We've all been there; we've got a problem with our server, laptop, PC, website, or blog, and have tried to solve it for hours with no success. At some point, we reach that point where we're absolutely certain that it's just some dumb thing that we're overlooking or forgetting to check. If you've ever found yourself in that situation, you'll probably want to bookmark a list of dumb things to check.

It's a list of (now 36) stupid things to check that you may have overlooked, compiled by Tom Limoncelli with input from members of the SAGE-Members mailing list. For anyone that hasn't found themselves in this situation, it will seem like a ridiculous concept. But for those of you out there that have been there, I bet you're thinking "awesome" like I am.

So, what's missing from the list? What's your best troubleshooting tip? Let us know in the comments.

My buddy Dave once shared with me a bit of computing wisdom which I've since found invaluable.

"Proper troubleshooting requires a Teddy Bear."

As it was told to me -- long ago in a university computer lab not so far away -- there was a sysadmin who became frustrated with the number of questions he was asked by student developers. It wasn't that the questions were invalid, or that the students weren't thinking them through. Rather, his frustration was with questions which found their own answers.

Students seeking his help would begin to explain the problem they were working on. More often than not, they wouldn't finish explaining before having an "Aha!" moments; That tiny moment of clarity every developer, admin or desktop analyst seeks as a part of their job.

Being forced to explain the problem had some effect which thinking about the problem alone didn't. How can you achieve the same mind-altered state without bugging the sysadmin, or taking a handful of Adderol and Xanaax*?

The weary sysadmin found a brilliant solution. He attached a teddy bear to his desk, and forced anyone who wanted to ask him a question to address the bear and explain the problem.

So, the next time you're halfway through asking a collegue a question and find yourself saying, "Wait, I think I just got it, never mind!", remember to thank them for being your teddy bear.

* Download Squad does not condone the abuse of Adderol, Xanaax or any other prescription drugs. Just sayin'.

Cultured Code hasn't yet responded with an explanation of why Things was set to expire. The application is still free, but users have already come to rely on it, with more than one person posting that they would gladly pay the $49 pricetag Cultured Code will charge for the 1.0 release to continue using Things right now. Why the expiration, though? We expect to see either a quick fix or an update pushed out this morning -- as the app is currently at version .9.1.1, the highly anticipated 1.0 release is possible, but not likely.

If you're a Things user, visit the help forum for some unofficial ways of resolving the problem. So far, most people are either setting their computers' dates back or using a hex editor to change the expiration date. Despite all the fuss, this could end up working in favor of Cultured Code. Our take: any publicity is good publicity when people are this frantic about your product.

Update: Version 0.9.1.2 is now available.

[via Duncan Riley]

We know what you want to ask, so here's the answer right away: Runscanner is not a sequel to (or, heaven help us, a prequel to) the movie Blade Runner. So what is it?

Runscanner is a free windows system utility which scans your system for all configured running programs. Runscanner will detect all programs that start automatically, including spyware, adware, and homepage hijackers. In other words, if opening your web browser makes your screen blow up like the fourth of July fireworks show, you'll probably want to download and run Runscanner.

Runscanner offers a lot in its small package: Google search integration, Authenticode signature analysis, VirusTotal integration, and FileAdvisor and CastleCops integration, which allow you to compare the MD5 hash of your files with their respective online databases.

With three modes: beginner, classic, and expert, you can wade in slowly or jump right into the deep end. The Beginner mode is particularly unique: you can't make any changes to your system when in beginner mode. However, you can save the Runscanner log files and upload them to a Forum Expert. They in turn can mark the items that need fixing, send the file back to the beginner, and have them run only the fixes the expert has designated as necessary. Creepy, but with good execution; kind of like Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Classic mode's primary use is to eliminate malware, and offers easy one-click fixes. Expert mode includes startup tweaks, with more scanning, reporting, and filtering options.

Runscanner is freeware, and currently in beta.

[Via gHacks.net]

It's been a busy week here at Download Squad HQ. We produced our first ever Squadcast, spent way too much time playing with our new Eee PC, and drafted a plan for fixing our parents' broken computer over the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Here's what you might have missed if you weren't paying attention this week. And shame on you for that, by the way.

The Squadcast: Episode #01

Download Squad's Grant Robertson and Christina Warren got together to talk shop. On the menu this week, first impressions and problems with OS X Leopard, the Eee PC, and using IMAP with Gmail. As you can probably guess from the title, this is the first episode of the Squadcat, but it will not be the last.

Eee PC tips: A crash course in Linux

Last week we gave you a first look at the new $400, Linux-based Eee PC from Asus. This week we started digging into the software and figuring out how to configure the Eee PC to make it act a bit less like a toy and more like a computer. If you're new to Linux, this tutorial is a must read.

Firefox profiles are a seemingly hidden feature that brings a lot of power and flexibility to the browser. Users can create separate profiles that have different add-ons installed, preferences, bookmarks - you name it. Each profile is like a new, clean slate for the browser, but accessing the profile tool isn't exactly straightforward. Other Mozilla efforts like Thunderbird and the Mozilla Suite offer better access to profile tools, but for Firefox users, Mozilla maintains this Profiles support page that offers step-by-step processes for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux on how to access the profile manager (however, this page is also handy for copy/paste-able command line code). With this manager you can create and delete all the profiles you need, as well as toggle whether the profile manager appears when you start Firefox (this setting, as you might imagine, is turned off by default).

If you aren't a chronic nut for Firefox profiles however, this tip can also be handy for another reason: troubleshooting. If Firefox is misbehaving or crashing a lot lately, chances are an add-on or Greasemonkey script is the culprit, and not Firefox itself. Setting up a clean profile to test things might just be the trick you need to get back to trouble-free browsing.