Archive for November, 2009

Opening an elevated command prompt

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Difficulty: Easy
Time: varies
Last Updated: 29th November 2009
Applies to: OS X, Windows, *NIX

Often when performing system administration, you will come across a command that needs to be run as a more priviliged user. Depending on what operating system you use, the procedure for opening an elevated command prompt varies. Read the rest of this entry »

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Comparing the contents of 2 directories

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Difficulty: Easy
Time: Varies
Last Updated: 9th November 2009
Applies to: OS X, and Linux

Sometimes, you can end up with multiple copies of a directory from different times. If the number of files is small, then comparing the contents is easy. With large directories, telling the difference between them can be nearly impossible.

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Resetting Windows product activation notices

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Difficulty: Easy
Time: ~1 Minute
Last Updated: 5th November 2009
Applies to: Windows

Since Windows XP, Microsoft has required that all CD keys are validated with them at install time, to combat piracy. Whilst this generally has little impact, if you have misplaced your CD key, or are waiting for one to arrive, you can end up locked out of your own computer.
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Clearing cached DNS entries

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Difficulty: Expert
Time: ~1 Minute
Last Updated: 1st November 2009
Applies to: Windows, OS X, and Linux

Sometimes, when messing around with domain names (the DNS system), you’ll mis-type an address, and be unable to access your site for a significant length of time. Assuming that the incorrect entry has not been cached on another DNS server somewhere between you and your host, you can clear the list of cached addresses on your own machine to resolve the problem.

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