Windows 10 Bluetooth keyboard enter pin

Windows 10 Bluetooth keyboard shows a text entry box for pin.














Enter 0000, then type 0000 on your keyboard and enter.

(Any 4 numbers will do, Bluetooth keyboards come with default 0000 or 1234)

Restart Windows 10 in recovery mode by command line

shutdown /r /o /f /t 0

Windows File system symbolic link

Create symbolic link:

1. Open command prompt (as administrator may be needed)
2. Use the mklink command, where Link is the link to create and Target is the file\directory to link to:

mklink Link Target

i.e. mklink c:\myfile1 c:\myfile2

/D for directory.
/H for hard link (when you want the link to be seen exactly as if its the target)
/J for hard link directory.

Reducing Windows 10 open ports

1. Search UI

Use tinywall, or any firewall programs and use it to disable "searchUI.exe".
For those who use windows firewall:
1. Open "windows firewall with advanced security
2. Go to "outbound rules"
3. Click "new rule.."
4. Select "program" then next
5. Browse then go to "windows\systemApps\"
6. Find cortana folder
7. Choose "searchUI.exe"
8. Then choose block the connection
9. Then check all lists
10. Name it to whatever you want

How to completely wipe a USB stick using windows

1. open command prompt
2. type and return: diskpart
3. type and return: list disk
4. type and return: select disk # (where # is disk number of USB)
5. type and return: clean all

Now format it as usual.

Disable windows 10 optimal resolution notification

1. Right click on Desktop, menu appears.
2. Select Graphics options > Balloon Notification > Optimal Resolution Notification > Disable.

Sleep problems? check your blue light in-take.

It is easier for our eyes to filter out green and red-spectrum light, as they carry less photon energy. However, the higher level of energy in blue light makes the eye unable to do this, which is why it has a more pronounced effect on viewers.Prolonged exposure to blue light – from the sun, screens, displays and LED and fluorescent lamps – is harmful enough to cause eye strain, disrupt sleep patterns, and cause eye damage.























Most people are continuously exposed to bright and blue light sources even late into the night. “Blue wavelengths – which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times and mood – seem to be the most disruptive at night.". Blue light inhibits the bodies production of melatonin which induces sleep.

On the visible spectrum, blue light is the closest to invisible UV light with a high proton energy waveform. According to the chart abpve, the blue light emitted by most LED-backlit displays has twice the amount of energy as green light that is displayed.

To counter this most new monitors have a blue light filter which eliminates 70-80% of blue light, make sure its enabled.








Another option is a blue light screen

You can buy blue filter glasses (called blue blockers) these are used by insomnia sufferers












As well as melatonin inhibition, blue light prevents body temperature from dropping during the night. A gradually lowering body temperature is one key element of the body’s progression into sleep. That blue light kept body temperature elevated to daytime levels is a sign of the degree to which nighttime blue light exposure can disrupt normal circadian rhythms. After nights of blue-light exposure, participants were more tired during the day, and experienced more negative moods.

https://www.thesleepdoctor.com/2017/11/06/latest-blue-light-sleep/

Wacky colours Chrome, new monitor Viewsonic vx4380

I bought a new monitor: 43" viewsonic vx4380-4k,

Good but had weird colors (blues appearing as greens), I noticed this was only in Chome (Version 68.0.3440.106 (Official Build) (64-bit)).

For example the google logo normally appears like this:

 Now appeared like this:

 The cause is the hardware acceleration, which can be turned off in chrome:

1. open the options menu which looks like a burger.  Drop down menu appears.
2. select settings, browser goes to chrome://settings
3. scroll down and click Advanced, advanced section opens.
4. Scroll down to System, turn off "Use hardware acceleration when available"

Hopefully this will be resolved in new Chrome or monitor drivers. 

Note "hardware acceleration" means using faster hardware rendering on GPU instead of slower software rendering on CPU.

How to passive cool ASUS p8z68. (2700k, Noctua nh-d14 RM850i)

DISCLAIMER You accept all damage to your PC and all damages not limited to your PC.

I use a system from 2013, still powerful enough to do computing in 2018. But I've always wanted to passively cool the system during low CPU utilization, 1. reduce noise 2. reduce dust. 3 reduce power? ...anyway 5 years later I've had another crack and here's the solution:

The ASUS P8Z68 motherboard is passively cooled, this board comes with a group of software tools called ASUS AI Suite 2, one tool being FanXpert for controlling CPU and system fan speeds at different loads. https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z68V_LX/

The 2700k Intel quad core CPU, 3.9Ghz overclockable to 5Ghz.

https://ark.intel.com/products/61275/Intel-Core-i7-2700K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz

My CPU fan choice was the Nocturn NH-D14, An air cooling solution, which out performed the watercooled Corsair H100i. I swapped out the 3 pin NF-P14/NF-P12 fans for PWM NF-A14/NF-A12 due to the motherboard not supporting fan speed with the 3 pin versions. https://noctua.at/en/nh-d14

Note the size. Due to the heatsink extending over ram I had to pull out lovely 16GB Corsair Vengeance ram and replace with low profile vengeance ram.

(low profile)

The crazy thing is this ram doesn't need big heat sinks.

I selected the Corsair RM850i PSU which drops in to 'zero cool' mode turning off the fan when not needed. I really like this power supply with modular cabling supporting any combination you need for GFX cards.

With this setup, ASUS' FanXpert never allows the CPU fans to fall below 20% RPM, let alone turn off. The solution is to grab FanXpert 2 out of the ASUS F2A85-V PRO motherboard's  AI Suite.

 FanXpert 2 exposes more functionality like RPM fix mode which allows 0 RPM but then 100% RPM. or Smart Mode with 10% minimum.
But we want 0 RPM in the curvy Smart Mode! The good news is FanXpert 2 uses XML configuration files we can edit to specify 0 RPM in Smart Mode (curve).

Tahdah!

Note: make sure you monitor CPU temperatures using realtemp or other software. Your CPU temperature will change from mine depending on your location, PC case, CPU, setup etc.
https://www.techpowerup.com/realtemp/

Instructions:
1. Update BIOS to latest version
2. Disable minimum CPU RPM in BIOS.
3. Go to P8z68 downloads: https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z68V_LX/HelpDesk_Download/
4. Select your OS
5. Select Drivers and Tools tab.
6. Expand Utilities.
7. Download AI Suite 2.
8. Extract AI Suite 2 to a folder.
9. Delete FanExpert\AppSetup folder.
10. Go to the F2A85A downloads: https://www.asus.com/au/Motherboards/F2A85V_PRO/HelpDesk_Download/
11. Select your OS
12. Select Drivers and Tools Tab
13. Expand utilities
14. Download ASUS AI Suite II V2.01.01
15. Extract FanXpert2\AppSetup to Version 1.02.20\FanXpert .
16. Run Version 1.02.20\setup.exe
I don't bother installing:
a) MyLogo,
b) AI Charger+ (I think this is buggy),
c) ASUS Update (no further support likely from ASUS).
17. Reset PC
18. Run AI Suite 2,
19. Click tools tab.
20 Click Fan Xpert 2
21. "Fan Auto Tuning" will pop up, click "ok".
22. Open C:\Program Files (x86)\ASUS\AsusFanControlService\1.01.22\FanStore.xml
Change 
          <CPU_Profile Temp0="0" Speed0="0" Temp1="45" Speed1="0" Temp2="65" Speed2="127" Temp3="75" Speed3="255" />
23. Open C:\ProgramData\FanXpert2\info.xml
24. Ensure these 4 lines are set to 0 under <FAN_0 Name="CPU fan">:
        <MaxDutyToKeepStill Value="0" />
        <MinDutyToKeepRuning Value="0" />
        <RpmOfMaxDutyToKeepStill Value="0" />
        <RpmOfMinDutyToKeepRuning Value="0" />
25. Open C:\ProgramData\FanXpert2\profile\user.xml
26. Ensure these 4 lines are under <FAN_0 Name="CPU fan">:
        <MaxDutyToKeepStill Value="0" />
        <MinDutyToKeepRuning Value="0" />
        <RpmOfMaxDutyToKeepStill Value="0" />
        <RpmOfMinDutyToKeepRuning Value="0" />
27. Open C:\Program Files (x86)\ASUS\AI Suite II\FanXpert2\FFC_0.xml
28. Change:
          <RpmMode Value="0" />
          <M_POINT_0_Y Value="0" />
          <M_POINT_1_Y Value="0" />
29. Adjust the Smart Mode curve how you want, but keep the following in mind:

Notes:

1. "In general you should consider 60 degrees Celcius the absolute maximum for long periods, but aim for 45-50 degrees to be safe."

(https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/desktop-pc/cpu-temp-3498564/)

2.CPU's perform faster cooler.

3. Semiconductor devices draw less power at lower temperatures, spend some power to cool them and they will consume less power.

4. ASUS AI Suite Sensors warn of 0 RPM.

5. The Nocturn NH-D14 PWM will stop spinning the fans below ~207 RPM