• Windows Repair and Microsoft’s “Stealth” Update

    Windows 1.01A few weeks ago Microsoft forced the install of an unadvertised and undocumented update via Windows Update (WU).  Aside from installing software without the consent of user/owner, the update seriously breaks a Windows install after a Windows repair. I had another partially related issue with Internet Explorer.  IE 7 was installed prior to the repair; the reapir installed IE 6.   Post repair IE 6 was unstable and slower than usual.  I used a stand-alone IE 7 installer to fix this issue; the IE 7 install did not affect Windows Updates. I wasted three hours tracking down this issue (most of the time wasted waiting for WU to fail) and another hour installing the multitude of updates. For incorrect/incomplete information on this issue go here:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555615Correct information and a solution can be found in this ZDNet article:  http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=817&page=2If you get stuck with this problem, you have a few options: 

    • 1. Manually re-register the DLLs as mentioned in the ZDNet article
    • 2. Dump Windows and install Ubuntu (i.e. Linux for Windows users)
    • 3. Apple offers this plug-and-play solution for all Windows problems.

  • Sheltese

    Sheltese Comic

  • Subaru Challenge 2007

    ,

    I’m back from the Mid-Atlantic Subaru Challenge at Ripken Field. I drove the Outback Sport (on stock tires and suspension) and had a good time. I didn’t bother taking out the spare, and I left the roof rack on as well. While my times were not great, they are pretty respectable considering the lifted Outback suspension and awful RE-92 tires. Overall I finished 68 of 120 in the class-adjusted (PAX) results. An STS-prepared ’05 Outback sport with springs, swaybars and decent tires finished .024 seconds behind me (raw time), so I’m pretty happy. It looks like I beat at least 17 WRX / STIs in raw time as well.

    Anyway, here are a couple of photos from the event:

    Mid-Atlantic Subaru Challenge 2007

    Mid-Atlantic Subaru Challenge 2007

    Mid-Atlantic Subaru Challenge 2007
    Check out the body roll. (Obviously, I didn’t take this photo.)

    Run 1: 58.499
    Run 2: 58.170
    Run 3: 58.418
    Run 4: 57.002

    PAX Time: 44.461 (68/120)

    Official Results:
    2007 Mid-Atlantic Subaru Challenge Overall PAX
    2007 Mid-Atlantic Subaru Challenge Class Results

    In-car video: (Made with a new and improved camera mount with a higher camera position)