Firefox
 

If you're using Firefox, you can access 7 hidden pages, acording to this site.
In the Cellar, we do it all for you. :D

NOTE- In the "about: plugins" I had to add a space between the colon and the P, because that gives a smillie in the middle of the text. Take the space out to use it.

cool !!!!

huh...

I like about:blank.

Another neat trick that works in most browsers is that in the url box you can type in javascript.

e.g.: javascript:alert("hello, cellar!");

Fun stuff; I'm going to go hit myself in the head with a shovel.

I'm thinking about getting Firefox. Those of you that have it, is it worth it?

What browser are you using now?

If you use IE, then there's no question: get Firefox.

If you use Opera, then you might want to try Firefox out.

If you use Safari, then you're a Mac user and your preferences are almost impossible to infer.

If you use a text-based browser, then you're probably a twit.

Firefox is my primary browser. I've also loaded up with a few add ons, possibly one too many. I installed the spell checking dictionary, which slows down my keystrokes while typing posts but offers real time spell checking.

With Firefox 1.5 I did have a problem with Amazon.com not loading pages, but that disappeared with version 2.0.

I prefer it to IE 6.0. I have IE 7.0 installed now, but don't use it and haven't done any in-depth comparison.

I have IE7 and Firefox 2 and I prefer Firefox. Though it does tend to start to use a ridiculous amount of ram if you leave the same window open for awhile. Quick question, what the hell is going on with this on my machine:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...untitled-1.jpg

If you can't tell from the picture, the process "iexplorer.exe" is highlighted and currently using 97k+ of ram. And it is always running.. always. I can even select "end process" which will successfully end it, but seconds later it will pop up again on the list and quickly climb to that same amount of ram usage.
I have tried probably half a dozen different spyware and malware programs and they pick up nothing on my machine. I even tried running them all at once just for kicks and still nothing.

iexplore.exe is Internet Explorer, or at least it's supposed to be. Maybe some startup process is starting it for their own purposes.

Yeah I figured that's what it is. It is also running two other iexplorer.exe processes at the same time, but those two only use 4-7k of memory. It makes no difference in the amount of memory used whether I have Internet Explorer open or not. Any ideas on how I can track down what program is using IE and nix it from startup?

Don't know.

I've found that sometimes Process Explorer can help. Process Explorer is Task Manager on steroids. It's a utility you can download here. It'll sometimes show which processes are children of other processes.

I use Start-up Inspector to see and edit what programs are included in the start-up automatically. Free and effective. ;)

Autoruns
 

If you really want to know what gets started up, try Autoruns from Sysinternals (since acquired by Microsoft).

You can get this from www.sysinternals.com, under Security utilities.

It's really a great program.

Thanks,

Mitch

I think XP is using IE. Microsoft integrated Internet Explorer into the OS; you may not be able to get rid of it.

Thanks for the input, guys.:) I'm definetly gonna try it as soon as I can be bothered.

IEXPLORE.EXE is internet. explorer.exe is windows explorer, as in right click start and explore.

27

mbpark, Undertoad, others:

I have ProcessExplorer and I'm stuck. I am using BackupExec and there are a couple of files that are not being backed up since they're "in use". They're worthless files to me, just tmp files. But I can't delete them, I can't back them up. They're that itch I can't scratch.

I got ProcessExplorer for just this reason, to find what process is "using" the files, and then proceed from there. Probably by stopping (temporarily) the service, then deleting the files, then restarting the service/process.

But I'm stuck, I can't seem to find out how to use PE to determine what's using the files in question. I need a clue, do you have one or more to spare? How do I find out what process/service is using a given file/handle?

Thanks very much in advance.

Hit ctrl-F in Process Explorer and type part of the filename in. It should find which process is using it, or any other resource with a similar name.

Thanks. So, the upper part of the screen displays the current Processes, neh?

I did find the file, and it (?) revealed that the System process was the controlling process. I can choose "Close handle" and "Properties". I am certain I do not want to stop the System process (maybe evar) during the day. So that leaves me with the choice to "Close handle". I doubt anything else is using/needing that file (except *me* who wants a clean head shot on it).

I think I want to close the handle. Would you concur? Of course, I know there's no warranty on your advice, I'm just getting a reality check.

btw there's a "scary" dialog box confirmation check when I select close handle. I haven't yet said yes I really want to close the handle and tempt the fates of system instability...

If the system is using a file actually named "tmp" or with a .tmp extension or in a tmp directory/folder, then my suggestion would be that you not close it AND that you not back it up. A system should understand that tmp files may cease to exist and don't have any permanent meaning to the OS.

I keeled it.

But I think I'm ok. I killed, no, closed the handle. I did this on three of the five files that are giving me trouble. The other two are parts of the SQL service, and I'm loathe to do that while everything's live and hot and during business hours. Maybe this weekend.

Thanks for the help.

btw, I have expressed my appreciation at the tip jar. Although I suppose I could "expense" this kind of charge, I don't. This is a personal donation, a small acknowledgment of how I value the cellar. I would strongly urge other dwellars to do likewise. I can't pay as much as I would like, but I can pay some. If you like it, if you use it, a little money would help. Money's fungible and except Jaquelita, I think this is the best way to show your love for what we have here. [/PSA]

I have been expansive in my definition of the files I back up. I have the space, and I have sought to keep the definitions simple, and to err on the side of inclusiveness. I suppose it would be a fairly simple rule to exclude *.tmp, but I haven't. In fact, the only rule I have created beyond the defaults has been to exclude the pagefile.sys. The reasoning is the same as you described above, but the return to me is much much greater. One rule, one file (per server) and I save mega megabytes... well not literally, but you understand.

SQL Service Files
 

Hello,

You REALLY don't want to touch those files while SQL Server is running. SQL Server/MSDE has its own ways of backing those files up, which you have to use.

You can shut down the SQL Service and then back those files up :).

From what I remember, Backup Exec does have the ability (in the full version) to run scripts before and after your backups.

A simple before script that has the line net stop mssqlserver and an after script with the line net start mssqlserver will work wonders.

Thanks,

Mitch

Apparently there used to be an about: page for all of the Netscape employees, which redirected to each person's home page on the netscape website. This went on until a reporter found the someone's page, and thought that the web page, including it's pictures and politics, were all bundled in with Netscape.

jwz explains

crap.

so the processexplorer revealed the who and the how of the open file handle closing task, which I boldly undertook. yay me.

then the next day the same thing happened, different files, same namestyles, same directory. crap.

so I added a rule and excluded that directory. :tongue out:

Tanks agin.

yes, oh yes.

I have in mind to show the mdb and ldb files to the local db admin and ask her to 'splain why they're perpetually open. I'm not optomistic, though.

thanks for the warning.

There is also about:license for licensing info readable by lawyers. (At least in my Firefox version 2.0.0.1 browser this works.)