03.22.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:07 am by Rob
I often use Remote Desktop to connect into my home office computer from a laptop. I’m running Vista Business SP1 and have found that every time I log back on locally my default printer is no longer assigned. In fact, Windows has no printer assigned as default.
This leads to silly (and false) messages such as “Publisher cannot print. There is no printer installed.”
The problem is related to Remote Desktop and Printer Redirection. When you connect from a client your printer gets changed to the local printer on the client. When you connect back locally it is not re-establishing your previous default printer.
Microsoft allegedly is aware of the problem, but their workaround is to Turn off printer redirection or Manually reset the default printer each time. Nice one, guys.
My solution was a simple VBS script and Windows task scheduler. Using VBS you can set a default printer. Create a new text document with the following code in it:
Set WSHNetwork = CreateObject(”WScript.Network”)
WSHNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter “Brother HL-5250DN series”
Replace “Brother HL-5250DN” with the exact name of your printer as it appears in the Printers folder. Save this as updateprinter.vbs in your user directory. Test the script by changing your default printer and then double-clicking on the script. It should bounce right back.
Now start the Task Scheduler (Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools) and click Create Task in the actions pane. Give the task a name and go to the Triggers tab and add a new trigger. Set the task to begin “On Connection to User Session” and make sure it’s just set to your username (other users may not have permission to access to your script). Next choose “Connection from local computer.”
Now you need to set an action to execute the script. Save your new trigger and go to the Actions tab. Add an action to “Start a Program” and browse to locate your script. Click OK. Finally, take a look at the Options and Settings tabs and configure to meet your needs. I recommend “Stop the task if it runs longer than 15 minutes” and executing regardless of AC power.
So what you’ve done is told windows to execute a script whenever you connect to your session locally. This script resets your printer back to usual. You could also use this to assign a specific printer when you’re logged in remotely and another for local sessions. Enjoy!
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02.07.09
Posted in Office at 6:04 pm by Rob
I’m writing this in 2009, so I rarely use faxes anymore. I send one every 2-3 months and receive them about once a month. However, there was a time when I was faxing frequently. Every day frequently. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Office at 1:34 pm by Rob
One of the best productivity boosters, in my opinion, is going paperless. I don’t mean eliminate every last scrap until you cower in fear at the site of wood pulp. Paper Management is what I’m aiming for.
The tools have been available for some time. All you need is a scanner, preferably one with an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). I’m using an older Brother MFC-5440CN that I purchased refurbished for under $100. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Home Automation at 12:20 pm by Rob
The hub of my ABUS system is the Harman Kardon ABH4.
ABH4
The nice thing about the ABH4 is the simplicity. There’s nothing to configure, no volume adjustments, anything. You just plug it in and it works. It has a set of RCA inputs on the top. These are connected to my Airport Express for playing music wirelessly from iTunes. On the bottom are 4 RJ-45 jacks to go to remote locations. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted in Home Automation at 11:13 am by Rob
Ever since we moved into our new house I’ve wanted to be able to listen to music throughout the home. There’s something nice about walking upstairs from my office and hearing the same song playing in the kitchen. Now, there are several ways to accomplish this. You can pull speaker wire everywhere and put an amp in one room. This creates issues with matching imedience and means leaving an amplifier turned on 24/7.
At first I plugged my Airport Expres (with Airtunes!) into an FM modulator and used FM radios. This is nice, except for the sound quality isn’t great. Also you need to leave the volume in iTunes set right in the middle. Too low and the radio will be full of static. Too high and the signal distorts. This means you can’t adjust the volume throughout the house from iTunes, but instead must adjust it on each radio.
Enter ABUS. ABUS is a standard for sending audio, power, and IR over CAT5 cable. I have plenty of that. It’s cheap. It’s designed to pull through walls (not all speaker cable is). At first look, ABUS seems expensive. But when you relize what you’re getting in the kit, it’s quite reasonable. Finding second-hand equipment also helps.
ABUS is designed around three components. A hub goes in a central location, just like an Ethernet hub. Your main audio source(s) plug into the hub. At the other end of the CAT5 cable is a small (single-gang) volume control. Finally, speaker cable goes the short distance from the volume control to your (in-wall) speakers. The amplifier is built into each volume control.
I decided on using the single-source Harman/Kardon ABH4 hub. This supports up to 4 locations out of the box. Expansion packs can be added to power additional volume controls.
Stay tuned for more information about the ABUS system as I’ve installed it.
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