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Stefan Didak

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MaxiVista version 4, revitalising multi-monitor heaven!

September 21, 2009 by Stefan Didak Leave a Comment
MaxiVista

As many of you already know, I’m a big fan of MaxiVista and that it’s a product that has proven to be essential to my home office setup. I’ve written about this wonderful application before and you can expect some more about it in the next weeks. Since most of the office is getting an overhaul (just operating systems, a few new systems, but not a complete overhaul in layout) I will be putting the new version of MaxiVista through some heavy usage. There are many crucial aspects to the new version 4, the biggest of which is no doubt the full support for 64-bit (the virtual display drivers installed by MaxiVista 4 are digitally signed) and WDDM graphics cards.

Filed Under: Software, Windows Software Tagged With: MaxiVista, Microsoft, Monitors, Multi-Monitor, Network, Screens, Software, Windows

StarWind Server: SAN Made Simple

September 11, 2009 by Stefan Didak 2 Comments
StarWind iSCSI Storage Virtualization

I have very little need for a SAN (Storage Area Network), because every single system is already loaded up with many terabytes of fast RAID storage. A SAN, regardless of the size, speed, and cost, would always be slower than the local storage of each system. However, if I wanted to centralize the storage for the systems in the network, whereby the systems themselves were smaller, less top-heavy computers, I would certainly be looking at something like StarWind Server or StarWind Enterprise Server (probably the latter because I like the replication features).

Filed Under: Software, Windows Software Tagged With: iSCSI, RAID, Review, SAN, Servers, Software, StarWind, Storage, Virtualization, Visualization, Windows

Windows 7, booting from VHD, converting between VHD and VMDK

September 9, 2009 by Stefan Didak 3 Comments
Harddisk

Virtual Machines are great. I rely on them for my work every day and most of my home office network depends on several Virtual Machines (VM’s) for the core infrastructure (SMTP, DNS, AD, backup management, centralized automation, build farms, continuous integration, etc.) but sometimes you just want the abstraction and ease of use of a Virtual Machine while having full support of the host’s hardware (graphics cards, drivers, etc.) and often you don’t want to mess around with the, often complex or entangled, multi-boot scenarios. If you’re in need of that, Windows 7 (and 2008 Server R2) and their native support for Virtual Harddisks (VHD’s) will come in extremely handy. Especially now that you can install and boot your system from a VHD, directly. The following is a bit of a quick start to using VHD’s, some additional details on how I’ve been using them, and a quick look at Starwind’s free V2V conversion application.

Filed Under: Lengthy, Software, Windows Software Tagged With: Booting, OS, StarWind, Storage, VHD, Virtualization, VMDK, Windows

Bye Bye Synergy, Hello Input Director!

September 8, 2009 by Stefan Didak 17 Comments
Stefan Didak Home Office Version 6

There are numerous websites and blogs out there that highlight Synergy while linking to my site and the pictures of my home office as an example. I am happy that I’ve been able to point out this incredibly useful software keyboard/mouse switch but the time has come to start pointing out the utility that is eclipsing Synergy and that tool is called Input Director. Development of Synergy has been on a long hiatus since April 2006 and there’s no sign of a new version. Combined with my experiences where Synergy randomly stops working when a Windows 7 slave system is part of the configuration has led me to give Input Director a try.

Filed Under: Software, Windows Software Tagged With: Experience, Free, Freeware, Input Director, KVM, Multi-Monitor, Review, Software, Synergy, Windows

Windows Layout Manager 1.0 (WiLMa) Officially Released

August 25, 2009 by Stefan Didak 2 Comments
Windows Layout Manager (WiLMa) by Stefan Didak

The Windows Layout Manager I mentioned on my blog and subsequently described in more detail has been officially released. Quite a few people have already been using it for the past months and while I planned to give it a proper download location on a new site I’ve been working on I’m putting it on this site instead. The domain of that new site is still physically linked to a server that makes it a lengthy process for me to move the domain and because I don’t think I will have the time to dedicate to that I figured why not just host the download on my own site. You can download it from the bottom of this page. There is some basic documentation included in the download but if you wish to check the docs prior to downloading you can check the Windows Layout Manager online documentation.

Filed Under: Software, WiLMa, Windows Software Tagged With: .NET, Free, Freeware, Layout, Manager, Multi-Mo, WiLMa, Windows

Window Layout Manager: Manage many Windows on many Screens

January 4, 2009 by Stefan Didak 14 Comments
Windows Layout Manager (WiLMa) by Stefan Didak

Over the past year I’ve received quite a few questions from people wondering how I manage all the windows that must be all over the place on all the various screens and systems. The standard answer is that “I’ve got my own little tool that I developed for managing window layouts” (on single as well as multiple systems simultaneously). However, that standard answer seems to result in even more questions as to how it works and what it does. Since I’m a firm proponent of code re-usability I’m also a firm believer in not wasting too much time answering the same questions over and over again so I’ve decided to answer the question in detail, once and for all. What I’m using for my windows and layout management is the Window Layout Manager, or WiLMA for short (hey, as developers we’re allowed to invent a dozen new acronyms each day and we like that little perk!)

Filed Under: Software, WiLMa, Windows Software Tagged With: .NET, Free, Freeware, Layout, Manager, Microsoft, Multi-Monitor, Software, Software Development, WiLMa, Windows

Visual Studio Dark Color Schemes and Themes

January 9, 2008 by Stefan Didak 9 Comments
Visual Studio Dark Themes

The result is that I am finding it very annoying and painful on the eyes. But not so much the color schemes using a dark background themselves, but rather the practical implications when using it while doing actual work. The dark background allows for better highlighting of code, no doubt about that, but in a practical situation I often have other applications running on the screens which include things like help files, CHM’s and PDF’s with developer documentation and API docs, Outlook, OneNote, Visio, and many other development tools, etc. and almost all of these applications will use a light or white background as a basis.

Filed Under: Software Development, Windows Software Tagged With: Colors, Microsoft, Software Development, Theme, Visual Studio, Windows

Short List of PowerShell Resources

September 6, 2007 by Stefan Didak Leave a Comment
PowerShell

I’ve recently been really getting into PowerShell and investigating its potential as a new automation and scripting platform for the countless command line based processes I’m running all the time. The first thing I did was purchase a copy of PowerShell Analyzer, which I think is one of the most valuable tools for anyone getting serious about digging into PowerShell’s object paradigm. And while you’re checking out PowerShell Analyzer, check out what the Shell Tools guys are working on; PowerShell Plus. Amazing stuff.

Filed Under: Software, Software Development, Windows Software Tagged With: Administration, Automation, Commandline, Microsoft, Powershell, Server, Software, Software Development, Windows

Development with ADD, CDD, CYAE, DBD, GMPM

June 22, 2007 by Stefan Didak Leave a Comment
Confessions Of A Public Speaker, Scott Berkun

What do you mean you’ve never heard of those groundbreaking development methodologies? Well, perhaps you haven’t but I do think you should check them out if you’ve got a minute so Scott Berkun can explain these to you in detail. I would like to add, OOCDD, Out Of Control Driven Development. Unlike most methodologies, it’s an encapsulated methodology that derives from all others. Especially considering how out of control development gets, regardless of methodology.

Filed Under: Software Development Tagged With: Engineering, Management, Personal, Software, Software Development, Web-bits

Consolidating scattered Content

December 23, 2006 by Stefan Didak 2 Comments
Stefan Didak Home Office Version 6

I’ve decided to consolidate some of the old content into my new site. Over the years a lot of content has been in various places and it’s rather hard to keep track of it all. Links to the old material should still work as well, though you will get redirected to the new personal site.

Filed Under: Personal, Software Development, The Web Tagged With: Blogging, Consolidation, Website
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