Rob Holmes » Software

Auto Install with Ninite

Rob Holmes — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 10:22:27 +0000

I am often reinstalling computers or even building new computers and find that I can build the computer a lot faster than I can install windows, drivers and software. So I have set about finding and creating tools to help me get a computer to a ready state to use. Windows now installs using a unattended file and updates from my WSUS server using 2 bats files to switch between WSUS and Windows Update server. Today I was building another computer, and remembered that I had come across a auto install program a few weeks back. After a bit of googling I found Ninite. Using the website you can create a installer tool that downloads and installs the software silently (IE with no user input). I tried it out today and it worked GREAT, downloads and installs very fast. I created the following package LINK. This contains:

Basically some great free software that pretty much every PC can can do with. So do look in to it! Its worth it!

*A special message to SubSeeter today as its his birthday, he is 3… I mean 20 (I think :s), have a great day and see you later!

Microsoft wants my assignment now!

Rob Holmes — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:43:10 +0000

Sorry for the delay in posting on here, I am far from my 2 posts a week. I have a full time job now and with that a college there isn’t a lot of time left. Still I will try to update this at least once a month. I have a few things in the pipeline to come, like these; Freesat in Win7, TF2 Videos, PC Building, News, Updates on myself…

For now tho, I would like to show you this, Microsoft must need my college assignment now!

WRT300N Wireless N Update

Rob Holmes — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:00:36 +0000

Ok, a little update on the WRT300N project. When I first got the router I tried to update the firmware, I visited the Linksys site and found that .21 was the latest and I had .08, so I downloaded it. First it was a .IMG file, which I am used to .bin. Odd but it must work, so I gave it a go and ‘Wrong Type or version’ and a bit (Not a lot) of google I found little. So i left it. But today I had a look again and found that .08 is buggy and should not be used. So i found a Linksys forum that suggested getting .13 or .17 first. I had a look and could download them anywhere. Then another forums said wrt300n.bin was the file I needed, still no download links. I saw ‘Live Chat’ on the Linksys support site and after LOADS of trouble with java not been installed and got ‘Emma’. She asked a lot of questions about model number and alike and tried the latest firmware again and all stuff like that. Then I said do you have .13 or .17 expecting ‘Please follow my instructions, now reset the router’ kind of shit that most support gives, but no! She emailed the .17 and I tried it, same problem. Then I asked for wrt300n.bin she emailed it and it WORKED! Then got .21 updated too! So big thanks to Emma from Linksys! Now that I had .21 firmware on there my newer installed Windows 7 netbook said wit was 802.11n and connected without problem! Speed it 300mbps and range, well didn’t change much but still! It works on N! Woot.

If you need the wrt300n.bin file, here it is!

Minefield 3.7 Strata40 Theme (Firefox 4 mockups)

Rob Holmes — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:25:07 +0000

Hi, I was sick of looking at the simple minefield (Firefox alpha’s) UI, so been following a group of guys over at neowin that have been working on one, but one that is based on the Firefox 4 mock-ups has been up for a bit and I thought I would give it a go. The main theme the guys are working on hasn’t been up for a bit. This theme can be found here.

Now here is some screenshots of my setup:

The address bar is also the search bar, tabs on the top (Chrome like) and the loading bar is a green bar that shoots across under the address bar.

Its hard to see, but the address bar and bookmarks is transparent.

This is in windowed mode. Not bad for now, just waiting on the master theme to be done. Which can be found here and look at last 30 pages or so for 4.0 mock-up theme.

Now I have been doing some youtube HD tests. Thought I would post them here as they have some cool TF2 glitches.

Engjoy! More soon.

Firefox 3.7 Mockups – My new theme!

Rob Holmes — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:59:36 +0000

In the last few days Mozilla have been playing with Photoshop and come up with 2 mockups for what Firefox 3.7 and Firefox 4 might look like! 1 theme developer was very quick of the mark and has made a 3.7 theme for the current version 3.5. So I thought I would try it out, and after and bit of tweaker I got this:

This is my slightly different take on it, I don’t think you need to see the tools menu all the time, so its hidden. I may also yet change the font colour on the tabs, as its too light.

Here is the ‘menu’ bar shown by pressing Alt, I have placed my bookmarks and the bookmarks button and tools button on this tool-bar, nice.

I will post some pictures of the tab colour when I have a bit more of a play!

EDIT: This is all I could do, but its a bit better, I had a play with shadow and colours but a simple blod on the tabs helped most.

Code: (Replace the stylish code)

.tab-text {
color: black !important;
font-weight: bold !important;
text-shadow: white 1px 1px 1px !important; }

#sidebar-title {
background: url(chrome://global/skin/tabactive2.png) !important;
color: black !important;
text-shadow: white 1px 1px 1px !important;
font-weight: bold !important;}

.tabs-newtab-button {
margin-top: 5px !important;
-moz-border-radius-topleft: 3px !important;
-moz-border-radius-topright: 3px !important;
background: url(chrome://global/skin/tabinactive2.png) !important;
border-top: 1px solid !important;
-moz-border-top-colors: rgba(255, 255, 255, .50) !important;}

.tabs-newtab-button:hover {
background: url(chrome://global/skin/tabhover2.png) !important;}

.tabbrowser-arrowscrollbox > .scrollbutton-up, .tabbrowser-arrowscrollbox > .scrollbutton-down{
border: 0 !important;
background: transparent !important;
height: 21px !important;}

#viewGroup .viewButtonLabel, #BrowserPreferences .paneButtonLabel{
color: black !important;
}
#reload-button,#reload-button:hover {
margin-left: -8px !important;

}
.tabbrowser-tabs tab {
-moz-border-radius-topleft: 4px !important;
-moz-border-radius-topright: 4px !important;
-moz-border-left-colors: #959595 !important;
-moz-border-top-colors: #959595 !important;
-moz-border-right-colors: #959595 !important;
}

#identity-box, .searchbar-engine-button {
-moz-border-radius-topleft: 3px !important;
-moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 3px !important;
}

#urlbar, .searchbar-textbox {
-moz-border-radius-topleft: 3px !important;
-moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 3px !important;
-moz-border-radius-topright: 3px !important;
-moz-border-radius-bottomright: 3px !important;
}

#main-window #PersonalToolbar {
padding-top: 0px !important;
padding-bottom: 0px !important;
}

Office 2010, coming to a office near you!

Rob Holmes — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:58:39 +0000

Yes, the new Office package is getting ready for technical perview. You can sign up here.

If you need a little teaster, well there is this. Yes its office the movie!

Office 2007 SP2

Rob Holmes — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:50:55 +0000

Yes, its out and its coming down my windows update right now! Thanks to www.windows7center.com for telling me this.

Here is a link for the changes