Repairing and updating a Lacie NAS (Fvdw version at Plugout.net)

If you have a Lacie NAS with a broken hard drive, it is very difficult to recover the Lacie firmware/partitions, but we can replace the HDD and install the Fvdw firmware version with this tutorial and improve its possibilities by the way.

Previously I explained several improvements with hard drives (NAS) I drive, Lacie brand with Linux firmware.

These small file servers have as main advantage that allows us to have servers of various types, in addition to files with very low power consumption (less than 10W in general).

The fact is that there is an alternative firmware developed improved from the LaCie sources that have compiled Plugout.net guys that we can install in our NAS, which greatly improved the performance of our network disks , adding possibilities as possible choose media server (ideal for home), NFS, VPN, etc servers and download torrent files, among others. And it also serves to revive the NAS if the hard disk fails, and see, step by step, the installation process.

• Faster , it is having been optimized with the latest software versions, up to 40% more agile list of directories and copy files.
• More reliable, uses file systems safer.
• More complete , with all the features expected from a small server.

How to extend the battery life of your laptop without losing power: Reduce the processor voltage

Earlier we saw how to extend the battery life (and the computer to overheat less, also extending its life) tweaking the settings of the graphics card . This time we will do the same, but without any danger to your computer, without slowing it , lowering processor voltage. 

Did you know that it will continue working as before and safely? Indeed. And I'll explain why. 

Assemblers buy computer components (including the processor, AMD, Intel, or whatever) and then merge them into assembly. However, when making the processors are produced in batches of thousands of units, and each comes with its own characteristics (may have tiny defects, with a different quality, which may slightly affect the performance of each) a particular "batch" sample is tested, and labeled with the voltage required to operate safely and without fail, usually with a large margin of error. 

We will find out what the lowest safe voltage possible for each processor operating frequency that our laptop mounts, and apply it using a program (RM-Clock for intel or AMD K10Stat for K10), so our team will to do the same job, but with less energy, less warming, lengthening its life, and thus making the battery last longer. It sounds complicated, but you will see that it is not. 

This applies especially to older processors; for current (Phenom, I3 / I5 / I7) can not find them programs that can configure or that you have to make the change through the BIOS (I think that Intel now are marked with fixed voltage factory without the possibility of change "on the fly").

Irretrievably Erasing a hard drive: Secure-erase your data

Before throwing a computer that has no basis in the trash, think twice, because some unscrupulous could recover all your information even if you have formatted the hard disk.

Note: When you delete files are not physically deleted from the disk, but for reasons of speed and recoverability only the "direction" of the file is deleted from the hard disk. It happens when we format a disk similar to "quickly".

Previously we discussed how to recover data from hard drives (my favorite for this is Redo Backup , which will soon explain their fascinating abilities).

To avoid this, it is best to make a low-level format with a free program for personal use as eg.HDD Low Level format Tool .

How to expand the capacity of NAS Lacie Network Space

The LaCie Network Space is great for sharing files over the network

This tutorial applies to version 1 of the Network Space, but probably applicable to the (more rapid and complete) version 2 with little change.

I will replace its 500 GB SATA 1TB another, but it would also be February 1 TB (not sure if bear more capacity, but possible).

This NAS features low power:

• Consumption of only 8W, completely silent without a fan.
• Ethernet port with a maximum transfer rate of 6 MB per second despite using a SATA (somewhat limited in this regard because of its small processor) hard drive.This has been improved to 65 MB / sec. in the Network Space 2 with a more capable processor.
• Ability to create users and access permissions to the shared folders, all managed through its web configuration page (also accessible via the Network Assistant ).
• Very good price / quality; for little more than the cost of a hard drive, you have a NAS.
• USB Port to expand its capacity reading systems EXT3, XFS, NTFS, FAT file systems.
• And if you know Linux, you can access it and set various things .

Disassembling the Lacie Network Space NAS

In order to expand your hard drive before we disarm. This NAS, apart from a very proper design, no screws to release something we will have to help up as a screwdriver and some clips to go by releasing the tabs where the lid, as in the following image is secured.

A single turn split gradually inside the blue LED side bearing, since the other side carries the connections embedded. 

Batch conversion Autocad drawings to different versions (2004, 2010, etc)

Using Autodesk DWG Trueview 2012, free to use for viewing developed plans in AutoCAD, we can also convert between different versions if we only license for an older version (apart from that we can always turn to a universal format dxf). 

(This document was translated using Google Translator from the original spanish article)

First install and open the application, clicking on the "DWG Convert" icon: 

Add planes to convert as many as you want, with the button indicated by the cursor: