Memory Limits for Windows Releases

Found this link in regards to memory limits and Windows releases.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778(VS.85).aspx

I also found this link that discusses the 4GB Windows Memory Limits
http://www.brianmadden.com/blogs/brianmadden/archive/2004/02/19/the-4gb-windows-memory-limit-what-does-it-really-mean.aspx

Windows 7 Beta

I wanted to share some of my thoughts of Windows 7 - Beta. So far, I would have to say I like it much better than Vista and even XP. It seems that things are running much smoother than Vista. Prior to installing Windows 7, I was using both Vista 32-bit and 64-bit. Win 7 performs much better than both.

My first attempt was actually just an upgrade to my Vista 32-bit. That went fine. I really did not see much difference from speed but did notice that there was no lag on the sidebar. I normally have XM Radio running on the sidebar and with Vista, I sometimes hear lags.

I then decided to completely wipe out my HD and reinstall from scratch. I personally think that this is a better route to go. Only thing annoying with the Beta version would be the Send Feedback link on every dialog box that comes up. It also has a watermark on the bottom right corner of the screen. I am sure those are easily removed.

Ignoring Header in Excel using .NET

I recently was put on a project that requires an Excel file to be uploaded. It must then be read and data in it, validated. The solution I chose was to use a OleDbDataReader. However, the Excel file can come in with or without headers. What I mean is that the very first row may or may not contain headers.

After researching the web for a while, my colleagues and I found the following property can be set in the connection string. Here's the code:

String sConnectionString = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source=" + [Your Excel File Name Here] + ";Extended Properties=Excel 8.0;HDR=No";

Setting HDR=No will ignore the first row as header.

FDM - Free Download Manager

This application is an easy-to-use download accelarator and manager. It is also absolutely free. One of its features is flash video download. It allows you to download videos from sites such as YouTube, etc. It resumes broken downloads and also provide smart file management and a powerful scheduler.

FDM can be found here

SlickRun - Opening multiple sites with one MagicWord

Create a new MagicWord in SlickRun. Enter a new MagicWord that you would like to use. In the Filename or URL, enter @MULTI@. In the parameters section, there the MagicWord browser of your choice. In my case, I am using firefox. Enter the following:
firefox -url http://www.techbargains.com -new-tab http://www.woot.com -new-tab http://www.dealsucker.com.

UPDATE: doing the above will only work if you already have a browser open. If you do not have a browser open, it will actually open up a new browser for you. If you remove the -url and all the -new-tab(s), it will open up a new browser and automatically open up additional sites in a new tabs.

firefox http://www.techbargains.com http://www.woot.com http://www.dealsucker.com http://sellout.woot.com

Save the new MagicWord. Now, try it. You can also use IE or any browser of your choice. In this case, make sure that you have a MagicWord created for your browser.

You can also use @MULTI@ to start multiple applications. Make sure that you have MagicWords for your applications. In the parameters section, enter the applications that you would like to open. Separate each application with the @ sign.