Using box.net as the dav server in Zotero

Check the workaround in
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/20351/

"Possible workaround: The problem might just be that there's a delay before uploaded files are available, which would be a problem for the server verification but possibly not for a normal Zotero file sync. You can try going to about:config in the Firefox address bar (or clicking "Open about:config" from the Advanced pane of the preferences in Standalone) and setting extensions.zotero.sync.storage.verified to true, which will override the server verification and let you try to sync. No guarantees, obviously."

The setting in Zotero is https://www.box.com/dav/zotero.

Matlab: Fatal error on startup: Failure loading desktop class

Updating jre messed up matlab configure file again. Removing classpath.txt in ~ fixed the problem.

MacPro CD/DVD tray problem in ubuntu

I was able to eject a cd/dvd in unbuntu 9 from the command line using "eject." Somehow it doesn't work anymore in 11.10, neither does "eject /dev/cdrom" or "eject cdrom" work. By going into the /dev directory, I found that cdrom is just a link for sr0 in my MacPro, and "eject /dev/sr0" did the job! There is also a sr1 which I thought was the 2nd tray in MacPro, but "eject /dev/sr1" didn't do anything.

Fix bcd the elegant way

Oh well, I messed up the bcd and the Win 7 installation CD didn't find the OS installed. Then I tried bootrec /rebuildbcd, which found one out of two installed OS, but it couldn't continue and complained that bcd is being used by another process.

I was about to give up but then found this post (http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Recovering+the+Windows+Bootloader+from+the+DVD)

bootrec.exe /fixmbr bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force

cd C:\boot
attrib -h -s BCD del BCD
bcdedit /createstore bcd.temp bcdedit.exe /store bcd.temp /create {bootmgr} /d "Windows Boot Manager" bcdedit.exe /import bcd.temp bcdedit.exe /set {bootmgr} device partition=C: bcdedit.exe /timeout 10 attrib -h -s bcd.temp del bcd.temp
 

bcdedit.exe /create /d "Microsoft Windows" /application osloader
 

bcdedit.exe should return a message with a GUID for the newly-created entry, something like this:
The entry {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} was successfully created. 

Then use this number/entry and type 

bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} device partition=C: bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} osdevice partition=C: bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} path \Windows\system32\winload.exe bcdedit.exe /set {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008} systemroot \Windows
bcdedit.exe /displayorder {c0dfc4fa-cb21-11dc-81bf-005056c00008}

In my case the XP is on C: and Win 7 on E:. However, the winload.exe is missing in the XP partition(?), so I had to try a second time and set all the "C:" above to "E:" which solved the problem.

Another thought: Maybe I should have changed the attribute of the bcd file and tried /rebuildbcd? Anyway, the problem is now fixed.

Updated: A similar but more complete guide was found on http://idoneitmyself.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/windows-7-suddenly-wont-boot-reboot-and-select-proper-boot-device-or-insert-boot-media-in-selected-boot-device-and-press-any-key-repairing-the-windows-7-bootloader/

"Hold and drag" in windows 7 stopped working

Solution - "control+alt+del" then "esc"

Squares shown in places of Chinese characters

In Windows Enterprise Chinese characters in folders and other places (like the title bar in chrome) are not shown correctly. This problem does not exist in the home premier edition. A simple solution is to change the system locale to Chinese and then change back to English. Still, I wonder how MS let this slip though their quality control. I now see more evidences of the failing of MS and the rising of Apple.

Uninstallation a program in windows after registry clearner failed

Recently I swapped the hard drives between two laptops. HP's programs on one of them refused to be uninstalled in the new laptop. Manual registry removal the entries in

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

helped, but it also brought some other HP programs back which I thought had been uninstalled. Next phase of using all sorts of registry cleaners did not work. So there we go - manually search for all entries with "hewlett" in the registry. Bingo! They were located in

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products.

After deleting them the entries in the program list were finally gone.