GeekwithEnvy

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How To Boot to the Desktop in Windows 8.1

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Windows8DesktopBoot

The new Windows 8 Start screen is great but it’s not for everyone and having to click to get to the desktop just a waste of time if you never use it. Thankfully, there is a way to get past this and it’s built right into Windows 8.1. Yes, there are no secret codes, buttons or hacks necessary to accomplish this.

Just follow these steps:

  • Boot up your computer and click the “Desktop Tile” to enter “Desktop Mode”
  • Right-Click on the “Task Bar”
  • Select “Properties”
  • Select the “Navigation Tab”
  • Place a check in the checkbox next to “Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in”
  • Click “OK”

That’s it, it really is that simple. Next time you reboot your computer it will take you right to the desktop, no questions asked.

Don’t have the Windows 8.1 Preview and you want to try it out? Microsoft has you covered on their Windows 8.1 Preview page.

 

 

How To Update Mac OS 9 to 9.2.2

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Okay, this may sound simple enough but if you don’t have the updates on disc somewhere then it can be next to impossible to find the update files for Mac OS 9. Part of the reason it’s so hard to find updates to OS 9 is the fact that Apple has basically dropped all support for the OS. However, the aging OS is still used by many enthusiasts and vintage computer users around the world and if you need to do a clean install you’re going to want the updates. Everything is still out there, you just need to know where to look.FinderLogo

First, let me get you up-to-speed on some of the work you will need to do once you obtain the update files. These steps will help if you have a newer Mac or a Mac with OSX installed and will make the process much easier. Please stick around for the final steps or you might not get things to work.

  •  Step one, get the files!  You can obtain most of the older updates through this link.
  • The updates you will need are 9.1, 9.2.1 and 9.2.2. The first two are prerequisites and will need to be downloaded and installed before continuing.

Once you have downloaded each update folder, you need to prep them before you can use them on your older Mac. This guide assumes you are doing the prep work on a newer version of OS X. Here is what you need to do:

  • For Update 9.1, open the folder, you should see 15 (.bin) files, select them all. Next, Control click or right-click on a (.bin) file in the selection and choose “open”. This will open all of the (.bin) files. Now sort the files in the folder by “kind” and you should see all of the extracted files separated from the original (.bin) files. Now, take all of the extracted (.part) files and the single (.smi) file and burn them to a disc (CD-R*). You will now be able to load this disc into your older mac and proceed with the update by opening the (.smi) file and then launching the installer.
  • For Update 9.2.1, extract the file from the (.bin). Next, the process is a little different from the 9.1 update. You can try to load the single (.smi) by burning it to a disc and then mounting it on the older Mac, but I found that this doesn’t always work. I find it’s better to convert the (.smi) to a (.dmg), mount it, then burn the files contained within the image to a disc.
  • To convert the (.smi) to a (.dmg) on your OSX machine, Open, Disk Utility, then click in the white space in the box to the left so you are not selecting any mounted disks. Next, click Convert. Find the 9.2.1 (.smi) file and click Convert. Choose read-only with no encryption and then choose a save location. Click Save. You will be prompted to use (.dmg) instead of (.smi), click “Use (.dmg)”.
  • Now you can open the new (.dmg) file and burn all of the files to a CD-R. For Update 9.2.2 use the same process as 9.2.1.

** Please note that attempting to use a USB stick to update instead of a CD-R will likely result in failure. Mac OS 9 doesn’t seem to recognize the files correctly when loaded on to a flash drive. Your best bet is to burn the files to a CD-R.  Also, remember that many older Macs that run OS 9 do not have DVD drives, so don’t forget to use a CD-R for those machines.  A CD-RW may also be suitable.

How To Straighten Bent Pins on a CPU

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Computer processor (CPU)

So you’ve somehow managed to bend the pins on your CPU, don’t freak out! There are few things you can do to try to fix this.

Yes, in my early days of tinkering and building my own PCs I did end up bending a pin or two. Hopefully, once you’ve done it you’ll learn to never do it again.

  • The first thing you want to do is get a credit card, not to buy a new CPU of course, but to help you straighten out the pins on the chip. A gift card, drivers license or similar sized card may work as well.
  • Make sure the card slides between the pins easily but still comes in contact with the pins. You don’t want it to be too thin or it won’t straighten out the pins.
  • Slide the card through the rows of pins that are affected from both top to bottom and side to side. This will ensure that the pins are straightened from every side.
  • Once your sure everything looks good, carefully attempt place the CPU into the socket. Don’t force it into place or you will likely bend more pins! If you have any trouble, take out the CPU and re-align your pins.
  • If the pins are are in really bad shape you can use an empty mechanical pencil tip to place over the pin and stand it upright.

That’s all you should need to do!

*It’s important to note that after several attempts the pins can break and no one wants that, so make sure you do your best to align them in the first few attempts.

How To Securely Wipe a Flash Drive

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Road Kils Disk Wipe ScreenShot
Screenshot of Road Kils Disk Wipe

Sometimes we just want to make sure that our data is wiped clean, not just deleted, but completely wiped out. There are many great ways to do this for hard-disk drives which we have covered earlier, but what about flash drives like USB sticks? Flash memory is not usually covered by software applications that securely erase hard-disk drives.

There is a great application out there that will get the job done and that’s Roadkil’s DiskWipe. The app is available for almost all Windows versions. Windows 9x/ME, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4, Windows XP, Vista,Windows 7, and Windows 8.

  • Once you download and extract everything, go ahead and run the program as administrator.
  • Next, select the drive you want to securely erase and choose then choose method you want to use. This application offers up two classic ways of wiping out data, the first is to fill the drive with zeros (zero-out), the second method is will just enter random data.
  • Once you have chosen your wipeout method, input the number of passes. The higher you go in passes, the harder it is to retrieve the old data your trying to protect.
  • Click Erase.

After the process is complete, your ready to go and the drive is ready for new data. Remember, that depending on the size of the drive it could take a while to perform a wipe. The number of passes will also determine erase time as well as the speed at which the drive operates. (usb 2.0,usb 3.0 )

 

How To Make a Yellow SNES Look New

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Yellowing SNES

We all love our vintage electronics but the one inevitable part of collecting and using this stuff is that it starts to age. Sometimes we get lucky and things seem to hold up pretty well over the years, while others just look plain nasty. One of the most common issues is the yellowing of plastics on computers and other hardware like the Super Nintendo (SNES).

Ok, so the big question here is why is this happening at all? What’s causing my stuff to turn yellow?

Well, someone actually asked Nintendo this very question and this is the response that they got:

 

Hi!

Thank you for contacting us. That’s an interesting question! For the Super NES, this is a normal condition and no cause for alarm. Cleaning or handling the system will have minimal impact to change or revive the original color.

The Super NES, as well as our other systems, are made with a plastic containing flame-retardant chemicals to meet safety guidelines. Over time, the plastic will age and discolor both because of these chemicals as well as from the normal heat generated from the product or exposure to light. Because of the light color of the plastic of the SNES and NES, this discoloration is more easily seen than with other darker plastics such as on the N64 and the Nintendo GameCube.

Thanks for your email!
Nintendo of America Inc.
Casey Ludwig

That’s actually a fairly accurate answer as to what’s happening to our old electronics but it’s not just light and or heat that’s causing it, but also exposure to air itself. It’s pretty much unavoidable. The only time you may not have a yellowing piece of hardware is if you were lucky enough to get a balanced batch of plastic. To get a more detailed answer as to what’s going on you can get a Doctor’s official answer at VintageComputing.

Now that we know that’s causing it, let’s fix it!

There are many methods you can use to remove yellowing but the method that seems to be the most effective is the use of Hydrogen Peroxide. The big issue with using Hydrogen Peroxide is that it’s a liquid and it doesn’t stay in the area you apply it, it just runs off and makes a mess. Another problem is that the stuff you buy at the store is too diluted and therefore not strong enough to get the job done. The solution to this problem is to make a Hydrogen Peroxide gel that has a higher percentage of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) in it. This will allow you to easily put the gel on the section of plastic that you’re trying to fix.

So how do you make the gel? Here’s the best part, you don’t need to. You can actually use hair developer cream, which you can get from SallyBeauty.

Here’s what you will need:

  • A clean workspace with adequate ventilation.
  • Plastic Gloves / Eye Protection
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Salon Care 40 Volume Cream Developer  (Read the safety precautions on the developer to protect yourself)
  • A UV Light Source
  • Lot’s of Time

Depending on what your trying to clean up you may need a lot of developer, so make sure you get a larger bottle.

If you can, carefully take off the plastic parts that you are trying to clean to avoid damaging the electronics inside. If you can’t take things apart or don’t want to, then just be careful and be smart about where you place the developer.

Once the parts have a good coating of developer on them, place a piece of plastic wrap over them to avoid any evaporation and to keep things in place.

Turn on your UV light source and make sure that the affected area is getting plenty of light. For best results, wait for 24 to 36 hours before cleaning off the developer.

*Tip:

Once you have finished the process you should find that much of the yellowing has gone away. This doesn’t mean it’s gone for good though, the plastics are still composed of the same chemicals as before and will eventually begin to yellow again. Your best bet, if you want to avoid cleaning them again, is to slow down the process by applying a spray-on UV protectant coating.

**This project is something you can do at home, but you do so at your own risk!