Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2009 May 15

Computing desk
< May 14	<< Apr | May | Jun >>	May 16 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

May 15

power cord temperatures

I see that power cords have temperature ratings printed on them. My question is this: is the rating the actual temperature of the metal conductor inside the cord when carrying the rated electrical current, or is it the maximum sustained allowable temperature before the materials in the power cord (such as insulation) will be degraded? The former would imply that the lower the rating, the better the cord; the latter would imply the higher the rating, the better the cord. Also, what do notations such as "FT1" mean? (I know that "FT2" means that the cable is fire-retardant, but not sure what that means in combination with "FT1.") Thank you. 72.83.73.48 (talk) 01:06, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

This site [1] explains the flame test ratings in use. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 06:54, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

ORKUT

There is this problem with Orkut that whenever I send 5 to 6 scraps to those who are not in my friends list then the posting gets disabled to the non friends for many hours but there is no such problem with those who are my friends why is this so???It really becoming a hurdle when I want to send invitations to strangers to join in my community.... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.165.84.9 (talk) 03:55, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

You are probably better off asking at Orkut Support. Astronaut (talk) 09:26, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Computer auto start

Is there a way to make a computer automatically turn on whenever there is a power source, so for example if the computer shut down unexpectedly or there was a power cut, as soon as there was power available it would turn back on again? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Computerpowerstart (talk • contribs) 13:14, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, there must be setting in BIOS. (what to do after power loss)(usually choices are: leave off, switch on and mainatin previous state). -Yyy (talk) 13:41, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

[ActivePerl] [Windows XP] DBD::mysql

• ActivePerl
• Windows XP

I want to install the MySQL driver for DBI. I do have DBI. And unfortunately, the default install does not have the MySQL driver. I thought it would be easy.

>ppm install DBD::mysql
Downloading ActiveState Package Repository packlist...not modified
Downloading log4perl packlist...redirect
Downloading log4perl packlist...forbidden
ppm install failed: Can't find any package that provides DBD::mysql

>install http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppms/DBD-mysql.ppd
ppm install failed: The PPD does not provide code to install for this platform

>cpan DBD::mysql
Going to read C:\Perl\cpan\Metadata
Database was generated on Fri, 15 May 2009 07:29:47 GMT
Running install for module 'DBD::mysql'
...
perl Makefile.pl --testuser=username

Failed to determine directory of mysql.h. Use

perl Makefile.PL --cflags=-I<dir>

to set this directory. For details see the INSTALL.html file,
section "C Compiler flags" or type

perl Makefile.PL --help
Warning: No success on command[C:\Perl\bin\perl.exe Makefile.PL INSTALLDIRS=site
]
CAPTTOFU/DBD-mysql-4.011.tar.gz
C:\Perl\bin\perl.exe Makefile.PL INSTALLDIRS=site -- NOT OK
Running make test
Make had some problems, won't test
Running make install
Make had some problems, won't install

What can I do now? -- Toytoy (talk) 14:20, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

What version of ActivePerl? There are different URLs at uwinnipeg.ca for different versions. For 5.10.x try http://cpan.uwinnipeg.ca/PPMPackages/10xx/DBD-mysql.ppd. If that fails, you'll need a C compiler to build the package, the appropriate MySQL headers and libraries (at least mysql.h), and the INCLUDE and LIB environment variables will probably need to be set. I don't know what compilers are supported, but probably one (maybe both) of Microsoft C (cl.exe) and MinGW. -- BenRG (talk) 17:27, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Thank you! It's working! The Perl documents are pretty unclear. -- Toytoy (talk) 10:58, 18 May 2009 (UTC)

Windows XP SP3 -- Reallowocating/repartitioning

In short: How do I resize Windows XP SP3's HD partition?

I am running Windows XP SP 3 on an Acer Netbook (160 GB HD, 1 Gig RAM). I am the computer admin.

The current Windows XP SP3 HD allowocation (partition) is 100% of the HD, however, I would like to reduce it to around 100GB, create another partition, and install Windows Vista Ultimate on the other partition.

I have read the instructions from Microsoft (to use Disk Manager), however, it requires already unallowocated HD space to create secondary partitions, which is already partitioned/allowocated to Windows XP SP3.

Is there any easy way to get this to work? Is there a hard way? Is it even possible?

I appreciate it, --67.32.193.53 (talk) 14:41, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

The softwares PartitionMagic and GParted can do this —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.54.169 (talk) 15:10, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Just adding to the above, but make sure you back up your files first as a precaution. Although both of the above are good programs that shouldn't have any problems, if your computer crashes out for any reason like a power failure, you may lose everything on it - Repartitioning is pretty serious stuff. ZX81 ^talk 01:08, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

Explaining to a computer illiterate person how to get rid of spyware and keylogger

Resolved

A friend of a friend (no really!) has an ex who apparently installed some sort of malware including a keylogger on her computer. She is computer illiterate. I'm recommending that she reformat her hard drive and reinstall Windows from scratch as this is the simplest and almost 100% guaranteed to remove the malware. I'm not in front of her computer so I wrote up the following e-mail. Did I leave anything out? Remember that this is a person who is computer illiterate who will be unable to perform most of these tasks herself which is why I'm recommending that she seek an expert/professional to help her.

My E-mail explaining what to do

If your ex has installed any spyware or keylogger on your computer, there is no easy fix. You're going to need help from an expert/professional such as HP or Best Buy's Geek Squad. I could also help you (I'm a professional software developer with a degree in Computer Science.) (Note that if you use a service like the Best Buy Geek Squad, remove all personal information, compromising photos, etc. before giving your computer to them. Make sure you empty your Recycle Bin. Even then, personal files can be retrieved. You'd need to use a utility to make sure your files cannot be recovered. I can recommend some utilities to do this if you decide to go this route.) Unfortunately, I am not physically in front of your computer and I cannot give detailed, step-by-step instructions. However, in general, these are your best options: a) Reformat your hard drive and re-install Windows and all other applications you use. b) If your PC comes with a system restore disk (either a CD-ROM or DVD), you can use this. If it asks you any questions such as whether or not you want to reformat your hard drive, answer Yes. You can call HP and they will be able to step you through the process. Make sure that they understand that your computer has been compromised with by both spyware and a keylogger. Note that b) refers to the system restore *DISK*, not Windows System Restore which is a completely different thing. I don't recommend using Windows System Restore because it's not 100% guaranteed to fix your computer. Before doing a) or b), make sure you back up all your files (pictures, music, documents, etc.) They will be completely erased and there is no way to retrieve them after they're gone. In addition to above, there are several things you will need to do to make sure your ex doesn't compromise your computer again. 1) Pick a password that nobody will be able to guess. To be really safe, use a password that doesn't even contain any English language words or names. Use a mix of uppercase and lower case. Use symbols. For example, something like aUd@FN!bd_flU would be a good password. 2) Make sure Windows Firewall is turned on. 3) Get a good virus checker and malware checker. I can recommend some if you don't have any. 4) If you have a wireless router, make sure you turn on encryption. 5) Change your screen saver settings to ask for a password in order to resume working on your computer. 6) Make sure that you download all the latest security updates from Microsoft. 7) Get in the habit of logging off your computer when you're not in front of it, especially if there's a chance your ex might stop by. You don't want him to re-install any malware. Like I said, there is no easy fix and you will probably need the help of an expert/professional to do all of this. I hope this helps.

A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 15:19, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

a) Reformat your hard drive and re-install Windows and all other applications you use. / The computer illiterate people I know don't know the meaning of "applications". On the other hand they have no trouble getting used to Firefox or Opera, and they do more and more stuff while browsing. Thus (unless there are hardware complexities), any present-day GUI OS is about as unthreatening as any other, and they all look much the same.

1) Pick a password that nobody will be able to guess. [...] For example, something like aUd@FN!bd_flU would be a good password. / That's utterly unmemorable (by any but a tiny minority of people) and would thus have to be written down somewhere, very likely on one or more scraps of paper that could easily be found by others. "No offence" but in my hoary opinion it's therefore a crap password. I try to use deliberate misspellings with the odd extra complexity thrown in, e.g. "konnektiKut": vastly more memorable.

3) Get a good virus checker and malware checker. I can recommend some if you don't have any. / Are these much good against such phenomena as Torpig? (Try reading the PDF from UCSB.) / 6) Make sure that you download all the latest security updates from Microsoft. / And keep doing it. And do it some more. And then do it again. Look, just tip her off to Ubuntu. It pretty much installs itself.

In addition to above, there are several things you will need to do to make sure your ex doesn't compromise your computer again. Indeed there are. My own suggestion would be to get the law onto this sleazeball. -- Hoary (talk) 16:22, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

I would expect antivirus software to be able to detect Torpig and the rootkit it runs on top of. Not out of the box, but with an update targeted at that threat. That's the main point of antivirus software, to keep on top of the threats actually out there with frequent updates. Anything you implement out of the box won't be much use after a while because the bad guys can test against your product. Yes, download the latest security updates, and then again, and then again. And do that on Ubuntu too, otherwise you're vulnerable. It's an automatic process by default. -- BenRG (talk) 14:36, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

Just change the IT jargon to plain English. "Applications" are "programs". "Malware" becomes "harmful programs like viruses or spyware". And so on...--Sonjaaa (talk) 18:04, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for both of your suggestions. No offense was taken, Hoary. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 18:58, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

I hope you remain on good terms with your friend of a friend after you have caused her to lose all her emails, email contacts, internet bookmarks, passwords, etc. (and those pictures and music files that were stored in non-standard locations). Seriously though, way too many people think the only solution to problems with Windows is to completely reinstall it. What is up with everyone? You provided good advice in the rest of your email but the advice to "Reformat your hard drive and re-install Windows ..." is the last thing you try when cleaning up a malware/virus infection, not the first. How about advising your friend of a friend to not use the computer until you can get a chance to drop by and do a proper investigation and cleanup on it - if you have to reinstall Windows then so be it, but at least someone who knows what they are doing (ie. you) will have had a go at a less drastic cleanup and had a chance to rescue all the personal stuff that needs to be kept. Astronaut (talk) 00:25, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

I half agree with Astronaut. See what useful content you, knowledgably, can scrape off the hard drive before doing anything drastic to it. I return to Sonjaaa's comment: the computer illiterates of my acquaintance (and there are many of them) know next to nothing about "programs". They buy a computer from a store, and the assistant asks them two questions. First, if they want to use it for writing and calculating stuff. Yes of course they do, is the reply. Then the assistant says either of two things: (a) "then you'll need to get MS Office", or (b) "you're in luck, MS Office comes free". Secondly, if they want to protect the computer against viruses, prompting a near-identical conversation. And so much for "programs". Notions that you or I may have such as "This text editor is a bit awkward; I wonder if there's anything better out there" are as alien to them as the notion of changing the model of carburetor in my car is to me. An OS such as (K)ubuntu comes with what most (not all!) people need, it's suitable for most (not all!) and it's rather more resistant to well orchestrated attempts (e.g. Torpig) at intrusion and subversion than is the obvious commercial alternative. -- Hoary (talk) 00:54, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

The problem with installing a different OS—not Linux specifically, just anything other than what the computer shipped with—is that you lose OEM tech support. For the kind of person you're talking about, that's likely to be a big problem. They'd have to either pay someone else for support or rely on volunteer support from friends or online forums, and the latter is slow and is not much use if the problem is preventing them from using the online forums, which is often enough the case. Aside from that (or if the OEM support has expired anyway) I think Ubuntu is a fine choice for this kind of person, but there is no magic Unix security mojo. Unix boxes were like swiss cheese as recently as ten years ago, because people didn't care; the Internet used to be noncommercial and academic. The Morris worm exploited holes in professionally administered systems that had been known for years; that's unthinkable now. What keeps Unix or Windows machines secure is security updates. Ubuntu supports automatic security updating, so does Windows. Malware these days is written for profit and depends on a pool of machines run by naive users who don't install the updates. Most of those people run Windows. If they ran Linux then there would be a large pool of rootable Linux machines and "Linux would be insecure".

Anyway, none of this matters when your adversary is an angry ex who's savvy enough to install a keylogger. If they don't know your root password, they can just boot Knoppix. -- BenRG (talk) 14:36, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

I don't think I've ever known someone get anything useful out of OEM tech support for a computer other than a reference number to use when sending back faulty hardware. Computer illiterate people use friends and family for tech support, that's why the OP is here asking the question in the first place - he's the guy this person has come to with her problem. --Tango (talk) 01:32, 17 May 2009 (UTC)

They can't boot Knoppix if the CMOS is set not to boot from any external device and is itself password protected. (Or am I overlooking something?) -- Hoary (talk) 04:47, 17 May 2009 (UTC)

If she's in the US just tell her to go to the nearest office supply box store that offers free computer virus check and removal. Office Depot offers it here right now, I've seen it offered by other companies either free or for a minimal fee. She'll likely have to listen to their sales spiel for ompteen things she should buy, but there's no purchase required. (OR Indicating that you're likely to buy something after you've asked "your boss" will shut them up faster than saying you're not interested.) If she feels uncomfortable she can always buy a pad of Post it notes or a pen or something to keep them happy. 71.236.24.129 (talk) 10:12, 19 May 2009 (UTC)

Service desk specalists? Certification.

Do people who hire service desk specialists tend to look for certain types of certification or degrees, or is it just a matter of past experience? If one doesn't have professional experience in that kind of job but already has the computer skills self-taught, how can they easily prove it to potential employers?--Sonjaaa (talk) 15:58, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

This is an interesting question. Since it was placed on the Computer desk i will assume that this relates to computers. When looking to hire someone, Experience is Key. Some of the worlds greatest hackers where self taught without any (or very few) Degrees/Certs/ect... For example: Captain Crunch. It also depends on the person. Someone could have 5 PH/ds in Computer Science and would not beable to stand to soemone who has only an A+ with 50+- years experience, and a passion for computer. It all really depends on the person. I really hoped this helps. Please dont just listen to what i have to say, wait for other to voice their opnions. Thank you. – Elliott(Talk|Cont)  17:12, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

I could consider getting A+ certification...--Sonjaaa (talk) 18:04, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

A+ is considered a requirement for many organizations. Also, getting your MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) is very handy to put on the resume. You get it if you pass any of the certification tests from Microsoft. Also, consider the Microsoft Certified IT Professional. If you really love studying and/or like self flagellation you can work on your MCSE. ---J.S (T/C/WRE) 18:28, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Is MCP the prereq to getting MCDST? Or what's the relationship between the two? Does MCSE replace MCP? Or is MCTS the new MCP? MCSA seems more reasonable for my needs than MCSE. So confusing. --Sonjaaa (talk) 18:47, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

You get the MCP upon passing any of the Microsoft tests. The MCDST would be "better" then the MCP since it's requirements are higher. The testing to get the MCSA and the MCSE are very similar and some of the test overlap. ---J.S (T/C/WRE) 21:11, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Service desk specialist is one of those mass market jobs. At big companies they are likely to run your application through a keyword scanner. If your resume doesn't generate the required minimum number of hits you can walk on water, no one will even look at it. (OR I used to do this manually.) For non-standard resumes it's best to look for a niche position and/or unconventional method of applying. Small companies, start ups, self-employment and networking (i.e. play golf with the boss, not computer networking) might work; if you don't want to invest the time and money in getting certified. Even getting certified is no job guarantee. It will just get you sorted into the "have a look at this one" pile. Good luck.71.236.24.129 (talk) 10:28, 19 May 2009 (UTC)

Should I stop learning on my own if I don't want to repeat it all in order to get qualifications in school?

Because apparently even an automath who theoretically knows everything would still need to go through formal education if they want a career. 94.197.175.208 (talk) 19:28, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

This is like an advice question you should ask in a place like Slashdot rather than here on the Reference Desk, but I'll answer anyway: Obviously you should keep learning on your own, wherever your passion takes you. This is on the Computing desk, so I'll assume you're interested in coding — the best coders are coders who code for fun and as a hobby, and most of these people self-directed their programming education. Tempshill (talk) 21:59, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

And you learn better the second time you learn something. The things I actually consider myself exceptionally good at are things that I have now "learned" two, three times—things I learned once a decade ago, had to re-learn as part of some other function, maybe learn again to teach it or explain it to someone new. These are the things I really grok, as the geeks say. There is nothing wasted in redundancy when it comes to education—each time you learn something, you see more to it, you understand it on a deeper level. One is at a tremendous advantage if one is not always learning things for the first time. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 03:30, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

Having gone through some of this with my son, I know it can be frustrating. All I can suggest is to try to find a school that lets you "test out" of doing a class. This isn't always possible - but in some cases it's possible to take the end-of-course test at the start of the course - and if you pass it to some pre-specified standard, you can skip the course. In my son's case, this didn't earn him credit hours - but did absolve him of doing that course as a prerequisite for doing something more interesting. It's well worth investigating. SteveBaker (talk) 04:05, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

The answer is, of course, "No." You should not stop learning things in the hope that on some future date someone will teach those things to you.

I agree with Steve, once you get to college, the curriculum can often be changed to meet your needs if you talk to the right people.(Department heads, Deans, Professors of classes you want to get into. Don't bother arguing with the registrar.)

For what it's worth, I've worked with a very good computer programmer who did not have a college degree. So it's not impossible. You absolutely can make a career out of being self taught.

On the other hand, I've also met (But thankfully not worked with) people who are "Self taught" but have peculiar gaps in their knowledge that they don't even realize they have. APL (talk) 16:21, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

Even in some high schools, you can 'test out' of courses that are not legally mandated. You can get a job as a computer programmer without a degree if you have a strong resume and can show tons of relevent experience - but it's very very hard to get your first job with no experience and no degree. In the companies I've worked, your resume would probably be tossed out on sight by Human Resources before anyone ever got to see it. You'll end up working in some fairly low paid, miserable job for quite a few years before you can talk your way into something better - you're better off going to college instead - even if you hate it, you can get done quickly and avoid decades of much more miserable jobs. SteveBaker (talk) 16:46, 16 May 2009 (UTC)

Most (all?) US states and quite a few foreign countries have Homeschooling, "advanced proficiency" or "minimum attendance for credit" provisions if you are still in school. For college the best and safest way is just to tough it out as Steve said. You could risk getting (buying) an online degree, but they are rarely worth the money you put into them. As soon as you step off the "standard" path things tend to get rather difficult in unexpected and unpredictable places. (OR examples You can't get into the professional organization you want to join. Your promotion gets thrown out after x years in a company in favor of some snotty kid with a shiny new degree. You can't get the government contract for your own company because no one at your company meets their "competency requirements". Ditto for the bank loan to expand the business. You have to do countless extra acrobatics to get ISO certified. etc.) It's not impossible and you may not run into any trouble, but there's no guarantee that a "work around" for a degree is a one time fix. More likely than not any non-standard item in your resume will come back to haunt you at some point in the future. If you already know all the stuff they try to teach you in college you should have time to spare that you might invest in building some job experience. Companies love hiring students because they are cheap. Not everyone is cut out to be self employed. If you are, you could already start a business while studying. Some small projects that are available online don't care about your background as long as the work gets done to spec and on time. Good luck. 71.236.24.129 (talk) 11:04, 19 May 2009 (UTC)

A true worldwide mobile phone

thumb|400px|GSM world coverage as of 2008 Do any mobile phones currently work in the US, Japan, Korea and everywhere else? I know you can get quad-band phones that support both worldwide and American GSM frequencies, but do any also work with the Japanese or Korean networks? Or is it still just satellite phones or nothing? 86.162.195.195 (talk) 19:30, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

The GSM article includes the picture found at right (click on it for a larger version), which suggests that you'd do fine with a (possibly advanced) GSM phone in Korea (the good Korea, that is) and Japan. Lots of white spots elsewhere, though. Jørgen (talk) 23:13, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Thanks! (I'm the OP; sorry about the vandal(s)!) Does that mean Japan and Korea (the one strong in the Force, that is :) now use GSM compatible networks? Do they only work in 3G? That seems to be what Quad-band says, but it's not very clearly expressed. 86.162.195.195 (talk) 13:29, 17 May 2009 (UTC)

The map above is out of date for Kazakstan, btw. I went there in 2007 with a Euro GSM phone (900/1800mhz) and I don't remember ever losing a signal, even picking mushrooms in a forest 100km out in the steppe! 86.162.195.195 (talk) 13:29, 17 May 2009 (UTC)

HTML scraper and PostgreSQL interface

What Linux-based platforms exist that can interface with both the web and PostgreSQL and could implement an HTML scraper that copies its output to a database? (Ideal would be one that has low-level HTML processing built in.) NeonMerlin 20:16, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

A custom PHP script on a LAMP server could do what your talking about. There might be cleaner/easier solutions out there. ---J.S (T/C/WRE) 21:13, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

If you are going to be using PHP, the Snoopy class is pretty great for the HTML scraping end of things. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 03:46, 16 May 2009 (UTC)