Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2010 January 18

= January 18 =

Nameservers and domain question.
This seems like a kind of a dumb question, but I can't work it out. My friend has a website set up with a domain name set up pointing to it. I've bought two more domains, and I just want them to redirect to his site. Is there some simple way I can whois the site, and find out what nameservers to use? Do I need his registrar login too, or can I just do this myself? 202.10.88.75 (talk) 03:04, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * All you need is the IP address of his server, and you can point your DNS names to that IP. You don't need anything from his DNS registrar at all.
 * One potential issue, which you may or may not actually experience, is related to DNS-based virtual hosts. Some servers are configured to verify that the DNS-name matches the expected DNS name.  This is called Name-Based Virtual Hosting.  Personally, I think it's a bad idea.  But, some people like it (either for "security reasons" or to allow multiple sites to be hosted on the same IP address).  If your friend's site is configured this way, you need to add or allow the virtual host for your DNS names, on the server configuration.  Here are instructions for Apache 2.x.  Nimur (talk) 03:45, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Although name based hosting does offer some mild security because it's harder to "stumble" across it, the main reason is simply because in most cases there just aren't enough IPv4 IP addresses available for every site to have a unique IP. You can read more about that at IPv4 address exhaustion ZX81  talk  04:13, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

Windows - file & folder permissions q
Consider a domain built around or incorporating, say, a Windows Server 2003 file server. Is it possible to construct a permissions matrix such that users are able to write files in subdirectories, but are unable to create new folders/subdirectories? If so, pointers to exactly which permissions options should be checked would be welcome. thanks --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:51, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

Printer driver problem
I'm trying to connect an x86 machine (XP) via a wireless connection to a usb printer connected to a x64 (win7) machine. - for printing.

The problem is that I get to the add a printer part - and the computer says that it doesn't have the correct drivers.. (on the x86 machine). Going on the x64 machine I see that it says it only has x64 drivers installer for the printer, and suggests adding x86 for older computers connected to it on the network. So far so good - that's what I need.

However I can't find x86 drivers - the option given is to browse the x86 folder - but I have no idea what I'm looking for. If I try any driver updates the computer just installs the x64 driver again and gives no option to add x86 drivers.

The machine is a HP PSC 1400 type. On HP's website there I can't find "drivers" just a 70MB program that installs a "HP Imaging and scanning solution"
 * (Note the network etc all is fine, and the system used to work before until the x64 windows 7 machine replaced a x86 XP machine)

Can someone tell me what file I'm actually looking for (the x86 HP PSC 1400 driver) - so I can search for it, or suggest what else to do. Thanks.87.102.67.84 (talk) 16:16, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * On the Win7 box: right click on the printer icon and select Printer properties > Sharing > Additional drivers. Is there a check box for x86? If so, check it and select OK. Browse to the driver install and see if you can install it. This loads the driver so that it can be pushed to an x86 box when it tries to use the share.


 * Otherwise try installing the printer on the x86 box using LPT1 so that the driver is in place, then install it using the share. ---—  Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 17:23, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * First paragraph - I got stuck at  Browse to the driver install 
 * I got to the check box - and ticked it - it then came up with a dialog in which the only option seemed to be to browse the hard disk for it ( there was another option to select a driver from a list - but my printer wasn't on that. ) - the problem is that I have no idea what file I am looking for - I guess it's not called "HP PSC driver for x86" :), it likely isn't actually on the computer anyway.
 * On HP's site there are various downloads, Windows 7 won't accept the x86 software package on the x64 machine, so I can't get a driver that way. On that site there doesn't seem to be anything like a descreet driver - just 700MB software suites that include everything.
 * I tried using windows update, but it won't install an additional x86 driver - just thinks I want the x64 type. no options given.
 * I can probably try to install a driver directly onto the x86 XP machine- but again I don't have the driver, and HP doesn't seem to give one - just the option of the massive software suites with a driver somewhere within - maybe if I install that I could find the driver, copy it, and dump the bloat? Any clues as to what the file will be?87.102.67.84 (talk) 17:53, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * I wonder if I carry the x86 machine over to the printer and plug it directly into the USB would it automatically install the drivers? 87.102.67.84 (talk) 18:10, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * I don't see a 1400, but there is a 1410. From http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=441115 you can select then XP then "HP Officejet and PSC Basic Driver". And your sneakernet idea just might work. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 18:16, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes 1410 (or 14xx series) (or as HP's software calls it the 4200 series) - this has to be one of the most uninspiring experiences of my life - the fully featured HP software refuses to detect the printer on the network - despite the fact that I can see it on the network. If I try direct connection the software fails to do anything. Plug and play fails to find drivers via windows update. If I run the software, and connect to the printer later it decides to work.! Actually being connected to the printer when running the setup seems to be a problem for it despite it telling me that is exactly what I must do. :)
 * I still haven't got a .inf file for the x64 machine, but at least it works.87.102.67.84 (talk) 21:01, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * But now that you have the driver installed, you should be able to browse the network for the printer, double click on it and it should use the installed driver. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 22:49, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes it does do that. I was hoping that I'd be able to find a suitable set of files to copy over to the x64 machine for it to keep in case I need to connect another, but I didn't find anything. I still find it slightly annoying that I have (yet another) program showing up on my installed list - just to get a driver, but it's better than 10m of usb cable.87.102.67.84 (talk) 23:33, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * What I really don't understand is how the installer fails to find the printer on the network when told to do so - it shows up pretty clearly for me in controlpanel>printers - I wonder where it's looking?87.102.67.84 (talk) 23:37, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

analyze internet connection
I need a program that can record every connection through my internet connection, where the requests were going, the sites being browsed etc etc basically any activity through my internet connection it can show. Any suggestions for programs that can do this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.43.91.83 (talk) 17:19, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Wireshark. You need some knowledge of networking and protocols to interpret the traces. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 17:24, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * You may be able to snoop on the history of the ingoing and outgoing connections via your router's web browser interface. Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:23, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Also look at Ethereal --Phil Holmes (talk) 09:21, 19 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Wireshark is the new name for Ethereal. -- Coneslayer (talk) 18:34, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Instant alerts for web-based email
I spend too much of my life going to the window that I keep my Hotmail open in and pressing refresh (occasionally I get important emails that need immediate attention) I'm starting to get a bit OCD over it. Is there some way of getting instant alerts for this? The Hotmail pages have left me merely confused. Changing my email address isn't really practical for me, as I'm self-employed  almost - instinct 18:24, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Such a thing is generally called a "notifier" - if you search Google for "hotmail notifier" you'll find a bunch, both free-standing and built into the browser. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 18:40, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps not really useful to you I know, but there are a lot of tools like this for gmail in particular. It's also quite easy to get a gmail address and have all of your hotmail forwarded to that address. This would allow you to use (in my opinion) a far superior e-mail client, still easily get e-mail from your old address, have a fancy new and (again, in my opinion) more professional sounding e-mail address, and you can use many of the organizational features in gmail including some of their notification tools. Chris M. (talk) 18:46, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

You could get a gmail account and set up your hotmail account to forward emails to it. Then install the google toolbar, which has a little notifier on it to tell you if you have new email. I use this method myself because it's a hassle to log into one of my email addresses. I think Finlay's method might be a simpler option though! (Edit conflict, just saw Chris post the same message). Seraphim &hearts;  18:48, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Also if you get a phone that supports pushmail (what, no article?) you can get a little "beep" in your phone whenever you get mail, at least with Gmail (my iPhone can do this, but I found it amazingly annoying and turned it off after one day...) Jørgen (talk) 19:10, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * I added a redirect to Push e-mail which we do have an article on. Livewireo (talk) 19:07, 19 January 2010 (UTC)
 * I think if you get your hotmail via Windows Live Mail rather than web based you can change the settings to give an alert (like messenger) when a new message come in. Check - you can get it to play a sound when new messages arrive - in "options">"general", There is supposed to be a way to get it to send a message to a mobile phone as well if you get new mail. Alternatively have you tried searching for "hotmail automatic alerts" - there seem to be many programs that will monitor one or many e-mail accounts for new messages and alert you eg I've no idea which if any can be recommended. 87.102.67.84 (talk) 20:16, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Thank you for all these suggestions. I tried out the final one, using Windows Live Mail. The mail notifications are not absolutely instant, but you can set how often it checks for new mail - so I set it for every one minute. The forwarding to Gmail idea wasn't an option as Hotmail can only be forwarded to other Microsoft mail accounts. Unlike most people on the planet, I don't like Gmail (which I also have an account with) anyway. Before I downloaded Windows Live Mail, it didn't occur to me that it would also want to download ten years' worth of mail- that took a while! The final result is that when I get new mail, the Mail icon in the bottom right hand corner gets overlaid with an envelope and my computer beeps. Thank you everyone!  almost - instinct 10:33, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Ubuntu: add "gksu" to a GNOME action
Is there a way to prepend gksu to an action I perform with the GNOME GUI? Right now, for example, I would like to select all the files and folders in a particular folder, right-click, and choose "Properties", but would like sudo invoked so I can set the permissions how I want. Comet Tuttle (talk) 21:01, 18 January 2010 (UTC)


 * In the general case, nautilus-actions might be able to help you. I think "Properties" is kind of hardwired, though, so you might be out of luck if you want to gksu it (though I haven't checked for sure).  Marnanel (talk) 14:53, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Windows Media Player shutting down
I'm running XP SP3, with the most current version of Windows Media Player (11.0.5.etc). WMV files play correctly, but nothing else does. MPGs show in very stilted fashion (like one frame for every two-three seconds). AVIs seem to play normally, but when I click the seek bar to "fast forward", the player shuts off completely. It's difficult to say for certain, but I believe the behaviour started since installing DivX. This is a new machine, but I've installed DivX and used it with WMP numerous times before without anything like this. So far as I can tell, I'm up-to-date with everything. Any suggestions? Right now I'm using VLC for playback, but I'd prefer to get WMP running again. Matt Deres (talk) 23:13, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
 * FFDShow, an open source codec/directshow utility for Windows, is much more stable than DivX. When FFDShow is installed, it can play DivX videos in Windows Media Player or other video players.  The root cause of your playback problem(s) is difficult to diagnose from the information you provided; but it could be related to incompatability between DivX and your new graphics adapter.  To some extent, DivX and other packages use hardware acceleration for video decompression; if your new machine is failing with the same software that worked on an older machine, I would suspect something related to hardware overlays or video drivers.  As far as a solution, I would just switch to FFdshow.  Nimur (talk) 03:45, 19 January 2010 (UTC)