Note: This is also posted on my other Greencoal blogs, useful for reference as I do edits on these other blogs too.
Bloggers find the blog post quick edit icon and wrench a great time-saver when they edit their blog. However, each time Firefox is upgraded the blog post edit pencil icon goes missing! * Arrggh * There are several causes, amongst which are possibly the anti-virus software setting. Example: in FF9 I investigated and switched off website filtering, and the pencil icon was restored on my blog posts! Other times it could be a security setting in your browser. The article below is a good read on the issue:
Blogger-edit-pencil-missing
UPDATE: 02-Feb 2012
I upgraded to FF ver 10 last nght, and sure enough, the pencil icon went awry! I tried the previous tweak but it did not work.
After spending the better part of the day googling and investigating the possible myriad causes, including resetting browser preferences, none of which worked, I decided to see what would happen if I closed and shutdown my anti-virus software.
After shutting down the AV program I closed firefox and re-open the browser again. And lo and behold - the pencil icon was restored! So my anti-virus program (always) was the culprit. But didn't I disable web-filtering in the anti-virus program? Yes, I did - but that didn't restore the pencil or edit wrench icon! I needed to shutdown the anti-virus program to restore the pencil icon. I also re-activated the anti-virus program; the edit-pencil icon still shows on the blog! Good.
To re-check, I shut down Firefox and re-open it again. The pencil icon still shows! Somehow, somewhere, something was broken in the AV program setting. Shutting it down and re-opening it was the only way to restore its setting and the pencil edit icon.
Showing posts with label back-dated. Show all posts
Showing posts with label back-dated. Show all posts
Blog Video Player
Most blogs embed the Youtube player to publish videos on their blog. Problem is, that player publishes videos that are hosted on Youtube. What if I wish to showcase my own video production on my Blog? To do that I would first need to publish my video on Youtube, then embed the Youtube player (linked to my video) on the blog page, a tedium at best. * yawn * I don't need to do that if I have my own video-player widget on my blog. Hence this post to test the concept. And it works !
Now I have the best of both worlds: my own video for readers of this Blog only or publish the video on Youtube if I need to attract a bigger audience. Independence does make you feel good, doesn't it? * grin *
Here's the implementation : Echo - We Are Here!
Issues : This will be a continual update as more issues are found..
a. To play the video in full screen, hit the full-screen icon at the bottom right corner of the video box. Hitting the [ESC] key will return you to the blog page. That works in Google Chrome and IE9 but not in Firefox due to cross-platform inconsistencies. If you use Firefox please right-click and select Full-screen to play the video full-screen.
b. Why do you omit ogg format? Only 2 formats - mmp4 & webM - are served, voiding the need to convert mp4 to ogg, saving conversion time and DropBox folder space. I omitted ogg to see if FF will play webM. Apparently FF ver 10 does play webM but not mp4 yet. Maybe I should i/c ogg for those using ff 9 and below? hmmm...Seems vid fallback to Flash is not needed if only using Chrome, FF, or IE9 as this vid will play on these platforms.
c. Why don't you i/c Flash fallback? I could. Problem is, vid controls are inconsistent across platforms as the Flash player has a different menu bar and the goal is to achieve consistent cross-platform performance as much as possible. My post Video for Everybody shows the menu control using a Flash fallback (youtube player) and no javascript is used. So, some trade-off here.
d. Why then don't you use VfE exclusively? I could. Problem is, without javascript the menu control is inconsistent across different platforms.
e. Video volume level may be adjusted, either on the video control-bar or via the external volume control of the PC speaker.
f. In IE9 some elements on the blog page overlay the video when you play it in full-screen mode. That ruin the presentation somewhat. Still no luck trying to figure out what causes the overlay in IE9. As the issue occur only for this vid player but not in Youtube embedded vids, the problem has to be either HTML5, the Flash player used, the vid menubar control or some incorrect setting. Note that this video displays properly without any disturbing overlay element in Firefox or Chrome browser. Any ideas, anyone?
UPDATE 08-Feb-12: My AV probably is the culprit, figuring out which setting causes the problem in IE9 and not in the other browser platforms. Turned off AV web filter. Issue solved in blog DC.
UPDATE 09-Feb-12: Arrgghh.. although blog DC doesn't surface the overlay issue now I discovered blogs Shunfoto ("SF") and Forgive Me Lord ("FML") still do. More testing - probably has to do with the CSS code in SP and FML? * sigh *.
g. Why does the video takes some time to load? If you're not using high-speed broadband the video will take >5 sec to load. Other factors are also involved - available bandwidth, congestion, etc. I converted all my vids to full HD format - resolution 1920x1200, 3-4 min run time, 35MB file size - because bigger file sizes and Full HD is the future. Owing to their much larger file sizes, full HD vids take longer to load than SD videos. If your bandwidth is not up to it the video will stutter in the first few seconds. After that play should be smooth, hopefully. * grin *
If you're not on the nationwide fibre-optic network, I suggest you get a subscription plan. Superspeed fibre broadband is now price competitive to Singtel's ADSL or Starhub's Cable broadbands. I'm on M1 paying $39 pm (promotional offer) for download and upload speed of upto 50Mbps. Even as I write, ultra-speed fibre broadband is becoming available in many countries today. Ultra-speed broadband will become the de-facto standard as more people ( i.e. congestion ) get on the Internet and multimedia continues to hog the screen - be it on the desktop PC, iPad, iPhone, Ultrabooks. Gasp! Yes, even become mainstream on the living room TV as multimedia technologies converge and merge. TV as we know it today will no longer exist - the Internet is the new TV. That's the new paradigm.
Already the next exciting prospect for multimedia is here: Thunderbolt, the blazingly fast file transfer and streaming made possible by Intel's latest innovation announced last year and is expected to be in the market some time in 2012! Apple had a minor role in Thunderbolt and already launched new Thunderbolt-equipped devices in Dec 2011!
Incidentally, Thunderbolt is also a paradigm shift, spawning new devices and technologies and changing the PC industry. It will make today's PC obsolete. PCs will come modular, heat inside the new PC will no longer be an issue as power, graphics, etc will become externalized. That allows higher clock-speeds and processing power and everything will shrink. Graphics will either be enshrined in the CPU or be externalized, the new PC will take tablet form with built-in screen - like the iPAD - but will be as powerful as desktop PCs today. Storage of programs, data, etc using the Cloud will be pre-dominant, obviating the need for local hard disks on the new PC which will be equipped with light weight (modular or built-in) SSDs. All these technologies are already here, Thunderbolt will tie all these disparate technologies together to make possible the new format, perhaps as soon as within 3-5 years.
Everything will go on the Net - healthcare, education, homework, officework, entertainment, police patrols, security survillence, home automation, etc. Internet hotspots will proliferate, merge, become ubiquitous. Entire communities will have free access to public broadband networks when governments ( yes, free access except Singapore * wink-wink * ) realize the Net is the new TV to communicate with the masses. Books, bookstores, newspapers, magazines, public libraries will be obsolete - as dead as the Dodo. That is the future - and ultra-speed broadband is an indispensable cog in that future.
I didn't hesitate to subscribe when fibre-optic broadband became available in Singapore in 2010. I assume most of you are already on the highspeed bandwagon because - like me - you saw how enjoyable and good Youtube vids really are in full HD glory!
Update 08-Feb-12: Google lays new fibre-optic cable for Super-Fast Internet. Read here.
Now I have the best of both worlds: my own video for readers of this Blog only or publish the video on Youtube if I need to attract a bigger audience. Independence does make you feel good, doesn't it? * grin *
Here's the implementation : Echo - We Are Here!
Issues : This will be a continual update as more issues are found..
a. To play the video in full screen, hit the full-screen icon at the bottom right corner of the video box. Hitting the [ESC] key will return you to the blog page. That works in Google Chrome and IE9 but not in Firefox due to cross-platform inconsistencies. If you use Firefox please right-click and select Full-screen to play the video full-screen.
- Update 5-Feb-12 : That is no longer true. As of today the full-screen icon is now shown at the bottom right corner of the vid box too.
b. Why do you omit ogg format? Only 2 formats - mmp4 & webM - are served, voiding the need to convert mp4 to ogg, saving conversion time and DropBox folder space. I omitted ogg to see if FF will play webM. Apparently FF ver 10 does play webM but not mp4 yet. Maybe I should i/c ogg for those using ff 9 and below? hmmm...Seems vid fallback to Flash is not needed if only using Chrome, FF, or IE9 as this vid will play on these platforms.
c. Why don't you i/c Flash fallback? I could. Problem is, vid controls are inconsistent across platforms as the Flash player has a different menu bar and the goal is to achieve consistent cross-platform performance as much as possible. My post Video for Everybody shows the menu control using a Flash fallback (youtube player) and no javascript is used. So, some trade-off here.
d. Why then don't you use VfE exclusively? I could. Problem is, without javascript the menu control is inconsistent across different platforms.
e. Video volume level may be adjusted, either on the video control-bar or via the external volume control of the PC speaker.
f. In IE9 some elements on the blog page overlay the video when you play it in full-screen mode. That ruin the presentation somewhat. Still no luck trying to figure out what causes the overlay in IE9. As the issue occur only for this vid player but not in Youtube embedded vids, the problem has to be either HTML5, the Flash player used, the vid menubar control or some incorrect setting. Note that this video displays properly without any disturbing overlay element in Firefox or Chrome browser. Any ideas, anyone?
UPDATE 08-Feb-12: My AV probably is the culprit, figuring out which setting causes the problem in IE9 and not in the other browser platforms. Turned off AV web filter. Issue solved in blog DC.
UPDATE 09-Feb-12: Arrgghh.. although blog DC doesn't surface the overlay issue now I discovered blogs Shunfoto ("SF") and Forgive Me Lord ("FML") still do. More testing - probably has to do with the CSS code in SP and FML? * sigh *.
g. Why does the video takes some time to load? If you're not using high-speed broadband the video will take >5 sec to load. Other factors are also involved - available bandwidth, congestion, etc. I converted all my vids to full HD format - resolution 1920x1200, 3-4 min run time, 35MB file size - because bigger file sizes and Full HD is the future. Owing to their much larger file sizes, full HD vids take longer to load than SD videos. If your bandwidth is not up to it the video will stutter in the first few seconds. After that play should be smooth, hopefully. * grin *
If you're not on the nationwide fibre-optic network, I suggest you get a subscription plan. Superspeed fibre broadband is now price competitive to Singtel's ADSL or Starhub's Cable broadbands. I'm on M1 paying $39 pm (promotional offer) for download and upload speed of upto 50Mbps. Even as I write, ultra-speed fibre broadband is becoming available in many countries today. Ultra-speed broadband will become the de-facto standard as more people ( i.e. congestion ) get on the Internet and multimedia continues to hog the screen - be it on the desktop PC, iPad, iPhone, Ultrabooks. Gasp! Yes, even become mainstream on the living room TV as multimedia technologies converge and merge. TV as we know it today will no longer exist - the Internet is the new TV. That's the new paradigm.
Already the next exciting prospect for multimedia is here: Thunderbolt, the blazingly fast file transfer and streaming made possible by Intel's latest innovation announced last year and is expected to be in the market some time in 2012! Apple had a minor role in Thunderbolt and already launched new Thunderbolt-equipped devices in Dec 2011!
Incidentally, Thunderbolt is also a paradigm shift, spawning new devices and technologies and changing the PC industry. It will make today's PC obsolete. PCs will come modular, heat inside the new PC will no longer be an issue as power, graphics, etc will become externalized. That allows higher clock-speeds and processing power and everything will shrink. Graphics will either be enshrined in the CPU or be externalized, the new PC will take tablet form with built-in screen - like the iPAD - but will be as powerful as desktop PCs today. Storage of programs, data, etc using the Cloud will be pre-dominant, obviating the need for local hard disks on the new PC which will be equipped with light weight (modular or built-in) SSDs. All these technologies are already here, Thunderbolt will tie all these disparate technologies together to make possible the new format, perhaps as soon as within 3-5 years.
Everything will go on the Net - healthcare, education, homework, officework, entertainment, police patrols, security survillence, home automation, etc. Internet hotspots will proliferate, merge, become ubiquitous. Entire communities will have free access to public broadband networks when governments ( yes, free access except Singapore * wink-wink * ) realize the Net is the new TV to communicate with the masses. Books, bookstores, newspapers, magazines, public libraries will be obsolete - as dead as the Dodo. That is the future - and ultra-speed broadband is an indispensable cog in that future.
I didn't hesitate to subscribe when fibre-optic broadband became available in Singapore in 2010. I assume most of you are already on the highspeed bandwagon because - like me - you saw how enjoyable and good Youtube vids really are in full HD glory!
Update 08-Feb-12: Google lays new fibre-optic cable for Super-Fast Internet. Read here.
Enable-and-Disable Right-Click in the Start Menu
Sometime ago I found I was unable to access the context menu in the Windows Start Menu. Somehow, somewhere, someone... had disabled the right-click in my W7 Start Menu! The problem only surfaced in the Start Menu. I had no problem accessing the context menu in other areas such as the Desktop, Directories, Folders, Sub-folders, etc. Perplexed and bewildered, I surfed the web for answers. None of the suggested "solutions" worked. Several frustrating weeks later - when I nearly gave up hope of ever finding the solution, an idea struck: Since the context menu is part of the file system, perhaps the answer is connected to the file system browser i.e. Windows Explorer?
And it does! So here is the solution to enable right-click in your W7 Start menu:
1. Right-click the Windows Start Button located at the bottom left corner of your screen.
2. Click to open Properties
3. Click the Start Menu tab
4. Click the "Customize..." button to customize the Start Menu
5. Check the box "Enable context menus and dragging & dropping"
Done! You should now be able to access the context menu in the Windows Start Menu.
Approaches That Didn't Work for Me: Edit Registry in fanhow.com and howtogeek.com
And it does! So here is the solution to enable right-click in your W7 Start menu:
1. Right-click the Windows Start Button located at the bottom left corner of your screen.
2. Click to open Properties
3. Click the Start Menu tab
4. Click the "Customize..." button to customize the Start Menu
5. Check the box "Enable context menus and dragging & dropping"
Done! You should now be able to access the context menu in the Windows Start Menu.
Approaches That Didn't Work for Me: Edit Registry in fanhow.com and howtogeek.com
Urban Garden
Introduction to Vertical Gardan and Urban Garden
I have always been enchanted by greenery inside homes. Some years ago I saw for the first time a green vertical wall at the newly opened Siam Paragon in Bangkok and was wow'ed by what I saw. Following that visit, I investigated the concept of green vertical walls and urban gardening for indoor space.
Here's some sources:
Wow - simple D-I-Y
How to Build A Green Wall
If you need further push, let me entice you with the lovely photo below extracted from Wilson's Blog. Isn't he creative? Head to his site for the full post - he has other imaginative ideas with photos!
"The last idea to help plant-lovers create more space in an office or home is to grow one’s plants.
Isn't that lovely? Imagine what how it will light up your living space!
Source/Credit: Gardening with Wilson
"Locate plants that need more light in the middle so that sunshine that streams through the window can directly hit them. Those that need less light can be situated higher or lower along the length of the ladder. As you can imagine, by hanging potted plants on a ladder, you are actually constructing a vertical garden!"
Unquote
When the mover moved my boxes to the flat, I made sure they didn't forget my house plants! *grin*
Help, My PC Crashed!
DRAFT
Help - my PC crashed!
A simple solution to many problems - re-install Windows * huh? arrggh.. * But there is a better way - it's simple, easy, and quick! Here's how..
Back up your root drive partition image. Whenever your PC crashed - such as BSOD, virus-infected, etc - simply restore the root drive image from another drive on your HD. This is much simpler and quicker than trying to find out the cause for the crash and rectifing it.
.. to be continued
Protect Yourself on the Net
Managing My PC
Duplicate Files on Your PC
Delete Redundant Site Links on IE9, Firefox, Chrome
Capture Screen Shots
Block Unwanted Ads and Intrusions
Enabling Right-Click in W7 Start Menu
Blogger Edit Pencil Icon Missing!
Useful & Indispensable Free Programs I Use
1 Partition Wizard Home Edition - Reliable program to manage your hard disk partitions.
2 Macrium Reflect - Helps me resolve PC crashes, including BSOD, hackers attacks, etc
3 ScreenShooter - Several freeware of the same name, I use the one by Michael Michta!
4 Everything - Excellent Search program, far superior to Windows Search.
5 FastCopy - Still evaluating, not sure if it is faster than Windows Copy.
6 Media Player Classic - No other media player comes close!
7 UBCD - Important software in my Toolkit to resolve PC Crashes.
8 Firemin - Portable program to reduce memory leaks in Firefox.
9 CCleaner - Basic Registry cleanup tool
10 PDF-Exchange - Excellent with all the works!
11 Auslogics Disk Deframenter - Works flawlessly!
12 Auslogics Duplicate File Finder - Makes it easy to delete duplicate.
13 ImgBurn - Once I have used this, I discarded any other CD-burning program(s).
14 VIPRE Anti-virus program - Best AV that is, without slowing down your PC.
15 uTorrent - Light-weight, easy to set up, works flawlessly and consistently.
16 AM-Deadlinks: Delete Redundant Site Links - What will I do without this ?
.. to be continued
Help - my PC crashed!
A simple solution to many problems - re-install Windows * huh? arrggh.. * But there is a better way - it's simple, easy, and quick! Here's how..
Back up your root drive partition image. Whenever your PC crashed - such as BSOD, virus-infected, etc - simply restore the root drive image from another drive on your HD. This is much simpler and quicker than trying to find out the cause for the crash and rectifing it.
.. to be continued
Protect Yourself on the Net
- aaa
- bbb
- ccc
Managing My PC
Duplicate Files on Your PC
Delete Redundant Site Links on IE9, Firefox, Chrome
Capture Screen Shots
Block Unwanted Ads and Intrusions
Enabling Right-Click in W7 Start Menu
Blogger Edit Pencil Icon Missing!
Useful & Indispensable Free Programs I Use
1 Partition Wizard Home Edition - Reliable program to manage your hard disk partitions.
2 Macrium Reflect - Helps me resolve PC crashes, including BSOD, hackers attacks, etc
3 ScreenShooter - Several freeware of the same name, I use the one by Michael Michta!
4 Everything - Excellent Search program, far superior to Windows Search.
5 FastCopy - Still evaluating, not sure if it is faster than Windows Copy.
6 Media Player Classic - No other media player comes close!
7 UBCD - Important software in my Toolkit to resolve PC Crashes.
8 Firemin - Portable program to reduce memory leaks in Firefox.
9 CCleaner - Basic Registry cleanup tool
10 PDF-Exchange - Excellent with all the works!
11 Auslogics Disk Deframenter - Works flawlessly!
12 Auslogics Duplicate File Finder - Makes it easy to delete duplicate.
13 ImgBurn - Once I have used this, I discarded any other CD-burning program(s).
14 VIPRE Anti-virus program - Best AV that is, without slowing down your PC.
15 uTorrent - Light-weight, easy to set up, works flawlessly and consistently.
16 AM-Deadlinks: Delete Redundant Site Links - What will I do without this ?
.. to be continued
Block Unwanted Ads and Intrusions
Source: Blocking Unwanted Ads on Your Site
ADS, pop-ups and malware are so pervasive and rampant. They are intrusive and annoying, and interfere with your web surfing.
To remove these intrusions, the link above provides the full info on how to block unwanted ads and other pests from intruding on your web site. Here's a summary of what-to-do:
Download the HOSTS File provided at the link. The file contains addresses of link ads mapped to your local host 127.0.0.1. When Windows checks the Hosts file before it queries the DNS servers, it sees the 127.0.0.1 address and thinks the ad link is local, bypassing it and going onto the next mapping on the list. Open the hosts file to check out the ad links.
Next, go to your Windows folder and look for the existing hosts file at C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC.
Open the downloaded Hosts file in your usual text editor and copy the contents.
Then open your existing hosts file and 'paste' the contents from the downloaded Hosts file, taking care not to disrupt or delete your existing mappings. Save the new Hosts file (overwriting the existing hosts file - make a backup copy first!) and exit. Vist a website and check that unwanted ads are blocked.
Important Note: Youtube vids are stopped from playing on your web site due to the 'no-cookie' tag. Simply remove the tag from the vid link and the vid should play.
Example: This vid below will not play: [If it plays it's bcoz I restored the original window host file.]
QUOTE
UNQUOTE
Simply change "www.youtube-nocookie.com" to "www.youtube.com" in the embed code, and the amended script should play:
***
You can also use a HOSTS file to block ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the connection(s) that supplies these unwanted links.
Explanation - the following entry 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net blocks all files supplied by that DoubleClick Server to the web page you are viewing. This also prevents the server from tracking your movements. Why? ... because in certain cases "Ad Servers" like Doubleclick (and many others) will try silently to open a separate connection on the webpage you are viewing, record your movements then yes ... follow you to additional sites you may visit.
In many cases using a well designed HOSTS file can speed the loading of web pages by not having to wait for these ads, annoying banners, hit counters, etc. to load. This also helps to protect your Privacy and Security by blocking sites that may track your viewing habits, also known as "click-thru tracking" or Data Miners. Although using a HOSTS file is not a cure-all against all the dangers on the web, it does provide an effective "Layer of Protection".
Pricelessware has named the MVPS HOSTS file as "the best of the best in Freeware" for the 2nd time!
To view the HOSTS file in plain text form open with Notepad or Ultraedit Editor. If your existing Hosts File already contains code to prevent certain program updates or checks, you would need to "cut-and-paste" from the downloaded HOSTS file in order not to disrupt the existing status quo of the existing hosts file.
There is no need to turn on, adjust or change any settings. Windows automatically looks for the existence of a HOSTS file and if found, checks the HOSTS file first for entries to the web page you just requested. The 127.0.0.1 is considered the location of your computer, so when the entry (example) "ad.doubleclick.net" is requested your computer thinks 127.0.0.1 is the location of the file. When this file is not located it skips onto the next file and thus the ad server is blocked from loading the banner, Cookie, or some unscrupulous ActiveX, or javascript file.
In case you're wondering... this all happens in microseconds, which is much faster than trying to fetch a file half-way around the world. Another great feature of the HOSTS file is that it is a two-way file, meaning if some malware does get into your system (usually bundled with other products) the culprit can not get out (call home) as long as the necessary entries exist. This is why it's important to keep your HOSTS file up-to-date.
ADS, pop-ups and malware are so pervasive and rampant. They are intrusive and annoying, and interfere with your web surfing.
To remove these intrusions, the link above provides the full info on how to block unwanted ads and other pests from intruding on your web site. Here's a summary of what-to-do:
Download the HOSTS File provided at the link. The file contains addresses of link ads mapped to your local host 127.0.0.1. When Windows checks the Hosts file before it queries the DNS servers, it sees the 127.0.0.1 address and thinks the ad link is local, bypassing it and going onto the next mapping on the list. Open the hosts file to check out the ad links.
Next, go to your Windows folder and look for the existing hosts file at C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC.
Open the downloaded Hosts file in your usual text editor and copy the contents.
Then open your existing hosts file and 'paste' the contents from the downloaded Hosts file, taking care not to disrupt or delete your existing mappings. Save the new Hosts file (overwriting the existing hosts file - make a backup copy first!) and exit. Vist a website and check that unwanted ads are blocked.
Important Note: Youtube vids are stopped from playing on your web site due to the 'no-cookie' tag. Simply remove the tag from the vid link and the vid should play.
Example: This vid below will not play: [If it plays it's bcoz I restored the original window host file.]
QUOTE
UNQUOTE
Simply change "www.youtube-nocookie.com" to "www.youtube.com" in the embed code, and the amended script should play:
***
You can also use a HOSTS file to block ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the connection(s) that supplies these unwanted links.
Explanation - the following entry 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net blocks all files supplied by that DoubleClick Server to the web page you are viewing. This also prevents the server from tracking your movements. Why? ... because in certain cases "Ad Servers" like Doubleclick (and many others) will try silently to open a separate connection on the webpage you are viewing, record your movements then yes ... follow you to additional sites you may visit.
In many cases using a well designed HOSTS file can speed the loading of web pages by not having to wait for these ads, annoying banners, hit counters, etc. to load. This also helps to protect your Privacy and Security by blocking sites that may track your viewing habits, also known as "click-thru tracking" or Data Miners. Although using a HOSTS file is not a cure-all against all the dangers on the web, it does provide an effective "Layer of Protection".
Pricelessware has named the MVPS HOSTS file as "the best of the best in Freeware" for the 2nd time!
To view the HOSTS file in plain text form open with Notepad or Ultraedit Editor. If your existing Hosts File already contains code to prevent certain program updates or checks, you would need to "cut-and-paste" from the downloaded HOSTS file in order not to disrupt the existing status quo of the existing hosts file.
There is no need to turn on, adjust or change any settings. Windows automatically looks for the existence of a HOSTS file and if found, checks the HOSTS file first for entries to the web page you just requested. The 127.0.0.1 is considered the location of your computer, so when the entry (example) "ad.doubleclick.net" is requested your computer thinks 127.0.0.1 is the location of the file. When this file is not located it skips onto the next file and thus the ad server is blocked from loading the banner, Cookie, or some unscrupulous ActiveX, or javascript file.
In case you're wondering... this all happens in microseconds, which is much faster than trying to fetch a file half-way around the world. Another great feature of the HOSTS file is that it is a two-way file, meaning if some malware does get into your system (usually bundled with other products) the culprit can not get out (call home) as long as the necessary entries exist. This is why it's important to keep your HOSTS file up-to-date.
Basic IT Knowhow
The PC today has taken everyone hostage in the home. Kids, adults, even grandpas & grannies, have embraced the new toy and discovered an exciting world out there! A world without boundaries or borders, where everyone and everything is virtually accessible, brought into the living room by a mere click on the mouse. Everyone is now glued to the Box: it is the new TV and Entertainment Center, Music Box, Work-place and School, all rolled into one! The PC is transforming lives, and we're all impacted. Gosh, where would we be and what would we do without the PC today?
And that is the reason to blog on IT Matters in a blog that focuses on home renovation. Because it is central to our lives, and impacts our life If you follow my Blog you must be an inveterate PC user - like me! Which means you encounter common PC problems now and then. Problems such as what to do when your PC "hangs". Or couldn't boot, possibly to a computer virus. And over the years I learnt a few things, tricks, and tips and would like to pass these on.
.. to be continued
Help, My PC Crashed!
Protect Yourself on the Net
Useful Free Programs Everyone Should Have
Block Unwanted Ads and Intrusions
Enabling right-click in W7 Start Menu
And that is the reason to blog on IT Matters in a blog that focuses on home renovation. Because it is central to our lives, and impacts our life If you follow my Blog you must be an inveterate PC user - like me! Which means you encounter common PC problems now and then. Problems such as what to do when your PC "hangs". Or couldn't boot, possibly to a computer virus. And over the years I learnt a few things, tricks, and tips and would like to pass these on.
.. to be continued
Help, My PC Crashed!
Protect Yourself on the Net
Useful Free Programs Everyone Should Have
Block Unwanted Ads and Intrusions
Enabling right-click in W7 Start Menu
1970s: Songs of Days Gone BY
2011 Live: Sound of Silence
Original: Sound of Silence
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Mrs Robinson: 1968 Live
Underwater Garden
NA Baby Planted Aquarium
Planted Aquarium
Beautiful Planted Aquarium
ASE International Aquascaping Contest 2011
Automatic Water Change
Planted Aquarium
Beautiful Planted Aquarium
ASE International Aquascaping Contest 2011
Automatic Water Change
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