by Jason Prahl | Apr 30, 2007 | Blog, Computer Tips, Microsoft Windows
One thing about Firefox that’s always bugged me is the inability to access links to files and folders using file://.
After some research it appears that this ability is disabled for security reasons. Fair enough, but I want to use it at work.
I have a page on my Intranet with links to installations and folders but they are all located on network shares, not hosted by
So, to enable this you have to add a file to your Firefox profile called user.js
To do it just make a new empty text file and name it user.js
If you already have a user.js file you can edit it and add the following lines:
user_pref(“capability.policy.policynames”, “offlineok”);
user_pref(“capability.policy.offlineok.sites”, “http://YourDomain.com”);
user_pref(“capability.policy.offlineok.sites”, “http://YourOtherDomain.com”);
user_pref(“capability.policy.offlineok.checkloaduri.enabled”, “allAccess”);
Now when you click on a “File://” link from one of the specified domains it will allow it to be accessed.
One think to keep in mind when making links to use this way, Firefox wants the “File://” link to look like this: “File://///” when linking to a file or folder on a network share. When linking to a local file or folder you can just use the “File://”
Note: Sometimes when copying code like the above the quotation marks can get changed by different browsers and text editors, so if it’s not working when you put it into the user.js file check that the quotation marks are normal.
by Jason Prahl | Apr 20, 2007 | Blog, Computer Tips, Microsoft Windows
I’ve been using Windows Vista on my laptop for several months now and each time I go to copy files from another networked machine it tends to take a really long time. Sometimes it’ll say “Calculating remaining time…” and it will never finish, it doesn’t even time out after sitting there trying to calculate how long it’s going to take to copy 100mb across the network. I’ve noticed this happening from time to time on copying files from my laptop to an external hard drive or usb thumb drive as well. I didn’t experience this issue when I had XP loaded on my laptop so I figured it ruled out a hardware issue. I checked the DMA settings for my laptop’s hard drive and it had DMA enabled like I would expect it to.
Finally I had grown to tired of this slowness so I jumped on Google and went through several forums and tried several different fixes, non of which helped. Then I found my way to this Microsoft hotfix that basically said it’s an issue with Vista, there’s a hotfix for it but you have to contact Microsoft support to get it. They also said that you should just wait for the first service pack of Vista, but this issue has been bugging me to much to wait and Microsoft didn’t want to give up the hotfix. I didn’t really feel like calling Microsoft Support and being on the phone forever etc.
Back to Google I go and I found the hotfix available for download from theHotfixshare.net. Sure enough the hotfix worked and my file transfers, particularly network transfers, are a lot faster. They don’t like you to link directly to the hotfix, so I won’t link directly to it, but if you goto their site and goto downloads, then select “language neutral” then Vista. Search for KB931770 you’ll find it on that page.
Since you never know how long a site might be around I’m putting the hotfix on my site for download as well. I take no responsibility for what this might do to your computer, so don’t whine to me if it messes something up. It worked fine on my Alienware laptop with Vista Home Premium on it. Get it here.
Globe icon downloaded from here.
by Jason Prahl | Apr 14, 2007 | Blog, Wallpaper
I purchased a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta last week so I wanted a VW logo wallpaper!
I’m lovin the new car, my old one was ready to retire! :)
by Jason Prahl | Mar 24, 2007 | Blog, Photography
I’ve always liked shots that have the water looking like silk, especially waterfalls. Early on I figured out I could get this effect by doing a long exposure, but it had to be done in lower light. This usually meant hanging around the water area at sunset. Otherwise there’s just too much light and it all gets blown out.
Then I purchased a Polarizer filter because I read somewhere that it would do something cool, I don’t remember what or why but I did. The polorizer is a handy filter that really makes the sky pop and cuts down on reflected glare. Anyways I found that I didn’t have to have as dark a setting to get the cool water effect.
Then I read about the Neutral Density filter which worked even better. The Neutral Density filter basically allows you to slow the shutter speed down even more.
So, today I was out shooting and was around a waterfall, but it was noon and the sun was at it’s high point making it hard to get that cool silky effect. So I stacked the Polarizer and the Neutral Density filter on top of each other and was able to shoot at a slow shutter speed without blowing alot of the water out!
by Jason Prahl | Mar 18, 2007 | Blog, Computer Tips, Microsoft Windows
I kept getting this annoying “Com surrogate has stopped…” error that’s been driving me crazy. After a Google search I found a couple of possible culprits.
The first suggestion was to install the latest version of DivX because the problem stems from browsing folders with divx encoded videos. I did this and it didn’t fix it. As a matter of fact the latest version of Divx (Codec 6.5.1) states during the installation that it’s not 100% compatible with Vista. Am I the only one who finds this incompatibility a bit wierd? Vista’s been in beta for several years and it’s been released since November (for OEM’s at least).
Anyways, updating Divx didn’t help.
I also found a suggestion to update Nero to the latest version and this did the trick for me. I had some issues during the update with some things not registering correctly, but finally got through that and the COM error is gone.
Fix found here.
Update 6/3/08: I ran into this again for some reason and this time I don’t even have Nero installed. A little more searching turned up a suggestion to update the ffdshow codec set. I installed it from here and it fixed the problem again.
by Jason Prahl | Mar 8, 2007 | Blog, Computer Hardware
I’m a keyboard junkie. I don’t like using the same keyboard for very long. Up to this time my favorite was the Microsoft Ergonomic 4000. I’ve jumped back and forth from Microsoft Keyboards to Logitech Keyboards.
So, I’ve picked up Microsoft’s latest keyboard and I absolutely love it. I’ve always liked typing on laptops better than standard keyboards. I just like the feel of the keys on most laptops. If only the laptop’s keyboard was shaped more like the ergonomic type. The Microsoft Entertainment Desktop 7000 is, in my opinion, a combination of laptop keyboard with the ergonomic shape. However it does not share the shape of most ergonomic keyboards in that this one is flat and not raised. As a matter of fact it’s the flattest free standing keyboard I’ve ever used.
Add to this shape the fact that it’s wireless, has a built in touchpad (not your normal touchpad though), built in media player keys and comes with a wireless mouse. Now, I’ve never been to high on bluetooth keyboards and mice. My experience with them has never been overly positive, right up to recently when I tried Logitech’s Cordless Desktop MX. I quickly got rid of that because of general weirdness and connectivity issues. But so far the Microsoft 7000 has been painless. I’ve been using one at home as a replacement to the Microsoft Media Center keyboard and am lovin it there too!
At home I’ve been using it in conjunction with Vista Media Center and have had no troubles there either. The Media Center keyboard was IR based and I constantly had issues with the built in mouse not functioning smoothly. The shape of the Microsoft 7000 also lends itself to operating from a lap better than the Media Center keyboard as well.
One downfall, which I haven’t missed much, is the fact that the Microsoft 7000 doesn’t have a number pad. It does have a function key and like a laptop several of the right side keys double as number pad, but I haven’t figured out how to make the number pad part work without having to hold down the function key manually. It’s probably something I’m just not doing right, but I haven’t needed it enough to try and figure it out.
The mouse uses a standard AA rechargeable battery and has a small base to dock it with to recharge the battery. All of the wireless mice I’ve used are always too heavy compared to wired mice. This one is not as light as a wired mouse, but very close. It’s the first wireless mouse that I can use for an extended period of time and not notice the difference. The keyboard uses 4 standard AA batteries.
Overall I deem this keyboard the best one ever built! At least until the Microsoft Entertainment 8000 comes out, although it’s shape and design is just like the 7000 with some enhancements like backlit keys and rechargeable keyboard and a higher price of course!
by Jason Prahl | Feb 22, 2007 | Blog, Computer Tips, Microsoft Windows
This probably won’t be beneficial to many people, but I ran into an issue with getting Visual Studio 2005 Professional version installed. Now, this is the Open License version and doesn’t apply to retail versions of the product. So, the problem was that the installation was prompting me for a product key. No problem, I thought, we purchase all of our Microsoft products under their open license program. We are a non profit organization so we fall under their charity pricing which saves us a ton of money.
Normally when a Microsoft product prompts me for a product key and I don’t have it I simply goto eopen.microsoft.com which has all of our licensed products listed with their product keys. Well, the Visual Studio 2005 didn’t have a product key listed. After searching and poking around I broke down and called Microsoft. I got transferred to 6 different people and finally got a guy who said “it shouldn’t be prompting you for a product key.”
Ummm…ok. He said I probably already had a trial version installed so it thought I was upgrading and that’s why it was prompting for a product key. Well as it turns out he was partially right. Somewhere along the line I had installed “Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.” I don’t even know what that was for, I certainly don’t have a clue about C++ but once that was removed the Visual Studio 2005 installed without a problem.
Update 3/8/07: I’ve also since found that trying to install Visual Studio 2005 from a local copy of the install CD will also make it prompt for a product key. In the past I’ve copied the full CDs for Visual studio (which I legally own) to my hard drive and installed from there as I hate trying to round up all the cd’s for software when I reload my computer. I found some directions for copying and running the install from a network storage, but didn’t want to take the time to go through them all.
by Jason Prahl | Feb 6, 2007 | Blog, Miscellaneous
I’ve had my Zune now for several months, well, since it came out in November to be exact. I still love the Zune as much as when I first cracked open the box. I use it nearly everyday either for music, videos and I’ve actually started using the FM radio everynow and then when I just can’t find music that I really want to listen to. I love it so much that I ventured into modding and replaced the 30gb hard drive for a 80gb.
I’ve found one feature about the Zune that I really like is the ability to change the wallpaper on it. I’m a wallpaper freak, I change the wallpaper on my laptop and 3 other PC’s at least as much as I change my underwear! I started making my own wallpapers, but just wasn’t digging those as much. Then I found ThemeZune.com and was able to get my wallpaper fix and show my Zune some wallpaper love. They have tons of Zune sized wallpapers arranged by type. There are enough wallpapers on there to suite just about everyone.
by Jason Prahl | Feb 2, 2007 | Blog, Miscellaneous
I think the recent cold weather here has frozen my blog as well as my photoblog. We had a nasty ice storm spell during which we went without power for 12 days. Going that long without being able to flip on a light switch, plug my laptop into a wall outlet and turn on the stove to cook whenever we please was a strange experience. You just don’t realize just how dependent we spoiled gadget freaks are on electricity. I found myself thinking, “I’ll just jump on the internet and…oh wait, I can’t get on the internet.” I don’t know how many times I walked into a room and flipped the light switch and thought “man, I need to change that light bulb…oh wait, not I don’t.”
On another note I picked up a Wii and have to say that I’m impressed. The Wii Sports is a great game that my whole family really enjoys. The idea of actually getting up off the couch to play video games is just awesome. The news channel on the Wii is cool too. You can sit and have news headlines on the screen along with a globe that spins to where the current news headline is from. This spinning globe is used in the weather channel on the Wii as well and is equally as impressive. Surfing the internet on the Opera browser that you can download for the Wii works really well. I think it’s worth mentioning that when I read that Nintendo had changed the name of it’s next console from Revolution to Wii I was convinced that they had shot themselves in the foot and I remember predicting that the thing would not make it. Boy was I wrong and boy do I like this machine. Sorry Sony, I’ll pass on the PS3. Although I still want a XBox360 just for the cool menu system alone! :)
by Jason Prahl | Jan 20, 2007 | Blog, Miscellaneous
Still have ice…still have no power at home…still no internet either…today more snow falling…blah
The above picture and these pictures that Brandon took pretty much sums it up.
