Friday, December 7, 2012

How to really disable DEP (Data Execution Prevention) / BCDEdit

Windows DEP or Data Execution Prevention is often blocking you or your application from working properly.

If you explore Windows configuration and Help, you will find

My computer
  -> Right click
     -> Properties
         -> Advanced System Settings
            -> Performance Settings
               -> Data Execution Prevention

You can set a few options on or off, but this is rarely enough.

In order to REALLY disable DEP, you need to tell Windows at boot time.

For Windows 2003 or Windows XP
You need to go to

My computer
  -> Right click
     -> Properties
         -> Advanced System Settings
            -> Startup and Recovery Settings 

and edit your boot.ini from there
and add the parameter /NoExecute=AlwaysOff


For Windows Vista or Windows 7
There is a command line tool to do so, make sure to launch your command prompt "As Administrator" and run the command
BCDEdit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff

You can also see all your boot options with
BCDEdit /enum

you will something similar to
Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=C:
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {globalsettings}
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {5a9684f2-9ec0-11e1-a7c3-00137290c993}
displayorder            {current}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 5

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence        {5a9684f6-9ec0-11e1-a7c3-00137290c993}
recoveryenabled         Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {5a9684f2-9ec0-11e1-a7c3-00137290c993}
nx                      AlwaysOff


Don't forget, this is a boot option, so you do need to reboot for Windows to take it into account.

If you use Google search, you could Get Me some Free Money

Sorry, this time, it's only Me, but do it for yourself too.

We all see ads all day every day, and there is a way to share with Mr Google some of the profit generated, by simply tweaking your browser's default search engine. The search results displayed will be identical.

Here's how.

For Firefox 3

Save this file MyGoogle.xml to your
c:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins


Then set MyGoogle as your default search

In your address bar, type in: “about:config”

scroll down to

browser.search.defaultenginename

Double click that entry and then type in "MyGoogle"

Restart Firefox!




For Google Chrome

Click 'Tools' - 'Options'
For Default Search, click 'Manage'

Click 'Add'
Name   'MyGoogle'
Url    http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-4380136364658264%3Ar0dczk-hxvu&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%s
Click 'Ok'
Click 'Make Default'
Click Close, Close


For Internet Explorer 7

Click 'Tools' - 'Internet Options'

for Search, Change search defaults - Settings

Click 'Find more Providers'
and in 'Create your Own'
Paste the URL   http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner-pub-4380136364658264:r0dczk-hxvu&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=TEST
and name it  'MyGoogle'

HomePage
For people who like to have Google as your homepage you can also use this instead.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

List of Sweet spots / number of epic drops for all Castle Age Monsters

I got tired of looking for each individual monsters page to find the amount of damage I needed to do to be on the sweet spot for each monster.
I often have several monsters going at the same time, and keep tracking my damage compared to the sweet spots.
Newest monsters at the top :)

Most data comes of course from the awesome Wikia Monster page


Kessaran, the Undying
1 Epic Drop = 3.5 mil damage (100%)
2 Epic Drop = 7.5 mil damage (100%)

Fenix, Risen From Ashes 
1 Epic Drop = 5+ million
2 Epic Drops = 10+ million (>97%)

Urmek, Protector of Gaia 
1 Epic Drop = 5 million damage (100%)
2 Epic Drop = 12 million damage (100%)

Poseidon, Atlantean King 
1 Epic Drop = 5.2 million damage (100%)
2 Epic Drop = 11.3 million damage (100%)

Vorak, Devourer of Skies 
1 Epic Drop = 6 million? (100%)
2 Epic Drop = 10million? (100%)

Abomination, Ancient Slime
1 Epic Drop = 6 million? (100%)
2 Epic Drop = 12 million? (100%)



Older monsters


Lotus Ravenmoore
1 Epic Drop = 1 million damage
2 Epic Drop = 1.6 million damage

Skaar
1 Epic Drop = 1 million damage
2 Epic Drop = 2.5 million damage

Azriel
1 epic (100%) = 2 million activity
2 epics (100%) = 5 million activity
3 epics (98%) = 9 million activity
Legendary 50.00+ million   = 29.17%

Alpha Mephistopheles
1 epic (100%): 4.5 million
2 epics (100%): 8 million
3 epics (100%): 17 million
Legendary 43.00+ million   = 95.65%

Aurelius, Lion's Rebellion
1 epic drop (100%): 3 000
2 epics (100%): 4 500
3 epics (100%): 9 500
Legendary 25500+ kills = 100.00%

Corvintheus 
1 Epic Drop = 5 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 9 million (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 20 million (100%)
Legendary 50+ million = 100.00%

Jahanna, Priestess of Aurora
1 Epic Drop = 10 million activity (99%)
2 Epic Drops = 19 million activity (99%)
3 Epic Drops = 35 million activity (99%)

Aurora 
1 Epic Drop = 11,000,000 damage (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 19,200,000 damage (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 34,000,000+ damage (100%)

Ambrosia 
1 Epic Drop = 11,000,000 damage (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 20,500,000 damage (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 34,500,000+ damage (100%)

Malekus 
1 Epic Drop = 11 mil damage (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 22 mil damage (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 33 mil damage (100%)

Azeron 
1 Epic Drop = 12 mil damage (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 25 mil damage (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 37 mil damage (100%)

Cronus, the World Hydra
1 Epic Drop = 1 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 3 million (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 5 million (100%)

Battle of the Dark Legion
1 Epic Drop = 1000
2 Epic Drops = 2500

Genesis, the Earth Elemental
1 Epic Drop = 1 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 3 million (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 8 million (100%)

Ragnarok, the Ice Elemental
1 Epic Drop = 1 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 4 million (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 8 million (90%)

Bahamut, the Volcanic Dragon
1 Epic Drop = 1 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 3 million (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 5 million (95%)

Alpha Bahamut, the Volcanic Dragon
1 Epic Drop = 1 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 6 million (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 9 million (95%)
Legendary 25M = 100%

War of the Red Plains
1 Epic Drop = 1 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 3 million (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 7 million (95%)
Legendary 25M = 100%

Gehenna, the Fire Elemental
1 epic (100%) = 4 million activity
2 epics (100%) = 6 million activity
3 epics (99.61%) = 10.5 million activity
Legendary 30.5+ million = 100.00%

Valhalla, the Air Elemental
1 epic (100%): 11 million
2 epics (100%): 17 million
3 epics (100%): 33 million
Legendary 55+ million = 100.00%

Kromash, the Storm Giant
1 Epic - 1 million (100%)
2 Epics - 2 million (100%)
3 Epics - 3 million (100%)

Shardros, the Mountain Giant 
1 Epic - 2.8 million (100%)
2 Epics - 5.2 million (100%)
3 Epics - 9.3 million (99%)

Glacius, the Frost Giant
1 epic drop - 6 million damage (99%)
2 epic drops - 12 million damage (99%)
3 epic drops - 19 million damage (99%)

Magmos, the Lava Giant
1 Epic Drop = 13.5mil damage (99%)
2 Epic Drop = 18mil damage (~40%)
3 Epic Drop = >25mil damage (~20%)

Typhonus, the Chimera
1 epic (100%): 8.3 million
2 epics (100%): 19 million
3 epics (100%): 31 million

Kraken 
1 Epic Drop = 2.1 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 4.1 million (100%)
Summoner Drop Eligible = 5 million (85.71%)

Alpha Kraken
1 Epic Drop = 5 million (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 8.5 million (100%)

Vermilion, the Tyrant
1 epic (100%): 2.9 million damage
2 epics (100%): 5.2 millon damage

Thanatos of Fire & Ice
1 Epic Drop = 5 million activity (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 8,5-10 million ??
3 Epic Drops = 15 million (100%)

Agamemnon, the Overseer
1 Epic Drop = 10,000,000 damage (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 20,000,000 damage (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 34,000,000+ damage (100%)
Summoner Drop Eligible = 86.84%

Alexandra, the Unbreakable
1 Epic Drop = 11 mil damage (100%)
2 Epic Drops = 22 mil damage (100%)
3 Epic Drops = 33 mil damage (100%)
Summoner Drop Eligible = 85%

Synaptics LuxPad V1.5 keeps disabling accidently


I recently got a new laptop, HP EliteBook 8570w, and like all the new line of HP laptops, it comes with the Synaptics LuxPad. It's a very large touchpad that supports multitouch and advanced gestures the way your smartphone would.

However frustration often comes because the touchpad tends to disable itself if my hand rests on it while typing.

Synaptics Luxpad Disabled

I'm then left without my touchpad trying to go in the LuxPad's configuration panel in order to re-enable it. After this happened a couple times, frustration rises.

Today I found out the proper way to enable or disable it, I simply need to double tap the top left corner of the pad! and Voila

Synaptics Luxpad Enabled
Back to work now ! :)