Random Tech Questions you want answered.

If anyone else is like me upgrades the drives in their QNAP at some point, I put my old drives in one of these:

"Mediasonic HFR2-SU3S2 PRORAID 4 Bay 3.5" SATA Hard Drive Enclosure - USB 3.0 & eSATA"

It's plugged into my NAS via USB and works perfectly. QNAP detects it as an external drive, and "PRORAID" models have hardware RAID so you set the switches to the right position, plugin the drives, and it sets it up for you. Some of Mediasonic's stuff is just called "PROMEDIA" or something similar, and those are just enclosures. You'd have to setup RAID via software.

They're about $180, and it's nice to have a bit of extra storage available. It shows up as a folder on my QNAP SAMBA share, so when I'm moving files around I can select it if I want to stick something there instead of on the NAS itself (sometimes I'll store temporary files from video encodes there, for example).

I used to use a Mediasonic ProBox HF2-SU3S2 and it worked very well, I was using it in JBOD mode with my Mac back before I built my file server machine. I considered getting one of their larger units before I decided to go all in with the giant CaseLabs case.

Nvidia Shield TV Pro question:

When I run my Steam games (3080-tier Geforce Now subscription on the Geforce Games app), the window is approx 8"x10" on my 50" Roku TV. I can see the window and everything but there doesn't appear a way to get it to fit the screen. Google-fu turned up an issue from years ago (~2015) where games would be too far zoomed in (not clear if also out?) and users had to monkey with different HDMI ports (some would work, others wouldn't, never clear to me WHY though from perusing forum posts).

Troubleshooting to date:
- Haven't tried separate ports yet (that seems like voodoo)
- Maybe I need a keyboard/mouse hooked up to this thing to manually drag the window larger?

Anyone else here using a Shield Pro and/or have insight?

Any tips for speeding up an aging Windows 10 laptop besides Defrag and uninstalling unused stuff? Anything new in that area lately?

Does it already run from an SSD drive?

Mixolyde wrote:

Any tips for speeding up an aging Windows 10 laptop besides Defrag and uninstalling unused stuff? Anything new in that area lately?

SSD first and foremost.

Win10 S Mode is also an option for devices that don't need to run non-Windows Store software. It's limiting but it also turns Windows into a lower resources mode, which can certainly help make old hardware last.

Or say f**k it and put Linux on it as is right and proper.

Top_Shelf wrote:

Anyone else here using a Shield Pro and/or have insight?

If you use the Steam Link app instead of Geforce Now, is it still zoomed weird?

Is it every game or specific games?

Are you using dual monitors? Maybe this is borderline voodoo, but I'd sometimes get frustrated with resolution stuff when using Geforce Now/Steam Link if both monitors (on my PC) were plugged in. I'd end up in weird situations like only seeing half the window or the wrong window.

Are you trying to stream in 4k? I don't think my rig could handle that so I've never tried it. But another borderline superstitious thing I'd try sometimes is setting my PC to have the same resolution as my TV.

*Legion* wrote:
Mixolyde wrote:

Any tips for speeding up an aging Windows 10 laptop besides Defrag and uninstalling unused stuff? Anything new in that area lately?

SSD first and foremost.

Win10 S Mode is also an option for devices that don't need to run non-Windows Store software. It's limiting but it also turns Windows into a lower resources mode, which can certainly help make old hardware last.

Or say f**k it and put Linux on it as is right and proper.

LeapingGnome wrote:

Does it already run from an SSD drive?

Also, RAM if there's room available. If you're under 8 gbs of RAM then I expect it's barely functional at this point.

Another thought would be to run task manager and check out CPU/memory/disk utilisation, you might find some programs running you don't need

Do not Defrag SSDs!

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

Like besides just using uBlock Origin? Is there something specific you're trying to block?

Mixolyde wrote:

Any tips for speeding up an aging Windows 10 laptop besides Defrag and uninstalling unused stuff? Anything new in that area lately?

A decent SSD and at least 16 gigs of RAM will make it feel like a new machine.

ccoates wrote:
WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

Like besides just using uBlock Origin? Is there something specific you're trying to block?

The chrome book is for my 12 year old and mostly I just want to block ads so he doesn’t install everything that pops up.

WizKid wrote:
ccoates wrote:
WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

Like besides just using uBlock Origin? Is there something specific you're trying to block?

The chrome book is for my 12 year old and mostly I just want to block ads so he doesn’t install everything that pops up.

Ah, okay!

uBlock Origin is really useful, and if the Chromebook can run Android apps you could install Blokada as well.

They both have access to a bunch of lists, so you'd want to take a look in the settings first. You could probably just start with the default settings on both, and then maybe switch to less or more restrictive ones depending on how much stuff breaks.

Blokada is kind of like a... local Pi-Hole? It creates a VPN connection and blocks the domains on the lists you've selected. You can set it up to autostart when your device does.

Both can render some sites non-fuctional, but you can whitelist specific domains too.

I'd start with one or both of those.

WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

A Pi-Hole.

Rykin wrote:
WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

A Pi-Hole.

Maybe.

I've been running a pihole for a few years now. Some devices will force the use of a specific DNS server. There are ways to make these requests go through the DNS server YOU want while on your network, but they tend to break things. Lots of devices require access to things many pihole block lists include by default, and they just flat-out break if they don't have access. So with a pihole and this solution, you may find your Chromebook less useful.

NSMike wrote:

Lots of devices that require access to things many pihole block lists include by default, and they just flat-out break if they don't have access.

Yeah, I think the best Pi-Hole setup is one that is fairly conservative with its blocklist. Nuke the obvious offenders, but don't go crazy with lists trying to block everything. Layer in some client-side blocking on individual devices where you want to get more aggressive with adblocking. It's easier to whitelist on the adblocker in your browser than it is to go to the Pi-Hole control panel and whitelist there.

Since the use-case is for a kid on a Chromebook, I'd start with something simple, personally. Like uBlock.

Or if you start with one or two of the basic blocklists on Blokada, you could even just use those lists on a Pi-Hole later if you feel like putting in that effort.

Especially in the beginning, a Pi-Hole can be pretty hands-on. And family members/roommates aren't likely to care enough why sites/apps break in terms of going through the steps to whitelist something.

WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

I just came across AdGuard DNS. Set it up on my iDevices and it works great. Blocks all in-app ads.

PaladinTom wrote:
WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

I just came across AdGuard DNS. Set it up on my iDevices and it works great. Blocks all in-app ads.

This is wild and seems too good to be true... been using 1.1.1.1 DNS for years, mostly for speed and enhanced privacy from snooping ISPs, but there's gotta be a catch, right?

T-Prime wrote:
PaladinTom wrote:
WizKid wrote:

What's a good way to stop ads on a chromebook?

I just came across AdGuard DNS. Set it up on my iDevices and it works great. Blocks all in-app ads.

This is wild and seems too good to be true... been using 1.1.1.1 DNS for years, mostly for speed and enhanced privacy from snooping ISPs, but there's gotta be a catch, right?

I wouldn't guess anymore than any other DNS service.

AdGuard provides lists for adblockers like uBlock or Pi-Hole too, so I'd guess the DNS is using similar data.

And they offer paid "premium" services. For the use-case of a kid's Chromebook, not a bad idea! Simple to start with, too.

That sounds like it would work great, I'll look into it this weekend.

my school records their lectures via webex for us to watch later as a recording. The issue is that the webex has no ability to speed up the lecture. I was recording the lectures with sharex and then watching them later as an MP4, but that a huge pain to go through for every lecture. Does anyone have a better way to view these things?

ill throw this link in here so you can see how i get to these "meetings." any name and email address will work, ill delete the link by tomorrow in case there is some privacy concerns with my school.

deleted link was here

also, this particular one has the ability to convert to mp4 under files, but i can't seem to find the file that i need to convert. i feel like there isn't a file and it is just streaming from another source though.

Can you automate the conversion?

Or open the files with another video program? Isn't VLC supposed to take anything you throw at it if you have the right codecs?

The problem i have right now is that i have no way to download the file. it seems that it streams right to the webex client. whoever is working in IT has the download option disabled.

If i could somehow automate it so that i play one right after the other and leave my screen recorder going over night that would be ideal i think. i don't program though so how i would do that i don't know. just thinking out loud, but Is there a program out there that I can put mouse commands into at given screen locations and time intervals? that way i could set it up to start playing one after the other.

edit: i found something called GS mouse clicker. i will give that a shot

Have you already tried to download / extract the stream? Something like this:

https://github.com/jacopo-j/WebXDown...

i haven't been able to yet but you link had me excited that there might be something out there i could use.

Right now, when i open the stream, it opens up separate webex software. it looks like the program you linked is only for web based streams? am i just not using it right?

ccoates wrote:
Top_Shelf wrote:

Anyone else here using a Shield Pro and/or have insight?

If you use the Steam Link app instead of Geforce Now, is it still zoomed weird?

Is it every game or specific games?

Are you using dual monitors? Maybe this is borderline voodoo, but I'd sometimes get frustrated with resolution stuff when using Geforce Now/Steam Link if both monitors (on my PC) were plugged in. I'd end up in weird situations like only seeing half the window or the wrong window.

Are you trying to stream in 4k? I don't think my rig could handle that so I've never tried it. But another borderline superstitious thing I'd try sometimes is setting my PC to have the same resolution as my TV.

Sorry for delayed response. Very busy.

It's only one game (Guilty Gear +r). Other games are properly syncing with screen size OR run a dialog box and after acceptance change on start up. Weird.

Also weird is that some games are taking me to the Steam interface to launch instead of just start up launching the game. Also weird.

It's a TCL Roku TV, not a monitor and I've got the 3080 tier but this hasn't happened yet with am RTX On game (I've only got the free Crysis).

Will be doing some more troubleshooting after I get my wireless keyboard and mouse set up.

FiveIron wrote:

i haven't been able to yet but you link had me excited that there might be something out there i could use.

Right now, when i open the stream, it opens up separate webex software. it looks like the program you linked is only for web based streams? am i just not using it right?

Want to pm me a link and I can try it?