Showing posts with label Instructables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Instructables. Show all posts
10.07.2009
11.11.2007
Restore Your iPhone to Working Order and Without Loosing Personal Information In 4 Easy Steps
If you ever use any third party applications you may encounter a problem down the road that may just cause you to be "locked out of your iPhone" or "stuck in a loop of rebooting". If you were like me, and you used the AppTapp installer to install stuff from the iPhone itself then it may have been a while since your last sync and backup from iTunes. Here is what to do to restore your iPhone to working order and restore all of your information.
1. Open iTunes; go to Edit>Preferences>iPhone (Edit>Preferences>Syncing for iTunes 7.5)
Choose "Reset Sync History", and then click OK.
2. Plug in your iPhone and in the Summary tab click"Restore". After clicking you may be prompted to create a backup. Even if you already have a backup let iTunes create the backup to make sure it is up to date.
3. Continue with the restore, you may have to wait for iTunes to download the firmware it is going to install. This firmware will be the latest firmware available. Once this is done iTunes will take care of the rest.
4. Afterwards, your iPhone will once again appear in iTunes, when prompted to either or Restore to Backup, choose the Restore to Backup. Once again, the restore process will begin, but this time when it is done, sync your iPhone to get all your synced media back on to your iPhone. Once this is done you are ready to go!
FAQ:
How long does this take?
This generally takes about 15-25 minutes for the restore process itself but can take longer depending on how long it takes for iTunes to download the firmware for your iPhone if it is not already, and is completely safe and very easy.
My iPhone keeps resetting or disconnecting itself.
Most likely it means you will or already have gotten an error while attempting to restore. Just wait until iTunes displays your iPhone again and then start the process over, this time it will start immediately as the firmware is already downloaded. You won't have to worry about the iPhone restarting once the restore process has began as it puts the iPhone into what is know as "Safe Disk Mode". During this mode, no firmware is loaded, and your iPhone is basically a slave to iTunes.
What does "Reset Sync History" do?
All this does is makes it as if iTunes has not yet synced with your iPhone. Use this when you have changed computers and have not yet synced personal information such as that as described above. Otherwise your iPhone may loose some information that is missing from your computer but on your iPhone such as contacts created on your iPhone. In other words this tells your computer not to erase anything from your iPhone because its not in the computer yet. Whenever possible always choose Merge so you can choose what information you want rather than replacing the wrong thing or getting duplicates of everything.
What does a backup contain?
A backup only backs up your personal information such as Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Preferences, Mail, Safari Bookmarks, History, and Cookies, and suprissingly, Pictures you took on your iPhone. Just to be safe always copy your pictures to your computer beforehand. If you have any third party applications they will be lost, but can be reinstalled later.
What is not backed up?
Songs, Music, Video, Podcast, Audiobooks...this will all be restored to you iPhone when you Sync.
What happens when I am done doing this?
Once your have completed all 4 steps, you can start using your iPhone and everything will be right where you left off. The only difference is that you will be missing the third party applications.
1. Open iTunes; go to Edit>Preferences>iPhone (Edit>Preferences>Syncing for iTunes 7.5)
Choose "Reset Sync History", and then click OK.
2. Plug in your iPhone and in the Summary tab click"Restore". After clicking you may be prompted to create a backup. Even if you already have a backup let iTunes create the backup to make sure it is up to date.
3. Continue with the restore, you may have to wait for iTunes to download the firmware it is going to install. This firmware will be the latest firmware available. Once this is done iTunes will take care of the rest.
4. Afterwards, your iPhone will once again appear in iTunes, when prompted to either or Restore to Backup, choose the Restore to Backup. Once again, the restore process will begin, but this time when it is done, sync your iPhone to get all your synced media back on to your iPhone. Once this is done you are ready to go!
FAQ:
How long does this take?
This generally takes about 15-25 minutes for the restore process itself but can take longer depending on how long it takes for iTunes to download the firmware for your iPhone if it is not already, and is completely safe and very easy.
My iPhone keeps resetting or disconnecting itself.
Most likely it means you will or already have gotten an error while attempting to restore. Just wait until iTunes displays your iPhone again and then start the process over, this time it will start immediately as the firmware is already downloaded. You won't have to worry about the iPhone restarting once the restore process has began as it puts the iPhone into what is know as "Safe Disk Mode". During this mode, no firmware is loaded, and your iPhone is basically a slave to iTunes.
What does "Reset Sync History" do?
All this does is makes it as if iTunes has not yet synced with your iPhone. Use this when you have changed computers and have not yet synced personal information such as that as described above. Otherwise your iPhone may loose some information that is missing from your computer but on your iPhone such as contacts created on your iPhone. In other words this tells your computer not to erase anything from your iPhone because its not in the computer yet. Whenever possible always choose Merge so you can choose what information you want rather than replacing the wrong thing or getting duplicates of everything.
What does a backup contain?
A backup only backs up your personal information such as Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Preferences, Mail, Safari Bookmarks, History, and Cookies, and suprissingly, Pictures you took on your iPhone. Just to be safe always copy your pictures to your computer beforehand. If you have any third party applications they will be lost, but can be reinstalled later.
What is not backed up?
Songs, Music, Video, Podcast, Audiobooks...this will all be restored to you iPhone when you Sync.
What happens when I am done doing this?
Once your have completed all 4 steps, you can start using your iPhone and everything will be right where you left off. The only difference is that you will be missing the third party applications.
10.12.2007
Virtually Install any Operating System and Run It Natively
One tip for installing any second (2nd) third (3rd)...operating system, Virtually install them and then run them natively without going through a native install using WMWorkstation.
This is acually a very easy way to install virtually any operating system to your physical hard drive while you are running your current operating system. For some operating systems such as Windows, you can easily choose to install your OS with a GUI (Graphical User Interface). For others such as Linux you must restart your computer and boot with the CD or DVD inside. For those who are not very comfortable with doing this and fear they might install to the wrong hard drive or partition and erase the wrong stuff I would try this alternative I discovered. What is even better is that you can always go back and use VMWare to access files from the new OS, while you are using the old OS.
This is acually a very easy way to install virtually any operating system to your physical hard drive while you are running your current operating system. For some operating systems such as Windows, you can easily choose to install your OS with a GUI (Graphical User Interface). For others such as Linux you must restart your computer and boot with the CD or DVD inside. For those who are not very comfortable with doing this and fear they might install to the wrong hard drive or partition and erase the wrong stuff I would try this alternative I discovered. What is even better is that you can always go back and use VMWare to access files from the new OS, while you are using the old OS.
READ EVERYTHING BEFORE STARTING
If you don't have or plan on buying VMWare Workstation just dowload the trial. You can actually just download the trial and set up your OS as the trial is full featured, but time limited.
How To:
Locate the .VMX file for this VM and remove:
Save, close and now open VMWare, and put begin the installation. Once you are done, you can close VMWare and natively boot into your new OS as if it were installed natively.
How To:
- File>New>Virtual Machine>
- Custom
- Hardware Compatibility Workstation6 (Or the newest version that is listed.)
- Choose the type of OS you will be installing.
- Name the virtual machine anything you would like. Save it on the same drive or partition you are currently using for your primary OS, or the OS you will be using when you install the new OS.
- Most likely wou will want to choose One Processor so your computer will not give to much processing power to the VM. (the option for two processors is only made available when you have either a Dual-Core Processor, or a Dual Processor).
- Choose the amount of memory you would like your VM to use. I used just over half of what I had in my physical memory.
- Use Bridged Networking
- Use Bus Logic
- Use a Physical Disk
- Very carefully choose which hard drive and partition you would like to install the new OS to.
- Name and, make sure the .vkmd Disk Descriptor File is stored in the same place as your Virtual Machine Settings (by default it is stored in the same place). Note where it is stored, you will need to edit those files in just a minute.
- Then press CTRL+D>Under Floppy uncheck the Connect at power on box.> Click Okay, and then close VMWare. Here is the hard part, you are going to need to right click>open with>notepad.
Locate the .VMX file for this VM and remove:
scsi0.present = "TRUE"Add the following lines:
scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.fileName = "FreeBSD.vmdk"
scsi0:0.deviceType = "rawDisk"
scsi0.present = "FALSE"Replace "FreeBSD.vmdk with the name of your .vkmd Disk descriptor file.
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "FreeBSD.vmdk"
ide0:0.redo = ""
ide0:0.mode = "independent-persistent"
Now open the .vkmd file and change:
ddb.adapterType = "lsilogic"
to ddb.adapterType = "ide"
Save, close and now open VMWare, and put begin the installation. Once you are done, you can close VMWare and natively boot into your new OS as if it were installed natively.
If possible, when you are installing that extra OS, save the new boot entry to the hard drive which the operating system is being installed on rather than to the MBR (Master Boot Record) as you will most likely will able to configure your dual boot using EasyBCD in the current OS rather than having to mess with the new boot screen. This is how I avoided GRUB. You will want to add the boot entries for you new OS before you install, add entries for all the places you think the OS may be installed. This is a great way to test to see where everything is installed, and it also ensures you will be able to access everything without any worries.
Troubleshooting:
Drivers
What is great is that VMWare will run any OS even if some hardware drivers are missing becasue you can choose which hardware to include. In my case, I installed Ubuntu only to find it would not boot on my notebook because I did not have the bcm43xx wireless drivers. What I did is went into VMWare and installed the drivers as I had no wireless card in VMWare, just a virtual ethernet connection that was bridged to my real connection.
Install Location
The other problem I ran into was that once I try to natively boot linux, it was searching for an install on disk 0, not disk 1. I just had to go into Ubuntu from VMWare and change this and everything was okay. The alternative is to edit your boot entry during the boot process by pressing eand then changing the install location to the appropriate place. I think linux is the only type of OS that has this problem. Windows and OS X86 worked fine for me without having to change the install location.
Troubleshooting:
Drivers
What is great is that VMWare will run any OS even if some hardware drivers are missing becasue you can choose which hardware to include. In my case, I installed Ubuntu only to find it would not boot on my notebook because I did not have the bcm43xx wireless drivers. What I did is went into VMWare and installed the drivers as I had no wireless card in VMWare, just a virtual ethernet connection that was bridged to my real connection.
Install Location
The other problem I ran into was that once I try to natively boot linux, it was searching for an install on disk 0, not disk 1. I just had to go into Ubuntu from VMWare and change this and everything was okay. The alternative is to edit your boot entry during the boot process by pressing eand then changing the install location to the appropriate place. I think linux is the only type of OS that has this problem. Windows and OS X86 worked fine for me without having to change the install location.
Auto Run Any Type of File
If you have ever wanted to create a CD or DVD for someone who has trouble with computers, the best thing you can do is create a cd that will autorun the file you want them to see. AutorunPro.exe makes this free and simple!
Download AutorunPro.exe. Once you extract the files you make sure the icon, AutorunPro.exe file, the autorun.inf, and the file you wish to autorun are all going to be placed in the root director of the disk you wish to autorun.
First create a new autorun, .inf file. To do this you can create a new text document; copy and paste the following into the file:
Download AutorunPro.exe. Once you extract the files you make sure the icon, AutorunPro.exe file, the autorun.inf, and the file you wish to autorun are all going to be placed in the root director of the disk you wish to autorun.
First create a new autorun, .inf file. To do this you can create a new text document; copy and paste the following into the file:
[autorun]The "/s" keeps the tiny splash screen from the .exe file from showing. Change Webpage.html to the name of the file, and if you want, change the icon by replacing Icon Name.ico with your own icon. You can also autorun multiple fules by adding more lines such as in the following:
open=AutorunPro.exe /s
icon=Icon Name.ico
[AutorunPro]
Run1=Web Page.html
[autorun]
open=AutorunPro.exe /s
icon=Icon Name.ico
[AutorunPro]
Run1=Web Page.html
Run2=Video.mpg
9.03.2007
Set OS X & Windows Open With... to Each Other
This was too perfect to change so here it is:
Hack Attack: Set Windows programs as defaults for your Mac (and vice versa)
Mac guy and PC guy can fight for supremacy until the end of time, but there's one simple fact that anyone who's worked on both Mac and Windows knows: Some applications are better on the Mac, others are better on Windows. With the latest version of the Windows-on-Mac virtualization tool Parallels, you can set default applications across platforms, meaning that if there's an application that you prefer on Windows, you can set files on your Mac to always open with the the Windows application (and vice versa). With Parallels, you can create the ultimate hybrid operating system.
For example, let's say you've installed Office 2007 on Windows in Parallels but you're waiting around in 2003 on your Mac. Not anymore. With the latest Parallels, you can double-click a Word doc on your Mac and watch as it automagically opens up with Word 07 via Parallels. With a few very simple steps, you can set up the ultimate Windows/Mac hybrid.
Set up Parallels
As long as you've got a Mac, $80 to buy Parallels, and a copy of Windows, getting up and running with Parallels a cinch. Here's how to install Windows with Parallels. If you want to use your Windows partition in Parallels and Boot Camp, you can do that, too.
Here's your hybrid OS, Dr. Frankenstein
The unholy union of Windows and Mac got especially exciting when Parallels introduced Coherence, a feature that allows Windows and Mac apps to commingle on the same desktop. Weird? Yes. Useful? Of course!
But the latest and greatest new feature in Parallels is called SmartSelect, and it's what lets you hybrid your desktop so that you can set default applications across Windows and Mac. That means you can always use the best tool for the job, regardless of whether it runs on Mac or Windows.
Set the default application by filetype
Setting up your SmartSelect defaults is as simple as point-and-click. In either Finder or Windows Explorer, right-click (or Ctrl-click) the file you want to open and select Open With. You should see a list of applications, Windows and Mac, associated with that file. If you're doing this in Windows, Mac apps will be named .app (like Firefox.app) and include 'Mac' in parentheses after the title of the program. On your Mac, Windows programs will have the Parallels icon superimposed on the application's icon to indicate that it's a Windows app. To open a file in a different application just once, select the application you want to use to open that file and that's all. Windows or Mac, it should open the file in the program you selected.
To set an application as the default for that filetype, you just follow the same set of steps you normally would on the respective OS. In Windows, right-click the file and select Open With again, but this time select Choose Program.... Pick the program you want to set as the default and check "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file."
On the Mac, right-click the file and select Get Info. Toward the bottom of the Info window you should see a section labeled Open with. Select your preferred default from the dropdown and click Change All.... Any file on your Mac ending with the same filetype should now always open with the application you've chosen, Windows or Mac.
Changing default browser, email, and FTP client
The above method should work to change your default application for virtually any filetype, but when it comes to unifying your browsing, email, and FTP clients, you have to take a different but equally simple approach. Just go to the Parallels Desktop preferences and select the General tab. In the section labeled Shared web applications, you can change the default application for web browsing to Open all web pages in Windows, Mac, or in the default for each OS. If you leave it set to Default, you'll end up with different browser windows, for example, running on Windows and Mac. Setting your browser to a specific OS will ensure that all your browsing is unified, a feature I've been dying for from Parallels. The same is true for your preferred email and FTP clients.
Whither and wherefore would I use this?
Like I said above, some applications are just better in one OS than in the other. For me, the short list of such applications goes a little something like this:
Browser: We talk a fair amount about Firefox vs. IE vs. Safari around here, and Firefox normally wins out. But let's get more granular. If I had a choice between Firefox on Windows and Firefox on Mac, I'd take Firefox on Windows hands down. I may be alone on this, but Firefox on my Mac has always been a bit on the buggy and sluggish side compared to Firefox on Windows. Your mileage, as ever, may vary.
Word Processor: There are a lot of good alternatives, but as much as I hate to say it, there really is only one Microsoft Word (for now, at least), and the latest version of Word is only available for Windows. Well, not anymore.
FTP: If I've got to pick my favorite FTP client, it'd have to be the Mac-only Transmit. Smart favorites, droplets, and excellent Quicksilver integration sway my vote toward Transmit for all of my FTP duties.
Text editing: There are a lot of very good text editors for Windows, but I still haven't found an editor I like better than the Mac-only TextMate. It's macros and interface are excellent.
App launching/file manipulation: We love Launchy, but there's only one Quicksilver, and it's only on the Mac. One cool thing about Parallels is that you can launch Windows applications with Quicksilver now, so you really wouldn't need Launchy in this setup at all.
Text replacement: If you're a heavy user of text replacement applications like Windows-only Texter or the Mac-only TextExpander, it's worth noting that these utilities only work with apps running in their respective OS. I (as the biased creator) prefer Texter for some of its more advanced scripting capabilities, but both apps are very good at what they do. Some of my desire to run Firefox and other applications in their Windows variants is influenced by my heavy reliance on Texter in those applications. If you need text replacement in both Windows and Mac apps, you can run both.
I'm very curious to hear which combination of Windows and Mac applications would make up your ultimate hybrid operating system, so throw in your two cents—and any other thoughts—in the comments.
Adam Pash is a senior editor for Lifehacker to whom OS monogamy is out of the question. His special feature Hack Attack appears every Tuesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Hack Attack RSS feed to get new installments in your newsreader
Penny Shell?
PopSci Says:
Make a Penny Shell
Cost: $5.01
Time: 1 Hour
Safe | | | | | Dangerous
1. File around the edge of a post-1982 penny until you see white zinc.
2. Don protective gear, and drop the penny into a small bowl of undiluted hardware-store muriatic acid.
3. Wait 15 to 60 minutes until the bubbles stop.
4. With the faucet running, pour the acid into the sink through a strainer to catch the penny. (Never pour water into acid—it can boil instantly and splatter acid in your face. Always pour the acid into water.)
5. Run water through the strainer for several minutes to rinse the penny half-shells and flush out the acid.
Quick Postage Bag
Ever thought about how sturdy postage envelopes are? Here is a simple how-to on creating a postage bag.
3D Signs
View Printable Instructions
Here is a pretty simple and and inexpensive alternative to 3D signs. Basically you just have to print a design,carve some foam based on that design, primer it, and then paint it. Finally, glue it all together and hang it up. The best part about this is that because it is foam the sign generally remains pretty lightweight.
Here is a pretty simple and and inexpensive alternative to 3D signs. Basically you just have to print a design,carve some foam based on that design, primer it, and then paint it. Finally, glue it all together and hang it up. The best part about this is that because it is foam the sign generally remains pretty lightweight.
Waterproof LED Picnic Blanket
Supplies:
Battery op 64 LED String (I bought mine from Dayva)
Milk Plex, I used a 16 x 18.5 x 1/8" lightbox top I had around
Vinyl with fuzzy backing, I used 3.5 yds Gray for the back (to match the straps) and 3.5 yds White for the top.
20 x 24 piece of clear .40 mil pvc sheeting to water resist the top.
2 yd Webbing for the handle and strap
2 plastic buckles
Velcro for the battery compartment.
5 AA NI-MH 1.2V 2300MA batteries.
6 AA cell holder with snap connection.
Cord w/9 V clip to 2.1MM x 5.5MM (+) center.
A push button canopy switch.
Jack to Jack connector 2.1MM x 5.5MM
Zap a Gap
Duck tape
A lighter
8 1" binding posts
silicone seam sealant
electric crimps
nut and bolt or spring for missing # battery
24 x 36 sheet of green 1/2" foam
8" of 2" white velcro
Tools:
scissors and I like to use my electric cutter
Belt punch
sewing machine
rulers
Drill and bit for plexi holes
wire strippers for to add the switch to the electric rig.
Strong pins
a thimble
Spray mount
Inexpensive Whiteboard
As expensive as whiteboards are you can make your own for under $30. Simply get some showerboard or "Tile Board", and the use something like "Liquid Nails" to mount your board to the wall. You can then add a boarder, or something to make it 'distinctive'.
9.02.2007
Laser Flashlight
Supplies:
Battery op 64 LED String (I bought mine from Dayva)
Milk Plex, I used a 16 x 18.5 x 1/8" lightbox top I had around
Vinyl with fuzzy backing, I used 3.5 yds Gray for the back (to match the straps) and 3.5 yds White for the top.
20 x 24 piece of clear .40 mil pvc sheeting to water resist the top.
2 yd Webbing for the handle and strap
2 plastic buckles
Velcro for the battery compartment.
5 AA NI-MH 1.2V 2300MA batteries.
6 AA cell holder with snap connection.
Cord w/9 V clip to 2.1MM x 5.5MM (+) center.
A push button canopy switch.
Jack to Jack connector 2.1MM x 5.5MM
Zap a Gap
Duck tape
A lighter
8 1" binding posts
silicone seam sealant
electric crimps
nut and bolt or spring for missing # battery
24 x 36 sheet of green 1/2" foam
8" of 2" white velcro
Tools:
scissors and I like to use my electric cutter
Belt punch
sewing machine
rulers
Drill and bit for plexi holes
wire strippers for to add the switch to the electric rig.
Strong pins
a thimble
Spray mount
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