Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2012 May 30

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May 30

Hovertext in Windows 7 taskbar

Whenever my cursor goes over a tab in my taskbar and moves away, some white hovertext pops up with the name of the program and other information. It is difficult to put into words my hatred of this; it's somewhere between "light myself on fire" and "planetary destruction". I would like very much to be rid of it. I've tried many times to google for a solution, but my task is made difficult by the fact that it's tough to describe what bothers me in a way that gets useful search results (and my issue is often confused with the thumbnail of the window that pops up as well). I found this post, which describes exactly what frustrates me, but I had the same problem the OP had: the solution provided worked briefly but then stopped, even though the box is still unchecked. This is a screenshot of the issue on my computer. If anyone knows how to get rid of this, or at least can tell me what its technically name is so that I can search for solutions more intelligently, I would be very much obliged. 67.164.156.42 (talk) 03:00, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Ironically if you hover anywhere near the image at imageshack, a toolbar obscures the image! :p Oh the times! ¦ Reisio (talk) 03:05, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

If it works for a good long while after every time you uncheck/check it, you could maybe add a batch file to your startup folder to toggle it via the registry every time the OS loads. IME there isn't much you can do when Windows decides to ignore your preferences... except to constantly re-set them. :/ ¦ Reisio (talk) 03:10, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

I'm very confused by this because (a) I've never seen the popups you describe, and (b) the "show pop-up descriptions for folder and desktop items" setting that you unchecked controls something else that I do see (when it's checked): pop-up descriptions for folder and desktop items. Folder items are files in an Explorer window, and desktop items are files/shortcuts on the desktop (which is also an Explorer window, actually). Taskbar items are neither of those things, and the popup (tooltip) in your image doesn't look like the tooltips that I know are controlled by this option.

I wonder if this is simply a bug in Windows 7 (in which case you could try upgrading to Service Pack 1, if you haven't), or if it's caused by some third-party program that you have installed. -- BenRG (talk) 00:05, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Video cassette player and analogue TV as viewing screen

Can one use ones video cassette with an analogue TV set. I do not have digital TV but still have my tv set, video recorder/player and many video cassette which I need to view. However I have not been able to get the video to work with the TV and wonder if it is because the TV MUST have a tv channel, which I cannot get, to work from. If this is the case then my TV set and video are useless and so too are my valued video recordings. Please advise if there is a way of using the video and tv when the tv is only going to operating as a screen. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.109.60.240 (talk) 10:26, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

My 20 years old hardware, set up the way you indicate, still shows my old tapes, long after digital broadcasting deprived it of the ability to record or show new content. Perhaps some little detail of your setup went wrong. Jim.henderson (talk) 10:34, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

(EC) There shouldn't be a problem in using your TV to view VCR cassettes. However, there are a number of variables that make it a little difficult to say exactly, or to comprehensively diagnose the issue.

You could try the following steps, and post back here letting us know which (if any) fail, in order that we can try to give you a solution:

1. Connect the VCR to the TV, ensure both are switched on, put a cassette in the video, and press 'play'. Now scan through all the channels on the TV, also checking any A/V channels you might have.
2. Check the tuning of your TV. Pick a blank channel (0 is good) and whilst playing a video access the tuning menu on the TV and search for a signal. If you need to know how to do that, try searching for your TV's user guide on Google - a search for "your TV make & model manual OR user guide", e.g. "sharp 42CDHGU20 manual OR user guide" (without the quotes) usually works.
3. Check the connections and cables between the VCR and the TV. You might have some spare cables lying in a drawer somewhere - swap them over and see what happens. If you're using a coax cable, switch to SCART or vice-versa. It might be worth a trip to an electrical retailer to pick up a cheap cable to rule that out as the source of the problem.

If all these steps fail, maybe you could give us some more information. The make and model of your TV and VCR, and a fuller description of the problem (e.g. black screen, static/'snow', not able to turn on the TV etc.) would be good places to start. As I said, there is no reason from what you've described why you shouldn't be able to view your tapes, but actually getting to that point may take a little time. Good luck! - Cucumber Mike (talk) 10:50, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Most VCRs I've seen send the signal on either channel 3 or 4 (they usually have a dip switch to control which). Verify how it's set on your VCR, and make sure your TV is set to that channel. If that doesn't work, try switching both devices to the other channel. StuRat (talk) 22:23, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

As StuRat says, in the US, VCRs send an output signal on channel 3 or 4, typically selected by a small switch on the back panel. US analog TVs use channels with fixed frequencies, so you only need to try channel 3 or 4 on your TV to find the VCR picture. However, my understanding is that UK VCRs output on higher channel numbers, and have many channels to choose from as the output channel. My understanding is that UK analog TVs use programs that can be tuned to different channels (frequencies), so you may have to do more work at the TV to find the VCR picture. --Bavi H (talk) 01:59, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Yes, absolutely. I've never seen a UK VCR tuned to 3 or 4 - those channels are nearly universally used for ITV 1 and Channel 4 respectively. When I was growing up our VCR was on channel 6, although at friends' houses I've seen them on channels 0, 9, 36 (quite common), 63 and 99. I think quite often people will tune it to either the lowest channel (0) or the highest - 9 if you only have 10 channels, 99 if you have 100 and so on. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 21:30, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Ah. I also notice the difference in terminology. It seems that BrEng channel is equivalent to USEng program - that is the numbered button you press on the remote; 1 for BBC One, 2 for BBC Two and so on. I think we use the other sense as well - for a frequency band - but I'm no electrical engineer. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 21:35, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

UK and US people both use channel to refer to the digits you enter on the remote. But when I browsed some UK analog VCR and TV manuals, it looked like they used the more technical term program to refer to the number you entered, and channel to refer to what the program is actually tuned to behind the scenes.

If I understand correctly, when analog signals were broadcast, TVs across the UK were set up so that entering 1 always goes to BBC One. But in the TV's set up screens or control panel, that 1 could map to channel 21 in one area or channel 40 in another area.

In the US over-the-air analog system, channel numbers are always the same frequency on every TV. But the networks are on different channel numbers in different areas. In Dallas, ABC is on channel 8. In Houston, ABC is on channel 13. When a US person goes to another area in the US, they have to learn the channel numbers used in that area and get used to entering them on the remote control. Because a US over-the-air analog channel number is always on a specific frequency, there was no additional layer like program needed in US analog TV manuals. --Bavi H (talk) 02:53, 1 June 2012 (UTC)

Yes, and the funny thing is, now with digital TV, they have that extra layer in the US, too, so ABC could be the same channel in every area. However, they've opted to keep the old analog channel numbers, instead, so they're still different in every city. StuRat (talk) 04:03, 2 June 2012 (UTC)

How computers keep time

How come when you turn off a computer the turn it on, the time doesn't pause. It just continues even without battery. 190.60.93.218 (talk) 16:02, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

It runs off a small battery on the motherboard. Roger (talk) 16:06, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Also what do you mean turn it off? With any ATX computer i.e. any computer for the past 15 years or so, the motherboard remains powered unless you turn off or disconnect the power supply from mains power (or disconnect it from the motherboard, but doing that while it remains on is likely a bad idea). Nil Einne (talk) 17:09, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, my family had a then-old computer that paused instead of continuing (for a while, before it stopped keeping time and started going back to 1900 every time we turned it off and turned it on again); we were glad, because it meant that we didn't have to worry about Y2K compliance. Was the pausing a sign that the battery was failing and the returning to 1900 a sign that it had died? Nyttend (talk) 20:06, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Yes, but pausing is rather odd behavior. I'd expect it to either reset or keep time (although possibly poorly). StuRat (talk) 20:45, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps I remembered wrongly then. I'm sure that it was keeping time (poorly) for a while before it got to the point of starting over every time we turned it on. Nyttend (talk) 01:22, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

We have a whole article on this: Nonvolatile BIOS memory. Comet Tuttle (talk) 05:55, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Maxima to C converter

Hello Wikipedians, I use Maxima to derive complex symbolic math formulae. I want to integrate these into my software (written in C++). Do you know a convenient way to convert from maxima to a C/C++/Java like syntax? Maxima does have integrated converters to fortran and Latex, but changing the solutions to C++ is quite tedious if the formula is long enough. thanks a lot --192.124.26.252 (talk) 17:09, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

You can take the fortran and run it through f2c. -- Finlay McWalterჷTalk 17:16, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Alternatively, you could look at symbolic algebra software designed to be used with C++ - GiNaC looks like it might be promising. 130.88.73.65 (talk) 10:12, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

firefox problem

Hi, mac os x 10.7.4, firefox 12.0. My wikipedia main page looks odd, the logo is missing and the text looks sucky. A few other websites are similarly affected. What's going on and how can I get the old appearance back? Robinh (talk) 21:12, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

That's not really much of a description to go on. "Looks odd... looks sucky" surely makes sense to you, but is hopeless vague for us. A screenshot would be far more helpful. My long-shot guesses: 1. your browser for whatever reason didn't download the stylesheets correctly. Empty the cache (Firefox > Preferences > Advanced > Cached Web Content > Clear Now) and try again. 2. maybe you set it not to use stylesheets — go to View > Page Style and make sure it is set to "Basic Page Style". --Mr.98 (talk) 22:09, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

I often see the wrong fonts appear and pics not load when my computer needs a reboot. Try that. StuRat (talk) 22:16, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

(OP) thanks guys. I get this problem intermittently and so presumed others would have seen it too, hence the short description. Emptying the cache worked, thanks

Resolved

Robinh (talk) 23:11, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

i´m connected but can not access the internet?

Hello, Windows XP Desktop (Dell Dimension 3000)is showing that its connected to the internet, but when I try to open Google Chrome it says: Cannot Find Server, Page can not be displayed. How do I get it to connect? I use a tp-link tl-wn722n to get my wi-fi signal, i use my aunt's wi-fi, even though it says i get good reception, I still can't access the internet.Does anyone know how to fix this? If so please let me know thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.220.69.22 (talk) 22:10, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

Your problem seems to be down the line, not in the connection between your computer and the router. Try to connect with another computer, but over the same router to confirm this. Sometimes simply resetting the router solves the problem.OsmanRF34 (talk) 14:19, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

I had this very problem two weeks ago. It turns out the wireless driver in the computer was malfunctioning. If you can find out what driver your computer needs (not the easiest thing to determine without a connection), you can go to another computer, download it onto a CD or a flashstick, then load it onto your old computer. (Unfortunately, my computer was a really obscure brand, and I could not find what driver it used.)    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 15:40, 31 May 2012 (UTC)