One would assume that clearing all the favicon.ico files out of Firefox 3 would be a simple task.

It isn’t.

Clearing your cache doesn’t work because the icons aren’t stored there. Rather it’s in a SQLite database called places.sqlite in your Firefox profile directory.

There are three ways to clear all favicons.

First method: Create a new Firefox profile. This is very annoying to do because you have to reset all your preferences for the new profile.

Second method: Delete all bookmarks, clear cache, start over. This is equally as annoying if not more.

Third method: Manually empty moz_favicons table from places.sqlite. With a Firefox plugin, this works and doesn’t require you to reset anything else.

(Fourth method: Use Favicon Picker plugin? Nope. This does not clear the cache for favicons all at once. Individual, yes. All at once, no.)

Here’s how to do the SQLite method:

Step 1.

Download the Firefox add-on SQLite Manager and install it.

Step 2.

Launch SQLite Manager by clicking Tools then SQLite Manager, like this:

Step 3.

From within SQLite Manager, click Database (top left) then Connect Database to bring the open dialog up. In the File Name field, type in %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox, like this:

Press enter once.

Above: Open the Profiles folder.

There should be one profile folder present with an "odd" name like aDPa7219.default. Open that one up. When you do, you should see something similar to this:

Above: If you see this, open up places.sqlite.

Step 4.

Right-click the moz_favicons folder on the left and choose Empty Table, like this. DO NOT use "Drop table" as that will delete it entirely. You DO NOT want to do that. Choose to EMPTY it.

Click Yes when asked if you’re sure you want to delete all the records from moz_favicons, like this:

Step 4.

Close the SQLite Manager.

Close Firefox including any other Firefox windows you have open.

Restart Firefox.

All favicons are now cleared. Every single one of them. It’s a beautiful thing.

Final notes

None of your bookmarks will be touched; they will all still be there.

The places.sqlite file will still be at the same size it was before. So if you were expecting the file to get smaller, it won’t. However the favicon cache is cleared and that’s what matters.

Happy browsing, everyone.

KeePass Password Safe is a free password manager utility program that I’ve written about before. One question that came about is "Okay, so you can save a password file locally. But how about backing it up to a server?"

KeePass does in fact have the ability to do this via FTP.

Using the latest version 2.06 beta, you open your database and click File then Save As then Save to URL, like this:

From there a new window opens and looks like this:

Your URL is entered as ftp://ftp.example.com/MyDatabase.kdbx or something similar to it. After that you enter your FTP username and password in the fields below, then next to "Remember" you can opt to have the application remember your user/pass, remember user/pass for this session only or not remember at all.

"But I don’t have an FTP server!"

Your ISP most likely offers you free homepage space which is accessible via FTP. You can use that to store your password database to. See your ISP’s "personal homepage" options for more information on that.

"How do I know my password database is secure if on a remote server?"

Place a strong master password on the database. You do this from within KeePass itself. Never place a password database on a remote server that doesn’t have some kind of strong authentication to access it.

"Can I retrieve my password database from a remote FTP server without having a local copy?"

Yes. Click File, then Open, then Open URL. Enter your FTP information there and you can download the password database direct from FTP without ever having to save it locally. And if you modify it, yes it will save to the FTP location as well.

When it comes to instructing people on how to do something, I operate on a three-strike rule. If I have to tell anyone how to do anything more than three times in a row, I write documentation for that person.

Writing documentation for others is not as easy as it appears.

I have my own formula of sorts when writing instructional documents. It took me a while to develop the right mix of what to include and what to leave out, but for the most part it works out.

If you are in a position where it would be helpful to type up an instructional doc for someone else, here are my recommendations on how to go about it.

1. Descriptive title

The title of this article is "9 Tips On Writing Documentation For Other People". From this title, you know exactly what to expect. Your title should be as informative for whatever you’re instructing your reader to do in your doc.

It is okay to go with long titles for instructional docs, by the way. However I would try to keep it under 15 words.

2. Pictures

Pictures always work. You’re probably saying to yourself "Well, duh, I knew that part.." Yes, you did. But you’d be surprised at how many people don’t bother – especially when the doc needs them.

If for example you were writing about how to change sparkplugs on a 1987 Ford Escort, yes the pictures would absolutely have to be there to assist the reader in understanding what the words mean.

This document doesn’t need any image examples because it’s purely about writing style.

3. Sections

You are reading section 3 at the moment. It’s easy to follow and understand; this is why you use sections in the first place.

4. Make section titles/breaks obvious

Each section in this doc is in bold text, making it easy to differentiate one from the other.

If you want to make it even more obvious, you can make your section titles a different color and/or italicized. This may seem like a bit of overkill, however one can never be too obvious when writing instructional docs.

5. Write a short introduction on the assumption the reader knows next to nothing about the material contained within.

Copying myself from above:

"If you are in a position where it would be helpful to type up an instructional doc for someone else, here are my recommendations on how to go about it."

If for whatever reason the reader did not understand the title, the short introduction copied above reinforces what it is again. Consider the short introduction to be a longer, more descriptive title.

6. Assume the reader knows next to nothing but not absolutely nothing.

It is incorrect to assume the reader knows absolutely nothing because you’ll never get started. For example, I know you, the reader, know how to use a word processor application like Word or OpenOffice Writer – so it is not necessary for me to instruct you how to do that. Furthermore if I actually did take the time to explain it, that goes against the title of what this article is actually about.

7. Describe steps in ridiculously simplistic terms with cautionary notes (if necessary).

If I were writing a doc explaining how to change a light bulb, this is how it would go:

1. Turn off the light so it is no longer illuminated.
2. Wait 5 minutes until the bulb has cooled down.
3. Gently grasp the TOP of the light bulb and turn counter-clockwise.
4. Continue to turn until light bulb becomes loose enough to remove.
5. Take new light blub, insert into socket and turn clockwise.
6. Continue to turn clockwise until bulb has a snug fit. NOTE: Do not overturn the bulb as it will break.
7. Turn on the light.

Yes, you probably chuckled at that, thinking, "What fool wouldn’t know how to change a light bulb and need instructions like that?"

There are plenty of fools to go around, trust me on that one.

If I did not instruct the reader to turn off the light bulb first, said moron would grab the bulb while illuminated, still piping hot and burn himself.

If I did not instruct to wait until the bulb cooled down, same result. Moron burns himself.

If I did not instruct to grasp the top, moron will grasp the bottom.

The reason you say "clockwise" and "counter-clockwise" is because there are many people who literally don’t know their right from their left – but DO know what clockwise/counter-clockwise means. I’m not joking. If I said "twist to the left", it’s a guarantee someone would twist to the right and break the bulb.

The "NOTE" part is a warning, and if not said, someone will twist in the bulb too tightly and break it.

8. Use ordered/unordered lists to emphasize steps/points.

This is an unordered list:

• Item 1
• Item 2
• Item 3

Most people know this simply as a bulleted list. It gives indentation to each item and makes them stick out. This is good for listing items you’d need (such as when writing a recipe).

This is an ordered list:

1. Read PCMech.
2. Become enlightened from reading the fountain of knowledge herein.
3. Tell your friends.
4. Have their friends tell their friends.
5. Increase Dave’s chances of world domination.

or..

1. Take computer.
2. Put under the wheel of your car.
3. Drive over computer.
4. Feel satisfaction.
5. Throw computer in dumpster.
6. Buy new computer.
7. Feel crappy you had to buy yet another computer.
8. Repeat process every 3 years.
9. Consider switching to abacus out of frustration.

It’s either 1, 2, 3, etc. or A, B, C, etc. It says "this is the order of the things you’re supposed to do".

9. Try to keep it all on one page.

Admittedly this is tough sometimes. But if you can, keep all instructions on a single page while keeping the text legible (meaning not to make it too small).

Got instructional doc writing tips of your own?

Chime in with a comment or two.

You may have a disc, be it music or data, that is scratched and will not read in your optical disc drive no matter what you do to it. Can it be saved?

Possibly. There are a few things you can try to save that disc.

Hardware method: It could be just the drive you’re using

If the disc won’t read in your optical drive, try another one that’s close by. If you don’t have one to spare, try a friend’s computer.

Interesting side note: Older optical drives with slower read speeds have a much higher chance of reading a maybe/maybe-not bad disc than newer drives do because they don’t spin up as fast. Being that laptop optical drives are typically slower, if you have a laptop with a CD/DVD drive, try that. You might be successful.

Software method: Using Nero Burning ROM to attempt a super-slow-read copy

Nero Burning ROM (paid application) has been around a long time and is arguably one of the best disc copying software utilities ever made – if not the best.

If the disc you have will spin up but will not read, Nero might be able to save it or at least at a good chunk of it.

When you copy a disc using Nero Burning ROM (part of the Nero 9 suite), it will first try to copy at the maximum speed possible. When it runs into a part of the disc it can’t read properly, Nero will purposely slow down the drive (all the way to 1x if necessary) and try every single possible way to read the data. If it can’t read the data, it will skip that part and go to the next readable portion and move on.

The disc copy make take a really long time – but you might be able to save whatever was on the disc or at least a good portion of it. If it’s just a portion, better to have something than nothing, right?

I have saved discs with Nero Burning ROM that no other app was able to copy, so I can attest that yes, it does work when all others fail. And if Nero fails.. well.. try washing the disc first (see below).

Physically doing something to the disc: Washing it first

CDs and DVDs are made of two things, aluminum and plastic. The outside shell is plastic, the shiny part is the aluminum. The part that is scratched is the plastic.

Plastic can be washed with just about anything, but the goal is to not scratch it any further.

Paper towels and non-scented ammonia-free glass cleaner (like Windex) do work. Why paper towels and not tissue paper? Because tissue paper is an abrasive and will scratch the plastic surface even worse.

Tip on cleaner used: Do not use anything labeled as a degreaser (like Formula 409). "Straight" glass cleaner is what you want.

Tip on paper towels used: Unscented, plain, no patterns such as Bounty or Brawn.

(Incidentally this is the same reason you never clean eyeglasses with tissue paper because it will scratch those up over time as well.)

Can you read a disc that is physically cracked?

Example: You leave a disc on the couch and forget about it. Later on you go to sit on the couch and watch TV, then…

CRACK!

Uh-oh. You sat on the disc. Very cracked but still together.

Is the disc still readable? Believe it or not, yes – or at least with CDs. A CD which has an "outside in" straight crack in it (from the outer edge to inner edge but not to the center) can be read as long as it’s even with the rest of the disc. However there is the possibility the disc might shatter when in the optical drive. Chances are this probably won’t happen – but it might.

DVDs when cracked usually cannot be read at all. If this happens to you, toss the disc out because there’s not anything you can do about that.

Tip to avoid this scenario: Don’t sit or step on discs (duh).

[Cracked CD photo by hermanturnip]

Most people will see the title of this article and think "Um… forwarding an e-mail is like the easiest thing in the world. How could you possibly do it wrong?"

Trust me there’s a right way and a wrong way.

I am very much against anyone forwarding me jokes and/or chain letters in e-mail. However there are some people you will make exceptions for (usually friends, family members, or your girlfriend).

Here’s the wrong way to forward an e-mail using just one e-mail sent to me as an example:

1. It freakin’ huge.

Yes, this is an e-mail that’s 5MB in size.

2. It’s been forward a ba-zillion times.

Note the subject line above.

3. When you open it, you have to click on it again to open it further.

This is because it was forwarded as an attachment and not inline.

4. Upon opening it, you discover it’s the same e-mail repeated 5 (or more) times over.

Note the scrollbar for the attachments at the far right. This e-mail literally has the same crapola repeated more than 5+ times. This is why it’s such a huge e-mail. I’m betting it was originally less than 500k.

Commence facepalm here.

Don’t forward e-mails to people like that.

And if you ever encounter anyone who trashes your inbox with these, forward this article to them and say "Hey, I found something that was written just for you!"

Hopefully they’ll understand.