Category: Technology

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Artificial Intelligence Machine learning Technology

What is Machine Learning (ML) in simple words?

Machine learning (ML) is a type of artificial intelligence that allows software applications to learn from data and improve their performance over time without explicitly being programmed. In other words, it gives computers the ability to learn from experience and improve their performance on a specific task without human intervention.

So, What is Machine Learning (ML) in simple words?

ML has become an important tool for solving complex problems in a variety of fields, including finance, healthcare, and e-commerce. It is being used to develop applications that can analyze large amounts of data, make predictions, and take actions based on those predictions.

One of the key benefits of ML is its ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data quickly and accurately. This is particularly useful in industries such as healthcare, where doctors and researchers need to analyze large amounts of data to identify patterns and make predictions about patients’ health.

Another important benefit of ML is its ability to improve over time. As a computer application processes more data, it can learn from its experiences and improve its performance on a specific task. This means that a machine learning algorithm can become more accurate and more efficient over time, without the need for human intervention.

There are many different types of ML algorithms, and each one is designed to solve a specific problem. Some of the most common types of ML algorithms include:

  • Supervised learning algorithms: These algorithms are used to predict the outcome of a specific event based on input data. For example, a supervised learning algorithm might be used to predict the likelihood of a patient developing a certain disease based on their medical history and other factors.
  • Unsupervised learning algorithms: These algorithms are used to identify patterns in data without being given specific labels or output targets. For example, an unsupervised learning algorithm might be used to identify clusters of similar customers based on their purchasing behavior.
  • Reinforcement learning algorithms: These algorithms are used to train a computer to take actions in a specific environment in order to maximize a reward. For example, a reinforcement learning algorithm might be used to train a robot to navigate through a maze by rewarding it for taking the correct actions and penalizing it for taking incorrect actions.

One of the most well-known examples of ML in action is the development of self-driving cars. Self-driving cars use a combination of sensors, cameras, and other technology to collect data about their surroundings. This data is then processed by a machine learning algorithm, which allows the car to make decisions about how to navigate the roads safely.

Another example of ML is the use of natural language processing (NLP) to develop virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa. NLP is a type of ML that allows computers to understand and generate human language. This allows virtual assistants to understand and respond to voice commands, making it easier for users to interact with their devices.

Overall, ML is a powerful tool that is being used to solve complex problems in a variety of fields. Its ability to process and analyze large amounts of data quickly and accurately, as well as its ability to improve over time, make it a valuable tool for businesses and researchers alike.

Categories
Artificial Intelligence Education Technology

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) in simple words?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a term that is often used to describe machines or software that are capable of intelligent behavior. At its core, AI is a field of computer science that focuses on the development of algorithms and systems that can mimic human cognition, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

So, What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) in simple words?

One way to think about AI is to imagine a computer program that is able to learn and adapt over time, just like a human being. For example, imagine a program that is designed to play the game of chess. At first, the program may not know how to play chess at all, but as it is fed more and more data about the game, it begins to learn and improve its performance. Over time, the program may become so good at playing chess that it can compete with some of the best human players in the world.

Another way to think about AI is to imagine a machine or robot that is able to perform tasks and make decisions on its own. For example, imagine a robot that is designed to assist with household chores, such as vacuuming the floors or taking out the trash. The robot may be able to sense its environment, move around on its own, and make decisions about which tasks to perform and when to perform them. This type of AI is often called “autonomous” AI, because the machine or robot is able to operate without human intervention.

Overall, AI is a rapidly-growing field that has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives. From improving the accuracy of medical diagnoses to automating routine tasks in factories and warehouses, AI has the potential to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of life for people around the world.

Categories
Technology

How to choose your Linux distribution? Ubuntu or Debian or CentOS or …?

Choosing the right Linux distribution can be a daunting task, especially for novice users. Linux is a versatile and powerful operating system, but it comes in many different flavors, known as distributions. Each distribution has its own unique features and capabilities, so choosing the right one for your needs can be challenging.

How to choose your Linux distribution?

One important factor to consider when choosing a Linux distribution is your level of experience. If you are new to Linux, you may want to choose a distribution that is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface. Some popular options for beginners include Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Elementary OS. These distributions offer a simple and intuitive interface and come with a range of pre-installed software and tools to get you started.

Another factor to consider is the type of tasks you will be performing with your Linux system. If you are a software engineer, you may want to choose a distribution that comes with a range of tools and development environments pre-installed. Some popular options for engineers include Fedora, CentOS, and Debian. These distributions are known for their robust set of software development tools and support for a wide range of programming languages.

It is also worth considering the type of hardware you will be using with your Linux system. Some distributions are optimized for specific types of hardware, such as low-power devices or high-performance servers. If you have specific hardware requirements, you may want to choose a distribution that is optimized for your hardware.

Finally, it is important to consider the level of support and community support available for the distribution you choose. Linux is an open-source operating system, so many distributions have active communities of users and developers who can provide support and advice. It is worth checking online forums and communities to see which distributions are well-supported and have a strong community presence.

In conclusion, choosing the right Linux distribution can be a challenging task, but it is important to take the time to consider your needs and preferences. If you are a software engineer, you may want to choose a distribution that comes with a range of tools and development environments pre-installed, is optimized for your hardware, and has a strong community presence.

My recommendations:

I personally use Debian for most of my needs (AI, GPU servers, Webservers, ML servers, App Deployments, Docker images, …).

For development environments (for myself and my team), we tend to prefer Ubuntu as it provides a nice balance of “user-friendly” UIs and tools with the stability and features of the Debian it runs under the hood.

For office tasks (accounting, assistants, marketing and other teams) I recommend Ubuntu desktop.

Categories
Technology Virtualization Web Development

ESXI: Move VM between hosts

Here is a “how-to” to move VMs between ESXi hosts without vCenter and completely for FREE:
Here is the scenario:
We have two ESXi hosts: “esxi-old” and “esxi-new” like below:

We want our VMs (here webserver, devFactory and database) to be copied (or you may call it moved/migrated) to the “esxi-new” host.

 
Follow these steps carefully without skipping any:

A: On esxi-old host

  1. Create a new user on ESXi host (I recommend for user name: ovfuser) follow this tutorial from buildvirtual.net
    • WARNING: Use only alphanumeric characters in the password, else you will get an error! [REF #1]
    • Assign the admin role for this ovfuser
    • Remember to remove this user once all vm copy/migration are done.
  2. Turn off VMs you wish to copy
  3. Edit the settings of each VM, to make sure the CD/DVD Drive is set to client device like “Fig.3”

esxi_iso_asapi_ovftool_operation_canceled_by_user_cause
Fig.3: Set the CD/DVD Drive’s Device Type to “Client Device”

B: On esxi-new host

  1. Create a new user on ESXi host (I recommend for user name: ovfuser) follow this tutorial from buildvirtual.net
    • WARNING: Use only alphanumeric characters in the password, else you will get an error! [REF #1]
    • Assign the admin role for this ovfuser
    • Remember to remove this user once all vm copy/migration are done.
  2. Create a new VM, I’ll call it “AdminEye” using debian as operation system (you can follow the tutorial from enovision.net
  3. On the “AdminEye” machine, install VMWare tools (follow this tutorial from lgallardo.com NOTE to specify the correct file version when running commands)
  4. Your AdminEye machine needs internet access, (follow this post to allow internet access from AdminEye, specially if your server provider forces MAC Address verification per IP (tutorial  you should adapt to your host)
  5. Install OVFTOOL from VMWare:
  6. Get the IP addresses of your ESXi hosts, or their DNS names
  7. Adapt the following command and execute it on the AdminEye machine:

    ovftool -ds=datastore1 vi://[email protected]/devFactory vi://[email protected]/
  8. Wait until the copy is finished…
  9. BONUS: You can launch a new terminal and execute another parallel copy (remember step 7 above?)

[REF]:

  • https://blog.itsnotfound.com/2013/05/esxi-copying-a-vm-between-two-hosts/
  • https://andrewaphilp.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/using-ovftool-to-copy-between-hosts-without-vcenter-server/
  • https://fosshelp.blogspot.fr/2013/10/how-to-install-ovftool.html
  • https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2012/06/how-to-copy-vms-directly-between-esxi.html
  • https://blog.itsnotfound.com/2013/05/esxi-copying-a-vm-between-two-hosts/
Categories
Technology Virtualization

How to install OVFTOOL on Debian Wheezy

You need to download the right version (64bit or 32 bit, .bundle file) of ovftool from vmware:
Click here to download ofvtool (!) You need to register for a free vmware account.
 
If you have a graphical (GUI) debian wheezy, open up “Root Terminal” from accessories menu,
Browse to the directory where you downloaded the .bundle file, and execute (either as “root” user or via sudo):

/bin/sh VMware-ovftool-3.5.2-1880279-lin.x86_64.bundle

You must accept the VMware OVF Tool component for Linux End User
License Agreement to continue. Press Enter to proceed.
If you want to get to the end of the text, hold down the Space bar.
Do you agree? [yes/no]: yes
Now the “ovftool” command is present and executable on your machine.
Enjoy!

Categories
Blogging E-commerce Technology Web Development

Optimize your CS-Cart store

Speed up CS-Cart
Faster websites get better SEO scores and get better indexes in search engines, a Google employee once said “Website should be fast”, your visitors will agree, trust me.
 
CS-Cart more salesFaster and optimized eCommerce websites do sell +40% more than slower ones, just because they are faster. You “will” agree once you see the money come ;)  trust me.
 
In the continuity of my “Website optimization” posts, this time we will see how to optimize CS-Cart, but hints and methods written here are useful for all other platforms, just you will need to adapt, easily.

E-Commerce Optimization

I assume you already know about the ROCK SOLID eCommerce software “CS-Cart”, if not, you are missing BIG!

odience.net|works sponsored this post and asked me to optimize their online marketplace which is based on CS-Cart.

The outcome? A faster CS-Cart store which loads in less than 5 seconds and gets a performance grade of 94/100 and on some pages 99/100 (check for yourself at Pingdom), this literally “ROCKS”.

UPDATE: Based on my work ;) , odience.net|works made a package that CS-Cart users can use to speed-up their stores. Will be available soon!

Now we will see in this post, how you can optimize your site load times and speed.
A little bit more than “few” technical knowledge is required if you want to read on, but you never know, maybe you will learn on the way ;-)
I will expose different steps and aspects of optimization which are also applicable with other websites as we saw in my previous posts.
 

Time Matters

From an optimization point of view, even 0.1 second in load time matters so let’s get started.
 

Optimize Cache, Server side:


CS-Cart integrates a built-in cache, but that needs lots of modifications to be “robust” and “reliable”.
Here are some issues with CS-Cart’s cache:

  • It “kind of” compresses the JavaScript files but doesn’t combine them! So you find your self serving multiple files which is BAD for load time.
  • It does not cache external JS files you include with the {script} tag. OK, this might be “over doing” but it might be interesting as for serving “hosted” Google Analytics JS on CS-Cart…
  • It “combines” the CSS files but does not compress them, so you will be sending the user a quite BIG file; and that is BAD for page speed too.
  • It does not compress nor clean the HTML output, and again, BAD for speed.
  • It does not serve files with the right expires header so no one know when to refresh the content! How a browser is supposed to know what and when to cache?

Well, what to do, is to optimize this caching to the maximum and make the page generation faster and faster.
So for example the same time CS-Cart “combines” CSS files, let’s tell it to “compress” the output CSS file. When it compresses JavaScript files “independently” let’s ask for a combined and compressed output file, in the mean while, cache external JS files to limit multi-domain requests for the user.
Backup AlertThese steps are quite complex, and need core modification, so you must be careful when updating/upgrading your CS-Cart installation to keep a backup of your MODs.

SMARTY

smarty logoIf you don’t know it already, CS-Cart runs Smarty for its template engine. Smarty is basically great from an ease of use point of view, but unfortunately, Smarty v2 is not optimized for speed. Well, Smarty did great on its Smarty v3 on speed optimization, and included multiple cache handlers like eAccelerator, APC and others.

APC

Alternative PHP Cache LogoI have to mention that APC caching improves A LOT your site performance, but, Smarty v2 does not contain an APC cache handler, so I made an APC cache handler for Smarty v2, and thus for CS-Cart 3, which makes your content load directly from “RAM” instead of Hard Drive. This means “very fast”.

CS-Cart Core Optimizers


You can download these “Optimizers” from my Downloads page  odience Market, instructions included.
 

Optimize Cache, Client side:


To tell the browser which files to cache and which ones to not, your server must send correct “Expires headers”.
Unfortunately CS-Cart does not set theme correctly. This causes your client’s browser NOT to cache and ask for every page element at each request. Seriously, you DO NOT WANT THIS, because, wait for it…. BAD for speed!
You will need to edit your HTACCESS file(s) to send correct “cache” headers to the user directly from your server.

CS-Cart Optimized HTACCESS

You can download a sample of the “CS-Cart Optimized HTACCESS” from my Downloads page and for the full version, check odience Market, instructions included.
 

Combine JavaScript files:

Merge JS and CSS files
As I wrote before, CS-Cart just “compresses” JavaScript files and it does NOT combine the files. You need to combine the compressed JavaScript files to use less bandwidth and send the file FASTER to the user, because JavaScript files are “VERY DANGEROUS” for page speed.
A JavaScript file  literally blocks all other elements from loading until itself gets fully loaded, so you want it to be “alone” and to finish loading, wait for it …. …. …. FAST!

CS-Cart JS Optimizer

Get the “JavaScript Combine&Compress Smarty output filter”; that I wrote; from odience Market, instructions included.
 

Compress CSS files:

Compress content
There are lots of great Open Source projects (ex. Minify) which allow great CSS optimization, combination and compression. I don’t know why CS-Cart does not integrate one such library?
Well, all that said, you need to compress CSS files, and more precisely, Minify them to let users receive just what they need to “style”, nothing more nothing less.

Use less files, Use more SPRITES:

CSS Sprites example
CS-Cart uses a lot of small icons for its base skin.
If your current skin is using more than 20 different icons (not product images, just icons, ex. account icon, cart icon, live help icon, menu drop down arrows,…) you should think about combining them into a single file to decrease the number of requests a visitor’s browser makes to your server. This combination reduces significantly your page load time and speeds up your CS-Cart store. So, go ahead  and combine your small icons into one or two bigger image sprites to reduce file requests as these requests are BAD for speed.
There are some free tools which help you automate and simplify sprites generation:

CS-Cart Sprites based Basic skin

Still not finished, but I am working on creating a sprites based “Basic” skin for CS-Cart, help is much appreciated.
 

Use a CDN for your static contents:

CDN77.com Europe Pops
CDN, CDN, CDN! (It stands for Content Delivery Network if your are new :D)
If you got the $$$ to run with the big guys, go with AKAMAI, Amazon and other big Content Delivery Networks.
But! You can set your FREE CDN too! just serve your static content from a different sub-domain (or domain), for exemple:
Serve images from

https://staticimg.yourdomain.com/images/

while serving your mains website from

https://www.yourdomain.com/

This allows “parallel” downloads which will increase significantly page speed.
Well, serving JavaScript and CSS files from a CDN is something to think twice about, because CS-Cart generates your CSS and JS files every time you refresh the cache so if you are on a CDN, that would happen slower than you expect.
To make CS-Cart “CDN-compatible” you will need to make few changes to your skin’s files. If you focus on moving only your images to the CDN, it would be quite easy, though you should also think about the Addons and their images.
Basically, by overriding the $images_dir SMARTY variable at the right moment, you can tell CS-Cart to go get the images from a CDN, though some minor modifications should be done on core smarty plugin files to let CSS files compile correctly.
Another great idea to setup a CDN for CS-Cart is to mount your CDN space as a partition (mount point) on your server and symlink your static directories (images, css, js, cache) to the mount point, this reduces all synchronisation lags, and saves you from changing core files.
CDN CS-CartBut, a better idea, is to use a “Mirror CDN” like CDN77.com!
 

I already tested CDN77.com and the service is great. They offer a 14 days free trial, which lets you know if you are ready for CDN.
I really recommend them because of the number of pops (servers worldwide) and their affordable price ($4.90 /100GB of data, THIS IS VERY LOW!). So, if you need a CDN, sign up for CDN77.com and make your CS-Cart s
ite faster!

Let me explain on how to use a mirror CDN for your CS-Cart ecommerce software:

  1. Open an account on CDN77.com
  2. Create a new CDN
  3. If you need SSL (I recommend it if you have a secure store)
  4. Choose Free SSL (shared)
  5. or choose a custom SSL (ex.: “https://cdn1.gibni.com/” for 39$/month)
  6. Let 4 minutes pass by, for the CDN to be setup of course!
  7. Modify your CS-Cart store to serve images (you can do it even for CSS and JS, but not really needed, as you would have less than 5 JS and CSS files; it’s up to you!)
  8. Enjoy your Free CDN! (Yes, as simple as that, weird huh?)

 

Use a cookie-less domain for static components:

CS-Cart Cookie
Sites setting cookies will send/set the cookie file (0.8 – 1.5 KB) for each requested component (even for static images and css/js files).
These static contents do not require a cookie file, so by using a subdomain, or another domain (like a CDN), you will be able to get this point fixed and make your static components “cookie-less”, i.e. about 1K size reduction per element, so again, read the previous section about CDN to setup one for your images (at least).
 

Optimize your server with HTACCESS and PHP.INI tweaks:

Php.ini and Htaccess optimization for CS-Cart
To oil the gears of your server, you might need to have a look at your .htaccess and php.ini (php5.ini) files.
 
Some stuff you could do:

  • Set Expires headers based on file types,
  • Tell the browser to cache CSS and JS files,
  • Unset ETags,
  • Set Gzip/Deflate compression for your HTML/PHP files,
  • Secure access to your server and store,
  • Secure file requests and prevent file request attacks
  • Make sure downloadable files are downloadable! weird, huh?!
  • Add the “missing” trailing slash in your URLs,
  • Rewrite requests to WWW,
  • Force secure connections through HTTPS
  • Install a Virtualized Software Firewall through HTACCESS to protect yourself from hackers
  • Protect  your server and store from unauthorized queries and requests
  • Speed up the server with the PageSpeed Apache module
  • and so on…

Specially with PHP.INI (PHP5.INI) you could:

  • Set a default FROM address directly on the server to get your emails “delivered”
  • Increase execution times and upload file sizes to optimize performance and ease file uploads
  • Activate ZEND extensions to boost your server
  • and so on…

CS-Cart optimized PHP.INI & HTACCESS


Check the optimized PHP5.INI file (created and tested on Godaddy.com’s Shared hosting) and a tweaked (basic) HTACCESS for CS-Cart at my Downloads page.
 

Conclusions

There is a lot to do for a better web, by optimizing your websites and e-shops, you use less bandwidth and energy. Apart from making better sales and getting better SEO scores, you make a greener world. Do not hesitate about optimization.

Categories
E-commerce Technology Web Development

Set cookie domain for CS-Cart

If your are using CS-Cart eCommerce software, you might need to configure CS-Cart to set its cookies to a specific domain or subdomain.
To do this, you need to modify a bit the “CORE” of CS-Cart.

  1. Edit the file :
<CS-CART_ROOT>/core/fn.common.php
  1. Around lines 2035 to 2044, you will find the fn_set_cookie() function,
  2. Modify the last line of this function from:
 return setcookie($var, $value, $expiry, $current_path);


 to

 $current_domain = (defined('HTTPS')) ? Registry::get('config.https_path') : Registry::get('config.http_path');
 if ($current_domain != ''){
    return setcookie($var, $value, $expiry, $current_path, $current_domain);
 }else{
    return setcookie($var, $value, $expiry, $current_path);
 }

Happy creating!

Categories
Technology Apple Mac

Can’t login after OS X Lion install/upgrade : SOLVED

After installing the latest upgrade for Mac OS X, the Lion, I couldn’t  login to my user account on my Macbook Pro! There was no way to log into my user. I tried to login with “root” and the root account was not available.

Basically,  all users disappear after install of Mac OS X Lion or upgrade to Lion (10.7), and you can’t login to your system.

After a little research, here is what worked for me:

Before giving you the solution, you should know that the first thing to do, is to call Apple’s customer service, and I take no responsibility for what ever might happen if you follow these instructions. They worked for my case, use at your own risk. 

 

 

Solution for Mac OS X Lion Login Error (Users disappear after upgrade to Lion):

  • Step 0 : Don’t panic, your files are not gone !

  • Step 1: Reset ROOT Password for Mac OS X Lion:

      1. Restart your Mac,
      2. Hold “Command+R” buttons just the moment your Mac starts up,
      3. Hold still…
      4. A window should appear, it says “Utilities…”
      5. From the tools menu, at the top, open “Terminal”
      6. Type “resetpassword” and hit enter
      7. A new window opens, select the System Administrator account (root) option
      8. Set a new password, easy to remember for you,
      9. Confirm and close all the windows,
      10. A question will appear as would you like to restart?
      11. Restart!

  • Step 2: Login as ROOT on Mac OS X Lion:

      1. Let the Mac startup,
      2. At login screen, type the user  name as “root” and put in the password you’ve chosen in step 1.8 above.
      3. Wait a while…
      4. You should be logged in with the “root” account to your Mac OS X Lion.

  • Step 3: Re-create your user (Reincarnation!)

      1. Right click on the “Finder” icon in the dock, select “Go to folder…”
      2. Type “/” and click on “GO” to go to your Mac’s hard drive,
      3. Navigate to the “Users” directory, you should see your own user folder, remember the folder’s name!
      4. Click the Apple logo on the left top side of the screen, select “System Preferences…”
      5. Go to “Users and Groups”
      6. Your user should not exist in the left side list, so click the small “+” button below the users list to add a new one.
      7. Set your Full name as it was previously (not very important though)
      8. Set the “Account name”  EXACTLY AS THE FOLDER NAME YOU SAW IN STEP3.3 (VERY IMPORTANT)
      9. Set an easy to remember password for your account,
      10. And hit “Create User”
      11. Confirm on “using the Existing folder for Home…”
      12. Wait….until you see your user appear on the users list…

  • Step 4: Back on the Road:

      1. Restart your Mac
      2. Login to your own account easily and get all your data back!

  • Step 5: Send me a coffee from the Donations Page.

Categories
Security Technology

Windows Delayed Write Failed Error – Solutions

Window Delayed Write Failed ? Solutions are here!


This topic is researched, tested and written by Amir Hossein Moradi.
harddriveicon
This is the third article on the Windows Delayed Write Failed error occurring with hard drives (mostly external ones with USB/Firewire/Network connections). On 28th December 2007, I wrote the Windows – Delayed Write Failed – Solved! article which had more than 190,000 views, and helped many users till date. On 9th June 2008, the second article on this topic – Windows Delayed Write Failed – Latest Solution – which had more than 34,000 views till date, was out and is still getting many users out of trouble.

Now, it’s time to write the 3rd article and sum up all possible solutions for the Windows Delayed Write Failed error.

about_write_delayed_failedAbout Delayed Write:

Windows uses a special subsystem for certain disk functions, which caches write operations and performs them when the system is idle. This can improve system performance, but it’s typically turned off by default. The term for this kind of operation is “delayed writing”.

You can see how write-caching is handled for a particular volume by right-clicking on the icon for the drive in the “Disk drives” subtree of the Device Manager and selecting the Policies tabs. The options typically are “Optimize for quick removal” (everything is written to the drive immediately) and “Optimize for performance” (writes are cached).

about_write_delayed_failedAbout the error:

“Windows Delayed Write Failed” error occurs usually when the caching process gets interrupted or the files to be cached get corrupted, either because of a drive failure, a cable failure, or a USB interface fail!
This error might happen to brand new drives as well as good working old ones.

write_delayed_causeCause:

This error might be caused by several factors:

  • Cache settings
  • System Restore settings
  • Device drivers
  • Media error, drive failure
  • USB/Firewire host controllers
  • Drive overheating
  • Mis-configured BIOS settings
  • Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) mis-configuration
  • Unmatched cables
  • Faulty cables
  • Memory parity conflict
  • Power management drivers

 

write_delayed_solutionResolutions:

Here are different resolutions to the problem, I’ve arranged them in such a way that the most probable and easy to apply is at the top of the list. Read all resolutions carefully before any attempt on your drive(s) and/or computer(s).

1. System Restore Settings:

Users reported that Windows might try to write system restore data on the external drive, or try to monitor the drive in case of a system crash. This procedure might be a cause for the Delayed Write Failed error. What to do is quite simple. Just follow this photo tutorial:

Open your Control Panel:
click-control-panel

Open System:
control-panel-windows-xp

Go to System Restore tab, choose your external drive, and click the Settings button:
System-restore-settings-windows-xp

Check the Turn off System Restore on this drive checkbox and click OK:
system-restore-monitoring-settings-windows-xp

Now, you need to restart your computer, and if System Restore configuration was the issue, it should be solved.

2. Device drivers:

Some older RAID device drivers are known to cause the Write Delayed Failed issue, so do check with you hardware manufacturer for the latest device drivers.
I suggest that you check for:

  • latest RAID drivers for your hardware,
  • latest BIOS for your motherboard,
  • latest chipset drivers,
  • latest USB hub (host controller) drivers,
  • latest graphics card drivers.

 

3. Overheating:

First thing to try is to see if your drive is not over heating!
According to Seagate, “the operating temperature range for most Seagate hard drives is 5 to 50 degrees Celsius”.[5]
This is true for most of hard drives on the market, either you have a Maxtor, Seagate, Samsung, Western Digital or other brands of hard drive, you should keep it under 50 degrees Celsisus ( equivalent to 122 degrees Fahrenheit)

4. Faulty cables:

Check your cables!
Old USB (or FireWire) cables, can be faulty and cause packet loss. Faulty cables can cause severe damage to your hardware, so check your cables and it’s recommended that you buy some new and good quality cables.

5. Unmatched cables:

Check your cables, again!
If you got an IDE drive, then you should check the connector to be the right one! You are using a 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable! Fix this and you should be finished.
Read this article from Microsoft:  You receive an error message when you save or move documents in Windows XP: “Delayed Write Failed”

6. Mis-configured BIOS settings:

When your computer starts, click the “Del” button (or F2) to go to the BIOS Setup of your motherboard. (Check your motherboard documentation  for a detailed how-to).
“This error typically occurs when the “Enable write caching on the disk” feature for your hard disk is turned on.
However, if the “Enable write caching on the disk” feature is turned off, this error can occur because the Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) hard disk controller may be configured in either of the following ways:
– You are using a 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable.
– The BIOS settings are configured to force faster UDMA modes.” [6]
so, check for Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) mis-configuration!

7. Cache settings:

As described in my previous article, Windows Delayed Write Failed – Latest Solution , incorrect cache settings may cause the Write Delayed Failed error to occur, so you should check the cache settings for your computer and controllers. Read the article to find out all the details.

8. USB/Firewire host controllers:

After a lot of research on the Write Delayed Failed issue with different types and brands of hard drives on different PCs, I’ve come to the conclusion that, this error is usually caused by the USB/Firewire Host Controller, which is usually built-in on the motherboard.
To rectify this error, you should buy a recent PCI USB expansion card and add it to your PC. These cards cost around 20$ and are easy to install and need usually no specific configuration. But you should know that once you installed a PCI USB card, you should connect your hard drive only to this card’s USB ports.
Remember to not connect your drive to a faulty USB hub, and avoid external USB hubs without power supply adapter.

9. Media error, drive failure:

This is one of the worst case senarios. As hard disk drives are mechanical parts of your computer, they may go faulty and fail some day. You might want to do a hard disk check to find out the overall health of your drive. Checking a drive for bad sectors, or checking with the Spin Rite tool (https://grc.com/), and also using the S.M.A.R.T. technology to determine the overall perfomances and  health status of a drive are recommended.
Use your favorite search engine, to find a free S.M.A.R.T. monitor tool which will tell you about the drive’s health.

10. Memory parity conflict:

Even if this is one of the most rare causes to the Windows Delayed Write Failed error, but it should not be left out. In older motherboards, if the error message appears after you’ve inserted a new RAM, the incompatibility of the new RAM with the older one(s) might cause this type of errors. In this case, I would recommend that you check for memory compatibility and use the same BUS when matching RAMs. You may want to consider upgrading to recent hardware.

11. Power Management drivers:

As mentioned by some users, in some cases, disabling the Power Management feature of Windows, solves the issue. To do so, go to “Control Panel”, go to “Power Options” and set the “Turn off hard disks” to “Never”. Disable Power management softwares if you can to see if that solves the issue.

References:

1- Great comments from Gibni’s Visitors!
2 – https://gibni.com/technology/windows-delayed-write-failed-solved/
3- https://gibni.com/technology/windows-delayed-write-failed-2/
4- https://searchwinit.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid1_gci1041334,00.html
5- https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-261614_10_0.html
6- https://support.microsoft.com/kb/330174

Special Thanks to:

You, dear visitor, for spending your time reading my articles,
My friends and family for supporting and motivating me,
and all people who contributed to this article with their comments, experiences and critics.

Categories
Technology

Windows Delayed Write Failed – Latest Solution

UPDATE: Latest article: Window Delayed Write Failed – Solutions –> 

A while back, I wrote a post about the “Windows Delayed Write Failed” error message, and I presented ways to resolve the problem. That worked for many people.

 

Recently, after installing a fresh copy of Windows XP (with SP3), I got the same problem, and I tried everything I knew to solve it, but no luck!! As the problem’s to do with the USB caching and data transfered from the cache to the disk, I went to my favorite search engine again!

 

The last thing I found, which solved the problem is to use a piece of software from SysInternals (actually aquired by Microsoft) called Cacheset !

cacheset_scr

 

Easy Steps to do:

– Download Cacheset.zip from my Downloads Page,

– Extract it somewhere on your computer,

– Run Cacheset.exe from where you extracted the file,

– Click on “Clear” button to clear the current working cache.

– Set the maximum working cache to either 64 MB or 128 MB,

– Click Apply.

– Buy me a coffee if this worked for you!  (Link is in the sidebar)

 

I tried it and now, after one week of intensive tests, I didn’t get the Delayed Write Failed error! I suppose that the problem is solved.

 

Anyway, if it happens even after setting the cache, do the same process of cache setting (to 64 MB or 128 MB) again as Windows has tendency to go back to its initial configurations.

 

Note1: Test both the cases; 64 MB as cache and then 128 MB, if you get your disk working on 128 MB, so keep it, as it runs faster.

Note 2: When applying the “Working set maximum” value in Cacheset, calculate the number by multiplying the required cache by 1024. example:  64*1024=65536 which is the value you should give.

 

PLEASE GIVE FEEDBACK!

This is tested and it works! Digg it if useful.

 

UPDATE : Latest article: Window Delayed Write Failed – Solutions –>