The Last of Us 5/29/2023

The Last of Us is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.  Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States.  The Last of Us is played from a third-person perspective.  Players use firearms and improvised weapons and can use stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated fungus.  In the online multiplayer mode, up to eight players engage in cooperative and competitive gameplay.

Development of The Last of Us began in 2009, soon after the release of Naughty Dog's previous game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.  For the first time in the company's history, Naughty Dog split into two teams; while one team developed Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, the other half developed The Last of Us.  The relationship between Joel and Ellie became the focus, with all other elements developed around it.  Actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson portrayed Joel and Ellie, respectively, through voice and motion capture, and assisted creative director Neil Druckmann with the development of the characters and story.  The original score was composed and performed by Gustavo Santaolalla.

Following its announcement in December 2011, The Last of Us was widely anticipated.  It was released for the PlayStation 3 in June 2013.  It received critical acclaim, with praise for its narrative, gameplay, visuals, sound design, score, characterization, and depiction of female characters.  The Last of Us became one of the best-selling video games, selling over 1.3 million units in its first week and 17 million by April 2018.  The game won year-end accolades, including multiple Game of the Year awards, from several gaming publications, critics, and game award ceremonies.  It has been ranked as one of the greatest video games ever made.

Naughty Dog released several downloadable content additions; The Last of Us: Left Behind adds a single-player campaign following Ellie and her best friend, Riley.  A remastered version, The Last of Us Remastered, was released for the PlayStation 4 in July 2014.  A remake, The Last of Us Part I, was released in September 2022 for PlayStation 5 and in March 2023 for Windows.  A sequel, The Last of Us Part II, was due release in 2020.  Other Last of Us media includes a comic book in 2013, a live show in 2014, a television adaptation by HBO in 2023, a tabletop game by Themeborne in 2023, an untitled multiplayer game and an upcoming tabletop game by CMON.  - Wikipedia

There are two very good things about this game:

• It is cheep, I mean low cost $30- Early Access Steam
• Naughty Dog publishes frequent updates
• You can (and should) setup your graphics to "Full Screen Windowed Mode" this allows you to use normal [Ctrl][Alt] for screen capture

And it is fun to play.

Highly suggest GamePressure's "The Last of Us" Game Guide.

REF:  Dell G5 5000 desktop, Intel Core i5 @ 2.90GHz, Memory 64GB, AMD Radeon RX 5300 VRAM 3056MB

 

 

 

PC GAMING - Sniper Elite 4

Weeks ago I installed Sniper Elite:Italia and some DLCs (Steam) on my Win7 Pro 64bit desktop.

I also have Sniper Elite v2 and Sniper Elite 3.

This is the best of the series from Rebellion.

It has all the elements of Sniper Elite 3 and more.

What I like about this game series is using and improving my tactics to complete missions.

In addition to the Main Mission (several parts) operations in Italy, there are 4 DLC Missions.

• "Target Fuhrer" (one mission)
• "Deathstorm" (3 part mission)

And there's "Bullet Time where you watch your shot in slow-mo.

Below are some screenshots from the game:

Your target is one of Hitler's top henchman, and what he carries, in the mansion in the far background.

When you start a mission you can choose weapons and supplies.  Your primary is (of course) a sniper rifle, secondary is an SMG, and third is your pistol.

Example

Your Level changes weapons effects:

Those bullet drop and wind.  Of course you still have the "Hold Breath" option which puts a red target where your shot will hit.

As you play, at the start of each mission you can adjust your "Skill Tree" with the skills you earned during missions.

The yellow [i] means these have not been assigned, one you have not earned are grayed-out.

Then there's your "Service Record" (aka Stats):

I have played several rounds over the weeks and have reached the Level "Ghost" and am working on the Level "Elite" (2,481,370 out of 3,000,000 pts).  And I am Death Incarnate.

And now videos:

SIMULATIONS - X-Plane Flight Sim (updated)

Finally done something I've been thinking about for years.  Got me a flight simulator and joystick.

Way, way back I did try Microsoft's flight sim but I had only keyboard-mouse.  Flight sims are almost impossible to use with keyboard-mouse.

So, finally, I got X-Plane 11 fight simulator and the Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X Flight Stick.

X-Plane 11

Example Cockpit View

You can change your view from the cockpit including exterior like looking at the airport tower.

You can use your mouse to click on most controls and switches.  Like when starting engines, turning on lights, etc.

Where you chose your aircraft and customize for your flight

Usually the first screen you go to after launching X-Plane is to start [New Flight].  This gets to  the "Flight Configuration" window.  This is where you choose your aircraft and customize it, set weather conditions and Time of Day (includes a checkbox to use your system time).

The 'stock' aircraft:

• X-15
• Beechcraft Baron 58 
• Cessna Sky Hawk 
• McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender
• Boeing 747-800, 747-400, 747-100
• Boeing 737-80
• Stinson L-5, L-5G, L-5G Uurated Sentinel 
• ASK-21 glider 
• Boeing B-52G Stratofortress
• Skorsky S-76C  helicopter
• Beechcraft King Air C90B
• Lockheed SR-71
• Blackbird F-4 Phantom II
• Space Shuttle Orbiter
• Beechcraft Baron 58
• Cirrus Vision SF50
• Beechcraft King Air C90B
• Cessna 172SP
• McDonnell Douglas MD-82

You can buy/download more aircraft from X-Plane Org.


Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X

This version can be use for PC or PS3 via USB.  Features:

• Wide hand-rest for optimal comfort
• Programmable:  The 12 buttons and 5 axles are entirely programmable
• Dual-system aerodynamic control, by rotating handle (with integrated blocking system) or by progressive tilting lever
• Internal memory, to save all of your programming, even with the joystick disconnected
• High-precision joystick with adjustable resistance
• Programmable:  12 buttons and 5 axles are entirely programmable
• Detachable, real-size, ergonomically-designed throttle control
• Exclusive "MAPPING" button:  All functions may be instantly switched around between each other
• High-precision joystick with adjustable resistance
• Exclusive "PRESET" button to switch, while playing, instantly from one program to another
• Plug & Play for ultra-simple and fast installation with all functions pre-configured for immediate takeoff (without worrying about configuration)
• Trigger for brakes (civil flight) or for rapid fire (military flight)
• Multi-directional Hotas button to change views (panoramic view)
• Weighted base for greater stability

This is my setup

This pic was taken while going to "Flight School" sims included in X-Plane.  Note I have Thrustmaster 'detached' for easier use.


The things I learned while using X-Plane:

• This is a simulation, which means if you fly from San Diego International (aka Lindbergh Field) to Las Vegas and your route takes 2hrs, you spend 2hrs at the sim.
• To fly, you need a Flight Plan.  X-Plane comes with just one default Flight Plan.  You have to go to various WEB sites to get a flight plan:  Online Flight Planner , SkyVector (professional flight planer not for sims, but easy to get basic info, including airport charts and info), SimBrief (this is for sims, use it to actually produce a Flight Plan file for X-Plane)
• Flying ain't easy.  Really.  Especially landings.

So far, I've spent 3 consecutive days on X-Plane (Fri-Sun).  Now it's time to give it a rest.


FINALLY!

I made/published a Flight Plan via SimBrief from KSAN (San Diego International aka Lindbergh) to KSDM (Brown Field Municipal Airport) with routing.

I actually made it!  The full flight in a BeechCraft Baron 58 (twin prop).  OK, very sloppy landing but I didn't crash.  It only took me several weeks (only 'flying' weekends), with much frustration.

I also created the reverse Flight Plan, KSDM TO KSAN (same routing).

My next challenge is to figure out how to use the Baron's autopilot.


Found an outstanding site for Sim training videos:  WEH Videos
Provided many of the answers I had about Sim flying.

Today 8/20/2017, I completed a Flight Plan "Montgomery Field" to "Palm Springs International Airport" and landed without crashing.  Although I missed the designated runway.

PC GAMING - Tomb Raider 2013

Now that my PC Desktop rig is powerful enough I installed "Tomb Raider 2013" (Steam) and WOW what a game.

This is the first time I've seen a console game that was very well ported to PC.  With really usable PC controls.

The graphics are outstanding, the story line very consistent, and the 'puzzles' neat.

"Tomb Raider" is addictive.  Hail Lara Croft, ultimate survivor.

Down side, check-point saves and saves at campfires.

PC GAMING - Far Cry 4

As my followers may know I am a big-time PC game player.  My latest game is Far Cry 4.

I also have Far Cry 2 & 3 and Far Cry 4 is the hardest because of one mission; "Death from Above" (needed to open Act Two) given by CIA agent Willis.

That is because you have to use a "Wingsuit" like those you see in many dare-devil videos.  The ones with 'wings' between your sides and arms, and between your legs, so you can glide down.  What makes this quest so hard is (near quest end) you have to glide through canyons and thread-the-needle at the end of a very narrow canyon.

I would likely be easier on a game console.

In the video below this canyon-glide starts at the 3:14 mark.

WINDOWS 10 - Violates Privacy

"Windows 10 violates your privacy by default, here's how you can protect yourself" by Conner Forrest, TechRepublic 8/4/2015

Excerpt

Upon installation, Windows 10 defaults to some pretty serious privacy invasions.  Here are some steps you can take to keep your personal data private.

Since the July 29 release of Windows 10, the tech world has been talking about the latest OS update from Microsoft.  A mere 24 hours after its release, more than 14 million users had downloaded Windows 10.

The quick ramp up was due, in part, to Microsoft releasing the update as a free download for existing Windows users.  Windows 10 also came with a new service model as Windows will be releasing service packs every few months to users.

The model itself got some backlash, especially from organizations that don't want to upgrade their system that frequently.  More recently, though, some criticism has arisen over privacy concerns brought on by the new OS.

The first issue is that Windows 10 automatically assigns an advertising ID to each user on a device tied to the email address that's on file.  Using that ID, the company can tailor ads for web-browsing and using certain applications.

The next concern is that much of users' personal data is synced with Microsoft's servers.  Some of this information, like your WiFi password, can then be encrypted and shared with your contacts, using a feature called WiFi sense.  Although, some have argued that this isn't a security risk, because the user must choose to share the network.

Additionally, Microsoft's personal assistant, Cortana, must collect data as well to provide the kind of service it does, but it is likely not better or worse than its Apple and Google contemporaries.

One of the biggest worries, though, is Microsoft's policy on disclosing or sharing your personal information.  The following is an excerpt from the privacy policy:

"We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to protect our customers or enforce the terms governing the use of the services."

The problem is that many users want personalized services, but it's difficult to draw the line at what data should be collected.  Forrester's Tyler Shields said that instead of making these features default, Microsoft could have allowed users to opt-in later if they wanted to enable them.

"This is more of a privacy-friendly stance that may have been palatable to the general public," Shields said.  "However, Microsoft would have had less adoption to its value added services had it made them opt-in, thus lessening the potential success of the Windows 10 launch."

So, how do you protect yourself from these issues?  Here are some steps you can take to opt-on or disable some of the problematic features.

The first thing to note is that, if you haven't yet installed Windows 10 but you plan on doing so, make sure you that you do a custom install so you'll be able to pick and choose what is enabled at the onset.  But, if you installed Windows 10 using Express settings, you can still disable some of the default privacy settings.

From the start button, click "Settings" and then click "Privacy" and click the "General" tab on the left sidebar.  Under that tab you'll see a few sliders where you can toggle certain features on or off.

The top toggle button is the most important as it disables the advertising ID for each user.  But, if you want to cover your bases, you should go ahead disable the rest of the options as well.

NOTE:  Full article has screenshots of settings that need change.

EMAIL CLIENT - Pegasus on Windows 7

Well, I finally found an eMail Client that works with Windows 7 64bit AND does everything I wanted.

Pegasus Mail

It has all the options that I had with Agent on my Windows XP system.  Agent failed to work on  my Windows 7 64bit due to a MAPI problem.

Here's my Pegasus window:

It has a nice, though hard to use, filtering system.  And setup was very good but not intuitive.

The options are extensive, but again something seems missing, like:

• Notification Options, like turning off delete confirmations
• Setting compose-email editor options, like setting default font and size

So far, I like it very much.

WINDOWS 7 - Classic Shell

Just found something that is outstanding for my Windows 7 Pro 64bit rig.

Classic Shell for Windows 7 & 8

Here are screenshots of just two examples:

This shows the style I'm using for the [Start] menu.

This is the file Explorer classic style.

There are more styles for other Windows UIs.

Why do I like this utility?  See my [Start] menu:

WINDOWS - WinXP vs Win7

As I said in my previous post, I was forced to go to Windows 7.

I have found that Microdunce has 'broken' features in Win7:

[Send to]:  This is the first broken feature I ran into.  In WinXP you can put any shortcut in your [SendTo] folder and it will work when using the Context Menu [Send to] option.  NOT in Win7, you cannot use normal shortcuts in your [SendTo] folder.

POINTERS:  In WinXP you can set custom pointers sourced from anywhere, any CUR file.  In Win7 ALL pointers must be in C:\Windows\Cursors.  This means you have to copy cursors/pointers from your other sources to that folder for any Pointer Customization to hold on next boot, ALSO you should save a the DEFAULT cursor theme.

SOUNDS:  In Win7 there is no "Start Windows" sound listed.  "Exit Windows" is listed.  Luckily I found a utility to change the "Start Windows" sound.  Now tell me, what is the logic of NOT having "Start Windows" listed?


I consider features 'broken' if any change makes it HARDER to use Windows.

I will add more 'broken features' here as I find them.

UTILITIES - A Better System Information for Windows

I've posted about this utility a long while back but they just came out with a 2014 version.  In my opinion this utility is worth the price.

SIW or System Information for Windows

SIW is an advanced System Information for Windows tool that analyzes your computer and gathers detailed information about system properties and settings and displays it in an extremely comprehensible manner.

SIW can create a report file (CSV, HTML, TXT or XML), and you can run it in batch mode (for PC Inventory - Software and Hardware Inventory, Asset Inventory, Software License Management, Security Audit, Server Configuration Management).

The System Information is divided into few major categories:

• Software Information:  Operating System, Software Licenses (Product Keys / Serial Numbers / CD Key), Installed Software and Hotfixes, Processes, Services, Users, Open Files, System Uptime, Installed Codecs, Passwords Recovery, Server Configuration.

• Hardware Information:  Motherboard, CPU, Sensors, BIOS, chipset, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP Devices, Memory, Video Card, Monitor, Disk Drives, CD/DVD Devices, SCSI Devices, S.M.A.R.T., Ports, Printers.

• Network Information:  Network Cards, Network Shares, currently active Network Connections, Open Ports.

• Network Tools:  MAC Address Changer, Neighborhood Scan, Ping, Trace, Statistics, Broadband Speed Test

• Miscellaneous Tools:  Eureka! (Reveal lost passwords hidden behind asterisks), Monitor Test, Shutdown / Restart.

• Real-time monitors:  CPU, Memory, Page File usage and Network Traffic.

SIW (Technician's Version) is a standalone utility that does not require installation (Portable) - one less installed program on your PC as well the fact that you can run the program directly from an USB flash drive, from a network drive or from a domain login script.

Client Platform:  Windows 8.1 / Windows 8 / Windows 7 / Vista / Windows XP / 2000 / Media Center / Tablet PC / WinRE / BartPE / Winternals ERD Commander

Server Platform:  Windows 2012 (R2) / Windows SBS 2011 / Windows Server 2008 (R2) / Windows Server 2003 (R2) / Windows Server 2000

NOTE:  This is not freeware.

Screenshot of my home desktop rig (click for larger view)

I have the Technician's version, yearly subscription.

You only get SIW.exe which is the entire utility (NOT an installer).  When you first launch it you get a dialog to enter your registered name and license key, it then generates a siw.key file which must be in the same directory as SIW.exe for it to run.  This means you just copy both files to a USB stick and you can run it from there.  Of course, to run it on your system you create a folder and move the files there then create a shortcut (I used the System Tools category) to run it.

OPERATOR SYSTEMS - ReactOS Alternative to Microsoft Windows

ReactOS alternative to Microsoft Windows

ReactOS® is a free open source operating system based on the best design principles found in the Windows NT® architecture (Windows versions such as Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 are built on Windows NT architecture).  Written completely from scratch, ReactOS is not a Linux based system, and shares none of the UNIX architecture.

The main goal of the ReactOS® project is to provide an operating system which is binary compatible with Windows.  This will allow your Windows® applications and drivers to run as they would on your Windows system.  Additionally, the look and feel of the Windows operating system is used, such that people accustomed to the familiar user interface of Windows® would find using ReactOS straightforward.  The ultimate goal of ReactOS® is to allow you to use it as alternative to Windows® without the need to change software you are used to.

ReactOS 0.3.15 is still in alpha stage, meaning it is not feature-complete and is recommended only for evaluation and testing purposes.

As the quote above, this is under development but sounds good considering it is FREE and the developers MAY be more responsive to users than Microsoft.  Also may be more stable in the long run, not having new versions every few years.

Here is a link to their "Missing ReactOS Functionality" page.

My desktop system is WinXP SP3.  I do not like any of the newer versions of Windows which I consider glitzy resource hogs.

We should keep an eye out on progress of ReactOS.  I may give it a try AFTER I can be sure in will install OVER my WinXP and all applications (especially my antivirus) and games will work.

ReactOS Wikipedia

HARDWARE - ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 Audio PCI Card

My WinXP desktop system's audio card was a bit 'long in the tooth.'  So I thought I'd search for a new one via Google.

I found something I did not expect, the ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 Audio PCI Card. (I bought via Amazon)

Why?  See below:

(click for larger view)

The Smart Volume Normalization (SVN) is something I've been waiting for ever since I discovered a way to have my iTunes/iPod do the same thing.  That is, play my iPod music without having to adjust between loud and low songs (set volume and forget).

For iTunes/iPod all I had to do is make sure to enable Sound-Check on both, and run a utility called iVolume.  iVolume fine-tunes the Sound-Check value by scanning each song and setting it to the master volume level you set in iVolume.  Which is what SVN does in the Xonar.

Here's the card:

(click for larger view)

Here's the Audio Center:

(click for larger view)

Note that I have SVN enabled (turquoise highlighted button) and the level bar-indicator is titled [Smart Volume].

The [ ^ ] opens the full menu list.

SVN works!  I set the master volume knob and everything plays at that volume.  No more having to adjust for differences between inputs (games, music, WEB, etc).

Xonar DS also includes Flex Bass which can be enabled for those who do not have a powered subwoffer speaker system.

CAUTION:  If you have a game that does NOT automatically detect a new audio card and run a configuration utility, you may have to start a new-game.  This is the case with Skyrim.

WARNING:  Using the GX (Gamers) DSP Mode can cause some games to crash.
Examples:  Oblivion, Skyrim, Inquisitor RPG

GAMING BUSINESS - From Valve Co-Founder

"Watch Gabe Newell Talk For An Hour About Making Video Games" by Kirk Hamilton, Kotaku 1/31/2013

Earlier this week, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell gave a talk at University of Texas at Austin about the business and art of making video games.  Today, the school has posted a full video of one of the talks.

Sit back, relax, and watch one of gaming's visionaries talk about how he does what he does, and how his company operates.

(1:02:53)

COMMENT:  When Steam first 'hit the streets' back when Half-Life came out, I and many others, ranted about it.  That was because you actually had to be online to run a Steam game EVEN FOR SINGLE-PLAYER games.

Finally, Valve/Steam listened to what users were saying and Steam now has an Off-Line Mode.  So we can play Seam games WITHOUT being online.

DRIVERS - Things to That Can Happen When Upgrading

This is about what potential glitches can happen when upgrading drivers.

For reference, my desktop system:

• WinXP SP3
• Pentium 4 Hyper Threading 3 GHz CPU (near Du Core performance)
• nVidia GeForce 7900 GS 512mb RAM
• 2 Gig RAM

I have 3 specific examples of what can happen with driver upgrades, these are games:

1. One of my favorite game series is "Thief" which is a stealth RPG.
   
   I loaded this series on an older system and had no problems. But when I upgraded my motherboard to what I have now (with P4 HT) the game had occasional crashes. Suspect the faster CPU speed was the problem.
   
   When I upgrade my nVidia drivers to the 300+ the game had constant crashes.
   
   
2. Next is the original Splinter Cell series (first 3 games).
   
   On my present system, with nVidia with drivers 200+, there was only a minor rendering problem. The second game had a scene where spotlights are sweeping the area. Originally you could actually see the spotlight beams, but with the nVidia 200+ drivers you could NOT see the beams.
   
   After upgrading to nVidia 300+ drivers, very frequent crashes.
   
   
3. Then there is the original Far Cry (aka Far Cry 1).
   
   Had no problems with the game until I upgraded to nVidia 300+ drivers. In scenes with outdoor views there were areas that were transparent. You see the sky where land should be.
   
   

Because of these issues I had to uninstall these games (sigh).

The problem in all these examples is the interface of the game engines with hardware and video drivers. Most of the problems were reported by other gamers. Also, I did try various tweaks to try to fix.

My research into tweaks for Far Cry 1 made me aware of something. The tweak guide and detailed listing of configuration entries that could be manually edited. BUT when I used nVidia Inspector to look at the calls for my card, many of the calls listed in the tweak guide were NOT there.

NOTE: nVidia Inspector latest version is 1.9.6.8. Use Google to find download, I use the Major Geeks site. Also the ZIP file is the entire utility, you make a folder and put all the files there then create a shortcut to run the EXE.

This tells me that nVidia drivers MAY not be fully backwards compatible. Newer drivers may not have older function calls.

This means that game engines that have hard-coded calls to specific functions MAY not work with newer video drivers.

Note that my system has no problems with 'newer' games like Skyrim or Far Cry 2.

This is just a reminder that upgrading drivers is not always smooth.

WINDOWS - Microsoft's Shift Towards Tablets

"With Windows 8, Microsoft Makes Big Shift Away From PCs Towards Tablets" PBS Newshour 10/26/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: Microsoft has revealed its biggest makeover so far to the operating system found on nine out of every 10 computers in the world. Ray Suarez talks to Forrester Research's Charles Golvin about how Microsoft's decision to focus on tablet-style computers will impact consumers and the greater tech industry.

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour): For more than two decades, Microsoft has been a dominant force in the worlds of business and technology. But its position has been challenged and, in some ways, surpassed by Apple, Google and others in recent years. Some question its ability to innovate.

Now Microsoft is facing a pivotal moment and a crucial test, as Ray Suarez reports.

WINDOWS - A Better Start Menu

This post is about my suggestion on a way for users to have a better Start Menu in Windows.

To summarize, instead of having all applications listed under [Programs] in the Start Menu (WinXP), have categories of applications. Here's my Start Menu:

As you can see, I have expanded to my [Games], [Adventure & RPG] category.

How did I do this? Edit the Start Menu folder:

In my opinion, this type of Start Menu is much simpler to navigate that dumping everything under [Programs].

Also, the shortcuts in this scheme are only those needed to run the app, or those related and used regularly. (how may times are you actually going to use the "Uninstall" shortcut, so why have it?)

Also, after installing applications and coping the needed shortcuts to my scheme, I move its [Programs] entry to a [Smenu] folder I create in the home-folder of the app so I do not loose what the install created.

You can do this in Windows 7 where Start Menu folder paths are:

• Win7 User Start Menu:
  C:\Users\profile-name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\
• Win7 All Users Start Menu:
  C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\ (normally this is a hidden folder)

Give it a try.

WINDOWS - Backups Revisited

I am re-posting this subject because of several queries via Usenet.


Having a good backup utility is the absolutely best way for restoring your system. And by "good" I mean an image backup utility, NOT a file backup.

An image backup utility takes a "snap shot" of sectors on your hard drive (not just files) which means you have your boot sector and everything else. The most efficient will image only used sectors, not the entire drive (used and blank).

I use "O&O DiskImage Pro" (compatible with all versions of Windows)

It has saved my WinXP SP3 desktop 2 times in the years I've use it.

I also use it to load a new hard drive (I needed a bigger one), connected the new drive (IDE HD0) jumpered just like the old one, booted to the DiskImage CD, recovered my backup to the new blank drive (DiskImage asked if I wanted it bootable, yes of course) booted to the drive with absolutely no problems. Already had a partition tool (link follows, Windows Disk Management cannot do this without loosing data) installed and use it to expand the used space to include the entire (now bigger) drive.

EaseUS Partition Master Professional Edition

Purchase of "O&O DiskImage Pro" includes a Boot ISO image you can write to a CD/DVD. Boot to the CD and it runs the ENTIRE DiskImage utility (Backup AND Recovery). I use this method to create backups to an external USB hard drive.

The Windows installed DiskImage (and you must install in on your system) allows you to mount your image backups as another drive, thereby you can recover individual files.

"O&O DiskImage Pro" is worth every dime ($30 for 1 copy, $50 for 3), from a very satisfied user not affiliated with O&O.

CAUTION: You should NEVER create backups WITHOUT running a virus scan FIRST!

WINXP - Corrupted Icon-Cache UPDATED

At work there was a WinXP Pro SP3 system that had the wrong icon for C:

After much hair-pulling I found the cause was the user had placed Setup.exe AND an Autorun.inf file in the root. This caused the C: icon to change to the icon for Setup. Deleting both files from the root was the main fix, but had to also fix the Icon-Cache file.

Also, the Icon cache can be corrupted by other causes that the one above.

IMPORTANT: The Icon-Cache is NOT actually needed! My home and work WinXP desktops to not have one and they work just fine.

Here's how to get rid of the need for the Icon-Cache:

You disable the offline file replication in Windows XP

Open My Computer, select [Tools], [Folder Options], [Offline Files] tab, then UNCHECK the Enable Offline Files check box.

(click for better view)



Here's how to rebuild your Icon-Cache if you have wrong desktop/Favorites icons:

Rebuild the Icon-Cache file by deleting it

1. Delete the hidden file Iconcache.db

WinXP each user has their own file
C:\Documents and Settings\User-Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Iconcache.db

Win7 and Vista, see
%userprofile%\AppData\Local


2. IMPORTANT - Close down all explorer.exe processes using the Task Manager
(Or else it will create a faulty file during logoff/restart)


3. Use the Task Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC) to launch the explorer.exe again
(Or press CTRL+ALT+DEL to perform a restart/logoff)


4. When the Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) starts again, it will recreate a correct Icon-Cache file

Also note that Icon Phile, mentioned in previous article, will work for changing individual Desktop Icons. It also includes a tool to rebuild the Icon-Cache.

UTILITY - MozBakcup

MozBackup (Mozilla Backup) is a utility to backup profile files for Firefox browser or Thunderbird eMail client.

(click for better view)


Tested at work to import Thunderbird from a WinXP desktop to Win7 desktop, which I had to use because Easy Transfer did NOT import the Thunderbird profile.

IMPORTANT: The reason Win7's Easy Transfer did NOT import the Thunderbird was because I did the transfer when logged on as Administrator. Turns out that Thunderbird restricts access to the user account, even by the Administrator.

This restriction ALSO applies to MozBackup, you must be logged on to the user account for it to work.

MozBackup exported/imported Thunderbird eMails, settings, Thunderbird saved passwords, etc., without a hitch.

Those doing a WinXP to Win7 migration should try MozBackup.

Note that restricted access to a folder like Thunderbird uses is similar to what the better Antivirus Utilities do to protect the utilities' home folder.

WIN8 - "Borrowing" From Linux?

"Eight features Windows 8 borrowed from Linux" by Sandro Villinger, IT World 2/9/2012

Linux got there first, but does Windows do it better?

"Good artists borrow, great artists steal!" -- Pablo Picasso said it. So did T.S. Eliot. And, more recently, Steve Jobs. Let's face it: If something makes sense and succeeds, it gets imitated.

Though Windows 8 and Linux distributions differ greatly from each other in design, ideology and -- last but not least -- their primary audience, they're all built on the same basic principles of OS design so there's bound to be some overlap. And while Microsoft has long been accused of stealing from the open source community, according to some Linux fans, it's getting to the point where Microsoft simply appropriates good Linux features.

I've been following the Windows 8 development very closely and noticed some hefty backlash on some of the features of Windows 8. This was especially true in some Linux/Windows forums and the Building 8 blog, where Sinofsky and friends write extensively about the new upcoming Windows iteration.

All this fingerpointing made me curious about where some of the best new-to-Windows features in Windows 8 really came from and how Microsoft put its own spin on them (or not).

1. File copy dialogue
   
   In an effort to create more transparency, Microsoft implemented an improved copy, move, rename and delete dialog that doesn't just show the progress of each operation, but also a throughput graph and the ability to actually pause individual copy operations.
   
   Oh, did that cause a firestorm in the open source community! Pretty much the same dialogue has been part of Linux's Dolphin and Nautilus file managers -- the file transfer dialogue also lets users pause operations and view multiple copy jobs in one window. We've even got the gimmicky bandwidth graph that appears once the user hits "More details".
   
   The Microsoft twist: When there's a problem with a file operation, Windows 8 doesn't just stop the entire process but keeps these problems in the error queue. However, it's quite obvious that Microsoft took a good, hard look at the open source world here.
   
   What neither Linux nor Windows 8 have is a queue feature. Of course, you could manually pause and resume individual copy operations, but that's not helping you on a massive copy job. Users of both Windows (see the comments on this post) and Linux have been waiting for this for quite a while.


2. ISO mounting
   
   In Windows 8, Microsoft finally introduces mount ISO files. Once mounted, a new drive letter appears in Windows Explorer that represents the virtual CD/DVD ROM. And while it's a nice addition that lets users finally get rid of annoying third-party tools such as Daemon Tools, Power ISO or Virtual CloneDrive, both Linux and Mac have had this ability for quite a while.
   
   The Microsoft twist: No Linux distro does ISO mounting as easily as Windows 8, as it requires some command line trickery (or, again, third-party tools). Thanks to all commenters for chipping in: Of course, easy ISO mounting is part of various Linux distributions – both via the GUI and command line.


3. Windows To Go
   
   Windows To Go allows (enterprise) users to create a bootable Windows 8 environment on a USB 2.0/3.0 flash drive. It even supports unplugging the drive, which causes the OS to freeze momentarily until you plug the Windows To Go stick back in. Awesome.
   
   The Microsoft twist: Obviously, such "live environments" have been around for quite a while in the Linux world, but their performance was never quite up to par with a natively running OS. Since Microsoft optimized their NTFS file system for such a scenario, Windows 8 runs fluently even on USB 2.0. Upon testing Windows To Go, I found that both boot and overall speed were far superior to any Linux live distribution I have ever tested.


4. The Metro UI
   
   The basic idea for the Metro UI appeared in Media Center and Zune hardware more than 5 years ago. When you use the Metro UI for the first time, you'll see that it's a very unique way of working with a device. But Microsoft didn't pioneer the idea.
   
   Various Linux distros, such as Ubuntu, and the GNOME desktop environment, have tried to overhaul the user interface to fit the "one UI to rule them all" approach before Microsoft did. There's no denying that updates to the UI of Linux, especially Ubuntu, were made specifically with tablets in mind. But even the most ardent Linux users admit that touch support could by no means be called anything other than half-baked.
   
   The Microsoft twist: Microsoft is taking a very risky step in making the new Metro UI the default view of the new OS, but it's also much more comfortable to use either with touch or a pen.


5. Social integration
   
   Linux distributions -- notably Ubuntu -- have, for a long time now, included social media integration by default. The "Me" menu, which first appeared in early alpha versions of Ubuntu 10.04, allows you to update your status to all your accounts and get important feeds directly to your desktop. And when Microsoft finally added its Tweet@Rama, Photo Picker and Socialite app to the developer preview, loyal Linux users again pointed out that this has been done before.
   
   The Microsoft twist: No twist here. Microsoft was simply late to catch on to the trend.


6. Native support for USB 3.0
   
   In their very first blog post, the Building 8 folks explained their new native USB 3.0 stack and, of course, that news was greeted with comments of the "Linux has been doing that for three years" variety.
   
   The Microsoft twist: Move along. Nothing to see here. USB 3.0 devices work pretty well with Windows 7 already since hardware manufacturers provide their own drivers. Microsoft just finally implemented an industry standard.


7. Cloud integration
   
   Both Windows 8 and Linux sport features that let you sync data with the cloud. In Ubuntu 11, the Ubuntu One service offers a free online backup service with 5 GB. If you want more storage space, there's always the option of purchasing an additional 20 GB for $2.99 a month.
   
   The Microsoft twist: Windows 8 is going to tightly integrate with SkyDrive's 25 GB online storage, which is not just for photos or music, but also allows for hosting your user account (personal settings, backgrounds, some data...) for you to log in from anywhere.
   
   Ubuntu, however, counters with their new Music Streaming service.


8. ReFS
   
   The newly introduced ReFS (Resilient File System, codenamed Protogon) is Microsoft's next-generation file system. It will first debut in Windows Server 8, but client adoption is well underway.
   
   The system itself is strikingly similar to ZFS (the Z File System) and the Linux-derived Btrfs (B-tree file system) as it also supports copy-on-write snapshots when coupled with Microsoft Storage Spaces. For further security, it also provides integrity checksums and B+ Trees. Also, the increased file/volume/directory sizes are also strikingly similar to Btrfs.
   
   The Microsoft twist: Let's just say that Microsoft didn't do anything from scratch. While I did not dive deep into the file system drivers, I suspect that Microsoft looked very hard at some of the principles that worked years ago in both ZFS and then Btrfs and got the "inspiration" to develop something very similar.

Stealing or innovating?

While I won't deny that Microsoft has "borrowed" many ideas from the open source world, overall they're trying to find their own game in Windows 8.