Ever been in a hotel, airport, coffee shop, or some place that you pay per computer to use their Wireless Internet? Windows 7 has a new feature “Virtual Wifi” that lets you use your wireless as if it was multiple wireless NIC’s, but why do we care? One way to use that virtual wifi feature is to use free software to allow connecting to wireless Internet while also turning your wireless into it’s own hotspot. Great for the wife’s or coworkers laptops sitting next to you. Pay once, surf many.
There’s been a similar feature since XP to share connections, but this required you to use two different NIC’s and only supported peer-to-peer network. This software fixes both issues.
Software: Virtual Router – Wifi Hot Spot for Windows 7 – 2008 R2
Info: Share Wireless Internet Connection In Windows 7 Without Ad Hoc
Thanks to Ryan for this tip. The Matrox DualHead2Go can be had for around $200 and turns your VGA or DisplayPort on your laptop into 2 additional screens vs. the standard 2nd screen add on. After nearly a week on Windows 7 x64 with two 20” monitors it’s working great. Make sure you get the newest firmware and drivers/software from the link above, that way it has settings to help you manage windows across three screens.
One tip that held me up at first. The device gets power from USB, but must need more power then a powered USB hub can provide, as it didn’t work properly until I plugged it directly into the laptop USB.
You no longer have an excuse to lose your important computer files. It costs little to nothing to have them automatically backed up online. Signup for SugarSync and backup 2GB for free.
Even I loose data sometimes. I had a Excel file that I accidently overwrote, and the local Windows 7 Previous Versions didn’t capture the changes I needed, but SugarSync did! My savior. It backs up changes as I save files, quickly and quietly in the background.
I’ve used lots of backup and file sync technologies over the years to keep data in more then one place. Sometimes for backups (disaster recovery), sometimes for convenience, sometimes for collaboration. No product until SugarSync did it all for a reasonable price. After 6 months of using it across 3+ computers, two iPhones, etc. I can say it’s worth the monthly subscription (2GB plan is FREE). Here’s my favorite features:
- Sync files between computers
- chose which folders to back up (not just one root folder)
- Keep a copy in the cloud
- Instantly backed up after saving changes. (not ‘schedule based’)
- Keep 5 versions of the files online for recovery
- Access them all from web browser or mobile client
- Chose to make files public or post pics on Facebook from the webapp
- get a single-click public link to send your friend for downloading that 500MB file you need to send!
- edit files on the web
- stream your synced music from web and on iPhone (whaaat? awesome)
Feature List and Comparison Chart
I used Carbonite for years for computer backup, but that’s ALL it did, for $50+ a year. I used Live Mesh to sync files between computers and the cloud, but I couldn’t buy more storage and it didn’t have a iPhone client. I’ve used SyncToy for years but it’s only a LAN client and not easy to automate. Mozy, Box.net, DropBox, some Amazon storage clients, and more…. none of them could do 1/2 of what SugarSync does.
Check it out buy using this referral link to get extra free storage.
From KB 955392 there’s lot of info there, but the quickest “one time” install method is to follow “Procedure 1: Basic slipstream steps”
- Install the .NET Framework 3.5.1 feature
- Download the SQL SP1 service pack
- Expand the service pack by using 7zip or the command SQLServer2008SP1-KB968369-x64-ENU.exe /x:C:\SP1
- Install the SQL Setup Support files from the SP1 download C:\SP1\x64\setup\1033\sqlsupport.msi
- Now run the SQL Setup.exe from DVD or network and point setup to where SP1 is Setup.exe /PCUSource=C:\SP1
Note the long term best method is “Procedure 2: create a merged drop” but the above is great for the 1 or 2 installs.
I don’t think this problem/solution is much different in older versions.
Problem: when you send a link from Communicator client to another, the link isn’t clickable, has a _ (underbar) in front of it, or both. Results may be different on different computers. It’ll look like this
_http://www.google.com
Solution: Two things are happening here that are not related. The first is the OCS Server (and Edge Server) have the URL Filter enabled, which are adding the _ underbar to all links. Also called “Intelligent IM Filter”. You need to tone that filter down or disable all together to your liking. If users are coming in through an Edge Server, they will follow the Filter settings of the Edge Server they are using, which seams to supersede the Front End Server (my guess is the most restrictive wins). So be sure to set it on both servers separately. Results were instant in new IM’s.
The other issue is the lack of a clickable hyperlink. If you disable the URL Filters above, the underbar goes away but links are still not blue and underlined. To fix this you need to apply a GPO or set a local registry setting to allow Communicator to make hyperlinks clickable:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator\
new DWORD EnableURL=1
After that exit and restart Communicator.
In both of these cases they are secure by default, which is great; but even years after this features release over several versions their use and configuration are still a mystery to most starting out.
