nsherin

I used this today funnily enogh when having to install CS2 onto a new PC. We're properly licensed for said PC, but it's an interesting one - especially as they provide full serials - how many will chance using an older version whilst unlicensed, I wonder. I actually discovered it havign down the install from the original CD media, then turning to Google when the activation process didn't work.

I've just bought a small stereo mixer and have the following connected to it: Mic CD Player 1 CD Plater 2 Set of RCA splitters to enable both a MiniDisc and Tape Deck into one input (not both at the same time) Laptop - fed from the Line Out of a Behringer UCA-222 The mixer has two outputs - one for an amp, which I'm using to run a set of cables from to an old Yamaha amp. The second is a record output. I'm running this into the Line In of the Behringer UCA-222 which is connected to the same laptop above. Recording either using Audition or Audcaity gives some odd results. If I use the mic, via the mixer. all is fine. If I playback music from iTunes, whilst adjusting the level via the stereo mixer, the recorded output is very very distorted. The same happens when using the Mic In on the laptop's built-in soundcard. Can't seem to fathom this one out - the laptop is running Windows 7 Pro x64. What I think is happening is that the output from iTunes is being recorded twice - once via the mixer and once via the computer into the same recording. The only recording of iTunes output I want to make is from the mixer, so that I can control levels and fade down etc. for voice over. Has anyoe any ideas as to how to go about this and as to whether I'm doing something daft (quite possible) . Any pointers much appreciated!

Wonder if I coudl pick a few brains I've got an Asus eeeBox at work that I'm trying to use with several displayers - two monitors and a projector. The problem is that it only has a single HDMI output. I have tried a USB-DVI adapter, which works to a point - except you get a black screen if you try and display any video intensive stuff - e.g. DVDs or PowerPoints - even ones with text! Has anyone got any ideas how I could get this lot to work? I'm trying to achieve an extended desktop over two displays - one being a 22" display, the other a 17" display and hte other item being a projector that supports a max of 1024x768 which needs to have one of the monitors outputs cloned to it. Obviosuly, I want to use the larger monitr at its maximum resolution. The eeeBox is running Windows 7. Any help much appreciated- even if you guys know of a working USB-DVI adapter that will do video intensive stuff properly, then that would be great! Cheers, Neil

Done - UK development and manufacturing is something we should be encouraging and trying to reduce our reliance on the service sector-based economy.

Agreed - moved to Be from BT Business, who became expensive and I suspect started to implement some traffic shaping. At £22 a month - including a static IP, they're excellent value for money!

Thanks guys - will look into both of those on Monday all being well and report back my findings.

Hiya, We've got a batch of Windows 7 machines that when booted from cold, take up to 3 to 4 minutes to reach the desktop after a user logs in. If a different user logs in afterwards (the machine won't have been rebooted), then login times are much shorter. This could be with different users who may not have locally cached profiles on that machine if they have not used them previously. Any help/advice is much appreciated as to how we can speed up boot up times for users after a cold boot. The only redirects set up (using the Windows7 Library Tool) are My Documents. Music, Photos etc, which are redirected to the user's home drives, plus Favourites, which are also stored per user on their home drive. Forgot to add that we use local profiles - i.e. log on as a domain user with Admin rights, customise the profile, log off and then log in with a local user with admin rights. Copy the customised profile and rename it to Default, so that users get presented with a local profile when they log in. Cheers, Neil

So the easiest thing to do would be to just grab an ISO of Enterprise and just leave it unactivated until I have my KMS Server in place?

Excellent thanks for that. Does the Windows 7 trail give you 30 days not to activate? And would you advise activating before imagining or after each PC has been imaged. I'd prefer to do it beforehand, as it means each imaged PC is then pre-activated.

Hi all, I'm going to be rolling out Windows 7 on some news PCs. To save time, I'm planning to build the installation of the OS apps on one PC and get the supplier to image the machines. I've got a few questions that I'd appreciate some help with: 1 - if I use a Windows 7 trial to install the OS with, can I then convert the key to a KMS key? We are going with the new MS Agreement, but I want to get started before things arrive. If so how do I do this? 2 - is there an easy way to set up a 'default' profile? With XP machines, I use a specifc account to build the local profile, then log on as another domain user and copy the profile across to the 'Default User' profile folder 3 - Are there any specifc things I need to do to a Windows 7 PC before imaging it? Thanks, Neil

Have been into hifi for yonks and have box swapped loads of kit over the years. Music is my primary thing and getting a decent music and home cimema setup can be a challenge - you need to spend serious cash to get decent results from AV amps for music. Very happy with the system now, using a stereo amp for music, with the pre-outs from my AV processor fed into it for home cinema use. The current kit list: Living Room System: - Sony RCD-W100 - as a transport/CD recorder - Sony MDS-JB980 MiniDisc deck - Sony's last 'QS' series model - fantastic bit of kit - Denon TU-1800 FM/DAB Tuner - Rega P1 Turntable with stock RB100 arm / Ortofon OM5e MM cartridge - Arcam rDAC - the CD-R deck, one of my DVD players and the PC (via USB) are fed into this - Marantz DV-6600 DVD/DVD-Audio/SACD player (multi-region) - Sony RDR-HXD560 HDD/DVD recorder with FreeView Tuner - Sony PS3 120GB Slim (upgraded to 250GB) - Arcam FMJ A18 - combined with the rDAC, sounds absolutely stunning for music - Yamaha DSP-E800 - 3-channel amp (for rears/centre) with pre-outs for sub/fronts (fronts powered by the Arcam). Processes Dolby Digital and DTS too. - Wharfedale Diamond 10.3 floorstanders (Fronts) - Wharfedale Diamond 10CM (Centre) - Wharfedale Diamond 10.0 (Rears - on Atcama Nexus 10SE stands) - LG 32LH4010 32" 1080p LCD TV Bedroom System: - Sherwood amp - £8.50 from a car boot - Philips CDR760 CD Recorder (used as a CD player only) - Sony MDS-JE480 MiniDisc Deck - Yamaha TX-386 FM/AM Tuner (free from Freecycle) - Onkyo DS-AX2 iPod Dock - Mission m70 Bookshelf Speakers (had these yonks with a variety of kit - excellent little speakers) Portables: - iPod Classic 160GB - iPod Nano 3G 8GB - Panasonic MiniDisc Recporder - Sony MiniDisc Recorder - Sony DiscMan

If it were me, I'd look at older AV receivers second-hand that are a few years old. Amps that were £500-600 can be found for £100-£150 on websites such as AVForums. Consider - not in any particular order of preference, Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, Sony (specifically their QS/ES ranges - built like tanks). If you find an Arcam receiver for around the £150 mark - usally the AVR100/200 models, although older, they are a major step-up soundwise, especially for msuic, then snap it up! Speakers - start with a decent set of fronts to start and build up. Look for Missions m7x series, Wharfedale Diamond 9/10 series and Tannoy Mercury series as a decent start. Again, AVForums is your friend here! Don't sweat over the HD Audio formats, such as Dolby Digital TruHD and DTS HD Master (this is the more common surround format for Blu-Ray discs) - if you are running a PS3 or have a Blu-Ray player with DTS Re-encode (have a look in the manual for this one), then you can set your Blu-Ray player to re-encode DTS HD Master to standard DTS. The result is pretty stunning - I use an older AV processor for AV duties (my fronts are powered by an Arcam stereo amp) and to my ears, not far off DTS HD Master audio. For Blu-Ray discs with DD TruHD, use the standard Dolby Digital soundtrack on the discs. To connect your Blu-ray player or PS3 to your amp, use a standard TOSLink optical cable - any type will do. For the visual (video side), run an HDMI cable direct to your TV or projector. Hope this helps!

Thanks guys for the pointers mac_shinobi - I've tried all of the above in the article, but no joy Mthomas08 - IE is working fine, but i'd very much like to find the .EXE you mention - it's certainly worth a try

Thanks for the pointer, Witch. Unfortunately, that didn't work either.

Thnaks guys for both suggestions: Witch - i've tried one at a time, but still no joy TheLibrarian - I've tried both options, but no success

Hi all, For several weeks, I've been trying to update my Windows PCs here via the Windows Update website. I select all the updates to install and all seem to download OK. However, when it comes to updating, every single one of the updates fails. I've tried re-installing Windows Update Agent on several occasions, but to no avail. I'm logged in with Administrator rights, using the same accoutn that the machines were originally updated with during their initial build. Looking through the Windows update log, the following error is being reported: PHOENIX\staffnsh in session 0 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 1828 524 DnldMgr Preparing update for install, updateId = {D725B33A-CFFD-4837-B791-45DA71175F79}.101. 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Misc =========== Logging initialized (build: 7.4.7600.226, tz: -0000) =========== 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Misc = Process: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Misc = Module: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Handler ::::::::::::: 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Handler :: START :: Handler: Windows Patch Install 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Handler ::::::::: 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Handler : Updates to install = 1 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 104 Handler : Installing update {D725B33A-CFFD-4837-B791-45DA71175F79}.101 2011-03-14 09:23:55:368 2804 70c Handler Installing with parameters=-q -z -er, sandbox=C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\d6a0858506d9996856009eb3a494a8c1. 2011-03-14 09:24:17:762 2804 70c Handler Install completed with 0x8007f00d. 2011-03-14 09:24:17:762 2804 104 Handler Install was cancelled 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 2804 104 Handler : Install completed: result type = 0x2, installer error = False, error = 0x8007f00d, disabled until reboot = No, reboot required = No 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 2804 104 Handler FATAL: UH: 0x80242008: HandleSingleUpdate failed in CUHWindowsPatchHandler::HandleMultipleUpdates 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 2804 104 Handler ::::::::: 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 2804 104 Handler :: END :: Handler: Windows Patch Install 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 2804 104 Handler ::::::::::::: 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 1828 524 Agent * WARNING: Exit code = 0x8024000B 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 1828 524 Agent ********* 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 1828 524 Agent ** END ** Agent: Installing updates [CallerId = MicrosoftUpdate] 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 1828 524 Agent ************* 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 1828 524 Agent WARNING: WU client failed installing updates with error 0x8024000b 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 3664 310 COMAPI >>-- RESUMED -- COMAPI: Install [ClientId = MicrosoftUpdate] 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 3664 310 COMAPI - Install call aborted 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 3664 310 COMAPI - Reboot required = No 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 3664 310 COMAPI - WARNING: Exit code = 0x80240FFF; Call error code = 0x8024000B 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 3664 310 COMAPI --------- 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 3664 310 COMAPI -- END -- COMAPI: Install [ClientId = MicrosoftUpdate] 2011-03-14 09:24:17:824 3664 310 COMAPI ------------- 2011-03-14 09:24:22:738 1828 a84 Report REPORT EVENT: {1F9259F0-C5FE-44A6-87D8-9CA0038F0E01} 2011-03-14 09:24:17:762-0000 1 186 101 {263CA768-BE65-4E4B-9BA0-8F8A8FBC3A25} 101 8024000b MicrosoftUpdate Success Content Install User cancelled the installation. Any help with this issue would be much appreciated - I have spent a few hours with Google searching the error and trying all the usual solutions, but to no avail. Cheers, Neil

Yep, Wetherspoons do get some good ales in - I think it was there I sampled Exmoor Beast. Bishops Finger is always good, along with Abbots, Old Speckled Hen, Green King, Ruddles and Tanglefoot. Typing that has made me thirsty, so I think I'll go and grab a beer!

That wasn't from the Exmoor brewery by any chance, was it? If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's a rather nice pint! Another strong ale that I really enjoyed - and it had very nice fruity flavour to it was the 'Christmas' brew from Harvey's Brewery in Lewes, Sussex.

D-Line trunking is pretty handy - I use some round my bay window, as the TV /phone socket are behind the sofa - the other side of the room from where the AV kit is. I run a CAT 5e from my router, the cable runs for the rear speakers in my AV swtup plus the TV aerial cable. Running off the double socket on the other side of the room is a nightmare though - with several daisy chained extensions. I'm currently running: Subwoofer PS3 32" LG LCD TV DVD recorder DAB/FM tuner DVD player (for multi-region, DVD-Audio and SACD) AV receiver Stereo amp (for music) CD recorder MiniDisc deck Turntable Plasma ball Gigabit switch Mac Mini PC 22" Samsung monitor PSU for S-ATA docking station PSU for USB hub Desk lamp 1TB Linkstation NAS The cabling is a rats nest. Hoping to sort it out properly once my landlord redecorates my living room after a water leak from the roof.

Computer gear - I generally shop online for and it's a case of who is cheapest with the item(s) I'm after, balanced with whether they offer free delivery or not Camera gear - either London Camera Exchange or online for smaller bits Music/DVDs/Books/Games/Software - online - normally Amazon or software4students HiFi/Home Cinema gear - I have used Richer Sounds in the past, but tend to shop at Audio T in Portsmouth these days. Nice range of kit, very helpful staff, good demoing facilities and decent pricing - managed to grab some good savings in the past on my 5.1 speaker setup (bought in stages) and recently, an Arxcam amp for stereo/music use.

Thanks guys - just got back to this thread tonight, so apologies for not replying sooner! NOD32 is looking like a winner here, but all bets are off until I hopefully get around to start evaluating these next week. Quick question - does Vipra allow central licence management - i.e. from the server? Thanks, Neil

Thanks, guys for the suggestions thus far. So far. it's looking like Vpra and NOD32 are the most recommended, along with eTrust - I also used Symantec some years back and it also seemed OK, so I might give it a try. McAfee concern me a bit, after an update they pushed out a while back that ended up trashing Windows installations. I'll also contact our LEA - they may well have a solution that we can buy into at a decent price.

Hi all, I'm shortly going to evaluating a new anti-virus solution. As there are so many products out there, I'm after some recommendations, if possible. The software needs to ogger the following: - Cheap to license per PC - No irritating serial numbers - like the AVG client software, which I need to go around every workstation and re-licence when it expires - Central management console, where I can push out new difinitions - Low footprint - we still have a fair number of PCs with 512MB RAM plus a number of PCs with Atom processors in them - Able to run on Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003, with future proofing for Srver 2008 and Windows 7 Any help/advice/suggestions are much appreciated1 Cheers, Neil

This one was driving me nuts - MSE would fail when trying to update as we sit behind the LEA's web proxy at work. I couldn't for the life of me understand why - nor were there any settings in application, nor did it seem to read from IE's proxy settings. I found the solution the other day to actually get it to read from IE's settings. Here's how: 1) Set your desired proxy settings up in IE and test 2) Open a Command Prompt (with Admin rights) and type: proxycfg -u 3) Open MSE and update it - it should now work. If you are using this on a machine such as a laptop that roams and is used outside of a proxy server, simply disable the proxy settings in IE and run proxycfg -u again. Hope this is of use to those tearing their hair out like I was!

We've been running a two week timetable here for yonks (well at least the 5 years I've been there). It is pretty much set in stone from September, although not all secondary schools in Portsmouth work on a 2 week schedule.