My music is on a network drive, so when iTunes started "Determining Song Volume" for thousands of tracks across a network connection, it pretty much froze up. Syncing was also pain.
iTunes wants to figure out the song volume stuff for its Sound Check feature, which you can disable in the Playback tab of Preferences. However, the Determining Song Volume madness persists if that is part of the Burn settings, only available when you are burning a playlist to CD (or pretending to):
14 March 2009
21 February 2009
UPnP Wireless Routers + Vista + IGDDC (???)
To get the most out of your wireless router, get one that is certified for Windows Vista. Officially, there aren't many. You can test your router for Vista-friendly features with Microsoft's online check (IE6+ only). Luckily, my new Netgear router had updated firmware to take advantage of UPnP etc., but my old LevelOne router did not have proper UPnP functionality even though it was in the release notes for the latest firmware. UPnP is handy for opening ports when necessary for multimedia streaming. There have been security concerns about UPnP in the past, but Vista does well to separate Public vs Private networks.
Following the results of the above-linked Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool can be tricky. You can find online documentation for disabling RWIN auto-scaling if necessary or enabling Compound TCP if your router can accept it (either using Netsh), if those defaults should be changed. However, it can be a real mystery to make your UPnP router work. It could be the Microsoft has another confusing and hard to-remember name for the technology: Internet Gateway Device Discovery and Control (IGDDC). To take advantage of IGDDC, you must have:
Following the results of the above-linked Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool can be tricky. You can find online documentation for disabling RWIN auto-scaling if necessary or enabling Compound TCP if your router can accept it (either using Netsh), if those defaults should be changed. However, it can be a real mystery to make your UPnP router work. It could be the Microsoft has another confusing and hard to-remember name for the technology: Internet Gateway Device Discovery and Control (IGDDC). To take advantage of IGDDC, you must have:
- A UPnP-compatible router with UPnP enabled
- Network Discovery turned On (be on a "Private" network)
- Internet Connection Sharing turned On for the Wireless Network Connection
- UPnP Device Host service set to Automatic (Delayed) (this is the default)
31 January 2009
Ugly Noise from Laptop Headphone Jack with AC Power
I plugged a 3.5mm stereo cable from my laptop to some speakers, and there was a horrible noise over the music I was trying to play. I thought at first that the audio cable was bad, but I noticed the problem went away if the AC adapter was unplugged from the computer. Interference from the surge protector's other plugs & transformers resulted in interference. Plugging the AC adapter into an power outlet on another wall solved the issue.
28 January 2009
Make iTunes on Windows Seem a Bit Faster
Browsing the iTunes Store within iTunes 8 on Windows is frustrating, because Apple forced slow and clunky software components only to make it look kind of like Safari and Mac OS X. In my opinion, a Mac program is confusing on Windows and it clashes aesthetically. Also, the performance stinks.
At any rate, you can improve the slow scrolling using a scroll wheel mouse and the following AutoHotkey code:
Also, there is an alternative and unofficial web interface for the iTunes Store: http://app-store.appspot.com/
At any rate, you can improve the slow scrolling using a scroll wheel mouse and the following AutoHotkey code:
#IfWinActive ahk_class iTunes
WheelDown::Send {pgdn}
WheelUp::Send {pgup}
#IfWinActive
Also, there is an alternative and unofficial web interface for the iTunes Store: http://app-store.appspot.com/
14 January 2009
Some New "Top Tools"
Check out revisions in the sidebar for additions. (Sorry, I didn't really pay attention to what I removed from the list.. usually things that I haven't really used myself as I thought I would.)
Ctrl-RightClick to Delete Messages in Outlook
An amendment to previous posts:
#IfWinActive ahk_class rctrl_renwnd32
^RButton::
MouseGetPos, , , , pane
If pane = SUPERGRID1
Send {Click}^d
else
Click right
return
RButton::
MouseGetPos, , , , pane
If pane = SUPERGRID1
Send {Click}!q
else
Click right
return
#IfWinActive
06 January 2009
Fix Wireless Network Reconnection
If you're having problems with reconnecting to your wireless network after wake/resume from sleep/standby, or if you are getting errors upon connecting due to cancellation or timeout, or if you are having other problems with your wireless in Windows XP SP2 or Vista, try these solutions:
Norton AntiVirus 2009 is Surprisingly Good
I've been down on Norton/Symantec products in the past, but Norton AntiVirus is the best antimalware application I've ever used. It's fast, efficient, and protects Firefox. I got my copy for $20 after rebate at Staples, and there might be other good deals elsewhere.
Update: I now more fond of Microsoft Security Essentials, which is free.
Update: I now more fond of Microsoft Security Essentials, which is free.
Right-Click to QuickArchive in Outlook
The following AutoHotkey code makes right-clicking a shortcut for QuickArchiving in Outlook, but (helpfully) only if a message is being right-clicked. Otherwise, there is normal right-clicking behavior.
02 January 2009
White Too Harsh? Soften the Background Color
Using Microsoft Office Outlook, I noticed the background was such a bright white that it hurt to look at it. The background color is sort of customizable by adjusting the system color for windows as follows:
- For RGB values, use the same number between 245 and 255
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