Friday, November 01, 2013

Showing Detailed Errors with Classic ASP

Many hosting companies had detailed errors turned off, as information in the error messages can often provide hacker with clues that allow them to hack web sites. But as developers, we all know that just because everything worked great in the development environment, doesn't mean it all works when we upload to production. And those error messages are essential when debugging Classic ASP.

So you FTP your site up, go and get the 500 Internal error, with no clue as to what it is. Here's how to get those detailed error messages back so you can debug.

Create a web.config file

In that file enter:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <configuration>
    <system.webServer>
    <httpErrors errorMode="Detailed" />
  </system.webServer>
</configuration>

Save the file and upload it to the web server. Viola! Now you can get a detailed error so you can see just where the where the error is happening and what it is.

I suggest that once you solve the issue, that you turn detailed errors back off again. Every little bit of security helps when it comes to keeping your site secure.
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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Newest Website Launched

Yeah, I just completed a new website for aficionados of tactical tomahawks, hand axes and hatchets called TomahawkDB.If you've ever considered buying a tomahawk, hand axe, or hatchet, this site will give you all the information you need to make an informed buying decision. Stats include weight, length, blade width, blade length, steel type, steel hardness, handle type and pricing. So check it out, that's an order!
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Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Using SQL to Replace Smart Quotes and Other Special Characters

UPDATE [table_name] SET [column_name] = REPLACE( [column_name], '’', '''')
UPDATE [table_name] SET [column_name] = REPLACE( [column_name], '–', '--')
UPDATE [table_name] SET [column_name] = REPLACE( [column_name], '“', '"')
UPDATE [table_name] SET [column_name] = REPLACE( [column_name], '”', '"')
UPDATE [table_name] SET [column_name] = REPLACE( [column_name], '…', '...')
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Monday, December 10, 2012

Must Have Free and Open Source Software

All of the applications are free to use, freeware or open-source. A couple of them have a trial period (you can still use the software after the trial has run out) or there's a purchasable version as well. I've also listed several similar applications (like Firefox and Chrome for browsers or Foxit Reader and Sumatra PDF for PDF readers) so that you can find your your own personal favorite. You don't need both, but it's nice to have something to chose from.

Video:
  • VLC - Open source video player.
  • Media Player Classic - Home Cinema - Light-weight media player for Windows. I personally like MPC-HC much better than VLC. Supports more codecs/formats and video looks better.
  • Combined Community Codec Pack - A simple playback pack for Windows with the goal of supporting the majority of video formats in use today. Must have if you watch certain tv-shows or anime.
Audio:
  • Foobar 2000 - Extremely lightweight and customizable free audio player for Windows. Supports a wide array of different audio formats.
  • Audacity - Free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.
  • Spotify - Listen to music for free.
  • Grooveshark - Listen to music and radio stations for free.
Browsers:
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Waterfox - 64bit browser based upon the Mozilla Firefox source code.
  • Pale Moon - Open Source, full-featured, speed optimized browser based on the popular Firefox browser.
Extensions for browsers:
  • Reddit Enhancement Suite - Make surfing Reddit so much more enjoyable. Highly customizable and easy to set up.
  • Adblock Plus - Blocks annoying ads on webpages and in videos. Surf faster and safer.
  • Ghostery - Anti ad/tracking extension.
  • ProxTube - Circumvent blocked Youtube videos.
  • Speed Dial - Allows fast access to your most visited websites. Extremely useful if you visit or want to keep track off a lot of different websites.
  • NoScript - Open source add-on (for Firefox) which allows JavaScript, Java, Flash and other plugins to be executed only by trusted web sites of your choice.
  • ScriptNo - Similar to NoScript only for Chrome instead.
  • Search by Image for Google (Firefox) - Fast way to reverse search an image. Very handy if you're looking for a source, more information or if anyone posts "original content".
  • Search by Image for Google (Chrome)
Security:
System, cleaning and recovery:
  • CCleaner - A freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool.
  • Deffragler - Defragmentation software.
  • Recuva - File recovery software.
  • Speccy - Give you detailed statistics on every piece of hardware in your computer.
Communications:
  • Skype - Call friends/family on their computers or phones.
  • Pidgin - Open source chat client which is compatible with several different chat networks.
  • Trillian - A fully featured, stand-alone chat client that supports several different chat networks.
  • HexChat - IRC chat program for both Linux and Windows.
Documents, images and graphics:
  • Foxit Reader - Free PDF reader.
  • Sumatra PDF - Free PDF reader.
  • Open Office - Open source personal productivity suite.
  • Libre Office - Open source personal productivity suite for Windows, Mac and Linux.
  • GIMP - Free image manipulation software.
  • IrfanView - The best freeware image/graphic viewer for Windows. Extremely lightweight and supports a wide arrange of different formats.
Compression:
  • WinRAR - File archiver (You can still use the software after the trial period has run out).
  • 7-Zip - Open source file archiver.
File sharing:
  • uTorrent 2.2.1 - uTorrent became extremely bloated after they released version 3.0 and on. Version 2.2.1 has everything you need without using many resources or having any ads.
  • Transmission - Extremely lightweight BitTorrent client for Mac and Linux. There's an unofficial Windows version which you can get here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/trqtw/
  • Deluge - Lightweight, cross-platform BitTorrent client.
  • qBittorrent - Free, lightweight cross-platform BitTorrent client.
CD/DVD-tools:
Online Storage:
  • Dropbox - Cloud storage.
  • Google Drive - Google's cloud storage solution similar to Dropbox.
  • Skydrive - Microsoft's cloud storage solution.
Other:
  • Steam - PC-game client for PC, Mac and Linux (Linux version is still in closed beta).
  • f.lux - Makes the color of your computer's display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day. Must have if you have problems with going to sleep or have problems with eyes or headaches.
  • Open Broadcaster Software - Free and open source software for media streaming.
  • Sublime Text 2 - A great text editor for code, markup and prose.
  • Notepad++ - Free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages.
  • Rainlendar - A lightweight customizable calendar.
  • Hamachi - A hosted VPN service that lets you create LAN-like networks. Very useful if you want to play older pc-games with friends.
  • Tunngle - A p2p VPN tool somewhat similar to Hamachi.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

If Programming Languages were Transportation

Language   TransportationComment
Perl
Muscle car
Old school, still pretty awesome
C
Shoes
Get EXACTLY where you want to be
C++
Airplane
Complicated enough yet?
Go
Hydraplane
Like C++, but the landing is easier
Lua
Roller blades
Whip this out anywhere
C#
Car
Fast, comfortable and convenient
Lisp
Vostok rocket
Amazingly futurist, and yet strangely outdated
Haskell
Segway
A curiosity not fit for practical use
COBOL
Flintstones car
Your grandparents thought it was obsolete
Python
Bike
Fun but slow
Ruby
BMX
Python for cool kids
Brainfuck
Slinky
Well TECHNICALLY it can go anywhere
Prolog
Zeppelin
slow, useless and outdated, but still awesome
Pascal
Antique Bentley
Fond memories
Bash
Elevator
Not hip, but practical
Javascript
Subway
You're not anything special
Typescript
Tramway
At least the view is nicer
VHDL
Steamroller
A vehicle that enables other vehicles!
Objective-C
Hummer
In some places it's the only thing you'll see - and you'll only see it there
Java
Astronaut suit
Will run ANYWHERE, but damned inconvenient to do anything with
PHP
Motorized wheelchair
hurr durr
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Monday, October 29, 2012

Free Computer Games

Action:
Arcade:
Strategy:
Roguelikes:
Roleplaying games:
Adventure:
Driving:
Online Multiplayer and MMO's:
Other
Platformers and metroidvanias:
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Friday, October 26, 2012

Must Have Free Computer Software

Here's the good free stuff (may want to look into F.lux as well):
The following can all be downloaded using Ninite - an easy downloading software that will download and update programs for you:
The free antivirus war popped up again. Basically, all of their success rates are very close together. Right now, I'm using avast! instead of avira. Honestly, as long as you don't go for something weird, any of the free AV programs will work.

Here are some more good ones:
  • CDBurnerXP - if you still burn CDs or DVDs, this is probably the best free option.
  • Inkscape - as close to Illustrator as you're going to get for free.
  • Paint.Net - GIMP pissing you off? Try this.
  • FileZilla - if you're using FTP at all, you want this.
  • wget - if you're comfortable with the command line, this is one of your best friends for downloading stuff.
  • Calibre Got a few ebooks? You probably want this.
  • HandBrake For all your DVD ripping needs.
  • Rootkit Revealer detecting them rootkits.
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Sunday, October 07, 2012

Good Single Player PC RPG Games

Some are new, some are old. All are good and/or great. I will leave it up to you to choose which ones you are willing to try.

NOTE: Placement does not indicate which one is better/worse, just the general time period the game is set in, when I remembered the game name and wrote it.

Set in some futuristic world
Set in some post-apocalyptic world
Set in the modern world
Set in some pre-modern world, after the invention of guns.
Set in some pre-modern world, before the invention of guns.
Have fun!
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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Change Schema assigned to a User in SQL Server 2008 R2

Yeah, I needed to do this the other day. When I restored a database, the users who came along with it came with their own schemas. I wanted them to be under the dbo schema.

Pretty easy to do. Open Query Analyzer and type:

USE
GO
Alter User With Default Schema = ;
GO

database name = name of the database (duh)
user name = name of the user you want to change the schema for
schema name = name of the scheme you want to user to use

Do this for each user you want to change schema for. Sucks if it's a bunch!
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Home Made Icepack, Home Made Heatpack

For those weekend warriors out there who might have overdone it....

Home Made Ice Pack
Got a boo-boo and need to ice it? We've all seen those gel cold packs you put in the freezer. Easier than ice becasue it stays pliable. Instead of buying one, make your own. Fill a ziplock bag with dish soap and freeze it! It remains pliable and cold for quite some time. Keep a couple in the freezer....

Home made Heat Pack
Looking for heat instead of cold? Fill a sock with rice and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute (or until it reaches the desired heat level). It holds heat incredibly well.
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