Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2011 May 12

= May 12 =

Wallpaper problem
Yesterday, the wallpaper of my computer's desktop was displayed normally. I could see it fine. But when I turned it on this afternoon all that appeared was a blank screen. The Display Properties window says that the wallpaper is still up there, but in reality, it is only showing the "background color". How do I fix this? 72.235.230.227 (talk) 02:23, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Check that the picture is still actually on the disk in the location it was before, then just change your wallpaper to something else, then change it back and that'll fix it.  ZX81    talk  02:58, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
 * I have done that many times with multiple wallpapers with the same end result: a blank background screen. It's still the same as before. 72.235.230.227 (talk) 12:01, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
 * Is it related to your screensaver? I run Johnny_Castaway as my screensaver and when it fires up, my wallpaper is black until I reboot.--TrogWoolley (talk) 14:50, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

See if you are using a genuine copy of windows,i means if you are using a pirated copy of windows ,then that is the problem.Come back to me if it is still unsolves.

jpg
I want to take a folder of jpg images containing many sub-folders, reduce the quality of the images to 60%, and output them in a new location (not overwrite the originals) while preserving the same folder structure as the original sub-folders. I've heard imagemagick is the best program for this kind of task, but I have no idea how to make it do what I want. I tried reading the online manual but it's extremely confusing to me. Can someone write a quick batch file which will make imagemagick do this? Windows 7 82.43.89.63 (talk) 11:35, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * 1) http://www.imagemagick.org/download/binaries/ImageMagick-6.6.9-Q16-windows.zip
 * 2) make duplicate of directory
 * &brvbar; Reisio (talk) 00:41, 14 May 2011 (UTC)
 * &brvbar; Reisio (talk) 00:41, 14 May 2011 (UTC)

please help
i was watching a video on you tube when suddenly an error (505 page not found we have dispatched a team of highly trained monkeys if u see them give them this message) and there was a long id or something i don't no in the form of a link and it has been since then every page that i open after half an hour of browsing it shows me the same error please help.( not a joke seriously) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 175.110.91.49 (talk) 14:58, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
 * Websites sometimes have humorous error pages, this appears to be one of them. Basically it's telling you that there's something wrong with youtubes server, and that they're in the process of fixing it. 82.43.89.63 (talk) 15:52, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
 * You say "every page" after half an hour? Is this just every page at Youtube, or every page in general (Google, Wikipedia, and wherever else you browse)? Falconus p  t   c 16:35, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

What's the best online stock-trading application?
Moved by Falconus p t   c from the Humanities desk:

There are plenty to choose from. Do they have Wikipedia articles? Which ones are better than the others, and how? (Sorry, but Google might list all stock-trading applications, but not rank the best from the worst and mediocre.) --70.179.169.115 (talk) 07:00, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * What is your criteria for "best"? With some criteria, they could be ranked from best to worst. Without a criteria, there is no way to guess at your definition of what "best" means. -- k a i n a w &trade; 17:58, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * I hope it's easy to use, does a fast job at what I need to do, and doesn't cost a lot per trade. If there could be lists that ranks by cost-per-trade, easiness-of-use, and other factors, then I hope to know where to find and review them sometime. Thanks. --70.179.169.115 (talk) 18:17, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * This webpage is a good description of what many people think are good and bad about online brokers and uses specific brokers as examples. It isn't a simple list of 1, 2, 3... It is text. It is designed for you to read and use to decide which YOU think is best. -- k a i n a w &trade; 12:15, 13 May 2011 (UTC)

Downloading Firefox 4
My computer seems to hang during any download of any size> 1mb. What can I do? Kittybrewster  &#9742;  17:43, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Sounds like you need a better download manager. It should determine when you are running out of memory, etc., and take corrective action.  Also, it should be able to restart (say after a reboot) if interrupted.  Are you using Internet Explorer to do the download ? StuRat (talk) 19:23, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * No, firefox on windows7 and safari on apple. I was wondering xif the router might be timing out. Kittybrewster  &#9742;  19:29, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Perhaps not timing out, but hitting a limit your ISP has set on download size ? Who is your Internet Service Provider and what plan do you have ? StuRat (talk) 19:47, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Orange. Unlimited / standard. Kittybrewster  &#9742;  19:52, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * I'm a bit skeptical of "unlimited". That usually just means they have a limit they don't tell you about.  I can't believe they would really be fine with you downloading at max rate 24/7.  However, 1 MB is an absurdly low limit.  Are you sure you don't mean 1 GB ? StuRat (talk) 20:01, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Yes. It sometimes goes up to 6.4mb but generally much less before I have to click reload. Kittybrewster  &#9742;  20:19, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * The fact that it occurs both on your Windows machine and the Apple to me means it's an issue with your ISP. I'd call them up and ask what limits are placed on downloads.  If they insist that there are no limits, ask why you would see that behavior, then. StuRat (talk) 20:26, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
 * Thank you. Very helpful. Kittybrewster  &#9742;  20:35, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Have you turned the routers in your system on and off? I have had problems (for reasons I don't understand in any way) with my router - it seems to dislike carrying too much data from a single site and needs resetting.--Phil Holmes (talk) 08:25, 13 May 2011 (UTC)
 * Excellent suggestion. It worked! Thank you very much. Kittybrewster  &#9742;  14:04, 13 May 2011 (UTC)

Many programs have the ability to restart a download which encountered an error. Free Download Manager or wget would be my recommendations. In wget you could use wget --continue http://mozilla.cdn.leaseweb.com/firefox/releases/4.0.1/win32/en-US/Firefox%20Setup%204.0.1.exe 82.43.89.63 (talk) 20:55, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

[Question changed] Get a TV, or a projector w/ TV tuner?
Hello, I have a two part question. I was shopping around for a small TV for my dorm, under $200 and > 19", when it struck me that I just as well could buy a desktop monitor and hook it up to a TV tuner. Thanks! 74.190.117.8 (talk) 18:31, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
 * A. Is this a good idea? Will a TV actually be cheaper/ have better image quality? Any pros/cons I should consider or tips/ tricks from people who've done this before? The monitor or TV will be used for light television and gaming.
 * B. Is it better to use a monitor as a TV or a TV as a monitor?


 * Probably a better solution is to get an HDTV with a VGA input that allows it to co-function as a computer monitor. That's what I am doing -- I have a Samsung P2370HD, with 24 inch screen, HD res, and built-in tuner, that cost me about $250 last year. Looie496 (talk) 18:48, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * What do you currently have ? A computer and monitor, but no TV ?  What outputs does your comp have and what inputs does your monitor have ?  StuRat (talk) 19:10, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, I currently have a generic 19" monitor. @Stu: The TV will be used for watching TV and XBox gaming; I already have a monitor for my PC. After thinking it over a bit, I decided that the best thing to do would probably be something similar to what Looie said, especially since the TV, despite the lower image quality, will have a bigger screen + more inputs for the buck.

Now me and my roomie are debating whether we should get a TV or a projector. Anyone have a projector setup that they swear by? (PS I have an account now! Wooo) Mtzen (talk) 19:21, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Some problems you will have:


 * 1) Forget about a projector at that price range. It would have absurdly low resolution to be that cheap.


 * 2) A 1080p TV has suitable resolution for use as a computer monitor, but you may have a hard time finding one that small and in your price range. A lower res HDTV is barely acceptable as a computer monitor, so you might want to stick with the computer monitor you are currently using.


 * 3) Note that another negative in using the same device as both a TV and computer monitor is that you can't use it for both at once. I frequently do that (heck, I'm watching Dr. Oz now), and I bet you and your room-mate would want to do that, too.  StuRat (talk) 19:32, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

Free mac anti-virus software
I know they say it is very rare to get viruses on a mac but I think I have viruses or at least malware. Does anyone have a recommendation for a anti-virus/malware program? If it helps, these are from system profiler:

Hardware Model Name:	               iMac Model Identifier:	       iMac11,3 Processor Name:	       Intel Core i5  Processor Speed: 	        2.8 GHz Number Of Processors:	       1 Total Number Of Cores:	       4 L2 Cache (per core):	       256 KB  L3 Cache:	                8 MB  Memory:	                8 GB  Processor Interconnect Speed:	4.8 GT/s Boot ROM Version:	       IM112.0057.B00 SMC Version (system):  	1.59f2 Software System Version:	       Mac OS X 10.6.7 (10J869) Kernel Version:	       Darwin 10.7.0 Boot Volume:	               Macintosh HD  Boot Mode:	                Normal Secure Virtual Memory:	       Not Enabled 64-bit Kernel and Extensions:	No
 * --108.54.17.250 (talk) 23:02, 12 May 2011 (UTC)


 * It's essentially unheard of to have Mac viruses. What makes you suspect you have one? ClamXav is based on a fairly well respected anti-virus engine, in any event. --Mr.98 (talk) 00:17, 13 May 2011 (UTC)
 * I've always used ClamXav. In any case, it's always best to have anti-virus installed on your Mac, especially if you interact with Windows PCs a lot. You could very easily inadvertently pass on a virus from one PC to another, even though your Mac can't be infected - the files can still be already infected when you get them, and of course, still infected when you pass them on. --  KägeTorä - (影虎)  ( TALK )  01:05, 13 May 2011 (UTC)
 * No computer user should go without protection, Mac or otherwise. Here's a couple pieces on the subject of Macs.,  RxS (talk) 01:15, 13 May 2011 (UTC)
 * Mac users are still fooled by phishing and scams. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:42, 13 May 2011 (UTC)


 * My reason for asking why the OP suspects they have one is because they probably don't have one (it's still super duper rare), and as such, they are not going to fix whatever their problem is by installing AV. Not to argue that you don't need AV for a Mac. (Which is an entirely separate debate.) --Mr.98 (talk) 12:24, 13 May 2011 (UTC)