Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2013 June 10

= June 10 =

Warped DVD
I recently re-located a game DVD case that had been missing for an extended time. It was 'buried' under some objects in such a position that the outside case had been warped and the disc itself seems to be warped. I'm guessing that it is between 0.5 and 1 mm UP at the discs' edges at its worst point. The disc fits on a laptop drive spindle ok and rotates freely, though I have not yet been game to put it right in and try to read from the disc. My queries then are:
 * 1) How much warping is 'allowed' in the surface of a DVD?
 * 2) Is this DVD likely to be unusable or might it damage the (recently replaced) DVD drive? 220  of  Borg 07:38, 10 June 2013 (UTC)


 * My own tech-intuition (and an article I was going to include but is apparently on a site blocked by our spamfilters) say that playing a warped DVD could definitely damage your DVD drive. Also, I doubt it would play at all. However, if you happen to have an old computer lying around that still has a disc drive, you can try it out! --Yellow1996 (talk) 01:34, 11 June 2013 (UTC)

IS THERE a U.S. cellphone service provider that'll locate a lost phone for me?
Verizon wouldn't, for reasons that sounded like "the runaround."

I'm on Virgin Mobile now, so I hope they will.

If not, who will? And why can't all carriers help you find a lost phone? --70.179.161.230 (talk) 10:24, 10 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Apple phones can get a free "Find my phone" app from Apple that can show you geographically on a map where the iDevices registered with a given AppleID are. From within that app (this all assumes the devices are on and connected) you can make one of your devices make a sound (if you suspect it's just misplaced within earshot) and I believe you can also lock devices. 20.137.2.50 (talk) 16:29, 10 June 2013 (UTC)


 * And, if the phone is on, you can always just call it and listen for the ring. I've done this several times.  Under couch cushions is the usual place where my cell phones hide. :-) StuRat (talk) 03:16, 11 June 2013 (UTC)


 * I'm on an Android phone on Virgin and have installed the free version on AVG AntiVirus. This allows me to view where my phone is on a map, as long as it's on. I presume it works with other carriers as well.Dja1979 (talk) 15:48, 14 June 2013 (UTC)

Virgin Mobile has a 1-bar reception in the town I plan to move into later this summer. Is there an aftermarket reception booster?
I need an aftermarket reception booster to get me the crystal clarity (and data transmission) I need.

It works fine in Manhattan, Kansas with 4-5 bars and 4G LTE connectivity, but it whittles down to 1-2 bars and a 3G connectivity in Concordia.

I'm moving there later this summer, and just got a Virgin Mobile phone toward the end of May.

That begs the question: Are there aftermarket boosters that boost reception?

Also, is there a way to add roaming service? It's better to be charged roaming to call emergency services, for example, than not to have reception.

Finally, how easily can I get the phone to another, stronger network if need be? --70.179.161.230 (talk) 10:28, 10 June 2013 (UTC)
 * Well, at least in this part of the world, emergency calls are always routed via the currently best provider, regardless of your contract (indeed, up until a few years ago, you could make emergency call even without a SIM card, but this was dropped due to to many kids playing with discarded phones). According to Emergency call, in the US any mobile phone emergency call will be routed by any operator, and that even for phones with no contract and no SIM card. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 11:30, 10 June 2013 (UTC)


 * I very recently took up Virgin Mobile Wireless Broadband in Sydney, Australia who provide a ZTE MF62 Wi-Fi modem, that looks like this. If yours is anything like them it has a small port for an external antenna on the upper left side under a small cover. It uses a 'TS9' connector, very small.--220  of  Borg 12:04, 10 June 2013 (UTC) (edited 220  of  Borg 13:15, 10 June 2013 (UTC))
 * Seems I may have misread this as you mention you are using a phone, not a modem. The suggestion for an external antenna may still be valid though. --220  of  Borg 13:15, 10 June 2013 (UTC)
 * There are home cellular repeaters and simple antennae (maybe with amplification) like these. Watch out though, some of them will be rip-offs. Thincat (talk) 08:46, 11 June 2013 (UTC)

PuTTY under Windows 8
Hi. Does PuTTY work under Windows 8? --41.129.30.4 (talk) 11:25, 10 June 2013 (UTC)


 * According to the PuTTY page it was originally written for Windows. I cannot find an explicit statement (on WP anyway) that it will run under Win 8. Commons has a pic depicting the configuration dialog, apparently under Win 8. [[Image:PuTTY_0.62_on_Windows_8.png|150px|thumb|right|click to enlarge]] http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/faq.html may help. --220  of  Borg 13:43, 10 June 2013 (UTC)


 * It ought to. Windows has always been pretty good about backward compatibility (meaning that things written for old versions will usually run on newer version). Looie496 (talk) 13:54, 10 June 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for the quick response. --41.178.216.42 (talk) 18:14, 10 June 2013 (UTC)