Hacks and Gadgets by HJL

Twhirl has a handy auto-update feature, which was giving me problems for the past few weeks. Normally, it will  notice that there is an update available and ask if you’d like to install it, but the most recent update (0.8.4) didn’t work. I was getting these error messages:

The application could not be installed because the AIR file is damaged. Try obtaining a new AIR file from the application author

An error occurred while updating the application. Try updating it again. If the problem persists, contact the application author.

After a few tries, I was guessing that it might be an AIR problem; this weekend I finally got around to some computer housekeeping, and downloaded the latest AIR runtime (1.1) from Adobe, after which the Twirl update successfully completed. Some less cryptic error messages would be helpful.

Last week I upgraded to Firefox 2.0.0.8, and discovered that Java-based web applets no longer worked. This was with Java JRE 1.6 update 3, on Windows Vista.

My initial workaround has been to use Internet Explorer to view the Java applications. Over the weekend I had a little time to investigate, and it turns out this is a known problem, and there is a workaround that will fix this until the next update to Firefox:

As mentioned in today’s Weekly Update, a serious regression involving Firefox 2.0.0.8 and JAVA (JRE 1.6 update 3)on Windows Vista ONLY has been identified. Bug 400467: Java broken on Vista after Firefox 2.0.0.8 upgrade (says Java Not Found, Or Not Working). Reviewing the bug report, the bug filer had upgraded to Fx 2.0.0.8 earlier that morning and attempted to launch/play a JAVA based game at Pogo.com and was told that they could access the site with IE7. There is a possible work-around for this:

1. Right click Firefox icon and choose “Run as administrator”
2. Accept UAC prompt
3. Enter any site which use a Java applet, Java should load normally
4. Close Firefox
5. Run Firefox again, but in normal mode (without administrator privileges)

This worked for me. This is a surprisingly major bug to get through the release process, though.

This weekend, I’ve been doing a clean install of Windows 2000 on an old computer, starting with original Windows 2000, then the SP4 rollup, then running Windows Update to load all the miscellaneous patches.

Unfortunately, on a clean install of Win2K followed by SP4 (which tightened the security model), Windows Update won’t work, as it want to install and use the updated BITS service. The symptoms are that it will try to install, then report that the installation failed.

After a lengthy search online, here are the two steps that appear to fix it (worked for me):

1. Make sure that “Microsoft Client for Networks” is one of the installed services for the network adapter. I started out with just TCP/IP. I’m not completely convinced that this is needed, but it was mentioned in a few places.

2. In the User Administration control panel, add Administrator (or the account you’re using to update from) to the Backup Operators group.

After making these two changes, Windows Update will begin to work as expected, instead of failing every time.

I have an Ott-Lite desk lamp. It puts out a nice white light which is great for reading and task work, but it also emits a modest buzzing / humming sound. I think the sound is from a transformer or some other part of the power supply for the fluorescent tube. I can make it stop if I press firmly on the middle, but it resumes as soon as I let go.

The Ott-Lite is by far the loudest piece of equipment in my office, since I’ve gotten the computers running virtually silent now.

Anyone know how to make the buzzing stop? I’ve tried paper shims, putty, and general banging on the case with no success.

It’s too bad, since otherwise it’s a great lamp. If you have a higher tolerance for ambient noise, or work with headphones on, I’d recommend it without hesitation. I find I swap between the Ott-Lite and my halogen lamp because of the noise.

I was recently at Fry’s Electronics looking for replacement ink cartridges for an HP G95, and decided to try the refilled cartridges this time around.

I wouldn’t recommend refills for photo printing, but for everyday draft printing and copying, the generic ink cartridge refills seem to be a completely transparent substitution.

The price difference between the official HP cartridges and the refilled ones is substantial. The standard HP 51645A (45ml) black ink cartridge was around $29, while the refill (Innojet) was around $19. I noticed that the refilled cartridges are marked “Remanufactured in China”, so it’s apparently worth collecting the empty cartridges, sending them to China for refill, then shipping them back to the US. The print heads are the tricky part to manufacture, and don’t wear out nearly as quickly as the cartridge runs out, which makes it attractive to refill them.

Most of the printer’s output gets thrown out after a few days, so it’s loaded with the generic ($0.99 per ream) recycled paper, and I can’t tell any difference in output quality in everyday use. The color cartridge initially seemed to have a clogged nozzle, which I cleared using the normal printer maintenance utility. This might be a problem for some users, but I’ve had problems with clogged nozzles on HP original cartridges as well, which is how I became acquainted with the printer maintenance utility.

The refilled cartridges have original HP print heads, so assuming the nozzles are clean, the main difference is in the quality of the ink. HP’s inks are likely to be more fade resistant and have a greater color gamut than aftermarket ink. If nothing else, the HP print drivers are developed for use with HP ink components, and the refilled color cartridge is unlikely to be an exact match, so photos may look better with HP ink.

For casual users, though, the combination of cheap paper and cheap ink seems quite practical.

I don’t currently have this problem, but you may also be interested in resetting the HP cartridge DRM.

Update 10-21-2006 11:01 PDT - Today I got a refilled color (78A) cartridge, in which the cyan didn’t work at all. I exchanged it at Fry’s for another, which is working fine. In contrast, I’ve never had an HP ink cartridge fail out of the box. So there’s an additional tradeoff between cost and reliability. For casual use, the $10-per-cartridge discount is still worth it for us, but on the other hand, we’re only 5 minutes from Fry’s, and go through a lot of ink.

If I’m feeling adventurous / bored, I may try one of the ink refilling kits next time around.

I’m going to try setting up a space for tech-oriented posts that might otherwise be too obscure, mundane, or generally not fit in over at the main site. I suppose I could think of these as “tactical hacks” as opposed to “strategic hacks”, but it’s just as likely to provide a home for notes on dealing with Wordpress or whatever randomly flawed equipment I’ve encountered.