“But what I want to do is have shortcut on my Win10 desktop to open VMW in full-screen mode, open Linux in full-screen mode, and then autostart Firefox maximized. I’ve been messing around with it for awhile and can get VMW to open full-screen and I can get Firefox to autostart. I can’t get Linux to start full-screen even though I’ve checked the box on the Virtual Machine Settings-Options page.”
[Read more…] about Reader question about a Linux Mint VM
Saturday Ramblings…
It’s a lazy, foggy, chilly Saturday here. I’ve been rearranging The Hole. I moved my turntable and the preamp had a humming sound. I took it apart, tightened 2 screws and poof the hum was gone. Currently listening to Dire Straits – Making Movies. You can see my equipment in my article here. The speakers are M-Audio AV-40 which are no longer produced.
After my old Gigabyte mobo died I decided to rid myself of some XP/Vista era equipment. These are systems based off of Yorkfield/Kentsfield CPUs. I’ve got some new-to-me old stuff and more on the way. I’ll let you in on that later.
Software updates:
IrfanView 4.57
Tor Browser 10.0.8
An old friend of this site asked:
Friend: Curious: How many of us follow you? Millions?
Me: Ha. There was a time back in the XP days when I would get 35,000 visitors in one day on the update of a Tweak Guide. I averaged 3,500 a day.
Times change and Google hates small sites like mine, they’ve gone out of their way to disappear us. Stats are hard to measure anymore but I reckon I average about 1000 a day now.
The old sites are disappearing, or selling out. Much of the old guard are “retiring” because there is no money in this stuff for a single site. Sites used to carry news of other websites’ new content but that has all changed now. They are only interested in promoting themselves at the expense of their users.
I’m one of the few left and I’ll be around as long as there are PCs.
A reader asked:
Reader: How come you haven’t addressed xyz political issue?
Me (paraphrased): Folks don’t come here for that…crap. I try to (mostly) only address political issues that are tech related, and, if politics has seeped into the argument too much I will avoid it. We are in a place where Every. Single. Thing. is polarized and anything anyone says has half the people pissed off. I blame much of it on social media and the trolls (especially those who are…”state actors”). -end-
Most visitors know of my absolute disdain for social media so I’ll leave you with #DeleteFacebook.
Good way to start a season!
Thank You!
I appreciate the positive response to the Win10 Tweak Guide, especially to those who have made a purchase. Although I never break even for the year it definitely helps keep this site going.
One of the cool things about this site is being able to reach so many both near and far. As I have said before, it is awesome and humbling. In the last 2 years, here are the localities of tweak guide buyers: (if I missed you or got something wrong please let me know)
*The list below wasn’t intended to offend anyone. Quite the opposite in fact. The data came from the Paypal invoices from the last 2 years (2019 – ). Some have no address. My security software has the ability to see “live traffic”. Sometimes I pop over there to see what bot is hammering away at the server or poking at a port but I can see all traffic. I’m always pleasantly surprised to see people from all over the globe reading articles here.
USA:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Rest of the world:
Zürich, Switzerland
Bromsgrove, Chippenham, Croydon, Hastings, Kinver, Leeds, Marshfield, Poole, Runcorn, Stoke-on-Trent, Ulverston, Weymouth: England
Calgary, Calixa-Lavallée, Chestermere, Cochrane, Helena Valley, L’ancienne-Lorette, Maple Ridge, Mont-Laurier: Canada
Bendigo, Botanic Ridge, Eudlo, Kattau, Leura, Roma, Somerset, Taperoo, The Rock: Australia
Čierna nad Tisou, Slovakia
Šiauliai, Lithuania
Ieper & Kortrijk: Belgium
Suva, Fiji
Balashikha, Russia
Milan, Italy
Lavra, Lisboa, Vila Nova de Gaia: Portugal
Edinburgh & Stewarton, Scotland
Hamburg & Langenfeld: Germany
Banbridge, Blanchardstown, Dublin: Ireland
Kattau, Austria
Tartu, Estonia
Annecy, France
Sarpsborg, Norway
Vibirg, Denmark
Florianópolis, Brazil
Pudong, China
Kista & Undersåker: Sweden
Granadilla, Costa Rica
Cairo, Egypt
Sandviken, Sweden
Den Haag, Netherlands
Patch Tuesday
Win10 Updated
2004 & 20H2 – January 12, 2021—KB4598242 (OS Builds 19041.746 and 19042.746)
– Updates to improve security when using external devices, such as game controllers, printers, and web cameras.
– Updates to improve security when Windows performs basic operations.
1909 – January 12, 2021—KB4598229 (OS Build 18363.1316)
– Updates to improve security when using external devices, such as game controllers, printers, and web cameras.
– Updates to improve security when using Microsoft Office products.
– Updates to improve security when Windows performs basic operations.
Monday Morning News
Nvidia Geforce Game Ready Drivers 461.09 WHQL
Security Bulletin: NVIDIA GPU Display Driver – January 2021
Download | Release Notes
Cleanmgr+ 1.37.1170
4 minor changes.
Download & Info
Sysinternals Freeware Tools Updated
Process Monitor v3.61 | Sysmon v13.00
Install And Configure A Linux Mint Virtual Machine
Just a quick how-I-do-it.
I do 80% of my internet activity in my Mint VM.
[Read more…] about Install And Configure A Linux Mint Virtual Machine
Latest Tweak Guide
Linux Mint 20.1 Released
“Linux Mint 20.1 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2025. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.”
Desktops: Cinnamon, MATE, XFCE
Release Announcement on Main Page
What’s New: Cinnamon | MATE | XFCE
Download
I use Linux Mint Cinnamon in a Virtual Machine (VMware) for my daily internet activities. I’ll be installing this soon.
Thursday Morning Random Stuff…
Chrome Updated
“The Stable channel has been updated to 87.0.4280.141 for Windows, Mac and Linux…This update includes 16 security fixes.”
Download | Release Info | Android
Firefox 84.0.2
“Security fix”
Download | Release Notes
January Microsoft Office Security Updates
Release info
How to Install Office Updates
Intel Graphics – Windows 10 DCH Drivers
Version: 27.20.100.9126 Date: 1/4/2021
“Patch driver”
Download | Release Notes
Windows 10’s taskbar is getting a big update with new weather and news widget
We’ve got that crap on our phone. It’s unneeded, annoying, and obtrusive. Why the hell does MS keep trying to put garbage on my computer?
Microsoft planning ‘sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows’
Please remove your hat and bow your head in a moment of silence…
Time to lay my Gigabyte GA-EP35C-DS3R system to rest. After over 12 years she has a fried capacitor and 2 of 4 memory sticks are bad.
She ran Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and openSUSE. She RAIDed Raptors, displayed GeForce and Radeon, RAMed Corsair and G.Skill, rocked out to Audigy and X-FI, was powered by many, and lived in multiple cases.
She was beaten on in many a benchmark and frankly I’m amazed she lasted so long.
April 15, 2008 – My New System Is Up And Running