Cannot open PDF files in Internet Explorer

If you received an error "There is a problem with Adobe Acrobat/Reader. If it is running, please exit and try again (xx:xx)." in Windows XP/Vista/7 and using Adobe Acrobat Reader X, just simply:

1. Close your current IE browser and open Adobe Acrobat Reader X
2. From the menu select Edit - Preference - General 
3. Uncheck mark the option for Enable Protected Mode at startup
4. Click "Yes" if you are prompted to “manually restart the application” 
5. Press "OK" to continue
6. Exit from Adobe Acrobat Reader X and open your browser again
7. Try to preview or load the PDF files again


If these steps still not working, uninstall the Adobe Reader X with a lower version (9 or 8) or try using another free PDF reader such as FoxIt Reader.

Using ImTOO DVD Ripper

Just tested using one of the popular software for DVD ripper from ImTOO Software Studio, DVD Ripper Platinum. Never try to convert one of my favorites DVD movies to my Google Android-based mobile phone. Hopefully can accompany me in a trip by watching movies using my phone next weekend.

After a quick installation, the software is ready to begin ripping from DVD to AVI. Conversion feature are extensive, can convert to different type of format such as AVI, MPEG, WMV, XviD and many more to mostly existing portable players.

Although the software has a lot of options, the interface and layout are quite nice and makes me feel easy to use for a beginner. The default setting is using high quality version, remember to change it to different optimization that suit your needs.

For more details you can visit their site here and mac version here.

Formula problem in Open Office and Microsoft Office

Be careful when using formula for different type of spreadsheet software such as Open Office 3 and Microsoft Office 2003. Although using the same XLS file extension, the result in formula will be different. The error was slightly simple, but will cause you a lot of problems at the end. The error I found recently:

=IF(A1=0,"",A1)

In Open Office the formula result when A1 = 0 is 0
In Microsoft Office the formula result when A1 = 0 is ""

The result "" will cause error when you try to use it with other formula such as multiply or any other math formula.

Just revise the "" to 0 (zero)

=IF(A1=0,0,A1)

And everything will be fine.

Already tried to open the XLS (Open Office version) in Office 2007, and still got the same "" result. So, it's better to change to string conversion to zero instead.

How to delete Yahoo Messenger Custom Status Messages

Today I just realized that YM don't have the menu/setting to delete the custom status messages.

So, how to delete it anyway?

1. Just type another custom status message
From the Yahoo Messenger official site:

Yahoo! Messenger "remembers" the last 9 custom status messages you create. If there are currently 9 custom messages in Messenger's memory and you add a new one, it forgets the oldest one and replaces it with the new one.

Although there's no way to manually delete the old custom status messages, they'll be deleted as you make new ones.

That's why no available setting/menu to delete it right? It's automatically deleted!

2. Delete it the hard way

a. Click START
b. Click RUN
c. Type "regedit" without quotes
d. Select the tree with the following:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\yahoo\pager\profiles\"Your YM ID"\Custom Msgs

At this point you can see all the custom messages.

e. Right click on the selected messages in NAME column and click DELETE
Repeat this step if you want to delete more status

3. Delete it the easier way

Just download Andy's Clear/Edit Yahoo Messenger Status History utility.

4. If nothing works for you, try to reinstall YM again :)

Just give comments if you want to share more tips to delete it.

Joomla at a glance

Joomla is an open source content management system referred by tens of thousands as the best CMS (Content Management System) in the world.

After being installed, we can set up sections, categories, content items and much more add-ons to our new website. Forget the HTML, PHP, Ajax and any other languages for coding the websites, because using Joomla means create a website using friendly menus. With just point and click interface, it will be much easier.

Sounds interesting right?

The fact is, you must really get used to the menus and the terms in Joomla. The terms "easier" means everything are much easier than coding it entirely from the first place!

So, the first thing you can do is find the best source in the internet to learn it or for me I have my own “Joomla! For Dummies” book as guidance.

Next step you have to download the latest version of Joomla (you can download it here for the latest version). And remember to download the database component (I'm using XAMPP it means linuX, Ajax, Mysql, PHP, Perl). You can download XAMPP from this link.

The hard part (for me) is selecting the best template that suits you.
I prefer some FREE templates you can choose:
- Joomla24
- JoomlaShack
- SiteGround

Now you will begin sweating and swearing, it is not that easy as it says huh?

If you are a serious user and want to design it more professional you must find website professionals or get some help from ecommerce web services if you want to get the best of your internet business.

Not to worry if you are just starting new business and using website as your media, because generally web services can help you in the retail business.

Solving "Too many different cell formats" error message in Excel

This error appear when your try to format a cell or a range of cells.

And the reason you getting this message because your workbook exceeds more than approximately 4,000 different combination of cell format. A combination is defined as a unique set of formatting elements that are applied to a cell. A combination includes all font formatting (for example: typeface, font size, italic, bold, and underline), borders (for example: location, weight, and color), cell patterns, number formatting, alignment, and cell protection.

WARNING!
If you are in the middle of saving your files, just save as the file to a different name. So, it didn't temper the previous version of your file.

For the quick fix:
1. Use the same type of font or use the standard font
2. Use borders format consistently. For example do not overlap formatting the same border
3. Remove the patterns by clicking No Color in the Patterns tab of the Format Cells dialog box

Try to save your file after apply these quick fixes.

Some ways to solve this problem:
1. Install or use Open Office. Open the file. Save and replace the file.
Open Office organized and formatting information is slightly different from Microsoft. Hopefully can solve the issue temporarily.
2. This final tip WILL works 100%. Upgrade your current Excel version to Excel 2007. Because the limitation is upgrade to 64.000 different combination.

Hopefully this tip can help. Just drop some other comments that can resolve the issue.

The Basics of Home Security

Sometimes people always forget and careless about how important the security systems on their own home. Although in the neighborhoods the burglary rarely occur, it is better to prevent the crime to take place in our own home.

There are two types, for indoor and outdoor.

For the indoor:

• Just lock the doors and windows as a habit. Even you leave the house for a few minutes. With the modern technology the use of home alarm will help a lot.
• Try to illuminate as much of your expensive property. It will lure the thieves to be the target of a crime.
• When on vacation remember to set the electronic timers for indoor lights, TV or radio.

And for the outdoor:

• Please don't leave any house keys near the door, such as doormat, potted plant or even above the door. It's too easy for the thief to find it. Nowadays, this silly act can be change by simply using the latest home security device such as fingerprint door lock.
• Remember to lock the garage door, because it's not funny to know that thieves will use the tools available in the garage to break into your house.
• Use timers to maintain the outdoor lights. This simple tip will create illusion that is somebody in the house.
• Be a good neighbor. When on vacation, we can the neighbors to pick up the mails or newspapers, so it looks like there are people in the house.

With all the precaution we take, technology surely can help us more. By installing a complete home security system in the house such as burglary detection, CCTV, fire and smoke detection, carbon monoxide detectors, gas detectors and other safety devices.

Delete DrWtsn32.log to free up space

Just found a large file while defragmenting my hardrive. The DrWtsn32.log file holds about 400MB. That's a lot!

It is safe to delete this file?

After googling, I found out that the file was generated from Dr. Watson Windows XP application itself. It is a program error debugger that detects and diagnoses program errors and creates User.dmp and DrWtsn32.log files to contain the diagnostic data.

In Windows NT these files are stored in the %systemroot% folder. In Windows 2000, these files are stored in the %systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\DrWatson folder.

For Windows XP, these files are stored in the %systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson folder.

The DrWtsn32.log file is appended each time a program error occurs; the User.dmp file is overwritten each time.

To turn off the Dr Watson debugger, apply the following Windows NT / Windows 2000 / Windows XP registry hack:

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AeDebug
Name: Auto
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0 disable
Value: 1 enable

To re-enable Dr Watson, you can change Auto back to 1 or from the command line type drwtsn -i.

For the conclusion, just delete DrWtsn32.log anyway. It's no harm whatsoever.