"Cleaning" MP3 file with Audacity

A program I use regularly to encode audio for the web is MP3 Soundstream which converts MP3 or WAV files into Flash, with a number of player options (actually, I steer clear of using WAV, because the program is picky about exactly the WAV format it likes).
Occasionally, I run into problems, the cause of which baffles me. The program either hangs during encoding, or closes, with the dreaded Windows alert that it's seeking a solution, which of course it never does.
Frustrated, I asked Quentin Brown, the program's publisher, what was going wrong. Quentin is a good bloke, who's very good at dealing with queries about his software.
He replied: "Mp3 files can be stuffed with all sorts of code and pictures which can make them unable to be streamed. If you open them in Audacity then re-save them this cleans them."
I did as he says, and the problem went away. If you're having any sort of problem with sound files, then this solution might work more generally.
You can download MP3 Soundstream from http://mp3soundstream.com/.

90-day eval of Windows 7 RTM can be downloaded from here.

Download the new 90-day Trial of Windows 7 Enterprise to test and evaluate the 90-day eval of Windows 7 RTM.

The Springboard Series for Windows 7 enables you to test your hardware, software, and deployment strategies and get deployment guidance, step-by-step tutorials, and more.

Key resources: the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator, the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7 RC, and the I PD guide for Windows Deployment Services. Check out features of Windows 7 with the TechNet Video: Windows 7 Feature Overview. And here are some new deployment webcasts and videos:
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Thrive Live! Migrating Windows XP to Windows 7 Using Windows Easy Transfer and USMT
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Windows 7 Deployment Enhancements
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Windows 7 Planning and Deployment Tools

Registration code is included in the download.

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• Windows 7 90-day trial offered to businesses (seattlepi.com)

Super NoteTab available again

Probably the best free Notepad replacement is now available again. Super NoteTab permits you to have multiple windows open simultaneously, includes Clipbook for inserting text snippets (including interactive HTML tags), plus user-defined snippets.
For some time, it has appeared that it is no longer being distributed or supported by its creator, Eric Fookes. However, I am now making it available.
Its many features include:
· Covers all essential features available in Notepad (including LOG).
· Open and edit many documents at once (only limited by system resources).
· Use files as large as memory permits.
· Fully configurable toolbar with flat or standard style buttons.
· Web enabled (can open links and HTML documents in browser).
. While editing HTML files, immediate opening in browser of edited files (without saving).
· Powerful Clipbook tool makes it easy to memorize and insert any kind of text in your document. Includes templates for HTML tags, acronyms, smilies, etc. Can also be used for "shorthand" glossaries or to launch other applications.
· Each document can have different settings such as font, tab widths, word wrap.
· Can search/replace text in all open documents; accepts search tokens.
· Functions to strip HTML tags, sort lines, change case, etc.
· Automatic scrolling for hands-free reading of documents.
· Context-sensitive shortcut menus.
· Options to set margins, page numbering, headers and footers for printing jobs.
· Text statistics (counts number of characters, words, and frequency of each word).
· Drag-and-drop files from File Manager or Explorer.
· Accepts multiple file names, including wildcards, passed as command-line parameters to the program.
· Quickly open files or folders from the "Favorite Files" dialog box or Favorites menu.
· Option to automatically load files from "Favorite Files" list or those opened during a previous session.
· Remembers its size and position on the desktop.
· Can stay on top of other applications.
· Can capture text copied to the Clipboard from any application.
You can download a free version of this very powerful text editor, go to:
http://www.karldallas.com/software/SNPinstall.exe