COMPUTING

Most days I spend more time at a computer than just about every other single activity. Even though I have been in software development / engineering for nearly thirty years, I still face the same problems that the average computer user faces. Most of those problems are with things that do not come with User Manuals, and to resolve them or work around them usually requires lots of searching, whether in cryptic and disorganized help files or in the vast chaotic world wide web.

If I find a solution while at work, I need a place to store it for when I run into the same (or similar) problem at home. And vice versa. Here is where I store those solutions so that I don't have to do an extensive search for them again.

Computing-related sections on awcfamily.com

My Computing Blog

Portable Apps on a Stick

USB sticks, pen drive, flash drive, smart drive, whatever. Those little things you stick in your USB port and can store files on.

Turns out there are a number of useful applications that run on Windows that can be installed on a USB stick. Once installed on the USB stick, you just take it with you and wherever you go you can stick it in a Windows computer and have access to the programs without having to install anything on someone else’s computer (or on your computer at work). You don’t need “admin” privileges, you don’t leave any trace behind when you leave. All clean and simple.

My USB Installable Applications page details the applications I’ve got on my USB stick.

Note that this will not work on some older USB sticks, but you don’t need a special U3 smart drive (though they may make things a little easier).

awc 2006-07-20 14:36:09

File Extensions

The resource on the internet for file extensions is filext.com. Quoting their site:

A file extension is nothing more than the last characters after the period in the name of a file. For a detailed explanation, examples, and a method of setting your system so that it shows file extensions please see this FAQ.

FILExt is a database of file extensions and the various programs that use them. If you know the file extension you want to learn about simply enter it into the search box on the left and click on the Search button. If it's in any of the FILExt databases the data we have on that file extension will be shown on a results page. If it's not in any of the databases you will be given a link to a page with hints on how to do further research. Don't search on terms; just file extensions and only one at a time please. There will be another search box on the results page if you have multiple searches to do.

It's possible that the search will give you multiple results as there is no central registry for file extensions. If so, you will have some detective work to do; read the results page carefully as there will be hints on how to do this detective work.

awc 2006-09-08 11:16:11

Cleaning up your computer

I have been using CCleaner for a couple of years to periodically clean out much of the kruft that accumulates on my Windows computers. Quoting the blurb from www.ccleaner.com:

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system — allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. But the best part is that it’s fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)

The “less than a second to run” part is probably true if you only have one disk with one partition (i.e. you only have a C: drive); I have had it take as much as a minute on my old 700MHz Pentium III with 384MB RAM computer, with four USB drives attached (three 80GB and one 250GB). The Registry scan also takes longer than a second, but usually less than a minute.

That brings up a point not discussed in the quote: another aspect of CCleaner is its Windows registry cleaner. It is especially useful after you uninstall programs from your computer. For some reason, all uninstallers leave behind some of the registry entries that the uninstalled software created. CCleaner looks through your registry for entries that reference files no longer on your computer, and then gives you the opportunity to delete them. CCleaner gives you the opportunity to back up the entries before deletion, just in case.

Please note: the Windows registry is so centrally vital to Windows, and so fragile, that fiddling with the Windows registry is potentially dangerous, even when using automated tools like CCleaner. See my Disclaimer if you choose to use the Windows registry cleaning capabilities of CCleaner based on this testimonial.

Still, I use CCleaner (and its registry cleaning capability) all the time. I couldn’t give a heartier recommendation than that.

Note: although CCleaner is donation-ware, the installer includes the Yahoo! Toolbar. If you don’t want that, pay attention when installing CCleaner and UNcheck the Yahoo! Toolbar installation option when given the opportunity.