BeatificaBytes

The Joys of Computing

Category: Tips

  • Identify a PCI “unknown device”

    When an “unknown device” appears in the “Device Manager”, it can be identified thanks to the “PCI vendor and Device Lists” webpage.

    Click to Read More

    1. Double-Click the “Unknown Device”
    2. Open the “Details” tab
    3. Select the “Hardware Ids” in the “property” combo
    4. Take note of the value VEN_xxxx and DEV_yyyy or VID_xxxx and PID_yyyy
    5. Type xxxx in the “Vendor” search box
    6. or yyyy in the “Device” search box

    Alternative

    1. Search for VEN_xxxx&DEV_yyyy or VID_xxxx&PID_yyyy on google
    2. Search for VEN_xxxx&DEV_yyyy or VID_xxxx&PID_yyyy on Driver Agent List
    3. Use this list of this site Pci Lookup

    Loading

  • Extract DVD’s tracks as MKV and merge them

    In order to get access from my HTPC to any movie or cartoon at any time (without feeling like a DJ), I extract the content of my DVD as MKV. Sometimes, with some DVD, I obtain several MKV for a single episode. In such case, I merge the MKV’s in a single one. My favorite tools: MakeMKV and MKVToolNix (MKVMerge)

    Click to Read More

    The Beta version of MakeMKV is always free. It’s the most easiest tool I have tested to extract tracks from a DVD. Only a few steps are required to analyze and decrypt the DVD, list the content and extract it:

    1. Start MakeMKV.
    2. Insert the DVD. It’s automatically detected by MakeMKV.
    3. Press the large “DVD reader” Icon in MakeMKV. If an advanced decryption is required, it will take some times. Once completed, a list with the content is displayed.
    4. Select the titles (tracks) to be extracted (the larger ones are automatically selected as presumed to not be DVD menu).
    5. Select the “Output Folder”.
    6. And press the small “Disk with a green arrow” icon titled “Make MKV”.

    One MKV is produced by selected title. This MKV contains everything: not only the video and the various audio tracks of the title but also the definition of each chapters.

    To merge MKV, I use a tool installed with MKVToolNix: MKVMerge. The process is also easy and straightforward:

    1. Start MKVMerge
    2. Drag and Drop a first MKV into the “Input files” zone
    3. Press the “append” button to add a second MKV for merging purpose!
    4. Possibly change the “Output filename”
    5. And finally press “start muxing”.

    By default, the various audio tracks and all defined chapters are kept in the output MKV.

    Loading

  • Volume of my HTPC was extremely low

    Although the volume of Windows was still 100%, I recently had to push the volume of my surround system from 8 (as used usually) to 28 to ear the sound of movies and cartoons played on my HTPC.

    The problem was Windows 8 did (mysteriously) lost the configuration of the speakers. They used to be configured as 5.1 and appeared to be now configured in stereo.

    Click to Read More

    I recently tried to upgrade Media Browser from version 2 to version 3 on my HTPC. It was not a success because Media Browser 3 comes with a client part and a server part. If the server part is not running (locally on on the LAN), the client part can’t run either. And the server part might not run on my HTPC because it may only start if the windows shell starts (it’s not a Windows Service but a Startup Program instead) – shell that is not running on my HTPC as it has been replaced with Windows Media Center.

    After this trial, I did re-install Media Browser 2. Although I would be quite surprised if that would be true, this is maybe why the configuration of the speakers went back to “stereo” instead 5.1 ?!

    To check what was wrong, I had to close Windows Media Center using F4 (as not only it replaces the Windows shell, but it is also run without any “close” feature thanks to the option /mediamode).

    I did call the Task Manager (CTRL-Shift-Del) and run a new Task: Explorer, to get a Windows Shell. I was next able to check the Sound System Properties.

    1. Right-Click the “Speakers” icon in the systray.
    2. Select “Open Volume Mixer”.
    3. Click the “Speakers” icon in the “Device” column of the “Volume Mixer” window. This is going to open the “Speakers Properties” window

    The Speakers where configured in stereo. I did reconfigured them as 5.1.

    Next, in the “Enhancement” tab of the “Speakers Properties” window, I did re-enable the “Loudness Equalization” and “Speaker Fill”.

    Spearkers Enhancements
    Spearkers Enhancements

    I did next log-off and restart a session. The issue was solved.

    Loading

  • Programmatic access to “Print Dialog” of my network printer is really slow

    In a .Net application, I am using the standard “Print Dialog” of Windows 7 x64 to print PDF document on a network printer named “\\Server\Printer”. It noticed on most test machines that the dialog window was taking up to 8 seconds only to open (I.e.: before doing the actual print). Configuring the printer “\\Server\Printer” as a “local printer on port \\Server\Printer” instead of configuring it as a “network printer” is solving that issue.

    Click to Read More

    I will post the .Net piece of code I am using to open the “Print Dialog” asap. It’s really the most simple one.

    I experience the issue with a network Printer “Ricoh Aficio MP C5000”. I didn’t try with another model as all printers I have access to at my Office are the sames.

    I looked for a solution to solve this issue without upgrading the network drivers or the firmware of the printer (as far as this could solve the issue as sometimes reported for HP printer) as I don’t have the required privileges to do so.  Here is the trick I found:

    1. If removed the current network printer via Control Panel > Device and Printers.
    2. Add a new Printer
    3. Choose  “local printer” on port  “\\Server\Printer”
    4. Choose the drivers in the list of available ones. Notice: I chose Ricoh Aficio MP C6000 PCL 6 as C5000 was not available.

    Next, the “Print Dialog” opened immediately on all workstations where I did test the trick.

    As soon as I re-install the printer as a “network printer”, the performance issue is back… Notice however that the dialog window always opens immediately when called from, e.g., MS Office (Word, Excel, …) whatever configuration mode I use for the printer.

    Loading

    ,

  • “Authentication Error Occurred” with my Samsung Galaxy – Android 4.1.2 – due to Wi-Fi

    Depending on the place where I was located at home, when trying to connect my Galaxy via Wi-Fi, I could got or not this infamous message “Authentication Error Occurred”. I did possibly solve it by changing the channel of my access points.

    Click to Read More

    My experience with this error message is that it really depends on the received signal(s) and possibly having several network with the same SSID.

    I have 3 Wi-Fi Access Points in my house. All are configured with the same password and encryption (WPA2/AES), the same SSID and the same channel. This is creating a large and stable wireless network in the house.

    But at some locations where I get either a poor signal or two signals of quite the same strength, I get the infamous “Authentication Error Occurred” message with my Galaxy SII (Android 4.1.2) just after enabling Wi-Fi. And I get this message whatever Access Point I am trying to connect from those locations.

    At those very same locations, my laptop “Sony Vaio” (Windows 8) can connect without any issue, as well as my tablet “Nabi 2” (Android 4.0.4). Reason why I conclude it’s probably an “Android/Galaxy issue” and not a “Router/Access Point issue”.

    Moving from those locations just a few meters away, I can successfully connect quite immediately after enabling the Wi-Fi. But in such cases, although I only moved a few meters away, I get at least one signal much better than the others.

    My access Points are “Devolo DLAN 200 Wireless N”. From security/encryption point of view, they only support WPA/TKIP and WPA2/AES. I tried both mode without success.

    I also tried to use shorter password (minimum being 8 chars) without success. But I admit I didn’t try to connect using WPS (which is supported by my Devolo and reported by some users on various blog to solve this issue).

    I finally tried to completely disable the security/encryption. I did enable the MAC filtering instead. In that mode, the connections succeed really more often, but still not always. And there is at least one location where I can never connect with my Galaxy SII although I can with my laptop and my tablet: my bed 🙁

    During my tests, I was monitoring the wireless signals using “Wi-Fi Analyzer”, to be sure that the signal was kept “fair”. So, loosing the signal for any reason is not presumed to be the issue either, especially as far as I was doing the same test (I.e.: I enable the Wi-Fi and wait for a connection) simultaneously with my Galaxy SII Android 4.1.2 and my Nabi 2 Android 4.0.4.

    As the quality of the signal was “fair” and as far as I had no issue in most other locations with free Wi-Fi, I started to consider that the problem was possibly related to some small signal disruptions in my area.

    Here in Europe, the frequency 2450 MHz is used by microwave ovens. Those could possibly disturb the Wi-Fi channels 9 and 10. But if your does, change it immediately ! Radiation that escapes from a microwave oven while it is in use may not exceed 5 mW (per cm2 at a distance of 5 cm ). So, if your experience Wi-Fi issues when using your microwave oven, the leakage radiation is probably exceeding a lot that limit (It happens as some of my colleagues already experienced). But I don’t have any special device turned on when I do my tests…

    Looking for more information about Wi-Fi signals, I discovered that frequencies from 2400 to 2450 MHz (Wi-Fi channels 1 to 8) are used by “radio amateur”. Those could effectively impact the Wi-Fi signal as their radio signal goes up to 120 Watts while Wi-Fi is usually around ~18-30 mWatts. It would therefore be advisable to check within the neighborhood if anyone has such a hobby. This could likely be the case if the Wi-Fi issues are only experienced during certain period of the day (e.g.: the evening) or during the weekend.

    I finally read that channels 1, 5, 9 and 13 are known to be used by some wireless transmitter and camera (at least here in Europe). As I don’t have such devices, and taking into account the info about the frequencies used by “ham radio”, I decided to use the channel 9 or 13.

    Concretely I did switch from channel 6 to channel 13 on all my access points and could immediately connect flawlessly from all locations where I was experiencing issues previously. That being said, there are possibly some other locations still to be discovered where I will experience again the problem. But for sure, changing the frequency has an impact on the connection!

    Loading

  • LSI SAS 9211-8i – Compatibility issues

    I already experienced a compatibility issue between a LSI SAS 9201-16i and my Asus Striker II Formula. But as the issues appeared to be solved once the LSI bios downgraded to 7.15.0.0, I decided to buy another LSI SAS controller and give it a try too. The same issue occurred and was solved in a similar way.

    Click to Read More

    Once the new SAS 9211-8i plugged in my Asus Striker II Formula, the PC didn’t boot anymore. It was “freezing” just at the end of the SAS controller initialization phase. The current bios was 07.25.00.00 and the firmware 13.0.0.57.00 (IR).

    Just as I did for the SAS 9201-16i, I did plug next the new SAS controller in my other motherboard, an ASUS P9X79Pro. On that motherboard, the initialization phase passed successfully.

    I did send next an email to LSI support to request their package version P8 (firmware & bios) for SAS 9211-8i, the version that made my SAS 9201-16i compatible with my Asus Striker II Formula. Again great support from LSI, I did get the package in less than 24h.

    Using the sas2flash.exe for windows provided within the package P8, I did check the current version of the firmware and bios using the option “-listall”:

    sas2flash.exe -listall

    **********************************************************************************

    LSI Corporation SAS2Flash Utility.

    Version 8.00.00.00 (2010.11.01)

    Copyright (c) 2009 – 2010 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.

    **********************************************************************************

    Adapter Selected is a LSI SAS: SAS2008(B2)

    Num   Ctlr            FW Ver        NVDATA      x86-BIOS      PCI Addr

    ———————————————————————————

    0   SAS2008(B2) 13.00.57.00  0d.43.00.05  07.25.00.00  00:03:00:00

    Finished Processing Commands Successfully.

    Exiting SAS2Flash.

    I did backup the current firmware using the option “-ufirmware”

    sas2flash.exe -ufirmware SAS9211-8i-backup.fw

    **********************************************************************************

    LSI Corporation SAS2Flash Utility.

    Version 8.00.00.00 (2010.11.01)

    Copyright (c) 2009 – 2010 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.

    **********************************************************************************

    Adapter Selected is a LSI SAS: SAS2008(B2)

    Executing Operation: Upload Firmware

    Upload Successful!

    Finished Processing Commands Successfully.

    Exiting SAS2Flash.

    I did next backup the current bios using the option”-ubios”

    sas2flash.exe -ubios SAS9211-8i-backup.rom

    **********************************************************************************

    LSI Corporation SAS2Flash Utility.

    Version 8.00.00.00 (2010.11.01)

    Copyright (c) 2009 – 2010 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.

    **********************************************************************************

    Adapter Selected is a LSI SAS: SAS2008(B2)

    Executing Operation: Upload BIOS

    Upload Successful!

    Finished Processing Commands Successfully.

    Exiting SAS2Flash.

    Finally, I did flash the bios and only the bios as I knew this one was responsible of the freeze, based on my previous experience. I did use the options “-o -b”:

    sas2flash.exe -o -b mptsas2.rom

    ****************************************************************************

    LSI Corporation SAS2Flash Utility.

    Version 8.00.00.00 (2010.11.01)

    Copyright (c) 2009 – 2010 LSI Corporation. All rights reserved.

    ****************************************************************************

    Advanced Mode Set

    Adapter Selected is a LSI SAS: SAS2008(B2)

    Executing Operation: Flash BIOS Image

    Validating BIOS Image…

    BIOS Header Signature is Valid

    BIOS Image has a Valid Checksum.

    BIOS PCI Structure Signature Valid.

    BIOS Image Compatible with the SAS Controller.

    Attempting to Flash BIOS Image…

    Flash BIOS Image Successful.

    Finished Processing Commands Successfully.

    Exiting SAS2Flash.

    Et voilà. Once re-plugged into the other PC, with the ASUS Striker II Formula, this one was now booting fine.

    In a next post I will report on my experience trying to flash the firmware, in a attempt to replace the current IR firmware by an IT firmware.

    Loading

    ,

  • Enable 3D on ASUS VG278HR Lightboost 27” with NVidia Stereoscopic 3D

    I have been really puzzled by how to enable 3D on my Asus VG278HR screen.

    Asus VG278HR
    Asus VG278HR

    It sometimes worked and sometimes did not ?! Actually, it’s quite easy to enable/disable it if all the conditions are met, such as the right refresh rate, the right resolution, the 3D screen as primary display, …

    Click to Read More

    Requirement to play 3D movies:

    • A 3D screen with a 3D IR emitter: Mine is an ASUS VG278HR
    • A 3D compatible graphic card: Mine is a Nvidia GeForce GTX 760
    • “NVIDIA 3D Vision Video Player”: a player able to play 3D movies with side-by-side frames or up-and-down frames
    • The complete “NVIDIA Control panel”, i.e.: including the nodes “3D Settings” and “Stereoscopic 3D” in addition to “Display”, “Performance” and “Video”. If you are missing those configuration nodes, install the very latest “drivers” from NVIDIA. I am currently using “320.49-desktop-win8-win7-winvista-64bit-english-whql.exe”

    Notice: the difference between the ASUS VG278HR and ASUS VG278H is the 3D Infrared emitter embedded in the VG278HR to synchronize the glasses. Once the 3D is enabled, a small green led turns on on the emitter. This is the only way to know that the 3D is enabled. With a 3D screen without embedded IR, an external emitter must be bought. Also, one set of 3D glasses is included with the ASUS VG278HR.

    To enable 3D, try first the wizard (should be done at least once):

    1. Right click the desktop > NVidia Control Panel > Stereoscopic 3D
    2. Check “Enable stereoscopic 3D”
    3. Select “3D TV Play” as Stereoscopic 3D Display Type
    4. Click “Run Setup Wizard”

    All the screens (if several) will blink and the windows on the other screen will be moved. But finally the wizard will appear. Don’t click into another screen as the wizard would minimize. This wizard welcome screen must be title “Set up NVIDIA 3DTV Play” otherwise, it’s not the right one to be used to enable 3D with the VG278HR.

    1. Click “Next” on the welcome screen.
    2. You should now see a screen asking to “Turn On your glasses”. Press the button on the left side of your glasses. And click “Next”.
    3. On the next screen “Test your hardware setup”, you have to pick the right answers and then click “Next”. With only the left eye opened you should see the green shape only. With only the right eye opened, you should see the blue one only.
    4. On the next screen you “Verify your ability to see stereoscopic 3D pictures”. Select the right answer, accept the health notice and then click “Next”. The right answer is the left one (with a small elevate surface on top of the background).
    5. On the last screen I suggest to uncheck the option to start the demo.

    You can experience issues to enable 3D with the wizard, or you can loose the 3D once you close the wizard or far later for some unclear reason. In any case, check bellow for required settings to be able to enable/re-enable 3D. Possibly restart the wizard once every settings is fixed.

    Once the wizard completed, you will notice that the 3D is enabled (you see the green led turned on on top of the screen) but the resolution could be 1280 x 720. Ugly ! Unfortunately , if you try immediately to set 1980 x 1080 (which is recommended and supported for 3D) the 3D will probably be disabled. Don’t worry. This is due to the refresh rate. See bellow how to fix that.

    If 3D is disabled or can’t be enabled

    Check first that the Stereoscopic 3D mode is enabled: Right click the desktop > Screen resolution > select the option “Enable Stereoscopic 3D settings for all supported displays” and click “Apply”.

    Next, set the ASUS VG278HR as the main display if you have multiple screens. Otherwise, I notice that 3D is not effective: right click the desktop > Screen resolution > select the ASUS screen > check “Make this my main display” and “Apply”.

    Then, check that the Asus refresh rate is 24 Hertz: Right click the desktop > Screen resolution > select the ASUS screen > click “Advanced settings” > Go to the “Monitor” tab > select the refresh rate and “Apply”.

    Notice: If 3D is enabled and you select anything above 24Hz as a refresh rate, it will be disabled immediately.

    Finally, select a supported resolution such as 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720. If you select one of those resolution while the refresh rate is 24Hz, you should see Resolution: “1920 x 1080 (Recommended, 3D)” in the “Screen Resolution” window instead of simply “1920 x 1080 (Recommended)“. As soon as you click “Apply”, 3D should now be enabled.

    Disable properly the 3D

    In 3D mode, the screen appears to be grey although it’s really brilliant when 3D is disabled. This is normal as the refresh rate is divided by two (one frame must be generated for each eye).

    So, if you want to switch from 3D mode to normal mode, the easiest is simply to disable/re-enable the “Stereoscopic 3D”. I did try various tools and command line without success: Right click the desktop > Screen resolution > deselect or select the option “Enable Stereoscopic 3D settings for all supported displays” and click “Apply”.

    Notices:

    1. You have to enable 3D on the screen BEFORE starting your “NVIDIA 3D Vision Video Player”. If you did start it first, restart it otherwise your movie will be played side-by-side anyway.
    2. If your video does not expand to fit the screen and you want that, go to NVIDIA 3D Vision Video Player’s menu File > Aspect Ratio > 16:9

    Loading

    ,

  • Google Play Store: “Background data disabled”

    Since a few weeks I have frequently issues when trying to update applications installed on my mobile (Android 4.3 Jelly Bean + Play Store 4.3.11). The only solution is to kill and restart Play Store.

    Click to Read More

    Quite often since a few weeks, Play Store displays an error message “Background data disabled” when I want to use it. Next, it keeps asking me to enable “sync” (which is enabled for all my accounts and all types of content). And trying to skip that results in a “No connection – Retry”.

    This issue seems to appear when I have switched from a cellular data connection to a Wi-Fi connection while Play Store was running…

    To fix this, kill Play Store:

    1. Go to Settings > Application Manager > Google Play Store.
    2. Click “Force Stop” (no cache to be cleaned – no need to delete the data)

    And restart it.

    Loading

  • Office documents as email attachments: Experienced an error trying to open the file.

    I just saved a few Office documents received as email attachments and tried to open them when I got the following error: “office experienced an error trying to open the file.”. This is actually due to the “internet” security protection of Windows…

    Click to Read More

    I have been doing that for month, with Outlook 2010, on this PC and never got such an error. Fortunately I immediately thought to check the “Security” on the file. That was the issue.

    Unblock file downloaded from Internet
    Unblock file downloaded from Internet

    That’s easy to fix:

    1. Right click the attachments saved as files and select “Properties”.
    2. Click Unblock.

    If you have several files to be unblocked, you can also use one of the SysInternals: Streams v1.56 to unblock them all at once:

    1. Open a command prompt as Administrator.
    2. Run the command streams on the files to be unblocked. E.g.: streams -d *.*

    Actually, a attachment saved from Outlook seems to be (?now?) considered as a file downloaded from Internet. And there are information stored in an alternate filestream that are used by Windows to block the files downloaded from Internet. The “streams” command is nuking that alternate stream. So, Windows stops blocking the files.

    Loading

  • Mouse Lag on Windows 8

    I have a wireless Logitech Mouse (Performance Mouse MX™). This one is sometimes freezing although everything else seems to work fine (I can still see my video playing smoothly as well as flash animations in my browser, CPU is not high, free RAM is not low…). It looks like only the mouse is lagging.

    This issue seems however to be fixed since I have disabled the “Enhance pointer precision” feature in the “Mouse Properties”…

    Click to Read More

    one can find many questions about this issue on the web and as much explanations. One which is quite interesting is that many people experience lag with their mouse once they have Chrome open, due to the Chrome Flash player. This one can be disabled via the uri chrome://plugins

    I was indeed mainly experiencing mouse lag when many tabs were opened in Chrome. However, I didn’t have this plugin. So, I will only try to disable Chrome Plugins if the problem re-appears. Indeed, it disappeared since I have disable the “Enhance pointer precision” feature.

    1. Open the “Control Panel”
    2. Open the “Mouse Properties”
    3. In the “Pointer Options” tab, unselect “Enhance pointer precision”.

    Notice: I don’t use the Logitech drivers but only the default Microsoft drivers. I had indeed too many issues in the past with SetPoint compared to its added value (Among other connecting my Bluetooth keyboard)

    Loading

Tags

Acer iDea 510 AirPlay Android Backup DD-WRT DNS DS209+ DS713+ DS1815+ FlexRaid Galaxy Galaxy S2 Galaxy S7 Google Assistant Google Home HTPC Kies MCE MySQL Nabi 2 Nvidia TV Shield One Plus One OnePlus One OpenHab Outlook Philips Hue Plex RAID Raspberry PI Remote Desktop Root Access Samsung Scripts Synology Team Build Visual Studio VMWare Wi-Fi Windows Windows 8 Windows 8.1 Windows 10 Windows Server 2012 XBMC Xpenology

Categories

Recent Posts