Monthly Archives: June 2010

microsoft outlook error 0x80040109 – AVG plugin problem

Computer Aid Posted on by

This printer has a scan to email function, which had been working for months.

Suddenly, the scan to email would make microsoft outlook throw an error 0x80040109

I find that the error means that an attachment was changed in  between the time of being attached and the time being sent.

In this case I know that the file hasn’t been changed as it was scanned just a few seconds ago.

After a bit of searching, I find that the problem is most likely due to a microsoft outlook plugin.

So I start microsoft outlook, then go:

tools -> options -> other -> advanced options… -> addin manager

There are not many addins, and the only non-microsoft addin is an AVG addin.

I figure that AVG is up to its usual tricks, so I disable the AVG plugin.

I then shutdown outlook and try the scan to email…and this time it works perfectly.

If you get this error and you use another antivirus, it might still be worth trying to disable the outlook plugin for your antivirus… if it doesn’t help, then you can always enable it again.

PC tries to boot from printer!

Computer Aid Posted on by

I fixed an unusual printing problems with a Brother MFC-665CW multi-function… while diagnosing the fault, I power cycled the printer (probably the first time the printer had been off for many months).

Two days later, the customer calls in a panic: My computer won’t start!

Since the PC was running slow a few days earlier, I suspected a motherboard issue.

Once there, I could see the bios screen, and then a blank screen with a blinking cursor in top left of the screen.

I go into the bios, and I notice that the boot options show an unusual order: USB printer first, then the hard drive, then the DVD drive.

It looks like the PC assumed the printer was a hard drive, tried to boot from it, and just sat there, waiting for a response from the printer.

The fix was easy: just change the boot sequence to be: DVD, then HDD, and remove the printer option.

Windows 7 forgets workgroup network share password

Computer Aid Posted on by

I put a new Windows 7 PC (W7 pro, 32-bit), on my network.

Since my main PC is uses XP and network drives are shared using XP workgroup sharing, then I adjusted the W7 PC to join the same workgroup.

I then map a shared drive. As expected, I’m asked to supply username and password, and I tick the box that says remember my credentials.

Everything works fine until I restart the W7 PC, then it forgets the network share password, and I need to re-enter it.

After this happens a few times, I eventually decide to find a solution.

One suggestion is to use the full username (ie computernameusername), but that didn’t work (although it might work computers in networks with Domain servers).

I eventually find the solution by following this sequence:

Control Panel -> Credential Manager -> pick the username and/or server that refuses to get remembered, then click “edit”, and replace the domain name with the name of the computer / server that you are connecting to, then click save.

Logoff, then login again

Ignore the “cannot reconnect network drive error”

Reopen credential manager, and note that the credential you are interested in, is not there anymore.

Now re-connect to the network drive (re-enter the username and password), then switch back to credential manager, click: “add a windows credential” -> enter server name, user name, password, then save.

Note that the credential details say that the credential has a persistence of: enterprise

Now when I restart the W7 PC, it remembers the password.

It seems like Microsoft no longer care about non-W7 users…

Beware of pseudo naked ADSL ISPs

Computer Aid Posted on by

I have a friend who was after some inexpensive ADSL internet, but didn’t want to pay to connect a phone line.

She asked me, and I thought: I’ve heard of naked ADSL, so I looked into it.

The first disappointment, is that the cost is about the same, or slightly more expensive that than non-naked ADSL.

The second dissapointment, is that companies like TPG and MyNetFone (and probably many others), will not connect your naked ADSL if you are currently “naked”… ie you must currently have a valid telephone line with Telstra, before they connect you.

You are usually told that you can disconnect “after” your naked adsl service is connected.

I don’t know about you, but if I cannot trust Telstra to only disconnect my phone line, and not my ADSL service…

Plus: If you have just moved into a new house/flat/apartment, then you don’t want to pay $100 or $200 to connect the phone line, just to get “naked” ADSL, and then disconnect the phone line (another few hundred $ for an early disconnection fee).

It make you wonder: is it really worth spending hundreds of dollars, just to save on a $20 monthly fee?

So, in the end, my friend ended up with a choice of either netspace (ADSL2+), or iinet (ADSL1).

Given that the iinet was $60, vs. netspace $50 per month, it became a one-horse-race, and netspace got the deal.

belkin f5d7230-4 and unusual network dropouts

Computer Aid Posted on by

This system has a few strange problems. The main problem is slow email downloads, and errors downloading emails.

Using webmail results in errors like: your inbox is locked by another system.

I install malwarebytes, but it keeps failing to download updates… A classic symptom of an infection.

So my next step is obvious: boot ubcd4win, update SAS… But the update gets about half way, and then seems to freeze.

While waiting for SAS update, I also do a RAM test (no problem found), I clean up temp files, check that the windows drive is using ntfs.

Once its obvious that the SAS dowload has stalled, i try a ping test…  and that confirms there is an internet connection…

Well, I have nothing better to do, so I do a ping /t (ie a continuous ping)

Now thats interesting: The ping will receive exactly 21 valid replies, then it will timeout, then another 21 valid replies, then timeout, etc, etc.

I try pinging a different website, and get the same results…

I now quit from ubcd4win and start xp normally, but I still get the strange ping behaviour.

Now I look more closely at the modem (netgear), and the wifi router (belkin f5d7230-4).

I switch off the modem and ping the router directly… And I still get the dropouts… This is looking like a router fault.

I plug the pc directly into the modem, and all the pc problems are gone.

Sometime, I really hate these strange problems.

eee 1001ha and linux (EasyPeasy 1.6) and WiFi problems

Computer Aid Posted on by

Based on my last post, you will know that I am now configuring a new Asus EEE 1001HA laptop.

My customer wants linux, so after some investigation, I decide that EasyPeasy linux is a good choice for a netbook.

Luckily, the 1001ha has the 160Gb drive split into 2 80Gb partitions (ordinarily I would be annoyed at this, and merge the 2 partitions, but this means I’ll be able to dual-boot Linux and XP).

First I download EasyPeasy, and configure it onto a 2Gb SD card,

Then, I boot from the SD card, so that I’m running EasyPeasy in live-CD mode.

I run the HDD installation within EasyPeasy, I select the non-XP partition, but I’m worried that it will delete the MBR, such that I will not be able to boot XP anymore…

Well, here is pleasant surprise: The MBR is overwritten, but the “Grub” boot menu includes Windows XP… So Easy Peasy was smart enough to detect XP, and added it to the boot menu. Very nice.

EasyPeasy is easy to learn, but I found 1 major problem with the eee 1001HA: I couldn’t get WiFi to work.

Apparently, the 1001ha uses the RT3090 WiFi chip (which supports the new 802.11N standard), but the Linux drivers are very patchy in this area.

I found a forum that suggested using the WiCD Network manager… I tried it, but that didn’t work either.

I eventually discovered that there is a bug with the driver for the RT3090 chip… but I also found a workaround at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/541620

Post 21 shows what to do:

As root:

mkdir -p /etc/Wireless/RT2860STA/
touch /etc/Wireless/RT2860STA/RT2860STA.dat

It seems like the driver is expecting to find the file RT2860STA.dat in a specific folder (that doesn’t exist in EasyPeasy).

Oh well, I’ve done lots of grumbling about Microsoft… I guess this is my first complaint about Linux… it can have poor programming standards.

Asus eeepc CPU heating effects on the keyboard

Computer Aid Posted on by

A customer was specifically after an eeePC laptop.

After I got it from my supplier, I noticed a few strage things: the cursor would sometimes move automatically… and sometimes dialog boxes would automatically get “clicked”.

The annoying part is that it was intermittent.

I decided to do a bios update, and a complete set of windows XP updates… but the problem was still there.

It seems like pressing any key near the “Enter” key, would make the keyboard act like the Enter key was being depressed… and with auto-repeat that happens when the enter key is pressed, the effects were really unusual.

Since it was a new laptop, I took it back to the supplier, who did some tests, and found that there actually was a fault with the keyboard and replaced it promptly.

I was told (I’m not sure if its true), that the CPU is under the Enter key, so once the CPU warms up, the keyboard is more likely to “act up”.