How I’m NOT going to delete my Windows profile folder again?

So I deleted the complete profile folder under C:\Documents and Settings\<my user id> on my work machine. Everything under that was gone, except for a few read-only folders that survived. My Documents, Application Data, Desktop, Local Settings, Favorites…gone. My Outlook archives, my OneNote notes and a few years worth of accumulated documents…all done for. Plus all my Java projects, since I configured git under that folder and all my git projects were there.
How did I do that? Well…I was creating a new Java project using Eclipse to demo the use of excel-testng. But since I didn’t want to use the default workspace location, I specified the location where I keep the git projects, which happens to be the profile folder. Usually when I use the default location, eclipse creates a sub-folder under the default location with the same name as the project as below:

But when I didn’t use the default location, it didn’t create sub-folder with the project name. It created the project right under that location!

And having not realized that and since I wanted to remove the project (can’t remember why), I proceeded to delete the project.

Now, to be fair to myself and going back to that moment just before I clicked OK, I have never ever before needed to not delete the project contents from disk. The whole idea of deleting it from eclipse workspace has always been to get rid of the project, completely. And that’s what I did. At that time, I found it a little surprising that it was taking a little longer that usual. But it was 5pm on Friday evening and things usually get a little strange around that time, so I was ready for anything. Just not ready for what happened next.
It probably took me less than a few seconds to realize what had happened since I had an explorer window open on that folder, and I saw blank white screen where I had my profile folder contents previously. And I’m not going to mention the words that came out of my mouth next, or the next few hours I spent trying to restore the contents unsuccessfully and recreate the git projects.
There’s a happy ending to this: I had got my laptop replaced just a week ago and had a backup of most of that folder. I’ll most probably never find out if there was anything I was NOT able to recover, and that’s a good thing!

GLaDOS is back…

So it's ok if she tries to incinerate me alive for sake of “science” but when I try to escape and torch her in the process, she gets all psyched up and starts singing sarcasm laden song?

C++ turns 25

Just wanted to share a quick link - Bjarne Stroustrup’s reflections on the 25th anniversary of C++’s first release: http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/10/1014cplusplus-released/all/1

Parrot AR.Drone – iPhone controlled flying experience

 

A colleague of mine forwarded me this and I was immediately impressed: AR.Drone is a iPhone/iPod Touch controlled (via wi-fi) helicopter that you can not only just fly around but also play augmented reality games with.

Check out the video below and others on YouTube.

2 new blogs to follow

There are 2 new technology/technical blogs that I’m following.

- The Daily WTF (http://thedailywtf.com/): contains some really funny real-life situations, some of them too ridiculous to not make you go wtf?

- Digital Inspiration (http://www.labnol.org/): informative posts about new and interesting technologies/applications etc.

Closed for Cleaning!

I wish somebody would pay me to create an application that would detect that the work restrooms are closed for cleaning and update all employees automatically. We probably have 2 times during the day when they are being cleaned and somehow my calls are synchronized with that time.

Here’s how that application would work at a distant high-level:

1. Have a camera pointed at the restroom door that monitors the door for appearance of a yellow sign put between the door edges
-or-
(slightly cheaper) Install an infra-red monitor that is flipped whenever the yellow sign is put between the door edges blocking the monitor
-or-
(even cheaper and less automated) have the janitor flip a switch whenever they start the process.

2. The trigger chosen above should send a message to Microsoft Office Communicator server (or any other instant messaging application) where a resource for each of the restrooms is setup (just like the meeting rooms). That should turn the status of the bathroom to “Busy” or “Unavailable”.

This way, each interested person (with synchronized bladders) can add the restrooms to their contact list and find out if they are available without getting up.