Well windows seem to have a REALLY big problem when it comes to reading AVI files. It seems that when you click on an AVI file in explorer, it’ll try to read the entire AVI file to determine the width,height, etc. of the AVI file (this is displayed in the Properties window). Now the problem with Windows is that if you have a broken/not fully downloaded AVI file that doesnt contain this info, Windows will scan the entire AVI file trying to figure out all these properties which in the process will probably cause 100% CPU usage and heavy memory usage. To solve this problem all you have to do is the following:
1. Open up regedit
2. Goto HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\PropertyHandler
3. Delete the “Default” value which should be “{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}”
Voila! Please not that this will no longer provide you with the windows properties displaying the AVI file information such as width, height, bitrate etc. But its a small price to pay for saving you resources.
NOTE: Please use caution when using regedit. Improper usage may cause windows to behave imcorrectly. Also, I cannot be held resposible. Backup your registry first.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Clicking on AVI files in Windows Explorer causes high CPU usage
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Saturday, February 9, 2008
Computer Pranks
Wanna have a good laugh at your friend and his misbehaving computer?Then these prank programs would be handy;the victim is sure to get gooseberries!They're purely for fun and not meant for any malicious intention.Try these out on not-so-computer savvy people,they wont be able to find out whats causing the pc to go mad.Recommended for the females! ;)
Schitzo Mouse
Causes the mouse to jump around like it is crazy.
ButtonShy
Causes the mouse to shy away or jump from most buttons (even the Start button).
RudeCDTray
Causes the CD-ROM drive to open up and give you a rasberry.
FallingIcons
Causes the desktop icons to fall down the screen, no matter how many times the victim tries to put them back in place. This prank is nice so there is a FallingIcons button that pops up on the system tray. Just click the button to return the icons to their prior positions.
Note:Symantec Coporate detected this a malware but I'm fairly sure that its otherwise.
Monday, January 14, 2008
The mic I use in my PC:a pair of earphones!
Browsing through a technical blog,I came across an interesting piece of info:a pair of earphones can be used as a crude microphone.Naturally,I was tempted to criticise the author;earphones are supposed to be output devices-they're not meant for input! Nevertheless,I went on to give it a try.The author was indeed correct,they can be used as a mic,though far from the true sense of the word.Don't expect the makeshift mic to have the efficiency of that of one in a recording studio.There is not much difference between the circuits of a Microphone and a Headphone , just the headphone is designed to spread voice and an microphone to capture the voice !It works on Magnetic Reversal Property which converts vibrations into electronic signals . I have tried this on yahoo chat and it works .
So if you connect the headphone in the microphone slot of your computer, you could use it as a microphone.
Just speak in the ear buds of the microphone, but please speak a bit loudly to be audible at the other end !
Notice, that it will be likely that only one of the two earphones will be a capable carrier of the your voice, for a number of technical reasons.
To find out if your headset works as a mike and to check which ones of the two earphones is the one to talk into perform a simple test while connected online with a friend through Skype or other voice-enabled application.
Talk into one of the earphones saying "ear one, ear one ...." and do the same in the other one saying something like "ear two, ear teo, ...". Ask now your friend when she could hear you better and in most cases you will find out that the right ear is the on that does the job right.
Far from being a professional microphone replacement, this solution is good enough for any emergency situation in which you suddenly do not have access to a needed microphone, while you have available a spare traditional headset / earphones set.
Friday, January 11, 2008
USB 3.0 debuts at CES 2008
Get ready, speed freaks. USB 3.0, the oft-rumored, much-discussed, rarely seen new standard heading our way has been spotted, sliced, chopped, and diced at CES 2008. Actually, we just got a chance to check the connectors and compare with the old 2.0 standard (which the reps tell us is backward compatible, of course). With speeds of 4.8 Gbit/s (600 MB/s), and a powering system which intelligently cuts the juice when you're not using a device, we have a feeling you'll want. Too bad we all have to wait till 2010... the year we make contact... with USB 3.0.
