Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2014 June 1

= June 1 =

Windows graphical file compare
Is there a simple way in Windows, e.g. a graphical program, where you can specify two files (any type of file) and it will tell you whether they are the same or not? (Doesn't need to show differences, etc.) Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 03:25, 1 June 2014 (UTC)


 * WinMerge is decent. It has a lot of features for visual text file comparison, but it will also just tell you whether files are the same if that's all you need. -- BenRG (talk) 06:12, 1 June 2014 (UTC)


 * The Windows command line programs fc and comp will compare two arbitrary files and tell you whether they are the same or not. Run with /? for syntax. If you want a GUI, I recommend Beyond Compare from http://www.scootersoftware.com/, which can compare two files and tell you if they are the same, but will also do lots of other related things. Mitch Ames (talk) 06:45, 1 June 2014 (UTC)


 * Yes, I've used FC a lot - I'm looking for something more modern. Thanks.  Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 00:35, 3 June 2014 (UTC)


 * I use WinMerge and I'm happy with it, but some of my colleagues prefer Beyond Compare. WinMerge is free, but Beyond Compare isn't, so perhaps the download both and after the 30-day trial of Beyond Compare, decide which you want to use?  Also, googling "GUI diff windows" shows some alternatives.    d avid p rior  t/c 08:11, 3 June 2014 (UTC)

Run S60 apps on Android or PC/Mac?
I would like an emulator, as that would be the best, but is there any way at all to run an S60 app on Android, PC or Mac? And on a side note, can I get Palm OS too? I have all these games on Symbian I haven't beaten. 123chess456 (talk) 05:15, 1 June 2014 (UTC)

FSX follow-up
Does Microsoft Flight Simulator X rely on fonts from Microsoft Ink (what, no article?) And more specifically, could a missing or misplaced file in Microsoft Ink prevent the FSX installer from successfully registering the fonts? (What does it mean, in lay terms, when an installer "registers" fonts, anyway?) I'm asking this because in my case, the installer crashes with a 1722 error code, which is a fonts-related problem (it says so on the Microsoft support site) -- and guess what, I've scanned my registry with System Mechanic, and one of the errors it found is that one of the registry keys refers to a Microsoft Ink file that's either missing or has been renamed. If I somehow make the value of this key valid again, might I get the FSX installer to run again? Thanks in advance! 24.5.122.13 (talk) 07:05, 1 June 2014 (UTC)

Never mind, I asked their support the same question, and they said this particular registry error has nothing to do with my problem -- but they also said that System Mechanic might have introduced other errors into my registry. 24.5.122.13 (talk) 00:47, 3 June 2014 (UTC)

Wikia admin tool
Anyone can administer their own wiki on Wikia that uses similar software to Wikipedia. I am one of thousands who do so and I now need to change my e-mail address. Among the Admin tools - Advanced is a form for Change email. The form confirms my present address and that my new address appears valid, but fails to produce any action except this message: Error sending mail: Internal error: Status::getWikiText: Invalid result object: no error text but not OK Is this a bug in Wikia's software? 84.209.89.214 (talk) 13:40, 1 June 2014 (UTC)


 * Looks like a bug to me. There is global support options for all of wikia see http://www.wikia.com/Special:Contact in particular there is http://www.wikia.com/Special:Contact/bug. If you don't get any joy there try https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/. As a wild guess there is a MediaWiki namespace which has all the system messages, the bug might be caused by a missing page in that namespace. --Salix alba (talk): 15:08, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

Backups
Are most computer backups around the world (business and domestic) performed on the first of each Month? — Preceding unsigned comment added by LicraLoot (talk • contribs) 14:46, 1 June 2014 (UTC)


 * I doubt it to say "most", seems arbitrary when backups are done or how often. My business we typically had rolling backups, such as when the tapes were done they were swapped out and started over, the cycle took however long it took. -- Green  C  15:19, 1 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Where I work the backups are done nightly. I willing to bet higher frequency is pretty common given that losing a month's worth of transaction could be a killer. Mingmingla (talk) 15:53, 1 June 2014 (UTC)
 * See the article Backup. One should not presume to have surveyed every backup system in the world but an efficient process that is widely used is automatically scheduled incremental backup. The software to do this is often configured by default to do this on the first of every month. These systems differ in whether restoring the system will require starting from the last full backup taken before the data loss, and then applying in turn each of the incremental backups, or the repository is kept prepared for one-step recovery. 84.209.89.214 (talk) 15:58, 1 June 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't expect many companies to do this for their employees laptops but a lot of data at the company I work at is simultaneously written to two places so that nothing is lost. Dismas |(talk) 18:29, 2 June 2014 (UTC)

Smithsonian Institution and First digital MP3 player
Audible.com:
 * Audible introduced one of the first digital audio players in 1997, four years before the introduction of the iPod; the player is now displayed in the Smithsonian Institution.

I've searched a while to verify and can't find anything about Smithsonian. Discussion at Talk:Audible.com -- Green  C  15:16, 1 June 2014 (UTC)


 * Have you looked in the Smithsonian Collections database? Nimur (talk) 15:28, 1 June 2014 (UTC)