Applications and Visual Studio (Community 2013)

I've started putting out a few dinky applications that are free for anyone's use:

Download Links:
Prompt Generator (Abilities: generate random prompt, pick prompt, editable prompt file, write from prompt in-program (and save words))
Word War Application (Abilities: write in-program for a set amount of time (but you need to press enter a lot))
Source Codes can be found here

I'm planning some more ambitious projects in the future, and so I decided it was time for me to learn UI or GUI. For this purpose, I've downloaded Microsoft Visual Studio (Community 2013).

First off, it's 11GB, and it took like TEN HOURS to download, so be aware of that. You can tell they weren't codegolfing with it.

I currently have it opening up for the first time, but I had a bit of trouble trying to find out how to open it, because it doesn't create a desktop shortcut to open the application (since I have all my downloads go straight to my desktop, I was able to find the setup really easily, which I thought was going to be the application, but being met only with the options of 'modify,' 'repair,' or 'uninstall' quickly disillusioned me of that belief) . Thanks to this stack page, I was able to locate the application.

To find it, you have to travel to the following destination (with some variance): C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\devenv

My suggestion: Right click on the devenv application and create a shortcut to the desktop.

Just thought I'd mention it.

*goes to tinker with Visual Studio now*

Upgrade to 8.1

So, I may have mentioned (or you may have gathered) that I run on Windows. Windows 8, specifically, which we all know was a disaster. I've turned off automatic updates, and it turns out it was for good reason (well, you know, other than not having my computer restart randomly whenever I'm in the middle of something important. Gee, thanks for making my life "easier," M$).

Recently, I've been bothered by the prompts that ask one to upgrade to 8.1. I wasn't too bothered, since I could send them away no problem.

Even more recently, I decided it was time to update my system, since my tablet driver was freaking out. Unbeknownst to me, this downloaded two updates I would have rather not updated: KB287139 (a prerequisite for the 8.1 upgrade) and KB3008273 (which enables automatic, forced upgrade). Since then, I've been getting the prompting to download right now (or else). The first three times, it gave me the option to 'remind me later,' but not today.

In an effort to get the (stupid) update prompt to stop appearing, I edited the registry to keep it from popping up. But it didn't work.

I've decided that I really hate automatic updates.

If you uninstall the updates mentioned above (KB2871389 and KB3008273), it'll get rid of that annoying thing. Make sure to set these updates on hide after you restart, so they don't get downloaded again.

I need a new computer so I can use Linux as my primary OS *sigh* (I have photoshop on this, and my tablet works. I don't wanna lose that XD)

Anyways . . . what else was I going to say . . . ? Oh, right.

Why would I want to not upgrade to 8.1?

1. Anything that any company wants everyone to do makes me suspicious. The Skype update? What reason do they have to force us all to upgrade to the latest, "best" version? Same with this one.

2. Newer isn't always better.

3. I don't want to have to deal with the dumb store thing. I'm pretty sure I deleted everything connected to that. It irritates me enough that I can't change to a normal account (I have to look into that more. It mainly irritates me that everyone who owns a WindozeH8 computer has to sign in with a hotmail account. Again with the large companies forcing people to do things) without having to deal with that. I use desktop applications.

4. I've personalized my WindozeH8 to look like Windows 7 through certain applications that I bought. I don't want WindozeH8.1 to ruin that and waste a good ten dollars.

5. Why the heck would I want to "fix" something that's not broken? Or, well, I suppose it is broken, since it's Windows8, but how do I know that 8.1 isn't worse? Screw updates.

6. I hate M$.

7. I hate forced upgrades.


That's it for today!

Skype: Slight Glitch

Okay, so yesterday, my Skype totally flipped out and shut down (I'm using 5.10, remember). For the life of me, I could not get back in (it kept showing the irritating "Skype could not connect" error whenever I typed my password in). I uninstalled 5.10 and reinstalled it, but to no avail.

So, the first thing I did after that was run over to Services to check on the skype updater. To my horror, it was NOT disabled, like I had done to it over a month ago. I redisabled it, and tried 5.10 again. It still didn't work.

I removed Skype Click to Call (which was running version 6.21 for some reason). Still didn't make my Skype work.

Scratching my head at this point, I removed Skype from my computer and downloaded version 6.21. This time, it opened up without a problem. Irritated still, since I don't like ANY of the new features, I decided to try once more to reverse the problem.

I checked in the Temp folder (C:\Users\<your_username>\AppData\Local\Temp) and found that 5.10 was still the SkypeSetup.exe there, so I went and uninstalled 6.21, then reinstalled 5.10 from the exe.

To my surprise, Skype opened up with no problem this time.

So, I guess I would write out this procedure like so:

1. Check to make sure the Skype Updater is disabled in your services.
2. Remove Skype Click to Call
3. Remove your version of Skype
4. Download a more recent version of Skype, sign in.
5. Sign out, delete the recent version of Skype.
6. Redownload your version of Skype.
7. Hopefully, bask in victory.

I hope I don't have to repeat this process every time I log out of Skype or it crashes, but I will if it means getting to keep my 5.10!

Happy debugging, everybody!

Skype

I remember it almost as it was yesterday. I was sitting in my chair, drinking herbal tea, Skyping my friends, and then suddenly--disaster struck.

Skype closed.

Immediately, my heart spiked as a window opened up, prompting me to download the latest version of Skype or I would never use it again. I had knew this was coming, ever since Microsoft bought Skype out (blasted M$).

Reluctantly, after battling Google for an answer to keep my beloved 5.10.0.116 version, I finally downloaded the latest version of Skype.

Since then, I have been plagued by automatic updates without my even knowing, sometimes: I would open up Skype to see a small notification saying, "We've downloaded the latest version of Skype so you have the latest improvements and bug fixes!" ("We're doing this for your own good, Mariah. You don't know what you're doing. Just let us help you. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Imagine a world where happiness abounds . . . all because you let us handle your updates. You don't even have to worry about it . . .")

My Skype continued to get weirder, shinier, and more "user friendly," (no doubt, since that's what M$ is all about). And I hated it.

Today, however, was the last straw. With the upgrade to Skype 7.0, Skype almost stopped working every time I switched over to type in something (correction: It DID. It would either lag incredibly, or it would freeze and show "Skype (Not Responding)").

So, to Google I went, praying desperately for a solution. And I found one--now I'm sitting pretty on version 5.10.0.116 of Skype (*cackles maniacally* Take that, M$!).

So, you want to downgrade Skype? Here it goes. (Note: I'm not talking to you like you're five, I'm just trying to be clear)

Step One: Remove Skype

Gotta get rid of the newest version to replace it with an old version. 

1. Go to Control Panel 
2. Go to Programs and Features
3. Find Skype
4. Uninstall

Step Two: Download the Setup of the version of Skype you want. 

M$ has blanketed over almost everything I pulled up today; I think I actually had the setup for 5.10.0.116 already stored on my computer. I think there's a way to search in the Skype files for the old versions, but I don't know how; Google is your friend if you want to look into that. I have a few lying around: 

5.10.0.116

6.21.0.104 or 6.21.0.104 (File Hippo)

Have fun looking for other versions (and I hope those 6.21 versions don't go out of style for you).

Step Three: Replace the SkypeSetup.exe with the SkypeSetup.exe You Want

Now that you have your beloved version, you must trick Skype into thinking it's updating all the way. 

1. Navigate to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Temp
2. Scroll down to SkypeSetup.exe (Ignore the Skype folder)
3. Delete the SkypeSetup.exe and the other Skype files surrounding it (I had three things; the SkypeSetup, Skype Toolbars, and some other Skype setup thingy I got rid of just in case, since it 'contained all the information and data needed for version 7.0').
4. Copy your SkypeSetup.exe version that you like (probably under the name of "SkypeSetup_<version>.exe"; I renamed it to "SkypeSetup.exe") into the Temp folder.
5. Right-Click on the File and go into Properties
6. Check the 'Read Only' button
7. Apply

Step Four: Download Your Version of Skype

1. Download your version of Skype from the SkypeSetup.exe (I had a copy on my desktop I downloaded from; I don't know if you can download from the Temp file, but probably)
2. Open Skype and bask in your victory.

Step Five: Disable the Skype Updater.

This gets rid of Skype's ability to check for and download updates automatically.

1. Go to Services (Start > Run > Type "Services.msc"; search your computer for it; go through the Control Panel; Task Manager > Services > Open Services)
2. Find 'Skype Updater' 
3. Right click on it and go into Properties. 
4. Under "Startup Type," select "Disabled."
5. Apply.

(Optional) Step Six: Block Ads

Does your version still have ads? These ad-blocking techniques never worked for me (at least not for the newer versions), but apparently they work for everybody else. XD So, here's what I've heard:

1. Go to Control Panel > Internet Options > Security > Restricted Sites > Sites
2. Add http://apps.skype.com/ (this blocks your entire home page, seemingly . . . that's never happened for me, so maybe my computer is trolling XD) and http://g.msn.com/ . 
3. Bask in your victory and in your ad-free pages. 

Hope this all was helpful! Fight the automatic, involuntary updates, everybody! Have fun debugging.