How to ping from a Chromebook

Many people think of a Chromebook as a glorified web browser and not much else.  While it's true that the web browser is a large part of what a Chromebook does, there is still other functionality that can be taken advantage of on a Chrome OS computer.

You can ping from a Chromebook very similarly to how you would ping from a Windows, Mac, or Linux machine.  To bring up the terminal interface, press CTRL + ALT + T.  A "crosh" (Chrome OS developer shell) tab will open up.  This tab includes the command line interface that you can use to ping.

The basic syntax for the ping command is:

ping <IP address | domain name | hostname>

Using ping this way will start a continuous ping process that you can stop by pressing CTRL + C.  To specify the number of ping attempts, use this format:

ping -c <# attempts> <IP address | domain name | hostname>

For more switches you can use with ping, type help at the command line and press ENTER.  To exit the terminal interface and close the tab, type exit and press ENTER.

How to print the event log from an HP LaserJet 4345 mfp

On an HP LaserJet 4345 mfp, the configuration page shows you the last three events, with very limited information.  By printing out the event log, you can get a longer list of recent events, with more detailed descriptions of each event.

To print the event log from an HP LaserJet 4345 mfp:

- Press the Menu button
- Scroll down to Diagnostics and select it
- Select Print Event Log

How to find the IP address for your Chromebook

For users who are to new to Chromebooks and the Chrome OS, finding your IP address when you need it can be a little tricky, but it's not hard to do.   When you are connected to a network, follow these steps to view your Chromebooks' IP address:

- Click on the status bar in the lower right corner (the area with the time, sound icon, battery icon, and wireless connectivity icon).
- You will see "Connected to" followed by the network you're on; click on that line.
- A list of available Wi-Fi networks will be shown, with the current connected network at the top, in bold.  Click on the network you are connected to.
- In the network connection window, click on the Network tab.

Your Chromebook's IP address, along with the subnet mask and gateway, will be displayed.  Note that if you are on a private network (such as a home or business network) this IP address is not the same as an Internet-facing IP address or public IP address.

How to restart the print spooler in Windows 7

In Windows, the print spooler is the service that loads print jobs to be sent to the printer.  Sometimes this service can freeze or hang up, causing jobs to not get printed.  When this happens, you can often restart the print spooler to correct the issue.  This guide will show you how to restart the print spooler on a Windows 7 PC.

Click on the Windows button on the left side of the task bar (where the Start button used to be in Windows XP).  Type "services.msc" into the Search bar on the Start menu, then press <ENTER>.  The Services window will open shortly.

Scroll down the list of services until you get to Print Spooler.  To the left of the list of services you will see "Restart the service" with "Restart" displayed in blue; click on this text.  A status bar will appear showing the progress of the service, and once it completes, the print spooler will have been restarted.

If you don't see "Restart the service" when you click on Print Spooler, then your account does not have administrator rights.  You won't be able to restart the print spooler manually, but you can reboot the computer, which will restart the print spooler (and the other services).

How to disable MMS auto-fetching on a Motorola Droid Maxx

Auto-fetching, also called auto-retrieve or auto-download, is a feature that many smart phones use to automatically download the content sent within an MMS (multimedia messaging service) text message.  Your phone likely has this feature enabled by default.

Normally, auto-fetching is a handy feature that saves you the trouble of manually downloading a picture, video, or audio file sent within a text message.  But with the recent Android Stagefright vulnerability scare, many experts, including Lookout, are recommending that you disable MMS auto-fetching, at least until your phone can be patched with the permanent fix.

The steps below will show you how to disable auto-fetching on a Motorola Droid Maxx smart phone.  (The steps will be similar for other smart phones, but the wording and setting location may vary slightly.)


If you are using the default Messaging app for text messaging:
- Open the Messaging app (either from your Home screen or the list of apps)
- Select the Menu icon (the three stacked squares) in the lower right corner
- Select Settings
- Scroll down to find "Auto-retrieve"
- If the box next to it is checked, tap it to uncheck it

If you are using Google Hangouts for text messaging:
- Open the Hangouts app (either from your Home screen or the list of apps)
- Select the Menu icon (the three stacked lines) in the upper left corner
- Select Settings
- Select SMS
- Scroll down to "Auto retrieve MMS"
- If the box next to it is checked, tap it to uncheck it

How to remove the main control board from a Xerox Phaser 8200 printer

On most printers and copiers, the main control board (sometimes called the controller board) is essential to the device functioning.  There are many components on this board which could fail and cause problems.  Sometimes, resetting this board's connections (or resetting the memory DIMM or DIMMs on the board) can fix the problem.  For a Xerox Phaser 8200 printer, follow the steps below to remove the main control board.

The control board comes out through the back of the printer, so you'll need to turn or position the printer so that you have access to the rear side, with at least a couple of feet of open space for room to work.

While you're looking at the rear of the printer, flip the power switch to turn the printer off (if it's not already off) and wait for it to power down.  (You may have to select Standard Shutdown.)

The controller board lies horizontally inside the printer.  There are two ridged knobs that secure it in place, one on the left side of the back of the printer and one on the right.  Turn these two knobs counter-clockwise to unscrew them.  After a couple of turns they should be fully unscrewed.

There is a plastic handle for the controller board assembly located halfway between the two knobs.  Pull out on this handle to slide it out from the board.  It will extend about two or three inches, giving you room to grab it.  Pull the handle gently outward to remove the controller board assembly.  The board is attached the metal plate where the data ports are visible.  The whole unit slides out as one piece.  (If you are ordering replacement parts, you can see the part numbers here.)

Things to note:
- Be careful to touch a metal part of the printer's frame before touching the control board, in order to ground yourself and reduce the chance of electrostatic damage to the board.
- If you are removing the memory card, grasp it by the edges and avoid touching the metal contacts.
- When reinstalling the main control board, be sure to insert it all the way into the printer.  If it's not fully seated, the two knobs won't be able to be turned.

(Originally published on Helium.com, October 2012)

How to find the IP address of a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet

If you need to find the IP address of your Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, you can do so easily:

- Tap the Settings icon (typically found on one of the home screens, but if you don't see it there you can get to it from the app list -- the small cluster of squares in the upper right corner of the screen)

- Scroll down to About device and select it

- Tap Status

Your IP address will be listed on the status screen.  Note that if you are not connected to a network, your tablet won't have an IP address, so it will display "Unavailable" where the IP address would otherwise be shown.