The Elvidge Family

Pauls Technical Diary

Installing another OS in Windows

Sunday, 19 April 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

I have used Virtual Box (Sun Microsystems) and installed Vista and Ubuntu/Linux on an XP Pro machine with minimal fuss. I have used to to check compatability and to play with other operating systems without the headache of risking install for real. Here's a very quick guide to doing it. You will need your original install media CD or iso CD image (free download for Linux).

1. Download and install the latest version of VirtualBox from here making sure you use the correct version for your current Operating System.

2. Select 'New' and simply follow the wizard to prepare the drive for a new Virtual Operating System. a-Give your OS a name such as Vista or Ubuntu b-Select the operating system c-Now select the amount of RAM allocated to this (only whilst the Virtual Machine is running) Vista needs more / Linux needs a lot less. d-Create a Virtual Hard Disk by selecting new and entering the fileneame where this will be installed on your current hard disk (inside your current file system - you just need to have some free HD space somewhere). Make sure you allocate enough for the operating system you wish to install. It will now take a little time to install the Virtual Hard Disk - then go through to create it.

3. Select the new Virtual System and select 'Settings'. To install your Operating System - you need to either install from the original OS install disk or an image backup. Mount a CD rom drive from either a folder or the existing CD drive (CD/DVD Tab). Set the boot properties for the virtual OS so it points to your installation media (this can even been an 'iso' file on your hard disk (General - Advanced Tab).

You are now ready to click Start which is the equivalent of pressing the 'on' button of your new virtul computer

One thing to know: When you click in the new window of the live OS your keyboard & mouse control that window - to un-lock this press the right-Ctrl key!

Sychronising Firefox Bookmarks between PCs

Sunday, 08 March 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

I use different computers at home, work and have two laptops. Foxmarks is an easy to use firefox addon that will automatically keep all your bookmarks up-to-date. Just google search for 'Foxmarks' and install the plugin on each computer.
For added security (if you decide to also synchronise passwords) make sure you set a master password in Firefox (Tools - Options - Security - and select 'Use Master Password' )

NB: Foxmarks has now been taken over by XMarks which is now compatible with other browsers (Opera & IE) and can also securely synchronise login details.

Multi-Screen Displays from one PC or Laptop

Tuesday, 03 March 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

I had always wanted a 3 screen LCD display which I have found invaluable for studying and working as I can have many different sites, files, images and programs open at the same time. Before I used two computers to do it using VGA and DVI outputs. Check out my picture showing the current set-up which all runs from my HP pavilion laptop.
Here's how you do it:
You will need 2 x sewell USB to DVI converters that cost around £100 each. They can be hard to source, I think I found mine on Amazon marketplace being sold direct from Sewell. They come with drivers and software that make managing the two extra screens very simple, and you can also turn screens by 90 degrees for better page reading which I did for a while.
I am running on Win XP Pro with 2GB RAM with the central display running from the laptop's VGA output. The side displays are run from the adaptors and give very good graphics output (run through a powered USB hub. Suitable for video and multimedia, meaning I can comfortably use either screen.

I have also found that UltraMon is a very good utility for working in multiple monitors - easy multiple taskbars & switching between displays.

Last Updated (Thursday, 29 October 2009 10:16)

In-car Hands Free Bluetooth connections

Tuesday, 03 March 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

Connecting Windows Mobile Devices to in-car kits is a pain - and has often made me feel I should go back to a Sony Ericsson or Nokia standard phones that just connect without any complications.
I have used Jetware software that manages the Windows Mobile bluetooth gateway and makes the experience a lot more stable. I have especially used it on a number of HTC phones (TyTn, Kaiser, Touch plus, Diamond)
The software can be installed and used free of charge for 30 days - so it is worth trying if you are having issues with your bluetooth connection.

WinDVD Creator 2 Crash

Saturday, 21 February 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

Using WinDVD Creator 2 and Plextor ConvertX M402U - WinDVD Creator crashes after selecting capture to HDD. Two updates need installing from the following site.
http://www.plextor-europe.com/technicalservices/downloads/software_converters.asp?choice=Digital%20Video%20Convertors

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