Dean Computer Services Blog

When specifying parameters for queries in a SQLDataSource control, the error "Too Many Parameters" may be displayed despite having the correct number of parameters for the Update command, when the command is specified in "text" on the .aspx page itself. The parameters must be the same case as the field names and must be spelled exactly the same as the field names, but with a leading "@" sign. This affects the ability to update the columns with the "Edit" link.

For example, column agent_name requires @agent_name, not @AgentName.

Since the Query Builder requires that the parameters be filled in, this is an easy mistake to make as typically the parameters for a stored procedure do not need to be spelled exactly the same as field names. But when using the SQLDataSource control, magic occurs in the background to align the textbox values with the field names.

This procedure is in lieu of using a paid service, such as Stamps.com, to print labels.  When using Stamps.com, it is possible to print two 4" x 6" labels to a 8 1/2" x 11" WDC-1200 sheet.  I usually only need to print one label at a time, so the Stamps.com service is more than I need and costs $19.95/month.  However, I got them to change me to free monthly service.

1. Log into USPS.com.

1. Enter the recipient information.

2. Service Type: PRIORITY MAIL

3. Package Type: Choose your own box if not using a USPS box. Choose Regional Rate if possible.
Specify whether the package is hazardous.

4. Make payment to your preferred payment method, such as credit or debit card.

5. Print the label to a full-size PDF document and save into a folder on your computer.

6. Double-click the PDF document to view it. It will be shown in a centered portrait position with a shipment confirmation
and sender information at the bottom.

7. Use Snag-It to capture the label leaving a very small border including the black line at the edge of the label.

Select the "Image" tab in Snag-It and rotate the image 90 degrees left to turn horizontal.

8. Select File/Print in Snag-It and select your printer as the output device, but don't print it yet.

9. Click "Page Setup" in the Print window.
Select the "Layout" tab.
Change to "Manual scale 100%". Select image position as Top, Centered.
Select the "Paper" tab.
Change Orientation to "Portrait", Top Margin at 1.1 inches.
Click OK. The Print window will be shown.

10. Make sure the labels needed for two 4" x 6" labels to a sheet are in the printer.  Stamps.com WDC-1200 labels will work, but labels are also available from ULINE.com.  Click "Print" to print a single label horizontally on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet in a normal portrait orientation.

11. An alternative is to use a thermal printer, such as a DYMO 4XL or 5XL, which helps greatly if you need to print a batch of labels.

It's a good idea to monitor the amount of free space on your hard drive or SSD.  Windows File Explorer will show the amount of free space on your drive(s) if you click "This PC" in the left navigation panel.  You may be able to increase the free space by running Disk Cleanup which is a built-in Windows utility.  However, all sorts of things can decrease the space including Windows Updates, email messages if stored locally, and downloaded files.  The goal is to do something about the problem before running out of free space entirely, which will lock up your computer.  Manually deleting old files using Windows File Explorer can be extremely effective in increasing free space, but takes a lot of diligence and care.  Don't delete files that the various applications need to operate!

One solution to increasing the free space is to replace the hard drive with a larger hard drive or SSD.  I can perform this task for you!  Cloning your drive requires specialized software, but it eliminates the need to re-install your applications and/or re-establish settings that you've developed over time.  Most computers that are several years old benefit from replacing the mechanical hard drive with a SSD (Solid-State Drive).  Older desktop computers typically use a 3.5" SATA drive.  However, it is possible to replace a 3.5" SATA drive with a 2.5" solid-state SATA drive by using an adapter mounting cage.  Newer computers typically have a M.2 solid-state drive mounted on the motherboard, which can be replaced by a larger M.2 solid-state drive.

If you're interested in having your drive upgraded, call me at 410-592-8206 or send me an email via the Contact Page on my website, DeanComputerServices.net.  Please be aware if you live outside my geographic area (northeast Baltimore County), you will need to pay a shipping charge to send your computer to me.

There are several ways to make your Windows computer faster:

1.  If running Windows 10, there is a PowerShell script called "Windows10DebloaterGUI.ps1".  It will stop unnecessary background processes from running.  It can be downloaded from GitHub and executed.  There is YouTube video which demonstrates using the script which can be found at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkeGuGUegss .

2. Disk Cleanup - This is a tool built into several versions of Windows which helps greatly with improving performance.  It eliminates unnecessary temporary files from your hard drive. It can also remove old Windows Upgrade temp files.  It can be found by typing "Disk Cleanup" in the Windows Search box.

3. For a computer that is several years old, I can replace your mechanical hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD).  There are two types of SSD's available.  If your mechanical hard drive uses a PATA interface, the computer is probably so old that you should consider replacing it.  Pay attention to the speed of the CPU to determine if a drive upgrade is worth it.

Many older computers have a mechanical hard drive that uses a SATA connector.  The mechanical hard drive is either 2.5 inches or 3.5 inches in width.  It's usually a very simple replacement, but the trick is getting your computer to boot properly and getting all your current applications working.  This is accomplished via a "cloning" operation, which is different than just restoring a backup image from an external backup drive or cloud drive onto a SSD.  There are several software applications that can clone a mechanical hard drive to a SSD.  An adapter cage can be used if the new SSD is 2.5" and the mechanical hard drive is 3.5" in width.  Most computers have USB ports nowadays. The cable from an external enclosure or adapter cable can plug into a USB port.  After making sure the computer is backed up to safeguard your important files, a SSD can be placed inside the desktop computer or laptop.  The original mechanical drive can be placed into an external enclosure or merely connected to the USB port via an adapter cable.  The computer should be booted onto a "rescue disk", which is usually a USB flash drive, but can be a DVD disc.  I prefer to use Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office to perform the cloning operation.  It is a little faster than some of the alternatives because it copies only the occupied sectors by default.  Acronis (and several other programs) can copy data from the old mechanical hard drive (attached to the USB port) to a new SSD placed into the computer.  The capacity of the SSD should be equal to or more than the old mechanical hard drive.  Acronis can automatically re-size partitions to fully utilize any unallocated space on the new SSD.  I recommend purchasing a 1 to 4 terabyte SSD if your computer is currently using a 512 GB mechanical hard drive.

Newer computers usually have a solid-state drive that mounts to the motherboard.  The latest SSD's use the NVMe (Non-volatile Memory Express) M.2 standard and are many times faster than SATA drives. A 2280 SSD is about the size of a stick of gum, but 2230 SSD's are about one inch square.  If your computer already has a SSD, it's unlikely that you're experiencing much of a slow-down.  However, you may want to replace the current SSD with a larger SSD to gain more storage capacity.  This also requires a cloning operation to move your data, the Windows operating system, Microsoft Office (if installed), and any other applications to the SSD without needing to re-install everything.

YouTube videos are available which show how to clone one SSD to another, if you want to do it yourself.  However, I can perform this task for you if you're local to my geographic area, or want to ship your laptop to me.

Recently, I had the unpleasant experience of getting "Your username or password is not accepted" when attempting to access my Gmail account with Windows Live Mail.  However, I had the correct username and password and none of the settings in my email client had changed.  This was a very perplexing situation indeed.  Previously, I had no problems retrieving or sending email with this account for over a year.

I should have realized immediately that Google had something to do with the problem.  Google changed their policy of allowing less secure apps to access Gmail on 5/30/2022.  The problem was the "access permissions" needed for Windows Live Mail.  Despite the fact that Windows 10 comes with "Windows Mail" built-in, I had continued using "Windows Live Mail" as the computer was upgraded from Windows 7 and I prefer Windows Live Mail as a mail client.  Live Mail is considered a "less secure" app and Google wants to place the responsibility for any security problem or loss of data squarely on the user.

In my case, I wasn't sure whether a setting for the email account had been changed accidentally.  Unfortunately I had forgotten to screen capture the settings for that particular email account.  Therefore, I spent hours trying various settings, changing the account back and forth between POP and IMAP.  Of course, the settings for the account had absolutely nothing to do with the problem, so I kept getting the same error no matter what was changed.  I had also tried turning off the Windows Firewall and turning it back on, but no go.

This YouTube video shows how to re-enable access for a "less secure" app to access a Gmail account:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IyeDqXNal8

I actually re-enabled access for Windows Live Mail by allowing Windows Mail to access the email account.  However, the steps shown in the video are the proper way to go about allowing a less secure app to access Gmail because the procedure involves setting up double-factor authentication.

Attached is a PDF document which shows how to navigate the Mobile Repair Wizard software from Uncle Harry (Raker Appliance Repair).

Using The Mobile Repair Wizard - Android 7.pdf (3.3 MB)

Using The Mobile Repair Wizard - Android 9.pdf (3.9 MB)

Using The Mobile Repair Wizard - Android 10.pdf (4.9 MB)

Remote Support is available for your Wizard Diagnostic tablet if you connect your tablet to the Internet and start the TeamViewer QuickSupport app.  The app is the blue and white icon with two arrows on the Android Home Screen.  You must be near the tablet to accept the incoming connection as you will see a prompt on screen which says "Allow <technician> to establish a remote support connection?".   However, you must first send me the ID number that appears on the screen of the tablet after starting QuickSupport.

Once connected to your tablet, I can take remote control of your tablet and we can walk through any screens with which you may be having a problem.

Please be aware that the Wizard Diagnostic tablets now being sold (Lenovo TAB M8 tablets) are equipped with Android 10 and are a vast improvement over older tablets.  The tablet screen now measures 8 inches diagonally and the processor is much faster.  The current configuration utilizes two apps that were not installed on the older tablets, Tiny Web Server and Andro Search.  Tiny Web Server allows the Mobile Repair Wizard software to be viewed as a true website, like the Online Repair Wizard.  Therefore, viewing videos only requires that the link or icon for the video be pressed once, and makes using the tablet much easier.  However, this requires that the user start the Tiny Web Server before selecting the Mobile Repair Wizard software.

Press this link to pay a modest fee for this remote support:

Pay For Support (Only $15.00)

The chart below can be very useful in tracking which medications have been taken.

Contact me if you would like a copy of the actual spreadsheet.

The dates automatically update when a data is entered into the Sunday date cell.

The best backup is one that works and allows you to recover the latest updates that you have made.  However, creating the best backup can be a very time-consuming process.  In order to reduce the amount of time to create backups, it is important to be aware of what actually changes on your computer each day.

Strategy #1 - (Safest, but Time Consuming)

Create a full backup of your entire hard drive each week and then create differential backups throughout the week to copy the files that have changed to your backup drive.  Note that your backup drive should either be an external drive or an online drive (which can be expensive depending on how much data is backed up).  You may wish to have your full backup moved to an off-site location before creating a new full backup.  This allows you to recover files further back than one week.  The only problem with this strategy is that it is a lot of trouble and you need multiple external drives unless the full backup is being pushed over the Internet to online storage.

Strategy #2 - (Not As Safe, but More Convenient For A Small Business or Homeowner)

This is how I create backups, which is more convenient and conceivably less expensive.

First, Acronis TrueImage (now called Acronis Cyber Protect) is used to create a full backup of the hard drive in a folder on an external hard drive called "Hard Drive Images". The hard drive images are re-created once per month to pick up on changes made to the operating system, such as the installation of Windows updates. Acronis can name backup files however you like in the "Settings" for scheduled backups. 

Second, I also keep folders on the external hard drive, for each computer to be backed up, under "Acronis Backups\Source Computer" name.  Each computer name folder stores weekly backup images of Documents and Downloads.  The backup filenames are determined by the settings within Acronis for scheduled backups.

Acronis TrueImage is used once per week to backup the Documents and Download folders using the "Folders" backup type.  It's possible to retain several backups so that a file can be recovered from a previous week(s) backup if it is accidentally deleted.  Acronis allows incremental and differential backups to be created, but I find that it most helpful for each weekly backup to be a complete "full" backup. That way, it isn't necessary to restore from multiple files if you have missing data.  If your backup needs are more demanding, you might want to create an incremental or differential backup at the end of each day.

I also use WinZip to create zip files of selected project folders.  The zip files are saved to C:\Temp\Zipped Backups.  Each zip file is named according to what it contains and suffixed with the date in YYYYMMDD format.  Folders that contain important data are backed up frequently to a zip file, immediately after being updated.  Then, the zip file is copied from C:\Temp\Zipped Backups to a corresponding folder on an external drive, such as F:\Temp\Zipped Backups.

I create zip files of development projects and websites using the same strategy.  A new zip file is created at the time a particular project is updated, and then it is copied to an external drive. For some backups, it is only necessary to keep the most recent copy.

Third, I use an app called "MailBird", which is a local mail client, to gather email from several different email accounts.  WinZip can be used to backup the folder containing the MailBird email messages.

The folder "C:\Users\Bill\AppData\Local\Mailbird" and its subfolders can be zipped into a single file which can be copied to an external backup device. The MailBird application should be closed at the time of copying.

Note: This folder may be hidden.  You may need to use the View feature in Windows Explorer to un-hide the folder. 

Fourth, the Windows Registry is backed up periodically.  Even though, System Restore may be used to restore the operating system to a point in time before a problem occurred, I've found that occasionally System Restore doesn't work.  In this event, a backup of the Windows Registry from a point in time when everything was working fine is extremely valuable. To create such a backup, click the Start Button, then All Program / Accessories and finally "Command Prompt".  A black window will open.  Type "regedit" and press the <Enter> key.  Answer "Y" to the User Account Control prompt.  The Registry Editor will open.  With the highlight on "Computer", perform an export to C:\Temp\Windows Registry and name the file something like "WindowsRegistry_YYYYMMDD.reg".  In the event, your system is malfunctioning extremely badly because you uninstalled a program you shouldn't have, double-click the .reg file and your Windows Registry keys will be restored.  Of course, this doesn't reactivate an uninstalled application, but should make your computer operational to the point where the application can be reinstalled.  The .Reg files can be periodically copied to an external drive also.

For years, I used a Franklin Planner to plan and track daily activities because the company I worked for mandated it.  In fact, they wanted employees to attend seminars on time management.  After leaving the company, I started to question the cost of annual planner refills.  I tried using less expensive Day Planners, but found them too small.  I fell back on using online calendars such as the one included with Comcast email and Google Calendar.  Finally, I came up with a system that works for me.  I created a very simple Excel spreadsheet called DailyTasks.xlsx.  It is formatted like this:

The days are grouped by month, with each month on a separate tab of the spreadsheet.  It looks like this:

There is a tab at the bottom for each month.

This simple system eliminates a lot of stress because it's real easy to prioritize tasks in a day and put them into the order I want to do them.