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GRAID mini was initially a single partition formatted HFS+ under GPT partitioning-scheme.

Repartitioned it as MBR partitioning-scheme where the HFS+partition (existing but reduced) was followed by an NTFS partition.  The repartitioning of the disk and the formatting of the NTFS partition was accomplished from Mac OS, using the iPartition application.

When I first connected the resulting disk to a MacBook Pro, the HFS+ partition was seen OK under Mac OS.  However the NTFS partition seen from Boot Camp / Windows 7 caused Windows Explorer to crash, whenever it was selected or right-clicked in that applications left-hand pane.  On the other hand if the thing selected in the left-hand pane was the computer itself then the NTFS partition (among other volumes) was listed in the right-hand pane, and it was possible to right-click that without the application crashing.  Also, no problems were experienced when accessing it from commandline, or when using Windows Explorer to look inside its folders (as opposed to teh top-level).

By right-clicking the NTFS partition in the right-hand pane, selected options to:

• Define it as a mainly-videos drive.  Presumably alters the block size or something.
• Change that volume’s name, from “GRD mini NTFS” to “GRm HTFS.  Not sure if relevant.

Subsequently was accessed OK in both left and right hand panes.

On a MacBook Pro, official SxS card in ExpressCard slot is seen OK by Mac OS. However on same machine running Boot Camp Windows 7, it is not seen.SxS drivers have been installed in both cases (OS X & W7). For W7 I tried a couple of versions, including the one from SXS Drivers, stated as “Updated for Windows 7″. The webpage also says “This OS must be factory-installed”, so I wonder what special things they do at the factory!I see at an apple forum some comments (at [http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2306364&tstart=0]) that “there is still no ExpressCard support in release 3.1 (of Boot Camp)” and “At the moment I’m aware of exactly zero Firewire ExpressCards that work in Windows 7 on Boot Camp”. Not familiar with this territory - maybe implies that the Sony drivers are not sufficient?Posted my problem at DvInfo: [http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/477958-mbp-boot-camp-w7-cant-see-sxs-osx-can.html].  Response confirms Apple not only do not support ExpressCard (EC) under Boot Camp on a MacBook Pro, they may never do so, given that the new model lacks any EC slot.

 In Windows 7, there are two applications folders.   Presumably the same as in Vista (which I have never used), as reported at [http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=87478]:

• Program Files = 64bit apps
• Program Files x86 = 32bit apps
• If the installer is a 32bit application, it will install it to the x86 directory. If it’s a 64bit application it will install it to the regular one.

Remove large items e.g. video files (to separate storage or delete).[http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/last-minute-spring-cleaning-of-your-windows-xp-system]

•  Windows: [Start > Run > Cleanmgr.exe]
• Defrag (registry as well as volumes)
  • No slowness problems so didn’t try that.  If it ain’t broken…
• …

Resulting filespace usage:

• Windows 7
  • System Disk (Boot Camp) 41 GB
  • …includes Documents 175 MB
• XP SP3
  • Initially:
    • System Disk 42 GB
    • …includes My Documents 21 GB, mostly large downloads.
  • Finally (once these downloads were migrated elsewhere):
    • System Disk: 20 GB
    • My Documents 370 MB

http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/file-systems/understanding-file-size-limits-on-ntfs-and-fat.aspx

• FAT32 file-size limit is (2^32)-1 bytes, or one byte less than a full 4GB.
• FAT32 has a 2TB limit on partition size.
  • Whereas FAT16 has a 4GB limit on partition size.
• The file system is not the only source of constraint:
  • Windows XP and Windows 2000 limit partition creation to no larger than 32GB on FAT32. This limitation is by design: Microsoft wants you to use NTFS for large drives.
  • Applications could potentially impose their own limits

http://www.g-technology.com/Support/Pdf/G-RAID-mini-Manual.pdf

• The Microsoft OS imposed limit of 32GB can be side-stepped by formatting instead from the Apple Mac OS (OS X).

For Mac OS:

• Disk Inventory X

For Windows:

• WinDirStat
• FolderSize

They are both pretty similar, in each case displaying filespace usage via a tree map looking like a patchwork of multicoloured PVC, each colour representing a different type of file (audio, video, application, document etc.).  Their advantage over traditional browser trees is you can see all the largest files and folders simultaneously (as a plan-view).  Tree maps (treemaps) are explained at http://w3.win.tue.nl/nl/onderzoek/onderzoek_informatica/visualization/sequoiaview/about_treemaps/ - they are formed by subdividing in alternate dimensions (horizontal/vertical), each time in proportion to relative size of item, be it folder or file.  A variation on this, employed by the above tools, is a cushion treemap [http://www.win.tue.nl/~vanwijk/ctm.pdf], where shading reveals the directory structure.  A further variation is the squarified treemap [http://www.win.tue.nl/~vanwijk/stm.pdf], where subdivision and grouping attempt (no guarantee of success) to make the rectangles as square as possible. (more…)

Seems  .NET v4 is needed in order to support Lubbo’s Fan Control utility.

• The requirement:
  • Windows 7 already has .NET v3.5 but (as I discovered) this is not sufficient.
  • [http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol/forums/forum/970570/topic/3444415]
    • “The problem was fixed after I installed .NET framework 4.0 Beta for windows”
  • BUT I am not so sure now (2010-04-21) whether .NET 3.5 is really needed (3.5 might suffice).
• The solution:
  • Download ‘x64′ version of ‘.NET 4′ from Microsoft.
    • Currently the latest version (I am aware of) is:
      • .NET v4 Beta RC (Release Candidate), ‘x64′ variant:
        • [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=a9ef9a95-58d2-4e51-a4b7-bea3cc6962cb]
          • [dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe]

(more…)

Problem:

• MacBook Pro, when in Boot Camp Windows 7, gets uncomfortably hot (in its heatsink areas, the bar above keyboard and also the chassis underside).  In comparison, it runs pretty cool (temperature) under Mac OS.

Reason:

• No fan control when in Boot Camp Windows mode.

Popular Solution (does not imply any recommendation):

• When in Boot Camp windows, use Lubbo’s Fan Control [http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol]

Some good links (as of 2010-03-27):

• http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php
• http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol
• http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/17177-fan-control-macbook-pro-15-inch-under-windows-7-a.html
• http://www.lokiman.com/blog/2009/12/13/fan-control-for-macbook-pro-under-snow-leopard-or-windows-7-and-more

Experiences:

• Just copied the contents of the zip file to  [C:\Program Files (x86)\Lubbo’s Fan Control] and ran it from there.  It has files [inpout32.dll] and [inpoutx64.dll].
• Ran it but it gave error messages:
  • (The) Following process(es) is/are using SMC:
    • kbdmgr
  • It’s not an error, but Lubbo’s Fan Control cannot share apple SMC access.
  • Do you want to kill it/them?
  • NO = the system may freeze.  Try only if you are running BootCamp 3.1
  • YES = the incompatible process(es) will bekilled and the program will start.
    • But I have read elsewhere that this means function keys won’t then work (for that session).
    • Didn’t work - it said “It was not possible to load IO driver.  Retry?” and “(May be better to press CANCEL and reopen the program)”
  • CANCEL = this program will exit
• Someone else had the same problem but found a solution that appeared to work for them:
  • “…upon updating to .NET 4 and running with “administrator control” or whatever, it appears to be working. [http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol/forums/forum/970570/topic/3507393]
  • Further confirmation that (for Windows 7),  .NET v4 is needed [http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol/forums/forum/970570/topic/3444415]
    • “…I have the same problem with the error about the IO drivers. When I try to install .NET framework 3.5 using the setup file, the screen just flashes and nothing happens. I have a feeling win7 did not install it.  This is in win7 64 bit professional”
    • “The problem was fixed after I installed .NET framework 4.0 Beta for windows “
• So it seems that to get Lubbo’s utility working I have to:
  • Kill a system process
  • Install a version of .NET that is not yet officially supported.
    • I’ll write a separate blog post about .NET
• Life on the edge, huh?

Need to establish a better home network, e.g. so Parallels on my Mac can see my Windows laptop, so it can suck the XP out of it.  Also want shared printer etc. (I have a node for that).   Just a question of setting it all up…

I want to transport everything off an existing PC into a Parallels VM (on a Mac).  I want to confirm it is possible and find out how to do it.  So, after a bit of googling:

• Yes it is possible.
• The source machine (the Windows PC in this case) needs to be running the Parallels Transporter Agent
•  The Transporter Agent may be obtained from http://www.parallels.com/uk/download/desktop
• Here’s a problem someone experienced when installing it to Windows 7 (though my main source PC is running XP):
  • http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=97119
• Here’s someone who is attempting to do the same thing I wish to do, but stumbled:
  • http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=97777
  • (no answer to his question so far)
• x