Software utilities

Maybe you need to run Internet Eplorer 6 (IE6) under Vista, either for compatibility with older web applications or for web development or, if you ‘re insane, to use it instead of IE7 or Firefox (recommended choice). Well, you can download this file, directly from Microsoft, that emulates a Windows XP SP2 with IE6. There are also images with IE7 or IE8 Beta 1.

Have fun!

While debugging an ASP.NET application under Windows Vista, I noticed I could not debug it, because the green arrowhead button next to debug remained green after pressing it, meaning I was not in debug mode. Finally I found out this interesting tutorial. It basically suggests to open Control panel, then program and features, then click on Turn Windows features on and off, and then set the checkbox as the following figure:

That’s it!

PS: don’t forget to run Visual Studio 2005 as administrator, clicking on the icon with the right button!

Poor poor thing. I almost feel like singing him a lullaby and rocking him ever-so gently ‘til he falls asleep with his thumb in his mouth and a drool a mile long.

But I won’t.

‘cos …well….I think he’s got a gazillion million millions stuffed in his pillow for comfort.

You made the decision to leave, Billy Boy, so what’s with the choked-up speech and the misty eyes? You’re not dying, you’re just leaving, moving on. Change is necessary as you very-well know, Billy. All you have to do is look at all the different versions of Windows, Office, yadda-yadda-yawn, you’ve piled out to know that what I’m saying is true. One minute, it’s Windows 2000, then it’s XP, then it’s Vista. If we can live through those dramatic versions/changes, then you, my friend, can live with the almighty big one you’re about to embark on.

Imagine all the things you’ll have more time to do now. You could go on a holiday. Ever heard of that, Billy Boy? Hol-i-day?

No, not the song by Madonna, dufus.

Well, a holiday is when you jump on a plane (erm, in your case, I guess it would be one of your private jets) and go to a place where you can leave the world behind, relax, reflect and have fun. I heard the mangoes are really good in the Caribbean. Greece is heaven on earth. And Brazil will make you smile all over.

So how about it, Billy Boy? Go on a holiday and thank the heavens that you still have enough of your life (and your money) to enjoy the journey ahead (whichever path you choose to take).

It’s not the end, old man – it’s just the beginning.

You’ll be fine, Billy Boy. We’ll miss ya, but you’ll be fine.

Just fine.

.

You know those guys that got arrested the other day for breaking into a woman’s apartment and stealing her MacBook (and other stuff)? You know, the ones who got ‘caught on camera’ (quite literally)?

Well, what those guys did seems to pale right into the background when compared to hackers who seem to be capitalising on the recent China disaster.

There’s an email going round the Internet with a Word document attached to it. The body of the email reads:

BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) — The death toll from the earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan Province has risen to 34,074 nationwide as of 2 p.m. Saturday, while 198,347 people were injured, according to the Information Office of the State Council. Pay attention to attachment for more.

Whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHED WORD DOCUMENT as it’s infected with a Trojan virus (MalDoc-Fam Trojan).

Opening the attachment downloads the trojan onto your computer and if you have a vulnerable Windows PC, then you’re kinda f*cked as that’s its favourite food of choice.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first (and it unfortunately won’t be the last) time hackers get up to no good – they did the same thing when the July the 7th bombings happened in London and when Hurricane Katrina came. I bet they’re just rubbing their hands and brains with glee waiting for the next disaster to come hurtling (hurting) along. I wonder what makes someone do something like that – what are they hoping to achieve? To think there are probably circles out there where it’s cool to do stuff like that, where there are rule books and 10-point guidelines to follow to be ‘in with the hacker clique’.

I wish them well.

Really.

Once Karma’s had its wicked way with them, that is.

Ole Billy Boy Gates has said that Windows 7 won’t be as bad as Windows Vista. (You’ve got to give it to the lil guy. At least he’s admitting it was crap).

I didn’t know Windows made computerized crystal balls too, though. If so, I want one….just so I can smash it on the floor Greek-wedding style. How does Billy Boy know MicroSoft(intheHead) Windows 7 won’t be as bad as Vista? I mean, there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? I bet they had the same high hopes for baby Vista before it was born (until it came out with hair not quite the same colour as its dad’s).

Gates is apparently all excited about it as it’ll need ‘lower power, take less memory’ and ‘be more efficient’. I say: don’t count your 7.1’s before you 7’s, my friend.

I managed to totally avoid Windows Vista. I tend to take my time on version releases before using them. I’ve seen enough teething problems, sweaty palms and trauma in people’s eyes over sudden system/software failures – so I wait them out for as long as I can. Windows Vista will be one of those operating systems that I DEFINITELY won’t be on my deathbed wishing I’d used. I have no regrets whatsoever. None. Nada.

So, will I use Windows 7 when it comes sashaying along? Well…it depends on whether it’ll turn out to be Vista’s 1st cousin …or a very distant one. It would need to take the best of Vista (‘cos I’m sure Vista wasn’t entirely crappy) and add more jelly babies to it. I would need to see more people cart-wheeling down the street with flowers behind their ears, kitted out in pink ‘I Heart Windows 7’ t-shirts, to be convinced that Win 7 is worth buying (into).

Until then, I’ll just sit tight.