Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2009 June 8

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June 8

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VirtualBox and multiple users

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On my Windows XP machine, I ran VirtualBox from an admin account and created a new virtual machine and virtual hard disk. (I installed Windows 7 RC1 to the virtual hard disk from Microsoft's download page, but that's not important right now.) I now want to use that virtual machine from a different user account on the XP machine, but it doesn't show up in the VirtualBox window. How can I do so? Or should I just create a different virtual machine, and set it up to use the same virtual hard disk? Tempshill (talk) 03:06, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You might be able to move the .virtualbox folder from your Documents and Settings folder into 'All Users' and see if that works.

(Move .virtualbox folder from C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\ to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users. The folder may be hidden, so you'll need to disable hiding system folders in Folder Options) Washii (talk) 04:53, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Email with pictures

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I noticed when you attach pictures to an email, most email clients or web-email providers show the attached pictures at the bottom of the email. however, when i send an email with emoticons using gmail, instead of referencing the emoticons with html tags and keeping them saved on their servers, they send them as attachments. i find this quite nice, its better not to have an email that depends on images on servers which may change url's someday or get changed if you want to archive the email. what i want to know, is how can they keep those emoticons in the right places if they are just attachments? they place them in-line with text. would it be possible to give them specific co-ordinate locations and wrap text around them for bigger pictures? in other words can you send html emails and reference the img tags to attachments rather than pictures available online? why dont most email companies like yahoo and hotmail do like gmail? its better! 209.148.195.177 (talk) 04:59, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If I understand the question right, It depends on both the client being used by the sender, and the client software being used by the receiver. I don't think there is an option to use graphics "in line" with g-mail, but other clients do allow that. I believe much of what you're asking revolves around the "send as html" thing. Many email clients now default to send as text, for security reasons. (phishing, malware, etc.). I've probably not answered your question directly, but perhaps there's a bit of insight as to the why and how. Best. — Ched :  ?  10:15, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Add user to FUSE group (Linux - Ubuntu)?

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  Resolved

What is the best way to add an user to the FUSE group?

I think it is:

usermod -a -G fuse hacktolive

However, I want to be 100% sure this is safe, since I am going to include this code in a program I will distribute (RUNZ), And "playing" with usermod has already broken my current PC. And is the fuse group a "primary group", or "secondary group"? Thanks. _ Hacktolive (talk) 11:48, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

On Ubuntu GNOME you can just do System -> Administration -> Users and Groups -> Unlock (type in your password) -> click your user -> Properties -> User Privileges -> check "Mount user-space filesystems (FUSE)". Alternately, after unlocking, you could have gone to Manage Groups -> fuse -> Properties -> check your user. --128.97.244.41 (talk) 22:10, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, but I really to do that in the terminal (to put that in the script of an installer). Hacktolive (talk) 00:02, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
gpasswd -a <username> fuse
:) --Link (tcm) 11:06, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks a lot, that worked very well. Hacktolive (talk) 03:09, 12 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How to put icons on a Symbian desktop

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I just got a Nokia E66, and I really love it, but I was wondering one thing: currently the "desktop" (i.e. the screen that is showing when the phone is idle) is nothing but a picture of a big blue ocean. That seems like a waste, and I'd like to have some icons there to frequently accessed programs and services and the like, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to put them there. Can anyone give me some assistance? 83.250.236.75 (talk) 16:06, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Go to - Tools > Settings > General > Personalisation > Standby mode > Active standby (set to "On"), then go down to "Active standby apps." (which is again in "Standby mode") and you should be able to set 7 applications. --Rixxin (talk) 21:18, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Alternative earphones with remote and microphone for iPod touch

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moved from WP:RD/S Nil Einne (talk) 17:01, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I recently bought an iPod touch (2nd generation). I would like to replace the included earphones with ones including a microphone and a remote (for volume control, play/pause etc). Do I have any options beyond Apple's own in-ear headphones? Even better, is there a standalone remote/microphone for the iPod into which I can plug my own earphones (my Sony Ericsson W850 mobile phone comes with one of these, but only compatible with the phone)? Thanks in advance! — QuantumEleven 11:51, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Apple has earphones which are exactly like the ones that came with your iPod, except with mic and remote. These just so happen to be the earphones which come with the new iPod Shuffle. You can find them here. Just so you know I own a pair of these earphones and they are excellent quality. They are $30 USD, but they enhance the experience greatly :D. Sorry, but those are the only one's I know of :( Marx01 (talk) 02:09, 16 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

T2400

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Hey guys, I think the answer to this question is a "no" but I am not certain.

Could someone please tell me if the T2400 Intel Core Duo is 64-bit? Thanks. Kushal (talk) 17:43, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

List of Intel microprocessors says it's an Intel Core; and Intel Core says at the top that it's a line of 32-bit microprocessors. Tempshill (talk) 17:48, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That's what I thought. Thanks. Kushal (talk) 19:48, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Core2 duo is not the same as core duo. Core2 is 64 bit. It is one of main differences between them. -Yyy (talk) 13:28, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

keeping track of computer changes

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Hello, is there a program out there that can keep track of changes within a computer comparing the current version to say, a set time ago? Zango has gotten into my computer again but this time right under the nose of both AVG and Windows Defender and I would like to have something to inform me of changes like this instead of having to look at the startup menu every time I turn on the computer. Another question, I can't remove Zango using the typical method of using the Add/Remove Programs menu. I googled other solutions, but they are much too technical and I don't understand them. Could someone help me? --Jeevies (talk) 19:05, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Adaware or Spybot should remove Zango. You can't easily remove it because its creators wanted it to be difficult to remove. 87.112.85.8 (talk) 19:12, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]


A couple of great freeware solutions are the following: to uninstall the program use Revo Uninstaller and do a deep search--this will remove all traces. Secondly, a good firewall is Comodo Firewall Pro (released free for non-commercial). This has a "Defense+" setting which will not allow any changes / install to a computer without your express permission. Thirdly, I'm not sure what version of Windows you're using, but if it's XP you can set-up a limited account to log-in to your system with that won't allow any software to be installed. You would need to expressly log-in to the administrator account in order to install anything. If you use Vista, you can enable the UAC (user account control) which will prompt before installation is permitted (a more formal solution implemented in Vista similar to the use of the limited account in XP). If you're using an older version of Windows than that, I don't remember enough to tell you what to do. Lastly, Microsoft has a One Care Live Safety Scanner that's available to scan online, if you use that it should help clean up your registry and other elements of your install as well. Hope this helps! - Geoff —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.58.69.196 (talk) 22:05, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I have installed Spybot and used it both offline and online to remove the majority of the zango spyware, yet there are still two zango related files in my startup menu, OEAddOn and ZangoSa. So I installed Revo Uninstaller but both this program and Windows Explorer are unable to locate them. Now I'm really stuck. --Jeevies (talk) 04:05, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Although designed specifically against Root Kit viruses, RootRepeal is excellent for finding hidden off-directory nasty-ware.- KoolerStill (talk) 10:02, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Part of Spybot Search and Destroy's install is something called TeaTime (I think. It might be TeaTimer. It has tea in it for sure!) that will tell you if a program is trying to change things. It bugs the hell out of me because I install and uninstall things all the time but it should do what you ask. Gunrun (talk) 10:23, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A long while ago, I used to have a piece of shareware called InCtrl which did exacly what the OP asked for - it took a scan of the disk contents; you installed your program (plus spyware?); you re-ran InCtrl and it re-scanned and created a log file of all the differences, including any changes in the registry, changes to critical system files, new files, etc. It was a long hunt through a lengthy text file, but it gave me some insight into how the registry works and helped me get rid of some viruses. Unfortunately, it didn't work on the newer (NT based) versions of Windows - ie. 2000/XP/Vista. Whether it would have helped you clean up Zango, I have no idea. It would be nice if I could find something similar to InCtrl. Astronaut (talk) 23:46, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well, Wikipedia does have an article on InCtrl5 and it is mentioned on several forums. I used version 4 of the program and never found a replacement... until now. Astronaut (talk) 23:51, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Flatbed scanner light moves back and forth several times before the full scan - normal?

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I had to replace a duff power adapter on a flatbed scanner that I got via Freecycle before it would work. The new adapter was the same voltage, but the wattage was lower than the previous one. When I use the scanner the light bar usually moves back and forwards about an inch or so a few times before making the full scan. Is this normal, or is it because it does not have enough power from the new adapter and has to have several tries? Its some time since I previously used a scanner, so I do not remember what they usually do. 78.149.238.54 (talk) 19:48, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Mine has done that since it was brand new. I have always assumed that it was some sort of calibration process. I've owned printers that did something similar with the print head. APL (talk) 20:46, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A scanner needs to "warm up" the lamp. This is typical behavior. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.58.69.196 (talk) 22:00, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yes they do this, but using a power supply with a lower wattage is not a good idea - you run the risk of overheating the powersupply, alternatively the power supply voltage may drop causing the scanner to malfunction. Alternatively none of the above may happen.77.86.10.194 (talk) 11:26, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]