Windows 8 Initial Updates Stuck on Downloading at 0%

I just encountered a problem on a clean install of Windows 8 where on my initial batch of updates it spins at Downloading updates, but never goes above 0%. I had the issue on two different systems both running a clean install of Windows 8. I remembered having this problem at one point with Windows 7, and with some tinkering I got it to work on both computers.. The solution makes no logical sense but here is what I did to overcome this problem:

1. Right click the task bar at the bottom of the screen. Then click Properties.
2. Click Customize in the Notification area then in the bottom of that window click the check box "Always show all icons and notifications....." Then Click OK.
3. Next click start and type services, click Settings under the search bar, and then click "View local services" on the left side.
4. Restart the Windows Update service. (The second machine I did this on required a reboot because the service wouldn't restart).
5. Run your updates again. 

It may take some time but this fixed the problem I was having. After the updates install you can change back the setting set in step 2.

How to map network drives in OS X, and keep them after reboot.

One of the things that has kept me from suggesting our Apple enthusiastic employees get Macs at work is the network drive difficulties. Most employees rely on mapped windows drives. They are easy to map in Leopard, but when you restart the computer they disappear. I figured out a good way to have OSX remap the drives after reboot. Here are the steps:


Map your drive:

1. Click Go on the top bar, then click Connect to Server.
2. Under server address type  smb://ipaddress. then click connect.
3. After authenticating your drive will show up in he left hand pane of finder. Note: you will likely want to set finder to add your password to the keychain, otherwise you will have to authenticate the drive every time you boot.
4. If the drive doesn't show up in the left hand pane click finder on the top bar. Then click preferences. 
• Under the Devices column you will see a an icon that looks like a computer and will say something like "Joes Macbook Pro" Make sure the check box is clicked next to that icon then close out of preferences.
• Now in the left bar of finder you will see under devices your computer name. when you click it you can see all the attached drives on the computer including the drive you just mapped. 

Set the Drive to remap after reboot:

1. Keep a finder window up on the screen so you have access to the drive you just mapped. Click the apple in the top left corner then click System Preferences. Click Users and Groups, then click on your user account. In the right hand pane click Login Items. Here you will see all the applications that open when the computer boots.
2. Drag the mapped drive from finder into the Login Items. It will then be added to the list. 

Now when you reboot your computer it will automatically remap the drive when you login. 

How to shred old backup tapes.

Here is a method to securely annihilate your old backup tapes. This method is not too efficient if you have alot of tapes.  

New PC Build

I just finished a new PC build that is my favorite build yet. See below for a part list.

Parts

Case NZXT H440

This case is a quiet mid size case, it comes with 3 fans in the front and one in the back. It has some integrated lights. The panels are all foam lined for extra noise reduction. There were two issues with this case that I had to resolve, it doesn't have a  5.25" bay for DVD drive, and it has a fan splitter but no fan controller. My solutions to these problems can be found below.

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 7

This board is excellent for gaming and high performance systems. Something I thought was cool is it has light strips on the board that glow red. This has Intel's 1150 socket so you need a compatible processor.

Video Card EVGA GTX 970

I started out with an EVGA GTX 760 (as seen in the picture) but then they announced the 970 which has killer performance at a relatively low cost, so I made the switch. The 970 has no problem pushing high frame rates on all the games I play. So far its been a great card.

Processor Intel i7 4790k

Just like the 970 the i7 4790k offers huge performance with a relatively low price. This card has a base clock of 4.0ghz with a turbo boost speed of 4.4ghz, it also supports DDR3-1600 speed memory. What was inciting to me about the card is it has 4 cores but also has hyper threading so you have 8 virtual processors you can use for virtualization. So far this processor has performed very well and has sped through everything I have thrown at it.

More coming soon.

Windows 10 First Impressions

I was excited about Windows 10 and some of the clean up they were performing, but to me all of the features seemed like they were just taking Windows 8.1 and giving it some subtle refinements. I went ahead and installed it as a VM to see what its all about. I just want to highlight a few cool features here, and in future weeks I will post more.

As a disclaimer this is an preview edition and there will be many changes before they release the OS.

Task View

This is a feature I am really excited to see in Windows. It is similar to Spaces on a mac. It allows you to have virtual desktops that you can switch between. So I could have one desktop devoted to school and have all my windows lined up how I want them, and have a separate desktop setup for internet browsing etc.

Start Menu

Microsoft got the hint and are moving away from the full screen start menu. Now they give a mix of Windows 7 mixed with Windows 8. The start menu is realizable so you can adjust your content how you want it.

Apps

Apps now have the ability to run full screen or you can run them in windowed mode.

File Explorer

The functionality of file explorer is similar to Windows 8 but has a fresh modern feel.

So far I have really liked the changes and it feels like a new OS, I am sure in the future they will release new themes and other features that will add even more to the OS. I will post more in the future.

Apple Snow Leopard Freezing Installs

I have been having an annoying problem with my 27" iMac for a couple of weeks now. Every time I tried to install a 3rd party application it would hang or freeze on "Preparing" install. I tried Apple support and also wasted time digging through the web. What was the cause of this annoying problem? The iPhone Simulator. I have found that if you have the iPhone Simulator running in the background, 3rd party installs will fail every single time. Quit the Simulator and all the sudden installs work again.

How to take screenshots on an iphone

While typing up my last post I found this little trick. You can take screenshot on an iphone by going to the page you want a shot of, and simply press the top on/off button and the home button at the same time. The screen will flash white and it will stick the screenshot in in your photos under: camera roll.