Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2011 May 23

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May 23

copy from one desktop to another?

Is there a way to copy things on one Windows desktop (shortcuts, folders, etc) to another over a local network? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:09, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Yes, the files that show up on the desktop come from two folders, %USERPROFILE%\Desktop and %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Desktop. %USERPROFILE% and %ALLUSERSPROFILE% are environment variables. You can see their values on a particular computer for a particular user by opening a command prompt and typing set. See also Special Folders. -- BenRG (talk) 03:55, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Well, the other computer won't let me into the userprofile, so I'll have to do it the hard way. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 18:47, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Can't copy EXE files to Windows 7 computer

I can't copy *.EXE or *.HLP files to a Windows 7 computer, either over a home network or an external drive. It says to contact the administrator, but that is me, and my user account has admin privlidges. I can copy them by renaming the file extension, copying. and then renaming back to the original, but that is impractical. How can I copy these files (easily)? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:51, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

That's strange. What error message do you get (other than "contact the administrator")? -- BenRG (talk) 03:56, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Now it is not doing it. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 04:37, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Could it be that the first time, you were using a web browser to download the files to your system, and the second time you were just using the Windows desktop? Comet Tuttle (talk) 16:34, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

No, I was trying to copy from an old computer to a new one. First over the network, then using an external HD. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 16:36, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

I get the problem on spreadsheets too. Here is what the error message says:

• File Access Denied
• You need permission to perform this action
• You require permission from the computer's administrator to make changes to this file
• Then it gives the name, type, size, and date modified.
• then buttons: try again (which does no good), Skip, Cancel
• a checkbox "for this for all current items"Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 21:49, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

Corrections

1. as far as spreadsheets, *.xls files will copy but *.xlsx files will not
2. Once I got an xlsx file on this computer, Windows would not let me copy it to another folder. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 02:49, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

Network Neighborhood icon missing

In Windows XP SP3, how can I restore the icon, or, failing that, access the network in some other way ? StuRat (talk) 05:13, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

On my XP system, I can go to Start, then it shows "network places". Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 05:57, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Yes, that works, thanks. Any thoughts on how to restore the icon ? StuRat (talk) 19:14, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

Easiest way is to download Tweak UI. There's a tab that lets you hide or show desktop icons "My Computer", "Internet Explorer", "Recycling Bin", and "Network Neighborhood". --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 20:18, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

OK, thanks. StuRat (talk) 00:18, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

Command Prompt Commands

i just want to know that is there any website/page/document or any thing from where i can get the commands/codes/keys/words that are used in c-prompt. for e.g.-- format,shutdown,exit,run,calc,chkdsk —Preceding unsigned comment added by 180.215.121.199 (talk) 06:28, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Try typing HELP inside the command prompt window for a list of all commands. Then type HELP followed by a command for more detail. StuRat (talk) 06:35, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

You may need to type in /? instead of help if looking for a command that is not included. General Rommel (talk) 09:16, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

This site has a good list with detailed information on each command AvrillirvA 10:20, 23 May 2011 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by AvrillirvA (talk • contribs)

If you're referring to the Windows CLI, http://commandwindows.com is an excellent resource for all things command-line related. Rocketshiporion♫ 20:48, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

If you are on a unix/linux machine, type "ls /usr/bin/" to list all the programs in the bin directory. Then, for each program, type "man name" where "name" is the name of the program. You'll get a manual for the program that tells what it does and how to use it. I did this in my spare time a long time ago and found a lot of programs that I didn't know existed. I've forgotten most of them, but I usually remember that there is a program that does a certain task. So, I know that I can eventually find it again. -- kainaw™ 19:38, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

color code for network connection between wimax adaptor and PC

My Wimax Internet connection equipment has an adaptor connected to PC via a cable with RJ45 connectors. The service provider gave me a cable short of my requirement. So, I need to get a cable of my required length. Can somebody point me to the color code specification for this connection? Thanks in advance. --Bluesdatum (talk) 07:23, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

There isn't a color code for ethernet cables (cat 5). However some companys' network administrators have an ad-hock color code for their own use, to tell them if the cable is carrying VoIP, normal data, the executive network etc. CS Miller (talk) 08:07, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Also (perhaps) relevant is that it probably isn't actually RJ45, which is a phone jack standard. Cat5 uses 8P8C connectors, which look very similar. Both articles mention the naming confusion, which is perpetuated in many product specs and descriptions. SemanticMantis (talk) 19:57, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Are cell-phones soft-modems?

When using a cell-phone over USB, are they soft-modems? Quest09 (talk) 12:55, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

If you mean when they're used in a tethering configuration (in the arguably rather limited sense described at softmodem) then no; the processing of the UMTS, GPRS, etc. data connection is done by the phone's own processor, just as if the phone was serving the data to an app running on it rather than over its USB connection. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 15:08, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

iPhone 3Gs spontaneously deleted books in iBooks I hadn't read in quite a while

The books were backed up on my PC. I wasn't in the middle of a sync or even connected to a computer. I opened up iBooks and didn't touch the edit button. I wasn't touching any button. Then suddenly the icons for two books just disappeared right before my eyes. I thought maybe it was a display glitch, so I tried closing out of iBooks and even turning the phone off and on again, but the books are gone. The only thought I have is that I haven't opened either in a long time, and the phone must know that they are backed up, but clearing out long-idle books to save memory seems like a bad idea because the system ought not to assume that I won't want to read a book again after a few years of idleness and don't have my computer nearby to re-sync. Or was this probably a flat-out fault in operation? 20.137.18.50 (talk) 16:19, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

It is rather unsettling to have a device where someone else, far away from you, can put his fingers on. Just imagine that you came home just to discover that the bookseller was there earlier and took away some books from the shelf! 80.26.37.77 (talk) 16:54, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Hmm - you might want to check Kindle#Remote_content_removal for precedent for this sort of thing. I'm not saying that Apple remotely deleted the books, but anything is possible. Exxolon (talk) 19:51, 23 May 2011 (UTC)