Welcome!
So what is this place, anyway? Is it a knowledgebase? a tool set? a software developer site? a place for webmasters? a tech blog?
Well, it's all of those things. This site wants to answer questions you might have about IT related problems you might be having. Search the knowledgebase, and you might find that your question has been answered already. Or check out the tools section; lots of good stuff in there. Got a problem that you can't find an answer to? Use the contact form to ask! Let's get started with some recent posts, shown below.
Remember:Registered users get access to extra features!
Killing Disconnected Terminal Server Sessions
Terminal Services (or Remote Desktop if you prefer) is a good thing. It allows you to remotely connect to a server to manage it.
However, there is a "special" breed of user out there that can't remember to log off of their sessions, opting to simply click the "X" in the upper right. Too many disconnected sessions (2), and nobody else can connect via RDP. Kill 'em quick with this process.
Why would you pay $12.95 per month ?
There are sites out there that charge folks for answers. Yup hard to believe, right? This is incredible to me, since most of the information they provide is free, if you simple use your favorite search engine to find the answer.
What if I were to tell you that there is a not-so-top-secret place where you could find just about any answer you'd want, and any subject, and it's free for you to use, twenty four hours per day, 365 days per year? Oh, did I mention it was free?
Living with the Surface
About one month ago, I became the proud owner of a Microsoft Surface RT. So far, I'm loving it. This seems to be contrary to the thoughts of the majority of folks in IT, but hey, I've always been a bit different.
Having got rid of my iPad some time ago, I've been lugging around my Dell 6410 to meetings and such. The laptop does a great job, and I have no real complaints, but I really missed the portability of a tablet.
Three Windows Command Prompt Replacements
I've been using the trusty command prompt in Windows, well, forever. Having started my life in IT as a DOS keyboard jockey, it's been a part of my life that just won't go away.
Lateley though, I've been looking to teach my command prompt some new tricks. Things like multi-tab interface, easier copy/paste within the window, things of that nature. Here, I've tested three command prompt enhancments.
Your Favorite Documentation Tool?
In my current position, it is necessary to write large amounts of technical documentation. For this, I use a variety of tools to create a "master" document, which then gets uploaded to either a SharePoint repository, or to our Wiki.
To build these documents, I use things like Word, Notepad++, OneNote, Photoshop, CamStudio, and maybe a few others, but those are the highlights. I've been playing with a new idea, and am hoping to get some input from the community about their favorite tools, what they like, and what they don't like. Let your voice be heard!
ShellFileCopy with VB6
Copying a file with VB6 is pretty straightforward. However, giving feedback to the user during the copy process has historically been a challenge.
By leveraging the Windows API, we can utilize the same functions that Windows itself uses to copy files, and at the same time make use of the built in copy status dialog. Another VB6 post, by request.
Compare Two Files in VB6
This function will allow you to compare one file to another. It will do either a lax check (compare file lengths only) or a stringent check (a byte by byte comparison).
Pretty straightforward demonstration of string handling for Visual Basic 6, posted by request.
Get Available Drivespace with VB6
As a developer, from time to time you are called upon to build or process large chunks of data. During this process, you can use the the local hard drive as a temporary holding area. Admittedly, with todays well-specc'd computers, you shouldn't need to do this, but back in the day, this was the norm.
By request, here is a set of API functions for use with Visual Basic 6 that will return various pieces of information about local storage, such as total space, free space, etc.
Adjusting windows border width in Windows 8
Window borders are not something you usually think about. They're just there, keeping a visual cue of the current workspace. Did you could change the width of these borders? Some folks want just like small borders.
Shrinking the border provides a bit of a cleaner feel to the windows, and gains a couple of extra pixels in the workspace. In Windows 7, it was pretty easy to open the control panel and adjust to your liking. Windows 8 doesn't have this feature in the control panel, but you can adjust the border width with a straightforward registry change.
Dell XPS 12 - Worth it ?
Today, I got the opportunity to lay my hands on a Dell XPS 12. What's so special about the XPS 12? It's not sure what it is.
Seriously. The XPS doesn't know if it wants to be a laptop or a tablet. Fortunately for us, this small but powerful unit does both well. Read on for the details.
PortInUse
Working with network objects in Visual Basic can be a little daunting for newer programmers. It's not that scary, really.
This bit of code (given here by request) will determine if a particular port is in use on the local machine. It leans on the use of Windows Sockets (winsock) to perform the check.
GetDigits
Ever wanted to grab all the digits out of a string? This handy little function will do it. Not sure what purpose this would server, but someone requested it, so here it is.
For example, if you have a string value that contains "My n4me3 1s J0e", this function will return a string value containing "4310".
