Windows Tablet FAQ

Revision as of 19:23, 15 June 2011

I'm having trouble using shared resources (folders on voodoo, bullwinkle, etc.), what's wrong?

It appears that the Tablet PC edition of Windows limits how many network connections you can establish at any given time. Try opening a folder (any folder), go to the Tools menu and select the "Disconnect Network Drive..." option. This action will allow you to disconnect your existing connection so you can make a new one.

How do I print to PDF in Windows?

This section describes two ways to make PDF files while in Windows. The first uses a helpful program called CutePDF and the second uses a longer process but allows more control over the PDF creation options.

Quick and Easy Method for PDF Creation

The fastest way to enable PDF capability within Windows is to install the CutePDF writer onto the machine. The small program uses Ghost Script transparently to create PDF files. The PDF writer appears as a printer in the printer menu after the install script is run. Just print to this printer "CutePDF Writer" and it will save your document as a PDF in the location of your choice.

Advanced Method for PDF creation

This method, while longer, allows more control over the options in the created PDF. This is the place to come when the CutePDF feature does not do what is required.

Set up the PostScript Printer

First, you must set up a PostScript printer in Windows by going to the "Printers and Faxes" folder in the control panel. Select "Add a printer" from the printer tasks pane at left and follow the steps below

• Click next when the add printer wizard opens to begin printer selection.
• Select the "Local Printer attached to this Computer" bullet at the top of the page and deselect the checkbox that says "Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play Printer" then click next.
• Select the "Use the following port" bullet from the top of the screen and choose "FILE: (Print to File)" from the drop box. Click Next.
• Now you can add any PostScript Printer from the list of drivers (denoted by PS in the driver name) to convert the document into PostScript. I used the "HP Business Inkjet 2250 (PS)" under the HP manufacturer field. Click Next.
• Rename the Printer to "PostScript Printer" or something similar to differentiate it from other mounted printers. Click next.

It is not necessary to print the test page for the printer to function but it is useful to describe how the printer works. A field will appear asking where you want to place the file. You must place the full path destination, filename, and extention .ps (to make things easier) in this field. For the test page, we will place the file in the root C:\ directory under the name test with the file extention .ps. The full path for this file will be:

c:\test.ps

Browse to the C:\ drive and double click on the new .ps file to open it in GSview. You should then see the test page if all went well. Leave the window open to help demonstrate how to write to pdf in the next section.

How to Convert PostScript (PS) Files To Portable Document Format (PDF) Files

Open a .ps file with GSview (default viewer for .ps files anyway) and go to "File > Convert" (the hotkey for this is f). You can select the advanced options for the PDF creation in this window and select OK when finished. Select a location to save your file and then save it. Now you can go nuts with PDF; for tips on creating PDF files see an online refrence for all things *ps.

One last note

When in doubt: embed your fonts in you PDF files so that everyone can read them. This option is available in the properties section of the convert tool. Select "EmbedAllFonts" in the property field and set its value to true. Your readers will appreciate it.

How do I add software to Cygwin?

Packages can be added to Cygwin and updated through the package manager labeled as "setup" in the Cygwin start menu folder. This method is the easiest way to add software but you can also compile programs from source if a desired program is not available. The example run through here will install Grace (not included by default) and show how packages can be easily installed and removed by using Cygwin's setup.

Open setup in the Cygwin folder through the programs list in the Windows start menu. Select install from Internet and click next till the installed prompts for a mirror. Choose a mirror to download your packages from (mirrors.kernel.org is usually fast). Click the "view" button until "Not Installed" appears on the top of the screen. Sort through the alphabetical list of packages till you find "Grace" and left click on the two arrows in the "new" column till the lastest (highest) version is selected. Click next to download and install the update. Do not be alarmed if more packages are installed than you selected because these are the dependencies of the selected packages.

How do I add packages to the LaTeX compiler in Windows (MikTeX)?

The addition of packages into MikTeX is very similar to the addiion of packages in Cygwin. This is accomplished through the update wizard accessed through the start menu under editors. Follow the onscreen instructions in the installer to add or update packages.

How do I run X11 programs under Windows?

You can access X11 programs by using Cygwin, this can be done by selecting Cygwin from the start menu and executing the following in the shell window that appears:

cd /usr/X11R6/bin
startx

You cannot execute grace and other programs from the X11 window that comes up.

How do I access my Voodoo account from Windows?

One method is as follows:

• Open My Computer
• In the address bar at the top type the following:

\\voodoo

It will ask for your user name and password; enter these. This should bring up voodoo, displaying all the physics printers and a folder with your user name. This is your home space.

• Right click on it and select "Map Network Drive." Follow the prompts. I suggest assigning the letter 'V' to the drive to make it easier to remember and so that it won't conflict with removable storage.

Now your voodoo folder will show up as if it were a drive, just like C:\ and D:\.

Note: If you have the same username on your local machine as you do on the network you will need to modify how you enter your information. You need to tag the username with the domain that it is for.

Ex: If Jon Doe wishes to log into the Physics server Voodoo, which is on the CSMPH domain, he will have to map the location \\voodoo\jdoe and then supply a username of CSMPH\jdoe and then enter his password.

Can I backup my data to a network drive from Windows?

Absolutely, as explained above, you have to map the network drive you wish to exchange data with. It seems that on the tablets, under Windows XP Tablet Edition, multiple usernames are not supported but multiple network drives for the same user is supported. Make the necessary connections to the network drive.

It is recommended that you connect with an on campus server periodically to backup your school data because many of the servers on campus have at least emergency backups. (Basically if all heck were to break loose and the server was to burn to ashes; the data, although dated by perhaps a week, is saved off site and is recoverable.) These backups are good to have if your computer at home goes belly up or you drop your tablet down a storm drain.

Some people find it difficult to keep two physically separate drives, containing multiple files on multiple folders up to date. This is especially hard when both locations may have files changed multiple times before the two drives are connected again. (This situation can be thought of as a portable machine being used on and off campus with the occasional work done in a computer lab.) Fortunately for those of us who hate to check time stamps, Microsoft integrated the Briefcase, a very simple and powerful tool, in their operating systems. But first try Increase computer speed

Setting up a Briefcase in Windows?

Note: It is easier to describe the use of the briefcase with a simple example. We shall pretend that our friend Jon Doe is working on his tablet and wants to sync his files with his Voodoo share.

Jon Doe, a Colorado School of Mines Physics student, sets up his briefcase like so:

• He opens his network share. (Make sure you do NOT have the share mapped, navigate directly to it! (When you look at the share in Explorer check that the address shows \\voodoo\jdoe as opposed to V:\. Making sure that you are looking at the true path to the server ensures that the briefcase will operate correctly.)

• Now he creates a Briefcase on his desktop by right clicking -> choosing New -> choosing Briefcase.

• When Jon opens the Briefcase he created he sees a simple explanation of what he created, after reading the kind explanation from Microsoft, he clicks Finish.

• Now that a Briefcase is created and is open, click on the folders that you have on the network drive and drag them in.

Side Note: Because Jon Doe is an extremely organized person, he has a different folder for each semester he has been at Mines. Our friend Jon only needs to drag the folder for the semester into his briefcase. All he has to do is have that briefcase, not necessarily the laptop, on the network to sync his files.

Now to sync his files, Jon just right clicks on the Briefcase and chooses Update All. (Here's where the excellence of this utility comes in) The Briefcase checks the date stamps for you and tells you what files are different between the server and the Briefcase and asks what it should do. If a new file was created in the subfolder then it tells you of this change as well. Make sure you look at all of the files that will be changed or copied and choose the correct options.

Now you have a nice way to sync files from a laptop, tablet, or personal computer with a server. You can also sit down in a lab and modify the same files that you have on your other computer, just remember to sync.

Additional Note: You can see how this could be expanded to a computer off campus; all a user has to do is to VPN into the school's network and run the briefcase to update the files between home and school. This is especially good for people who do not want to VPN constantly when working on school documents.

How can I print to Physics Department printers from Windows?

This is somewhat of a temporary solution, but it works for now. In order for this to work you need to be on the campus network and you need to have already logged onto Voodoo. Following the steps to map your voodoo space to a hard drive will accomplish this.

• Open the start menu
• Select "Printers and Faxes"
• In this new window choose (on the left side near the top) "Add a Printer"
• Follow the steps to add a network printer
• When it asks for an address use: \\voodoo\blossom
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