Samsung Syncmaster - 'auto adjustment locked'

When your workplace accumulates random hardware over the years, there aren't always people who know/remember how it works around (or manuals). Someone got this LCD monitor on their desk today, but the mouse would go off the screen, and a few people standing around it couldn't figure out why. So, they replaced her monitor.

The symptom: everything in the menu was locked (except for brightness and contrast), so we couldn't tell which value was the problem.

(probably the Horiz-pos or Vert-pos setting..)

Trying to change anything just said " auto adjustment locked"

The LCD monitor that had been on my desk disappeared... so I took the problematic one,

did a little research, and found the answer

Hold down the menu button for more than 5 seconds with the monitor switched on.

This action enables / disables this feature.

Maybe it's 10 seconds.

It's probably in the manual.

If I put a post-it that says 'Broken' on it, no one will take it...

2016 Update:
It's 10 seconds, at least according to the FAQ for this monitor:
http://www.samsung.com/ph/support/skp/faq/885135

Vista tweaks

I got a new laptop a couple months ago (Acer Aspire 5515), and it has Vista installed. Although a number of people have reported 'downgrading' to XP, I decided to give it a try.

(Acer has a download sight for drivers, Vista and XP. Don't know if it's complete, but looks like it. Is ATI South Bridge included?)

(Aspire 5515 might be tricky with SATA AHCI drivers -- see here.

The slipstreaming method: Integrate Driver into Windows Installation CD using nLite - Step by step Tutorial looks intriguing.)

Vista's not so bad; some days it doesn't even bother me. My computer would probably run faster with XP; if I get enough frustration and time I might try it...

Some things I have to change in windows:

• CapsLock is control.. this is where the control key should be, and how it was before IBM decided to make a 'PC'.
  (set in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout)
  
  
• focus follows mouse -- I don't need the window to be on top to type in it.
  "correct entry should be 9F for the first hexidecimal number. That should activate the x-mouse without bringing them to the forefront"
  (does this explain the registry flag bits ?)
  You have to open registry Editor then Navigate to following location [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] For full X-Mouse, add +1h to the first number stored in binary key "UserPreferencesMask".
  For me, this was 9E, changed it to 9F.

This page has a big collection of Vista tweaks.

another BartPE boot CD will work? (DVD?)

Ubuntu seems to work okay, haven't tried much..

What is the equivalent of BartPE for Vista? I did some research on this and found something that looks promising, but can't recall the name. I have it bookmark'd somewhere...

Still looking for problems with cygwin "file name too long" (using find/updatedb), stupid permissions problems (like from an external HD after copying files from another machine).

Maybe here: UTF-8 Cygwin

A cygwin package tool (like urpmi on mandriva--I like to just say "download and install the package that has curl" or netcat or gcc or whatever...).

random vista stuff: powercfg, scripting with jscript.. would like to be able to control e.g. windows media player with a javascript. What's the debugger/interpreter for playing with jscript on windows?

I should get a MacBook, then just install Linux here....