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[Lectorog]

Alright, AVG's deciding to screw with me. This isn't my individual computer or anything, so I don't know it as well as I should. I hope someone here understands this problem:
The application to run Portal 2 (which I have from Steam) is registering as a virus (or something) from AVG.
I tried to open an unknown file type (a DF file), and for some reason the Portal 2 exe appeared as a possibility. Every time I click on the "dangerous" file or try to open an unknown file, AVG pops up its alarm to tell me that portal2.exe is infected.
What the hell, AVG? Why is this and how do I fix it?
(Note: I'm not sure if uninstalling AVG is an option. I know it sucks, but like I said, this isn't my computer individually.

[Stargrasper]

Okay, I've been away for awhile...anyway...

Let's say I have data from a number of experiments, saved in Excel files. How could I use OpenOffice (or LibreOffice, if you prefer) to create the same graph for each experiment? Basically, I want to create a bunch of graphs that are exactly the same, except that the actual value of each data point might change. It would be really handy to be able to do this automatically, because there are potentially hundreds of experiments and 3 to 6 graphs needed apiece.

My idea was to write a shell script that converted all the excel files to calc files.  That's trivial to do from the command line (and consequently, from a script).  There doesn't appear to be a way to pass a macro command or anything similar from the command line.  That means we would need a more complicated script that I'd actually have to research how to do...which I'm not doing unless you can give me a good reason to.  Let me know.

How useful is Lavalys' Everest program anymore? I've heard that it was discontinued and a new product had been released in it's place, but it's still pretty useful for me.

I'm not familiar with the software, but most software doesn't automatically stop working when the provider stops supporting it.  Just be aware of what you're doing.  Usually, there's a reason when providers stop supporting software and there's always consequences of some form or other.  Be vigilant and you'll likely be fine.

Alright, AVG's deciding to screw with me. This isn't my individual computer or anything, so I don't know it as well as I should. I hope someone here understands this problem:
The application to run Portal 2 (which I have from Steam) is registering as a virus (or something) from AVG.
I tried to open an unknown file type (a DF file), and for some reason the Portal 2 exe appeared as a possibility. Every time I click on the "dangerous" file or try to open an unknown file, AVG pops up its alarm to tell me that portal2.exe is infected.
What the hell, AVG? Why is this and how do I fix it?
(Note: I'm not sure if uninstalling AVG is an option. I know it sucks, but like I said, this isn't my computer individually.

First, if the exe is being flagged as a virus, it's doing something naughty.  Probably trying to write somewhere it shouldn't or trying to transmit something across that internet, which if you didn't explicitly tell it to, AVG might just be panicking.  If you're absolutely sure, you could temporarily disable AVG from Tools/Advanced Settings.  There may be a way to whitelist specific programs, but I didn't see it in my quick look around.

As for DF files trying to launch portal2.exe...probably those files extension somehow got associated with portal2.exe.  Go to Control Panel/Default Programs/Set Associations; from there you can check/modify existing associations.  No idea if the unknown file type association will be there, but that seems the most sensible place it would be.  ... expecting Windows to be sensible ... hehe ...

[Bauglir]

My idea was to write a shell script that converted all the excel files to calc files.  That's trivial to do from the command line (and consequently, from a script).  There doesn't appear to be a way to pass a macro command or anything similar from the command line.  That means we would need a more complicated script that I'd actually have to research how to do...which I'm not doing unless you can give me a good reason to.  Let me know.

Fair enough! I don't really have a compelling reason for you to exert that much effort, so I'll do the research myself. Thanks for all your help throughout this thread, by the way, it is impressive.

[Lectorog]

As for DF files trying to launch portal2.exe...probably those files extension somehow got associated with portal2.exe.  Go to Control Panel/Default Programs/Set Associations; from there you can check/modify existing associations.  No idea if the unknown file type association will be there, but that seems the most sensible place it would be.  ... expecting Windows to be sensible ... hehe ...

No, it's for any unknown file type/extension. If I try to open a file type Windows doesn't know how to open, it pops up a list of programs - Notepad, Paint, Firefox, stuff like that. For some reason, portal2.exe was showing up. It hasn't done that before, nor should it. It was tucked away in Steam's folder labyrinth anyway, so I don't know why Windows would go looking there.

There haven't been any irregularities with the game file before. I haven't played it in a while. I definitely didn't download it infected from Steam, nor could I think of any feasible reason for it to become infected.

One of my "caring" computer users followed AVG's advice, and shoved it into The Vault. I'm just going to re-download Portal 2 from Steam.
I tried restoring the file and it's completely back to normal. The generic .exe icon has been replaced with the game icon, and AVG isn't freaking out. WTF? I'm done trying to understand AVG. It's pretty worthless.


Thanks for your time and answer. Your help here is definitely appreciated.

[Stargrasper]

Just checking back in.  It'd be a shame to see a thread with legitimately useful information disappear into the abyss of posts.

My idea was to write a shell script that converted all the excel files to calc files.  That's trivial to do from the command line (and consequently, from a script).  There doesn't appear to be a way to pass a macro command or anything similar from the command line.  That means we would need a more complicated script that I'd actually have to research how to do...which I'm not doing unless you can give me a good reason to.  Let me know.

Fair enough! I don't really have a compelling reason for you to exert that much effort, so I'll do the research myself. Thanks for all your help throughout this thread, by the way, it is impressive.

Okay, a couple of weeks have passed.  Did you ever figure out how to do what you needed to do?  I haven't looked into this at all, but if you still haven't found a solution (or given up on it), I can start looking.  I'm just busier now that classes have started again, so I might not have an answer for you in a day like I did before.

Also, thanks for the compliments guys.  I appreciate it.

[Bauglir]

Actually, I ended up not needing to do it. Job got handed off to somebody else, apparently; I'm kind of vaguely curious, because maybe it'll come up again later, but at the moment I'm too busy either working or entering an essentially vegetative trance to look it up since it's not relevant to anything I'm doing.

Yeah, I suck >_______>

[ed boy]

I've got a bit of a problem.

I have two laptops - my main laptop and my seconday laptop. I want to hook up the seconday laptop to the main and run a program on the seconday one that lets be toggle between using it on its own and using it as a seconday screen for the main laptop. There are programs out there that do this, but there are problems with the ones that I have been able to find.

The problem stems from the internet. I want to be able to be hooked up to the internet on the main while it is hooked up to the secondary one. However, all the programs that I have been able to find work off the two computers being part of the same LAN. Due to the university internet setup, I can't connect them together over the university network. I could create a lan with the two of them by linking them together by ethernet cable, but that would stop be hooking the main up to the internet. I could hook the main up to the internet and connect the two laptops via wireless, but I have had problems trying to utilize a wired network and a wireless network simultaneously on the main.

So far, I have determined that the best way to link the two together would be via USB bridge cable. However, when hooked together like this, they would not be part of the same LAN, so the software that I have found would not work. Does anybody know of any software that allows this (that is, using the secondary laptop as a second screen, ideally being able to toggle between that and the laptop's own display) over USB connection? Failing that, does anybody know of an approach to the problem which I have not considered?

[Stargrasper]

The closest solution I can find to what you're asking for is to turn the second machine into a remote display over a network.

I'm looking at something that suggests using synergy2 to do this.  The process looks fairly straight forward, but I don't have two laptops around to test anything myself.

Since I can't test this, I can really only do limited research on how to pull this off.  You'll have to let me know if you think this is what you want.  I'll look at other options if you decide this won't work or isn't what you're looking for.  Let me know.

[ed boy]

There are lots of pieces of software that can do this, the problem is that they require the two computers to be on the same network, which is not really an option for me.

Because I will in university accomodation, I won't be able to connect the two over the university network. The laptops don't like being connected to two LANs at the same time, so I can't set up a seperate network between the two. I can connect them through other means, such as via USB, but I don't know if using the second as another screen is possible with such a connection.

[Stargrasper]

Sorry.  Misunderstood something...probably shouldn't be reading these things at 1AM.  Anyway, I have a metric crap load of homework, so I really can't research this right now.  I'll do my best to look into it this weekend.

[Stargrasper]

Still with me?

Again, I can't test this, but I'm pretty sure you can accomplish what you want even under your circumstances with SSH or a VPN.  I think you can forward the input information across either of those.  At least, I know you can forward X across SSH.  I'm guessing a VPN is the easiest solution, though.  You should be able to just set up a VPN server on one of the machines and a VPN client on the other.

This site should have a lot of useful information and good VPN clients.  Supposedly, this is a good VPN server.

[Caz]

Is putting a drop of machine oil into your fan really a harmless way of quietening it? Or will your computer asplode a few weeks later? 

[Stargrasper]

I might not be the best person to ask about this because I don't mess with hardware much, but I see no particular harm in that so long as it's not a really big drop of oil.  Just remember that the fan is a machine part, not an electronic part.  I'm used to using 30W motor oil on spinning parts.  I'm a bit busy right now, but I'll actually look into this later today.

Mostly, just check the weight of the oil you're using and how much you're using and I think you should be fine.

Also note that I'm used to oiling machinery, not fans.  I've never had to do more than clean a fan to help it.  Try that first.

[Caz]

I might not be the best person to ask about this because I don't mess with hardware much, but I see no particular harm in that so long as it's not a really big drop of oil.  Just remember that the fan is a machine part, not an electronic part.  I'm used to using 30W motor oil on spinning parts.  I'm a bit busy right now, but I'll actually look into this later today.

Mostly, just check the weight of the oil you're using and how much you're using and I think you should be fine.

Also note that I'm used to oiling machinery, not fans.  I've never had to do more than clean a fan to help it.  Try that first.

Thanks!

[Aklyon]

the XKCD Tech Support Flow Chart.  Note the option "Pick one at random".

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I showed this to someone before, they showed it to someone else who thought it was a joke to get out of fixing their computer for the nth time.