A thread for boring computer questions.

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Is there any easy way to transfer audio from a MiniDisc to either a PC or (preferably) a Mac? There's a little USB type output on the MD (though I don't have a cable). I would rather just transfer the tracks than try to do it "live".

Chris P (Chris P), Thursday, 29 May 2003 19:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

Launch the fink commander app and choose preferences fron the Fink Commander menu, check use unstable. Then from the commands menu choose selfupdate-cvs. Then choose update-all from the commands menu. Then select the pysoulseek package from the packages list and choose the Install command. Say yes to installing any other packages it may require, this may take a while.

ahhhhh! selfupdate-cvs! of course. this is the thing that's been bloody well eluding me for days. i went so far as to compile python2.3 by hand and do a bunch of other stupidly unnecessary things which led me to think darwin was well and totally hooped. sourceforge has been behaving badly lately which i suspected was the reason i could not find the proper packages through fink, but it turns out it was just this one simple thing.

i'm doing my package dependencies right now. hopefully i'll up on soulseek this evening!

thanks ed, i owe you a beer!

fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Thursday, 29 May 2003 21:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

oh and for anyone else: if someone suggests you should one of those wxpython ports that is "special for mac os x" and any other lame implementation of python, run.

run fast. if that fails, use fire.

fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Thursday, 29 May 2003 21:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

cool F.B. - I'm glad you triumphed at last!

ron (ron), Friday, 30 May 2003 03:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"fat bastard cowboy cunt"...FAT SAM!!!!!!!!!

-- ambrose (ambrosewhit...), May 6th, 2003.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

indeed I hope he's in prison now getting buggered by an even fatter more unpleasant baby strangler, that would be justice.
-- Ed (dal...), May 6th, 2003.


haha!

you won't believe it

reincarnated as
FAT SAMS BUSINESS

wil, Friday, 30 May 2003 10:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

None to all, do not buy anything from that site, if it is indeed run by fat sam.

Will, does this mean you'll get your money back?

Ed (dali), Friday, 30 May 2003 10:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

Well... he does still owe me AND Ed Darrah money. but refuses to believe it..... .
Meanwhile hes living in worksop in £200k house of his own and driving around in MGF convertible.

What i want to know is how does he get away with it?????

wil, Friday, 30 May 2003 11:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

cunt, that's all I can say.

Ed (dali), Friday, 30 May 2003 11:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

Is it possible (easy?) to record from vinyl onto iBook?

Cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 31 May 2003 19:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yes. What I use is Spark ME, from TC Works. You need a sound in and some iBooks don't have one. If your's doesn't the cheapest is a Griffin iMic. From there its pretty self explanatory. just plug the out from your amp into the in of your computer and record into Spark ME. Then take the files you record into Spark ME and import them into iTunes, select them and choose convert selection to MP3 from the Advanced menu.

One slight issue with the iMic, the gain circuits are quite clumsy and can only be adjusted in wuite large steps, so you get better results if you have a deck and a mixer and can fine tune the gain on a mixer.

Ed (dali), Sunday, 1 June 2003 07:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

I get crazy ground hum on vinyl and juggling which power supply the deck uses and what else is on it etc is no help (also GND wire between deck and mixer is no help, maybe faulty connection in deck) and it stops me recording vinyl to mp3; I guess there's no way to filter it out because it's completely all over the spectrum, but perhaps you know differently?

(Cozen, you probably know this, but do it through an amp or a mixer set to phono input rather than direct from deck to computer as the direct phono out has weird frequency balance to compensate for weirdness about how loud you can store different frequencies on vinyl -- there is probably some cunning downloadable EQ preset somewhere to fix it but even so the sound quality will be better if you use an amp, and you won't have to wait)

I feel like I live on this thread, I do read some of the others but it seems despite my lack of clue I am a proper nerd, unable to think about anything else. (And thanks, Sean, for answering my last question -- I had been thinking I'd wait till I actually bought something and got it working before saying so but I've been putting it off.)

Frazer, Sunday, 1 June 2003 22:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

I am hoping someone might be able to advise me here - my problem is two-fold: Firstly, when I try to start up my XP computer in Safe mode, the cursor freezes mid-way through the safe mode start up process: at the point (page) where I am directed 'to begin, click your user name'. There's no egg-timer - just the hand icon, which is un-budgeable; and it stays there, in the middle of the screen, 'till I decide to turn the computer off.

The second part to this problem is: ever since updating my Norton Internet Security from 02 to 03 (downloaded update from net) I've been getting a fairly infrequent and random message popping up from Norton, saying "Cannot read subscription Data. You may need Administrative Privileges". So, I wrote to Symantec, and they replied with a URL link on this very matter; however, whilst following their troubleshooting solution (and things were going swinmmingly for several steps), my progress was frustrated at the following point (in bold):-

If you have a missing security tab, follow these steps, then start over with step 1 of the previous section.
1. Right-click the Start button and then click Explore.
2. Click Tools and then click Folder Options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Scroll down to, and clear "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)." I DON'T APPEAR TO HAVE THIS.
5. Click Apply and then click OK.
6. Start over with step 1 of the previous section.

Then, whilst I knew I couldn't advance any further through the process, I skipped ahead and read the final steps of the solution given to me by Symantec: it seems that the process of getting rid of the "Cannot read subscription Data. ... " pop-up culminates in me having to startup my computer in Safe Mode; even if I did have "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)" to clear in my list of options, I wouldn't be able then to complete the process by starting in Safe Mode, before editing the registry etc.

So, most importantly, can anyone suggest how to fix my frozen cursor problem, 'cos I imagine there might be other sceanrios in the future, other than this Norton pop-up problem, which will reuire me to boot-up in safe mode.

Also, does anyone know why I don't appear to have the "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)" Just an idea - it might not be related, but I recently blocked Netbios ports 135-139, in order to stop some adware problems (it worked). I know these ports have something to do with file-sharing, but blocking them wouldn't have got rid of "Use simple file sharing (Recommended)" would it?

Fowarding Burden, Monday, 2 June 2003 11:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

two weeks pass...
Most likely to catch Ed in this thread so here's a bit of personal list abuse.

Ed, did you get that e-mail I sent wrt to forwarding it to Suzy? Can you ask Suzy to reply even if it's just to say "I don't know how I can help you with this you suXor!"

Cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 21 June 2003 12:33 (twenty years ago) link

I had gotten a virus a few weeks back and cleaned it out. Now, when I have to do a reboot it takes about 1/2 an hour to fully restart my pc. It basically makes little clicking noises. Last night I went in and did a step by step restart and found the command where it usually got hung up in starting and tried the restart again and skipped the command that caused it. The pc rebooted in 20 seconds. How do I completely remove these commands so it doesn't do it again?

Chris V. (Chris V), Wednesday, 25 June 2003 15:17 (twenty years ago) link

three weeks pass...
When you plug an iPod into a computer after having been walking about listening to it all day and a little graphic of a spinning disc with a magnifying glass over it comes up, what's happening?

Cozen (Cozen), Friday, 18 July 2003 11:07 (twenty years ago) link

Sherlock Holmes has come to inspect your hard disc for kiddie porn.

N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 18 July 2003 12:04 (twenty years ago) link

On my iPod? How does that work?

Cozen (Cozen), Friday, 18 July 2003 12:05 (twenty years ago) link

Don't play the innocent.

N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 18 July 2003 12:09 (twenty years ago) link

Cozen, I get that sometimes. It means your disk is screwy, just restart it. BTW, I owe you an email- (and some CDs)I haven't forgottten!

Also...If Ed is still here- My girlfriend's burner won't re-write, erase or read a CD-RW once we have initially burned some files onto it. Help! What is wrong? It's an internal ibook cdrw drive.

Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 18:08 (twenty years ago) link

If I get a tone coming not out of the speaker but from the inside of my G4 laptop, does it mean the drive is going bad?

Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:37 (twenty years ago) link

Boring computers is pretty easy if you have a pretty decent power drill.

donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 20:48 (twenty years ago) link

Or you can just read it the manual.

nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 30 July 2003 21:23 (twenty years ago) link

two weeks pass...
My iPod seems to be more than a little fucked. : ( I plugged it into the iBook last night to update and it stalled so I disconnected it to play with it, see if I could correct it (even though it had stalled on the 'Do not disconnect' screen) and it had form little oily (not oily per se but slightly vaguely rainbow coloured) sacks if you looked at it from the correct angle. I figured that was ok and probably just the heat and probably the heat making it a bit wonky so left it till this morning. I go to turn it on and all it gives me is a black-line about 4/5 pixels thick along the top of the screen and then it leaves after about 10 secs. Everytime I touch a button: the black line and then the disappearance. How do I reset it? What should I do here? Stick it in the fridge so it can cool down a little? It's not over hot, now, just room temperature. I don't know how what to do with it, I feel jilted.

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 10:42 (twenty years ago) link

It's still under guarantee, isn't it?

N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 14 August 2003 11:34 (twenty years ago) link

Well, I got it in a competition (Bang magazine; it's inscribed: "Bang! It's only rock and roll!") so I don't know but I'd presume so. I'm pretty scared actually it looks quite done in. I guess I should phone my uncle Piet (the Apple dude) or consult the Apple store on Great Western Road. Meep.

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 12:10 (twenty years ago) link

It is broken2.

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:15 (twenty years ago) link

:o(2

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:16 (twenty years ago) link

To reset the new iPods you flip the hold switch on and then off, then hold the play and menu buttons in until the Apple logo comes on. Dunno if that'll work with yours, but worth a try?

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:30 (twenty years ago) link

I'll give it a try, thanks Sean. I think it's back to Apple with it though, it looks fuckt.

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:53 (twenty years ago) link

I tried that and still the black line along the top of the screen. The display must be destroyed by the heat or something. I really hope it's under guarantee / warranty.

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 17:04 (twenty years ago) link

I don't think it won't be. take it to the apple shop for an opinion.

RJG (RJG), Thursday, 14 August 2003 17:09 (twenty years ago) link

I will.

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 17:11 (twenty years ago) link

YES! I got it working, I had to lumber around the 'Support' section of the Apple site and found the 'Restore' option which is more drastic than simple 'reset' apparently but it seems to have worked. Just need to remember / reconfigure all my settings now, but that's no problem.

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 18:09 (twenty years ago) link

WOO HOO! Probably means reformatting the drive and re-uploading everything too, eh? But still better than paying for a service call.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 14 August 2003 18:12 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, it's not too bad I only had a gig (277) of songs on it anyway, so that's it good to go again. Better treat it a lot softer than usual. (Apple products are a lot more flakey than people make out but I still totally love them.)

David. (Cozen), Thursday, 14 August 2003 18:20 (twenty years ago) link

BUT MACS NEVER BREAK DOWN MACS NEVER BREAK DOWN

Repeat the mantra and you will discover you only believe it to have been broken. Because Macs never break down.

< / schadenfreude >

Mark C (Mark C), Friday, 15 August 2003 08:26 (twenty years ago) link

More iPod misery:

I am trying to install my new iPOD but whenever I plug it in it just flashes 'Do not disconnect' forever and (presumably as a result), when I try to run the iPod software updater both the 'Update' and 'Restore' options are greyed out. The iPod appears in my iTunes panel, and it lets me move tracks onto it (I unchecked the 'automatically update iPod with new tracks' option), but still the display on the iPOD just flashes 'Do not disconnect'. Dragging iPod to the Trash tells me I can't as it's in use. So I have to disconnect it. Then it tells me off for not putting the device away properly.

But all the tracks I loaded onto it are then there on my iPod and play fine! But I don't want to be disobeying the 'Do not disconnect' message every time. WHAT'S GOING ON? Someone help me.

N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 24 August 2003 10:09 (twenty years ago) link

It's still doing it. I was happily listening to a track on the iPod and thought I'd try connecting it mid song. The song stopped playing and the the dreaded 'Do Not Disconnect' messages started flashing without end.

N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 24 August 2003 10:21 (twenty years ago) link

OK that was all a bit weird but ejecting the iPod in iTunes now seems to solve the problem. Maybe it always did. I don't know.

N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 24 August 2003 11:01 (twenty years ago) link

Have you got the hang of this yet Nick? It only says 'Do not disconnect' when the iPod is actually mounted (ie the wee iPod icon comes up on the desktop) and you can stop this by checking some button in the iTunes' iPod options (allow active iPod fiddling or some option). If you don't have this checked then you can't transfer text files to its Notes folder and can't manually transfer mp3s &c. And to get rid of DND flashing just eject the iPod via the iTunes button or via right-clicking the mount icon. I don't know how much of this is helpful or how much you know.

Also, I might be saying something you already know here or is less useful but if you set your importing configuration to ACC encoder then you can play .acc files on it which take up a lot less capacity. This is probably unuseful, mister importer.

David. (Cozen), Sunday, 24 August 2003 11:23 (twenty years ago) link

Thanks for that, David. I just freaked out a bit at my new toy's weirdness. Unchecking the 'Enable FireWire disk use' (until I want to transfer non-music files onto it) does seem to be the best idea. I do think this could be better explained in the instructions.

Maybe I'll go the AAC way. I guess I like the idea of being able to share my tracks with PC owning friends though.

N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 24 August 2003 11:35 (twenty years ago) link

It did that on the PC too if you just shut down MusicMatch instead of "ejecting" it, and even then it would sit there for about two minutes. Go to the Apple site and see if you can download a firmware upgrade or a new version of the Updater; the firmware has been changed so that it doesn't do any of that crap any more on the Pc, and maybe that also fixes up some of those issues with the Mac, too.

In other news, I found out that you shouldn't reboot Windows while your iPod is still connected, because then it'll scandisk the iPod very VERY SLOWLY for something like two hours before you can disconnect it again.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 24 August 2003 13:01 (twenty years ago) link

Also, I only charged mine for like 8 hours before starting to fiddle with it. Err, actually I think I might have only charged it for 2 hours but I'm a big kid and was bursting with excitement but I've had no problems with battery life whatsoever and when it's fully charged the thing seems to last for about 8 hours or approx. 3 days of walking about and library-ing with it playing before requiring charging. They're beyond amazing into something else though, they really really are. They are beautiful, compact, have no moving parts, useful clean interface, good features, good capacity, only a little flakey (they can stall sometimes and do this annoying thing where you select a track and then it doesn't play it but reverts to the main menu). But pound for pound all in all at the end of the day they are the shit.

David. (Cozen), Sunday, 24 August 2003 13:13 (twenty years ago) link

"What would you grab first if your house was on fire?"

David. (Cozen), Sunday, 24 August 2003 13:13 (twenty years ago) link

And occasionally, I think I was worried about this problem on here upthread a bit, the thing will ScanDisk when you've been using it out and about for a bit and you connect it to the Mac. This normally takes about 20-30 mins to fully complete, but is nothing to worry about. (I think this might be some sort of post-shock stablising technique to compensate for the fact that it has like 20 mins anti-shock cache. But that's me making a ill-informed guess.)

David. (Cozen), Sunday, 24 August 2003 13:16 (twenty years ago) link

Howdy! My hard drive crashed and doesn't even spin up when power is applied. I know there are data recovery services out there who charge hundreds of dollars, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any less expensive/easier (ha!) fixes that might work. I know the chances are slim, but hey, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?

Ernest P. (ernestp), Sunday, 24 August 2003 13:41 (twenty years ago) link

Probably not, unfortunately...if it doesn't spin up the motor is probably shot, which means no data coming on or off the drive.

Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 24 August 2003 15:20 (twenty years ago) link

one month passes...
On Internet Explorer, my homepage keeps on getting set to Globe Finder search engine. Not everytime I come back to the computer, but most times. It's a bit annoying.
Anyone know how I can stop this? I've tried blocking that site.

oops (Oops), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 00:36 (twenty years ago) link

Download Ad-aware, clean all that spyware junk off yr computer. Then, get Mozilla and browse with that instead.

daria g (daria g), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 01:47 (twenty years ago) link

Oops, probably the easiest way to fix this is a program called CWShredder. You've got the cool web search hijack which tends to drop little files everywhere on your hard drive. CWShredder is a program that will zap them all at once and should restore your browser to normal, a friend had luck with it.

rob geary (rgeary), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 01:55 (twenty years ago) link


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