Root Access

Bob

15:03

Hm. U2412M ($235) or P2414H ($179)?

Journeyman Geek

hmm

Both IPS...

I'd say M ._.

qasdfdsaq

@JourneymanGeek Crapcom!

I think I might try buy an Alienware 13

Journeyman Geek

unless you need HDMI

qasdfdsaq

Even though it's butt ugly and chunky as fuck

Journeyman Geek

@Bob that's a pretty tough choice ._.

more pixels vs better connectivity

Bob

15:09

@JourneymanGeek Wait what? o.O

Oh. I use DVI.

Journeyman Geek

accessories.us.dell.com/sna/…

The U2414H may not have any DVI ports

its essentially got the same array of ports my P2715Q (and its smaller brother) do

@Bob ^

Bob

@JourneymanGeek Looking at the P2414H. Not U2414H.

17 mins ago, by Bob

Hm. U2412M ($235) or P2414H ($179)?

It has DVI.

The U2412M... yea. That's a problem.

Well, I'd just need a cable... pretty sure the video card has DP.

Does Dell include a cable?

Journeyman Geek

yup

mini -> standard IIRC

Bob

That solves that! :P

Though who knows with the refurbished ones... shrug

Journeyman Geek

which is actually a sensible thing if your monitor has one mini dp and one standard DP inputs

else, you know where to buy one ;p

Bob

15:23

Anyway... seems like the only real difference for me would be 1920x1200 vs 1920x1080.

Journeyman Geek

yup

Bob

The U2412M is supposed to have a higher colour gamut, but that wouldn't make too much difference to me.

Journeyman Geek

I'd go for the extra vertical pixels personally

Bob

@JourneymanGeek But also an extra $56

Journeyman Geek

yeah

Bob

15:24

Hm. Decisions.

Journeyman Geek

;p

Bob

By the time I make a decision they'll probably be gone anyway :P

Journeyman Geek

;p

Bob

And I'd kinda prefer to wait for the "as new" ones over actual refurbished units. Usually ~$10 price difference, if that.

Johny Nassar

I edited my post, is there anyone who can check it plz?

Bob

15:25

Ok. Back to waiting.

Journeyman Geek

lol

3 days to my new monitor :)

Bob

@JourneymanGeek Thing is, I've got a perfectly good monitor already... sooo while IPS is shiny and all it's not all that high a priority.

Johny Nassar

Is there any moderator here?

Journeyman Geek

lol

Bob

Even though I've been checking the Dell outlet now and then for the last few months.

Journeyman Geek

15:27

@Bob funny thing is I had 2 perfectly good monitors before my dell...

both seemed to have commited sepakku

Bob

lol... I half hope mine would do the same just so I have an excuse to upgrade.

DavidPostill

@JohnyNassar Moderators have blue names, like @Mokubai

Journeyman Geek

(I do think they are repairable, just need to see if the guy who fixes TVs in tanjong pagar fixes monitors too)

@DavidPostill: He'd like to get a question reopened. That can be handled in the queue.

DavidPostill

I already voted to reopen ;)

Journeyman Geek

@Bob the crossover has a wierd featureset...

like I can add a pair of crosshairs...

Bob

15:30

@JourneymanGeek oh, fairly typical (if somewhat useless) 'gaming' feature

Johny Nassar

@DavidPostill thanks

Journeyman Geek

@Bob yup

Bob

...why is Amazon suggesting cake pans?!

fredley

First time trying to fix Windows in a long time, everything is different :(

Is it appropriate to ask for help in here?

Journeyman Geek

Actually its odd. I thought the darned thing usually had stripped down features.

@fredley kiiinda

fredley

15:31

@JourneymanGeek I'm having this problem, but the cause is different

Journeyman Geek

tho if its something non trivial, we'll tell you to ask on the site.

fredley

explorer.exe is crashing at login and I'm stumped

Bob

@fredley We can provide some suggestions, but you probably won't find much step-by-step handholding.

fredley

@Bob k

Bob

I got tired of repeating the most basic instructions -_-

Journeyman Geek

15:31

@fredley happened with my brother's laptop

fredley

@JourneymanGeek No new programs or anything, just started going to black screen after login one day

Bob

@fredley Hm. I swear someone else had the same problem in here a day or two ago.

Journeyman Geek

Was on just one account tho, so I created a new account, moved stuff over and deleted the old one

@Bob was me ;p

Bob

Oh.

fredley

Hardly anything installed on it, and it's happening on both accountss

How do you get to the user control panel from a run prompt?

DavidPostill

15:32

@fredley You try safe mode?

fredley

@DavidPostill yup, didn't fix

Bob

@fredley control userpasswords2 if that still works. or lusrmgr.msc. or netplwiz.cpl

fredley

It's a Dell XPS laptop with Chrome, VLC and that's about it.

Bob

@fredley I'm assuming you've rebooted several times since?

fredley

@Bob oh yah

Bob

15:34

Because that could be a bad thing in this case :P

fredley

Oh :(

Ok trying a new user acct

Bob

@fredley I was hoping the 'last known good configuration' could help.

Oh, oh! Have you tried system restore?

fredley

@Bob Not yet

Bob

I'm not sure if that backs up per-user registry hives though.

Journeyman Geek

._.

those have a backup somewhere no?

or is that just system hives?

Bob

15:36

@JourneymanGeek The system ones are definitely (partially) backed up multiple times.

fredley

It's flashing 'Lots of great features to get excited about' at me, and seems to be stuck on that

Journeyman Geek

oh, that takes a while

its just distracting you.

Bob

System restore contains several copies. Last known good configuration contains a last-good-boot copy of the control sets.

fredley

> Getting everything ready for you

Johny Nassar

@DavidPostill How many reopen vote would be enough to reopen my question?

fredley

15:37

@Bob And explorer.exe not starting counts as a bad boot right?

Because it booted to the login screen fine

Bob

@fredley No - it seems to actually save on successful shutdown..?

fredley

@Bob Oh, does a reboot from task manager count as that?

Bob

Probably, yes.

But I'm not certain if LKGC contains the user hives anyway.

fredley

Been getting everything ready for me for ages now

oooh ooh just a few more tweaks

Why does this take so long?!

DavidPostill

@JohnyNassar 5, I think.

Journeyman Geek

15:39

@fredley Noooo idea

fredley

'We'll be ready soon' - Idon'tbelieveyou.jpg

Journeyman Geek

it does tho

especially on spinning rust

fredley

@JourneymanGeek Nope, all solid state here

Journeyman Geek

oh, then MS is just ineffcient at something ;p

fredley

O(n!)

Johny Nassar

15:42

@DavidPostill Did you think that my edited post will be opened?

Journeyman Geek

and.. to zzz with me

fredley

8 mins ago, by fredley

'We'll be ready soon' - Idon'tbelieveyou.jpg

Soon™

Should I give up yet?

Let's start!

With a black screen!!!

-.-

Trying to open appwiz.cpl: Class not registered

fml

Opening eventvwr: System.OutOfMemoryException

wat

DavidPostill

15:58

@JohnyNassar I voted to reopen, I cannot tell what other voters will do.

fredley

And system restore is turned off.

Guess it's time to reinstall Windows!

Bob

@fredley ...wut.

fredley

@Bob ikr

Checked in Task manager, using 1.3/4

DavidPostill

Disguised youtube spam: superuser.com/questions/1012533/…, user promoting howtotipstutorials.blogspot.com

fredley

Weird thing is, I can open chrome (via the run prompt, and only with admin privs), and from Chrome open the Open dialog

The inability to open appwiz is kind of a killer

Bob

16:04

@fredley You could probably do everything in PowerShell if you really wanted :P

fredley

From within the Open dialog in Chrome I can actually copy files and backup the disk

This is ridic

Bob

56

Q: How can I uninstall an application using PowerShell?

Is there a simple way to hook into the standard 'Add or Remove Programs' functionality using PowerShell to uninstall an existing application? Or to check if the application is installed?

fredley

@Bob I've never used it, *nix user here

Is powershell installed by default?

Bob

@fredley Yes.

It's basically a cross between cmd, bash and .NET.

fredley

cool, I'll try that

@Bob D:

Bob

16:05

lol

fredley

can it grep?

Bob

@fredley It's powerful. The syntax is just a bit funky.

fredley

I'll remove VLC and see what that does, it's the only thing using shell extensions, which is my only real lead on this issue

Bob

@fredley Has al ot of aliases for typical *nix commands. Stuff like ls, cat, etc. But not grep. It has equivalent commands.

-match works on the pipeline

fredley

@Bob Life without grep is not worth living

Bob

16:07

The PowerShell pipe deals with objects, not text.

Makes grep less useful, but Where-Object (shorthand ?) very very powerful.

And actually better than grep :P

fredley

Lies

:P

How do I launch powershell from run then?

OMG CLIPPY

Bob

@fredley powershell

ls | ?{ $_.Name -match '.*\.txt' }

:D

fredley

That is the best room easter egg ever

How do I insert coin?

Bob

ls | ?{ $_.CreationTime -lt '2014-01-01' -and $_.Name -match 'blah'}

This is fun.

Anyway, you can use the snippet fromthe SO answer above to uninstall a program.

(and that was probably a bad example since ls [actually Get-ChildItem aliased] supports -Filter anyway...)

fredley

Is PS insisde my prompt?

Bob

16:17

@fredley ?

fredley

@Bob It is. Confused when it didn't open another window

Can't find VLC :(

Bob

@fredley Oh. It's console-mode.

@fredley Just run Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product and manually look through it?

fredley

Does this thing tab-complete?

Bob

@fredley Uhm... some things. Bit differently from bash.

fredley

:(

VLC not listed as installed

wut

Bob

16:19

@fredley Also, the command above was for programs installed with Windows Installer (MSI)

fredley

The shell extensions were still loaded in the Chrome Open dialog though

Bob

VLC probably uses its own installer.

fredley

pls to have Package Manager

Bob

@fredley This is a case where Windows already provides a package manager (if not a repo) but VLC decided to roll their own instead :P

@fredley You can list all other uninstallers. Gimme a sec to check the command.

gci HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

wait that's incomplete for 32-bit programs on 64-bit systems

gci HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall,HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

@fredley ^

fredley

I think reinstalling Windows is going to be less effort

Bob

16:25

@fredley eh, up to you.

fredley

Now how the hell to boot into recovery

Bob

gci HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall,HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall | %{ gp $_.pspath } | ?{ $_.DisplayName -match 'vlc' }

That should find VLC.

And UninstallString defaults to C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\uninstall.exe anyway. Or my one did.

So then you just run that :P

fredley

Unsure if VLC is even the problem

Could be Dropbox too?

Is there any way to debug what's actually causing explorer to crash?

Bob

@fredley If you wanna hook up a debugger, you could but it'd probably be a pain.

Or you can snoop around the logs and hope it logged something useful.

fredley

I can't open the logs

Unless they're stored in a file somewhere? Is that too much to ask?

Bob

16:31

20

Q: Where/how does Windows store the data in the event logs?

We run some financial systems that log error messages to the system logs. I need to find out if we can clean these error messages from a PCI DSS point of view. I am specificaly interested in the answer for: Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 SP1

windows windows-event-log

Actions => Open Saved Log to load them

Johny Nassar

I was searching on my Windows 7 laptop to try new fonts, I changed the font in:

`control panel > Fonts`

Now the titles of webpages and the menu when I right click the mouse are too small.

I searched for a solution but I didn't find a real one.

I tried to restore default font sizes using:

`Control panel > Fonts > Font settings -> Restore default font settings`

but unfortunately nothing changed.

Bob

You... "changed the font". wut.

That's not how fonts work.

Or, more accurately, you can't change which font is used from the font repository, unless you're deleting them.

The actual used font settings are application-specific and determined by the application in question.

The system itself provides options for configuring fonts in system menus, etc, but applications can still decide their own fonts.

fredley

@Bob I don't have an uninstall.exe

Bob

10 mins ago, by Bob

gci HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall,HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall | %{ gp $_.pspath } | ?{ $_.DisplayName -match 'vlc' }

Run that.

See what UninstallString in the output is.

fredley

This is too much to type

Bob

16:40

@fredley The paths can autocomplete if you want. But it's only two lines of text.

Or chuck it on gist and wget it if you must.

Johny Nassar

@Bob Sorry, also I changed display in Control panel > Personalization > Display to 125% and I return it to 100%. Start menu and desktop icons font size returned to the default size but options of the right click and webpages titles are still in a small size.

fredley

ok, vlc and dropbox removed

I don't think this will work though

If it's a driver, how could I find out which one?

Nope, no luck

Bob

@fredley Binary search? :\

Johny Nassar

@Bob Why some of these returned to default and others no?

Bob

Though if safe mode failed, then that's unlikely - unless said driver added itself to the safe mode list.

In any case, I'm going to sleep now. Good luck.

fredley

16:45

gah, no cd -

can't cope

Bob

@JohnyNassar You need to figure out what you actually changed first. And you need to make sure you restart after restoring.

@fredley pushd popd

tereško

@fredley are you switching to mpv.io?

fredley

@Bob Can't restore

@tereško no

I'm trying to get a Windows computer to work

It's taking all day

tereško

reinstall :P

Bob

@fredley was talking to the other guy

Johny Nassar

16:48

@Bob I'm not sure what I changed first but I'm sure that this is strange because some returned to default while others don't.

Any one can help me plz?

DavidPostill

@JohnyNassar Goto Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Personalization: Select the theme again that you want. It should restore all font/colors/...

You still never told us how you changed the fonts. Hint: It isn't from control panel > Fonts

Johny Nassar

@DavidPostill I'm here at this moment because I forgot how I changed the font. Really annoying problem :(

Can the display provide this problem??

fredley

17:15

> Windows setup could not reinitialize the deployment engine

For [EXPLETIVE] sake!

Microsoft is making me lose the will to live

DavidPostill

@JohnyNassar Goto Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Personalization: Select the theme again that you want. It should restore all font/colors/...

Have you tried that yet?

fredley

@JohnyNassar Install Ubuntu, you'll save yourself frustration in the long-term

tereško

only if you have prior knowledge about managing linux systems

otherwise it will "work" till something fucks up (and it always does with ubuntu's updates) and then your bright-eyed newbie will be forced to reinstall, because ubuntu dumped him/her in black'n'white console and the newbie was scared

bottom line: ubuntu is what you use when you don't want to learn anything new (even is you really should)

fredley

17:38

@tereško I wouldn't seriously recommend Ubuntu to anyone as a primary OS tbh

Just frustrated atm

Reinstall went ok, restoring from backup...

tereško

windows administrator guide: minor problem - restart; major problem - reinstall

Johny Nassar

18:04

@DavidPostill yes, I tried. I chose a picture as theme, nothing changed.

Johny Nassar

18:15

@fredley @tereško Ubuntu for idiots :)

qasdfdsaq

18:27

a

tereško

19:22

@JohnyNassar I would how with "for lazy" instead.

because it usually have to sets of users: newbies who install ubuntu because they want to brag to their friends at school and professionals who just need something quickly installed and don't have time or patience to mess with the setup

Johny Nassar

hahahaha 100% and for people who have nothing to do in their life

qasdfdsaq

19:38

Hi

Journeyman Geek

23:38

morning

meeeeeh

I actually still run ubuntu for my web/application servers since its easier to find third party repos

DavidPostill

Evening ;) Very quiet around here.

Journeyman Geek

lol

Seems to be.

qasdfdsaq

Evening

Quiet in the MMOs I usually play too

Meanwhile I'm still fighting with Windows 10

Journeyman Geek

Lots of that going on yesterday

qasdfdsaq

Also turns out you cannot use a Windows 7/8/8.1 key directly to activate Windows 10, at least not one that hasn't been used on the same machine before

Journeyman Geek

23:52

I've not tried that yet

qasdfdsaq

Also Windows 10 is now become so dumbed down you cannot choose what version to install, so you can't actually install the right one :-/

Journeyman Geek

lol

I've not had that issue with half a dozen updates

qasdfdsaq

Have you tried installing Pro on a machine that came with Home?

Seems like SU's answer to this is pull out the hard drive, install a previous version of Windows, upgrade to 10, pull out the hard drive again, then install 10 again.

0

A: Unable to activate windows 10

(for future reference) if you like me are in the following situation: Clean setup (or upgraded from 7/8) windows 10 home and have a fully activated OS, used it for a while (installed your applications etc) and in the need of an upgrade to windows 10 pro using a windows 7/8 pro license key (don't...

Journeyman Geek

Nope

I check first ;p

qasdfdsaq

Check what?

So yeah, "Swap your hard drive and reinstall 3 times" seems to be the current answer to how to do the equivalent of "Pick the Pro option in setup" of previous Windows.

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