Category Archives: Technologies

How to Log in Windows Safe Mode

Motivation:

  • You get a blank screen after installing graphic driver on Windows 11.
  • You want to log in Windows safe mode to remove the installed driver.
  • Aternatively if you need Networking and Windows updates then you may need to log in Windows safe mode to disable the installed driver.

Solution:

  1. Turn on your computer.
  2. When you see the Windows logo and circle progress, press the Power button and hold it for 10 seconds. You computer will be turned off.
  3. Turn on your computer again.
  4. When you see the Windows logo, if you do not see Preparing Automatic Repair or Please Wait message then press the Power button and hold it for 10 seconds again.
  5. Repeat the 3rd and 4th step until you see Preparing Automatic Repair or Please Wait message.
  6. Click Advanced options button.
  7. Click Troubleshoot button.
  8. Click Advanced options button.
  9. Click Startup Settings button.
  10. Click Restart button.
  11. Press number 4 or number 5 to enter Windows safe mode.

Solution for graphic driver issue:

This solution is useful when you only need to use your computer as a server and control it via remote desktop connection.

  1. Log in Windows safe mode without networking.
  2. Install the latest graphic driver.
  3. Disable graphic driver.
  4. Log in Windows normal mode.
  5. Open Device Manager.
  6. Update graphic driver to Microsoft Basic Display Adapter.
  7. Enable graphic driver.

 

How to Combine a JPG and WAV File to FLV File

Motivation:

  • You have a JPG and WAV file.
  • You want to combine them to a FLV file in order to upload it to YouTube without losing audio quality.

Solution:

  1. Download ffmpeg.
  2. Unzip the downloaded package to C:\Users\admin\Downloads\ffmpeg-7.0.1-essentials_build folder.
  3. Copy your Image.jpg and Audio.wav file to C:\Users\admin\Downloads\ffmpeg-7.0.1-essentials_build/bin folder.
  4. Open Command Prompt.
  5. Execute the commands below.
    cd C:\Users\admin\Downloads\ffmpeg-7.0.1-essentials_build\bin
    ffmpeg -r 1 -loop 1 -i image.jpg -i audio.wav -acodec copy -r 1 -shortest -vf scale=1280:720 Video.flv
  6. Open Video.flv file to verify result.
  7. Upload Video.flv file to YouTube.

 

How to Fix EPUB Processing Failure on Google Play Books

Problem:

You uploaded EPUB file to Google Play Books but received Processing Failed error message.

Solution:
  1. Open https://www.zamzar.com.
  2. Click Choose Files and select EPUB file.
  3. Click Convert To and select azw3.
  4. Click Convert Now button.
  5. Download the azw3 file.
  6. Return to https://www.zamzar.com.
  7. Click Choose Files and select azw3 file.
  8. Click Convert To and select EPUB.
  9. Click Convert Now button.
  10. Download the EPUB file.
  11. Upload the EPUB file to Google Play Books.

Note: https://www.zamzar.com offers only 2 free daily conversions.

 

 

How to Automatically Create a Subtitle for a Video

Motivation:

You have MP4 video file.
You want to create a subtitle to understand the video content.

Solution:
  1. Split MP4 file to 9-minutes files (please refer to https://huybien.com/how-to-trim-or-cut-mp4-files-without-re-encoding/ for details).
  2. Log in https://www.veed.io
  3. Click the “+” icon.
  4. Upload a 9-minutes MP4 file.
  5. Click the “Subtitles” tab.
  6. Click the “Auto Translate” button. Select the language for the subtitle.
  7. Click the “Start” button. Wait for the process to be complete.
  8. Click the “Export” button.
  9. Ensure that the “Burn Subtitle” option is selected.
  10. Click the “Export Video” button. Wait for the process on the left to be complete.
  11. Click the “Download MP4” link.

 

How to Convert M4A to WAV File on macOS

Motivation:

You have downloaded some M4A audio files.

You want to extract convert them to WAV files to listen to them in other devices that do not support playing M4A files.

Procedure:

  • In the Music app on your Mac, choose Music > Preferences, then click Files.
  • Copy the path of Music Media folder location. (An example path is Macintosh HD/Users/admin/Music/Music/Media.)
  • Click the Import Settings… button.
  • In the Import Using pop-up menu, set Import Using = Wav Encoder, then click OK to save the settings.
  • Drag M4A files to the Music app.
  • Select songs in your library, then click File > Convert > Create WAV Version.
  • Go to your library folder (i.e. the Music Media folder location) and copy the WAV files to other devices.
  • Delete the M4A files from your library.

How to Move Outlook Data to a New Computer

Motivation:

You need to move Outlook data and settings from an old computer to a new computer.

Solution:

1. On the destination (new) computer:

    • Type Control Panel in Search box.
    • Click on Control Panel.
    • Select Large icons for View by.
    • Click Mail (32-bit).
    • Click Add. Set Profile Name = Outlook.
    • Follow the instructions to setup an account.

2. On the source (old) computer:

    • Open Outlook.
    • On the File menu, click Data File Management.
    • Click the data file that you want to compact, and then click Settings.
    • Click Compact Now.
    • Close Outlook.

3. Copy and overwrite all the contents of %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook to the destination computer. Create the Outlook folder if it does not exist.

4. Open Outlook in the destination computer.

Note: If you are using POP3 protocol then all the messages will be re-downloaded again once. If this is true for you then

    • Let Outlook finish downloading the messages, then
    • Click on Unread Mail folder below the Search Folders,
    • Select all the messages,
    • Press Shift, right click and click Delete to permanently delete them all.

 

How to Install a Clean iOS

Motivation:

You want to sell or give away your iPhone. You want to ensure that the new owner will not access any of your data.

You may also need to give your iPhone to a technician to fix the broken display of your iPhone. You want to ensure that the technician cannot access any of your data.

You may also have so many buggy applications on your iPhone and want to increase stability and performance of your iOS.

Procedure:

  • Import your Photos to a MacBook.
  • Create a backup of data. It is best to let your iPhone synchronize everything with iCloud, including Photos and Contacts.
  • Turn off Find My iPhone.
  • Plug your iPhone to a MacBook.
  • Open Finder. Click on your iPhone on the left panel.
  • Click Restore iPhone… button.
  • Click Backup button.
  • Click Restore and Update button. Click Next button. Click Agree button.
  • Follow the instructions to install a clean iOS to your iPhone.

Post Installation Configuration:

  • Setup your iPhone.
  • Activate your iPhone.
  • Setup Face ID.
  • Restore your Apps & Data from iCloud backup.
  • Synchronize music to your iPhone.
  • Go to Settings > Generals > Software Update > Automatic Updates. Turn off Automatic Updates.
  • Go to Settings > Generals > Display & Brightness > Text Size. Drag the slider to the right to increase text size.
  • Go to Settings > Messages. Enable iMessage.

How to Trim or Cut MP4 Files Without Re-Encoding

Motivation:

  • You have MP4 files with unwanted portions. You want to trim these portions.
  • You want to cut a MP4 file into files with equivalent length for uploading to specific storage that limits length of an uploaded video.

Solution for trimming MP4 file:

  1. Download XMedia Recode.
  2. Unzip the downloaded package.
  3. Click on the XMedia Recode.exe file to open the application.
  4. Open a MP4 file.
  5. Under the Format tab set
    Profile = Custom
    Format = MP4
    File Extension = mp4
  6. Click the Video tab and set Mode = Copy on the middle panel.
  7. Click the Audio tab and set Mode = Copy on the middle panel.
  8. Click the Filters/Preview tab and set Start Time and to (End Time) value text boxes.
  9. Click the Add to queue button (with the + icon) on the tool bar.
  10. Click the Encode button on the tool bar.

Solution for splitting MP4 file to multiple files with equivalent length:

    1. Download XMedia Recode.
    2. Unzip the downloaded package.
    3. Click on the XMedia Recode.exe file to open the application.
    4. Open a MP4 file.
    5. Under the Format tab set
      Profile = Custom
      Format = MP4
      File Extension = mp4
    6. Click the Video tab and set Mode = Copy on the middle panel.
    7. Click the Audio tab and set Mode = Copy on the middle panel.
    8. Click the Filters/Preview tab and specify appropriate time range for each file, for example from 00:00:00:0000 to 00:09:00:0000.
    9. Click the Add to queue button (with the + icon) on the tool bar.
    10. Click the Encode button.

    Repeat the procedure for the same file with different time ranges.

    For example use time range from 00:09:00:0000 to 00:18:00:0000 for creating the second file, then time range from 00:18:00:0000 to 00:27:00:0000 for creating the third file, etc.