Random Tech Questions you want answered.

LouZiffer wrote:
merphle wrote:

I don't see how there's any question about legality, provided you have an officially licensed, purchased copy of OSX to install. Which is exactly what I did a few years back, in a VirtualBox VM, thinking I was going to get into iOS development - and never did.

Edit: But IANAL, and you should of course not treat anything you read online as legal advice.

I did purchase the OSX Snow Leopard installer disc direct from Apple for about $30, but it doesn't look like they offer that any more. :(

macOS (was OS X) is no longer something you can purchase separate from a Mac, and is only licensed to run on Apple hardware.

So if I apply the Apple stickers that came with my Snow Leopard install disc to my PC case, I should be ok to install in a VM, right?

No.

For installing an actual Mac, you'd download an installer, though.

merphle wrote:

So if I apply the Apple stickers that came with my Snow Leopard install disc to my PC case, I should be ok to install in a VM, right?

The real test:

Apply the sticker. Open the case, and unplug the power button cable from the Mobo header. Take the machine to the Jeenyus Bar and tell them it won't turn on. If they look at it then tell you it's a really really expensive fix and it will just be cheaper to buy a new Mac, then you're good - it qualifies as a Mac.

-BEP

I have an Excel spreadsheet that lists a few thousand orders of products, with a column that includes the tracking info for when the product was shipped. The piece of info I am trying to pull from this spreadsheet is, of all these products that were ordered, how many individual shipments were sent (shipments often contain many products and thus will list the same tracking info each for each product listed that went into a given shipment).

My plan was to use conditional formatting on the tracking column to highlight all only one instance of each tracking code in the column--so, basically, highlight any codes that are a)unique or b)the first of something which has subsequent repeats. I would then sort by highlight to put all the highlighted entries at the top and then just see how many entries were highlighted.

I spent 30-40 minutes trying various Excel formulae that claimed to do this but none of them worked--in one case I saw duplicates repeatedly highlighted, in another case I saw some highlighted correctly while other codes with repeats never got their one highlight.

It feels like this shouldn't be that complicated--I want to know how many distinct values are in a field, which I feel like must be a common need--but I can't figure it out. Does anyone know how to do this? Or have a better idea how to extract this info?

Copy that column with tracking info to a new sheet.

Select the column on the new sheet and go to Data -> Remove Duplicates.

See how many values you have remaining.

LouZiffer wrote:
merphle wrote:

I don't see how there's any question about legality, provided you have an officially licensed, purchased copy of OSX to install. Which is exactly what I did a few years back, in a VirtualBox VM, thinking I was going to get into iOS development - and never did.

Edit: But IANAL, and you should of course not treat anything you read online as legal advice.

I did purchase the OSX Snow Leopard installer disc direct from Apple for about $30, but it doesn't look like they offer that any more. :(

macOS (was OS X) is no longer something you can purchase separate from a Mac, and is only licensed to run on Apple hardware.

The license wording, when I last read it, specifically said "Apple-labeled hardware", which struck me as an excellent application for a Dymo label maker.

Having an actual sticker made by Apple would be even better.

Malor wrote:
LouZiffer wrote:
merphle wrote:

I don't see how there's any question about legality, provided you have an officially licensed, purchased copy of OSX to install. Which is exactly what I did a few years back, in a VirtualBox VM, thinking I was going to get into iOS development - and never did.

Edit: But IANAL, and you should of course not treat anything you read online as legal advice.

I did purchase the OSX Snow Leopard installer disc direct from Apple for about $30, but it doesn't look like they offer that any more. :(

macOS (was OS X) is no longer something you can purchase separate from a Mac, and is only licensed to run on Apple hardware.

The license wording, when I last read it, specifically said "Apple-labeled hardware", which struck me as an excellent application for a Dymo label maker.

Having an actual sticker made by Apple would be even better.

Why stop at a sticker when you could literally brand your Windows PC case?

IMAGE(https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-7rpit6v0jj/images/stencil/1024x1024/products/8665/18243/apple-branding-iron__38445.1488326773.jpg?c=2)

Thanks, LeapingGnome, that did the trick! Definitely one of those things where I was overthinking it.

mrlogical wrote:

It feels like this shouldn't be that complicated--I want to know how many distinct values are in a field, which I feel like must be a common need--but I can't figure it out. Does anyone know how to do this? Or have a better idea how to extract this info?

If you're using Excel:

=COUNTA(UNIQUE(range))

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/KQwdTbR.png)

Thanks, Merphle! Even better. Feels like a relief to get confirmation this obvious function exists!

merphle wrote:
Malor wrote:
LouZiffer wrote:
merphle wrote:

I don't see how there's any question about legality, provided you have an officially licensed, purchased copy of OSX to install. Which is exactly what I did a few years back, in a VirtualBox VM, thinking I was going to get into iOS development - and never did.

Edit: But IANAL, and you should of course not treat anything you read online as legal advice.

I did purchase the OSX Snow Leopard installer disc direct from Apple for about $30, but it doesn't look like they offer that any more. :(

macOS (was OS X) is no longer something you can purchase separate from a Mac, and is only licensed to run on Apple hardware.

The license wording, when I last read it, specifically said "Apple-labeled hardware", which struck me as an excellent application for a Dymo label maker.

Having an actual sticker made by Apple would be even better.

Why stop at a sticker when you could literally brand your Windows PC case?

I'd need to check the current license, but as of five or six years ago, the specific wording was Apple-labeled and not Apple-branded. You could be violating the license terms with that, no matter how cool it might otherwise be.

Anyone knows of a free (or cheap) option for repairing a partially corrupted Sd Card? Ive got my wife's old storage card from her phone with 23000+ pictures in it. I've salvaged about 18000 that are uncorrupted (small batch file transfers over the course of a year) but she' d obviously like to get back more of her photos. I'm accessing the card via a Windows 10 pc with a usb card reader (have also tried several Android phones hooked up to said pc, including the phone the pictures were taken with). I've tried on multiple occasions to repair the card with windows disk repair tool, but that hasn't yielded any useful results.

Malor wrote:
merphle wrote:
Malor wrote:

Having an actual sticker made by Apple would be even better.

Why stop at a sticker when you could literally brand your Windows PC case?

I'd need to check the current license, but as of five or six years ago, the specific wording was Apple-labeled and not Apple-branded. You could be violating the license terms with that, no matter how cool it might otherwise be.

PDF WARNING

A. Single Use License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, [...] you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer at a time.

(emphasis mine)

merphle wrote:
Malor wrote:
merphle wrote:
Malor wrote:

Having an actual sticker made by Apple would be even better.

Why stop at a sticker when you could literally brand your Windows PC case?

I'd need to check the current license, but as of five or six years ago, the specific wording was Apple-labeled and not Apple-branded. You could be violating the license terms with that, no matter how cool it might otherwise be.

PDF WARNING

A. Single Use License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, [...] you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer at a time.

(emphasis mine)

We are back to this thing then:

IMAGE(https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-7rpit6v0jj/images/stencil/1024x1024/products/8665/18243/apple-branding-iron__38445.1488326773.jpg?c=2)

Honestly, I’d go with Disk Drill or one of the other products designed for the task. $90 may sound like a lot, but it’s a specialized problem and when you need the fix, you *really* need the fix. What you are doing, essentially, is trading money for time and effort. That’s the choice you need to make...

Tycho the Mad wrote:

Anyone knows of a free (or cheap) option for repairing a partially corrupted Sd Card? Ive got my wife's old storage card from her phone with 23000+ pictures in it. I've salvaged about 18000 that are uncorrupted (small batch file transfers over the course of a year) but she' d obviously like to get back more of her photos. I'm accessing the card via a Windows 10 pc with a usb card reader (have also tried several Android phones hooked up to said pc, including the phone the pictures were taken with). I've tried on multiple occasions to repair the card with windows disk repair tool, but that hasn't yielded any useful results.

I have used Recuva Free with some success on hard drives. Solid state storage might be much tougher but it might still be worth a shot.

Is there a way on Windows 10 home edition to have just my remote desktop connection use the VPN my work provides and have everything else connect using my internet connection? I've noticed stuff slowing down lately with everything going through the VPN.

It really depends on the VPN configuration. Some the company configures so only certain traffic goes through it, some does it all. I am not sure how much control you have over it.

Personally, I don't install work apps on my personal devices. If they want me to work at home, they can provide the means to do so...

They didn’t actually install anything. They just added one on the network connections tab in Windows 10.

merphle wrote:
Malor wrote:
merphle wrote:
Malor wrote:

Having an actual sticker made by Apple would be even better.

Why stop at a sticker when you could literally brand your Windows PC case?

I'd need to check the current license, but as of five or six years ago, the specific wording was Apple-labeled and not Apple-branded. You could be violating the license terms with that, no matter how cool it might otherwise be.

PDF WARNING

A. Single Use License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, [...] you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer at a time.

(emphasis mine)

Okay, so your method is now the preferred one. Brand that PC and install away.

Norfair wrote:

Is there a way on Windows 10 home edition to have just my remote desktop connection use the VPN my work provides and have everything else connect using my internet connection? I've noticed stuff slowing down lately with everything going through the VPN.

There are basically two approaches to running a VPN. The first sends all traffic to the VPN site, which is what's happening now. The second is sending only necessary traffic to the VPN, typically only traffic aimed at your work's internal network range, while sending all other traffic to the Internet like normal. The technical term for this is 'split horizon VPN'.

The main problem with split horizon is that it's complex and prone to breakage. Most business networks have 'split horizon DNS', meaning that they have one set of DNS names and numbers for internal users, and a separate set exposed to the public. They often use the same root domain (companyname.com), rather than splitting the domain into companyname.com and internal.companyname.com.

As a result, if you're using your normal DNS provider in a split-horizon setup without split naming, you will only see the public names and will be directed to connect to public IPs, which is usually wrong. To fix this, you can use your work's DNS resolver for everything, which will give you the right addresses, but will also tell them everything you're doing with your home computer, which you probably don't want.

The best way I know to thread the needle there is to use a local DNS resolver that's smart enough to split queries, to forward everything for companyname.com to work's DNS, and send everything else to your normal DNS. This will usually fix the name resolution problem.

But then you also have a second problem: you have to override the routing for the VPN, so that your computer is routing only the private IPs that work uses down the VPN, and everything else out your normal gateway. This can be a little involved. You can write a little batch file, and then execute it every time you connect to the VPN, but some VPN software will detect this, and either refuse to work, or else just override your changes and reimpose the 'send everything to work' route(s).

Basically, you can probably figure this out if they're not using anything too invasive, but it's vastly easier if the IT team configures things as split-horizon. That, however, may be against network policy.

If those policies are sufficiently strict, and the company is mean, then trying to implement split-horizon on your own could potentially get you fired.

Oh, and I agree with LeapingGnome... if they want you to work at home, they should provide the hardware to do it, not hijack your personal equipment.

Malor wrote:

Oh, and I agree with LeapingGnome... if they want you to work at home, they should provide the hardware to do it, not hijack your personal equipment.

And if they're NOT doing that, that's a red flag for their lackadaisical approach to IT and security, IMO.

Using your own gear for work can have tax effects, too, if you are trying to deduct for a home office.

Help! I need to figure out if my issue is the motherboard or the hard drive!

So when my computer goes under load (like rendering and raytracing stuff in Substance Painter), it will suddenly shut off completely. No warnings, just boop! Off! Checking Event Viewer, the only errors are with Windows Power Kernels (you know, the generic "something went wrong with the power!" warnings).

I thought it was the PSU-- 750W Seasonic Prime Titanium Ultra (80+ Titanium rating), but checking voltages through OCCT and it's stable.

Checking HWiNFO64, the only thing out of the ordinary is that my OS & Program Files drive is running hot. It's a Crucial MX500 M.2 drive (CT500MX500SSD4). It's idling at 54°C with nothing but Discord and Chrome open at the moment, but any time I try to load the CPU and the computer shuts down, I come back to find that SSD's temps in the 72°C to 80°C range (shown in red in HWiNFO64). Again, voltages all seem normal.

So I can't figure out if the M.2 slot on my motherboard is crapping out, or the cheap M.2 drive itself is crapping out. I'm leaning towards the latter, as I'd assume the voltages and temp sensors on the motherboard would also be spiking, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Does anyone have a suggestions on how I can narrow down this issue?

Thanks in advance!

If your M2 drive doesn't have any heat mitigation on it, try finding some heat sinks, either passive or with a fan, that will fit on your M2 chips, and see if that helps (some examples). You can get thermal transfer tape that will hold them on without needing screws, if they don't come with it by default. Then, repeat your load tests and see if the heat mitigation fixes anything.

Since you seem to be conscious of heat, I assume you're already cognizant of airflow, but just in case... Check your case fans, make sure they're not dusty/hairy (hairy more likely with pets in the house), clean any filters or screens, and make sure your cable management is up to snuff to allow the best airflow. This probably isn't related to your problems, but is just best practice, especially when trying to diagnose potentially heat-related issues.

I say all of this, but... The automatic shutoff reads only two ways to me - voltage problems, or CPU overheating problems. Monitor your CPU temps - most motherboards will come with software that let you do that. If it gets too high under load, make sure your CPU cooler is properly mounted with sufficient thermal material between it and the CPU. Even if it was properly mounted at some point, make sure those connections are still tight.

Do most modern versions of Android natively scan QR codes with the phone camera without the need for thirty party apps?

Edit: I think I found my answer.

NSMike wrote:

If your M2 drive doesn't have any heat mitigation on it, try finding some heat sinks, either passive or with a fan, that will fit on your M2 chips, and see if that helps (some examples). You can get thermal transfer tape that will hold them on without needing screws, if they don't come with it by default. Then, repeat your load tests and see if the heat mitigation fixes anything.

Since you seem to be conscious of heat, I assume you're already cognizant of airflow, but just in case... Check your case fans, make sure they're not dusty/hairy (hairy more likely with pets in the house), clean any filters or screens, and make sure your cable management is up to snuff to allow the best airflow. This probably isn't related to your problems, but is just best practice, especially when trying to diagnose potentially heat-related issues.

I say all of this, but... The automatic shutoff reads only two ways to me - voltage problems, or CPU overheating problems. Monitor your CPU temps - most motherboards will come with software that let you do that. If it gets too high under load, make sure your CPU cooler is properly mounted with sufficient thermal material between it and the CPU. Even if it was properly mounted at some point, make sure those connections are still tight.

Thanks!

Hmmm. I'll give the heatsink a shot, but I'm worried I won't be able to get any on this drive, as it sits right underneath the GPU.

Airflow shouldn't be an issue though-- everything is cleaned out and has good flow through the case, 140MM fans sucking air through the AIO radiator at the font of the case and directly over the GPU and M.2 slot... :shrug:

I'm suspicious of the PSU as well, but voltages are stable when running other programs-- it's something to do with Substance Painter (and OCCT stress test, I found out this morning) that causes an immediate shutdown. And it's not even stressing the CPU-- CPU temps hadn't even started climbing before the shutdown occurs. I'm thinking I'll try to reapply the Grizzly thermal compound on the CPU this weekend, though, just in case...

Thanks again!

What’s the answer, PaladinTom?

Robear wrote:

What’s the answer, PaladinTom?

I believe it should be, "Yes, if you're using Google Lens it will scan QR and Bar codes."