Posts By: Jon Scaife

0 Switching the default WMP to x64 in Windows 7

Published 8^th October 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Media Software. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

One of the strangest things in Windows 7 x64 is the presence of both x86 and x64 versions of Windows Media Player 12. Even stranger is that despite Windows Media Center being 64bit only (and therefore requiring 64bit codecs) Microsoft saw fit to set the default WMP12 version to the x86 edition. For those of us who don’t wish to maintain 2 sets of codecs it is desirable to change this default status. However, Microsoft do not appear to have provided a simple way to do this as yet. So here’s how…
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0 Upgrading the SSD in an eeePC 901

Published 8^th October 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Storage. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

I’ve recently been asked to upgrade the SSD drive in an Asus eeePC 901. Rather than write about it in detail here I’ll just say that the operation was painless and a great success, mostly thanks to the excellent guide provided at BitTech

I replaced the default 4gig SSD (leaving the 16gig one intact) with a similar speed 16gig drive which cost £43 from ebay

0 Windows 7 empty “all programs”

Published 6^th October 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Software. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

I’ve been using the RC1 (7100) build of Windows 7 and have been largely very impressed, enough so to consider buying upgrades for all my current PC’s. However, I recently had an issue with the “All Programs” menu going blank for no obvious reason. As usual a bit of digging with google offered the following temporary workaround.
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0 Getting a Nokia 6101 working via CA-42 cable with PC Suite

Published 6^th October 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Mobile. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

I’ve had some real issues connecting an old Nokia 6101 to a laptop via a genuine Nokia CA-42 cable. Despite repeated attempts to get help from Nokia the problem remained unresolved until recently. The procedure which appears to have resolved the issue is as follows

Remove the nokia cable driver supplied with PC Suite. This can be achieved by downloading the installer for the cable driver, running it, and choosing to remove. This leaves PC Suite intact. but removes the driver for the CA-42 cable which didn’t seem to work.
Download and extract the alternative cable driver, available on the downloads page
Plug in the cable and when windows detects it and prompts for a driver, point it to the extracted alternative driver

0 Windows 7 Autologon

Published 6^th October 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Software. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

A very quick tip for how to enable autologon for Windows 7. Press the windows-key and R to open the run menu (don’t use the search/run bar at the bottom of the start menu) and type control userpasswords2 and press enter. Untick “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer”

Credit to Sarah Perez

0 Getting inside an Asus A2xxx

Published 4^th October 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Hardware. Last updated 1 January, 2014.

I recently had to get inside an old-ish Asus A2500 laptop to investigate an issue with the CD-ROM drive (and to upgrade the memory and add a wireless card). Most laptops have a cover above the keyboard that pops off, but on this particular laptop it didn’t seem attached in the usual way.
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0 Outputting WMP Videos to second display

Published 1^st October 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Media Software. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

When using a PC with a second display (for example a laptop with a data projector) it is often a common problem to find that a video played with Windows Media Player will only display on the primary display, and not on the secondary output.

There are various different configurations which contribute to this behaviour – Windows settings, Windows Media Player settings and Graphics Card driver settings.
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0 Microsoft Security Essentials final

Published 30^th September 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Software. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

Microsoft have updated their free security essentials package again. The softpedia link from my original post now offers version 1.0.1611.00 to download.

-update-

This appears to be the final release and is now available direct from Microsoft

0 Microsoft AntiVirus updated

Published 30^th August 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Software. Last updated 4 January, 2012.

Microsoft have now updated their free anti-virus to version 1.0.1500 which is available from windows update if you have the previous version installed (see my previous post). If you want to install 1.0.1500 without installing the old version first it can be downloaded from Microsoft. If you’re in a country where its unavailable then you can download it from SoftPedia

0 Repair HP Laptops and other hardware cheaply

Published 30^th August 2009 by Jon Scaife & filed under Misc Hardware. Last updated 5 October, 2011.

I was recently asked to look at the touchpad on a HP Pavilion DV2000 laptop which had a faulty left button. Spares and repairs for laptops are often hard to come by so I was pleased to find the HP Service manual as a PDF, which included all the part numbers, and then very pleased to find that HP offer an extensive direct sales service for most parts via the HP PartSurfer. Suffice to say this laptop is now fixed, for a very low price. Good move by HP – I wonder if other major manufacturers provide a similar service?