TechnoChat

TechnoChat Under Construction

2011-12-29T12:02:00.002+08:00

Good day loyal followers and visitors!

TechnoChat will undergo major redesign and revamp for indefinite period of time.

Pictures may not load and links may not work as they are not supposed to be but I will try my best to finish the codes asap so we can get back to business.

What to expect, from design view, I want to make TechnoChat as neat and simple as possible. No widgets and scripts overloading for smoother reading and scrolling. Codings to optimize the experience and automation convenience for users.

The challenge would be from Blogger side, they have also made a lot of changes/improvements since the last time I knew. So I will also need to re-familiarize while redesign everything.

Meanwhile, I will still be contactable for any of your IT assistance requirement. Frankly I am not sure if the Contact page still work but those who have my email address, you can directly email me. Otherwise reply below so I can attend accordingly.

Wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Keep in touch.

Until then --

Take Ownership

2011-07-07T16:15:00.004+08:00

For those who often reformat Windows, it is often when one forgets to format the system partition prior the new installation (drive C in most cases) and in some cases the computer now has two different operating systems. Good for those who notice this early and reinstall again with the Windows disc noting to format the partition this time. But for the unlucky ones who have installed number of softwares and data into the system partition, they will feel reluctant to redo the whole thing again.

In most cases when I do reformatting from Windows Vista to Windows Seven, sometimes when I blunder or when the installation process fail (very often the case), a folder named Windows.old appear. Depending on how many times it fails, more and more these folders appear, something like: windows(2).old, windows(3).old or windows.old(2), windows.old(3). And they usually occupy 30GB+ of space. So if you happen to have this folder too after custom installation of new Windows and you are sure that your files have been properly backup, you can claim back this space.

Windows.old in Local Disk (C:)

From the previous post: Remove Windows.old Folder in C:\, you can follow the easy steps and remove the folder without problem.

However for today, I want to introduce you easier way to do this. This trick is widely known as: Take Ownership. As simple as Right Click the Windows.old folder > Take Ownership > Follow the procedures > Delete Windows.old folder. It may require a few minutes during this process of changing ownership of the folder.

To get this function for your computer, copy the codes below and paste it to a notepad. Save it as Add Take Ownership.reg for your perusal.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"Icon"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\imageres.dll,-78"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"Icon"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\imageres.dll,-78"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\dllfile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\dllfile\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"HasLUAShield"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\dllfile\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"

You can also save the codes below for removing the Take Ownership. Same procedure, copy the codes, paste to a new notepad and save as Remove Take Ownership.reg.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\dllfile\shell]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]
"HasLUAShield"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"
"IsolatedCommand"="\"%1\" %*"

Once you have saved the Add Take Ownership.reg, double left-click to Merge it. Once you do this, you may notice that whenever you right click any file or folder, you can Take Ownership it. It is automatically added to your Shell Context Menu.

Take Ownership in Shell Context Menu

My previous post may have also thought you how to use Unlocker or Lockhunter to gain full access of a specific file or folder so on later, you can remove, modify or replace it. You can also use Take Ownership function to achieve the same thing, except that it is easier and more convenient.

Take Ownership particularly works for removing such big files and folders to reclaim the spaces they occupy. You may also need it when you encounter other computer issues such as VPN 651 error or anything when it involves replacing system files to a patched files which may require permissions from TrustedInstaller.

It does not pose significant harm to your computer if you add this function so you may want to add Take Ownership function, as this may be handy in the future when you urgently need to gain access of your files and folders.

Quick Updates

2011-07-06T23:33:00.006+08:00

Greetings! It has been a time since the last time I blogged. I had noticed a lot of changes and improvements made from Blogger side. This was the main reason that hindered me to start blogging again. But now since I have finished my undergraduate study and school projects, I should be able to blog again to bring you latest information and updates on technologies.

I have also noticed a lot of my images or screenshots, which were mostly hosted in imageshack, were mostly not viewable anymore. Bad news is that, I do not have the backup of the images and hence I am not able to replace all the images. So, in case the procedures of fixing are not clear enough or when the tricks require more than just words to understand, please feel free to drop comments and ask for assistance. You still can, of course, drop me email alternatively.

For today's post, it is more about all the major updates on softwares that you may be missing since early this year. Some updates or upgrades consist of merely bug fixing only but others have significant improvements included. So, scroll through the list and you may find some of your softwares require updates.

Honestly, there are tons of new softwares and others that have constant build updates (especially internet browsers). So to make it neat, I list down the softwares and tools, with all direct download links, that I think these are the critical ones for new laptop or reformatted system.

In another words, these are the must-have softwares ala technochat.info:

(note that all the links provided below are Direct Download Links. Therefore the links may expire and not working the time you view this post. They work by the time this article is posted, otherwise you may need to google them out yourselves or leave comments to get the direct link)

1. Antivirus. Technochat.info recommends: Kaspersky Internet Security

This may not be the favorite for majority but I have always been recommending Kaspersky for my friends. It may not be as lightweight as Avira or AVG but compared to other antivirus or internet securities, I never have issue or problem (in terms of virus, malware infections) with Kaspersky. Are you vulnerable to trojan attacks even with your current antivirus installed? You can use Kaspersky for 30 days trial. Try it and prove yourself the difference. Closest Competitors: Avira, AVG, ESET

Latest Kaspersky Internet Security (July 6, 2011):
[ Direct Download KIS Version 2012 (12.0.0.374) ]

2. Internet Browser. Technochat.info recommends: Google Chrome

Woops! Has he written wrongly? No, indeed after a lot of testings and personal comparisons, I feel like it is best for illiterate computer users to use Chrome than Firefox. It is more straight-forward, few personalization and faster loading. How about other browsers like Opera, Internet Explorer? They are simply out-of-the-league, at least for now. However I personally use Firefox because with almost-the-same-speed, Firefox offers wide customization on how I want to browse the internet, better experience in another words. Closest Competitors: Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer.

Latest Google Chrome (July 6, 2011): [ Offline Download Google Chrome Version 12.0.742.100 ]
Latest Firefox (July 6, 2011): [ Direct Download Firefox Version 5 ]

3. Download accelerator. Technochat.info recommends: Internet Download Manager

Classic choice, I have been using this download manager much longer than Chrome. Friendly user interface, light and easy to use. It has Scheduler that allows me to finish my downloads overnight and shutdown automatically. It downloads file per parts so faster download process can be achieved. So why not? Try IDM for 30 days trial and you may feel the difference. Closest competitors: Flashget, Orbit Downloader, DAP.

Lastest IDM (July 6, 2011): [ Direct Download IDM Version 6.06 ]

4. Video player. Technochat.info recommends: VLC

Great overall perfomance, lightweight and many video codecs supported. It supports subtitling, track synchronization, recordings and many more. Closest competitors: Windows Media Player, KMPlayer.

Latest VLC (July 6, 2011): [ Direct Download VLC Version 1.1.10 ]

5. Other small components: Adobe Flash Player, Java, Windows Updates, Language pack

These small components are usually installed automatically (Windows Updates) or when they are required, it will install by itself (Flash Player). However, you may need to download and keep a copy for yourself for convenience.

Lastest Adobe Flash Player (July 6, 2011):
[ Direct Download Adobe Flash Player Version 10.3.181.34 ]

Latest Java (July 6, 2011): [ Direct Download Java ]

Other than the few listed above, there are other important softwares such as: Microsoft Office 2011, Internet Explorer 9, WinRar 4, Windows Live Messenger 2011. Depends on personal usage and operating systems, some of them might not be applicable.

Other miscellaneous ones include: Take Ownership, Connectify, Defraggler, Dropbox, Yahoo!Messenger, Skype, Lockhunter, CCleaner. More information about all of these will be covered in the next posts.

Do you have your must-install softwares not listed above? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T00:21:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone! I just want to quickly take this opportunity to greet everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Wishing everyone to have a great prosperous year ahead!!

I know I have been missing for almost half a year now since August 2010. My school projects and papers have been occupying most of my time that I can barely even check my blog emails. While I am replying all of your responses to our articles, I am writing this too.

As one of my year resolution, I'd like to also take this chance to introduce my real self so that I can know and reach my visitors to another new level. I love making new friends, so why not? =D

You can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/khenko

I'd still prefer if you can address me as Daniel though whenever it is related to blog or IT stuffs so that it won't confuse anyone. This way we can keep it neat.

I will start posting new articles again soon after I have settled with blog stuffs such as the webmaster tools and analytics. They may cost me quite a time to learn and understand the new features though. Meanwhile, enjoy your remaining holidays everyone!

Convert Videos Using WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe

2010-08-27T22:01:00.002+08:00

In my previous post, I have shared the easiest method to join multiple videos and modify them into single files. It is completely easy and free to use that does not require any other 3rd party tools. The tool however, limits to just joining and splitting videos. Today I am sharing a good tool to let you also convert the videos to popular video output files: WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe. It is developed solely by Digiarty Software.

TechnoChat has been in contact with software companies again lately. This time, Digiarty Software has requested me to provide a personal review towards their new products. I am more than happy to try new softwares and share my opinions towards the softwares on this site. Although I have not heard of this video converter, I should say that I am impressed with the performances.

Quoted from WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe homepage:

WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe builds 160 video codec and 50 audio codec, a perfect multi-functional combination of HD Video Converter, DVD Burner and Website Video Downloader. Without any third-party codec, it can support Multi-track HD video M2TS, MKV, AVCHD, HDTV BDAV and MPEG-TS video movies. It also supports converting all the High Definition and HD-Camcorder videos, to both portable and console players, such as iPad, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, PS3, PSP, Xbox, Zune, PDA, Blackberry, Nokia, Android, Zen, etc,.

Supporting Multi-CPU and Hyper Threading, WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe offers up to 5x - 18x real time video converting speed.

So I have also had a chance to personally download and put it on multiple tests for different input and output files. I am more than satisfied with the result! Firstly it has a good friendly interface, with all the steps or procedures clearly written on the main windows. I think this is important for those who are still new on video-converting that it is often ignored and taken for granted.

WinX HD Video Converter also allows a wide range of output conversion options (as can also be seen on the screenshot below) with many advance settings available such as quality, audio sample & video frame rate, codecs, resolution, even until the number of CPU Core used. The feature which is also unique for this video converter is that it also allows you to extract out and save any single frame images from any sections of the clip or movie. And of course the audio tracks too.

Other extra feature I find it useful is also the ability for users to control the clip duration from any section of the movie file by either dragging or clicking. It is also able to download videos from popular streaming sites such as: YouTube, vimeo, Break, google, buzzhumor, Dailymotion, funnyhub, golem, liveleak, myubo and sevenload.

WinX HD Video Converter allows me to convert any general YouTube videos (less than 10MB) into AVI files in just a few seconds. You can discover more features and complete main functions with details from the homepage: here.

Of course I still can see room for improvements for WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe. This may be minor ones and will not affect the performance or rating by much but WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe still lags and loads relatively slow during the startup (both warm and cold starts) and also during the transition between the conversion options (adjusting the advance settings numbers). It also cannot maximize the window that some users may find it uncomfortable for a large silver-ish window flying on the screen.

But again, as I said earlier, this will not be a devastating problem, really. Not more than just my humble input for the software.

WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe Giveaway!

The latest version of WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe is v3.8.9. It costs $29.95 for a time-limited special offer which regularly, it should have been $49.95. You can also download and try this software for 15 days trial. However, Digiarty Software has been kind to offer 12 free licenses giveaways for TechnoChat subscribers! If you have not been a subscriber, do subscribe now to stand a chance to win this excellent software! If you are one of our awesome subscribers already, reply to this article with your nick or email that you use to register as a subscriber. You can also email me if you want to be included as a participant.

I will accept all the participation requests until Friday, September 10, 2010. The winners will be announced on Saturday or early Sunday, September 12, 2010. While the contest in on progress, I will be away for my flight and travel. I will still of course monitor our site and reply your emails and responses as soon as I can.

Good luck to everyone and have a nice day!

Cannot Enter Bios Or Boot From CD or DVD

2010-08-25T14:30:00.001+08:00

Sorry for the MIA for 1 week. It is not that I forget to write, but our ISP is having technical difficulties in our area. It is understandable that they have been dealing with the bad weather lately which I can also notice, causing some countries massive flood. They say they are still working on it but that does not matter now, because I am flying soon, back to Singapore.

But anyway, here I am today, sharing this common scenario for advance literate computer users when performing a Windows reformat or reinstall. Today I plan to reformat my Acer Travelmate 6291. I have the Windows 7 genuine DVD ready to boot from but apparently my Acer does not want to boot from CD. It does not even show the text: "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD". How to fix this?

Generally, the key combination that we can always use is either the F2 or Del key. That should bring out the BIOS that we need to configure the boot priority as what I have pointed out previously in this post: Error: "Cannot Open File C:\Recovery.dat".

But sadly, sometimes the F2 or Del key may not do the trick. Some people ended up trying each of the "F-keys" which meant a mind-blasting 12 repetitive reboots. That will obviously harm your hardisk! Avoid such procedure in any given circumstances. Instead of performing that madness, you can refer to this list for a correct key combination to bring out the BIOS:

Acer F1, F2, CTRL+ALT+ESC
ARI CTRL+ALT+ESC, CTRL+ALT+DEL
AST CTRL+ALT+ESC, CTRL+ALT+DEL
Compaq F10
CompUSA DEL
Cybermax ESC
Dell 400 F3, F1
Dell 4400 F12
Dell Dimension F2, DEL
Dell Inspiron F2
Dell Latitude Fn+F1, F2
Dell Optiplex DEL, F2
Dell Precision F2
eMachine DEL, F2
Fujitsu Manuals & Bios (visit here)
Gateway 2000 1440 F1
Gateway 2000 Solo F2
HP F1, F2, ESC
IBM F1
IBM PS/2 CTRL+ALT+INS after CTRL+ALT+DEL Intel Tangent DEL
Lenovo (visit here)
Micron F1, F2, or DEL
Packard Bell F1, F2, Del
Seanix DEL
Sony VAIO F2, F3
Tiger DEL
Toshiba 335 CDS ESC
Toshiba Protege ESC
Toshiba Satellite 205 CDS F1
Toshiba Tecra ESC then F1 or F2
Procedures for Toshiba Notebook:

Turn on computer by Holding down power button while pressing the ESC key. The machine will beep, then display: Check System, then press [F1] key.

Release ESC key

Press F1 key

(credits to: michaelstevenstech)

Specifically for Acer Travelmate 6291 (I am not sure if this applies to all the other Travelmates), on the first page when it is on, it shows "Press F2 to setup". However pressing F2 will only let you choose the OS you want to boot, instead of the BIOS. That is why you need to refer to the table above and learn that you need to use another key combination.

For my case, I need to hold down (pressing) Ctrl+Alt+Del keys during the startup. This will give an annoying beeping sound and after I see the white page loads, I release the keys, and press F2 subsequently. That allows me to boot to BIOS and modify the boot priority.

After a correct settings in BIOS, I finally able to boot from DVD and a new Windows 7 is installed smoothly.

Enjoy the new Windows 7 again!

Fix Kaspersky Internet Security COM Surrogate Problem

2010-08-18T14:40:00.000+08:00

KIS 11.0.1.400(a)

As Kaspersky Internet Security has just released the build upgrade to KIS 2011, some issues or bugs have been known. That is when KIS quickly releases an (a) patch and this is the latest version of KIS: 11.0.1.400(a) (as of August 18, 2010). However with this patch, there has been a report with a known bug: KIS has some issues with Windows Picture Viewer. You may experience unresponsive Windows if you are opening image files while you have KIS running.

If you never hear the lightning, on the next attempt when you open image files, the whole Windows will finally freeze up. Task Manager cannot stop the running processes anymore and reboot/shutdown takes forever.
So how can you fix this?

The original idea is to exit and then restart your KIS from your taskbar: provided that you have done this on the first sign when COM Surrogate or Windows Picture Viewer start unresponding (not until the whole thing freeze up already). And of course this also depends if your taskbar is also responsive at that rate. This makes this idea a bit unreliable.

COM Surrogate stops working and Windows Picture Viewer becomes unresponding

So this is where I introduce a new idea to stop this madness. I have updated my KIS build since its first-day release of the (a) patch. I have also experienced this error since that day and applied the method below for weeks. So far, KIS does not trouble me anymore with the COM Surrogate so I think it is safe for me to publish this article and share this before the next patch (b) is released to fix this problem.

Follow these steps to fix the problem between KIS and Windows Picture Viewer:

1. From the top right corner of KIS 2011 main window, click Settings.

Click Settings on the top right corner of KIS 2011

2. From the left pane of the Protection Center tab, choose Application Control and click the Applications... button on the right pane.

Application Control > Applications...

3. Expand the MICROSOFT folder (this may take time for KIS to load the list. Be patient.) and find COM Surrogate.

Find COM Surrogate under MICROSOFT folder

4. Right click COM Surrogate and choose Application rules.... Alternatively, you can just double click on it. If you are using Windows x64, you will find 2 COM Surrogate-s (as shown above screenshot). Both are also responsible for dll.exe in system32 and syswow64 folders. Do step 4 and 5 twice for these 2 COM Surrogate-s.

5. Now from the Exclusions tab, tick the 2nd box: Do not monitor application activity and press Ok/Apply all the way.

Exclusions > Do not monitor application activity

And you are done. Now KIS should not trouble you anymore or freezing the whole Windows up if you open image files. As I have mentioned earlier, this fix is on the work and should be released soon by Kaspersky on the next patch (b). Meanwhile, you can use this trick to temporarily fix the problem.

If you have not known, I have been a Kaspersky fan for 3 years now. Kaspersky has never failed to protect me from various malicious online attacks. It may be a bit heavy for some computers to load but it is not the worst resource hogger. If you are looking for good and reliable internet security suite with decent price, I recommend Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS). You can refer to this benchmark test by Raymond for the detailed comparison among the famous antivirus softwares: Antivirus Performance Benchmark Test.

10 Winners AdvancedSystemCare Pro Licenses Valid For 1 Year

2010-08-16T00:01:00.000+08:00

I know it is off from our schedule, that I should have selected the winners since yesterday. There has been some technical problem with the hosting provider that it is inevitable for the delay. I'd also take this chance to advise all new webmasters who are still new with webhosting stuffs, like me, to think twice before you choose to setup a webhosting. I sacrificed my domain up-time to learn about the DNS nameservers, FTP accounts, propagation period and so on. Although I should say, it worth the down-time, this can impact negatively towards the SEO because Google does not like 404 errors. If you are really new, I suggest you to have some experts that can advise you and are available 24/7 such as a hosting provider support team.

But enough of the frustration, here are the 10 lucky winners selected randomly! I will send emails or notify the winners with the license key for AdvancedSystemCare Pro valid for 1 year right after I have posted this article.

10 Winners for AdvancedSystemCare Pro 1 year:

TechnoChat 10 Winners AdvancedSystemCare Pro Giveaway

Some of them are my subscribers (with their emails blur-ed) and others are members from raymond.cc/forum. Although that does not mean anything but pure luck, I myself also surprised that most of the winners are from the forum, constituting 70%.

Congratulation for all the winners! Stay tune for more upcoming giveaways from TechnoChat!

Note: Remember to also check your junk folder for the email containing the license.

TechnoChat Is Down Temporarily

2010-08-14T10:38:00.000+08:00

TechnoChat Down?
source:c-ease.net

But don't worry! Everything is under control. It is just that the domain technochat.info will not work for 1 or 2 days. We have just changed our DNS nameserver to a better webhosting.

Although I am all new to this stuff, I hope that I do not miss any step or make any mistake configuring my webhosting for TechnoChat. I am all by myself setting up this. So please wish me luck!

Just a reminder, today is the last day to participate in the latest giveaway: AdvancedSytemCare Pro License for 1 Year. The winners will be announced tomorrow and emails with the license will be sent.

While I am working on the hosting issue, I wish everyone have a good weekend!

File Sharing Between Two Computers

2010-08-13T23:37:00.004+08:00

If you have been following TechnoChat, you may notice that this week's articles have similar topic. We are covering about "Networking Setup and Troubleshooting" for Windows 7. These 3 articles: Setup Internet Sharing, Troubleshoot Internet Sharing and File Sharing are related to each other. Hopefully these articles can help and guide from general computer literates until advanced users to setup their sharing easier.

For convenience and to avoid confusion, this article will show how to share files and folders between two computers with and without internet connection separately. Both computers are connected via a crossover cable and using Windows 7. If any or both of the computers are using different Windows, the methods are almost the same. The file sharing however, does not limit to cable connection: a wireless connection can be setup for the file sharing too.

File Sharing Without Internet Connection

1. From your taskbar, select Open Network And Sharing Center. Choose Change Adapter Settings from the left pane.

Taskbar > Network Icon > Click Open Network and Sharing Center

Change adapter settings in Network and Sharing Center

2. Right click on your Local Area Connection > Properties. Now under Networking tab, make sure the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks is ticked.

Tick File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks

3. Browse to your Windows Firewall under Control Panel via start menu. From the left pane, select Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall. Make sure File and Printer Sharing is also ticked for Home/Work (Private) and (not mandatory:) Public.

Tick File and Printer Sharing under Windows Firewall

4. Choose any folder that you want to use it as the sharing folder. Right click on it > Share With. You can choose either Homegroup (Read) or Homegroup (Read/Write) depending on your preference. If you have not had created a Homegroup yet, create now and make sure both computers are connected to the same Homegroup for optimal function.

Check if both computers can connect and share the files now. Otherwise, you need to proceed the following to correct the local area connection settings.

Local Area Connection Configuration For File Sharing

a) From the same method on how you set the IP and DNS server address obtained automatically in this article: Troubleshoot Internet Sharing (step 2), instead of setting it as automatic, select Use the following IP address:. Enter the following details for both computers respectively.

Computer #1
IP address: 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Computer #2
IP address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Enter the IP address accordingly to Computer #1 and #2

Note:
The IP address can be different as long as it is in the private range: 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 and 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255. Subnet mask however, must be kept the same.

b) Press Windows button + R, and type cmd. On the DOS (black-screen), ping each computers by typing ping (IP Address). From the example above, Computer #1 should type ping 192.168.1.2 and Computer #2 should type ping 192.168.1.1 (not the way round).

Check the result of ping. A successful ping should show something like this:

Ping statistics for (IP Address) :
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss)

While unsuccessful one, it will show request timed out with:

Ping statistics for (IP Address):
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss)

If you have successful ping, now from Windows + R again, type: \\(IP Address). For instance, Computer #1 will type \\192.168.1.1. This way, now you can copy and paste files from both computers. Getting unsuccessful ping? You may have missed some of the steps setting up the correct Firewall and File Sharing settings (see step 1) or done something wrong in modifying the IP address (see step a).

The methods and steps listed should be almost the same with all version of Windows. Have you found yourself followed the instructions carefully but still cannot share your files between computers? You can post your problem in the comment form.

For Vista users, you may need to configure this correctly before you can do the files sharing.

Configuring files sharing for Vista users

If you want to set password for file sharing, right click the folder > Properties. Under Sharing tab, choose Advanced Sharing... to configure your settings.

File Sharing With Internet Connection

The only difference is only that you do not need to set the IP address (192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.2). Instead, check your configured IP address under Local Area Connection from Network And Sharing Center. Choose Local Area Connection > Details to see your IPv4 Address. Ping the computers using the same method and type \\(IP Address) to share the files between computers.

Troubleshoot: Share LAN Internet Connection In Windows 7

2010-08-11T14:34:00.007+08:00

Previously you have learned how to setup a LAN internet sharing with a single modem. Today I am sharing all the possible errors you can find and all the technical problems you can encounter that may hinder your internet sharing. They are:

Client cannot identify Network: Unidentified network
Client can identify Network, but cannot connect to internet
Client can identify Network and connect to internet, but internet keeps breaking down
Client can identify multiple Networks

If you have reached this article from search result, you may need to only refer to your particular problem. All the fixes and workarounds have been tested and confirmed by myself that should be applicable for all Windows 7 users.

Before we start troubleshooting, all these errors and screenshots are the ones you can justify from Network And Sharing Center. And also note that all the problems in the screenshots are consistent, meaning that the client is given sufficient time (approximately 1 minute) to connect to the server by itself. They are not the ones that the client show at the moment it is connected to a server.

Visit Share LAN Internet Connection In Windows 7: Setup if you have no clue what I am talking about.

The general fix that applies to all of this problems is to click on the red X icon and let Windows troubleshoot itself. However there may be times when this does not fix the issue. The following fixes are reflected to the way Windows fix it and are expanded for each different cases of error.

Client cannot identify Network: Unidentified network

Unidentified Network

This may be the favorite one for the first-time internet sharing. To solve this issue, unplug your LAN cable and wait for 10 seconds, then plug it in again. Do this repeatedly until your client can identify the Network.

Client can identify Network, but cannot connect to internet

Client identifies Network from server but cannot connect to internet

This may happen everytime you share your internet connection from a server to client. To solve this problem, do the following:

1. Client: From Network And Sharing Center, click on Local Area Connection.

Click on Local Area Connection under Network And Sharing Center

2. Select Details and check the line in Network Connection Details: DHCP Enabled. If it is Yes, you can skip to the next step. If it is No, close the windows and proceed to the Properties. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties. Now under General tab, choose Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically.

(1) Check DHCP Enabled. If it is marked No, proceed to (2) (picture below)

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and choose Properties

Make both the IP and DNS server address to be obtained automatically

3. Check if the client can connect to internet now. If it still cannot connect to internet, the Server need to reset the internet sharing. Repeat Step 4 from the internet sharing setup article: un-tick the Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection and press OK all the way. Then re-tick it again.

4. Wait for a few seconds. Check if the client connects to internet now. If it does not, unplug the LAN cable and plug it in again. Your client should now be able to connect to internet after a few seconds.

Client can identify Network and connect to internet, but internet keeps breaking down

This one is subjective to different cases. It may be due to damaged LAN cable, unstable internet connection (the usual case) or server/client network adapter problems. All of these are not included as technical problem anymore and not covered by this article. If the internet goes down so often after you apply the internet sharing, you may need to contact your ISP. They will most likely, however, encourage you to stop internet sharing, this dirty tricks that may cost them profit loss.

Client can identify multiple Networks

In special cases, when the client can identify multiple networks, it shows Network 9, Network 2 and an Unidentified Network (for example) when it is connected to a server at the same time. If the client can connect to internet with this configuration, then I recommend you to just leave it, it is not a problem. Otherwise, you need to do the same with that on the first problem: Client cannot identify Network: Unidentified network (see above).

Some extra technical knowledge you may want to know about this:

The Server IP when sharing is always the same. Under Network Connection Details, it has this configuration:

DHCP Enabled: No
IPv4 Address: 192.168.1.1
IPv4 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

While the Client IP will be something like this:

DHCP Enabled: Yes
IPv4 Address: 192.168.1.1XX
IPv4 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Why do you need to know this? When all the steps mentioned above fail to fix the problem, the advanced method is: instead of making both IP and DNS Server Address to be automatically obtained (see: Client can identify Network, but cannot connect to internet, step 2), key-in or change the numbers into these addresses for your client and choose Validate settings upon exit.

This is basically the end to the complete and detailed guide for setting up and troubleshooting internet sharing in Windows 7. As previously mentioned, you do not need to go through all these steps: you can use the general fix. All these steps are merely the accurate way to handle each different case of issue.

Share LAN Internet Connection In Windows 7: Setup

2010-08-09T16:54:00.003+08:00

If you happen to use single router or modem for internet connection, this may just be a very useful article for you. Do you know you can use 1 computer, which is connected to internet, to share internet to another computer using LAN or Wireless connection?

Although this feature is not new at all, some people do not realize it. I have some friends who have multiple laptops and they buy the exact same modems for their each laptops respectively. Considering you need to first pay the fee for a new modem, plus the subscription fee and also, the new-customer registration fee (depending on your ISP), it is an obvious waste.

So how can one setup an internet-sharing connection without requiring any tools?

I have originally planned to write the setup + troubleshoot into 1 article. However as it will be too lengthy, I have decided to split this into 2 articles. First is the setup (this article) and the latter will be the problem troubleshooting which is the next post. This article however will only limit to LAN sharing and internet is connected via a modem or USB. Wireless or Wi-Fi sharing method is almost the same and will not be covered. Are you using LAN to connect to internet? Reply to this article if you want to know how to setup via Wireless connection.

To setup your internet sharing via LAN connection is easy. You only need to follow these easy steps:

Terms:
Server = the original computer that has the internet-connection
Client = the other computer that is receiving the internet-sharing

1. Server: From the taskbar, click once on the Network icon and select "Open and Network Sharing Center".

Taskbar > Network Icon > Click Open Network and Sharing Center

2. From the right pane, click on " Change Adapter Settings".

Change adapter settings in Network and Sharing Center

3. Depending on different cases, right click on the network icon which you are currently connected to internet and select "Properties". For my case, it is "Wireless Terminal". It can be variations of name such as "modem", "usb-modem" etc.

Right click active network icon > Properties

4. Now, from the sharing tab, tick: "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection" box. You may need to select a home networking connection. When you do, choose "Local Area Connection". And choose "OK" all the way. If you have set everything correct, you should see the word "Shared" in the icon.

Check the first box to allow internet sharing

5. Connect the LAN data-wire between the server and client. It takes approximately 1 minute for the client to identify the network and start connecting to internet.

This is rarely the case. Some clients may not directly be able to connect to internet no matter how many hours they wait after the set-up. The troubleshooting is not that complex at all and will be on the next article.

Before you troubleshoot the internet sharing, you need to understand each of the steps so that you do not confuse yourself on the next article: Troubleshooting LAN Internet Connection. I have put screenshots for each steps so in case you still have questions and doubts, reply here.

1 Year Advanced System Care 10 Licenses Giveaway

2010-08-07T22:33:00.006+08:00

Giveaway is over: Winners are announced.

AdvancedSystemCare Pro Licenses Giveaway

AdvancedSystemCare, if you have still never heard of, is an award winning optimization tool designed for Windows. It has simple and friendly user interface that also includes 1-click approach to help protect, repair, clean and optimize overall PC performance. It has been my favorite tool for Windows optimization because comparing to other similar tools that have same functions, AdvancedSystemCare seems to hog fewer resources.

Marking the recent official launch-day of TechnoChat, I am hosting another giveaway to celebrate this event. Everyone is eligible to enter this giveaway and stands equal chances to win a license for AdvancedSystemCare Pro valid for full 1 year!

To participate in this giveaway is easy. Follow these steps accordingly:

Be a loyal subscriber to TechnoChat. By becoming a subscriber to TechnoChat, you will receive technology & information updates sent to your email for free. You will also be notified for the next upcoming giveaways like this when they are hosted at TechnoChat.
Note: once you have entered your email and captcha code, you need to check your inbox/junk and click the link from the email sent by Feedburner to confirm your subscription.
Reply this article with your email that you use to subscribe to TechnoChat. Alternatively you can send an email to giveaway@technochat.info including your email you use for the subscription.

Although it is not mandatory, you are suggested to also share this article on Facebook and Twitter to let everyone has the chance to try AdvancedSystemCare Pro. While most of our readers I believe, must have had a taste of the overall PC performance boost using these similar tools, there are still plenty of users or friends out there suffering PC degradation. You can share your tweet link in the comments or email.

Eligible participants are only the ones who can supply an email registered with an "Active" Feedburner status. Meaning, to be eligible for this giveaway, remember to click the link sent by Feedburner to your email once you have subscribed to TechnoChat (see step 1).

This giveaway will end on the early Sunday, August 15, 2010 GMT+8. 10 valid participants will be selected via Random.org. Winners ID will be featured (and protected) on next week article for the announcement and only these 10 lucky winners will be contacted through email.

Good luck everyone and have a good weekend!

CNET Editors' Review on AdvancedSystemCare: (by Jason Parker)

This utility offers a one-stop-shop for cleaning and maintaining your computer for better overall system performance. The interface is very simple, featuring only a few buttons, which makes it easy to get down to cleaning immediately (in fact, it automatically runs on start-up) and doesn't confuse you with multiple steps.

The Maintain Windows section focuses on four areas of maintenance: spyware removal, Registry cleaning, a privacy sweep, and deletion of junk files. The Diagnose System button provides system optimization tools, detects spyware, defragments your disk, and scans for hijacked Windows settings. In our tests the scan and clean for each of these areas took less than 10 minutes to complete. In many of these scans, it is difficult to tell what exactly is being accomplished by some of the tools, but we were able to test against other trusted apps, which confirmed Advanced SystemCare's efficacy in those areas.

Under the utilities section you are given several tools, which are similar to plug-ins, for other areas of optimization and diagnostic tests. Overall, Advanced SystemCare Free is a good way to maintain your system's speed and clear out junk files, but you'll need to remember to run it regularly because scheduling of scans is only available in the paid Pro version.

Links:

[ AdvancedSystemCare Homepage ]

[ Download AdvancedSystemCare Free ]

Resolve Limited Access Paypal Account

2010-08-06T23:02:00.002+08:00


Online Shopping source: ocf.borkeley.edu

Picture this, it was a bright day when everything seemed so calm and conducive for goods purchase from internet. The transaction had been settled and everything was ready and the goods/ services had been processed successfully. While the next step for this purchase was being prepared, the seller sent notification email that fraud activity had been suspected that canceled the last transaction made and account locked.

This was exactly what happened to me. I was able to get this domain late at night. I was so excited waking up because I could finally apply the new template we had been working for a long time, to find out that it was later removed on the next morning. This domain was brought down and consequently my account was locked. Apparently, Paypal had put my transaction on hold due to security measures.

So how can a customer resolve this issue as fast as possible?

For those who have not encountered this problem before, firstly Paypal will send an email regarding the limited account access:

As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity in the PayPal system. During a recent screening, we noticed an issue regarding your account.

We have reason to believe that your account was accessed by a third party. Because protecting the security of your account is our primary concern, we have limited access to sensitive PayPal account features. We understand that this may be an inconvenience but please understand that this temporary limitation is for your protection.

The important thing to note from this email is the Reference Number right after the statements above. It should be something like: PP-XXX-XXX-XXX-XXX (X =digit). This number should always be supplied while working with the fix via email or when contacting the customer service.

Now login to Paypal and an auto-generated message should appear on the first page after successful login.

Paypal might ask for identity verification by supplying "Full Account Number". Full bank account number should be entered correctly. Thanks to me that I did not know what account-number they were referring about: should it be bank account numbers, Paypal unique id or Paypal account numbers, now people would know what to do (read paragraph below). I indeed had entered my correct bank account numbers but apparently I did not notice that I also included my branch code in my numbers. Unable to pass the verification, I had tried 10x choosing the right combination of numbers and at that rate, my Paypal account was totally locked (instead of limited).

Continue reading this part if you enter incorrect numbers for 10x, otherwise you can skip this part:

So if anyone happened to recklessly entered the wrong numbers either and had the account locked, the message generated would say something like this (after successful login too):

Sorry - Your last action could not be completed

At this rate, no matter how many successful logins a customer could make, he would not be able to check his account summary (balance, transaction, settings etc). The only way to resolve this was to contact customer service. Tell them that the account had been locked due to incorrect 10x verification. They would first ask full name and last 4 digits of the corresponding bank-account. So one should have the numbers ready before contacting customer service. They would later give a 4 digits that you would enter to a form which link and numbers would all be provided from the email. This was to 'reset' the Paypal account.

After this, changing password and security questions might be required for several times.

Skip to this part if you can enter the "Full Account Number" correctly:
Now below message should appear. Proceed to Resolution Center by clicking on the link on the box.

Paypal Account Overview

The steps to remove the limitation should be given (see "Begin a limitation review" section). For my case, the step I needed to do was to change my password and security question. And also to submit evidence. Click the 'Resolve' button. 4 or 5 options for evidence supply might be given. The team herself told me that by providing photo ID was the fastest way to let them investigate and solve the problem. So I would also recommend everyone to also provide photo ID instead of choosing other options such as credit-card evidence for this verification.

Paypal Steps to Remove Limitations

A photo ID could be the first-page of passport and should also contain these information: Full Name and Address. These data should be exactly the same with the ones provided for Paypal account. I uploaded my bank statements (2-month period) for this complementing my passport first-page.

Depending on the case and luck, the total time needed to solve this issue might take days to weeks. However for my case, Paypal unlocked and remove the limitation of my account a few minutes right after I supply my 2 bank statements and took a total of 1.5 days to fully solve the problem.

Some people might just give up as well when they found out that their Paypal account was limited or locked and swore bad words to Paypal on public forums and discussions (I have seen many of these users during this process). However I really encourage everyone to try the steps mentioned after reading this article, moreover, if the account had some dollars inside.

The key to resolve the problem is patience. The customer service team was friendly and knowledgeable that they could address the problem spot on and treat all valued customers professionally.

The customer service contact could be found from the 'Contact' link below every Paypal account pages. However, this number could be use if one was in Asia region:

Singapore
(+65) 6510 4584

Good luck reviving Paypal accounts!

We Have Moved!

2010-08-05T17:46:00.001+08:00

pic source: istockphoto.com

Today is the day! After so many issues and technical problems, PremiumTricks.blogspot.com has now successfully moved to TechnoChat.info!

Please update all your bookmarks!

TechnoChat.info

or: (they are the same)

www.TechnoChat.info

If you are reading this article from Feedburner Subscription Email, you may consider to take a look and visit our site here as we have changed all the looks, designs and features!

TechnoChat was supposedly created and set-up on August 1, 2010. The reason why this plan was delayed mainly lay on the problem with GoDaddy, NameCheap and Paypal. I had been very new with this domain-purchase stuff that I thought GoDaddy accepted verified Paypal user (which apparently turned out to be not), so I naively emailed them why I could not do the purchase and it took 2 days for them to reply my email. That was why I moved to NameCheap. The procedure was easy and I was able to set up my site on August 3, 2010. However there had been some security measure involved during my Paypal transaction that led to my NameCheap account locked (and consequently technochat.info was brought down!) and limited my access to Paypal.

It was very frustrating. It's all because of misunderstanding and some security over-measures. But fortunately I was able to contact the Paypal support team and they were friendly enough that we were able to solve this issue as fast as possible. It took another 2 days for this matter to be resolved and during this process, I had also been in touch with the NameCheap team. So totally it was off 4 or 5 days from the plan due to this issue. The next post I am going to post is indeed, related to this issue that users may also encounter currently or previously.

For the designs, I have been secretly worked with the template for almost 1 month already. With the help of some of my friends (credits below), the CSS codings cannot be easier.

As you may have noticed, I have added a new feature on one of the pages: LiveChat! This LiveChat is not a testing page: it works and has been tried by a few readers of PremiumTricks! Now you can chat with me whenever I am online or blogging. No software or add-on installation needed. You only need your online browser.

And while it may seem that TechnoChat is ready, I am still working on the codes. So occasionally you may still notice some weird texts or images floating around the sites. But while I am working on this, of course I will still keep posting regularly.

Finally we reach to the credits. I want to personally thank my friends and some bloggers that have been a great help for me building this template. The nominees are:
(*drumrolls *people-screaming-like-mad)

1. Heryandi Dai, for his help tweaking TechnoChat CSS codes!

2. Shella Widias, for her help and input designing TechnoChat banner and logo!

3. Blogger Tutorials sites (with no particular orders of importance or such): Blogger Widgets, Blogger-Resources, Blogger Tricks, Techie Blogger, Blog Bulk and EverythingAboutBlogging.

And finally, also you, loyal Readers and subscribers who visits PremiumTricks, which will be now known as TechnoChat, to check latest information and technology updates for your easy daily computer use.

Happy Reading everyone!

*Note: This is the last subscription email you will receive from "PremiumTricks". Following emails will be sent by "TechnoChat".

Join Videos For Free

2010-08-02T10:57:00.005+08:00

Just a few days ago, one of my good friends asked me for some software recommendations for joining her videos. She also mentioned that she needed to edit some of the videos she was working on instead of blindly joined all the videos into 1 single video file. If you google this, you can actually find many free tools for video-editing. The tools you can find from Google search results may lie on the range of good to crap, free to commercial and safe to malware (which is why Google has recently been crowned as the King of Malware) that Google has always been a common place for finding resources.

So what tools can you use to join, split or edit videos for free without risking your computer safety?

Don't worry, I am not introducing another new softwares which by now, you should be tired of trying different freewares you can find from Google, but still cannot get your videos joined. Instead, today I am sharing this long-forgotten Windows Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker is installed by default in Windows XP and Vista. However since the release of Windows 7, Microsoft has decided to remove this feature.

Why Windows Movie Maker? Personally, I think Windows Movie Maker is the easiest way to edit your videos without requiring any technical video-editing skills. The simple user-interface eases the users to edit videos effectively and efficiently. It is also completely free to use and small in size.

So when I recommended Windows Movie Maker to her, she encountered some codec problems while importing her videos. This problem occurs because in Windows XP by default, Windows Movie Maker do not automatically download the codecs. You can fix it from: Tools > Options, from the "General" tab, check for the box: "Download codecs automatically".

When downloading of codecs is enabled, connection with the codec server is triggered when the user imports an audio or video file for which no codec is available on the local computer. The user is notified and must confirm the download for it to occur. Otherwise, to cause Windows Movie Maker to connect to a site on the Internet, the user must explicitly click a link or choose the option of saving a movie to the Web.

Just for your information, I notice that for Windows 7 (you can find the link for Windows Movie Maker below this article), you will not find this check-box from the "Options" which I believe, it is enabled by default.

She claimed that Windows Movie Maker was able to download the codecs only after she restarted the Movie Maker. Then she finally was able to joined her videos without needing any third-party tools.

You can download and install Windows Movie Maker for Windows 7 from:

[ Download Page for Windows Movie Maker ] Download size: ~7.01MB

Are your videos that you want to join hosted somewhere in the internet? You can probably try this free service as well, which may help you to join even easier: online.movavi.com. You just need to enter the URL, choose the output format and start the conversion and download.

Free 3 Months BitDefender Internet Security 2010

2010-07-30T09:54:00.007+08:00

And here we go again! Another promotion, this time from BitDefender. Though I know some of you, whose computer has not had any antivirus installed, may consider to use another security suites to protect your computer, but hey it is better to have a protection now rather than nothing at all. And why not when it's free.

This promotion offers 3 months license for BitDefender Internet Security 2010. It is worth $12 if you check the price for a year license for 3 computers, which is $49.95. It is not stated when the promotion will be over so grab your own license as soon as you can while the promotion lasts.

BitDefender Internet Security 2010 keeps your Internet-connected family safe, without slowing down their PCs. It locks out viruses, hackers & spam, while providing parental control and firewall protection.

Features and Benefits
Confidently download, share and open files from friends, family, co-workers - and even total strangers
* Protects against viruses and other malware using industry-leading technologyNEW
* Scans all Web, e-mail and instant messaging traffic in real-time
* Provides an unmatched detection rate of new threats based on two different proactive technologies
* Blocks spyware programs that track your online activities

Protect your identity: shop, bank, listen and watch, privately and securely
* Blocks web pages that attempt to steal your credit card data
* Prevents personal information from leaking via e-mail, Web or instant messagingNEW

Guard your files and conversations with top-of-the line encryption
* Instant Messaging Encryption keeps your conversations private on Yahoo! and MSN Messenger
* File Vault securely stores personal information or sensitive files

Connect securely to any network at home, at the office, or away
* The two-way firewall automatically secures your Internet connection wherever you are
* Wi-Fi monitor helps prevent unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network

Protect your family and their computers
* Parental Control blocks access to inappropriate websites and e-mail
* Limits kids’ access the Internet, games, etc. to specific times
* Makes it easy for you to manage the security of your network from a single location

Play safely, play seamlessly
* Reduces the system load and avoids requesting user interaction during game play

Get fine-tuned performance from your computer
* Optimized scanning technology skips safe files for better scan speed and lower system load
* Antispam stops unwanted e-mail from reaching your Inbox
* Laptop Mode prolongs battery life

Let professionals solve any security issues
* Assistance with common issues built directly into the product
* Free technical support for the entire duration of the product license

You can get the license for BitDefender Internet Security for 3 months free by visiting this promo page here:

[ Download Page for 3 Months Free BitDefender Internet Security 2010 ]

Hit the "Download" button and install BitDefender Internet Security 2010 and activate the software, then your computer is protected now.

Just a short notice, I have still a few left licenses for SnowFox YouTube Downloader HD. If you want to have your own license, you can leave a comment by following this LINK or email me.

Get your free licenses NOW!

Eye Strain In Front Computer Too Long

2010-07-28T16:10:00.010+08:00

Do you often work in front of computer? Do you spend hours sitting, facing your computer to do work everyday? Do you love to browse the internet for hours until your parents/family call you for dinner? Do you chat a lot? Do you often find yourself browsing for hours already and you decide to stop after another 10 minutes but that 10-minute never come?

If you answer yes to ANY of the above questions, you may have experienced a simple eye strain before. However! If you answer YES TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS ..
Nothing will happen, don't worry. I too, do all of the above.

Eye strain due to constantly looking at computer screen may be something often ignored nowadays. It is not a big problem at first: a quick effort by moving the eyeballs around or a quick rub with hands may solve it just nice. However a repetitive eye strain is proven to be something we cannot ignore anymore.

So how do we fight this eye strain?

Traditionally, as what some experts in this area suggest, is to do a 20-20-20 rule. What is this 20-20-20 rule? According from the emails I receive being forwarded here and there, Amit Argawal (who happens to be a professional blogger) receives eye-resting tips as follow:

To help you deal with this problem, the 20-20-20 rule suggest that after every 20 minutes, you should take a break for at least 20 seconds and look at objects that are 20 feet away from you.

Well of course you can do this 20-20-20 rule to reduce the eye-strain effect. The problem is, will you always remember to do the 20-second break?

This is where some simple tools may help you to remember. Here are 3 applications which can reduce your eye strain by automatically schedule a break for a specified interval.

1. EyeDefender
A small tool which I prefer personally. It is very small in size and has some relaxing method of eye-relaxing. One of them requires your eyeball to follow a white box moving on the corners of your black computer screen while blinking during the process. Only for Windows.

[ Page for EyeDefender screenshots ]

[ Download Page for EyeDefender ]

2. Workrave
Although the installer is bigger in size, it runs quite smooth. The difference is that unlike EyeDefender, Workrave does not blank your screen when it is a break time: it is like a command window. You may choose to use this instead if you are using Linux.

[ Page for Workrave screenshots ]

[ Download Page for Workrave ]

3. TimeOut
For Mac users, this tool can do the work for you.

[ Page for TimeOut screenshots ]

[ Download Page for TimeOut ]

I had installed and used EyeDefender for several days. However I decided to remove it not that because it was buggy or slowing my startups. It was because I found myself intolerable when something can just blank my screen when I was typing or researching something for a computer break.

Well of course I still need to do a 20-20-20 rule as suggested or maybe I need to try the Workrave instead. I have not had the chance to tried others though since I remove EyeDefender. So if you have your own methods for eye-relaxing or some other tools you personally favorite in, leave your comments for us to know.

Lan Packet Data Connection Error

2010-07-26T16:53:00.002+08:00

In my hometown, the internet speed is indeed, crawling. Comparing it to what we, students, can have from our university abroad, this internet speed is just plain ridiculous. Worse yet, it is still not cheap subscribing to a good internet service providers (ISP). Our 'good' ISP can still disconnect their customer's internet connection without any particular reason in a random time and place.

So what I suggest others is to just purchase 1 modem from any 'good' ISP and share the connections to other computers. This way we can cut the costs sacrificing the convenience. This connection-sharing is usually quite stable throughout the times. However it can, but rarely, break. And when the internet connection has problem, I usually first blame the ISP though it may not always be true. Sometimes it can be my own laptop internet configuration fault which may be caused due to a disabled DHCP, incorrect or invalid IP etc.

Then how do I differ and know the problem when my laptop cannot connect to the internet during this parallel-connection-sharing?

One of the many possible ways is to allow Windows to always show and check LAN packet errors. By applying some easy registry tweak, you can see the errors from both the send and error of a

1. Press Windows-button+R or from Start menu, type: regedit

2. Navigate to this key directory:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\Connections\StatMon

If you cannot find StatMon, then right-click on the right pane > New > Key, enter StatMon

3. From StatMon, double-click on ShowLanErrors and change the value from 0 to 1.
If ShowLanErros is not there, from StatMon also, you can right click on the right pane > New > DWORD value. Or for 64-bit system, it is DWORD (32-bit) value. You need to have the value as 1.
You can do step 2 and 3 the same way when you do the right-click-value-addition on regedit for letting your Windows Live Messenger signing in multiple accounts. Now you should be able to check for the data packet error from your Local Area Connection status.

Note that this trick will not work for Home version of any Windows. If you have applied this trick, but is not showing on your "Local Area Connection Status", try to reboot.

So what do I usually do if the error comes from my own laptop?
Simple but quite reliable, the auto-problem-detecting feature from Windows 7 never disappoints me. Do you notice the red cross on the connection line from your "Network and Sharing Center" window? Click on it and let Windows try to fix the problem itself. Other thing you can do is to reset the LAN connection by unplugging the cable for about 5-10 seconds before you plug it in again. The last option is, and has always been, to reboot.

Do you have any personal problem with your LAN connection? Check the error status message and google it. If you cannot find the fix, you can post it here.

Free SnowFox YouTube Downloader HD

2010-07-24T14:01:00.007+08:00

I have recently checked again for the freebies I mentioned in previous post. The dateline was supposed to be on July 23 however today, SnowFoxsoft has made a statement as follow:

V1.0.0.2 Released! YouTube changed video data rules! Most youtube downloader software is not available to download youtube video! We are the only and first one who solve this problem!

As a result of this, the promotion dateline has been extended until July 26. Therefore I do not need to clarify whether or not the licenses I have spared before are going to work: they confirm will work during this promotion!

So as I have also had spared some licenses previously, I can provide the licenses for you as well if you are lazy to do the registration stuff.

You can get your own licenses for SnowFox YouTube Downloader HD now by following either one of these methods:

1. Reply or Email

Use the comment-form below to directly request for your SnowFox YouTube Downloader HD. Remember to give me your email (if you are using the comment-form). You can also email me to request the license as well.

2. Promotion Page

Visit the promotion page here and enter your email address on the "Get keycode" form. Press "Submit" button and the license details should be in your inbox in a few minutes.

Miss the promotion? You can try to request for your free license by following method 1 in the condition that I still have some spare licenses left.

Have a great weekend people!

6 Months Free Ashampoo Anti-Malware

2010-07-23T11:32:00.007+08:00

It has been a while since I last post about some promotions or freebies. I did realize it and made a post about it last week, before the construction. But you may notice there was not any freebies post last week. This was because I saved it as a draft: it never came out! And when I knew that post was missing last night, I quickly checked the promotion-dateline but oh well, it was a little too late to post.

But worry not, I managed to get a few spare licenses for you, Readers, before the dateline which I am going to try and confirm if the licenses can work after the promotion has ended.

Today however, it is going to be another good freebies from Ashampoo products. Their Anti-Malware promotion! If you have not installed yet any anti-virus or anti-spyware on your computer, do give Ashampoo Anti-Malware a try! It is also one of the best anti-spywares available out there.

You can find all the information regarding the features and performance from the official website of Ashampoo: Ashampoo Anti-Malware

To get the license, it is easy. You can do it right here right now. Just follow these steps:

1. Visit the promotion page from here: Promo Page

2. Enter your email-address on the first box. You can leave data-entry for the "Zipcode" and "Printer" model blank.

3. Now you should get the following page with native language which actually translate to this:

You are a new customer with Ashampoo.

We have just sent you a security e-mail.

This is to be understood as the activation of your free access here. Please collect your e-mail, click the activation link and complete your registration.

Then you will receive a requested license key.

Some email providers evaluate automated e-mails as spam. If you receive spam settings are activated, no e-mail with confirmation link, please check your spam mailbox suspicion.

4. Check your email address and click on a link for verification that looks like this:

http:// www.ashampoo.com/ ac/ (texts&numbers)

5. You will be directed to "First Ashampoo Product Registration" page. You may fill first and last names if you want to and click the "OK, Send" button.

6. Check your email again and you should see the license that you will use for six-month free Ashampoo Anti-Malware.

Dear Daniel,

thank you for registering the product:

Ashampoo® Anti-Malware (F_apc_au) (English)

Here's your free registration key for the program:

XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Get your own license now! After you get yours, you can download Ashampoo Anti-Malware from here:

[ Download Page for Ashampoo Anti-Malware ]

Multiple Windows Live Messenger Instances

2010-07-21T12:55:00.005+08:00

pic source: www.soc.ucsb.edu

During my regular browsing through forums and sites, I have recently seen a user asking for possibility on how to install Windows Live Messenger (WLM) on two different directories or locations. He wants to achieve this because by default, Windows Live Essentials does not allow multiple installations of messenger to different locations. This way, he is supposed to be able to use two different accounts signed-in at the same time with the same versions of messenger.

The first thought that comes to my mind straight-away is of course, the Polygamy feature. I first learn about this feature from Messenger Plus! Live since the very early release of it. But that time it was not so popular though. Instead, the infinite nudge script was.

So there are two methods to enable the Polygamy feature. One is by the conventional method, other is by manual.

Conventional Method: Third-Party Applications

Messenger Plus! Live can let you have Polygamy feature enabled without any scripts or extra add-on installed. If you have Messenger Plus! Live installed, you can do it from:

Plus! > Preferences & Options

From the Customize! Tab under General pane, you can activate the Multiple Accounts feature.

Other than Messenger Plus! Live, a well-known WLM patch, A-Patch can also tweak the registry to let you sign multiple accounts in at the same time. A-Patch can also remove advertisement, disable nudge shake, disable file transfer limitation and so on for your WLM.

Manual Method: Registry Tweak

Since the later version of WLM, this polygamy feature is not supported, that registry tweaking may not work. But after this current version of WLM 2009, Microsoft has let customers to sign in more than 1 account at the same time using WLM. The registry tweak is not difficult at all.

As always, before you do any registry tweak, it is recommended for you to backup your registry. After you have done the backup and have your WLM service terminated, follow these procedures carefully:

1. Press Windows Key+R to get "RUN" command window appear or from start menu type: regedit

2. Navigate to the following key:
For 32-bit Windows:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Live\Messenger

For 64-bit Windows:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Live\Messenger

3. On the right pane, right click on any blank space > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value

4. Name the newly created value as: MultipleInstances. Then double click on it to give a value of 1.

And it's done! Now you can have multiple Windows Live Messenger instances running at the same time for different accounts. Note that you may need to turn-off the auto-login feature from WLM to avoid conflict when you enable this multiple accounts feature.

You can find all the links mentioned here:

[ Download Page for Messenger Plus! Live ]

[ Download Page for A-Patch ]

Premium Tricks Under Construction

2010-07-19T16:25:00.005+08:00

pic source: shutterstock.com

Sorry for the 1-week missing! I have been trying to implement some new features in this blog. If you have not noticed yet, there are page navigation, some new Social Networking Sites bookmarking system and a few minor tweaks of HTML code going on in this blog. Therefore you may notice some strange placement of texts or pictures all over the place during the process but don't worry, they are all almost ready.

Just this one particular thing, page navigation, has taken me days (and still going on) to implement. There has been some issues with the script and if you happen to be a blogger too, you know this and may also have had faced the same problem implementing some features as well. Right now, I am still perfecting it..

Fortunately, I can find some good references, best (read: free, effective & efficient) if I can say, for some blogging tips and tricks including all those gadgets and widgets addition for blogger. Do check it out if you are running your own site(s)!

I know there are plenty of sites offering blogger tips and tricks but here are my favorites. You can share yours too if you want.

Abu-Farhan's Tips and Tricks

Muhammad Rias' Resource Portal

Blogger Plugins

And of course, if you need any tutorials or guides from me on how to add some features or gadgets (preferably the ones you can see and find from Premium Tricks) or anything related to Blogger, just drop me an email or use the comment-form below. I will help as far as I can.

If necessary, I do not mind opening a new category on Blogging Tutorials where I posted all of the detailed steps to achieve the same thing you can find here.

And also if you have any inputs for this blog or have something to say, please please, be my guest!

Ways To Download YouTube Videos

2010-07-13T16:17:00.005+08:00

The conventional method is of course, as what I always suggest our readers, by using Internet Download Manager (IDM). Not only it is the fastest, but IDM is also the best download manager available out there because it has a lot of great features suiting every internet users' style of browsing.

So besides using IDM to download YouTube videos, is there any other method to download from YouTube? Today I am going to share some of the easiest methods requiring least effort to do.

1. Download YouTube videos by just typing "pwn" in front of the "youtube.com/". You can read the full article from here: Download YouTube Videos

2. Download YouTube videos using Firefox add-ons. Yes, another add-on for another useful feature. Can you believe it? I think there is nothing you can't do with Firefox due to its rich collection of add-ons.

This add-on can let you download YouTube videos by a single click below the video as FLV, MP4 or 3GP. You can find the add-on and screenshots here:

[ Download & Install Page for 1-Click YouTube Video Download 1.4 ]

[ Direct Installation Link for 1-Click YouTube Video Download 1.4 ]

3. Download and stream YouTube videos using VLC Media Player. Well, this is not considered to be one of the best methods for downloading YouTube videos though if you are not using VLC. The reason I pick VLC is because it supports very wide extensions of movie formats and also comes with support for nearly all codecs. So I also will encourage everyone to try using VLC if you have not.

However if you are a VLC user, you can stream any YouTube videos (and also most of online streaming videos) from Media > Open Network Stream or just by pressing Ctrl+N when you have your VLC open. Then just paste the URL from your address bar of your browser which should look something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXn6DqqreDk&playnext_from=TL&videos=L2Wpck0YYvk&feature=sub

or (it does not matter)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXn6DqqreDk

And press Play button on the "Open Media" window of VLC. Your streaming should start soon and when it has started, from the Tools > Codec Information (Ctrl+J), under "Codec Details" tab, you can find the location URL. Just copy and paste the link to your browser to download a "videoplayback" file.

This "videoplayback" file however, can only be played by VLC. The size of the file downloaded will also be significantly larger than that from IDM. But still, if you do not download many from internet and not using IDM, this method will still work for you.

There are maybe other possible ways to download YouTube videos but as far as I know, these 3 methods are the easiest to do. A lot of sites are also offering free download services like this and probably some other Firefox add-ons too. I just list the most famous ones here for everyone's convenience.

Cannot Delete, Move, Rename Files

2010-07-09T18:46:00.005+08:00

Just a quick post today, Unlocker has released the latest version upgrade of 1.9.0 (as of July 9, 2010). It has just been released a few days ago. Now it has a full support for 64-bit version of Windows and Unlocker may just be your must-have software again.

If you have never heard about Unlocker, this small convenient tool can let you delete, move or rename files that sometimes, your Windows does not allow you to due to many reasons. Should that be the explorer.exe is hogging the files or it is being used by some other running applications. With a simple right click from Unlocker, you can easily investigate why you cannot perform such actions on certain files from your drives.

Here is the changelog for the current Unlocker:

Unlocker 1.9.0 for 32 and 64 bit - 5/7/2010

- New feature: Complete support for 64 bit operating systems with signed driver.
- New language: Basque thanks to Beñat Antxustegi.
- New language: Galician thanks to Delio Docampo Cordeiro.
- New language: Macedonian thanks to Nikola Trencevski.
- New language: Malaysian thanks to Arjuna Puteraz.
- Improved behavior: No false positives for 32 bit version.
- Improved behavior: Handles are now sorted by process instead of appearing in random order when launching Unlocker.
- Improved UI: Locked DLL show as DLL instead of handle number.
- Improved UI: Fixed same process appearing differently depending on cases.
- Promotional feature: Fully optional eBay shortcuts, Bing or Quickstores toolbar depending on location.

You can find the download links and screenshots here:

[ Homepage for Unlocker by Cedrick Collomb ]

[ Direct Download Link for Unlocker 1.9.0 32-bit ] Size: ~992kB

[ Direct Download Link for Unlocker 1.9.0 64-bit ] Size: ~1006kB

Another same tool that can perform just like Unlocker which I am using currently is Lockhunter. I used Lockhunter because Unlocker was not compatible with my laptop that time when I needed to install one. And since it has not given me any problem, I think I won't trouble to change it to anything else at the moment.