Tysons Corner, Virginia. Apple Store Genius’ are not always so helpful for computer repairs

July 1, 2011 – 3:59 pm

Hard drive crash?

Want to save your family pictures?

Apple will tell you “You’re out of luck.”

Data recovery is just not something the Apple Store offers. They also tend to charge twice to four times what we would charge for simple proceedures such as replacing a screen or hinge in a laptop. The reason why is simple: we shop around for the best part price, and charge flat labor rates well below our competition. As a result, parts shipping may take a few days longer but the result is a much less expensive repair.

If you need help with your Apple Macintosh, any model, any year, come to us for a low price and satisfaction guarantee that you just won’t find when dealing with the Apple cult.

We work on any kind of computer, any kind of computer problem.

Mclean, Virginia Computer Repair with over 20 years Experience

July 1, 2011 – 3:53 pm

We have been consulting, repairing, programming and troubleshooting computers and peripherals for over 20 years.

Located in Mclean, Virginia, GRAPHiNEX LLC employs a different breed of computer expert. Where other shops may employ computer mechanics as “techs”, we employ enginneers. That’s the difference between someone who can design a computer vs someone who can repair it.

We’ve worked for over 800 clients, including such names as FEMA and US Patent and Trademark Office.

With unparalleled expertise and personalized service,  you’ll be astounded that any company could treat you so well.

Call us to schedule an appointment today!

 

 

How and Why I Rooted my Droid 1 with CyanogenMod 6.1.2

April 25, 2011 – 12:27 am

Why did I root my device? So I could install wireless tethering and other advanced features that my carrier had neutered from my Droid.

(Note: Original directions from the wiki at www.cyanogenmod.com, combined with experience and forum entries)

Installing CyanogenMod 6.1.2 for Droid 1, including Google Market and Apps.

This document is a Work in Progress, but is nearly complete and a good source for rooting a droid.

Pre-requisite

  1. Download the rooted Android 2.2 update.zip file: Download
  2. Rename the update.zip to simply update.zip. Make sure you don’t rename it to update.zip.zip.
  3. Plug in the Motorola Droid via USB cable and mount the SD card.
    • If the device does not recognize an SD card (and therefore you cannot mount the SD card) then follow these instructions:
      1. Power off the Motorola Droid and then turn if back on while holding down the x key on the keyboard.
      2. Using the volume up/down switch highlight Enable Mass/USB Storage (or something similar), and select with the camera button.
      3. Your computer will recognize the SD card. Continue with the instructions below.
  • Copy the update.zip to the root of the SD card (NOT into any folders on the SD card).
  • Unplug the Motorola Droid from the USB cable.
  • Installing SPRecovery with RSD Lite (Windows)

    NOTE: This method works best on Windows XP. If you are having problems on Win7 or Vista, give it a try it on XP.

    1. Download RSD Lite, the Motorola Drivers & the SPRecovery .sbf file:
    2. Install RSD Lite.
    3. Once RSD Lite is installed, install the Motorola device drivers.
    4. Plug in the Motorola Droid to the computer via USB cable.
    5. Turn the Motorola Droid off while it is plugged in.
    6. Turn on the Motorola Droid by holding down Power and Up on the D-pad on the device.
    7. Open the RSD Lite program by right clicking it and selecting Run As Administrator.
    8. Click on the “…” button next to the filename box and select the .sbf file.
    9. Once it is selected, hit Start and wait for it to finish flashing the device.
    10. Watch for “rebooting the device” and press Up on the d-pad before the device boots to “catch the boot” and come right back into the bootloader.
    11. Close RSD Lite & disconnect the Motorola Droid.
    12. Hold the x key before the Motorola Droid reboots and the logo displays for entering recovery.
    13. Skip the Linux + OS X instructions and proceed to Flashing the Rooted Android 2.2 ROM

    Flashing the Rooted Android 2.2 ROM

    1. Using the volume up/down switch highlight Wipe data/factory reset and select with the camera button.
    2. Choose Wipe cache partition.
    3. Choose Install.
    4. Choose Allow update.zip installation.
    5. Choose Install /sdcard/update.zip (deprecated).
    6. Wait for it to finish updating then reboot the Motorola Droid via the menu when it is done. Viola! Android 2.2 rooted on the Motorola Droid.

    Once you finish with the rooting guide and the Motorola Droid has root permissions, for best results you will need to flash a different custom recovery image. You can do this two ways.

    Installing ClockworkMod Recovery

    If the Motorola Droid already has a custom recovery image, skip this section.

    First Method (RomManager method)

    1. Search for RomManager (should already be installed in cyanogenmod)
    2. Open the ROM Manager application and select Flash ClockworkMod Recovery.
    3. Click on Motorola Droid and then give the app root permission if it prompts you.
    4. If it hangs after that and freezes up, just allow the app to Force Close. Then open it back up and repeat steps 2 & 3.
    5. Once the flash was successful, you should see a dialog box that says “Successfully flashed ClockworkMod recovery!”.
    6. Press OK.
    7. The ClockworkMod Recovery should now be installed on the Motorola Droid.
    8. Reboot and follow next steps to install google apps (including market).

    Get Market and Google Apps working

    I had to flash the zip(Vending-2.2.6-signed-testkeys.update.zip) through the clockwork recovery, not the rom manager… The .apk didn’t work for me either.

    You need to put the .zip file on your sd card, then boot your phone into recovery, do a nandroid backup, then wipe dalvik cache, then flash the gapps .zip, kind of like when you flash a rom

    1. The Motorola Droid will now reboot into the recovery, wipe data and cache, and then install CyanogenMod. When it’s finished installing it will reboot into CyanogenMod.

    Install Google Apps via Recovery

    1. Download and install the latest version of CyanogenMod if you haven’t already
    2. Optional: Download the Google Apps for the device.
    3. Place the CyanogenMod update.zip file on the root of the SD card.
    4. Optional: Place the Google Apps .zip on the root of the SD card also.
    1. Boot into the ClockworkMod Recovery (hold x before moto logo on startup).
    2. Once the device boots into the ClockworkMod Recovery, use the side volume buttons to move around, and either the power button or the trackball to select.
    3. Select the option to Wipe data/factory reset.
    4. Then select the option to Wipe cache partition.
    5. Select Install zip from sdcard.
    6. Select Choose zip from sdcard.
    7. Select the CyanogenMod update.zip.
    8. Optional: Install the Google Apps by performing steps 7 – 9 again and choosing the Google Apps update.zip.
    9. Once the installation has finished, select +++++Go Back+++++ to get back to the main menu, and select the Reboot system now option. The Motorola Droid should now boot into CyanogenMod.

    Best Android Apps of 2011

    February 20, 2011 – 1:39 am

    These are the apps we can’t live without on our android phones: (We’ll update this list as we see fit)

    Angry Birds – Free and super addictive game.

    Easytether – Allows you to share your devices’ Internet with your laptop or other computer.

    Skype – Mobile chat and voice

    Lookout – protects your device with anti-virus and location.

    Google maps – GPS mapping, live traffic, need I say more?

    Audiogalaxy – Streaming music from your desktop to your device; no more syncing.

    SPB TV – Free CBS TV programming on your device

    Mint.com – Automatic accounting and budgeting system

    Trapster – Alerts you to highway hazards

    The Weather Channel -  the name says it all

    White Noise – Generates white noise background sounds for sleep or study

    Droid Light -Turns on the camera flash as portable flashlight

    Mobile Banking -For Suntrust, Bank of America

    WordPress – the app for the much used blogging platform

    Twitter – Tweet, and read tweets

    Facebook – the mobile app

    Thinking Space – For organizing thought processes

    Astro – file manager

    AK Notepad – For simple text notes

    Dolphin Browser – Better than the built in web browser

    Compas – Does what the name says, shows directions based on internal sensors

    Google Books

    First Aid (informational)

    Fruit Slice – fun game slicing fruit on the screen

    Photoshop express – “Mobile/Lite” version of photoshop for slight changes to photos.

    Google Sky – Telescope like app that helps you map the sky

    Host eye – monitor websites

    Just Level- Uses built in droid sensors to show angle inclination

    Latitude- Track coworkers, friends and family and share your location

    List Master

    Mr Number – Caller ID and Call Blocking

    Network Discovery – scans network for other devices

    Network Info – gives you stats on your current connection

    Yahoo/NPR/BBC/Fox News

    Kindle/Nook – turns your phone into an ebook reader

    Our Groceries – Syncs online so more than one person can carry the same grocery list

    ING Direct – Savings account online

    Pandor/Slaker/Yahoo Music

    Parkdroid – Remembers where you parked and for how long (paid parking)

    Silent Sleep – Set timers to shut down sound while you sleep

    Acrobat

    Free: Gixen for Ebay; a must have!

    December 30, 2010 – 8:44 pm

    If you use ebay to purchase items online, you should try out GIXEN! It allows you to send your bid at the last possible moment, thereby getting the best deal without being outbid.

    This online free tool saves you money on the items you buy!

    Visit http://www.gixen.com to try it out for free!

    We will never go back to the old way of bidding again!


    eBay Sniper

    Solved: Easytether on UBUNTU

    December 24, 2010 – 3:00 pm

    GRAPHiNEX has switched to UBUNTU for some of our laptops, desktops and server systems. As a result, some things had to be re-configured, like our portable DROID internet connections through easytether. UBUNTU 10.04 runs faster and more flawlessly than Windows 7 on my ancient 1.5ghz celeron laptop (Compares Win 7 with allnon essential services shut down).

    GRAPHiNEX has modified and extended the original directions from (thanks to Bupahs for the leg up – credit where credit is due)

    http://www.bupahs.com/2010/11/easytether-and-ubuntu.html

    This works on UBUNTU 9.10+ (tested to 10.04). GRAPHiNEX just installed it on 10.04.

    1: Download the drivers at http://www.mobile-stream.com/easytether/drivers.html then install said drivers.

    2: plug your android device into your laptop, select Charge Mode Only

    3: run easytether on your device and ensure USB debugging is checked. Make sure USB debugging is checked on your device as per easytether instructions!

    4. Save the following as a text file named easytether.sh and then execute from the command line as:

    sh easytether.sh

    ———— Here is the script:——————

    echo Checking USB connection to phone, success if device ID number appears.

    easytether enumerate

    echo Press CTRL-C to disconnect…
    # Launching two threads, easytether connection and configuration.
    sudo easytether connect | sudo dhclient easytether0

    ———— above is the script ——————

    Windows 7/Vista Shutdown hotkey combination

    May 9, 2010 – 9:02 pm

    People keep asking me for this, so here it is, the Windows 7/Vista Shutdown hotkey combination:

    On the keyboard, press:

    START  then RIGHT ARROW then SPACE

    Alternatively:

    CTRL-ESC then RIGHT ARROW then SPACE

    L!NGO branded ATA iAN-02EX Adapter Unlock Hack

    May 9, 2010 – 5:19 pm

    L!NGO branded ATA iAN-02EX Adapter Unlock Hack

    Unit: L!ngo: iAN-02EX
    Firmware: 2.8.2.63b (some steps may be different for other revisions)

    contact GRAPHiNEX.com Geeks for PAID SUPPORT. paypal $25/call, guaranteed to get your adapter unlocked. 9am-5pm EST. Ask for FRANK.

    So, you had the l!ngo service, or obtained an old l!ngo adapter, and now you need to re-program it? Here are the instructions!

    WARNING: This will erase the settings on your device. Don’t do this unless you mean to use it with a different voip provider than l!ngo!

    LEGAL: Anyone worried about whether or not its legal to hack a device you own and no longer use, go see a shrink or find something else to spend your time worrying about. Do this proceedure at your own risk. We in no way claim responsibility.

    To set up another voip provider, or even a SIP IP PBX, follow these instructions. I can’t take complete credit for this, but I must admit I
    could not find it all in one place so here I have assembled and embelished it.

    Set your computer’s local IP address to 172.25.25.2 (it must be on the subnet for the adapter config)

    You need to HARD RESET this box while not connected on the internet via attached telephone to phone port 1

    Double check: You are not connected to the internet right?

    Your PC is connected to the LAN port.

    Pick up an attached phone on line 1, dial *#456987#

    If the code works the device will reboot automatically (Watch the lights and hear the clicking relays)

    After that… you can log in as supervisor via a web browser pointed at http://172.25.25.1/

    username: supervisor
    password: GoHaWk3Y3$

    $KunK$pit is the previous firmware password. L!ngo likes to change passwords during firmware updates.

    Once logged in as supervisor you have to disable DOS denial of service and Zero out the Provisioning entries;
    otherwise you will not be able to log in as supervisor once connected to the internet.

    This device downloads configs from l!ngo (after hard reset) and locks itsself. You must avoid this automatic download,
    and disabled it from happening in the future.

    If you are unable to enter supervisor mode, the machine may have internet connection after hard reset code  *#456987#  and is
    downloading config file and locking itsself from the internet. You must disconnect internet before performing hard reset!!!

    Configure USER and SIP settings for your new VOIP provider.

    contact GRAPHiNEX.com Geeks for PAID SUPPORT. paypal $25/call, guaranteed to get your adapter unlocked. 9am-5pm EST. Ask for FRANK.

    other notes:

    There are “feature codes” listed inside the L!ngo adapter’s interface that you might want to check out.

    user mode access to the device (unnecessary)

    username: user
    password: ph3taswe

    Conference and Transfer Calls Procedures (tested while connected via PiaF IP PBX and voicepulse)

    Step 1 Perform a hookflash to place the current call on hold and obtain a second dial tone.

    Step 2 At the dial tone, enter the telephone number or speed dial of the third party and wait for the call to ring.

    Step 3 You have the following options:

    •To transfer the call, hang up when the call rings or when the third party answers.

    •To return to the original call, perform a hookflash before the call rings. If you perform a hookflash before the third party answers but after the call rings, you also return to the original call. If the transfer picks up and you perform a hook flash, you will conference call.

    •If you hang up during a conference, you will terminate the call for all parties.

    contact GRAPHiNEX.com Geeks for PAID SUPPORT. paypal $25/call, guaranteed to get your adapter unlocked. 9am-5pm EST. Ask for FRANK.

    a website PHP Host Failover Script

    April 26, 2010 – 9:51 pm

    I want my clients’ sites to be up all the time, but I don’t want to mess around with changing DNS constantly, its too much out of my control.  It can take 24 hours to propagate, and the problem affecting a website is often resolved before DNS propagation could be reversed.

    In short, I don’t want DNS to change unless it has to.

    I have written a PHP script that could be placed on a “free webhost”, such as the free credit webhost with a godaddy domain name, that will test a website through a cURL function and when successful then proceed to forward the visitor to that site, or otherwise forward the visitor to second, third or more hosts, depending on which one responds.. simply going down the list until one is active. You could even have the page reload until a successful connection is made.

    Obviously, this will do nothing for when godaddy goes down, but it will allow me more control over what happens when my own servers go down.

    This first version will check each time to make sure the host is active before forwarding the visitor to the verified host.

    If anyone is interested, you may download it from my website. Its available for free, I only ask you to comment here on your suggestions for improvement.

    I’d always be interested in hearing suggestions for features or improvement!

    http://www.graphinex.com/files/websitePHPhostfailover.zip

    Version 2 will be available soon but will have a one time cost of $10 via paypal to access the down-loadable copy. Show your appreciation for this program with a one time donation to fund the cost of further development by ording version 2 (not yet released).

    Future features for version 2:

    Optional Domain Masking – Load a site in a frame, instead of refreshing the location bar of the browser with the URL

    Content Visibility Verification – A server application failure can interrupt your site being displayed properly. How often does some vital service of the website fail, such as MySQL, interruptiong service, but not taking down all services?

    Worldship v10 (2010) Migration from Computer to Computer

    April 14, 2010 – 4:00 pm

    This details how to transfer the data from Worldship 10 on an old computer to Worldship 10 on a new computer, since UPS has not seen fit to disclose this information on their website, that I could find. When we find something missing on the Internet, we make effort to share our contribution.

    You can hire a graphinex geek to remote connect to your computer and assist you in migrating Worldship for $75. Mention this post.

    To migrate data from old computer to new computer:

    Click start run

    Navigate to UPS – Run the ups support util

    Click data maintenance

    Click backup

    Click add (this will run a backup)

    Navigate to:

    C:\UPS\WSTD\Support\DBSupport

    Copy the DBsupport folder to the new machine

    Use the restore feature inside the ups support utility on the new machine to reverse the process.

    Feel free to comment here with any difficulties you have and I’ll adjust the above instructions.

    customer service software technical support
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