Windows Run Commands

Accessibility Controls- access.cpl
Add Hardware Wizard- hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs- appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools- control.exe admintools
Automatic Updates- wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wizard- fsquirt
Calculator- calc
Certificate Manager- certmgr.msc
Character Map- charmap
Check Disk Utility- chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer- clipbrd
Command Prompt- cmd
Component Services- dcomcnfg
Computer Management- compmgmt.msc
Date and Time Properties- timedate.cpl
DDE Shares- ddeshare
Device Manager- devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel (if installed)- directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter- dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility- cleanmgr
Disk Defragment- dfrg.msc
Disk Management- diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager- diskpart
Display Properties- control.exe
Desktop display Properties- desk.cpl
Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected)- control.exe color
Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility- drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility- verifier
Event Viewer- eventvwr.msc
File Signature Verification Tool- sigverif
Findfast- findfast.cpl
Folders Properties- control.exe folders
Fonts- control.exe fonts
Fonts Folder- fonts
Free Cell Card Game- freecell
Game Controllers- joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof)- gpedit.msc
Hearts Card Game- mshearts
Iexpress Wizard- iexpress
Indexing Service- ciadv.msc
Internet Properties- inetcpl.cpl
Java Control Panel (if installed)- jpicpl32.cpl
Java Control Panel (if installed)- javaws
Keyboard Properties- control.exe keyboard
Local Security Settings- secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups- lusrmgr.msc
Logs You Out Of Windows- logoff
Microsoft Chat- winchat
Minesweeper Game- winmine
Mouse Properties- control.exe mouse
Mouse Properties- main.cpl
Network Connections- control.exe netconnections
Network Connections- ncpa.cpl
Network Setup Wizard- netsetup.cpl
Nview Desktop Manager (if installed)- nvtuicpl.cpl
Object Packager- packager
ODBC Data Source Administrator- odbccp32.cpl
On Screen Keyboard- osk
Opens AC3 Filter (if installed)- ac3filter.cpl
Password Properties- password.cpl
Performance Monitor- perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor- perfmon
Phone and Modem Options- telephon.cpl
Power Configuration- powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes- control.exe printers
Printers Folder- printers
Private Character Editor- eudcedit
Quicktime (If Installed)- QuickTime.cpl
Regional Settings- intl.cpl
Registry Editor- regedit
Registry Editor- regedit32
Removable Storage- ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage Operator Requests- ntmsoprq.msc
Resultant Set of Policy- rsop.msc
Resultant Set of Policy (XP Prof)- rsop.msc
Scanners and Cameras- sticpl.cpl
Scheduled Tasks- control.exe schedtasks
Security Center- wscui.cpl
Services- services.msc
Shared Folders- fsmgmt.msc
Shuts Down Windows- shutdown
Sounds and Audio- mmsys.cpl
Spider Solitare Card Game- spider
SQL Client Configuration- cliconfg
System Configuration Editor- sysedit
System Configuration Utility- msconfig
System File Checker Utility- sfc
System Properties- sysdm.cpl
Task Manager- taskmgr
Telnet Client- telnet
User Account Management- nusrmgr.cpl
Utility Manager- utilman
Windows Firewall- firewall.cpl
Windows Magnifier- magnify
Windows Management Infrastructure- wmimgmt.msc
Windows System Security Tool- syskey
Windows Update Launches- wupdmgr
Windows XP Tour Wizard- tourstart
Wordpad- write

How Google Search Works

SSRS 2005 : Different color for Alternative Rows

Problem : You want each row in your tabular data to have different color, like zibra cross.
Solution :
1. Select the Row
2. Go to Properties
3. in BackgroundColor property Choose, Expression

4. Write in the Expression window :

=IIF((RowNumber("dataset_name") mod 2 =0),"Gray","White")

And you are done.

Keywords: SQL Server Reporting Services, SSRS, SSRS Alternative Row Color

Next Generation of UI

Stop Windows XP from Showing Video Preview

Windows XP by default allows you to view preview of Video in Windows Explorer. You can disable it if you don't want to experience the freeze some times when you open any folder that contains videos.

To disable it you need to execute the following command through command prompt.

To open Command Prompt in Windows XP, type “Cmd” in Start -> Run box. and then write the following line into command prompt then click enter.

regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll

If you want to enable it back then execute following

regsvr32 shmedia.dll

Let me know if you face any problems.

The Other Salman Khan

Recently while browsing I stumbled upon a link Khan Academy , I was wondering how come Salman Khan (yes, the bollywood actor) start an education based website. After visiting the site I came to know that this is another Salman Khan. This Khan wants to make use of technology to impart knowledge free of cost. Indeed a great initiative.

It is interesting to know about him & also spread information about him, so that people can benefit from his Academy. And if you are wondering about his educational background, He received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He holds Masters in Electrical Engg & Computer Science, a BS in Electrical Engg & Computer Science & a BS in Maths from MIT. Wow Superb.

Enjoy watching his videos & spread a word about him to people you know.

Good going Salman Khan.....

26 Useful Softwares & Tools

1. Google Chrome
2. Mozilla Firefox
3. TreeSize (TreeSize Free tells you where precious space has gone to.)
4. Bayden MezerTools (Screen Capture, Text Generator, Color Grabber, Hexer, Screen Measurement)
5. Unlocker
6. BitComet
7. VLC Media Player
8. SWFRIP (to Rip the *.swf files)
9. Celestia (Space Simulation to explore Universe)
10. Cooliris (Media Browser)
11. Google Earth
12. AoA Audio Extractor
13. Cartes du Ciel (sky chart creator)
14. GOM Player
15. mIRC
16. FileZilla
17. K-Lite Codec Pack
18. Stellarium
19. Adobe Reader 9
20. Skype
21. Active Hard Disk Monitor
22. Picasa
23. FLV Player
24. WinRAR
25. Download Accelerator
26. DVDVideoSoft (Media Converters and Youtube Video Downloader)

Why you should start with "why"

Serial Number Column in SQL Reporting Services Report

Problem : You need to add a serial number column (incremented like 1,2,3...) in SQL Reporting Services Report.

Solution :

Sql reporting Services provides you with a Function : RowNumber(Nothing)

Insert Expression "=RowNumber(Nothing)" into your textbox & it will generate the serial number.

If you want the serial number to be generated for each group. Then just add the group name instead of "Nothing". For Example, the group name is "Group1" then the expression becomes "=RowNumber(Group1)". Same for nested data regions, just use the name of the data region instead of "Nothing".

Uses :

1. Can be used to generate numbered rows such as Serial Number Column

2. Can be used to insert Page breaks based on number of rows

Loving what you do

Are you reading this?

Utthishta Bharata

I remember watching one or two episodes of Chanakya TV Serial in DD National TV and suddenly it stopped airing after some episodes. I didn't know why at that time, I was a kid. I don't remember whether I understood the serial or not or whether I was interested in that or not.But I think I believe I was interested because I still remember those episodes.

And after stopping that serial, they started airing,Akbar the great serial(or it was Tippu Sultan serial don't remember exactly).

And the time passed on... as always time passes on and we never realize what we left behind.

Recently I got Chanakya TV Serial video CD's from one of my friend, and I spent watching the episodes almost 18 hours continuously without stop. I was spell bound to watch such a serial, and later came to know why DD National stopped airing it.And it was congress govt which stopped the serial, thinking that it expresses Hindu Oriented Nationalistic views & those of RSS & BJP ideology.

I really liked Chanakya serial. It is very much essential for the future generations. I request all of you to have one copy of all the episodes with you and see yourself as well as show it to your family members & kids. Protect our culture.

And I heard "Utthishta Bharata" word in that serial, in Sanskrit it means, "Arise India". It empowers each one of us, bharatiya's, to put our efforts into protecting our Motherland as well as our Culture.

Utthishta Bharata, Jai Hind.

Windows CodePage and Unicode Conversion using C#

Life & Tragedies

Benjamin Button: Sometimes we're on a collision course, and we just don't know it. Whether it's by accident or by design, there's not a thing we can do about it. A woman in Paris was on her way to go shopping, but she had forgotten her coat - went back to get it. When she had gotten her coat, the phone had rung, so she'd stopped to answer it; talked for a couple of minutes. While the woman was on the phone, Daisy was rehearsing for a performance at the Paris Opera House. And while she was rehearsing, the woman, off the phone now, had gone outside to get a taxi. Now a taxi driver had dropped off a fare earlier and had stopped to get a cup of coffee. And all the while, Daisy was rehearsing. And this cab driver, who dropped off the earlier fare; who'd stopped to get the cup of coffee, had picked up the lady who was going to shopping, and had missed getting an earlier cab. The taxi had to stop for a man crossing the street, who had left for work five minutes later than he normally did, because he forgot to set off his alarm. While that man, late for work, was crossing the street, Daisy had finished rehearsing, and was taking a shower. And while Daisy was showering, the taxi was waiting outside a boutique for the woman to pick up a package, which hadn't been wrapped yet, because the girl who was supposed to wrap it had broken up with her boyfriend the night before, and forgot.

Benjamin Button: When the package was wrapped, the woman, who was back in the cab, was blocked by a delivery truck, all the while Daisy was getting dressed. The delivery truck pulled away and the taxi was able to move, while Daisy, the last to be dressed, waited for one of her friends, who had broken a shoelace. While the taxi was stopped, waiting for a traffic light, Daisy and her friend came out the back of the theater. And if only one thing had happened differently: if that shoelace hadn't broken; or that delivery truck had moved moments earlier; or that package had been wrapped and ready, because the girl hadn't broken up with her boyfriend; or that man had set his alarm and got up five minutes earlier; or that taxi driver hadn't stopped for a cup of coffee; or that woman had remembered her coat, and got into an earlier cab, Daisy and her friend would've crossed the street, and the taxi would've driven by. But life being what it is - a series of intersecting lives and incidents, out of anyone's control - that taxi did not go by, and that driver was momentarily distracted, and that taxi hit Daisy, and her leg was crushed."

From the movie : Curious Case of Benjamin Button

01022010

Today is a special day. 1 February 2010 => 01/02/2010 => 01022010.

01022010 number is a palindrome.

For those of you who don't know what palindrome is :
"A palindrome is a word, phrase, number or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction."

"Happy Palindrome Day"

Export Limitations in SSRS

Problem :

In SSRS, when you export the report in CSV format, you will not get values. (Export Limitations in SSRS)

Solution :

The data renderers, CSV and XML, only show data and not any layout, means it display non-static data.

Data renderers don’t render static data by Default, they only render expressions.
So either change the table to render real data coming from data base or expressions, or change data output option for table cells (only cells which contain dynamic data, not the headers) from “Auto” to “Yes”.

Or
you can control the export behavior on a textbox-by-textbox basis with the DataElementOutput property.You have 3 options to select, Auto (default), Yes, No.

Right click on Report in Visual Studio solution explorer, select view code & then

add <DataElementOutput>Output</DataElementOutput>

After the name of the text boxes which will be filled by dynamic data.

Hope this helps, Let me know if you find any difficulty.

Solar Eclipse @ Kanyakumari on 15 Jan 2010

Details about this Eclipse:

* Moon's shadow will cover the sun & you will get to watch the 'Ring of Fire'(Annular solar eclipse occurs when the sun and the moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the moon's shadow is smaller than that of the visible disc of the sun. The covered sun, therefore, appears as a 'Ring of Fire', with its rays appearing spread out from the outline of the moon.)

* This is millennium's longest annular solar eclipse that is between 2001 and 3000, maximum duration of the eclipse would be 11 minutes 08 seconds over the Indian Ocean.

* Last time India saw this 'Ring of Fire' was Nov 22, 1965, and it will not be witnessed again before June 21, 2020.

* In India, the eclipse started at around 11 a.m. and ended at around 3:15 p.m. The eclipse first seen in south of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and then moved obliquely to Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. It moved to Kerala and ended in Mizoram in the northeast.

The path of the moon's shadow begun in Africa at 10.44 a.m. and passed through Chad, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia. After leaving Africa, the path crossed the Indian Ocean.

The central path then continued into Asia through the extreme southern part of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China.

Update : My friend Sharanu has wonderfully written about our Solar Eclipse @ Kanyakumari Adventure on his blog post : My Romance with Sun

The year 2009

Hello!!!!!


How are you? Sorry for not updating my blog these 3 months properly, I too got affected by the recession. I had time to read & write but was just too lazy to do anything. Now & then I popped into internet just to check emails & watch movies.

I am still amazed about the way this year went by. Few more days and we will start living in 2010!! I really liked 2009, it was one of the memorable years in my life, health, career & interest all were in good condition. As people say all good things come to an end so too this year :( .

As everybody does, I too hope the coming year,2010 will be a good year.Hope to blog regularly in the coming year.

Will update this post in another day or two with some more information about 2009, before 2010 begins.

Lakshmi Pratury on letter-writing

Aate jate khubsoorat awara sadko pe

Aate jate khubsoorat awara sadko pe kabhi kabhi itfaq se,
Aate jate khubsoorat awara sadko pe kabhi kabhi itfaq se,
kitne anjaan log mil jate hain,
unme se kuchh log bhool jaate hain, kuchh yaad rah jate hain,
unme se kuchh log bhool jaate hain, kuchh yaad rah jate hain

Aate jate khubsoorat awara sadko pe kabhi kabhi itfaq se,
kitne anjaan log mil jate hain,
unme se kuchh log bhool jaate hain, kuchh yaad rah jate hain,
unme se kuchh log bhool jaate hain, kuchh yaad rah jate hain,

awaz ki duniya ke dosto, kal raat kisi jagah pe mujhko,
kis kadar ye hasin khayal mila hai,
rah mein ik reshami rumal mila hai,
kis kadar ye hasin khayal mila hai,
rah mein ik reshami rumal mila hai

jo giraya tha kisi ne jaan kar, jiska ho le jaye wo pahchan kar,
warna main rakh loonga usko apna jaan kar,
kisi husn wale ki nishani maan kar, nishani maan kar


hasnte gaate logon ki baaton hi baaton mein,
kabhi kabhi ik mazak se,
kitne jawan kisse ban jaate hain, un kisson mein chand bhool jaate hain,
chand yaad rah jaate hain,

unme se kuchh log bhool jaate hain, kuchh yaad rah jate hain

Taqdeer mujhpe meharban, jis shuak ki ye dastan hai,

usne bhi shayad ye paigam suna ho, mere geeto mein apna naam suna ho,
usne bhi shayad ye paigam suna ho, mere geeto mein apna naam suna ho,
door baithi ye raaj wo jaan le, meri awaz ko pahchan le,
kaash phir kal raat jaisi barsat ho, aur meri uski kahin mulakat ho, mulakat ho
lambi lambi raaton mein jab neend nahi aati,
kabhi kabhi is phirak se,kitne hasin khwab ban jaate hain,
unmein se kuchh khwab bhool jaate,kuchh yaad rah jaate hain,
unme se kuchh log bhool jaate hain, kuchh yaad rah jate hain

Aate jate khubsoorat awara sadko pe kabhi kabhi itfaq se,
kitne anjaan log mil jate hain, unme se kuchh log bhool jaate hain, kuchh yaad rah jate hain