Explore with this as Root, Explorer Hack

A friend at work created this registry file that allows you to view a folder as if it is the root. It simplifies the view so you can easily find the files you are currently working with.

It will add a "Explore with this as root" context (right-click) menu item on folders in Windows Explorer. When you execute it a new Windows Explorer window opens up with the selected folder as root with the folder pane showing.

explore_with_this_as_root.reg

A Tiny IDE for JavaScript

http://tide4javascript.com/

A great way to test out small snippets of javascript.

Sorting out Sorting

I recently found Everything Is Fast For Small n on codinghorror.com. Fascinating. It led me to Sorting out Sorting and the video below.

Click here to see the video at a larger size.
Video length: 31 minutes, 15 seconds.

Here is an abbreviated version of the video.

Customize startup applications

Updated 2020-01-16

In Windows 10, Open Run, type shell:startup and hit Enter
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/startup-folder-in-windows-8

The slack.exe path on my machine
C:\Users\kids\AppData\Local\slack

Updated 2008-01-29

Use MSConfig.exe (from start\run) to disable their start up. Also look in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" and remove any programs that should start up. Use google to find out what each process does and why you need it.

MSConfig for Rich
InetCntrl - "Bsafe Online"
SHSTAT - Network Associates, virus scan
stsystra - comes with Dell PC, runs pc audio, need to function correctly
TBMon - Network Associates, virus scan
UdaterUI - Network Associates, virus scan

MsConfig I Uncheckedctfmon - " Some times my Windows XP is very slow and this file is the responsable"
hpcmpmgr - HP for my printer. I will update you if I need you. Don't steal my memory!
HPWuSchd - HP for my printer.
hpztsb09 - HP for my printer.
isuspm - Install shield update service. I will update you if I need you. Don't steal my memory!
issch - Install shield update service.
jusched - Java Runtime engine updater
MvMcTray - " runs in system tray, and gives you quick access to display settings."
NvCpl - NVIDIA Display Driver Service, "an unecessary service and have had mine disabled for
years"
nwiz - "the executable for the NVidia options and control panel. You don't need it on startup,uncheck it in msconfig"

Put the following shortcuts in each user's "C:\Documents and Settings\--username--\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"

Startup for Rich
Shortcut pointing to ("C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" http://mail.google.com/mail/)
"C:\Program Files\Google\Google Desktop Search\GoogleDesktop.exe" /startup
Shortcut to dsclock "C:\Program Files\DS Clock\dsclock.exe"
"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.0\program\quickstart.exe"
"C:\Program Files\Juice\Juice.exe"

For Steph only
"C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe" /background

For kids
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" http://www.starfall.com/

Maybe
"C:\Program Files\ClearPlay\ClearPlay Easy Updates\ClearPlayEasyUpdates.exe"
"C:\Program Files\google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\GoogleToolbarNotifier.exe"

This way, my login does not start up Windows Live Messenger. And we only have one copy of the utilities running.

RegEx trick for sql field names

A new guy at work has shown me how powerful regular expressions are. Following is a trick for formatting the columns names of a SQL table.

Do a query in SQL Query Analyzer on your table like:
SELECT * FROM table WHERE 1=0

Results in

Column1 Column2 Column3 Column4

It will return 0 rows. Be sure to return the results as text (ctrl + T), so you can just copy the header row that will have all the field names, separated by a ton of spaces. Paste the results in Notepad++. Open up the replace dialog. Check the "Regular expressions".

Find \s+

"\s" means find any white space. "+" means repeat the previous character until you don't find it anymore.

Replace with \n,

That is a new line and a comma.

The final result is

Column1
,Column2
,Column3
,Column4

Notepad++ uses the POSIX regular expression language. I look forward to using it more.

VS2005 Super Slow Design Mode ASPX

Earlier this year I upgraded my AjaxControlToolkit.dll. I started running into this problem that I found posted in the comments at A few VS 2005 SP1 Links and Information Nuggets

Friday, January 12, 2007 12:33 PM by Mark

I've run into a problem that started showing up randomly after SP1 was installed:

I attempt to view an aspx page in Design mode and at each control that is getting created takes at least 2 minutes. The window becomes unresponsive and all I see is:

Creating control 'controlName1'

a few minutes later.

Creating control 'controlName2'

After 10 minutes, I have to kill Visual Studio -- any insight into this?

-Mark

I eventually got a new working copy of my project from subversion and the issue went away. I must have found something like what was post later in the comments of the same article.

Thursday, January 25, 2007 5:39 PM by Dave Franke

Hi Scott,

Finally got around the problem. Not sure what it was. I checked my web.config files but did not see anything releated to two competing references. We work with TFS. So in the end I deleted everything in my workspace and retrieved all the source code and the problem was gone. Tried a Force Get latest before that but it did not work either.

Thanks,
Dave

I am not sure what it was but this solved it. It happened again after I upgraded AjaxControlToolkit.dll following the instructions here. I post it here so I won't forget again.

ASP.NET Cheat Sheets

Sam at work sent me this. It may come in handy someday.

http://john-sheehan.com/blog/index.php/new-cheat-sheet-link/