VirtualBox: add SATA controller to VM (remove IDE)

Problem
When you assign the CD-ROM to the SATA port in your guest system the guest hangs during startup and takes 100% CPU time of both cores. When you assign the CD-ROM to IDE it works fine.

To use SATA for both Disk and DVD do the following
(source: http://forum.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&p=168263)

If your VM was created with IDE-controller you can change it into SATA:
switch off your VM
In Virtualbox Manager add SATA controller to Your VM (don't attach drives yet)
Boot your VM (new hardware found but will fail, cannot find driver)
Download From Intel: Intel Matrix Storage Manager (IATA89ENU.exe)
Install it and shutdown VM

In your VM Settings Add Sata controller and assign your vdi to this Controller
Remove the IDE Controller (don't add a CDROM/DVD on sata1 yet)
so you only have 1 SATA controller with an attached vdi (to SATA Port 0)
Boot your VM (should go fine)

Now update your SATA driver within your VM (iaStor.sys to 10.1 or higher)
(http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/highlights/chpsts/imsm)
I used the floppy files from Intel® RST Driver Files (for version 10.1) - F6 Install (32-bit): f6flpy-x86.zip
Unpack the files in your VM and goto Device manager and choose update driver for your SATA controller
After installation it needs a reboot of your VM
I checked to see if it booted fine (it did)

With this updated driver installed I shutdown VM again and in Settings VM I added my CD/DVD on SATA Port 1.
started VM and all is fine (see below, VM with only SATA)

Microsoft Security Essentials (update definitions failed)

If auto update of virus signatures fails for MSE delete your temporary internet files and try again.
Note: you can choose to install MSE by running WindowsUpdate. It will show it as one of the options.

When I could net get the definition update I changed within VirtualBox the Network Settings from NAT to Bridged for the VM and update succeeded

windows explorer slow or not responding

Open the command line and disconnect all the drives
Start > Run > cmd > net use * /d

this might show some "hidden" shares that make your explorer not responding
remove them and hopefully it is working again

readynas cannot open tray (solved)

I too had a problem opening the disktrays of my readynas. On netgear's forum there is the solution using a pin:
insert pin at "B", and move pin toward to buttom gently to release latch. This will move plastic block (colored in Cyan) behind front cover.(source: http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=5286)


After that I removed the harddisk from the tray and used a spray on the latch and so far it is better than before.
The spray I used was Instant Cleaner from Philips which is used to clean off fingerprints and so on from electronic equipment.

Vista - Start of Task manager CTRL-SHIFT-ESC

It used to be CTRL-ALT-DEL but in Vista it brings up first a new screen from which you have to choose task manager. Luckily there is a faster way: CTRL-SHIFT-ESC.

24bit wav audio player

Only WMP12 delivered with Win7 is capable of playing 24 bit audio files.
A good alternative is xmplay which you can download from http://www.un4seen.com/

Epson V33 scanner change language

Even after choosing the English language during installation of the Epson software
(See: C:\Program Files\epson\escndv\setup\setup.ini file:  DefaultLocale=0809)
it came back with Dutch.
It turned out it was the twain software playing up so I checked the folder:
C:\Windows\twain_32\escndv\es00ad\local

from there I removed  the following folders containing the languages I would never use:
0C0A, 040C, 0401, 0410, 0413 (=dutch), 0419, 0422, 0816
(Checking which folder is which language was easy: just open the .chm file belonging to the above mentioned folders)

Now if I start "Epson Scan" it is in English!