Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread II

[GoodGame]

I know that cheap pc speakers can over-amplify certain notes in music in an annoying and frustrating fashion.

What are some affordable pc speakers that won't do that?

Generally, at what price would one find speakers that don't have this problem?

Probably towards $90, but you might find an odd pair at $50-$60 that do just well enough.

 

[GoodGame]

What's the most efficient utility program for disk defragmentation? I'm currently using the default program in Windows XP, and it's ridiculously slow.

EDIT: I read a few reviews, and decided to give Auslogics program a try. Downloaded from CNET. Only hiccup is the usual attempts to download a toolbar or change homepage (legit in this case, but declinable).

The program itself allows for some customization and is blazing fast versus the XP native defragger (I understand that XP uses a crippled version of Disk-Keeper lite, itself a freeware version of a commercial program).

 

[NickyJ]

What's the most efficient utility program for disk defragmentation? I'm currently using the default program in Windows XP, and it's ridiculously slow.

EDIT: I read a few reviews, and decided to give Auslogics program a try. Downloaded from CNET. Only hiccup is the usual attempts to download a toolbar or change homepage (legit in this case, but declinable).

The program itself allows for some customization and is blazing fast versus the XP native defragger (I understand that XP uses a crippled version of Disk-Keeper lite, itself a freeware version of a commercial program).

For what it's worth, I use Defraggler, and I haven't had a problem with it yet.

 

[Samson]

What is the usual solution that companies employ to patch their firewall without bringing down all internet communication's behind said firewall?

My work has recently invested a considerable amount of money in a new fancy pants next generation firewall, and now every week or 2 they have to turn it off for 15 minutes or so, to do a "software update". This brings down all our (including my) websites, making us (and me) look unprofessional. Now I do not know as much as perhaps I should about this end of web technology, but it seems to me that this must be a solved problem. This is government funded science, so not as well resourced as it might be.

 

[Cutlass]

Usually there would be effectively 2 networks. A public and a private. Your web pages are on the public, and you protect them as best you can, but they will be somewhat vulnerable. You rebuild if you can't protect. But then you have an internal private network that protects all of your important stuff and is extremely difficult to get at from the outside. That way you can do updates to the private side as necessary without effecting the public side.

 

[IglooDame]

What is the usual solution that companies employ to patch their firewall without bringing down all internet communication's behind said firewall?

My work has recently invested a considerable amount of money in a new fancy pants next generation firewall, and now every week or 2 they have to turn it off for 15 minutes or so, to do a "software update". This brings down all our (including my) websites, making us (and me) look unprofessional. Now I do not know as much as perhaps I should about this end of web technology, but it seems to me that this must be a solved problem. This is government funded science, so not as well resourced as it might be.

That's... ********. Cisco and Juniper (for two) can be updated without affecting internet connectivity. Can you find out the make/model of firewall, as there's probably something else going on there, but twelve hours or so a year of downtime isn't something most organizations tolerate in a SLA on their primary internet circuit, even if planned/scheduled.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

What's the most efficient utility program for disk defragmentation? I'm currently using the default program in Windows XP, and it's ridiculously slow.

EDIT: I read a few reviews, and decided to give Auslogics program a try. Downloaded from CNET. Only hiccup is the usual attempts to download a toolbar or change homepage (legit in this case, but declinable).

The program itself allows for some customization and is blazing fast versus the XP native defragger (I understand that XP uses a crippled version of Disk-Keeper lite, itself a freeware version of a commercial program).

I've been using Auslogics and I'm quite happy with it. I like watching the little colored blocks move around.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Anyone using 7-Zip with the explorer extension:

Download some installation package that's in an EXE. Now right-click it and try to extract it with 7-Zip. Is it just a bug on my system, or is it actually extracting the EXE contents? I tried it with several different ones.

Weird.

 

[warpus]

Where's the best place to register a .com domain?

I have hosting at some place or other (seriously can't remember where right now), registering a domain for a friend. There's too many options and I don't have time at work to do research so I thought I'd ask here.

I read somewhere that some places "trick" you into using that domain with their hosting package instead of moving it wherever you want, unless you pay a fee. Is this something I should watch out for or is it bs?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I was setting up a site for my friend & she wanted a domain and this place gives prices:
http://instantdomainsearch.com/

 

[Zelig]

Where's the best place to register a .com domain?

I have hosting at some place or other (seriously can't remember where right now), registering a domain for a friend. There's too many options and I don't have time at work to do research so I thought I'd ask here.

I read somewhere that some places "trick" you into using that domain with their hosting package instead of moving it wherever you want, unless you pay a fee. Is this something I should watch out for or is it bs?

I use namecheap.com

 

[Samson]

That's... ********. Cisco and Juniper (for two) can be updated without affecting internet connectivity. Can you find out the make/model of firewall, as there's probably something else going on there, but twelve hours or so a year of downtime isn't something most organizations tolerate in a SLA on their primary internet circuit, even if planned/scheduled.

I feel the same way as to the downtime, I have to suspect they are doing something wrong. The make is McAfee, I cannot find the model.

Usually there would be effectively 2 networks. A public and a private. Your web pages are on the public, and you protect them as best you can, but they will be somewhat vulnerable. You rebuild if you can't protect. But then you have an internal private network that protects all of your important stuff and is extremely difficult to get at from the outside. That way you can do updates to the private side as necessary without effecting the public side.

Is that the usual way? They objected because of the reduced protection that provides for the critical servers, but it seems sensible to me.

 

[Cutlass]

When I try to use multi monitor with Win7 with my actual monitor and my TV, the system insists on screwing it up. It makes the TV display 1 and the monitor display 2. Every time. How do I set and lock the monitor as display 1?

 

[Cutlass]

Is that the usual way? They objected because of the reduced protection that provides for the critical servers, but it seems sensible to me.

The point is to put nothing critical outside the firewall. Only stuff easily replaced. Keep all the critical stuff in the safe area.

 

[Samson]

The point is to put nothing critical outside the firewall. Only stuff easily replaced. Keep all the critical stuff in the safe area.

I guess the thing is the "critical" stuff is the web servers, though of course they are easily "replaced", as in we can recreate their state quite easily.

 

[cardgame]

I remember there was one domain host that did sites for like $2 but I forgot the name. Possible it was '1D' or something like that?

Oh, 1&1 is doing it for 99c the first year, after that I don't know how much it will jump to. Probably $10 but possibly even more.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Question: I like to use large 256px icons for my folders. However, once in a while a 256 icon doesn't seem to resize correctly... Best explained by a screenshot:

I double checked and the icons are 256px. I also refreshed the icons cache a few times & killed and restarted explorer. Any suggestions?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I think I figured that one out. I was looking at the pictures in IcoFX. I noticed the ones that were not loading correctly had only the 256px images, not the old sizes like 128 & 48 & 32. So I used IcoFX to re-create them and restarted explorer & suddenly they worked.

 

[GoodGame]

Do you make your own icons Aimee?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

No, I download them from a site called Iconspedia.