Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread

[Padma]

I've heard 20 minutes or less before your system is hit by bots and other malware. And that's just being connected - NOT surfing.

(Of course, this is easily mitigated by a good hardware firewall. If the bad guys can't see you, they can't get you. )

 

[Cutlass]

What would you call a good hardware firewall that's available to the public?

 

[lndm]

A public 'gateway'?

 

[Zelig]

What would you call a good hardware firewall that's available to the public?

Any of the linux-based routers with user selectable firmware.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Earlier today I signed out of my Vista admin account and later on signed back in. When I did, I noticed some of the icons that are usually on the right side of the monitor (I keep recycle bin in lower right hand corner -- bad habit of accidentally dragging things into it) were shifted about halfway, like the screen resolution changed. Any clue?

 

[Perfection]

I have a Vista box at work that we're running using remote admin, we have a test setup connected to it that can occasionally become flaky and require a power cycle. I'd like to know if there's a cheap computer controlled power switch out there.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

Is there any free bandwidth limiting software out there? I have problems with downloaders for installing programs eating to much internet bandwidth and lowering the quality of VOIP calls.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5917

If you have Mozilla, this works like a charm. Por--- I mean Video downloads were killing my bandwidth, but this little baby solved that problem.

 

[Perfection]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5917

If you have Mozilla, this works like a charm. Por--- I mean Video downloads were killing my bandwidth, but this little baby solved that problem.

Unfortunately downloaders for installing programs are seperate programs from firefox.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

Unfortunately downloaders for installing programs are seperate programs from firefox.

Oh wait, I read what you said again, sorry for the false hope. :-(

I misread your post.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

Unfortunately downloaders for installing programs are seperate programs from firefox.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/109326-qos-bandwidth-reserve-limit.html

Try this.

 

[Perfection]

That would work if I was making the VOIP calls, unfortunately, the VOIP calls are on other computers.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

That would work if I was making the VOIP calls, unfortunately, the VOIP calls are on other computers.

If you are on a network, I would think that lowering the bandwidth on your computer would allow for other computer to have better VOIP calls.

 

[Perfection]

By default, Vista can reserve up to 20 percent of the network bandwidth for QoS traffic handled by the QoS Packet Scheduler. One hundred percent of the network bandwidth is available to be shared by all programs unless a program (Ex: Windows Update) specifically requests priority bandwidth. This 20 percent reserved bandwidth is still available to other programs unless the requesting program (Ex: VoIP applications) is sending data. Vista can then restrict the best effort traffic to a minimum of 80 percent of the bandwidth to the other programs so that the high priority traffic can be accommodated. If the program that reserved the bandwidth is not sending sufficient data to use it, the unused part of the reserved bandwidth is available for other data flows on the same host.


This will show you how to change the percentage of reserved bandwidth to what you want it to be instead, or disable the reserved bandwidth.

So as I understand it, it's reserving some bandwith for some programs to use but allowing other programs to use it if it isn't being used. That doesn't help me at all.

 

[Imperialmajesty]

So as I understand it, it's reserving some bandwith for some programs to use but allowing other programs to use it if it isn't being used. That doesn't help me at all.

Well, worth a shot, sorry I couldn't help. :-(

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

If you don't have a Windows Vista/OEM disc or a recovery partition, how do you reinstall Vista?

I googled it and got recovery partitions and shareware and stuff for specific OEMs.

The rent-to-own place can't get me an OEM disc and my mom is too cheap to buy a copy.

 

[Padma]

Obviously, without a disk or a recovery partition, you *can't* reinstall Vista.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

If you don't have a Windows Vista/OEM disc or a recovery partition, how do you reinstall Vista?

I googled it and got recovery partitions and shareware and stuff for specific OEMs.

The rent-to-own place can't get me an OEM disc and my mom is too cheap to buy a copy.

The 'questionable' way is to get your serial and use a torrented copy. Technically, since you would be installing the same version using a legal serial key, it is legal, but at the same time questionable.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I read somewhere that M$ will kill Windows if it detects its fake. or something like that.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

First off, it wont kill it, it will simply nag. Second off, how do you think it detects a pirated copy? Through WGA. What does WGA check? That the license is legal. Which is for the most part the serial key. Now there may be hiccups with activation since OEM copies tend to only activate once., but if you call up MS and tell them that you had to reinstall because of blank problem, they should activate it for ya.

 

[lndm]

MS will disable XP, the same way as if you install a copy without activating and in 30 days you can't login (unless you prevent them from doing this).

Is/was there an icon on the desktop offering to create setup discs?