Tips / Tricks / Bug Reports & Solutions
Undo on an iphone/Ipad in various applications (i.e. IOS Notes Undo, ...)
The Undo function is typically not in any menu in your iPhone applications... if it is not... shake the device... and you will get a pop-up menu (much like what you get when you select things)... Undo is one of them... in case of Notes: you get two UNDO steps... not a lot, but sometimes a lifesaver !
Unable to delete files (in Windows User Folder, in Downloads Folder, ...)
Reported in many forums and with many causes (especially in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1). Sometimes Windows will not let you delete or move files - to me it typically happens in the user/downloads directory where mail attachments and the like or stored.
Here is a quick list of ways to get rid of them (in order of easy to do)
- Instead of just pressing the DELETE key, try SHIFT + DELETE (be careful: this permanently deletes the files - no recycle bin or restore option)
- Right click file>properties>security tab>advanced>change owner to your username -> click apply and ok, then try to delete again.
- Ultimate... but takes a bit more time... Go to the right screen menu (put cursor in lower right corner), Settings>PC Settings>General> Advanced Boot and Boot to safe mode. Then try delete again.
Crashplan+ backup service stops working after upgrading to Windows 8.1
So after my upgrade to Windows 8.1 in January 2014, my Crashplan service stopped working... after almost two years of seamless backups, both the background backup as well as the desktop application signaled that they were unable to connect to the backup central service... So off I went looking at the settings of the Windows Firewall, investigating my ZoneAlarm settings, ... to no avail.
Scouting the support section of the Code42 Crashplan website didn't help neither - pretty useless. But after countless hours of troubleshooting... I was ready to give up and call the helpdesk. Heck, I was even prepared to use the chat function on the help section of their website. But... after 7pm, there is no Crashplan support for paid users... not by phone, not with a chat agent... really ?!
So... more troubleshooting. Well.. eventually I did find what was wrong and how to resolve it... and it had nothing to do with the Firewall settings of Windows or Zonealarm - but it had everything to do with my Windows 8.1 upgrade.
Turns out the Crashplan Service wasn't listed in the Windows Services anymore - let alone that it was activated. How do you check this ? Simply, go to the Control Panel (don't know where to find the Control Panel in Windows 8.x ? Pop the menu in the top right corner, search for Control Panel and click away), Administrative Tools, Services - and check the list:
- Do you see "Crashplan Backup Service" listed ? Check if it is running, if not, right click on the name, and start the service.
- Don't see an entry for "Crashplan Backup Service" ? Well, then the easy solution is to de-install the Crashplan Service (Control Panel, Programs, Uninstall a program), download the Crashplan executable, and re-install. You will not lose your backed up files if you install with the same account. But the newly installed Crashplan will take some time to synchronize your PC with Backup Central.