random PC tips

When trying to set explorer to open .txt files with Sublime Text 3, I couldn't select Sublime Text at all. After browsing for the sublime_text.exe, the list of programs still didn't show Sublime Text as an option. It seems that Sublime Text 2 had left the registry in a broken state. The solution for this is to install CCleaner and running the registry cleanup, TWICE. After that, reinstall Sublime Text 3 . Then right-click on a .txt file (or whatever file type you want to open with ST3) and select Open with... - Choose default program... - Browse... and find sublime_text.exe. Now you can select Sublime Text.

The Fall is the best adventure game I've played for years. It's a very innovative scifi-themed game with a really dark plot and great atmosphere. But I was having a big problem: the game crashes every time after a certain scene where the main character is being hacked into. You are supposed to press the ESC key at that point, but pressing it causes a crash and a return to desktop. This happens at least with my setup, Windows 7 32-bit, and the Steam version of the game. Fortunately, there is a solution: 1) right-click on The Fall in your Steam library and select Properties 2) press on the "Set launch options..." button 3) Type in this text:  -force-d3d9 After that I had no problems at all. The reason for the crash seems to be in the new DirectX version. The above launch option forces the game to use the older DirectX 9. Have fun with one of the best adventure games around!

Thunderbird search index gets corrupt from time to time, and here's a short guide how to make it work again. I was able to search for things and got some results, but I was unable to open them when clicking on the results. Instead, Thunderbird opened an empty window. How to fix it in Windows 7 and Vista: 1. Close Thunderbird 2. Open Windows Explorer and go to C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\SOMETHING.default, where YOUR_USERNAME is your windows username and SOMETHING is the random profile ID that Thunderbird has created for you. 3. Delete the file global-messages-db.sqlite 4. Start Thunderbird and go to Tools -> Activity Manager. You can see Thunderbird rebuilding the search index. This can take a very long time! Now you can enjoy the working search, as least as long as it lasts! If you use another OS, the global-messages-db.sqlite might be in a different location. Here's a guide how to locate your Thunderbird profile folder .

Here's some tips on how to write a shell script to backup stuff from your Android phone to a Windows machine. This should work on any version of Windows, but I've only tested it on Windows 7 and Windows 10. First, you need the Android SDK installed. The command line tools are enough, you don't need the full Android Studio. You will be using the adb.exe found within to do the transfers and removing of files on the phone. Second, you need an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) driver for your phone installed. Most phone manufacturers provide ADB drivers on their websites. Note: Seems that the ADB bridge is nowadays supported in Windows 10 and recent mobile phones without any extra drivers. I haven't had to install ADB drivers at all recently. Third, your Android phone needs to be in developer access mode . You should do a couple modifications to the script below. These include setting the ADB path variable and setting the destination folders for sound recordings and images