Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread II

[aimeeandbeatles]

Whenever I try to turn on my speakers I have to fight for a few minutes because the button keeps popping out... any idea?

 

[Turner]

Buy new speakers.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

But these ones I just got for Christmas and I cant afford newer ones.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Take them back to the shop if they are still under warranty.

If they aren't under warranty I'd investigate some sort of solution involving wedging paper, matchsticks or something into the pop out mechanism.

I'm a software guy though - so it sounds like a hardware problem.

 

[_random_]

Whenever I try to plug my iPod into my computer so I can install it, I get the message "One of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize it." I've tried all 4 USB ports and I get the same result every time. What do I do?

 

[cardgame]

1) keep trying

2) reboot computer

3) buy a new usb cable.

 

[Zack]

Is it just me, or did Firefox 4 just turn Firefox into looking like a fusion of Opera and Chrome?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

1) keep trying

2) reboot computer

3) buy a new usb cable.

between 2 and 3 -- try another computer if available

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I swear I asked this before but I cannot find it. Is it legal to make ISOs for CDs you personally own as long as you dont share them?

 

[civ_king]

I need to make a script that copies data on Windows XP from %appdata% to the folder the script is on. CMD doesn't work on the computers (been disabled).

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

You might want to check XXCopy (theres a free version if memory serves) but I dont know if it requires cmd.exe... its a more extended version of the cmd prompt xcopy and if its standalone it may work

 

[ParadigmShifter]

A GUI copier may work (dunno about XXCopy).

You could get python (and a GUI IDE which will run it) and write a small script to do it for you as well.

If you have MS Office you could write a VBA script too.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

xxcopy is command-line but I dont know if its command prompt or standalone.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Won't work then. Same with command (*.cmd) files (old name was batch files, *.bat) - they try and open up a command shell.

Windows scripting has always been dodgy but I don't know if it has improved since .NET was fully integrated into Windows.

At work we have an in house utility to copy files from the network or from folder to folder, it runs off a text file and copies using multiple threads to get massive speedups. It's quite complicated (written in C++ using the Windows API), and of course, in-house and proprietary.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I think command.com sometimes works if cmd.exe its blocked

 

[ParadigmShifter]

That's a DOS program though, I thought... so probably doesn't even exist these days.

Although I've got that on my XP kit.

EDIT: The run box might work if it is a one-liner... that's basically just cmd.exe for one line.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I just tested command.com in Vista and it came up

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Does it say "Microsoft (R) Windows DOS" though or something else?

My cmd.exe prompt has the message "Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]"

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

For command.com? That sounds like it is just cmd.exe under another name. Do you see long filenames? My XP command.com shows them with the funny squiggles in them.