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Tips and tricks around Microsoft Windows, Linux, Applications, Apple Gear

The following is a random list of tips and tricks to solve problems around the Windows and Linux operating systems, and applications running under those OSs, as well as problems encountered with Apple products. The list is in no particular order and we rely on search engines to find this stuff. That's why there is always a keyword entry under each heading. If you find it useful, drop us a note. Contact info can be found on our home page.

Excel autorecover file trouble

Keywords: Excel Microsoft Office autorecover auto recover file crash trouble

If Excel has trouble starting up with a recover file, you can delete that file by using regedt32.exe and deleting the entry from

HKEY_CURRENT_USER
  Software
    Microsoft
      Office
        10.0 (or other version)
          Excel
            Resiliency
              DocumentRecovery

Linux mdadm boot problem

Keywords: Linux mdadm boot recovery software RAID Ubuntu

My Linux server died and it's using a soft raid array for / and everything below that. It crashed due to an electrical short in the building. The thing never came back up.

Here are some links to useful information I (and other people) found on the subject. Eventually, I could recover all data, but had to re-install Ubuntu and convert the root filesystem to software RAID again.

iPhone not talking to iTunes

Keywords: iPhone iTunes stop sync connect configuration utility

One fine day, iTunes stopped recognizing my iPhone and I couldn't figure out why. I found this article on Apple's discussion board, which had a solution posted by ThUnDeR BG. I had the iPhone configuration utility installed as well and so that must have screwed up my connection.

Here it is:

    I found a solution. Must stop usbmuxd with:
    1.) sudo /bin/launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.usbmuxd.plist
    2.) Delete /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework and replace it with backup copy (TimeMachine or such)
    3.) sudo /bin/launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.usbmuxd.plist

The only problem with that solution is where to get the old MobileDevice.framekwork from, if you don't have a TimeMachine or other backup of the whole harddisk. Luckily, I had a laptop, on which it still worked and I just copied it over. The Mac OS X install CD must have that on it, as well.

Fun stuff

Keywords: self employment, working for Apple

Just a few funny thoughts on self employment... and our transition to working for Apple Inc.
Pictures used without permission. Copyrights by Wiley Miller & Universal Press Syndicate, Scott Adams, Inc. & United Features Syndicate, Inc.

Pro

Non Sequitur 2004-01-17

Contra

Dilbert 2004-06-14

The coolness factor of working for Apple

Dilbert 2010-08-20

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