Reference http://whitemacbook.blogspot.com/2012/08/imac-repaired.html.
So, not long after I got a replacement drive installed in my iMac, Apple sent me an e-mail stating there was a recall on the drives of certain iMacs. WTF. They replaced the drive then want to replace it again??? It means I'll have to pack up and haul the damned thing back to the Apple store again. That was a pain in the ass last time and it'll be a pain in the ass again. The iMac is working fine now, but eventually I will have to commit to participating in the recall. :(
I'll have to research on how to restore using Time Machine, since I lost my backups after the last repair (the damned thing wiped out my backups to backup a fresh hard drive!).
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
White iPad Mini
I'm the new owner of a white iPad Mini. It is the wifi-only version and is 64GB in capacity.
This replaces my 32GB 1G iPad (full-sized). That unit is now my son's (on loan...if he misbehaves, I will take it back and sell it).
I'll be reviewing the Mini when time permits.
I still use the following, as well:
This replaces my 32GB 1G iPad (full-sized). That unit is now my son's (on loan...if he misbehaves, I will take it back and sell it).
I'll be reviewing the Mini when time permits.
I still use the following, as well:
- iPod Classic 30GB - car jukebox, since it has lots of space.
- iPhone 3GS 32GB - car jukebox, since it also has bluetooth.
- White Macbook Core Duo - I still use it ocassionally, although it has been replaced by my Alienware M17x R3.
- iMac 27" - I use this when I really need screen real estate...but the Alienware is faster and I use it more often than the iMac. I use it as an additional screen as well, specifically when playing BF3.
My daughters got iPad Mini (wifi-only, 16GB models, one white and one black), as well.
Then, my wife went a bit crazy. She initially bought the girls their Minis. I saw them and played with them, then decided I might want one. She ordered me one but the order didn't go through properly, so it was cancelled...it was also white when I wanted black. She ordered a black 32GB and then changed her mind and decided to get another that was 64GB, with plans on returning the 32GB model. Well, a few days before Christmas, she presented them to me both as early presents. I was to pick one of them. The only thing was, she couldn't find a black 64GB...they only had white. I was expecting a black one but not expecting her to get a 64GB version. I opted for the 64GB version, even though it was white. I also mentioned to her that the 32GB unit was actually marked as 16GB...they shipped her the wrong one. She pannicked, because the receipt stated she purchased a 32GB unit and she thought they'd reject her claim. She called them and it took awhile for them to process the RMA...in the meantime, they sent her the proper unit, so that when she returned them, it would be less of an issue. So she has two extra iPads (that need to be returned). I got a headache when trying to track all that! :)
Currently, I'm trying to back up my 1G iPad and iPod Classic. This is difficult, as the iPad is now backing up to iCloud and I've to determine how to generate a local backup without duplicating music/vids/books. As well, iPads and iPhones always want to back up from iTunes. That's a problem, because my iMac's hard drive had to be replaced by Apple and I lost all my data (and Time Machine backups). I think I did a write-up a few years ago on how to restore data from the iPhone back into iTunes...I just need to find it.
EDIT ---
So, I found the write-up: http://whitemacbook.blogspot.com/2008/05/itunes-issues.html
There's a problem, though. I've over 1500 tracks that need to be backed up. Senuti will only back up 1000 tracks, unless you purchase a license. I didn't want to have to fork over $20 for this, especially since I've only used this program twice in 4+ years. I'll look at other options listed in my write-up and purchase a Senuti license as a last resort. Another issue is that Windows will NOT sync my iPod Classic since it is running a Macintosh OS...I'd have to wipe the drive before I can use it in Windows, so I've no choice but to use my iMac (not a problem in itself, but that means I can't use SharePod, since it's a Windows-only app.
EDIT 2 ---
Oh shit...there are methods of doing this from the terminal!! I'm done...no need to purchase Senuti or any other program, if I'm reading the directions correctly...gonna give the following a shot:
**from http://guides.macrumors.com/Recovering_Songs_from_an_iPod**
===
EDIT 3 ---
Yep! Worked! Backing up the files and storing onto my backup drive. Will also transfer the files from this system to my Alienware, so I can put them on my Mini.
EDIT ---
So, I found the write-up: http://whitemacbook.blogspot.com/2008/05/itunes-issues.html
There's a problem, though. I've over 1500 tracks that need to be backed up. Senuti will only back up 1000 tracks, unless you purchase a license. I didn't want to have to fork over $20 for this, especially since I've only used this program twice in 4+ years. I'll look at other options listed in my write-up and purchase a Senuti license as a last resort. Another issue is that Windows will NOT sync my iPod Classic since it is running a Macintosh OS...I'd have to wipe the drive before I can use it in Windows, so I've no choice but to use my iMac (not a problem in itself, but that means I can't use SharePod, since it's a Windows-only app.
EDIT 2 ---
Oh shit...there are methods of doing this from the terminal!! I'm done...no need to purchase Senuti or any other program, if I'm reading the directions correctly...gonna give the following a shot:
**from http://guides.macrumors.com/Recovering_Songs_from_an_iPod**
===
The iPod songs are hidden away on your iPod in an invisible folder, ie one that the Finder won't display normally. It is possible to let the Finder display hidden files as outlined in this guide or with 3rd Party Software. Otherwise you can follow the below instructions.
All songs are stored in this location:
/Volumes/[YouriPodName]/iPod_Control/Music
In this folder are a number of folders usually labelled from F00 to F49 or higher. The songs are actually stored in these folders with obscure names that are usually not relevant to the song.
To copy these songs using the Terminal, follow these steps:
- Launch Terminal which is located at /Applications/Utilities/Terminal
- Type in (replacing [YouriPodName] with the name of your iPod)
cd /Volumes/[YouriPodName]/iPod_Control
- To copy the music to your Desktop, type in
rsync -r Music ~/Desktop
- Once the rsync command has completed, drag the Music folder on your Desktop onto the iTunes icon on the Dock or in Finder
- Wait while iTunes imports all the songs
Notes:
- This method does not recover your playlists, ratings or play count.
- If you use the standard copy command "cp", it will copy the special hidden flag and not allow you to see the folder in the Finder.
- This method does not work for the iPhone or iPod Touch, as they do not have "disk mode".
[edit]
===
I'll confirm if this works, but I'm already within the Music/ directory within the command-line interface.
EDIT 3 ---
Yep! Worked! Backing up the files and storing onto my backup drive. Will also transfer the files from this system to my Alienware, so I can put them on my Mini.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Verizon Mifi
I mentioned earlier that I've a few new toys. One of them is a Verizon Mifi. I got the 890L, which is the black top and red bottom device.
I went to get a new holster for my phone...mine had recently broken. While at the Verizon shop, the salesman looked at my account and offered me a plan refinement, which I took. The adjustment allowed me to purchase a Mifi...in fact, I cut off $50 when adjusting the plan (employee discount helped a ton there), then I used the $50 to get the Mifi. I also got a $50 rebate, so really, I got the Mifi for free.
It uses my current data allocation and I can use it when I go on vacation when there's no internet. I can tether my iPod to it, or my iPad. My wife can tie her Kindles to it. My daughter can tether her Nook to it. I've warned them to not stream videos and music when tethered to the Mifi, though...I don't want them using all my bandwidth. I can also use it for work when I'm traveling on business (or if I need to do some emergency work while on vacation). I can use it to access the internet using my iPad when I'm at autocross meets, too, which I actually welcome. I can tether up to 10 devices to it.
The Mifi is extremely easy to tether to. I gave it a test run while at work, tethering it to my iPad since I can't get a wifi connection from my cube. It worked quite well.
I also can use my existing Verizon phone's charge cable to charge it (basically, it can use any micro-usb charging cable). I've no idea how long of a charge it has and how long it can keep a charge with a tethered device connected to it (without the Mifi charging). We'll eventually find out, although I do NOT want to hit my bandwidth limit.
Another thing: I can update my data plan to 4GB if I have to, for only $20. I'm on the 2GB plan now, and my data usage trend is 1GB/month on the average, so if I find I'm toeing the limit, I'll get a notice on my phone, then if I have to, I'll either stop using the Mifi for that month or upgrade to the 4GB plan.
I'll keep you informed of my Mifi usage and the positives and negative.
I went to get a new holster for my phone...mine had recently broken. While at the Verizon shop, the salesman looked at my account and offered me a plan refinement, which I took. The adjustment allowed me to purchase a Mifi...in fact, I cut off $50 when adjusting the plan (employee discount helped a ton there), then I used the $50 to get the Mifi. I also got a $50 rebate, so really, I got the Mifi for free.
It uses my current data allocation and I can use it when I go on vacation when there's no internet. I can tether my iPod to it, or my iPad. My wife can tie her Kindles to it. My daughter can tether her Nook to it. I've warned them to not stream videos and music when tethered to the Mifi, though...I don't want them using all my bandwidth. I can also use it for work when I'm traveling on business (or if I need to do some emergency work while on vacation). I can use it to access the internet using my iPad when I'm at autocross meets, too, which I actually welcome. I can tether up to 10 devices to it.
The Mifi is extremely easy to tether to. I gave it a test run while at work, tethering it to my iPad since I can't get a wifi connection from my cube. It worked quite well.
I also can use my existing Verizon phone's charge cable to charge it (basically, it can use any micro-usb charging cable). I've no idea how long of a charge it has and how long it can keep a charge with a tethered device connected to it (without the Mifi charging). We'll eventually find out, although I do NOT want to hit my bandwidth limit.
Another thing: I can update my data plan to 4GB if I have to, for only $20. I'm on the 2GB plan now, and my data usage trend is 1GB/month on the average, so if I find I'm toeing the limit, I'll get a notice on my phone, then if I have to, I'll either stop using the Mifi for that month or upgrade to the 4GB plan.
I'll keep you informed of my Mifi usage and the positives and negative.
iMovie and GoPro
So, I got me a new toy (several, actually): a GoPro Hero 2 HD Motorsports Edition.
I've been getting some driving footage during my commutes to/from work, just to get a feel for how to use the GoPro. I got about a bit over an hour of footage and only wanted to collect up the footage of my car's exhaust (Subaru Impreza STI).
I tried to use VirtualDub on the Alienware, but VirtualDub doesn't like the .mp4 format that the GoPro utilizes. I tried to use VideoPad, but and it's conversion tool (converting it to .mpeg) but Windows Media Player doesn't like the conversion. So, I tried using the tools on my Macbook...bad move. For one, the Macbook seems to be seriously under-powered when it comes to video editing. My Macbook also doesn't come with iMovie (using Snow Leopard...the max OS X version it can utilize, which doesn't come with iMovie). What's funny is that the wife's Macbook DOES have iMovie, and is an actual C2D system, while my Macbook is just a Core Duo system, which came in the first generation Macbooks. So, next I tried my iMac. I found that it had iMovie (it is running Mountain Lion). It also did not bog in the least when it came to creating the montage I had in mind. It was much easier to use than VirtualDub, as the interface is decently intuitive.
It took awhile to get the video footage from the SD card of my GoPro to the iMac, though...the files were rather large (recorded in 1080p at 30fps), so I went to bed while the files were transferring. The next day, after work, I began to edit the files, which didn't take all that long. I took about 8.5 minutes worth of clips and consolidated them, putting in the transitions I wanted. I then finalized my project at 1080p/30fps, which took about 3 hours to do (went to bed while it was finalizing). The next day, I reviewed the final product and it was very nice.
I uploaded it to YouTube. It is here. While it is not raw, there is no music (I wanted to capture the that boxer rumble), as well as no annotations or text comments. There's no title either. I'll experiment with all of this sometime soon.
I'll be messing with iMovie a lot more when I get more footage, as I plan to use the GoPro when I have autocross meets and when I ride the motorcycle. Maybe I'll play with VirtualDub and VideoPad a bit more, but I'm thinking iMovie is the best of the three tools...I do want to try to use the Alienware to edit videos, though, especially when/if I'm not home. The laptop is my strongest system, so it may just outperform the iMac when using iMovie.
Now, let me tell you about this particular GoPro.
It is NICE! I bought some accessories with it: 16GB SD card, as well as 2 extra batteries and a wall charger. The Motorsports Edition comes with a bunch of accessories as well. It comes with a suction cup mount, which has several bendable joints, including where the camera attaches to it. It comes with several more permanent mount points (straight and curved) that you can stick to almost anything. It comes with a back plate that allows sound into the protective case (the standard back plate makes the case water-proof, though). There's a charging cable that I can use to connect to a computer to download the pictures from the camera, instead of removing the SD card. That same cable will also charge the battery within 4 hours (provided the camera isn't currently being used).
The camera can take pictures, can be adjusted to take, for example, a picture every second or every 5 seconds (for time lapse vids)...up to a picture every 60 seconds. It has various HD video configurations or can take VGA video. It can do up to 60fps with certain HD video settings. I believe it can take up to 11 megapixel pictures. The max size of SD card allowed is 16GB. I can take up to 4 hours of video footage, depending on how I'm using the camera.
The suction cup mount can be used on my motorcycle's fuel tank (that's about the only place it can go, since I've no fairings, although I could mount it on the tail of the bike, if need be). The tank might be the best mount place, since I've seen much bike video footage that has a LOT of wind noise. I can purchase several mounting accessories for motorcyling, too (helmet mount or chest-mount straps).
About the only thing I'm worried about is if the suction cup fails if I decide to mount the camera outside the car. I'm thinking of fashioning a tether, but I don't want a huge dent in my car's aluminum, either. I'm gonna have to think this through.
I really can't wait to test this thing out some more, but I'm going to have to wait about a month before I can do autocross footage.
I've been getting some driving footage during my commutes to/from work, just to get a feel for how to use the GoPro. I got about a bit over an hour of footage and only wanted to collect up the footage of my car's exhaust (Subaru Impreza STI).
I tried to use VirtualDub on the Alienware, but VirtualDub doesn't like the .mp4 format that the GoPro utilizes. I tried to use VideoPad, but and it's conversion tool (converting it to .mpeg) but Windows Media Player doesn't like the conversion. So, I tried using the tools on my Macbook...bad move. For one, the Macbook seems to be seriously under-powered when it comes to video editing. My Macbook also doesn't come with iMovie (using Snow Leopard...the max OS X version it can utilize, which doesn't come with iMovie). What's funny is that the wife's Macbook DOES have iMovie, and is an actual C2D system, while my Macbook is just a Core Duo system, which came in the first generation Macbooks. So, next I tried my iMac. I found that it had iMovie (it is running Mountain Lion). It also did not bog in the least when it came to creating the montage I had in mind. It was much easier to use than VirtualDub, as the interface is decently intuitive.
It took awhile to get the video footage from the SD card of my GoPro to the iMac, though...the files were rather large (recorded in 1080p at 30fps), so I went to bed while the files were transferring. The next day, after work, I began to edit the files, which didn't take all that long. I took about 8.5 minutes worth of clips and consolidated them, putting in the transitions I wanted. I then finalized my project at 1080p/30fps, which took about 3 hours to do (went to bed while it was finalizing). The next day, I reviewed the final product and it was very nice.
I uploaded it to YouTube. It is here. While it is not raw, there is no music (I wanted to capture the that boxer rumble), as well as no annotations or text comments. There's no title either. I'll experiment with all of this sometime soon.
I'll be messing with iMovie a lot more when I get more footage, as I plan to use the GoPro when I have autocross meets and when I ride the motorcycle. Maybe I'll play with VirtualDub and VideoPad a bit more, but I'm thinking iMovie is the best of the three tools...I do want to try to use the Alienware to edit videos, though, especially when/if I'm not home. The laptop is my strongest system, so it may just outperform the iMac when using iMovie.
Now, let me tell you about this particular GoPro.
It is NICE! I bought some accessories with it: 16GB SD card, as well as 2 extra batteries and a wall charger. The Motorsports Edition comes with a bunch of accessories as well. It comes with a suction cup mount, which has several bendable joints, including where the camera attaches to it. It comes with several more permanent mount points (straight and curved) that you can stick to almost anything. It comes with a back plate that allows sound into the protective case (the standard back plate makes the case water-proof, though). There's a charging cable that I can use to connect to a computer to download the pictures from the camera, instead of removing the SD card. That same cable will also charge the battery within 4 hours (provided the camera isn't currently being used).
The camera can take pictures, can be adjusted to take, for example, a picture every second or every 5 seconds (for time lapse vids)...up to a picture every 60 seconds. It has various HD video configurations or can take VGA video. It can do up to 60fps with certain HD video settings. I believe it can take up to 11 megapixel pictures. The max size of SD card allowed is 16GB. I can take up to 4 hours of video footage, depending on how I'm using the camera.
The suction cup mount can be used on my motorcycle's fuel tank (that's about the only place it can go, since I've no fairings, although I could mount it on the tail of the bike, if need be). The tank might be the best mount place, since I've seen much bike video footage that has a LOT of wind noise. I can purchase several mounting accessories for motorcyling, too (helmet mount or chest-mount straps).
About the only thing I'm worried about is if the suction cup fails if I decide to mount the camera outside the car. I'm thinking of fashioning a tether, but I don't want a huge dent in my car's aluminum, either. I'm gonna have to think this through.
I really can't wait to test this thing out some more, but I'm going to have to wait about a month before I can do autocross footage.
Monday, August 06, 2012
iMac Repaired
I got my iMac back last Thursday, but was unable to do anything more than pick it up from the Apple Store, since I had to immediately go on bereavement leave. I got back home today and I've just now finished installing Mountain Lion. It is NICE!
Yes, my hard disk had to be replaced, but I've verified that S.M.A.R.T. isn't showing errors. I'm now installing patches and will go through Time Machine to determine what I wanted restored to the drive...this'll be a week-long process.
So, stay tuned for whining and praises of Mountain Lion!
Yes, my hard disk had to be replaced, but I've verified that S.M.A.R.T. isn't showing errors. I'm now installing patches and will go through Time Machine to determine what I wanted restored to the drive...this'll be a week-long process.
So, stay tuned for whining and praises of Mountain Lion!
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
iMac showing SMART failure
Wow...this is the second time in a row where I'm having drive issues with my Mac. The firs time, it was my Macbook, where the drive outright failed. This time, it is my iMac.
I purchased Mountain Lion two days ago. I began to download it last night to install on my iMac and during the install process, I was asked to select where to install ML, so I selected the main drive. A pop-up appeared stating there were errors on the drive and that failure was imminent. It would not let me install.
So, I've made an appointment to the local (if you want to call it that) Genius Bar, for tomorrow morning. I've to pack up the 27" iMac and tote it to the Genius Bar. That's going to be a bit of a PITA. Then I'm probably going to be told that they'll have my iMac for a week or so...let's not hope I have to go through the same situation as my last visit.
Now, this problem is rampant on the Apple.com forums, as well as MacRumors.com. Many people were blaming Lion, but some people were running Snow Leopard when this occurred. I don't believe it is any Mac OS version, but something isn't quite right here. Many people were affected by this. The culprit is either a bad batch of drives, which Apple has a "recall" on (my system didn't qualify for this recall...weird), or a cooling issue that is adversely affecting hard drives, as many have complained that their systems are running excessively hot. Many people have also stated that OS X is becoming smart enough to actually correctly assess imminent drive failure (whereas the previous OSs were not able to do this consistently). That only partially explains the large amount of drive failure complaints...what's causing the failures?
Another thing: I have no idea how long my machine has been showing "fail" as a SMART status. You'd think the user/admin would be prompted somehow that there's an issue related to drive failure. I wasn't made aware until I tried to install v10.8. An admin shouldn't have to check the SMART status daily, weekly, or even monthly. Really...this is 2012 and an OS should somehow convey (proactively) the nature of such a status.
I've Time Machine, so I've a backup.
I purchased Mountain Lion two days ago. I began to download it last night to install on my iMac and during the install process, I was asked to select where to install ML, so I selected the main drive. A pop-up appeared stating there were errors on the drive and that failure was imminent. It would not let me install.
So, I've made an appointment to the local (if you want to call it that) Genius Bar, for tomorrow morning. I've to pack up the 27" iMac and tote it to the Genius Bar. That's going to be a bit of a PITA. Then I'm probably going to be told that they'll have my iMac for a week or so...let's not hope I have to go through the same situation as my last visit.
Now, this problem is rampant on the Apple.com forums, as well as MacRumors.com. Many people were blaming Lion, but some people were running Snow Leopard when this occurred. I don't believe it is any Mac OS version, but something isn't quite right here. Many people were affected by this. The culprit is either a bad batch of drives, which Apple has a "recall" on (my system didn't qualify for this recall...weird), or a cooling issue that is adversely affecting hard drives, as many have complained that their systems are running excessively hot. Many people have also stated that OS X is becoming smart enough to actually correctly assess imminent drive failure (whereas the previous OSs were not able to do this consistently). That only partially explains the large amount of drive failure complaints...what's causing the failures?
Another thing: I have no idea how long my machine has been showing "fail" as a SMART status. You'd think the user/admin would be prompted somehow that there's an issue related to drive failure. I wasn't made aware until I tried to install v10.8. An admin shouldn't have to check the SMART status daily, weekly, or even monthly. Really...this is 2012 and an OS should somehow convey (proactively) the nature of such a status.
I've Time Machine, so I've a backup.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Legacy Macbook Woes
I got the Macbook back in 2006, I believe. It's pre-C2D and apparently doesn't support 64-bit OSs. My wife's computer is C2D (mine is Core Duo), so her CPU is 64-bit...the motherboard probably doesn't support 64-bit, though. I'd try to install Lion on it but she'd kill me. It took her awhile to get used to Snow Leopard when I upgraded it without her consent (LOL).
So....
http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/11684/#reply-122479:
"The issue I experience with this is that I have one of the first intel core duo macs. This means that the max memory it can handle is 2 gigs. This means that the mac cannot handle running 10.6 even though it has 64-bit capable processors. This means that my mac is stuck at 10.5.8 until it breaks and I am forced to buy a new iMac (a few thousand dollars I do not want to spend until I have to since the iMac still does everything that I need it to). This is not a huge deal for me since I have 2 Windows machines and 1 Linux machine that run Glitch perfectly, but if anyone else has this issue and therefore is unable to use Flash 11, please post here so the devs have a better idea of usage statistics and can make a decision as to wether or not it is worth dedicating resources to allow people to play the game with Flash 10 with the caveat that it may not work right."
Yeah, I'm pretty much stuck in the same situation as the above, although a reply to the above hinted at a workaround:
http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/11684/#reply-122489:
Landar, first off your Mac will run *better* under 10.6 than 10.5, with the same hardware you have right now. I've done that with MacBooks and iMacs of that generation.
Second, almost all the C2D Macs can actually handle 3-and-a-bit gig (it's the usual Intel motherboard limitations) or even four, look up your system at www.everymac.com/systems/by... and click through to the details page.
So, there may be hope after all. I'll need to look into this.
So....
http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/11684/#reply-122479:
"The issue I experience with this is that I have one of the first intel core duo macs. This means that the max memory it can handle is 2 gigs. This means that the mac cannot handle running 10.6 even though it has 64-bit capable processors. This means that my mac is stuck at 10.5.8 until it breaks and I am forced to buy a new iMac (a few thousand dollars I do not want to spend until I have to since the iMac still does everything that I need it to). This is not a huge deal for me since I have 2 Windows machines and 1 Linux machine that run Glitch perfectly, but if anyone else has this issue and therefore is unable to use Flash 11, please post here so the devs have a better idea of usage statistics and can make a decision as to wether or not it is worth dedicating resources to allow people to play the game with Flash 10 with the caveat that it may not work right."
Yeah, I'm pretty much stuck in the same situation as the above, although a reply to the above hinted at a workaround:
http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/11684/#reply-122489:
Landar, first off your Mac will run *better* under 10.6 than 10.5, with the same hardware you have right now. I've done that with MacBooks and iMacs of that generation.
Second, almost all the C2D Macs can actually handle 3-and-a-bit gig (it's the usual Intel motherboard limitations) or even four, look up your system at www.everymac.com/systems/by... and click through to the details page.
So, there may be hope after all. I'll need to look into this.
Friday, May 25, 2012
DriveImage XML
Did a backup of my M17X last night using DriveImage XML. It was simple to execute. So now, I've a fresh copy of Windows 7 on my recovery partition, a copy of that with some apps installed stored to a memory stick, and now I've a copy of the C: as it is right now. At some point, I need to do a drive-for-drive image, but I don't want to have to buy another backup drive (and a big one at that)...a drive-for-drive image will be copying used and unused space...all 1.5 TB of it...or am I wrong?
What I really want is an extra copy of the restore partition, so I can burn it to CD and put it somewhere safe. DriveImage XML won't even let me see the recovery partition, although native tools such as diskmagn (the default Windows disk management system) sees the partition.
Now I need to take that backup that ran last night, and place it on the MBL backup drive. :)
What I really want is an extra copy of the restore partition, so I can burn it to CD and put it somewhere safe. DriveImage XML won't even let me see the recovery partition, although native tools such as diskmagn (the default Windows disk management system) sees the partition.
Now I need to take that backup that ran last night, and place it on the MBL backup drive. :)
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Installing a Couple of Flight Sims
Installing Wings over Vietnam and Strike Fighters Project 1...older games, I know, but I want to start using my simulator games on the Alienware system. I'll get Strike Fighters 2 next payday and maybe install Blackshark and A10C sometime this week, also.
EDIT:
Installed both but I believe that Wings over Vietnam is the successor to SFP1, so I'm going to remove SFP1. Played some last night and I enjoyed myself. Went to ThirdWire's website and downloaded the patches and installed without a hitch. One problem, though, is that the game continues to use my integrated graphics card instead of my dedicated 580M. Not that it matters with this game, though, since it is older and this system is so powerful. I tooled with the game's settings as well as the Nvidia control panel and could not get the game to use the 580M.
EDIT:
Installed both but I believe that Wings over Vietnam is the successor to SFP1, so I'm going to remove SFP1. Played some last night and I enjoyed myself. Went to ThirdWire's website and downloaded the patches and installed without a hitch. One problem, though, is that the game continues to use my integrated graphics card instead of my dedicated 580M. Not that it matters with this game, though, since it is older and this system is so powerful. I tooled with the game's settings as well as the Nvidia control panel and could not get the game to use the 580M.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Miscellaneous...
So, I'm finding out that the M17xR3 is bulky enough to where I don't want to carry it around from one part of the house to another, so I've still been using my Macbook (when I'm lazy). Been using it a lot to pay bills, IRC (##slackware), and web browse.
So, one day, I unplug it and go to another room to help my wife with a project and notice that the battery icon is still showing 100% after not being plugged into AC power for about an hour. I click the icon and it states that I'll be needing another battery soon. COME ON! First I run into the limited hard drive space, now I'm going to need a new battery? GRRR... Might be time to retire it. Granted, this battery has been stellar since the original was replaced...it IS about time for a replacement, I guess. And, it could do with more than 80GB of drive space. So, it looks like I might be refreshing both sometime this year. Maybe July/August, if I can hold off.
About the M17xR3. I've decided to subscribe to Carbonite as a backup utility. I was using Dropbox but didn't want to pay for the extra space (using the free account...and no, I'm not going to hawk Dropbox to my friends to get extra space). Carbonite has no limit on backup spacing, but is tied to one PC. It also won't backup the OS or applications, but will backup everything else. I purchase the HomePlus version of Carbonite and it has a drive mirror option, but requires a dedicated local drive to mirror the drive...BUT...I'm using two drives in RAID0 format (stock configuration), which HomePlus won't support.
I'm also using DriveImage XML and plan to perform a whole disk backup (as soon as I figure out where to store the image...it should be pretty big). I will also need to back up the restore partition. I do have a clean image backed up to USB drive (using Alien Respawn), but it is a copy of the drive without most of my apps, which is a good start, I guess.
I've been gaming a lot from my dining and living room (via wifi connection), playing L4D2 and BF3. The Killer wireless card is awesome, as I've noticed NO lag or connectivity issues. I'm loving the fact that Killer prioritizes the packets associated with gaming...that may be why I'm seeing no connection issues. I do notice that it takes BF3 longer to load (which I was attributing to my RAID0 setup), but most of my clanmates are experiencing the same issue, and they're using standalone hard disks. The load issue wasn't present before the last BF3 patch, so I'm thinking the issue is related to that.
I'm having issues with using my iMac as a second screen now. Not a real issue, but for some reason when I try to get BF3 to show on the 27" screen, Windows 7 keeps placing the gaming window on the M17x monitor instead. I didn't have this problem initially, so I wonder why W7 is doing this.
I began to use my G930 wireless headset with the M17x and it is awesome. I still need to get the headset set up so that W7 detects that it is in use and uses the headset by default when it is plugged into the Alienware system (I have to manually go into the sound settings to enable it). I don't remember having this issue with my Turtlebay headset, but want to use my G930 since it sounds soooo much better than the Turtlebay.
So, one day, I unplug it and go to another room to help my wife with a project and notice that the battery icon is still showing 100% after not being plugged into AC power for about an hour. I click the icon and it states that I'll be needing another battery soon. COME ON! First I run into the limited hard drive space, now I'm going to need a new battery? GRRR... Might be time to retire it. Granted, this battery has been stellar since the original was replaced...it IS about time for a replacement, I guess. And, it could do with more than 80GB of drive space. So, it looks like I might be refreshing both sometime this year. Maybe July/August, if I can hold off.
About the M17xR3. I've decided to subscribe to Carbonite as a backup utility. I was using Dropbox but didn't want to pay for the extra space (using the free account...and no, I'm not going to hawk Dropbox to my friends to get extra space). Carbonite has no limit on backup spacing, but is tied to one PC. It also won't backup the OS or applications, but will backup everything else. I purchase the HomePlus version of Carbonite and it has a drive mirror option, but requires a dedicated local drive to mirror the drive...BUT...I'm using two drives in RAID0 format (stock configuration), which HomePlus won't support.
I'm also using DriveImage XML and plan to perform a whole disk backup (as soon as I figure out where to store the image...it should be pretty big). I will also need to back up the restore partition. I do have a clean image backed up to USB drive (using Alien Respawn), but it is a copy of the drive without most of my apps, which is a good start, I guess.
I've been gaming a lot from my dining and living room (via wifi connection), playing L4D2 and BF3. The Killer wireless card is awesome, as I've noticed NO lag or connectivity issues. I'm loving the fact that Killer prioritizes the packets associated with gaming...that may be why I'm seeing no connection issues. I do notice that it takes BF3 longer to load (which I was attributing to my RAID0 setup), but most of my clanmates are experiencing the same issue, and they're using standalone hard disks. The load issue wasn't present before the last BF3 patch, so I'm thinking the issue is related to that.
I'm having issues with using my iMac as a second screen now. Not a real issue, but for some reason when I try to get BF3 to show on the 27" screen, Windows 7 keeps placing the gaming window on the M17x monitor instead. I didn't have this problem initially, so I wonder why W7 is doing this.
I began to use my G930 wireless headset with the M17x and it is awesome. I still need to get the headset set up so that W7 detects that it is in use and uses the headset by default when it is plugged into the Alienware system (I have to manually go into the sound settings to enable it). I don't remember having this issue with my Turtlebay headset, but want to use my G930 since it sounds soooo much better than the Turtlebay.
Friday, April 27, 2012
I've been hitting on max disk space usage on my Mac (80GB drive). Wondering if it's worth upgrading the drive to something bigger, but I don't really use this machine anymore. I mean, I do, but it's not a primary machine anymore...it has been replaced by my Alienware M17xR3, but I use the Macbook when I feel the Alienware is too bulky (there ARE times that the bigger machine is inappropriate). I deleted 465 files from the Downloads directory (for browser)...freed up maybe a gig of space. Will be downloading Disk Inventory X to see if there are any extremely big files that need to go.
Update -- Oh yeah, Disk Inventory X is a Mac port of WinDirStat, by the way.
Update -- Freed up 6 more gigs of data. Found that I had some TomTom files that I didn't need (upgrade files). I've quite a bit of music also...I might need to archive it or move it to the iMac (got 1.5TB in that one).
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Got my mini-DisplayPort Cable!
I ordered a mini-DisplayPort cable this weekend. The idea was to be able to use my iMac screen as additional screen real estate, so that I can game on a big screen (like 17" isn't enough...it's plenty but more is always better).
So, the cable arrived today.
Results:
All I need to figure out now is to how to configure BF3 sound to be heard in the headset (vs the iMac speakers). Also, there's an issue where game sounds (on the iMac) lower or mute...the OS is apparently turning down the sound automatically. It wasn't doing this when playing BF3 through the M17x audio and display. I'll figure it out later.
Also, as a note, only the mini-DisplayPort cable will work (or a DisplayPort cable with mini DisplayPort adapters). The main cable has to be DisplayPort...HDMI will not work. This solution will also not work for Thunderbolt Macs. My iMac is pre-Thunderbolt.
I'll be going to OBX for vacation next week. I plan to take the M17x so I can occasionally play BF3 or other Origin/Steam games. We'll see how that goes, especially since I don't know what type of internet connectivity we'll be provided.
So, the cable arrived today.
Results:
All I need to figure out now is to how to configure BF3 sound to be heard in the headset (vs the iMac speakers). Also, there's an issue where game sounds (on the iMac) lower or mute...the OS is apparently turning down the sound automatically. It wasn't doing this when playing BF3 through the M17x audio and display. I'll figure it out later.
Also, as a note, only the mini-DisplayPort cable will work (or a DisplayPort cable with mini DisplayPort adapters). The main cable has to be DisplayPort...HDMI will not work. This solution will also not work for Thunderbolt Macs. My iMac is pre-Thunderbolt.
I'll be going to OBX for vacation next week. I plan to take the M17x so I can occasionally play BF3 or other Origin/Steam games. We'll see how that goes, especially since I don't know what type of internet connectivity we'll be provided.
Monday, March 26, 2012
M17x R3 Has Arrived
My M17x R3 has been delivered!
It was delivered 3/20/2013, late in the evening, around 7:45PM (rather late, but that's another story).
I cracked it open but decided not to capture the box-opening on video...there are FAR too many videos of this on the internet as it is. Once you've seen one, you've basically seen them all.
Anyways, this is a large notebook, especially since I've been using a 13" Macbook almost exclusively. This notebook positively dwarfs the tiny Macbook in size as well as weight (this notebook weighs at LEAST 10lbs).
The screen is awesome. It's on par with my iMac's screen for brightness and clarity. I'll certainly test both, as I plan to use the iMac screen when gaming on the M17x via a mini-DisplayPort-to-mini-DisplayPort cable. I played BF3 several times over the weekend using the new notebook and my KDR went up at least on percentage point (it has been dropping in the last six months). I primarily use the sniper class and noticed that I can aim and shoot quicker on this system, so I decided to use the engineer class last night. This is something I usually don't use, unless I anticipate having to fix vehicles. I used that class in Operation Metro, which usually has me dying left and right. I used the AKS-74u. In 8 minutes of gameplay using that class and that weapon, I raised my engineer score by several thousand and killed without mercy...checking BFStats.com, I found that my accuracy with that weapon went up 1.14% with that gaming session alone...unbelievable. And with the M40A5, my accuracy went up 1.87% just with last night's few hours of play. A large part of this is probably due to the video card in this system. I also played some BF3 on my AMD 6-core system and noticed immediate differences in clarity. I still have to install Fraps onto the M17x but I'm positive that the 580M is outgunning the ATI 5600-series card in my desktop system. I've seen this before, when moving up from an Nvidia 7500 to a 9500...my gameplay kill scores skyrocketed due to pure FPS increase. This means I might consider upgrading the vidcard in my desktop (again...when will it end????). And we'll see if things get even better when I push the video to the 27" iMac screen...
I find I don't play as well if I have to use the notebook's keyboard (I bought the TacX keyboard for use with this notebook). The TacX keyboard and mouse are awesome! I play better with this keyboard because I'm used to the external keyboard layout when I game. I have to have the arrow keys when gaming (I'm not a fan of WASD and never have been...been gaming since FPS became prevalent), as well as the upper row between the numpad and QWERTY keys. I *might* try to adapt to the laptop's keyboard...we'll see.
I've installed only a few apps, such as Norton 360 and Norton Management, Origin, TeamSpeak, WinDirStat, HWINFO64, Chrome, BF3, and one or two others.
Temperature-wise, the 580M has been good, so far. There are quite a few complaints of throttling due to heat on the NotebookReview.com forums, but the highest I've seen so far is 59C when playing BF3. *knock on wood*
I've a few desktop gadgets running: CPU usage, GPU meter, drives meter, and network meter. When I installed Norton, it installed it's own desktop gadget, which I'll tolerate since it should keep me situationally aware.
I haven't noticed any issues with the notebook so far, which is good, since Dell's support appears to be rather shakey (from what I've gathered on the forums, as well as the pains I went through to even get the notebook delivered).
One last note. The RAID 0. It's getting a rather low WEI rating, due solely to the performance (or lack thereof) of the RAID 0 setup. Now, I've not noticed anything abnormally slow with the drive writing and reading at all. WEI has been massively sensationalized...the system runs good regardless of the low rating. I don't need an SSD at this moment in time...really. Many people are pushing for SSD, but it won't do much but help the OS start and shut down a few seconds quicker. It might help game loading a bit, but not really much. Besides, SSDs are REALLY expensive and to afford one, I'd have to buy a small one and shift my games back and forth between a platter drive and the SSD...not conventional at all and certainly not convenient to have to micromanage the notebook in such a manner. No thanks...it's not for me.
Friday, March 09, 2012
Alienware M17x R3
It's been awhile since I've posted here and at my iWeb site. I'm a bit turned off by Apple, their Macs, and some of the software debacles lately, so I've been debating on where to post my Mac material. I'm hating iWeb more and more (and it's not being updated any longer...as well as MobileMe being end-of-life), so it looks like I'll stick to this site as my main blog. I'm not even going to bother with trying to import my other blog entries over to this site.
On this note, I've bought a new notebook. And it's not an Apple product. I bought an Alienware M17x R3. The specs are below:
Stealth Black, soft-touch
Intel Core i7 2760QM 2.4GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
17.3-inch WideFHD1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
1.5TB Raid 0 (2x 750GB 7,200RPM)
Custom Nameplate
AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
Alienware Command Center Software, M17X
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology
I opted out of the 3D 1080p screen (I don't care about gimmick items), although the resolution is a tad better than what I got. I almost got the red version, but thought that the AlienFX coloring might clash with the red case color.
I'll be making space next to my iMac for this machine, as I plan to use the 27" screen for gaming. I also to use this notebook in tandem with my AMD 6-core desktop system. In some regards, the M17x will replace my gaming desktop, especially when I'm traveling.
I also bought the Alienware TacX keyboard and mouse, a My Book Live 2-TB NAS drive for extra storage (I'll speak further on this later). I bought a Cooler Master NotePal LapAir and Swiss Wenger messenger-style Legacy Slimcase (which is checkpoint-friendly). I also bought a Cooler Master NotePal U2 desk cooler with fan system, for the desk.
The system is due to be delivered March 13th. I may be taking off that day to be sure I'm home to pick up the system and get it situated. I ordered it Feb 18th, so I've been waiting awhile for the system to be built. There was/is a stocking issue with the NV GTX580M video card, due to this past winter's flooding in Asia.
Another thing: RAID 0 with the HDDs on a laptop. They configured RAID 0 to offer optimal speed, but if one drive fails, I lose all the data of both drives (since data will be spread over both drives). I'll see how fast the machine is, and if I'm not satisfied, I'll contemplate changing to RAID 1. Then again, this is why I got the NAS drive. I'm not ready to go the SSD route...I've spent enough on this system to where I just want to use it for awhile before buying anything else. I *might* install more RAM, since I eventually plan to use virtual machines. Also, I'm not planning on running Linux natively on this machine...there's just no need, since I've a ton of natively installed *nix machines already. I might at least install Cygwin, though, as I've found Cygwin to be invaluable to use on Windows systems.
About the NAS drive, this thing was a PITA to get working with my Macbook. After doing some internet digging, I found that I have to ensure that my Macbook is already connected to the NAS drive via AFP (not SMB) as a user, otherwise Time Machine won't connect to it. It took me maybe a week to figure that out, and it's not anywhere on WesternDigital's knowledgebase (but is on their forums). The NAS' network connection speed is satisfactory. I was able to back up the Macbook in 24 hours (close to 70GB of data over a network connection).
I'll do some videos and take pics of the system when it arrives. I will NOT video the unboxing of it...there's enough of those types of videos.
On this note, I've bought a new notebook. And it's not an Apple product. I bought an Alienware M17x R3. The specs are below:
Stealth Black, soft-touch
Intel Core i7 2760QM 2.4GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
17.3-inch WideFHD1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
1.5TB Raid 0 (2x 750GB 7,200RPM)
Custom Nameplate
AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
Alienware Command Center Software, M17X
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology
I opted out of the 3D 1080p screen (I don't care about gimmick items), although the resolution is a tad better than what I got. I almost got the red version, but thought that the AlienFX coloring might clash with the red case color.
I'll be making space next to my iMac for this machine, as I plan to use the 27" screen for gaming. I also to use this notebook in tandem with my AMD 6-core desktop system. In some regards, the M17x will replace my gaming desktop, especially when I'm traveling.
I also bought the Alienware TacX keyboard and mouse, a My Book Live 2-TB NAS drive for extra storage (I'll speak further on this later). I bought a Cooler Master NotePal LapAir and Swiss Wenger messenger-style Legacy Slimcase (which is checkpoint-friendly). I also bought a Cooler Master NotePal U2 desk cooler with fan system, for the desk.
The system is due to be delivered March 13th. I may be taking off that day to be sure I'm home to pick up the system and get it situated. I ordered it Feb 18th, so I've been waiting awhile for the system to be built. There was/is a stocking issue with the NV GTX580M video card, due to this past winter's flooding in Asia.
Another thing: RAID 0 with the HDDs on a laptop. They configured RAID 0 to offer optimal speed, but if one drive fails, I lose all the data of both drives (since data will be spread over both drives). I'll see how fast the machine is, and if I'm not satisfied, I'll contemplate changing to RAID 1. Then again, this is why I got the NAS drive. I'm not ready to go the SSD route...I've spent enough on this system to where I just want to use it for awhile before buying anything else. I *might* install more RAM, since I eventually plan to use virtual machines. Also, I'm not planning on running Linux natively on this machine...there's just no need, since I've a ton of natively installed *nix machines already. I might at least install Cygwin, though, as I've found Cygwin to be invaluable to use on Windows systems.
About the NAS drive, this thing was a PITA to get working with my Macbook. After doing some internet digging, I found that I have to ensure that my Macbook is already connected to the NAS drive via AFP (not SMB) as a user, otherwise Time Machine won't connect to it. It took me maybe a week to figure that out, and it's not anywhere on WesternDigital's knowledgebase (but is on their forums). The NAS' network connection speed is satisfactory. I was able to back up the Macbook in 24 hours (close to 70GB of data over a network connection).
I'll do some videos and take pics of the system when it arrives. I will NOT video the unboxing of it...there's enough of those types of videos.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Application Removal in OS X
I had to remove an application in Mac OS X. I've never really bothered with this before, but thought I'd like to know the process of removal. Well, it isn't as straight-forward as Microsoft OSs such as Windows XP (and yeah, I know that not all applications are removed cleanly by install/remove programs).
Here are a few tips.
Here are a few tips.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Backup Drive Corrupted
I was on vacation and upon return noticed that my periodical backups hadn't been running since the 21st of Jan. I back up data using Time Machine, to a LaCie 750GB drive.
I hadn't restarted the iMac in awhile (to which the drive is attached), so I restarted it...that didn't get it working. I also restarted the drive itself...no resolution either.
I opened up Disk Utility and it saw the drive, so now I'm running a "verify disk" and "repair". I'm hoping this fixes the issue, but I'm now wary, as it's taking quite a while, but this is probably due to the size of the drive. Also, maybe there's a ton of errors? I don't know.
I'd hate to lose the data on this drive. Perhaps I need to think of some type of backup procedure of the backup drive (maybe backing it up every six months or so).
It might be time to look at a different solution.
EDIT: Yeah... Disk Utility couldn't repair the partition, so I had to erase it to get it working again. It is fine now, but I think I'm going to need to periodically back up the back-up drive. Lost a LOT of pictures and such. I'm actually thinking on using a cloud-based storage solution.
I hadn't restarted the iMac in awhile (to which the drive is attached), so I restarted it...that didn't get it working. I also restarted the drive itself...no resolution either.
I opened up Disk Utility and it saw the drive, so now I'm running a "verify disk" and "repair". I'm hoping this fixes the issue, but I'm now wary, as it's taking quite a while, but this is probably due to the size of the drive. Also, maybe there's a ton of errors? I don't know.
I'd hate to lose the data on this drive. Perhaps I need to think of some type of backup procedure of the backup drive (maybe backing it up every six months or so).
It might be time to look at a different solution.
EDIT: Yeah... Disk Utility couldn't repair the partition, so I had to erase it to get it working again. It is fine now, but I think I'm going to need to periodically back up the back-up drive. Lost a LOT of pictures and such. I'm actually thinking on using a cloud-based storage solution.
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