Zip files

In case you haven't heard, zip files are a cutting edge technology invented in the 80s to put compress multiple files into a single file. Windows XP comes with a "feature" that integrated zip file management into windows explorer.

However this morning I was zipping up a bunch of files in the background and then made the huge mistake of *gasp* attempting to extract files from a different zip archive at the same time. Take my word that readme.txt has taken much longer than 50 seconds already and there's no end in sight, considering the "time left" timer is going up. Maybe if windows used some of the 92% of my CPU that's idling it would have a chance at finishing this complicated operation before lunch time.

Microsoft TV

I was looking at my network connections the other day playing around with Bluetooth and I noticed a connection called "Microsoft TV/Video." I didn't know that Microsoft was in the TV Business, and I certainly never asked for it:


A quick google search revealed an explanation: this is obviously a feature included in windows by design.

We have some code in production that sends e-mails. Pretty common, I imagine. However I used the app today and received this message:

Unexpected Error: The message could not be sent to the SMTP server. The transport error code was 0x80040217. The server response was not available.

Wow, great error message, .NET! After a few minutes searching on google I found out that means that your SMTP username/password were denied. Thanks for the help, Microsoft!

Double post

Coding for the .NET framework has its advantages, like being able to see the internal Microsoft function calls. This came from an exception trying to read a file that didn't exist:

at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)

What a great parameter.

And this is a feature I guess: IIS memory leak automatic protection. It's easier than writing a good garbage collection algorithm I guess.

Access Denied

Windows has horrible file locking. I've been plagued with tons of errors since I started working with Windows-based servers. My error of the day is this random thing that happens sporadically when I try to build a project in ant:

BUILD FAILED
C:\files\workspace\suite\build.xml:43: java.io.FileNotFoundException: C:\files\workspace\suite (Access is denied)

Usually, waiting a few minutes will resolve the problem.

Windows lost my taxes

I did most of my taxes a week or so ago, and had a few things to finish up. I left the program running as a reminder to work on them. Apparently I forgot to save. Now, I am, of course, stupid for leaving it up without saving, but this could have been avoided. Anyway, sometime between now and then Windows decided to install some updates and reboot itself. Last night I went to put in a few finishing touches, and my taxes were completely lost. Needless to say, Windows sucks. I don't have any exciting screen shots or anything, but I am mad!

iTunes and Outlook

I don't know if this is Microsoft's fault or Apple's fault, but it seems absurd to me that iTunes would need to update a file locked by Outlook.

Compilation error

I didn't know you could have a compilation error without a line of source code. A linking error maybe, but compilation?