on 1:30 PM
Labels:

DarkRoom is a minimalist approach to solving writer's block. The thought is that distractions are bad -the dual core, hyper threading monsters of computers everybody owns are turning out to be the hypothetical "Jack of all trades, master of none," and the end of functional society as we know it.

Distractions are killing us all. How many times have you been trying to write something and been distracted by email, a photo, or work in another application? The formatting options alone in Word would starve the person who vows to try every combination before he or she eats. How can any sincere writer entertain any hope of success or completion with such a veritable force working against them? It's only a matter of time until we all curl up and die.

image

Enter DarkRoom. DarkRoom's mission is to save the world by eliminating distracting ideas, movements, and gadgetry that every computer has. It eliminates stuff like zoom, font selection -even scroll bars are turned into undistracting arrows. It blacks the entire screen so you won't be tempted to glance at the time or temperature or inbox.

Copy and paste text into Word when you're done typing to format and print. Darkroom files are simple .txt files and open quickly because they are simple and tiny.

Free and Fast to Download

The entire download is super-tiny at only 47kb. Download it here. http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/07/03/dark-room-writeroom-for-windows/

Renumbering COM Ports On Windows Vista

When using a USB Bluetooth dongle, the COM port numbers kept getting higher for me every time I plugged it in. Soon the port numbers were higher than my Bluetooth device was compatible with. I'll explain how to reset those numbers -but first a brief description of how Vista assigns these numbers.

How Vista Assigns COM Port Numbers

COM ports are used by Bluetooth and other hardware for communication. Most of the time these ports are virtual because few computers come with hard-wired COM ports these days. To enable a plug and play environment, Vista saves previously used ports as hidden or inactive ports. When the device is plugged in after being previously installed, Vista matches the device to the existing COM port.

If the Bluetooth or other virtual COM port is unplugged from the USB port, Vista saves the association. However, if another USB device such as a flash drive is plugged into that port it resets the USB port. When the COM port device is plugged back into the USB port -or into a different USB port, Vista will make a new COM port to USB association. The previous associations are not overwritten, causing Vista to assign a higher COM port number. Over time the COM ports are numbering in the 30's or even higher, which is higher than most hardware supports.

How To Renumber COM Ports

  1. Open the command prompt in Admin mode.

    1. In Vista search type CMD

    2. Right-click on the CMD.exe search result and select Run as Administrator (If the Administrator option is missing, click here for instructions on how to run CMD in Admin mode).

  2. Click Continue through the UAC screen.

  3. Type set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 after the prompt and press Enter.

  4. Type start devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open the Device Manager.

  1. In Device Manager, Click View and make sure Show hidden devices is checked.
  2. Now expand the Ports (COM & LPT) row.
  3. All saved COM ports are displayed.
  4. Uninstall all the unused COM ports by selecting them and pressing Delete, then click OK.
  5. Here's a screenshot of the Device Manager with my hidden ports displayed -it's a mess.

And here's the same screen after uninstalling all the no-longer-needed ports.

Try to keep a dedicated USB port for your Bluetooth dongle. Keep an eye on the COM port numbers and clean up again if they get too high.

Sources:

http://www.psy.uq.edu.au/sections/it/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=4

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315539

on 2:07 PM

Vista Command Prompt Administrator Mode

To open the Command Prompt in Administrator Mode type CMD into Vista search window. Right-click on CMD.exe and select Run as administrator. If the Run as administrator option is not there -as mine has mysteriously disappeared, you will need to make a shortcut for it.

How To Make an Administrator Mode Command Prompt Shortcut

  1. Activate the desktop by pressing Windows+D
  2. Press Shift+F10
  3. Click New>Shortcut
  4. Type cmd in the select location box
  5. Type Command Prompt in the shortcut name window.
  6. Click Finish
  7. Right-click the new Command Prompt shortcut icon.
  8. Click Properties
  9. Under the Shortcut Tab click Advanced
  10. Check the box by Run as Administrator

  11. Click Apply and OK
  12. To run the Command Prompt in Admin Mode, click the new shortcut.