[SOLVED] Using VirtualBox in Bridged mode

Here’s the solution to Bridge mode not working in VirtualBox.

So, have you ever experienced the situation where you wanted to set your VM’s network configuration to Bridged mode, but were unable to select any network adapter? For example:

(Image taken from VirtualBox.org, see reference at bottom of article)

It might be because the proper Service is missing from your host’s network configuration. To fix, go to your host’s network adapters:

Right click and choose Properties:

A list of items appears, make sure that the highlighted service “VirtualBox NDIS6 Bridged Network Driver” is available:

If this service is not available, press “Install…” and choose “Service” and press “Add…”:

Next, choose “Oracle Corporation” and then “VirtualBox NDIS6 Bridged Network Driver” and press “OK”:

Now close all dialogs to commit the changes. You should now be able to choose the proper network adapter to use in Bridge mode:

Source: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/14127

Posted in Networking, Problem Solving, Uncategorized, Virtual Box, Windows by
Google Chrome

Stutter in HTML5 video’s in Chrome browser

Recently, certain videos on the web didn’t play well for me anymore, when I was using Google Chrome. Other browsers, such as Firefox and Opera (which also provide a HTML 5 video player), would play the video just fine.

What could possibly be wrong?

After searching around a bit, I found the following tip:

  • In the address bar go to ‘chrome://flags’
  • hit ctrl + f and look for ‘video decode’
  • on the entry ‘Disable hardware-accelerated video decode.’ click ‘Enable’
  • restart Chrome

 

Via VirtuDa comments on Enter what you want to see & hear and this site will generate a music video out of gifs..

Posted in Problem Solving by

How to Fix the Steam Teamspeak Volume Conflict

I found a helpful article on-line, which I would like to share with you:

This fix goes beyond the Teamspeak and Steam VOIP issues seen on Windows 7 systems.  However, this applies to a majority of users.  Could help other VOIP apps, like Ventrilo or Mumble.

The Problem:
Volume in Teamspeak seems OK; then you start up a game in Steam.  The volume then drops to the point you can hardly hear other users, perhaps not at all, depending on the in-game volume.  If you look at your Volume Mixer, you’ll see the volume bar for Teamspeak has been lowered.

The Reason:
Windows 7 is trying to be nice, and lowering your volume when it detects another communication device.  It’s designed for PC based phone calls, much like how a Bluetooth phone will turn down/off the sound in your car radio for incoming calls.  In our case, Win 7 thinks your Steam VOIP is an incoming call, turning down Teamspeak.

The Solution:
Tell it to stop, who takes PC phone calls anyways?

  • Goto Control Panel
  • Select Sound
  • Select Communications Tab
  • Switch it to “Do Nothing”
  • Select OK<

Disable VOIP Volume Thingy

Note: it should not come as a surprise that this issue also exists under Windows 8/8.1.

Via The Computer Gamer

Posted in Problem Solving, Steam, Windows by

Disable onscreen keyboard in Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 thinks that my laptop has a touch screen and therefor deems it necessary to display a little keyboard icon on my task bar, with which I can summon an onscreen keyboard.

Unfortunately, neither does my laptop in fact have a touch screen nor am I interested at all in using that idiotic onscreen keyboard.

So, how does one get rid of that icon? After searching the Interwebs I’m convinced that as of writing, there is no practical solution available. The only way to get rid of the icon (which is a toolbar, by the way), is to disallow any and all toolbars on the task bar.

While not everyone may be pleased with this solution, I’m fine with that. So without further ado, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Start Registry Editor (regedit.exe)
  2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  3. Add a new 32-bit DWORD key named “NoToolbarsOnTaskbar” and give it the value of “1”
  4. Log out and log back in

Now the little booger will stay away (along with any and all other toolbars you might have had enabled).

Via Permanently remove Touch Keyboard toolbar from taskbar?

Posted in Problem Solving, Windows 8.1 by

VPN Troubles

Recently I experienced a new kind of problem with Windows 8.1 on my laptop. I was unable to connect to my VPN-server at home. It turned out this was caused by a device missing.

The moment I would try to connect via VPN, Windows would try to comply, but fail in the end with some error message.

Before trying to connect via VPN, there would be no problematic devices listed in Hardware Manager. But afterwards, several miniport devices would be listed as such. Generally it was reported that the required drivers could not be loaded.

Investigation lead me to the Microsoft Support Forum:

  1. In Device Manager, right-click on the non-working miniport, choose Update Driver.
  2. Choose Browse my computer.
  3. In the next window, choose Let me pick driver from a list.
  4. Uncheck Show compatible hardware. From the Manufacturer list, choose Microsoft, and from the Network Adapter list, choose Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network). (It can be any device the user is allowed to uninstall.)
  5. Back in the device manager, delete the device that just turned into a Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network).
  6. Reboot.
  7. Delete your VPN information and then enter it again.

(repeat for all problematic miniport devices)

This solved things for me.

Posted in Problem Solving, Windows 8.1 by
Google Chrome

Google Chrome and Font Rendering Problems

Ever since version 36 of 37 or something like that, Google Chrome started rendering texts incorrectly. That is, texts would become a bit blocky and just unpleasant to read.

Being the good little technology enthusiast that I am, I usually read all the ‘whatsnew’-documentation that comes with new versions of programs, like with Chrome. And at one point I remembered reading something. Google implemented a new feature called DirectWrite which does who knows what, but should cause your texts to appear even better than they did before.

Well, as it turns out, this little feature caused the problems I was experiencing. So what does one do? Open this URL in Google Chrome:

chrome://flags

And just toggle ‘Disable DirectWrite’ so that the text reads ‘disable’ (you have just enabled the feature to disable that feature). Hurray for overly complicated texts.

Note: I use Google Chrome on a Windows 2008 R2 terminal server. On my laptop with Windows 8 everything is just fine…

Posted in Problem Solving, Software by

Crash in Wermgr.exe

Although I’m overall still very happy with my laptop (MSI GT 70), there are in fact minor annoyances that keep popping up. One of them is the fact that the Windows Error Reporting application itself (Wermgr.exe) keeps crashing. Most notably after extended idling, during which the screensaver (blank screen) is active. Upon resuming there will be dozens of dialogs reporting something along these lines:

The instruction at 0xf3f3be3e referenced memory at 0xa2dac660. The memory could not be read

Error Dialog for Wermgr.exe

So what to do? Simply disable the Error Reporting Service:

Press the Windows key + R to open a Run box.

Type services.msc

Press Enter.

Scroll down to the Windows Error Reporting service. Double-click it, Stop it and Disable it.

That should help, although you won’t be able to submit error reports abouts crashed applications anymore. Well, that wasn’t working to begin with. As for the origins of this failure? I haven’t got a clue…

Via Wermgr.exe Application Error?

Posted in Problem Solving, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 by

Synology DSM root password for ssh

Today I wanted to login to my Synology Diskstation NAS via SSH as root, but it wouldn’t accept my password. To resolve, try stopping and restarting the SSH service (under Terminal in the DSM Control Panel). If that doesn’t work, try the following (verbatim via Primal Cortex’s Weblog):

  1. Enable telnet on the DSM Control Panel
  2. Telnet as root. The password should be the same as admin. If not, change again the admin password.
  3. Execute the following command: synouser -setpwd root password_same_as_admin_or_not
  4. Trying now to ssh as root it should succeed with the password gave in the above command
  5. Disable telnet on the DSM Control Panel
  6. Done.

Via Synology DSM root password for ssh | Primal Cortex’s Weblog.

Posted in Problem Solving, Synology by

VirtualBox – upgrading Windows XP VMs to 2 CPU

As you should know, you are never alone with your technical problems. Every time you stumble upon a problem, there’s someone out there with the answer. The trick is to find that answer.

Today I found the solution to one of my problems, via Alex Klink’s tech blog. His post here, verbatim:

Symptom: If you had Windows XP VM with only 1 CPU created / virtalized earlier you won’t be able to see a second CPU when you add it later.

  1. Make sure you have second CPU added via VM Virtual Box Manager and “Enable IO APIC” checkbox  in System settings on Motherboard tab is checked.
  2. You should see 2 CPUs in Device Manager , but when you run Task Manager, you’ll see only 1 CPU.
  3. MS recommendation for Windows XP is to reinstall Windows (no surprise) as you can see it in this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309283
  4. Do not reinstall Windows, just run run the following from command prompt

    rundll32 syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction ACPIAPIC_MP_HAL 128 %windir%\inf\hal.inf

  5. Reboot when prompted , log on back to Windows XP wait until you see “Windows has finished installing new devices. The software that supports your device requires that you restart your computer. You must restart your computer before the new setting will take effect” and press OK to reboot it again.
  6. Done

Via Alex Klink’s tech blog: VirtualBox – upgrading Windows XP VMs to 2 CPU.

Posted in Problem Solving, Virtual Box, Windows by
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