Christianb

Hi Gang, Can someone comment if they know of a single backup title that supports dynamic disks. Please be sure to list what version of the product is required. Also are there any additional complications like you have to partition the drives manually first or something. I realize that almost any backup title can support these RAID paritions doing a sector by sector backup, but I'm talking about native support. Thanks, Christian Blackburn

Hi Arin, I used to have a dynamic disk. They're pretty cool. Basically it allows you to stripe one or more partitions across 2 or more drives. The problem and I personally consider it a major one is you can't create RAID array on a bootable drive. Which I think is ridiculous since NT 4 could do that. Also WinXP may have overcome this limitation, but I somehow doubt it. Another problem with the RAID 0 or RAID 1 parition that's created is that most backup software doesn't support them. Yet another issue is that you can't create FAT based raid partitions instead you are forced to use NTFS which means that after all that work your RAID Array will be about the speed a normal FAt32 parition on a single drive which isn't a very big deal is it? Also the CPU usage will naturally be much higher when working with two drives. Cheers, Christian

Hi Curley Boy, I'm not trying to offend you but that has gotta be the stupidest thing I've ever heard . I'm sure it's faster and if you're running Windows XP on a Pentium I class system (if it would even install under such conditions), it's probably not that illogical, otherwise I'm simply perplexed. The usability, efficiency, and aesthetic enhancements to the Windows operating system since Windows 3.X are substantial. I will agree that to a Win 3.X, windows XP will seem to be a pile of bloatware. Admitedly the first thing I did when I started usingof Windows XP at work was turn off half the visual enhancements. I basically made it look and behave more like Windows 2000. I to felt like a fish out of water when I started using Windows 95, which was also a big change for the Windows Operating system, however once I gave things a chance I found that most of the features had been improved and I learned to accept the differences. Windows 3.1 is now over 10 years old surely you didn't think that the World's largest and most influential software company wouldn't progress in their operating system since then. I realize it's more complicated, but heh it also does inexplicably more. If you still want simplicity, why not install sisoft display doctor and go back and just run windows 3.X? Otherwise you'll have to hop in a canoe and row through the changes with the rest of us . Good luck I'm sure you'll get the hang of things, and I know all those changes must be a lot to take all at once. Also Windows 3.X is far less stable than any of the Windows 32 operating systems. Windows 3.X had a severe memory leak that made it necessary to reboot almost every 8 hours just to keep things working optimally. There have been so many improvements to windows since 3.X I would be wasting my time to list them here. Good Luck, Christian Blackburn

Hi VideoBruce, If the games you are reffering to are Win16/32 based I can almost guarantee that the file system is not the issue. However related to the file system could be security restrictions or a virus that write protects a whole drive. In general you are invariably better off if you try installing as administrator. Games written between 1995 and 1998 may and or may not display informative errors about security issues. Just make sure you have administrative rights and then you'll have a legitimate reason to complain when things brake. Users by definition are not supposed to be able to install things, they are simply supposed to "use" the software that's installed. I for one was pissed when MS made their Windows Installer allow users to install software. The first and most famous example of the Windows Installer would be Office 2000 (which by the way has a horrible installer and patching system). That should never have been allowed, because it essentially broke the previous standing definition of user and also made it harder for administrators to keep a tight leash on installed software. Adios Bruce, Christian

Hi VideoBruce, I've never heard of Ability office, not that means anything, but it probably does mean something . Admitedly I use office 2000, but I think the best bang for the buck is a copy of Lotus SmartSuite Millenium edition for 9 bucks on CD. Cheers, Christian

Hi ViolentGreen, I followed your link and was unable to locate a basic summary of what on earth a farker is. Can you link to such a page. A single page with a dictionary-like summary of that. Or perhaps you could just sum it up for us in a paragraph. Thanks, Christian

Hi Video Bruce, I'm sorry you're having problems playing your games. Please be more specific as to what games you are having problems with and we will all be able to be more help. Also listing the specific error messages verbatim is also helpful. Did you start by using NT Compatible to see if the game you are trying to play is known to be compatible or incompatible with WIn2K? Also listing your Video Card and driver revision problably wouldn't hurt matters either. Good Luck, Christian

It's a big joke right? -Christian

I would also like to ask if someone can recommend a video on Nunchucku. Thanks, Christian Blackburn

Hi Gang, I studied a Tae Kwon Do variant called Jungyae Moosul at a Do Jang for a while and before that Karate at my community college (not that counts ). I'm quite good with my nun-chucks and still practice them once or twice a week. I can do two at the same time and know a number of moves. I really enjoy practicing it feels like juggling, except my arms and shoulders get buff in the process . -Christian

Whatever the outcome I wish you good luck, Christian Blackburn

Hi Ali, I looked at a few of their syntax examples and their graphicals application winners and I for one don't think much of the language. If those are the best creations that application is capable of I for one am scared . Although I do realize that those are programmer's first projects. What school would really be stupid enough to use a proprietary language to teach the principles of those that are readily accepted? (aside from your's that is?). I hope they don't sell very many copies, although based on their description I'm sure many know-nothing corporate buyers have bought a copy or two. Cheers, Christian

Hi Curley_Boy, While Adam Jackson's suggestion is definetly worth a try you may find that the reason you're having problems isn't software, but your lack of horsepower. Make sure you have a screaming CPU, lots of ram, and decent video card. Good Luck, Christian Blackburn

Sometimes a write protected boot drive is characteristic of a virus. Do you have a major virus scanner installed with recent updates? Also I think I was using Ghost 5.0 and 2000 and at that time no Ghost did not work with the fastrack solutions and their technical support verified that fact. I am however thrilled to hear that today it's working so users won't have to suffer like I did . Cheers, Christian

Hi Ali, Too bad you weren't able to keep up with Turbo Pascal. Not only was pascal a highly regarded language, but today so is it's offspring Borland Delphi. Delphi is able to compile some of the fastest .exes out there. Of course assembly and PowerBasic both have Delphi beat in terms of performance, but both definetly lag behind in terms of the time it takes to create a decent application. Delphi more often than not creates fasters .exes than MS C++. It also creates standalone .exes a feature that almost no other programming languages offer today. I know people think that their MS C++ apps are standalone, but in reality they aren't, because they require MSVCRT.dll. I think Borland C++ is able to create a standalone .exe and I'm sure there are a number of freeware tools that can do that. Also PowerBasic can create a standalone .exe, but everything written Java, Visual Basic, CA Realizer, C# and all the other .net languages all require runtimes. Also Delphi can be used to create linux applications as well. The linux version of Delphi is called Kylix. You may be aware of all of this, but I thought I'd mention it any ways. I also agree with you that it's extremely lame that children aren't taught HTML by 4th grade and programming by 6th. I can only wonder how good my programming skills would be if I had learned to program before I was 18! However, parents can make a huge difference in that regards, because they can pay and send their kids off to community college to master a marketable skill early on in life. Man that sucks that you had to learn that podunk programming language. I've never even heard of Turing. I can only assume it sucks or simply was just never marketted effectively. Is turing GNU or actual commercial software? It may be that we don't have that language in the United States, do any companies actually use it? Are there jobs available for it? Well Adios Amigo, Christian

Hi Gang, I just wanted to point out that last I knew not all raid arrays are supported. In fact only a limitted number of controllers are supported and last I tried to use one Promise Raid controllers weren't supported. Cheers, Christian

Hi Gang, I have an XVid copy of the "The Pianist" can someone tell me where I can download the QIX codec? Also to my knowledge there are two distributions of the XVid codec do either of them contain this Qix by default? Thanks in Advance, Christian Blackburn

Hi Ali, Thanks for the reply. No problem about KaZaA. So you said you used to program and or took a class in High School? On what programming language? My guess is it was something cryptic and that's why you didn't stick with it. Perhaps it was C++ or something . Okay now I know I just offended somone, but oh well. I think C++ is syntactically butt ugly and I'm not afraid to admit it . As for Canadian companies staying small, I guess I would have to agree. The only company that I ever recall coming from Canada and suceeding in the US was Future Shop and for some silly reason we kicked them out of the country . Too bad too, because that's one less competitor, although I think Best Buy has finally surpassed their excellence . As for the weather in Canada, I can guarantee that I would never visit there during the winter without being paid . Cheers Amigo, Christian

Hi Duhmez, Thanks for the info. Personally I only have 2 speakers so Mp3 audio is just fine for me. It would seem to me that if people are going to include positional audio they ought to use a compression algorithym for it. However since it's part of the Mpeg 2 spec it must already be compressed. So I guess that's why you said unrecompressed . Which is a lengthy synonym for lossless. Can anyone comment on the differential in file size when someone creates an MP3 audio version vs AC3? Clearly Video compression is far more important for small file size than audio. Cheers Amigo, Christian

Hi Mr.Guvernment, Are you saying that you could just capture the audio? Or are you referring to capturing some sort of AC3 enabled .avi? Thanks, Christian Blackburn

Course come to think of it I think that there is a patent for MP3's so I guess I can understand people using XVid/Ogg combinations. Is that done? I've never heard of it, but it makes enough sense since they're both open source technologies. Cheers, Christian

Hi Guys, I assume the AC3 codec is provides positional audio? Otherwise I see no point in deviating from the MP3 audio standard. Cheers, Christian

Hi Last Signal, Why don't you tell us all what you need a bootable Nt-based floppy for and then I think we'll be better able to assist you. Good Luck, Christian Blackburn

I know there is no built in facility in Windows 2000 to make floppy bootable or NT4 for that matter. If you want things to work why don't you try modifying the windows NT/2000 boot floppy. Just make a copy of it and then do your voodoo. Did you want a bootable NTFS floppy, because that probably isn't going to work . YOu might try the 300 dollar solution at www.sysinternals.com, I'm sure there are others, hell there might even be a freeware option. If you just want a good old boot disk use Dos 6/7.X boot files go to www.bootdisk.com Good Luck, Christian Blackburn

Hi Duhmez, Thank you very much for the link I went to the website and downloaded a package titled: GordianKnot.SystemPack.1.0.Setup.exe that contained the AC3 Filter. I tried to only install the AC3 filter, but it seems to have forced me to install a few other audio filters . Oh well . Cheers, Christian