Evan Winslow

Need help choosing a new wireless mouse/keyboard poss

Evan Winslow — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 20:28:00 GMT

Hello everyone. I am looking into purchasing a new mouse and possible a keyboard combo with it. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions, or if you knew of any products that fit my description, or ones close to it. I have been scouring the internet looking and have found several decent packages, but I am hoping that there might be that perfect one. I am looking for something that is primarily Window based... and I am right handed.

I am looking for:

A mouse that is:

Wireless.
1. Not really sure whether to go with RF or Bluetooth. My primary application is for use with my notebook which has built-in bluetooth. I do know however, that either way I want to get one of those mini-receivers that look like the USB flash drives, so that if I want to use it with something else (say my desktop) I can. All I know is that I am tired of having that damn bulky RF receiver that sits on my desk. It is ugly, space consuming, and collects dust.
Laser.
1. This is just a preference. If I have to get an optical, then I guess I could do that too.
Rechargable.

I would prefer if the mouse came with some form of rechargeable batteries.
1. This way, down the road if I need to change them, I can, rather than the mice with the built in rechargable pack that isn't of the removable type.
I would also prefer, to have the USB charging cable.
1. Again to reduce desk clutter by avoiding the cradle.
2. Also does not hinder use during charging.
Also, it would be ok if the mouse were compatible with rechargeable batteries (I had a Logitech wireless mouse before that wouldn't work with standard rechargable batteries (1.2V), only AA regulars (1.5V) because of the voltage difference.) and I would just purchase them separately. I think this might be the best route even, because then I could always have a backup set waiting, and it solves the problem of worrying about a contained battery.

I found this article on the Microsoft website about using rechargeable batteries. Is this a guaranteed fault, or is it just possible? They also mention using NiCd batteries, what about NiMh batteries? I know they are the same voltage, but is there a difference in performance?

Portable/Mini/Notebook
1. When I say this, I mean just something that isnt too bulky. I am trying to avoid something as large as some of the Microsoft desktop gaming mice with the buttons on the side and everything. I just want something relatively normal to slightly smaller that is easy to travel with, and not bulky. I suppose similar to the 2 button mouse with the scroll wheel/button, and a side thumb button as well.
2. I don't want something that is too small that your hand will cramp after a short while either.
3. Something comfortable I guess is what I mean, but on the smaller end.

A keyboard to go with it:
1. Just looking for a standard US keyboard with maybe some media buttons (but not necessary as that is just an added feature).
2. Preferably looking for something that is quiet-key.
3. Don't want some flimsy keyboard that feels like it will break if I pick it up so only a quality brand I suppose.

I thank you in advance for any help. I have been looking into these and below are links to some of the few I think I might like.

Logitech® Cordless Desktop® MX™ 3100

This is nice but the only thing I dont like is that it has the cradle. :-(

Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth

This is nice as well, but I like this next Microsoft Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse.

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 6000

This looks nice, the only thing is rechargeable features. :-S I wonder if it will function with rechargeables. Does anyone know? I tried to call Microsoft and one guy said he didn't know and hung up on me, another guy transfered me and then I got cut off by the system, and then the Online Chat person told me to call Inside Sales & Licensing at 1-800-426-9400. The woman here was not sure either, but she was very helpful in finding materials on its lab testing, etc. and did recommend that I contact the battery company and ask them, because they would be better suited to answer that. This being because everyone knows how Microsoft works, but not many people know how a battery is built, so therefore it would be more likely for them to know if their product would function in Microsoft's mice. It makes sense. (She even gave me phone numbers for several battery companies. I was pretty shocked.)

Targus Notebook Wireless Rechargeable Laser Mouse

The only downfall to this is that it does not store the reciever in the mouse for on-the-go, and it isn't Bluetooth.

All of these solutions are nice, however none are perfect to my wants. Does anyone know of anything better, or personal experiences with this? Thanks for your help.

Norton Internet Security 2006

Evan Winslow — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 06:35:00 GMT

I went out today and picked up a copy of Symantec's Norton Internet Security 2006. I have always been a fan of Norton products, as they are simple to you, and work rather well. I figured I would try this since I couldn't find much information about it on the internet at all. I went ahead and tried installing it on a VPC with Additions, and Win XP SP2, and I have a P4 3.0 w/HT CPU. Needless to say, I tried increasing the Page file, I dedicated 1024 MB of RAM to the VPC, but I still could not get it to function properly. It started that the installation was so slow. It took nearly two hours to install the program. Once it installed, and rebooted, I never got to the Activation section. It kept locking up and blowing my CPU out at 100%. I finally decided to can it, and uninstall it which also took forever. I then installed it on my host PC, whcih worked just fine. As a host app, it works great and has an attractive layout. Nice product actually, but just dont try to install it in VPC. If anyone gets it to run well in a VPC let me know... I would like to know what you did. I still have yet to try it in VMware... do that later as well as give a review on the features from my host PC... I am going to bed now.

Microsoft .NET 1.1 Installation Issues with Windows XP SP 2 (and the Windows Logon Screen)

Evan Winslow — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 04:20:00 GMT

The other day I had somebody ask me about this, and I remember I was kind of annoyed at first when it happened to me so I figured I would post it, just in case anyone ever has this problem the information will be readily available. Anyways, this guy asked told me he was running Windows XP Professional SP2.

He said that after installing the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1:

he was presented with a log on screen. (He was used to only having one profile so it usually went straight to the desktop.)
his display configuration had switched to Windows Classic mode as opposed to the jazzy XP style.
because of the display change, the image next to the name in the startup menu had disappeared
a majority of the graphics schema has reverted to a “pre-update / Windows 2000” look
the Start menu also says 'Shut Down' instead of 'Turn Off Computer'
a new user - asp.net - had been created in the User Accounts control page.
when pressing ctrl+alt+del, the screen fades out and 'Windows Security' comes up instead the Task Manager.
he also noticed some performance differences (negative) and loss of some software functionality on his computer

On his own, he decided to try:

deleting the ASP.net account
installing and reinstalling SP2 for XP
uninstalling and reinstalling .NET 1.1 several times

He then told me that “It's incredibly frustrating. I'm all out of ideas.” He was tempted to try and wipe everything, but for 1) did not seem entirely sure how enough to be comfortable with it, and 2) he didn't have a direct means for backing up data, so there's about 10Gb of important information he would lose.

Ok then, how do we fix this?

First off, it isn't the best practice to just go around deleting things before you look for a solution and hopefully speak with someone, because like all of us have, you will eventually have to end up learning the hard way.

Here are a few details about the aspnet_wp (or ASP.net account):

when the framework is installed, another user account is created for the ASP.net worker process, or Aspnet_wp.exe, so that it can run in the background without administrator privileges.
this helps to increase security because if your computer was attacked, the process is now running at a restricted user lever, rather than having administrator privileges over the local machine.
the user runs the ASP.net worker process used in Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS).
This allows ASP.net to run on your local web server
it allows for ASP.net projects to run correctly

The general idea is that when the .NET Framework is utilized, the ASP.net account is used to access the computer where it has limited access to the system, as to hopefully not compromise your computer to hackers,etc.

WORKING WITH THE REGISTRY
As always, whenever working with the registry you should always back up your registry. (Technically one should do it whenever installing or uninstalling any piece of software, but that can become a bit excessive for the average user.) To back up your registry, you must first decide whether you will back up just parts, or the entire thing.

To back up certain pieces, go to Start > Run... > and type regedit > locate the keys which you will need to back up > select the key or subkey > File > Export > select save location > Save. Alternatively, you can right-click the key or subkey > select save location > Save.
To back up the entire registry, follow these directions.
If you need to restore the backup, follow these directions.

STARTING CLEAN
If you did as he did, and installed and removed SP2 or .NET in the process of trying to figure out what was going on, this is what I would recommend that you do. Remove all or what is left of the .NET Framework using the tools outlined below. If you can, remove XP Service Pack 2, because chances are there were some altered files that became corrupted in some way. We will start fresh to ensure you get full functionality of everything. (Alternatively you can try to just reinstall the SP over it.)

Read this first:
This is ONLY for MS .NET Framework 1.0 & 1.1
And here is one upcoming for 2.0:

INSTALLING WIN XP SP 2
Now first off, check your windows version by clicking Start > Run... > and type winver . Then, after you have checked that you are in fact running Windows XP with SP2 still installed, continue on. If you do not, install SP2 and reboot the PC.

INSTALLING .NET FRAMEWORK 1.1
Next, install the .NET Framework 1.1. Check your Add/Remove Programs to ensure it is now successfully installed. I would reboot the PC.

INSTALLING .NET FRAMEWORK 1.1 SERVICE PACK 1
Next, download and install the .NET Framework SP1.

ASP.net Security Update for .NET Framework 1.1 SP1
Now, download and install the ASP.net Security Update for .NET Framework 1.1 SP1 and reboot again.

MICROSOFT UPDATE
Finally, run Microsoft Update and download any updates there may be to ensure that your computer is up to date and has the latest fixes.

NOTE:

After you complete this, if you do not wish to have the logon screen at all, you can use the Microsoft Tweak UI Powertool and expand logon > autologon > check "Log on automatically at system startup" and it will log on to the set account automatically unless you hold SHIFT while the machine is booting.
-OR-
The safer way of doing this would be to click Start > Run > and type control userpasswords2 . Clear the "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" field. Click Apply. Enter the user/pass combo you normally log in with. Click OK. Click OK again. You may or may not be able to bypass this method... have to test it to find out. You can always still undo it, or log off/switch users to get to another account if need to access the Administrator account or something for some reason.

IF AFTER ALL OF THIS, you are still having graphics errors, try this. For some reason with .NET 1.1 the programmers decided to change windows appearance to more of a developer feel than the "cushy GUI" of XP. You can check your display settings by: Start > Control Panel > Display > Appearance Tab > Windows & Buttons Drop-box >> Switch it to Windows XP style (if it isn't already) > Apply.

Norton Products

Evan Winslow — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 20:50:00 GMT

So far I have had no success with Norton products in Windows Vista 5219.

1. Norton Internet Security 2005 Antispyware Edition v8.5

Will not install at all.

2. Norton GoBack v4.0

Gives the error "Cannot detect if this is the boot drive.", even though I have double checked that the partition is set as active, and it is the only partition on the drive.

3. Norton Ghost v9.0

Installs but then gives the error that it cannot initiate the backup sequence.

Ugh...

Evan Winslow — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 20:27:00 GMT

Well... I just got out of the hospital today after a bout of being in a short coma (dont ask) and then recouperating. Although, I am still incredibly tired I still am up and I just finished installing Windows Vista 5219 on my test box. It appears to be running smoothely, although it is just the beginning. I will continue to post on this periodically as well as other programs. For now I am trying to get caught up on my rest. So far as many of you already know, I like the graphics. Some things I have noticed thus far on the driver end of the installation spectrum. Linksys WiFi 802.11 B/G wireless adapter (WMP54G) It claims to have installed successfully. However, I cannot get it to connect to any wireless networks. I have tried unintalling and reinstalling the device and drivers several times now and still cannot get it to work. I have done a little bit of research on the topic but I still cannot find an answer.

My First (well second really) Post!

Evan Winslow — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 21:30:00 GMT

Ok. This is going to be my second time writing this because the first time I clicked on post and it said I wasnt logged in and sent me to a blank post page upon successful login.

A little bit about me

Hello. I am an 18 year old college student at Cook College, which is a part of the New Brunswick / Piscataway campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. I am majoring in biochemistry, with the outlook of going to medical school. I love to help people, and I therefore became a volunteer EMT. Since I was little I have always been one to be constantly inolved in math, problem solving, and fixing other peoples problems. I was always the one to ask questions and want to learn more about technology espeically. When I was little I would always try to take old broken electronics and either fix them or combine them to make something better. I was successful many times. I now fix computers and play with all aspects of tech as a hobby.

In 1992, when I started Catholic school, the first computer I ever saw was the early Mac Classic II (with a 16MHz processor!!!). In 1994, I moved and started public school where they had spent a lot of money buying the early IBM PC's running DOS, which had probably the worst graphics ever. I remember learning to type with a sheet over our hands on the keyboard with Mavis Beacon. At home I had bought a Commodore for rather cheap and used it to play around with. When I was in like 4th grade, which would have been approx 1996, the school bought many new computers from Gateway, running Windows95 vB. I remember thinking it was the greatest thing ever. I got my first real computer which was a Compaq Armada 1550DT laptop or something like that which turned out to be the biggest nightmare of my life. I did my first reformat and install of windows 98 in 1998. I crashed that laptop so many times, becuase in an effort to teach myself and try things by going “Hmm whats this do?”. I did however become very good at system restorations. I upgraded to Windows 98SE in 1999. Moving into middle school, they made us use Windows NT 4.0 for Workstations. Getting into highschool, they then made us use Windows 2000 Professional for Workstations. Eventually the school upgraded to Windows XP Pro which is where they were at when I left. When I was going into high school or around there, my mom bought a Gateway Select Digital 1000 with the then almight 1.0Ghz processor. (what a difference from the 16MHz) The only problem with this computer was that it came with Windows ME. Eww. Once Windows XP came out I got rid of that. Lets see what else. I built my own desktop tower PC because I was tired of sharing with my mom because between the two of us (more so her because by this time i had a decent knowledge of computers workings) that thing would die like once a month. I now still have my computer which I use as a test box. I now have a HP zd8000 notebook which I use for school. Ever since I can remember I have been reading and trying things to learn, which is how I primarily taught myself everything I know. Now all my friends ask me to fix their computers for them when they break, so that they dont have to pay the repair shop on campus. I took a Inro JAVA class in high school, and am now teaching myself C+ +. I am always eager to learn more where I can. If I could afford an MSDN subscription I would get one, but unfortunately a full time college student with a part time job's salary doest quite cover the almost $3000 price tage. So, I do my best and try to get new software when I can to play with it. Shhh.... but now and then I also use pirated beta's (like the Windows Longhorn/Vista series)... and then if I like it when the full product comes out i will save and buy it. I always only use these for my own personal educational usage. My hopes are to someday write my own operating system and I am trying to gather the knowledge to start it. So far I am trying to learn the basics and then work my way up. I always keep an open mind to suggestions, and am always eager to learn something new. I teach myself what I can, and if people choose to help me along the way, I always say thank you and take their offering with pride. I like to test products and “play” with them and I write my experiences in forums. Now I have a blog to write up the bugs, fixes, and cool new features that I explore and come across. That is pretty much as much history as I can think of, so I wont write any more crap for you to have to read.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me and I will most certainly answer back. If I can help anyone, also email me. I am always willing to help to the best of my ability.