Author: Dave Farquhar

New computer, old monitor

Dave Farquhar Hardware , , , , , , , ,
New computer, old monitor

New computer, old monitor: I see questions fairly frequently about using a new computer and older monitor together. More often than not, it’s possible to do, but you may need to know where to look for the cables and adapters you’ll need.

Here’s some help.

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Fix a chip in an LCD display

Dave Farquhar Hardware

If you need to fix a chip, gouge or nick in an LCD display, you can do it with a dab of petroleum jelly and the edge of a credit card.

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Catch up on Microsoft patching fast

Dave Farquhar security ,

Last week, Microsoft quietly released its convenience update pack for Windows 7, 8.1., and Server 2008R2. This is a great opportunity to catch up on Microsoft patching, as it incorporates all of Microsoft’s OS-level updates from the release of Service Pack 1 to April 2016.

Here’s how to use this to clear your corporation’s backlog of Microsoft patches. No, I haven’t seen your corporate network, but I’ll bet you have one.

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When tenants hassle you about repairs

Dave Farquhar Landlording

I’ve talked before about high-maintenance tenants, but today I want to dive a bit deeper into when tenants hassle you about repairs, which is perhaps the second most frustrating thing about being a landlord. Here are some strategies that can help.

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Commodore 64 vs 128

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , , , , , , , , ,
Commodore 64 vs 128

Commodore introduced the Commodore 128 in 1985 as an upgrade path from the Commodore 64, the most popular model of computer of all time. The 128 addressed the 64’s biggest shortcomings while remaining mostly compatible with its hardware and software. That makes the Commodore 64 vs 128 a natural comparison, even more natural than comparing the 64 with the VIC-20.

The Commodore 128 was an extension of the Commodore 64, with more memory, a faster disk drive, a faster CPU, and 80-column video. It also featured a very high degree of compatibility, which helped both machines sell better.

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Marx train set 452

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
Marx train set 452

A fellow Marx collector asked recently for information about sets containing the elusive Marx windup 490 (also sometimes called the mechanical 490), so I thought I would share what I know about set number 452.

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When Linux won’t boot off DVD or USB

Dave Farquhar Linux , , ,

I went to install Linux (Debian) on an old Asus socket 775 motherboard (a P5LD2) and had a litany of problems getting my installation media to boot. Here’s how I finally got it installed.

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Microsoft Security Essentials alerts – don’t call “Microsoft”

Dave Farquhar scams, security ,

Last Tuesday night my oldest son came into the room and told me he thought one of our computers was being hacked. So I kicked into incident response mode and walked into the other room to be greeted with a computer loudly telling me that Microsoft Security Essentials was unable to clean a virus and to immediately call Microsoft.

Instead I immediately shut down the computer. Here’s why.

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Replace missing Lionel brakewheels with sew-on snaps

Dave Farquhar Toy trains , , ,
Replace missing Lionel brakewheels with sew-on snaps

I saw an old tip recently regarding using sew-on snaps to replace missing Lionel brakewheels. Reproduction brakewheels generally are available, but sew-on snaps work well, are readily available at any store that sells sewing supplies, and they’re cheap.

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Moving SSH off port 22 doesn’t do much for security

Dave Farquhar security
Moving SSH off port 22 doesn’t do much for security

A week or two ago, a stranger approached me with some advice about securing routers: move SSH off port 22.

Since arguing with strangers is what the Internet was apparently invented for, I’ll argue against the benefits of moving SSH off port 22.

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