ANOTHER FIRST HANDSHAKE : OFFICE 2010

1. After a week long handshake with Windows 7 and some interaction with my microsoft acquaintance who told me further about release of beta version of Office 2010.So being on leave allows me to explore this also.So I downloaded the same today and for the first time the software installed on Windows 7 smoothly in about 20 minutes.....i don't know why it took so long.

2. The beta release of the software is known as Technical Preview Office 2010.

3. A quick glance on all of the packages in form of Word,Powerpoint etc gave a glance of new features and few new menu's,though not yet explored look good.....will give some insight in days to come

WINDOWS 7 : MY FIRST HANDSHAKE-4 - THE SNIPPING TOOL

1. This one is surely going to be one of the most HIT feature of Windows 7.This feature allows users to capture , edit and share information of web and local pictures (images).Snipping allows you to send the capture image/text to anyone using the option listed on the menu options.This allows user to save the selected portion in any of the formats PNG,GIF,JPEG & MHT.

2. To explain it in a simpler way.What we used to earlier till Vista when we wanted a screen shot.Four steps :

- Press print screen

- Go to Paint Brush

- Do paste

- Save in desired format

3. This is now replaced by one click on the snipping tool...all steps done in one click.No print screen,no opening of paint brush,no paste,no saving.So time saved is time gained.

WINDOWS 7 : MY FIRST HANDSHAKE-3- THE PASSWORD RESET DISK

1. When you protect your Windows 7 user account by assigning a password to it, you have the option of creating a password hint.(NOTHING NEW). Windows 7 displays the password hint if you enter an incorrect password. If you didn’t save a password hint, or if you can’t remember the password even with the help of the hint, you can reset your password—but only if you have created a password reset disk(THE NEW THING). I used to earlier do this with a GATE CRASH CD.You can create this disk on either a USB flash drive or a floppy disk, but not on a CD. Don't think you will ever lose or forget your password? It might sound unlikely, but it can happen, especially in an environment that requires you to change your password on a regular basis. Creating a password reset disk is a simple precaution that might save you a lot of grief.

2. To create a password reset disk:

a. Connect a USB flash drive, or insert a disk into your computer's floppy disk drive.

b. In Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety, and then click User Accounts. Then in the Tasks list, click Create a password reset disk.

c. The Forgotten Password wizard starts.

d. On the Welcome page, click Next.

e. On the Create a Password Reset Disk page, select the USB flash drive or floppy disk drive you want to use, and then click Next.

f. On the Current User Account Password page, enter the password you use to log on to Windows 7, and then click Next.

g. When the progress bar displays 100% complete, click Next. Then on the Completing the Forgotten Password Wizard page, click Finish.

3. To reset your password by using a password reset disk:

a. On the Windows 7 Welcome screen, enter a blank password into the password box, and then press Enter or click the Go button. Windows informs you that the user account name or password is incorrect.

b. Click OK to return to the Welcome screen, and then click the Reset password link that appears below the password box. The Password Reset wizard starts.

c. On the Welcome page, click Next.

d. On the Insert the Password Reset Disk page, select the USB flash drive or floppy disk drive you want to use. Insert the password reset disk into the drive, and then click Next.

e. On the Reset the User Account Password page, enter a new password and password hint, and then click Next.

f. On the Completing the Forgotten Password Wizard page, click Finish.

WINDOWS 7 : MY FIRST HANDSHAKE-2

1. Continuing further exploring Windows 7 was a good expereince and has started looking promising to me.

2. Windows explorer : Windows Explorer has also been modified. New commandbar, new left-side pane containing Libraries, Favorites, etc, new Details Pane, a few new options in "View" menu like Content and at last re-sizable Searchbar.

3. Installation did not ask many questions nor did it take much time...may 30-35 minutes...i was on the desktop.

4. Desktop context menu is similar to earlier OS but addends 2 new choioces which are :

a Share with

b. Gadgets

5. Control Panel window has also been redesigned. The left sidebar takes lesser space and resizes itself whenever any control panel item is opened in the window which provides more space.

6. Calculator is a thing that I have left for now for it needs to be worked on with few examples with new features.For now I would just add that PROGRAMMER and STATISTICS are two new menu options that have been added.

7. Outlook Express is not seen till now and has been done away with!!!!

8. More will be added as I explore more!!!!!!!

WINDOWS 7 : MY FIRST HANDSHAKE-1

1. In further exploring Windows 7,few more facts that have come to my knowledge include the following:

2. Minimum configuration :

• GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)

• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)

• 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of available disk space (64-bit)

• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

3. Task bar Classic style is out.

4. Sticky notes is a new permanent feature which was earlier an optional gadget in Vista.Once clicked,it gets a little yellow notepad and one can type short note for own reference and mailing.Pic of sticky note yellow window from my laptop is shown inset.

5. A lot has been put in renovation and refurbhishment of taskbar.The taskbar at the bottom of the screen is what one used to launch and switch programs between them. In Windows 7 one can pin any program to the taskbar so it’s always just a click away, icons can be rearranged just by clicking and dragging. Hovering over the icons will make thumbnails appear of every file or window that is open in that program.But the over all effect is not looking so appealing till now 2 me.

6. Speed for reaching desktop while start and reaching in off mode while shut down is relatively much much faster.

WINDOWS 7 : MY FIRST HANDSHAKE

1. After a long time about 4 months in which I didn't get much time to work on this and after 3 unsucessful attempts...i mean 3 infected downloads....I am finally writing this from the new Beta OS Windows 7......yes the successor to Windows VISTA!!!!!!!

2. Till now I have been able to load the chipset dvr, graphics card driver,office 2007 and one F Secure Antivirus Internet edition for windows 7.No compatability issues and first impression is generally OK till now......one bad thing is shayaad that wondows classic style has been done away with!!!!

3. In a few days more...i will be writing more about whats new and different in Windows 7 when compared to Vista!!!!!!!!

E WASTE

1.         I earlier attempted to discuss on this subject when I wrote on Guiyu few weeks back.But I had not written anything on what India has been doing on the subject matter except for some one liner remark at the end.But that was because I did not find anything of weight anywhere. Recently I found some useful content at http://india.ewasteguide.info/. 

2.         This site mentions about  K.G.NANDINI ENTERPRISES (KGN) based in Bangalore which is India's first full integrated electronic waste recycling plant. The Plant is located in Bidadi, next to Wonderla and has a capacity of 1.0 ton per hour. KGN has taken the license (CFE & CFO) from KSPCB for a capacity of 7200 MT/annum and does accept all kind of ewaste (printed circuit boards, computers, electrical cables, electrical transformers, small house hold appliances etc.).

 

3.         In a first step hazardous wastes or elements are removed manually. Loading point of the plant is the shredder. The reduced material is then passing a magnet, FE parts are removed. Afterwards the material enters the delamination mill, the heart of the process. Very high forces affect the composite materials and are thereby reduced and delaminated. The material is pneumatically transported from the mill to a cyclone, is discharged and conveyed to a screening machine. The classified material is transferred to a battery of separators; non ferrous metals are separated from plastics. All process steps are connected by conveyors, are automated and controlled by visualization. A central filter system, which is equipped with explosion and fire safety measures, de-dust the entire process. The equipment reflects the state-of-the-art technology had has been developed and provided by swissRTec AG from Switzerland.

4.         This is one acchi baat I thought is good to share!!!!

Chinese Mobile - Death or Life :The answer is finally LIFE

1. While doing a course in Sec'bad many of my colleagues purchased cheap but high in functions chinese brand mobile phones.There were few reactions in form of a anticipatory ban in few months from date of purchase since they do not have IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers and posed a serious security risk. ......but those who chose to buy it were ready  for the risk.....then finally the news came out in media that with effect from Apr 15 09 this year about 16 million handsets would go  out of service , as GSM service providers, including Airtel and Vodafone pull the plug on them. 

2. The verdict is finally out.The government has given a go-ahead to GSM operators to provide a new unique identification number to over 16 million China-made mobile phones in the country. Users of these handsets, which don’t have the 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, will have to shell out about Rs 180 to obtain the number. This has been made possible with the help of a new software, developed by GSM operators’ body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and Mobile Standards Alliance of India.The association has obtained the IMEI numbers from GSMA, the global body that allocates these numbers.

3. Thanks TOI InfoTech Tab.

USB Bootable Vista

1. For long I have been trying to find out and try ....infact have already tried many options on how to make a pendrive bootable till one day I got in touch with the link http://kmwoley.com/blog/?p=345#more-345

2. I could not find out 50% of the meaning of the commands that I blindly typed and followed as per the screen shots available....but finally I could make one.

3. Simple steps ,no need to worry about screwing up your system......no probs at all...it all goes smoothly.Extract is produced below for dispersion.

4. Required hardware :

• USB Flash Drive (4GB+)
• Microsoft OS Disk (Vista / Windows 7)
• A computer running Vista / Windows 7

Step 1: Format the Drive
The steps here are to use the command line to format the disk properly using the diskpart utility. [Be warned: this will erase everything on your drive. Be careful.]

1. Plug in your USB Flash Drive
2. Open a command prompt as administrator (Right click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”
3. Find the drive number of your USB Drive by typing the following into the Command Prompt window:
   diskpart
   list disk
   The number of your USB drive will listed. You’ll need this for the next step.  I’ll assume that the USB flash drive is disk 1.
4. Format the drive by typing the next instructions into the same window. Replace the number “1” with the number of your disk below.
   select disk 1
   clean
   create partition primary
   select partition 1
   active
   format fs=NTFS
   assign
   exit
   When that is done you’ll have a formatted USB flash drive ready to be made bootable.

Step 2: Make the Drive Bootable 
Next we’ll use the bootsect utility that comes on the Vista or Windows 7 disk to make the flash drive bootable.  In the same command window that you were using in Step 1:

1. Insert your Windows Vista / 7 DVD into your drive.
2. Change directory to the DVD’s boot directory where bootsect lives:
   d:
   cd d:\boot
3. Use bootsect to set the USB as a bootable NTFS drive prepared for a Vista/7 image. I’m assuming that your USB flash drive has been labeled disk G:\ by the computer:
   bootsect /nt60 g:
4. You can now close the command prompt window, we’re done here.

Step 3: Copy the installation DVD to the USB drive
The easiest way is to use Windows explorer to copy all of the files on your DVD on to the formatted flash drive.  After you’ve copied all of the files the disk you are ready to go.

Step 4: Set your BIOS to boot from USB
This is where you’re on your own since every computer is different. Most BIOS’s allow you to hit a key at boot and select a boot option.

HP and VLC at logger heads?

1. One fine evening last week,suddenly my speakers of laptop dozed of permanently...I mean no sound output.I took it as a regular audio driver conflict since I keep installing and uninstalling softwares on my laptop.So in next few days...i tried fiddling with the drivers....did fresh installations...but kuch kaam na aaaya!!!

2. Since I am addicted to keep the speakers ON for music everytime I am working,I thought the layman's idea of formatting would come as the best and easiest solution...so I went ahead and formatted the system and installed a fresh Vista premium OS.But.......sameproblem stood again.....I thought may be my speakers have conked off............which is unlikely otherwise........

3. Today came another close friend of mine Sunil with a similar problem....in his notebook Compaq.He gave me an astoundingly unbelievable news......that after he called up his HP auth dealer with the problem he got this answer ........"The laptop will not cover under warranty if its identified that the diagonse report finds the user used the VLC player.".............

4. Shocking indeed for me..............I have been using VLC Player of and on with media player classic at times regularly.When I googled on this i got few threads which said the same thing.......these threads include the following links :

a. http://www.infoinfi.com/2009/01/29/hp-and-vlc-player-on-conflict/

b. http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=57589

5. So did i screw my speakers because of VLC ? Pl answer...............any one....?????

6. The extract of one of the threads is reproduced below :

" The Biggest Computer system vendor HP (Hewlett Packard) reporting their laptop customers to not to use VLC Player.VLC Player is the popular open source video player software among a lot of computer users. Recently HP laptop users facing a inbuilt speaker problem, which is often getting malfunction across the users. The official HP service center executives advicing the laptop users to stop using the VLC player to watch, play media files. They reporting that playing a media files using VLC Player causing the damage to the built in speakers.As an additional information the official HP service center executives informing the customers bring the laptop to service for the build in speaker problem that , “the laptop will not cover under warranty if its identical that the diagonse report finds the user used the VLC player.” "

WORK : New Definition

1. The Center for Disease Control has issued a medical alert about a highly contagious, potentially dangerous virus that is transmitted orally, by hand, and even electronically.  This virus is called Weekly Overload  Recreational Killer (WORK).  If you receive WORK from your boss, any of your colleagues or anyone else via any means whatsoever -DO NOT TOUCH IT!!!This virus will wipe out your private life entirely.  If you should come into contact with WORK you should immediately leave the premises and do the following : 

a. Take two good friends to the nearest liquor store and purchase one or both of the antidotes

 i. Work Isolating Neutralizer Extract (WINE) 

 ii. Bothersome Employer Elimination Re-booter (BEER).

b. Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.

3. You should immediately forward this link to friends and save their lives before they get infected with WORK....thanks manish for fwd!!!