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‘Tech Tip’ Category

  1. Suddenly can’t access USB hard disk in Windows 7: how to fix (reset permissions)

    January 10, 2012 by Andrew Block

    I fixed our neighbor’s laptop the other day, and I plugged my USB hard drive into it to transfer some files. After I plugged the drive back into my own computer, Windows 7 suddenly couldn’t access the disk (notice the drive space indicator disappeared in the first screenshot, below.

    No amount of fiddling with the security/permissions/owner would bring it back, either.

    This fix is to use the “icalcs” tool to reset the drive’s permissions. To do so, follow these steps:Launch the Command Prompt as an administrator (Start > Search for “cmd” > Right-click on “cmd.exe” and select “Run as Administrator”)

    1. Switch to your drive that is having problems (replace H: with your drive letter): CD /D H:
    2. Type: icacls * /T /Q /C /RESET
    3. Wait for a while. Mine took about 10-15 minutes.

    When it’s done, you should be able to access the drive as normal.

    Sources:

    http://lallousx86.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/resetting-ntfs-files-security-and-permission-in-windows-7/

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318754

    Category Tech Tip, Windows, Windows 7 Tips | Tags: | 5 Comments

  2. Easiest way to clone a hard drive

    October 6, 2011 by Andrew Block

    I get asked a lot how to “clone” a hard drive, so here’s how. This scenario assumes you want to replace a current HDD in your system with a new one.

    1. Get yourself a SATA/IDE to USB adapter, like this one. It makes this so much easier.
    2. Get yourself a copy of Acronis True Image Home 2012.
    3. Install Acronis True Image Home 2012; reboot.
    4. Plug the new hard drive (the one you want to clone to) into the USB adapter, and connect the adapter to one of your PC’s USB ports.
    5. Make sure your PC recognizes the hard drive attached via USB.
    6. Fire up True Image, then click the “Tools & Utilities” tab. Click “Clone Disk.” The program walks you through the next steps. You may have to reboot to complete the cloning process.
    7. When the cloning process is complete, power down your PC, then remove the old hard drive and put the new hard drive in its place.
    8. Turn your computer back on.
    9. Optional: If you replaced a drive that contains Windows (assuming Vista or 7), your computer may not boot properly. Never fear! Just pop in your Windows disc, and choose startup repair. It should automatically fix the problem.

    And that’s all there is to it. I know this isn’t the free route, but it’s the most painless. I’ll look into posting a free solution if people are interested.

    Category Hard drives, Hardware tips, PCs & Hardware, Tech Tip, Windows, Windows 7 Tips, Windows Vista Tips | Tags: ,, | 1 Comment

  3. Delete Windows 7 Temp Files Auto – magically

    August 28, 2011 by Andrew Block

    This is a dead simple trick to delete those pesky temporary files that build up over time in Windows 7 — and the best part is you can set it and forget it.

    Step #1 — Create a new text document on your desktop, then rename it to cleanup.bat (or a name of your choosing, but keep the .bat extension). Note: you need file extensions enabled to do this…My Computer > Organize > View tab > uncheck “Hide extensions for known file types.”

    Step #2 — edit your new file (right click and choose “Edit”) and add these commands:

    @ECHO OFF
rmdir %TEMP% /q /s
mkdir %TEMP%

rmdir %WINDIR%\TEMP /q /s
mkdir %WINDIR%\TEMP

rmdir %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files /q /s
mkdir %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files

    Don’t forget to save your file!

    Step #3 — create a shortcut to the file in your startup menu. Or since it’s so tiny, you could just move the file into your startup folder.

    Step #4 — enjoy as temporary files are cleaned each time your system boots up.

    Notes:

    • You can also add the batch file as a scheduled task, if you’d like to change the conditions that cause it to run (at a certain time, for example). Press Window key + R to bring up the run menu, and then enter taskschd.msc /s.
    • CCleaner is a great program that really scrubs your system for unneeded/unwanted files.

    Category Internet Explorer, Operating Systems, Tech Tip, Windows, Windows 7 Tips, Windows Vista Tips | Tags: ,, | No Comments

  4. Testers needed: enable secure logon (CTRL+ALT+DELETE) on Windows 7 Home Premium

    July 7, 2011 by Andrew Block

    Somebody asked me in a comment if you could enable secure CTRL+ALT+DELETE logging on in Windows 7 Home Premium. Apparently the “Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete” option is grayed out when you try to access Control Panel > Users > Manage User Accounts > Advanced.

    Do any brave souls out there have Windows 7 Home Premium, and want to try one of the methods mentioned here?

    I would but I do not have that flavor of Windows 7. Let me know in the comments below!

    Category Tech Tip, Windows, Windows 7 Tips | Tags: ,, | 1 Comment

  5. Get rid of that stupid annoying warning about “Moderate NAT” on XBOX 360 (XBOX Live)

    May 30, 2011 by Andrew Block

    Despite forwarding all of these ports to my XBOX 360 and even enabling plug and play on my router, I could never get those annoying “Error: Your NAT type is set to strict (or moderate)” XBOX Live warnings to go away.

    The ultimate solution for me was to put my XBOX 360 on my router’s DMZ (De-Militarized Zone). Keep in mind I’m running DD-WRT, so your settings might look a bit different.

    Here’s how:

    1. Make sure you manually assign your XBOX an IP address via your router’s DHCP interface. Again, do not manually assign the IP address on the XBOX itself, but use the DHCP settings in your router to assign a static IP to your 360 (EDIT – actually, this doesn’t matter. Either way, manually assigned on the console or via DHCP, works).
    2. Go into the section of your router where you can assign an IP address to the DMZ. In DD-WRT, it’s in NAT / QoS -> DMZ. Click “Enable” next to “Use DMZ” and enter the XBOX 360′s IP address. Click Apply Settings to save your changes. Here’s a post how to do it on the vanilla Linksys firmware.

    Aaah, no more friggin’ annoying Moderate NAT warnings! Now keep in mind, putting something on the DMZ is the same as having no router in front of it, so be sure you’re aware of the risks (in my estimation, it’s not a big deal on the XBOX, but I would NEVER do that on one of my PCs).

    Category Gaming tips, Networking tips, XBOX 360, XBOX Live | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

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