Five free file managers that might make IT pros and power users dump Windows Explorer

The average Windows user would probably never consider using a file manager other than the one built into the operating system — Windows Explorer. But, if you aren't an average Windows users and like to optimise, customise your computers read below. 

• CubicExplorer

This is a full-featured, yet lightweight file manager. This tool has features such as tabbed exploring, bookmark files and folders, search filters, a built-in text editor, file preview, transparency levels for different programs, themes, shortcut key support, breadcrumb navigation, session saving and much more. CubicExplorer is divided into three panels: the Main navigation window, the Navigation tree and the Filter/Preview/Dropstack panel. Now, the first two panels should be familiar to most Windows users and work as you'd expect them to. The Dropstack panel, however, is unique. It lets you drag and drop files or folders into groups for temporary quick access

• Explorer++

Explorer++ offers Tabbed browsing, real-time file previews, keyboard shortcuts, a customisable user interface, full drag-and-drop support and advanced file operations. This file manager is completely self contained means put it on a flash drive, and you'll have it for using on your machine or on any machine you're working with.

• Xplorer²

Xplorer² comes in both free and paid versions. The free (or Lite) version doesn't have the full version's Advanced Search capabilities or come with Customer Support, but you can browse the entire shell namespace, preview documents, pictures, music files and videos, filter files and folders using wildcards, and even synchronise folders.

• NexusFile

This explorer alternative brings a bit of style to Windows. It is skinnable and also offers tabbed browsing, built-in FTP, built-in archive, advanced rename, Split and Join File support, and more. This is probably one of the most powerful Windows file managers out there, but its interface may not be as user friendly when compared with other file managers listed here.

• Q-Dir

Q-Dir, can be installed or used as a portable app from a flash drive. Its features are preview filters, drag and drop support, a screen magnifier, export files in XLS, CVS, TST and HTML formats. Q-Dir's unique feature is the amount of interface control it provides.

 

Via TechRepublic

Resolved: Set Outlook as your Default mail client (MS Office 2010)

Step 1: Click on "File Tab (push button) 

Step 2: Click on "Options

Step 3: Under Startup Options, tick the check box that reads make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar 

Step 4: click on "OK (push button)" in "Outlook Options" 

Download android market place apps for free

This is fun. You must watch it. It really works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tI7VEh17VE&feature=player_embedded

Android Workaround

The following link explains why you should root your Android phone and what benefits you get from it. It includes stopping auto update and other guides. 

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_hack_your_android_phone.php

Interesting links about Galaxy S and Captivate Devices

Easy to use online wizard to mod your favorite device

See:
http://romkitchen.org/

For any of the above two devices try the following link
http://www.theunlockr.com/

Resolved: An error occurred while gathering user information (Thinkvantage System Update)

Make sure you are logged in as an Administrator or a user with administrative rights to apply the following fix.
Step 1
 Remove all previous log files from C:\program files\lenovo\system update\logs

Step 2 

Click Start -> Run -> Secpol.msc

Click Security Options.

Find System cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing and signing

Disable this setting

Step 3

Navigate to:

C:\Program Files\Lenovo\System Update\session\system\SSClientCommon

For 64 bit OS

C:\Program Files (x86)\Lenovo\System Update\session\system\SSClientCommon

Open file MappingInterface.xml using Notepad

Add the following lines:

<OS>

<OSTVIA>WIN7-PRO.SP1</OSTVIA>

<OSeGatherer>

<Name>Windows 7 Professional</Name>

<ServiceRelease>Service Pack 1</ServiceRelease>

</OSeGatherer>

<OSPCDPackSpec>7.SP1</OSPCDPackSpec>

<OSQuest>Windows 7</OSQuest>

</OS>

If you're using other version than Professional, just change WIN7-PRO.SP1 to WIN7-UTL.SP1 etc and 4th line to WINDOWS 7 Ultimate.

You should be able to run the System Update now.

This fix can work for any other Windows Operating systems as long as correct name and version is put into the above code.

For Windows Server 2008, try the following code, I've put together. Bare in mind that it is not tested so please take a back up of the original XML file stated above before making changes on the server.

<OS>

 <OSTVIA>WINSERVER2008-Standard.SP1</OSTVIA>

 <OSeGatherer>

 <Name>Windows Server 2008 Standard</Name>

 <ServiceRelease>Service Pack 1</ServiceRelease>

 </OSeGatherer>

 <OSPCDPackSpec>2008.SP1</OSPCDPackSpec>

 <OSQuest>Windows Server 2008</OSQuest>

</OS>

Solution: Resetting TCP / IP Stack on Windows PC

Below solution is worth a try when you see your computer not connecting to the network even though there is nothing wrong with the cabling and the hardware. Sometimes it is necessary to refresh settings of your networking hardware for it to get going as normal again.

Use netsh utility. Follow the steps below.You must be logged on to the computer as an administrator. The first method uses a Fix it automated solution to reset TCP/IP.

1. At the command prompt, copy and paste (or type) the following command and then press ENTER:
   netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt
   Note If you do not want to specify a directory path for the log file, use the following command:
   netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
2. Reboot the computer.

When you run the reset command, it rewrites two registry keys that are used by TCP/IP. This has the same result as removing and reinstalling the protocol. The reset command rewrites the following two registry keys:

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\ 
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters\ 
				

To run the manual command successfully, you must specify a file name for the log, in which the actions thatnetsh takes will be recorded. When you run the manual command, TCP/IP is reset and the actions that were taken are recorded in the log file, known as resetlog.txt in this article. 

Reference: Microsoft 

Solution: Deleting Sent Emails from Recepient's Mailbox

Open sent Items in MS Outlook

Open email that needs recalling

Click on

Other Actions --> Recall this message

• Select "Delete Unread copies of this message"  
• Tick "Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each receipient"
• Press OK

After this, keep monitoring your mail box and you will see all the ones that have been recalled and also the ones that cannot be recalled.

Solution: Windows Updates not working

To register the Wups2.dll file in Windows, follow these steps:

Step 1: Stop the Automatic Updates service. To do this, follow these steps:

a. Open the Command Prompt window. To do this, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
b. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
net stop wuauserv

Step 2: Register the Wups2.dll file. To do this, follow these steps:

a) At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wups2.dll

Note For a computer that is running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
regsvr32 %windir%\syswow64\wups2.dll

b) Click OK if you receive a verification message.


Step 3: Start the Automatic Updates service. To do this, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER:
net start wuauserv


Step 4: Exit the Command Prompt window. To do this, type exit at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

You should now be able to run Windows Updates on your PC.

Solution: Open and convert .WPS files

Step 1: Download Microsoft Works 6–9 File Converter.

Step 2: Install it

Step 3: Open the .wps file or document

Step 4: Save as latest format document to avoid future compatibility issues

Solution: Updating Global Address List Forced on MS Exchange 2008

Logon to MS Exchange Management Console. Fire following commands one by one

• Get-GlobalAddressList | Update-GlobalAddressList
• Get-AddressList | Update-AddressList

Solution: Crack Excel Spreadsheet Password Protection

Open the workbook that has the protected sheet in it. Hit Alt+F11 to view the Visual Basic Editor. Hit Insert-Module and paste this code into the right-hand code window:

Sub PasswordBreaker()
'Author unknown but submitted by brettdj of www.experts-exchange.com

Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer
Dim l As Integer, m As Integer, n As Integer
Dim i1 As Integer, i2 As Integer, i3 As Integer
Dim i4 As Integer, i5 As Integer, i6 As Integer
On Error Resume Next
For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66
For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For i1 = 65 To 66
For i2 = 65 To 66: For i3 = 65 To 66: For i4 = 65 To 66
For i5 = 65 To 66: For i6 = 65 To 66: For n = 32 To 126


ActiveSheet.Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _
Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _
Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
If ActiveSheet.ProtectContents = False Then
MsgBox "One usable password is " & Chr(i) & Chr(j) & _
Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _
Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1).Select
Range("a1").FormulaR1C1 = Chr(i) & Chr(j) & _
Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _
Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
Exit Sub
End If
Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next


End Sub


Close the VB Editor window. Navigate to the worksheet you want to unprotect. Hit Tools-Macro-Macros and double-click PasswordBreaker in the list.

Note: If you have multiple worksheets in the Excel Workbook, and they all are password protected, you will have to run this macro on each one of them by selecting them individually.

Printing &reg; character in PDF which is created with tcpdf [PHP]

When you create UTF-8 PDF document with tcpdf and you want to write some html symbols then you have to encode that character symbol to utf-8.

e.g.
$description = "Hello &reg; World"
echo str_replace('&reg;', utf8_encode("\xae"), $description);

It will write ® to PDF instead &reg; text. [Output in PDF document : Hello ® world]

'ae' is the hex value of the ® symbol.


For more symbol to hex value please follow this link : http://allwebco-templates.com/support/S_hex.htm

Solved : Reset family setting on xbox 360 slim

Go to the system info screen under console settings. Hit Left trigger, Right trigger, x, y, Left bumper, Right bumper, up, left bumper, left bumper, X.

It will come up asking if you want to reset to factory defaults.

OK go to your dashboard and go to system look for initial setup and click there the thing is though you will lose everything download content music movies etc...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the solution that worked for me. If it does not for you then please add your solution in comment.

-Dharti Patel

Solved : Cannot find Joomla XML setup file

If you get the following message while installation of Phoca Gallery: JInstaller: :Install: Cannot find Joomla XML setup file,
then it seems like your server has a limitation in that it can only
extract or create archives with less files than your OS's file handle
limit. Phoca Gallery is large component which includes more files than
your server is able to unpack (due to the limitation). In such case,
please upload extracted files to your server, to e.g. folder: tmp/phocagallery and use Joomla's Install from Directory feature.

1) Create a folder inside tmp folder in your Joomla! root: tmp/phocagallery (with help of FTP client or some file manager).

2) Extract Phoca Gallery Installation ZIP file on your PC and copy all the files (with help of FTP) to your server, to tmp/phocagallery folder.

3) In your Joomla! administration, navigate to Extensions - Extension Manager - Install. Set the right path in form field: Install Directory (in Install from Directory area). E.g. to /your-path/your-joomla/tmp/phocagallery

4) Click on Install. After installation, don't forget to remove the files in folder tmp/phocagallery (include phocagallery folder).

 

Ref: http://www.phoca.cz/documents/2-phoca-gallery-component/438-cannot-find-joomla-xml-setup-file

 

Tortoise SVN + Beyond Compare integration

Diff:
"C:\Program Files\Beyond Compare 3\BComp.exe" %base %mine /title1=%bname /title2=%yname /leftreadonly

Merge (v3 Pro):
"C:\Program Files\Beyond Compare 3\BComp.exe" %mine %theirs %base %merged /title1=%yname /title2=%tname /title3=%bname /title4=%mname

Merge (v3 Std):
"C:\Program Files\Beyond Compare 3\BComp.exe" %mine %theirs /mergeoutput=%merged

How to Add Custom Alarm Ringtones in Android

If you are a proud owner of an Android phone and also a heavyalarm clock user, you will know that the default alarm clock app in Android phone does not provides you with lot of options, especially the ringtone. If you are looking to choose from a wide range of songs/ringtones that you are going to wake up with, you are going to be disappointed. There are effectively only one option (another is silent mode) and that is the irritating buzzer alarm.

Luckily, it is very easy to add custom ringtones to your alarm clock, so you don’t have to wake up with the irritating buzzer alarm.

1. First connect your Android phone to the computer, via USB cable.

2. Mount your phone’s SD card to the computer.

3. Create a new folder call “alarms” (without the quotes) in the main directory of the SD card.

4. Copy all your favorite alarm clock ringtones to the folder.

5. Unmount the card.

6. Start the alarm clock app. You should now see your favorite ringtone in the selection field.

The same trick can also apply to the call ringtone and notification tone. Simply create two folders, “ringtones” and “notifications” and place the songs in them. They will appear in the respective settings of your phone.

Ref: http://maketecheasier.com/add-custom-alarm-ringtone-in-android/2010/01/08

Syed Hosting + SSH setup

By default with any of their plans SSH service is not included.( Although you are allowed the setup using cPanel, that will not work)

On the 27/04/2011 in chat the support guy informed that this service can be added at $10/ year additional charge.

www.syedhosting.com.au (At present their servers are in US, although the company is Aussie)


- Dharti