geekswithblogs.net

Tim's .NET Software Architecture Blog

Adventures in Architecting and Developing .NET Applications


News

Technorati Profile

Listed on BlogShares

My Stats

  • Posts - 157
  • Comments - 59
  • Trackbacks - 57

Tag Cloud


Recent Comments


Recent Posts


Archives


Post Categories


Image Galleries


Blogs


Link Blogs


Links


Podcasts


<< To Link List Or Not To Link List | Home | Call For Chicago Area Architects >>

Toshiba FlashCards Annoying



I have been dealing with an annoying feature with my Toshiba laptop since I got it back in October.  There is a drop down, auto-hide menu at the the top of the screen that doesn't seem to hide very well and covers up you title bar controls when it is active.  It didn't even give an indication of what it is called so it took a while to locate the way to turn it of.  It is call FlashCards and here is how to turn it off.

  1. Run msconfig
  2. On the startup tab deselct the Toshiba FlashCards application
  3. Click Ok.
  4. Restart you system

Yes it is just that easy.  Thank goodness.

Technorati Tags: ,

posted @ Tuesday, December 18, 2007 9:57 PM | Filed Under [ Misc ]

Comments

Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by jj on 12/24/2007 2:14 AM
how do i turn flashcards back on
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by jj on 12/24/2007 2:14 AM
how do i turn flashcards back on or did i delete them somehow
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Tim Murphy on 12/27/2007 7:11 AM
I haven't tried it, but you should be able to reverse the steps above.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Merc on 1/2/2008 5:06 PM
Holy jeez thank god i was able to get rid of it, it so annoying all you have to do is go on the start menu and click run then in the white tool bar type in msconfig then go to start up and look for TOSHIBA FLASH CARDS then tic of the check mark go to apply then ok and then then restart your computer
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by penny morton on 1/9/2008 5:31 AM
i have heard if you switch of the flash cards that it affects the use of the fn keys what are these? and it aparently affects the screen resolution is this true as i need good resolution for photographs please help as this is so frustrationg boomlinflashash cards!!
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Tim Murphy on 1/11/2008 8:07 AM
I have not tried to use any of the function keys. I generally don't use any but the monitor switch, but I rarely do presentations. I have not seen any ill effects on the screen resolution which would be a big downer since I am also heavily into photography.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Paul G on 1/12/2008 1:29 AM
A better solution to the problem is going to start >> Programs >> Toshiba >> Utilities >> Settings for Flash Cards

From there you can change around a lot of things about the flash cards, primarily disabling the drop down menu by deselecting bring up flash cards with mouse.

That way, you can keep the functionality of your fn keys...

If you disable flash cards you lose your fn keys, I have no idea about resolution though... I didn't notice a difference.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by i need help w/ this on 1/13/2008 6:33 PM
Apparently i deleted one of the file I need, when I try to go into Programs>toshiba>utilities>Settings for flash cards... I get the message "C:/programfiles/toshiba/flashcards/tfcconf/tfcconf.exe The specified path does not exist. Check the path, and then try again.


any idea how to repair this so i can disable them?
thanks in advance
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Kevin S. on 1/21/2008 3:28 PM
Paul G's solution works the best. Go to Start > Programs > Toshiba > Utilities > Settings for Flash Cards. Then deselect (un-check) the box that says "Bring up Flash Cards with Mouse".

This hides them completely when they are collapsed and only brings up an appropriate one whenever you use a Fn key. For instance, when you hit Fn+F6 or F7, the Flash Card about brightness comes down (or up, depending on where you have the Flash Cards set to display), and shows you the slider for brightness, which can then also be manipulated with the mouse.

In effect, this option makes the Flash Cards completely hidden when you don't want them, and only pop up when you do (by hitting the Fn key).
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Michael on 1/28/2008 9:37 PM
Thanks so much!
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by James Johnston on 2/8/2008 8:25 PM
Ok, there is a better way to handle the cards, edit it's configuration. Here is how:open my computer,
open program files
open toshiba
open flashcardsopen tfcConf
run tfcConf.exe

you can then enable and disable the flash cards.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Nick on 2/10/2008 2:57 PM
For some reason just recently every time I open up task manager I see flash cards taking up like half of my memory. They even do it when disabled, any tips?
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by lynda on 2/22/2008 8:00 AM
I keep getting a warning box that my toshiba flash card has quit working. Should I be concerned that something is not working on my brand new laptop?
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Tim on 2/22/2008 8:36 AM
Lynda, I wish I had an answer for you. I only took my reasearch far enough to get rid of the annoying thing. As you can see from the comments above my solution may not even be the best one. I have to say though that it did speed up the machine quite a bit.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Jay on 3/17/2008 8:23 PM
Well, I accidentally moved the Flash cards menu to the middle of the screen about a month ago when I was trying to turn it off while it was 'Not Responding'. Ugh. No idea how I moved it, and I had no idea how to undo it. Super annoying, because I had a little line there no matter what programs were open. X.x Disabling it fixed the problem for me, though. Yay! Hopefully, somebody will come up with a permanant fix for this, though.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Butte on 3/19/2008 2:34 AM
Toshiba seems well nigh perfectly silent on the problem of TCrdMain.exe quitting. Disabling it via Progs/Toshiba/Flashcard/Config works; msconfig and hand-editing the registry get there, as well, but the Toshiba utility keeps inexperienced piddypaws safely distant from msconfig, let alone from the registry. A "permanent" solution would be to uninstall it, but it isn't in the Vista add/remove/modify program list, unless it's buried in the Toshiba value-added bundle, which is listed there. (Do NOT simply delete the entire directory and files comprising "\Program Files\Toshiba\Flashcard"!) However, Toshiba's own website shows a relatively recent upgrade to the value-added bundle, with a list of applicable Toshiba machine models; it can be downloaded, installed, and IF Flashcards are buried in that, then presumably the fix is in. I have a new A215-S5818 and TCrdMain.exe worked for three days, then failed ever after I'd installed the first few of several programs. Disabling it (as above) at least keeps it in its coffin till I have time to bother burying or resurrecting it. Remember, flashcards do not combat, they instead aid and abet computer illiteracy. Remember the R.T.F.B. principle (read the expletive book, in current machines the help--they used to arrive with actual books). We don't really need flashcards, we're no longer in 3rd grade and we're not learning the bloody alphabet or animals. There are only 12 function keys nowadays, and most of them still do what the fewer keys did early on. Some are basic, F1 for Help, etc.. If you want to see what function keys do, use them one by one (after manually setting a restore point, if you're worried about it). The machine won't fly anywhere or blow apart; it won't even leak sap. Be happy, current Toshibas cost a fraction of the several grand they did just a few years ago, and the flashcard problem is an annoyance residing in some fluff and feathers rather than a basic fault residing in core software.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Butte on 3/19/2008 2:46 AM
By the way, Microsoft released today (apparently just after midnight, 19th wee hours) Vista's Service Pack 1. That will cure at least a few of Vista's own intransigent annoyances and blunders, and might even make TCrdMain.exe settle down. It's 65-433 megabytes, sliding with machine need in Updating. There's also a relatively new XP SP3 RC2 (release candidate, as they choose to call it; it's a beta). Maybe someday they'll even wait to release an operating system when its ready, rather than prematurely; maybe we'll even still be alive to see it happen.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Butte on 3/19/2008 2:57 AM
Correction, 65-427 mb.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by Mark on 4/10/2008 9:28 PM
I don't really have anything technical to add here. I just wanted to say "Amen!" to the title of this post.

The Toshiba "Flash Cards" are frankly one of the most bizarre, user-unfriendly, and counterintuitive creations ever to deface a computer screen. The icons are cryptic, the contextual help is nonexistent (or at least very cleverly hidden), and the placement (directly over the function menus of most software applications) couldn't possibly be more inconvenient.

I just wanted to get that off my chest. Does Toshiba do usability testing on its products? This "feature" is like an unwanted child, I wish they hadn't left it on my particular doorstep, and I resent the fact that I now have to go looking around to find it a new home.
Gravatar # re: Toshiba FlashCards Annoying
Posted by BJ on 4/18/2008 4:03 PM
Thank you and blessings upon you and yours. This was driving me crazy, and the Users' Guide wasn't telling me much. Should I wish to use them at any point, I can simply reverse the process. Hooray for elegant simplicity.
Post a comment





 

Please add 4 and 4 and type the answer here: