I have been fighting to get Windows Defender updated for a couple days and stumbled on this fix.
I kept getting error 80070643 whenever I tried to update the definitions, either through Windows Update, or from inside Defender.
Here's what worked for me
Open CMD as Admin and typing (with quotes):
"%PROGRAMFILES%\Windows Defender\MPCMDRUN.exe" -RemoveDefinitions -All
"%PROGRAMFILES%\Windows Defender\MPCMDRUN.exe" -SignatureUpdate
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Some of these hacks are awesome, and I needed a place to save them.
40 clever life-hacks to simplify your world
50 life-hacks to simplify your world
40 clever life-hacks to simplify your world
50 life-hacks to simplify your world
Monday, July 30, 2012
66 Rules for Business and Life
The following 66 rules about business was published by Paul Breen, so he deserves all the credit.
While he says that these are important rules of business, I believe that most, if not all, have a place in life as well.
1. There is no substitute for hard work. EVER. Luck always seems to follow the hardest workers.
2. What people say about you (good or bad) is none of your business.
3. Most obstacles can be overcome. Some via a frontal assault, some with stealth and some with patience.
The trick is to find the weak point and bash away until it topples over.
4. Be positive. It’s rarely as bad as you think.
5. Listen to the “experts” but trust your gut and make your own decisions.
6. The most important thing is how good your product is. Everything else ranks behind that.
7. Trust is not an “easy” commodity – it takes a long time to earn it and a momentary lapse to lose it.
8. Business is a long game so be fair and ethical with all your business dealings.
9. Customers are “king” and need to be treated as a precious resource.
10. Meeting deadlines is as important as anything else in business.
11. Business is mostly common sense. The same can’t be said of human beings.
12. Network 24/7/365 – you can never know enough people.
13. Never burn bridges – the business community is too small and inter-connected.
14. Don’t believe crap like “my word is my bond” – get it in writing.
15. Never work for free – it won’t be valued and it won’t feed your family.
16. Make sure bad news travels fast. Then fix the problem quickly.
17. Be the best at one thing - not average at many.
18. Scale only occurs when a business is built on rock-solid foundations.
19. Nobody owes you anything. So don’t sulk. Instead, figure out how to get what you want.
20. The world is uncertain so decisions will always need to be made with less than full information.
21. Slow down. Get it right the first time. Then move on to the next important thing.
22. Sacred cows are bad for business; so is the status quo.
23. Change is inevitable so get used to it.
24. Theory is nice. But hard experience is better.
25. Meetings should be short and achieve something worthwhile.
26. Don’t confuse what is urgent with what is important.
27. If you don’t know what to do, ask for help.
28. “Just be better than you were yesterday” is a great organisational strategy.
29. The worst case scenario rarely happens but you should prepare for it anyway.
30. Invest sensibly based on a good understanding of the risk but never punt.
31. Don’t outsource anything valuable or that you care about.
32. Hustle. If you’re not talking to your customers regularly there’s a good chance someone else is.
33. Hire well and slowly but fire fast.
34. Be nice.
35. Don’t employ yes-men, narcissists, lazy-types or fence-sitters. Employ people that will argue with you
and challenge you to be better and do better.
36. Achieving success is hard. Bloody hard. But it is worth it.
37. Talk is cheap. Make it crystal clear what you will AND won’t do. Then do it!
38. It’s not about being right; it’s about making progress.
39. Spend every dollar as if it was your last.
40. Sweat the small stuff (before it becomes the big stuff).
41. Don’t lie EVER.
42. Only do things that you’d be proud to tell your family about.
43. Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything.
44. Pay everyone on time every time.
45. Make no apologies for expecting your debtors to pay on time.
46. Getting press coverage is easy but most of it isn’t worth the effort.
47. Just be yourself. If you’re different at work than at a BBQ you’re faking it.
48. Mistakes are ok. Just don’t make the same ones twice.
49. Stay young even when the years start mounting up.
50. Laugh. Smile. Tell funny jokes and stories. Be the happiest person at work.
51. Ask the dumb questions to avoid making the dumb mistakes.
52. Conflict is inevitable but it must lead to reconciliation.
53. Set a great personal example and never be afraid to get your hands dirty.
54. If you think you are important or have “made it” – you’re wrong.
55. People lie on their CVs.
56. Not everything is worth learning.
57. People only change when THEY want to.
58. The ability to influence others is a key requirement to be successful.
59. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be really good.
60. Pick up the phone if you want to talk to the Prime Minister or Warren Buffett. They might answer.
61. Always think strategically. The future is coming. Be prepared for it.
62. Be able to say “you can count on me” and mean it because it is true.
63. Do the right thing because it is the right thing.
64. Add more value than you’re using up, or in other words give more than you take
65. Never give up.
While he says that these are important rules of business, I believe that most, if not all, have a place in life as well.
1. There is no substitute for hard work. EVER. Luck always seems to follow the hardest workers.
2. What people say about you (good or bad) is none of your business.
3. Most obstacles can be overcome. Some via a frontal assault, some with stealth and some with patience.
The trick is to find the weak point and bash away until it topples over.
4. Be positive. It’s rarely as bad as you think.
5. Listen to the “experts” but trust your gut and make your own decisions.
6. The most important thing is how good your product is. Everything else ranks behind that.
7. Trust is not an “easy” commodity – it takes a long time to earn it and a momentary lapse to lose it.
8. Business is a long game so be fair and ethical with all your business dealings.
9. Customers are “king” and need to be treated as a precious resource.
10. Meeting deadlines is as important as anything else in business.
11. Business is mostly common sense. The same can’t be said of human beings.
12. Network 24/7/365 – you can never know enough people.
13. Never burn bridges – the business community is too small and inter-connected.
14. Don’t believe crap like “my word is my bond” – get it in writing.
15. Never work for free – it won’t be valued and it won’t feed your family.
16. Make sure bad news travels fast. Then fix the problem quickly.
17. Be the best at one thing - not average at many.
18. Scale only occurs when a business is built on rock-solid foundations.
19. Nobody owes you anything. So don’t sulk. Instead, figure out how to get what you want.
20. The world is uncertain so decisions will always need to be made with less than full information.
21. Slow down. Get it right the first time. Then move on to the next important thing.
22. Sacred cows are bad for business; so is the status quo.
23. Change is inevitable so get used to it.
24. Theory is nice. But hard experience is better.
25. Meetings should be short and achieve something worthwhile.
26. Don’t confuse what is urgent with what is important.
27. If you don’t know what to do, ask for help.
28. “Just be better than you were yesterday” is a great organisational strategy.
29. The worst case scenario rarely happens but you should prepare for it anyway.
30. Invest sensibly based on a good understanding of the risk but never punt.
31. Don’t outsource anything valuable or that you care about.
32. Hustle. If you’re not talking to your customers regularly there’s a good chance someone else is.
33. Hire well and slowly but fire fast.
34. Be nice.
35. Don’t employ yes-men, narcissists, lazy-types or fence-sitters. Employ people that will argue with you
and challenge you to be better and do better.
36. Achieving success is hard. Bloody hard. But it is worth it.
37. Talk is cheap. Make it crystal clear what you will AND won’t do. Then do it!
38. It’s not about being right; it’s about making progress.
39. Spend every dollar as if it was your last.
40. Sweat the small stuff (before it becomes the big stuff).
41. Don’t lie EVER.
42. Only do things that you’d be proud to tell your family about.
43. Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything.
44. Pay everyone on time every time.
45. Make no apologies for expecting your debtors to pay on time.
46. Getting press coverage is easy but most of it isn’t worth the effort.
47. Just be yourself. If you’re different at work than at a BBQ you’re faking it.
48. Mistakes are ok. Just don’t make the same ones twice.
49. Stay young even when the years start mounting up.
50. Laugh. Smile. Tell funny jokes and stories. Be the happiest person at work.
51. Ask the dumb questions to avoid making the dumb mistakes.
52. Conflict is inevitable but it must lead to reconciliation.
53. Set a great personal example and never be afraid to get your hands dirty.
54. If you think you are important or have “made it” – you’re wrong.
55. People lie on their CVs.
56. Not everything is worth learning.
57. People only change when THEY want to.
58. The ability to influence others is a key requirement to be successful.
59. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be really good.
60. Pick up the phone if you want to talk to the Prime Minister or Warren Buffett. They might answer.
61. Always think strategically. The future is coming. Be prepared for it.
62. Be able to say “you can count on me” and mean it because it is true.
63. Do the right thing because it is the right thing.
64. Add more value than you’re using up, or in other words give more than you take
65. Never give up.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Its about time
Its about time I posted something again.
Its been 9 months.
Its also time for a new and worthy activity.
I've been training martial arts with the same instructor for 8 years.
For the last few years, we have been doing less and less martial arts, and more fitness-related activities.
I've got nothing against fitness, but I'm not 20 any more. My doctor reminds me that every time I see her. I have no ability, and NO desire to be pushed like a 20-something athlete.
I started training to get into better shape, and to have fun.
Martial arts was a way to do that. I made some great friends, learned some good skills, and improved my balance and confidence.
My friends have moved on because they too enjoyed martial arts, but we're not doing that any more. I think I may have to move on as well.
I respect my instructor because he's my friend. So I'll do the right thing, and tell him how I'm feeling. Rather than just quitting and going to train some place else, I'll see if he's actually willing to bring martial arts back into the curriculum.
I miss forms. I miss sparring. I miss my sword and my bo-staff.
Its been 9 months.
Its also time for a new and worthy activity.
I've been training martial arts with the same instructor for 8 years.
For the last few years, we have been doing less and less martial arts, and more fitness-related activities.
I've got nothing against fitness, but I'm not 20 any more. My doctor reminds me that every time I see her. I have no ability, and NO desire to be pushed like a 20-something athlete.
I started training to get into better shape, and to have fun.
Martial arts was a way to do that. I made some great friends, learned some good skills, and improved my balance and confidence.
My friends have moved on because they too enjoyed martial arts, but we're not doing that any more. I think I may have to move on as well.
I respect my instructor because he's my friend. So I'll do the right thing, and tell him how I'm feeling. Rather than just quitting and going to train some place else, I'll see if he's actually willing to bring martial arts back into the curriculum.
I miss forms. I miss sparring. I miss my sword and my bo-staff.
Monday, January 18, 2010
VOMIT and BARF
I heard a couple of interesting acronyms that fit the medical imaging industry.
VOMIT
Victim
Of
Medical
Imaging
Technologies
and
BARF
Brainless
Application of
Radiological
Findings
I felt compelled to record these here for posterity.
VOMIT
Victim
Of
Medical
Imaging
Technologies
and
BARF
Brainless
Application of
Radiological
Findings
I felt compelled to record these here for posterity.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The Duct Tape Programmer
I have been reading Joel Spolsky's stuff for a long time. He has a particularly unique common sense approach to software development. His outlook tends to support my own feelings on 'big business' and software development.
His latest article hits particularly close to home.
The Duct Tape Programmer talks about 'practical programmers', that is, programmers who are more concerned with just getting the job done, and less concerned about being flashy. I have worked with a number of astronaut developers who work far above the actual product. These people are more concerned with using the latest tool or technique. What the customer wants, or WHEN they want it, is a secondary concern to them.
Read Joel's article and gain a little insight into blue collar software development.
His latest article hits particularly close to home.
The Duct Tape Programmer talks about 'practical programmers', that is, programmers who are more concerned with just getting the job done, and less concerned about being flashy. I have worked with a number of astronaut developers who work far above the actual product. These people are more concerned with using the latest tool or technique. What the customer wants, or WHEN they want it, is a secondary concern to them.
Read Joel's article and gain a little insight into blue collar software development.
Friday, August 28, 2009
SQL Server, Windows locales, and the default user
I've run into this before, so I'm writing it down now.
I have a package of software that contains an interactive component, as well as several services. All pieces add and update SQL server database entries that contain dates. These dates are of DateTime type.
We ran the package on a machine that was originally configured with a Canadian locale, and its associated date formats. At some point, the admin user account had its locale changed to US and then SQL server 2005 was installed.
The problem was that the interactive component created database entries with correct date formats, but the services were trying to update with incorrect date formats. Both pieces got their date values using the DateTime.Now function.
Turns out that the services were running as the LocalSystem user, and the interactive piece was running as the logged in admin user. The LocalSystem uses the locale associated with the Default user. The admin user had been configured with a US locale, and the Default user still had the Canadian locale that was set during the initial Windows install.
To fix this,
- Open Control Panel
- Select Regional and Language Options
- In XP, select the Advanced tab
- Select the check box "Apply all settings to the current user and to the Default user profile"
- Click Apply
- In Vista, select the Administrative tab
- Click the "Copy to reserved accounts..."
- Click Apply
You will need to restart any services that are running as the LocalSystem user for this to take effect.
Whew!!
I have a package of software that contains an interactive component, as well as several services. All pieces add and update SQL server database entries that contain dates. These dates are of DateTime type.
We ran the package on a machine that was originally configured with a Canadian locale, and its associated date formats. At some point, the admin user account had its locale changed to US and then SQL server 2005 was installed.
The problem was that the interactive component created database entries with correct date formats, but the services were trying to update with incorrect date formats. Both pieces got their date values using the DateTime.Now function.
Turns out that the services were running as the LocalSystem user, and the interactive piece was running as the logged in admin user. The LocalSystem uses the locale associated with the Default user. The admin user had been configured with a US locale, and the Default user still had the Canadian locale that was set during the initial Windows install.
To fix this,
- Open Control Panel
- Select Regional and Language Options
- In XP, select the Advanced tab
- Select the check box "Apply all settings to the current user and to the Default user profile"
- Click Apply
- In Vista, select the Administrative tab
- Click the "Copy to reserved accounts..."
- Click Apply
You will need to restart any services that are running as the LocalSystem user for this to take effect.
Whew!!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A Car Show In Cedar Falls Iowa
I recently took a driving vacation with my family to see Mount Rushmore. It included a stop over in Cedar Falls Iowa for a day off from driving and a chance to check out their annual car show.
Here are some pics on the way to, and at the show.
Flickr
I especially liked the Corvair pickup I saw in the parking lot of a neighboring hotel when we went to leave the next morning.
Why Tape Measure Claws Move Around
I always wondered why the claw at the end of my tape measures never seemed to be riveted on securely. My favorite tool blog has the answer!
Toolmonger
Toolmonger
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Specify a Date Format on The Fly
I write DICOM migration software in C#, and was recently faced with the task of setting a date format on the fly so that I could convert any date to DICOM format.
After much Googling, I found that DateTime has a TryParseExact() method that will allow you to specify the source string date format and put the successfully parsed date into a previously defined DateTime object. Once it was here, it was easy to use ToString() to format it DICOM-style.
CultureInfo enUS = new CultureInfo("en-US");
DateTime dt;
if (DateTime.TryParseExact(txtDateToConvert.Text, txtDateFormat.Text.Trim(), enUS, DateTimeStyles.None, out dt))
{
if (null != dt)
txtDICOMdate.Text = dt.ToString("yyyyMMdd");
}
After much Googling, I found that DateTime has a TryParseExact() method that will allow you to specify the source string date format and put the successfully parsed date into a previously defined DateTime object. Once it was here, it was easy to use ToString() to format it DICOM-style.
CultureInfo enUS = new CultureInfo("en-US");
DateTime dt;
if (DateTime.TryParseExact(txtDateToConvert.Text, txtDateFormat.Text.Trim(), enUS, DateTimeStyles.None, out dt))
{
if (null != dt)
txtDICOMdate.Text = dt.ToString("yyyyMMdd");
}
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Fixing Vista's Folder Views
I finally had enough of Vista seemingly randomly setting the folder view on me. It never seems to be right. I want a details view for everything, so I went digging for the answers and came up with the following.
You can force the 'All Items' template on to all folders with the following:
Copy the text between the lines below into notepad & save as a .reg file.
Watch out for line wrap -- [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\...\Shell] is all one line,
there is a space between 'Local' and 'Settings'.
--------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="NotSpecified"
--------------------------------------------------
Merging the .reg file will set the 'All Items' template for any folders that
don't currently have a view saved with a different template. You can clear
all saved views by deleting the
"HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags"
key BEFORE merging the .reg file. If any folders open with a different
template after clearing the 'Bags' key & merging the .reg file, they most
likely have a template specified via their desktop.ini file.
You can force the 'All Items' template on to all folders with the following:
Copy the text between the lines below into notepad & save as a .reg file.
Watch out for line wrap -- [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\...\Shell] is all one line,
there is a space between 'Local' and 'Settings'.
--------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="NotSpecified"
--------------------------------------------------
Merging the .reg file will set the 'All Items' template for any folders that
don't currently have a view saved with a different template. You can clear
all saved views by deleting the
"HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags"
key BEFORE merging the .reg file. If any folders open with a different
template after clearing the 'Bags' key & merging the .reg file, they most
likely have a template specified via their desktop.ini file.
Quotes
Just a few quotes I found while cruising the HAMB. The thread was created for car-related quotes and sayings, but I think that some of these apply to 'life'.
- After working on it you can climb in and go places. Who's got a cooler hobby?
- It's the pushing that matters, not the boundary.
- A lack of pre-planning on your part does in no way constitute an emergency on mine
- Proper planning prevents piss poor performance
- "Our Lady of Blessed acceleration, don't fail me now" Elwood J. Blues
- When you get done polishing a turd you still have a turd.
- Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
My Camaro
Its not much, but its a start. I finally have a genuine 1967 Camaro Rally Sport. Its just a shell with doors, a rear axle, some interior parts, and other bits. The good news is that it came with an Ontario registration and paperwork from GM Canada showing that it was a 275hp 327 with an M20 4 speed and a 12 bolt posi rear axle.
Now, if they'd only get my new garage finished.
Go to Flickr for the full set.
Now, if they'd only get my new garage finished.
Go to Flickr for the full set.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Lucas Restorations
If you are looking for someone to restore your First Generation Camaro, THIS looks like the place.
An awesome website to browse and see some nicely restored first gen Camaros.
By the way, this is exactly what I'd like to build. This is a real 67 Z/28, but I'd settle for a good clone.
Lucas Restorations
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Use Windows Installer Properties When Setting Registry Key Values
Whew! That's a mouthful!
I needed to set a registry key value based on the the installation directory of the package. Turns out you can use Windows Installer properties enclosed in square brackets.
Like this...
[TARGETDIR]bob.exe
... to get at the bob.exe in its install directory. This expands to...
C:\Program Files\Bob Application\bob.exe
... in the registry during installation.
You can use properties like
I needed to set a registry key value based on the the installation directory of the package. Turns out you can use Windows Installer properties enclosed in square brackets.
Like this...
[TARGETDIR]bob.exe
... to get at the bob.exe in its install directory. This expands to...
C:\Program Files\Bob Application\bob.exe
... in the registry during installation.
You can use properties like
- TARGETDIR
- ProgramFilesFolder
- Manufacturer
- ProductName
- SystemFolder
Monday, June 9, 2008
How To Reboot From A Remote Desktop
When you are connected to a remote Windows machine using Remote Desktop, you need to restart that computer. Maybe you installed some new software, or maybe something whacky is happening and you need a reboot to 'start fresh'.
Unfortunately, you can't restart the remote machine using the Start menu. That option is not there.
You can restart the remote machine from the command prompt.
From the command-line ("cmd"), just do one of the following.
- "shutdown" to shutdown
- "shutdown -r" to reboot
- "shutdown -i" to get a GUI
- "shutdown -l" to logoff
Unfortunately, you can't restart the remote machine using the Start menu. That option is not there.
You can restart the remote machine from the command prompt.
From the command-line ("cmd"), just do one of the following.
- "shutdown" to shutdown
- "shutdown -r" to reboot
- "shutdown -i" to get a GUI
- "shutdown -l" to logoff
Friday, May 23, 2008
Why C Programming Skills Are Important
I think this quote is awesome, but the whole post is worth a read for anyone thinking about learning C.
"A lousy developer who happens to know C is simply better equipped to hurt himself or somebody nearby."
C and Morse Code
"A lousy developer who happens to know C is simply better equipped to hurt himself or somebody nearby."
C and Morse Code
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Firefox Hates YouTube
For the past while, Firefox on my machine at work, as well as both of my machines at home, refuses to play any more than 2 seconds worth of video on YouTube. It doesn't matter whether I'm actually on YouTube, or trying to play an embedded video, the result is the same: Video starts and then stops at 2 seconds. In the mean time, the cache indicator is marching across the screen, so you know that the video is streaming from YouTube, but the Flash player is frozen.
I tried many different fixes like clearing Firefox's cache, disabling and removing the Real Player add-in. No luck, until today.
Seems that QuickTime has some sort of hook into Firefox to allow itself to start playing videos as soon as a network connection is made, rather than spooling a small amount before playing.
I followed these instructions, and it now appears as though Firefox and YouTube play well together again.
I tried many different fixes like clearing Firefox's cache, disabling and removing the Real Player add-in. No luck, until today.
Seems that QuickTime has some sort of hook into Firefox to allow itself to start playing videos as soon as a network connection is made, rather than spooling a small amount before playing.
I followed these instructions, and it now appears as though Firefox and YouTube play well together again.
- Start Menu > Programs > QuickTime > QuickTime Player
- Edit > Preferences > QuickTime Preferences > Streaming
- Look at the second box where it says Enable Instant-On and remove the check mark from this box.
- Click Apply and then OK.
- Restart Firefox
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Chevy Engine Codes
Stumbled on a good listing of Chevrolet small and big block engine code stamping numbers and what each means.
Go to NastyZ28.com
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
32 Chevy Coupe - Different Deuce
I just discovered Rod And Custom's website, and found another sweet, low, old school ride. This time a Chevrolet twist on a '32.
Check out their write-up here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)