turbopowerdmaxsteel

On the first of this month I benchmarked my system running on Win XP using FreshDiagnose. The Hard Disk Benchmark showed 32 MB/s Write Speed & 40 MB/s Read Speed for my first Hard Drive & 35 MB/s by 51 MB/s for the second. Since yesterday all the operations on the first HDD (360 GB) have become extremely slow. A ~700 MB file copy operation on the same drive which used to take less than a minute, now requires 7-10 minutes. I tried re-fitting the SATA & power cables for the drives but that didn't help. The other drive (80 GB) is working fine. A dying drive is out of the question as the drive is no more than a month old. Also, the benchmark & performance under Vista are normal.The benchmark results for the drive are: 3 MB/s Write Speed & 125 MB/s Read Speed. I did some testing on the 80 GB drive by first disabling 'Write Behind Caching' on the disk. The benchmark results for this drive were now similar: 5 MB/2 Write Speed & 140 MB/s Read Speed. On turning the 'Write Behind Caching' for this drive the speed was back to normal. It seemed obvious that this setting had got turned off for the 360 GB HDD. But, it was not. I tried disabling and re-enabling it followed by countless restarts. But nothing has helped.This problem surfaced for the first time a few weeks ago. On that occasion, I was somehow able to get things back to normal. This time, however, none of these (including Scandisk & Defragment) are working.

Anti-viruses are becoming more and more resource intensive, Norton Antivirus being the most hungry one. Its not feasable to use it on systems like mine (Intel P4 3.0 HT, 1 GB RAM). The slowdowns were so annoying that I decided not to keep any of them (Anti-viruses). I do install any of the evaluation versions from various vendors, once in a while and do a full system scan; after which they go back to the bin.McAfee is one of the most lightweight products out there. My personal favorite happens to be Panda Antivirus which uses various kinds of herustic scans to detect even the newest of viruses. Also, its much lighter than Norton.

I am trying to create a new theme for Maxotek. I have removed the dark colors that exist at the current site and have opted for one that goes easy on the eyes. The new design can be found at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/. It is far from being complete and I am starting to have seconds thoughts on whether I should fall back to the dark colors. What do you guys think?

The problem is with the spaces in the filename. I have done some testing and come up with this:- RewriteEngine OnRewriteRule YCC(.*)Bot(.*)Maker(.*)1\.2\.rar$ /Files/YCC$1Yahoo$1Bot$1Maker$12.0.zip [R] I couldn't find any other way to include the whitespace in the RewriteRule substitue parameter (/Files/YCC$1Yahoo$1Bot$1Maker$12.0.zip). So, I memorized the space using the (.*) in the expression and substituted the space using $1. Let the .htaccess file be in the Files subdirectory.

The CPU fan adjusts its speed depending on the heat generated by the processor which is directly proportional to it's usage. The 16-bit programs including the BIOS and its Power On Self Test program put a lot of load on the CPU and hence the fan speeds up during the initial stages of booting. Follow these steps to pinpoint the problem:- Processor & Board 1. Disconnect everything from the motherboard. 2. Install the CPU and the heatsink. Make sure there is enough thermal paste between the CPU and the heatsink. If you wipied it during the cleaning process, get some from the store and re-apply it uniformly on top of the processor. 3. Connect the power supply and try to bootup the system. 4. If the system speaker beeps, it means your processor and board are fine. If not, it is most likely that there is a problem with the CPU. Try the process with a different CPU or try the CPU on a different motherboard. The RAM 5. Connect the RAM. 6. Connect the monitor and try booting. Also, try juggling between the slots. 7. If you are able to access the BIOS then the problem is with something else. Now continue the process by connecting the devices one by one and trying to boot up each time. As mentioned by faulty.lee, if you hear beeps from the onboard speaker, refer to the manual.

Here I am posting the full solution to my own problem. Maybe this will help out some beginners. And no, it didn't take me a year and a half to figure this one out, thanks to MSDN. Its just that I didn't bother to look into this once I had the answer. Anyways, here goes it. As said by Muhammad, the trick is in using the Control.BeginInvoke (or Control.Invoke) method to force the method to be executed in the same thread as that of the control. The difference between Invoke and BeginInvoke is that the former is synchronous while the latter is asynchronous. Using BeginInvoke makes more sense as the whole idea is to create efficient multi-threaded application. BeginInvoke starts a new thread passing along a delegate object of the method to be invoked and the parameters to be passed to it. In this case, the BeginInvoke method of the owner Form has to be called from the test class. So, we include an ISynchronizeInvoke parameter in the constructor of the class which is then stored in a member variable. The ISynchronizeInvoke Interface must be implemented in-order to execute a delegate asynchronously. Thankfully, this has been done in the System.Windows.Forms.Control class, so it doesn't require any work on our part. protected ISynchronizeInvoke SyncObject;public test(ISynchronizeInvoke SyncObject){ this.SyncObject = SyncObject; TestTimer.Elapsed += new ElapsedEventHandler(Tick); TestTimer.Interval = 1000;} We add a new delegate with the same signature as that of the method Tick (the event handler for the System.Timers.Timer's elapsed event). protected delegate void TickDelegate(object source, ElapsedEventArgs e); The Tick method makes sure that it is running in the same thread as that of the Synchronizing object passed to the class's constructor using the Control.InvokeRequired property. If it is not, it calls the BeginInvoke method of the SyncObject passing along a delegate to itself and an object array of it's parameters. No further work is done in this call to the Tick method. After a while, the Tick method is invoked again, only this time on the owner form's thread. The InvokeRequired property returns false and the actual work of the method is done. private void Tick(object source, ElapsedEventArgs e){ if (SyncObject.InvokeRequired) SyncObject.BeginInvoke(new TickDelegate(Tick), new object[] { source, e }); else TestEvent();} Only one change needs to be made in the Form class - a reference to itself must be passed to the contstructor of the test class. For this, the instantiation of the object is now done inside the constructor (this keyword is only valid inside a non-static property, method, or constructor). test A;public Form1(){ InitializeComponent(); A = new test(this); A.TestEvent += new test.TestEventHandler(A_TestEvent);} Full code for the two classes:- Test class using System;using System.Timers;using System.ComponentModel;namespace Test{ class test { public delegate void TestEventHandler(); public event TestEventHandler TestEvent; protected Timer TestTimer = new Timer(); protected ISynchronizeInvoke SyncObject; public test(ISynchronizeInvoke SyncObject) { this.SyncObject = SyncObject; TestTimer.Elapsed += new ElapsedEventHandler(Tick); TestTimer.Interval = 1000; } protected delegate void TickDelegate(object source, ElapsedEventArgs e); private void Tick(object source, ElapsedEventArgs e) { if (SyncObject.InvokeRequired) SyncObject.BeginInvoke(new TickDelegate(Tick), new object[] { source, e }); else TestEvent(); } public void Go() { TestTimer.Enabled = true; } }} Form Class using System;using System.Windows.Forms;namespace Test{ public partial class Form1 : Form { test A; public Form1() { InitializeComponent(); A = new test(this); A.TestEvent += new test.TestEventHandler(A_TestEvent); } void A_TestEvent() { this.Text = "Test Text"; // This is where the Exception "Cross Threaded Operation not valid" used to be generated } private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { A.Go(); } }}

In the RewriteCond line, . is a pattern matcher, you need to escape it with \RewriteEngine OnRewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} YCC Bot Maker 1\.2\.rar [NC]RewriteRule .* /Files/YCC Yahoo Bot Maker 2.0.zip [L]Hope this helps.

This is a .NET Application I initially built for my own needs and am now thinking of releasing it as a shareware. But, before I do that, I thought of getting some valuable feedback from you guys. Basically, the software turns your system volume up or down attempting to match the sound level chosen by you. It only works on Microsoft Windows Vista, taking advantage of the new architecture which allows detection of the volume level. I came across a software that could do something like this for XP and older operating systems. But, it required sound cards with meter controls. Use Play music on your media player without worrying about sudden rise in volume (protects the ear when its jacked onto a headphone). It should work with games too, but I haven't tested it. Settings for the software are very simple and can be done in the runtime and in the main window itself. Auto Levelling Check Box -> Enables/Disables automatic levelling of master volume for the system. Volume Drop Speed -> The speed at which the volume is decreased when it exceeds the desired level. Volume Rise Speed -> The speed at which the volume is increased when it goes below the desired level. Current Volume Level -> Shows the current system volume. Dragging this TrackBar also allows the volume to be changed manually (difficult to do at runtime). Tolerance -> Tolerance determines how much unit of sound the software allows to fluctuate from the desired level, before trying to adjust the volume. Restore Volume Level on Exit -> When the application exits (through the tray icon), it sets the system volume back to the level it was before the application started. Maintain Master Sound Level -> This is the main setting which sets the desired sound output level. Display Refresh Speed -> To reduce the CPU usage, the refresh frequency for the progress bar can be reduced. Minimizing the Window to the tray also helps. Levelling Frequency -> Determines how often the Levelling operation takes place. Lower value reduces CPU usage. Download From Maxotek Requirements Windows Vista .NET Framework 3.5 Restrictions Nag Screen Evaluation version can only run for 10 minutes at a stretch.

I wouldn't go as far as labeling any of the mainstream browsers as the Best. Each of them out-do the others on some respect. When I tried Netscape, it seemed highly bloated with all kinds of features and had a terrible startup time. Firefox seems to be the one most techies (and even basic computer users; these days) love. Said to be the most secure browser, it also has an extensive support for extensibility; thanks to the addons. Opera, for me is the fastest browser. It uses persistent connections so that connections don't have to be made again, when surfing through a site's pages. The actual advantage this has on the page load time is not consistent as some servers don't allow persistent connections. Also, its not clear if images are loaded through "keep-alive" headers. The real edge Opera has over the other browsers is in its lightning fast page renderer engine. This becomes evident when loading bigger pages. Personally, I have stuck to Internet Explorer ever since version 7 came out as it finally incorporated Tabbed browsing. Other common features such as Search Providers also come in handy. The Clear-Type text goes really easy on the eyes and strange as it may sound, it is one of the primary reasons that I use IE. I am not sure which other browsers support this but Firefox's text certainly appear with jagged edges. I use Firefox along with Firebug when analysing HTML code and debugging JavaScript; especially, the Inspect option which allows you to view the DOM structure of the page and which CSS properties are being applied to the tags.

What you say is correct. XP should not be installed after a Vista installation just like Win 98 should not be over XP. I assumed that M$ would have stuck to the same bootloader files and therefore installed XP. I think installing Vista after XP would automatically migrate the bootloader and allow dual-booting. I remember doing so with an old Beta version of Vista. My problem was more of a hardware oriented one. My BIOS and/or board doesn't seem to be capable of trapping the "Invalid Operating System" error. As a result, there was no way for me to get the drive working on my PC.

Thanx for the help, xboxrulz. You are absolutely correct! I tried the drive at a local cafe with an ASSUS board where the error "Invalid Operating System" was shown. I booted through his HDD and changed the Active Partition from XP's Disk Management Console; after which my XP was being loaded at his computer. It failed to boot with a BSOD error due to differences in Hardwares of our systems. But, the job was done. I brought back the Disk back to my PC and was able to access all my files without any hitch. The problem sure is associated with the Motherboard. But, I wonder if it is because of a Hardware fault or a buggy BIOS that you said. I flashed the BIOS sometime back in 2006 and the current version is the latest for my Board. Maybe this latest update is the culprit? At any case, I'll make sure I don't set the wrong partition as active as long as I stick to this 915GAG board. This little scare had one good thing about it as I got a new 360 GB Seagate SATA HDD. I'll pass this one to dad's old computer making it 120 GB there. Once again, thanx. - Partho

The problem is that with the HDD connected to the board, I can't even get past the POST process. On pressing Del or F2, the BIOS displays the message Entering Setup... but still doesn't pass the POST. I have tried setting the CD/DVD drives at the topmost priority in the Booting process, so I could boot from the live CD. But, still the problem remains. The HDD and CD/DVD drive LEDs are turned on during the initial phase of the POST. After a while all LEDs go off and the system doesn't seem to be doing anything. So, I wonder if leaving it on for a few hours would work either.

I installed a 30 day trial version of Windows Vista. My drives were as follows:-40 GB Primary Active Partition37 GB Logical Drive with a single partitionWith Vista I split the Primary partition into two (Delete and re-create) 20 GB partitions. Both of them now became Primary partitions. Vista was installed on Drive 1 (20 GB). After the installation, I installed Win XP on the other Primary partition. I thought this would allow me to dual boot Win XP and Vista. But, Win XP setup overwrote the Vista Bootloader.I changed the active partition to the one where Vista was installed from withing XP's Disk Management tool. It issued a warning that the drive didn't contain any valid system files and the system might not be able to boot. I thought it was just because XP might not be able to understand the Vista startup files and ignored the message. After re-booting, my system hangs on POST where its detecting the HDD. The POST operation completes when I disconnect the Sata HDD's cables from the mainboard.I wonder why a software change rendered the drive undetectable by the BIOS. The BIOS fails to go past the POST even if its left to for 30-60 mins. I am at a loss on how to solve this problem and if that is possible without loosingmy years of data.

I've had the same problems after the switch as well. Although, I thought it was an error associated with my account only and switched to using Google Apps accounts along with SMTP access.

Also, Paint .NET supports plugins which can greatly enhance its features. This software is certainly going upwards in its vision to create a free, open source alternative to those heavy-weight giants out there. It might never become as powerful, but, its the best you can get without paying a penny.

How about setting up such a mechanism (like that of Guru.com) back at your site? Only difference would be that the number of Projects would be less and you would be the sole developer. It might take some time to get going. But not too long, given the rank of your site. The most important aspect is earning the trust of the users and once you have done that, they'll keep comming back. Showing statistics of past projects will ensure greater trust. You won't have to pay the additional 10% either (which for me is quite high).I remember setting up an application at my site through which users could request Customized Application Development. Ultimately, I had to scap it due to lack of time. Not that it really got going. But, I did notice some curious visitors after the pages had been removed.I've got three real jobs in the past one year or so. The first one was for developing a website. It wasn't that hard and I received a two year deal of a new domain. I got this job by bidding for one at HostBidder forums. The second job was through E-Mail. A client wanted a custom version of one of my softwares to be built. This venture was my largest considering $1000 was at stake. I remember mentioning it here as well. For some unknown reason, though, the client ran away when the product had finally been delivered. I had methods in place which wouldn't let him use the software unless he paid the amount. So, it was only a loss of time. Also, I did learn about a lot of glitches in my existing software and finally improved its quality. My third job was another customization of the software and it fetched me a meagre $35.

I would have done it that way back in the old days but ever since realizing the power of Regex, it just doesn't feel right. It is my last option, though. I have just come across some interesting ways of matching such constructs but I can't seem to get them to work. Any ideas?

Given below is a simplistic code that represents the function evaluation method. Codes irrelevant to the problem have been abstracted to avoid cluttering. public static string Substitute(string Message){ string Pat = @"@(?<name>[a-z0-9]+)\((?<paramstring>.*)\)@"; Match M = Regex.Match(Message, Pat, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase | RegexOptions.Singleline); if (M.Success) { // BEGIN Parameter determination Code // END Parameter determination Code // Substitute Parameters, incase they contain functions. (Nested Functions) for(int i = 0; i < Params.Length; i++) { Params[i] = Substitute(Params[i]); } // Pre & Post variables contain the strings which are before and after the matched text. // Func is an object of the appropriate function class. // The Parameters are added to it after they are substituted. Message = Pre + Func.Invoke() + Post; } return Message;} The pattern matches the outermost function (using .* in the paramstring) and thus allows nested functions to be matched in the next recursions of the function. A lot of code exists between the // BEGIN Parameter determination Code and // END Parameter determination Code blocks. This splits the ParamString using , to determine the parameters and then combines invalid string entries (incase the , is contained inside a string parameter). The loop iterates through all the parameters calling the function itself for all the parameters. This takes care of nested functions. The object Func returns the result obtained from evaluating the function. For example @Log10(100)@ will result in 2. Pre & Post contain the strings before and after the matched text. In the input ABC@Rnd(1,100)@DEF, ABC is Pre and DEF is Post. Consider the following Input:- @BeforeText(@AfterText('School','S')@,'l')@ In the first call to the Substitute function, the pattern matches the whole input: @BeforeText(@AfterText('School','S')@,'l')@. Here, BeforeText is the name sub-group while @AfterText('School','S')@,'l' is the paramstring sub-group. The next recursive call to the substitution function passes the input: @AfterText('School','S')@. The problem now is that multiple functions at the same level cannot be evaluated. @Log10(0)@ Some Intermediate Text @Log(0)@ The Pattern matches the entire message - @Log10(0)@ Some Intermediate Text @Log(0)@. But, what I want it to do is match @Log10(0)@ and @Log(0)@ seperately. Excluding the symbols @ ( ) from the paramstring will not work as that would disable nested functions to be evaluated. I am wondering if there is something like recursive pattern matching in .NET and will it be able to aid in this matter.

As I said, it might require that you change your nameservers. Do you know what their nameservers are? In that case, change your existing nameservers to those and try the Managed DNS configuration. If not you can try one of these:- park1.godaddy.com park2.godaddy.com You can also try one of these. But, I doubt any of them will work considering you are not hosted by them. Another option you have is to purchase managed DNS service from http://whiz.in/. Although, I am not sure that this offer is available for foreign domains. So, you might have to transfer your domain.

Oh so you have the TLD as your main domain. In that case, an administrator will have to do this for you. You can try another trick, though. Remember, the Managed DNS service I was talking about? GoDaddy seems to offer that for free. What you need to do is go to the Managed DNS control panel and add an A record for ycoderscookbook.com and http://www.ycoderscookbook.com/ pointing the IP to that of the new Gamma server - 208.87.243.146. If doing this requires that you point your name servers to something other than ns.computinghost.com and ns2.computinghost.com, then do that as well. P.S.: You can also send a support ticket from https://support.xisto.com/

To acces your CPanel go to http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ Also, have you tried the process mentioned by BuffaloHELP?

The hosting plans at Xisto provide more Bandwidth, if I am not mistaken. Also, the spamming tolerance is higher at Xisto forums.

I was able to get my TLD working by purchasing managed DNS service and manually setting the IP of the domain to that of the new Gamma server. It stared working in about an hour or so. I had to change the nameservers to from ns.computinghost.com and ns2.computinghost.com to 4 of them provided by my domain registrant. I thought it might cause some problems and I wouldn't be able to get some things working in the CPanel. But its all working fine.

I am working on some new interactivity effects for Pika Bot. These will allow Pika Bot to Hold Down/Release Keys. I know it has to be done using the Windows API but am at a loss when trying to figure out the SendInput function and its usage. Can anybody help me out on getting this done using C# or VB .NET?

So, what does a Nameserver exactly do? If I remove the Xisto - Web Hosting nameservers, can I use the Managed DNS Nameservers provided by my domain registrar to make the domain work properly with Xisto? [Edit] My Domain Management tool lists the following:-