b f i r s   19:47, 28 December 2010 (UTC)


 * I wonder if there's a "threshold" size that works and then something larger doesn't work. That might provide a clue, if it's consistent. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 19:59, 28 December 2010 (UTC)

The errors described above only appear some minutes into the copying process, so I suspect some kind of queue is building up and exceeding its capacity. 92.29.120.235 (talk) 12:31, 29 December 2010 (UTC)


 * I wonder if there's a low limit on file sizes under USB 1.1 ? StuRat (talk) 19:30, 30 December 2010 (UTC)

I've just tried SupierCopier2. The latest version would not install, so I tried the 1.9 version, which did install. I had SC2 throttled down to only 256kb per second. However, both this and the one I tried before that - Teracopy - both got the error message when they reached about 40% of the file copied. The file is reported to be 0.7gb or 0.716GB, so 40% of that is 0.28gb to 0.286gb. I don't know why they both got the same error at about 40%. SC2 would have takwen about 45minutes to copy the file, but Teracopy was going a lot faster. 92.15.12.145 (talk) 23:43, 30 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Hmmm, that's around 2^28, I wonder if that's a file size limit anywhere ? StuRat (talk) 01:48, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

I think I've found the solution. I found out the name of the USB gubbins inside my computer, looked it up on the internet, and found through usbman dot com a manufacturers driver update from eight years ago (!). Since installing the driver the problem has disapeared. 92.29.114.99 (talk) 20:33, 3 January 2011 (UTC)

PRINTER SETTINGS
i AM USING WINDOWS 7 OPERATING SYSTEM and autocad 2009. When i try to install the a1 size printer ( with out physically connecting the printer at my home computer ) it rejects. How can I get the settings (paper size, margins,preview etc.) without physically installing the printer? thanking you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.43.25.100 (talk) 11:38, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * It might help if you told us the printer brand and model. And what the exact message The installer might be trying to query the printer for some reason and aborts the install when it does not reply. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 18:38, 28 December 2010 (UTC)

I tried to install Hp designjet 1050C. it said the printer was not connected and ask to connecting the printer. then aborts. thank you.124.43.25.100 (talk) 13:02, 30 December 2010 (UTC)

Multiple cookie files for local "web" pages
Hi, I have some self-written local "web" pages that I access from my browser using "c:\pathname\filename.htm". These pages use cookies that I manipulate with Javascript. Is it possible to have the pages use multiple different cookie files? I've tried everything I can think of with the "path" option of "document.cookie", but I only ever seem to get one cookie file called "local.txt" that all the pages have to share. This is causing problems because the cookie file is getting too big. I am using Windows XP with IE8. Thanks, 86.184.232.12 (talk) 12:54, 27 December 2010 (UTC).

Windows: third-party media players do not load
Hi – does this scenario have a simple underlying explanation?: No third-party multimedia program will load on my system as of two reboots ago on Windows 7 64-bit. I can produce sound through the control panel's Sound area, and Windows Media Player loads and plays. dxdiag reports no problems. Yet Winamp, XBMC, and Media Player Classic do not produce a window. (Winamp produces one black box where one of its panes would be.) The processes appear in the Task Manager. Could this be service-related? A codec jam? No software has been installed since this problem began. I have since uninstalled XBMC and MPC, to no effect. Without A/V the system is a husk of its former self. Thanks for any tips! Riggr Mortis (talk) 22:10, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Just a thought: Many video players seem to use "skins" instead of the default window. Perhaps whatever displays a skin isn't working on your PC ? StuRat (talk) 23:39, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Try VLC Media Player and see if it shows the same problem. VLC uses its own internal codecs rather than the system installed codecs. If it starts up and plays properly then it might be a codec issue. Another question: are you simply starting up your programs or are you double-clicking on a media file to play it? Try first starting up your program from its shortcut, then playing a file from the library or using the "File --> Play..." menu option. Zunaid 09:04, 28 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Suggest using System Restore to go back to when it worked. Sandman30s (talk) 11:58, 28 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the tips. For the record, the problem was caused by a strange issue on this HP system that I've had for a long time, intermittently. Sometimes Windows won't boot when a DVD is in the player or a USB device is attached. In this case, I had plugged in a poor-quality USB stick at the back, which I forgot about. This did not stop Windows from booting, but apparently the existence of this USB device was enough to make Windows act like it had a virus. I've unplugged it just now, and without a reboot, everything works again. What this has to do with why most programs loaded but the GUI for iTunes or WinAmp didn't show up, I leave as an exercise for annoying-OS engineers. Incidentally, I did a System Restore as suggested, and was close to reinstalling Windows. LOL. Riggr Mortis (talk) 06:18, 29 December 2010 (UTC)