The Digital Surgery (computer questions/problems here)

[lomuamart]

Thanks again for all the advice. I'm rushing out at the moment so will try those photo thingies later and let everyone know how I get on.
I'll ask my father for one of the dodgy messages and post the result up here. He uses a gmail address not hotmail, but he composes, sends and receives/reads all mails in Outlook Express.

[hhfarang]

MS has a tool called picture resizer. It's in their power tools and is small. If you install it (can't remember the details as I did it a long time ago, but a search should find them) all you have to so is left click any time on a picture and "resize pictures" is in the menu that comes up. You can choose small, medium, or large and I find medium fits most screens and mails while keeping the quality good. It will resize one or more at the same time if you depending on what files you have selected, and it will resize the original if you ask it to (advanced options) or default to making a resized copy without modifying the original.

[lomuamart]

I downloaded the second link that buksi gave, have re-sized a photo and emailed it. Hopefully that will solve the issue. I did note that when I changed the re-sized photo back to its original size a lot of clarity was lost as Homer said would be the case. However that isn't a problem this time as I still have the photos on the camera, so I'll just delete the small file I made and download again. Making a copy and re-sizing that is something I'll remember though. Thanks for that.

[Big Boy]

When you've re-sized the photo, do you not get an option to save the new image as a completely new image e.g. if your image is called Photo123, then save the re-sized photo as Photo123a. That way the integrity of the original image will be retained.

[hhfarang]

Why don't you guys just use the built in MS powertool I suggested. Really easy and doesn't affect the original photo unless you go to "advanced options" and tell it to.

I just looked and maybe it an XP only tool (another reason to stay with XP; it's handling of photos is so much better than W7 imo).

Other than that, I would recommend IrfanView, a free (and easy) tool that will do almost anything with photos that Photoshop will.

[Jose]

I hate Windows 7 so I am holding on to XP Pro as long as I can.

I tried to hang onto XP Pro for my new netbook. Neither Toshiba or the video chipset maker has a video driver that works with any version of XP. My choice was living with 640x480 (insert anguished scream here) or Win 7. Don't hate it yet which is probably because the box is a dual boot with PcLinuxOS. Made it dual boot in case I find something I can't do in Linux.

if you want Windows 7 to look and feel more like xp, then change to classic theme
Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Personalization

[hhfarang]

I only use computers for reading (and posting) forums, reading news, email, and storing/editing photos. Any os will do the first three things easily, but I like XP's handling of photos way better than Windows 7. I don't believe changing to classic theme will get back the photo viewing tools I liked in XP, primarily "filmstrip" view. I first saw this on an airplane as the person sitting next to me was comparing and editing photos on his laptop. I asked what application allowed that type of viewing and he told me it was an integral part of XP. That is why I bought XP in the first place but the brilliant designers at MS saw fit to do away with that in Windows 7.

If you search forums on the net you will find that this is one of the primary complaints against Windows 7. Maybe they'll bring it back in "8".

[Korkenzieher]

Seagate Disk-Manager is 'powered by Acronis'. If you don't have any Seagate devices, you are advised to go to the Acronis site for a paid-for version of Disk-Manager.

However, it appears that Thai Govt is sometimes blocking the Acronis site - but not always!
I get w3.mict.go.th in the bottom left of the browser, and then nothing - or bare minimum, a long wait. Can the blocking happen as a result (for example) of embedded advertising?

[buksida]

Works fine here on TOT - yes, Google & Firefox also block websites if they find dodgy ad code on it. Wouldn't imagine a corporate software site would have ads on it, acronis.com doesn't. Its probably some screwy DNS settings in their firewall somewhere.

[Korkenzieher]

The page generally seems to come up eventually, but I sometimes have to wait for several minutes with the 'mict' stamp glaring at me. The free-trial download came down at blistering speed, so there is no (apparent) issue with the software itself - as in what it does upsetting the BiB, for eg.

[Pleng]

Seagate Disk-Manager is 'powered by Acronis'. If you don't have any Seagate devices, you are advised to go to the Acronis site for a paid-for version of Disk-Manager.

However, it appears that Thai Govt is sometimes blocking the Acronis site - but not always!
I get w3.mict.go.th in the bottom left of the browser, and then nothing - or bare minimum, a long wait. Can the blocking happen as a result (for example) of embedded advertising?

I'm not sure what the above post was in response to, but if you're looking for free disk management tools, search for 'PartEd Magic'. It's essentially a bootable linux distro that includes icons for Linux's disk management applications directly on the desktop.

It's included in the (rather awesome) Hiren's boot CD.

[Korkenzieher]

It was moved to here by Buksida. It was more as a question about mict.g.th blocking. I have just had exactly the same experience looking at clonezilla. There seems to be something that mict doesn't like about people searching for disk imaging software - at least over my ISP!

[Korkenzieher]

Today it is on finance.yahoo.com and the Telegraph newspaper in the UK - w3.mict.go.th all over the screen. If it was obvious why, than I might understand it, but it seems completely random.

[buksida]

As mentioned it sounds like an ISP DNS cache problem (happens regularly with CAT & TT&T) - your best bet is to contact them and show them the sites working when connected with a different provider.

[Korkenzieher]

It seemed to revert to normal about luchtime today.

Whatever it is caused by, it seems to be only a small number of sites, generally high profile, and there is definitely a delay and an attempt to go to w3.mict.go.th, which is the URL of the content filters as I understand it. This is increasingly becoming one of the most frustrating issues for me here - so many sites either blocked or incredibly unresponsive for no obvious content reason that I can determine.