Last update: Feb 13, 2023 Background Windows uses a simple technique to keep track of which binary files were downloaded from the Internet (or a network share). Each downloaded file is is tagged with a hidden NTFS Alternate Data Stream file named Zone.Identifier. You can check for the presence of this “Mark of the Web”Continue reading “Downloads and the Mark-of-the-Web”
Category Archives: tech
Repairing Corrupt ZIP Files
Fiddler’s default file format is the SAZ Format, which is just a ZIP file with a particular structure. Unfortunately, sometimes users’ SAZ files get corrupted due to failing disks or incomplete downloads, and when this happens, Fiddler can no longer open them. Because Fiddler uses a standard ZIP file, surely a good ZIP reader willContinue reading “Repairing Corrupt ZIP Files”
DotNet Makes Me Sad, In Pictures
.NET Framework KB 3088956: Ouch, that sounds pretty severe. I guess I’d better go manually install a hotfix? Seriously? An email address and a CAPTCHA? Fine. Oh, an email delivered HTTP URL pointed at an executable file? That seems totes legit. Yup, definitely legit, it says “Microsoft” right there at the top! Sure, let’s putContinue reading “DotNet Makes Me Sad, In Pictures”
Ad-Block: Current Status
Microsoft used to joke about cutting off a competitor’s air supply. Apple instead handed shears to devs, pointed at a hose, and walked out. As iOS9 launches, here’s the list of top paid apps in the iTunes AppStore: It’s only a question of when, not if, the top slot of the Free Apps category isContinue reading “Ad-Block: Current Status”
What I Use–Software Edition
I’ll update this list from time-to-time. Criteria The #1 criteria for any software I use is first, do no harm. There’s a lot of great software out there that’s ruined by side-effects, including security problems, performance problems, advertising, and anything else that makes my computer worse for having it installed. In some cases, I’ve simplyContinue reading “What I Use–Software Edition”
On Chromebooks
I spent the summer of 1994 working minimum wage (a princely $4.25/hour), testing electronics, saving all of my pay to buy a beast of a computer. That September, I entered my sophomore year of high school and plunked down my saved ~$3000 to become the proud owner of my first Windows PC, a Comtrade PentiumContinue reading “On Chromebooks”
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