RyanTAdams.com

If you are having issues with Windows Update, particularly having the installation of updates constantly failing, you can try the following fix:

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Flash is a programming language that many publishers use to create animations, games, and interactive programs for the web. Flash is also used for programs run locally on a users computer. To use these Flash based programs and web applets, the end-user must have Flash Player installed. One component of Flash Player is a file called [...]

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When using the Windows Recovery console, you are normally prompted for the password of the administrator account. Without this password, the recovery console will not load. In some situations, the Recovery Console won’t accept the password you provide even if it’s correct. If this is the case, or if you simply don’t know the Administrator’s [...]

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Windows Messenger, the instant message client created by Microsoft, is installed by default with Windows XP. Even if you don’t want to use Windows Messenger, it will automatically load every time you start your computer. Removing it is difficult, as it does not appear in the standard Add/Remove Programs control panel applet. Additionally, if you [...]

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Windows XP SP3 fixes many things. But it also removes the Internet Explorer icon form the desktop and the “address bar” toolbar from the taskbar. If you want to restore your Internet Explorer icon, check out this guide. If you want the address bar back, keep reading.

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MP3Gain is a graphical program for volume normalizing MP3 files. MP3Gain analyzes and adjusts mp3 files so that they have the same volume.

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In addition to the few additions included with SP3 for Windows XP, Microsoft also removed a few features. Apparently in connection with its European anti-trust settlement, Microsoft’s latest service pack tries to “deintegrate” Internet Explorer from the operating system. As such, many users will notice their Internet Explorer icon is missing from the desktop after [...]

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If you’re like me, your computer is a container for everything from your DVD and music collection, to family photos and financial documents. And, if you are one of the estimated 75% of users who don’t backup their data regularly, a computer crash can cost you time, sanity, and potentially lots of money. The good [...]

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I remember loving the Game “Snails” when I bought it for my Windows Mobile PDA many years ago. Snails is similar in game play to the classic PC game series “Worms.” When I switched to the Palm-based Treo smart-phone 3 years ago I missed the game. I tried several demo’s and was unable to get [...]

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If your computer is slower than the day you bought it, there is a problem. Unlike mechanical devices, a computer’s performance doesn’t degrade from wearing out. Any change in performance is due to software (the operating system, programs you have installed, etc.). The good news is, troubleshooting and fixing a slow computer is easy and [...]

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Ever need to save a file (such as a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or picture) as a PDF? Adobe Acrobat (NOT the free “Acrobat Reader”, but “Acrobat”) includes tools to create a PDF from any file. However, if you don’t own Acrobat, you can still create PDF files for free.

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It seems that there are some issues with the new image/media uploader in Wordpress 2.5. The following are some of the issues users have experienced:

Upload progress gets “stuck”
Upload fails with an HTTP error
Upload box does not appear at all
If the upload window does appear, images can’t be managed or added

I personally was getting unable to [...]

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Ubuntu 7 runs great inside of Virtual PC 2007, at least once you get it installed. The installation would turn away most new Linux users since, by default, neither the graphics or mouse work. Not being able to see or interact with the installer is obviously a major issue. With a few simple text commands [...]

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When you install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 on your computer, the SP1 installer will not remove the older versions of Vista files from the hard drive. These older are required if you decide to uninstall SP1. If you are satisfied with the performance of Windows Vista SP1 and don’t plan on removing it, you can [...]

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FairUse typically comes in two varieties. There’s a free version that limits your target file size to 700MB and a full version which has no file size limits. Now, for a limited time, the full version of FairUse Wizard 2.8 is available as a free download.

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When you start your computer, you may receive one of the following error messages:

STOP: 0×0000007B (parameter1, parameter2, parameter3, parameter4)
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
Setup has encountered a fatal error that prevents it from continuing.
Contact your product support representative for assistance. The following status will assist them in diagnosing the problem.
(0×4, 0×1, 0, 0)
Setup cannot continue. Power down or reboot your [...]

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NVBackup is a backup utility for NVFS-based PDAs: Palm T5, LifeDrive, TX, TE2, Treo 650, Treo 700P. Unlike commercial backup utilities that access data via the database cache, this reads data direct out of the flash disk where it is store. This seems to be the best backup utility in terms of restoring the exact state [...]

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If you use Outlook and you’ve noticed it being excessively slow or just having errors, you should probably scan and repair your Personal Folders file for any problems. It’s sorta like checkdisk for your email client.

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OpenWithView is a small utility that displays the list of all available applications in the ‘Open With’ dialog-box of Windows, and allows you to easily disable/enable the applications in the list. When application is disabled, it won’t be displayed in the ‘Other Programs’ section of the ‘Open With’ dialog-box.

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The Quick Launch toolbar (which can be enabled by right-clicking on the taskbar, clicking “Toolbars”, and then clicking “Quick Launch) by default contains a shortcut to instantly minimize all open windows and show the desktop. It is possible to accidentally move or delete this shortcut. If you have accidentally removed the shortcut and want it back, use [...]

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To comply with current Internet standards, Internet Explorer (Internet Explorer 5.5, Internet Explorer 5.01, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP, Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003, Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003 IA64) limits the number of simultaneous downloads (from the same server) to [...]

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SurveillanceSaver is a screen-saver which displays a live feed from one of over 600 security cameras worldwide. Whenever your screen saver turns on you will find your computer displaying live events from a multitude of locations. The screen-saver is a Google Code project and can be downloaded from the site or locally here.
 

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 PSPad is my favorite text editor. I use it for everything from PHP coding to opening unknown file types. MUCH better than Notepad or Wordpad.

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In Windows XP, for most of the events Event Viewer would add at the end the following sentence:
“For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.”
If one clicks on this link, another window will open with information that will be submitted to the site. The main problem is that in 99% of the cases, [...]

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All versions of the Windows operating system support “hidden” files and folders. When a file or folder is marked as hidden, it will (by default) not be visible to the user. Files are often hidden to prevent accidental deletion or editing of important system files by the user. Sometimes it is necessary to view hidden [...]

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