Smacking lusers with the clue-by-four (the new tech support thread)

[girl]

Did you try resetting the PRAM? That sometimes worked with my old mac mini when I got that blinking folder screen. Hold down the command, option, p and r keys when you power the computer on.  . . . or you could try uploading a software.

[clare]

Are we sad about this?

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/update-on-google-wave.html

I'm definitely in the "i don't use it, but I can see how some people might" camp.

[diesel_powered]

Not really. Much like video chat, everybody I know who was techy enough to use it already had something else and nobody else I know could see the point.

[jess]

I am burning DVDs with videos on them for training purposes, and I need to have them viewable by people with Macs and PCs. I tried making them just video DVD discs, but the one I created so far isn't working right, so I'm leaning toward just burning a data disc for use on computers. Would including both .mov and .mpg files of the video cover everyone? As far as I can tell, Quicktime is available for free for anyone with XP or later, and mpg seems like a widely usable format as well, but would people with earlier versions of Windows be screwed? Does anyone actually have earlier versions of Windows these days?

[diesel_powered]

Theoretically, you should be able to play either on both, you just might need to download something to play one. But VLC will handle damn near anything you throw at it on either platform. In fact, you could even include a copy on the disc, just in case. Of course, this assumes that you have the ability to install things on the student's computer. If that's not an option, I'd say try putting them up on Vimeo, behind a password if necessary.

[jess]

Ugggggh apparently the PC dvd format can't handle files over 2gb? wtf is up with that? If that's true I have to redo the mpg file, so there's another hour of work... I hate PCs so hard. If I were just doing this for Macs, I would have been done many many hours ago...

[diesel_powered]

Say whaaaat?

What program are you using to burn these?

[jess]

Nah, that was just that program (Burn) being weird. Went back to using just the OS, since I'm not making the video DVDs anymore, and it was fine. Apparently it's an outdated issue.

[diesel_powered]

Mmm. Yeah, Toast would have made things much easier. Although I've had problems with supposedly foolproof discs in the past. Basically, Windows sucks for reading that sort of thing.

[jess]

I used to have iDVD installed, but for some reason I don't anymore, and I can't find my iLife disc, or else I'd use that for making the video DVDs. But the data ones should work well enough. And now I also have two Mac-only video ones in case anyone wants to use those.

[auto-da-fey]

I haven't been able to access my Gmail account, or my work-related email account that's run through Google, in the past eight hours. Everything else--including other non-Google-related email accounts--works fine. I'd assume it's them, but that seems like a long time for the email to be down--is there anything I can try on my end to fix this?

[Good Intentions]

It works fine on my end, maybe there's a problem with the particular server cluster you're being directed to. Try using a different address: mail.google.co.uk, or .co.au, and see if that's better.

[auto-da-fey]

no dice--"can't find server" (as opposed to the standard US address, which just spins in its tracks going nowhere but doesn't even resolve into that--just keeps loading interminably, to no end).

[Good Intentions]

That's strange. It probably is a localised server thing, since most everybody else's is fine, but they're connected in a particular way. Maybe the one with your account data on it is on the fritz. I doubt there's anything to be done on your end.

[auto-da-fey]

weird. well, at least there's nothing time-sensitive being obstructed. hopefully it'll resolve itself soon though, that would be nice.

[donblood]

It probably is a localised server thing, since most everybody else's is fine, but they're connected in a particular way.

That's a great explanation - I'm going to start using it at work.  "Users experiencing no difficulty are connected in a particular way."

[Ashley]

This actually happens to me kind of often, but I have no idea why.  Restarting my computer or using a different computer usually fixes it.

[clare]

Yeah, browser cache/cookies thing somehow?

[auto-da-fey]

This actually happens to me kind of often, but I have no idea why.  Restarting my computer or using a different computer usually fixes it.

oh hey, sure enough. well then.

(for the record, this had occurred to me, but I didn't want to reboot because my laptop is kind of a dying dinosaur that takes an eternity to get rolling again. guess it was worth it, though)

[Good Intentions]

It probably is a localised server thing, since most everybody else's is fine, but they're connected in a particular way.

That's a great explanation - I'm going to start using it at work.  "Users experiencing no difficulty are connected in a particular way."

I swear there was supposed to be another clause in there somewhere...

[elpollodiablo]

Just avoid connecting to it in that way

[jm]

"Did you try a different way?"

"I am connected in a way."

"But try a different way.  A different one way."

[elpollodiablo]

Could someone name a good solution for editing .avi video (like from a downloaded file) on a Mac? Everything I've read says "Just import it to iMovie," but iMovie won't import it. It appears to process it and shows me the status bar and then adds the project to the sidebar, but the video isn't there. I've tried converting it to .mov and importing again, but no dice. Thoughts?

[FreddyKnuckles]

So I've had my pc with Vista about 2 years now so and I am pretty rough on it do long story short I need to do a clean reinstall on this puppy. Sony is a terrible company so they don't give you the actual cds. I've got the activation key for my copy, I just need the fucking cd.

So I email Sony and say how do I pay you three bucks to send me the cd. This is their response:

I understand that you want to re-install the Windows Vista Operating System. The VAIO computer comes installed with the VAIO Recovery Center. This utility can be used to create the System Recovery Disks that enable you to format and recover the computer to the original configuration. There are no System Recovery CDs (SRCDs) included with the computer. The Recovery Disc is not available online. If you have lost, misplaced, or did not create the Recovery Media Kit, I suggest that you please contact the Sony Parts & Accessory Sales department.

[elpollodiablo]

Well see the thing is, there's a hidden partition of your HDD that unless you get down into the BIOS you can't erase. And on that partition is all of the data that it needs to restore itself to factory defaults. There's a boot sequence for activating it; I had to do it with D's Vaio once. Downside is it will reinstall the ol' bloatware.