How To Stretch Your Wallpaper Across Multiple Monitors in Windows

Even Mr Bolt-on knows

Even Mr Bolt-on knows this.

Everyone with some experience with Windows and more than one monitor connected, knows that Microsoft’s good old operating system just can’t handle multiple monitors very well.

Little has improved in Windows 7, and I was therefore faced with some odd challenges just trying to make a simple 3840×1080 pixels wide wallpaper fit properly.

The only built-in “wallpaper mode” that works with multiple monitor wallpapers is the “tile” mode. However, it didn’t work correctly on my setup, as it kind of started on the wrong display due to the internal “ranking” of my monitors, making the result look like so:

After a quick Google query or two, I happened upon the perfect tool to MacGyver this problem away: Continue reading

How to Resolve the “Setup was unable to create a new system partition” Issue During Windows 7 Setup

Just the other day, I stumbled upon a couple of challenges when trying to install Windows 7 on a RAID array of two SSDs on my computer.

1st Issue: The missing RAID drivers

Since they didn’t exist when Windows 7 SP1 was put together, I had to load them manually inside of Windows 7 Setup.

This was simple enough, though:

  • I got on my laptop and downloaded the Intel RAID drivers from the ASUS support page for my Sabertooth X79 motherboard, then extracted the files to a USB drive.
  • I unplugged the USB disk from my laptop and loaded the driver from within Windows 7 Setup by connecting the USB drive to my main computer while in the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen. I clicked “Load Driver” and browsed to the “Driver\Disk\64bit” folder. The next screen let me choose which driver to install (only gave me one choice).
  • The driver loaded in a couple of minutes and the disk showed up, just like a good student to school.

2nd Issue: “Setup was unable to create a new system partition”

This issue was a little trickier. To my disappointment, Windows 7 wouldn’t let me install on the RAID disk array I had chosen, giving the following error message:

“Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information”. Continue reading

Battlefield 3 Armored Kill DLC Gameplay Trailer

The official description:
“Coming this September, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill is the next digital expansion pack in the Battlefield 3 series and introduces a host of exclusive in-game content, new vehicles, assignments and more.

Taking vehicular mayhem to the next level as only Battlefield can, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill features 5 new drivable vehicles including mobile artillery, tanks, ATV’s complete with over 20 vehicle specific unlocks. Players will also have the ability to spawn in the all-new gunship and rain death from above.

Battlefield 3: Armored Kill also introduces a brand new mode to the Battlefield franchise, Tank Superiority, where heavy vehicles clash in order to control key areas of the map.

Check out the premiere trailer showcasing the snow-capped Alborz Mountain as well as the open terrain found in the Bandar Desert, the largest map in Battlefield history!”
 

Battlefield 4 Officially Confirmed

will include Battlefield 4 beta access.

The beta for Battlefield 4 is said to begin sometime in the second half of 2013, which indicates that Battlefield 4 may be released late 2013 or early 2014.

DICE only had less revealing things to say about the news:

“The team at DICE is hard at work on the next entry in the Battlefield series,” one of the messages from the team at DICE states.

They went on to say that they aren’t ready to talk about Battlefield 4 at this time.

It’s also said that EA asked DICE to focus their development efforts on Battlefield 4 instead of making Battlefield Bad Company 3.

Meanwhile there’s still two more DLCs upcoming for Battlefield 3: Armored Kill this autumn and End Game sometime early 2013. The new maps in Armored Kill will include the biggest Battlefield 3 map to date, which sounds like just the thing I want to see.

Matches, an official “tool” for customizing Battlefield 3 clan matches went live earlier this month.

Pre-order: from Webhallen and support TommyNation at the same time.

The Pirate Bay and How The Record Industry Screwed Us Over

“Internet censorship is growing in scope and becoming easier. Yet it never has the effect desired. It simply turns criminals into heroes.” -Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group.

Former The Pirate Bay spokesperson, Peter Sunde (alias “Brokep”) has submitted an official plea for pardon to the Swedish Administration.

On April 17th 2009, “Brokep” along with three other TPB associates were sentenced to one year in jail.

They also have to pay well over 10 million euros in damages.

You may sign a petition to support Brokep’s plea on Avaaz.org (opens in new window).

Brokep’s plea can be read in full on his own blog, translated in English (opens in new window).

Meanwhile, recent numbers are showing that the effectiveness of the UK’s law enforced ISP-wide banning of access to The Pirate Bay, has been insignificant.

An UK ISP told the BBC that a significant dip in file sharing activity was seen immidiately after the controversial ban took effect.

However, according to BBC’s source, just one week later, file-sharing activity returned to “just below normal”.

In response to hearing this, the BPI (the music industry trade body in the UK) is promising that they will continue to work hard to further more censorship and invasion of privacy to protect the interests of the record industry’s deeper-than-ever pockets.

Also just in: a new report claims that the record industry may have set innovation in digital distribution of media content back by ten (10) years.

As the report, written by Michael A. Carrier points out, unethical foul play was made by the record industry.

They totally screwed over all consumers ever since Napster was shut down.

It makes a prime example of the record industry, showing just exactly how someone with too much money and power, can effectively halt innovation in a whole sector, doing almost immeasurable damage to the industry as a whole.

We’re still not seeing official services from the content owners even close to competing with the level of quality, content and not least availability that consumers are expecting, and getting used to through their “illegal”, free download alternatives..

Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM and AX1200i Digital PSU

Corsair Link is a system that allows monitoring and control of hardware by a proprietary software interface called “Corsair Link Dashboard”.

Corsair keeps adding to their “Corsair Link” system, and has now brought out two new options with Corsair Link support: Dominator Platinum high-end RAM sticks, and the AX1200i Digital Power Supply Unit.

Corsair Dominator Platinum

The Dominator Platinum memory does not allow for direct monitoring by connecting directly to the RAM, however it supports an optional fan accessory called Airflow Pro, which can be connected to the Corsair Link system.

As the latest member of the Dominator family, the Platinum RAM series has interchangable light bars on top, which promise to give the motherboard a subtle wash of lighting. White is the default color, but optional light bars in different colors will be made available.

Easthetics aside, Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM kits of up to 64GB (8x8GB) at 2133MHz, and even a 16 GB kit clocked at 2800 MHz, are planned for eventual release. Smaller, slower kits of 8GB and 16GB proportions are the first to make an appearance on the official Corsair online shop, spanning between 1600MHz and 2666MHz (16GB only).

Corsair AX1200i Digital PSU

The AX1200i Digital PSU is, according to Corsair, “the first desktop PC power supply to use digital (DSP) control and Corsair Link”. Connecting it directly to a USB header on the motherboard with the included cable is enough, but it also supports connecting to a Corsair Link Commander unit. Using the Corsair Link Dashboard software interface, you can now monitor, tweak and control the PSU thanks to the digital DSP control, which allows on-the-fly tuning of voltages.