Root Access

cat

6:00 PM

Also means I'll be gone for quite some time

I don't like being offline :-/

If only you could install Windows without turning off your PC

Or rebooting

Or doing anything

djsmiley2k

run linux, windows in a vm ? :D

That Brazilian Guy

6:45 PM

I want to be able to buy ~~cheap food~~ food cheap

@djsmiley2k To degauss your son, press both his menu and source buttons for 5 seconds.

cat

6:58 PM

He said degass not degauss

Ben N

Ugh, it's time to Win10ify my main machine. Starting the disk imager now...

Also, Disk2VHD FTW, online disk copy is awesome

(I know it's not a full disk copy, but it's possible to use a VHD to recover)

DavidPostill

I'm sticking to Windows 7 :)

Will I be the only person on RA running Windows 7?

Ben N

You might be. Quick, XSS some analytics in here!

I'm not a big fan of Win10 at the moment, but I do like that it'll be in support for much longer than Win8.1

DavidPostill

Isn't it supposed to be forever (like there is no Windows 11 planned)?

Ben N

That's my understanding

DavidPostill

7:11 PM

I'm sure it will move to paid updates or subscription or something.

That Brazilian Guy

7:56 PM

Windows for Steam

ROODAY

Anyone know of a quick way to apply CLEAN to every cell in an excel spreadsheet?

It's a massive sheet and every now and then there is a cell with a carriage return in it that I need to remove

Ben N

@ROODAY VBA - iterate over the ranges where you have data, make sure the cell type is text, and replace the data with the CLEAN'd version?

ROODAY

Is there no built in option to clean cells? I saw VBA recommended for this on SO thread, but one of the comments said it took an hour to complete, and my sheet is bigger than the one in the SO thread

Ben N

How big is the sheet?

ROODAY

one sec, ill count it

252441 rows by 75 columns

The SO thread in question with the VBA answer had 50 columns and 10000 rows and that took an hour or so to complete

cat

8:03 PM

!!caat

ChatBot John Cavil

Ben N

@ROODAY Hmm, if your machine can process 1000 cells per second, it will take five hours

How powerful is your computer?

In terms of single-core clock speed

ROODAY

4.2ghz

Ben N

Oh, it'll probably only take an hour then

Did the SO person's script disable UI updates? If not, you'll get massive speedups

ROODAY

It has the Application.ScreenUpdating = False

Ben N

8:06 PM

Ah, then it does disable UI updating

ROODAY

It's the bottom answer of this thread: stackoverflow.com/questions/25240512/…

Ben N

Still, I think VBA is your best bet

ROODAY

Is there no way to monitor its progress other than just checking back in an hour?

Ben N

You could have it only do a chunk of your sheet and see how long that takes

ROODAY

True. Well, it seems I have no other option so I might as well start testing

Thanks for the help!

Ben N

8:10 PM

Any time :)

ROODAY

Oh one last question, I just ran the VBA and within 10 seconds excel started not responding. Should I just assume it's working and check later?

Oh well, nevermind that, it just gave me runtime error 13, type mismatch

Ben N

If you have other types of data in the sheet as well, you should definitely have a check for each cell's data type, since you wouldn't want to waste time cleaning a number

ROODAY

8:26 PM

I tried If TypeOf r.Value Is String Then but I get Expected: Object or Type name

What would be the proper way of checking if a cell is a string? I'm currently looping through cells with For Each r in Range etc.

Ben N

I think you want to use the TYPENAME function

ROODAY

Would this work? pastebin.com/49i8NtS1

Ben N

I'm not sure of the parameters for Range, but that might work

Try it on a smaller subset first ;)

ROODAY

Good idea, thanks!

Ben N

Also, when doing VBA on your whole sheet, it's a good idea to back up your workbook in case there are mistakes

ROODAY

8:31 PM

Yeah, I've been working on a copy named test.csv in case I ruin everything lol

Ben N

Wait, if this whole thing is a CSV, you could probably handle it with PowerShell

ROODAY

How would I go about that? (never used powershell before)

Well to be honest I've never really used excel before today either

Ben N

It has an Import-Csv function that sucks in a CSV file, then you can fiddle the data, and save it again with Export-Csv

Though if you don't know PowerShell it might be better to stick with Excel ;)

ROODAY

Yeah, might as well since I came this far. But I'll look into powershell next time I have to wrangle a csv.

djsmiley2k

hum d edum

i feel like i'm missing something obvious but i just can't get this firmware upgrade working on my kindle :/

ROODAY

8:44 PM

@BenN The idea to check for strings was spot on! The script ran in under 5 minutes! I'm now running another one of my programs to convert the csv to json, and for the first time its outputting no errors! So i'm gonna go ahead and attribute the day's success to you

Ben N

Thanks! Also, PowerShell can convert CSV to JSON with Import-Csv 'file.csv' | ConvertTo-Json > file.json ;)

ROODAY

Ill keep that in mind, thanks!

Talk About IT!

9:03 PM

Talk About IT!: Creating an SSH Tunnel

posted on July 27, 2016 by Luke B

So today, I was helping someone with a multi-site WordPress issue, and I linked to my blog. But guess what? It wasn’t coming up! All my external tests seemed to work, including Down for Everyone or Just Me, and even Cloudflare! I could still SSH into my server (as I was watching log files scroll… Read More » The post Creating an SSH Tunnel appeared first on Talk About IT!.

That Brazilian Guy

Oh what the hell!

I think last night I accidentally called a parallel-universe decent ISP who fixed my problem in less than 5min

9:15min so far listening to waitlist music. -_-'

Guitar Shoe Dave

so that was interesting..

djsmiley2k

which number are they pointing out?

her less views, or her more likes?

so higher % likes too

That Brazilian Guy

Been transfered thrice whenever I say my issue

Ben N

9:19 PM

I recently had someone ask me to go get a computer and turn it on so I could restart it. He refused to move further in the script until I said I had done that.

That Brazilian Guy

Why can't ISP people understand the difference between "Oh, is your internet broken" and "your guys are sending me a shitty DLS signal with bad S/N ratio"

@BenN Beat me by a couple seconds ;)

DavidPostill

@ThatBrazilianGuy They can, but you have to get past the layers of level 1 and level 2 techs :)

That Brazilian Guy

Is it a good or bad time to confess I was, in a past life, a layer 1 ISP tech support for 3 months?

Shittiest job I ever had, by far. There's a few horror stories I could share from there.

But that's another story, for another time

I just found out last night my modem-router has an ADSL status page

djsmiley2k

I think most of us have done something simular

That Brazilian Guy

My strategy so far has been saying: "Hi, my DSL signal is 2400 downstream and 96 upstream with a high noise ratio, please fix"

They either have no idea what I'm talking about or fix it in 30 sec.

DavidPostill

9:29 PM

@ThatBrazilianGuy I've never done level 1 support (that was all billing and powercycle stuff) but I have done level 2 support for 5 years for a VoIP Video Telephone and eventually other stuff (dual and Triple Play packages, and Number Porting). I really enjoyed it.

That Brazilian Guy

@DavidPostill I have no idea what any of those things are (dual and Triple Play packages, and Number Porting)

DavidPostill

@ThatBrazilianGuy Sounds like they have a mix techs with different capabilities - dumb and smart ;)

That Brazilian Guy

If it's anything like it was nearly a decade ago, the ISP outsources to a third-party that fires employees faster than they can hire, and have nearly no hiring standards.

DavidPostill

@ThatBrazilianGuy Dual Play = Internet + VoIP, Triple Play = Internet + VoIP +TV, Number Porting = moving phone number to or from a fixed line provider to or from a VoIP provider.

That Brazilian Guy

Oh. We call those things "combo" and "portability"

DavidPostill

9:34 PM

Number Porting was complex but interesting. I was dealing with numbers in around 10 countries - so websites and paperwork in languages I don't speak or read :)

Fortunately a lot of it is web sites forms and telecoms folks generally understand English when it comes to emails.

@ThatBrazilianGuy Hmm Nobody's cancelled my logins on some of the telecoms number porting portals since I was made redundant in 2013. Anybody want a Norwegian phone number? :)

That Brazilian Guy

LOL

I just wanted to be able to use Google Voice outside the US

Guitar Shoe Dave

vpn

Ben N

How do I find the automatic shutoff temperature for an Intel CPU? It doesn't seem to be in the ARK sheets

That Brazilian Guy

I think it's not that easy. I also happen to have a personal VPN server.

Guitar Shoe Dave

you'd need a vpn in the usa.

Ben N

9:44 PM

I have a machine pushing 190F and I'm afraid it's going to die in the middle of this important operation

That Brazilian Guy

@BenN Play Crysis on it ;)

Guitar Shoe Dave

Its actually quite simple to do.

That Brazilian Guy

@GuitarShoeDave I do have one in the USA.

DavidPostill

lol - they are still using my name on the order forms for Danish number porting :)

Guitar Shoe Dave

If you have an aws machine.. just create an instance in virginia.. and set up openvpn on that sucker.

free for a year.

That Brazilian Guy

9:45 PM

40 secs ago, by That Brazilian Guy

@GuitarShoeDave I do have one in the USA.

DavidPostill

I suppose I should lose those account and passwords ;P

Guitar Shoe Dave

i never have problems using vpn and google voice (when I used it)

at least when i was on aws

That Brazilian Guy

@DavidPostill I suppose they should stop using your name for a company you don't work anymore

NExt thing you know you'll be sued out of someone else's f$%#-up

@GuitarShoeDave I have a google voice account that I created back when it was launched, but the number associated with it was shut down and now it's just an inbox with a lot of spam IIRC

Guitar Shoe Dave

ugh that sucks man.. sorry to hear that

That Brazilian Guy

I think I can't install the app on my phone, not only because of geolocation but also the country set on the google play store

I have to check on that

DavidPostill

9:49 PM

@ThatBrazilianGuy Yeah, the minions (multiple) in Poland who took over that part of my job are obviously too stupid to change the name on the accounts when they took the work over. I'm surprised they didn't change all the passwords though.

That Brazilian Guy

Good thing you apparently parted on good terms...

(I'm not implying you are malicious, I'm stating they are stupid)

DavidPostill

@ThatBrazilianGuy Yeah, I even stayed on an extra 3 months (for a bonus) to do a proper handover for those minions even though they had taken over my job.

That Brazilian Guy

On sane and healthy business relations, I assume this is usual practice.

DavidPostill

I also didn't want to burn any bridges as there was a chance I would be re-employed as a tier 3 tech. Didn't work out though :/ (more reorgs).

@ThatBrazilianGuy It was optional. I could (everyone else chose to leave) have left the day I was made redundant. They gave a choice for people to stay on and do a handover.

barlop

If a graphics card is PCIe is it guaranteed going to be compatible with the motherboard? Are there other things to look for re compatibility?

That Brazilian Guy

10:01 PM

@barlop Speed and number of lanes, at least

barlop

number of lanes?

hmm i'll look into that

That Brazilian Guy

> he PCI Express standard defines slots and connectors for multiple widths: ×1, ×4, ×8, ×12, ×16 and ×32.

> A PCI Express card fits into a slot of its physical size or larger (with ×16 as the largest used), but may not fit into a smaller PCI Express slot; for example, a ×16 card may not fit into a ×4 or ×8 slot. Some slots use open-ended sockets to permit physically longer cards and negotiate the best available electrical and logical connection.

The number of lanes actually connected to a slot may also be less than the number supported by the physical slot size. An example is a ×16 slot that runs at ×4, which will accept any ×1, ×2, ×4, ×8 or ×16 card, but provides only four lanes. Its specifi…

barlop

heh, 10*.. I doubt it i'll have to check.. maybe similar rep

but I haven't built a comp in a while so I don't keep up to date with these things

about 12K so similar rep.

That Brazilian Guy

I only have 4k on SU. Also, I was kidding ;p

tthayer

Poland... T-Systems?

DavidPostill

10:06 PM

@tthayer If that was addressed to me, no

That Brazilian Guy

@barlop I haven't built one in ages, too. Probably nearly a decade, except for a mini-ITX board with soldered processor that I just slapped a RAM chip on it to use as a file server.

barlop

why mini itx? space advantage or quietness advantage?

That Brazilian Guy

I had to ask a friend for help to build a decent computer for someone. ;p

barlop

there should really be a website that keeps people up to date with all the questions a techie needs the answers to regarding what is compatible with what

That Brazilian Guy

@barlop Space and price, mostly. It's not that quiet, as the power source thingy is a bit noisy

barlop

10:09 PM

surely a mini itx psu doesn't even need a fan?

I had a mini itx psu PicoPSU, no fan.

and no high noise either.

cat

!!caat

ChatBot John Cavil

That Brazilian Guy

@barlop Are we talking about the same thing here?

Mini-ITX

Mini-ITX is a 17 × 17 cm (6.7 × 6.7 in) low-power motherboard, developed by VIA Technologies in 2001. They are commonly used in small-configured computer systems. Originally, they were a niche product, designed for fanless cooling with a low power consumption architecture, which made them useful for home theater PC systems, where fan noise can detract from the cinema experience. The four mounting holes in a Mini-ITX board line up with four of the holes in ATX-specification motherboards, and the locations of the backplate and expansion slot are the same (though one of the holes used was optional...

17 x 17 cm board

barlop

yeah

PicoPSU works in MiniITX

That Brazilian Guy

with the case, it's nearly the size of a clasic xbox 260

barlop

10:12 PM

if you look at how many watts it requires you might find it's quite low

I had one in 2003 that was about 60W

some years later I had a higher wattage one maybe cos more devices plugged into it, but a higher wattage PicoPSU too

That Brazilian Guy

I had never heard about the PicoPSU until now

> No, that's not just one of the cables. That's the whole darn thing. As its name suggests, the picoPSU is tiny — so tiny that 70 picoPSUs would fit inside the casing of a normal ATX power supply.

barlop

it's just a make of fanless psu that are low wattage

That Brazilian Guy

O_o

barlop

well there would still be an ACDC adaptor

err maybe.

i don't recall if they have an ACDC Adaptor, maybe not.. I think they have some kind of power brick

That Brazilian Guy

I have a generic PSU, 100W IIRC, came with the casing, has a fan on it. Another fan on the processor, and one or two fans on the case

Are you saying I could do away with all of them?

barlop

10:14 PM

you can get a 120W PicoPSU

re the processor that's another matter

and you need a fan on the case if you have a case

I used to have the motherboard in a little pull out desk draw and would pull the draw out when I used it.

That Brazilian Guy

(sometimes I wonder where in the world have I come to know the meaning of some expressions. I don't recall ever using "do away with" before. It just... felt right)

barlop

you're brazilian?

don't you go around with no shirt on and fight each other?

That Brazilian Guy

Are you american? Don't you go around on cowboy hats mounting eagles and shooting guns on each other?

barlop

only in texas

That Brazilian Guy

> Turns out, instead of using bookmarks, she used an addon to open her tabs up whenever she starts of Firefox. Fair enough, some people like the most frequent tabs opened up whenever they first start up. That's not an issue at all.

She then says, "Oh, I have maybe 12,000 tabs saved up on there".

Found @Bob's wife.

4