Lowyat.NET: Latest topics in Software

Excel or MRP for SME manufacturers?, Production planning discussion

WJ_Pan — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:56:05 +0800

Many small manufacturers in Malaysia still manage production using a combination of Excel files, paper job sheets, WhatsApp messages and separate inventory records.

This may work when the number of products and orders is still manageable. But as production volume increases, different departments may start working with outdated or incomplete information.

For example, production may only discover a material shortage after a job has already been scheduled. Purchasing may not know what needs to be ordered early enough, while management may have difficulty checking the actual status of each work order.

A connected MRP system can help organise Bills of Materials, raw-material requirements, manufacturing orders, production schedules, inventory movements and progress reporting.

However, software alone will not solve everything. The company still needs accurate product data, proper workflows and staff who update the system consistently. For a small and simple operation, Excel may also remain sufficient.

For those working in manufacturing, what does your company currently use? At what stage did Excel become difficult to manage?

Projecting live and add caption, Software enquiry

pandah — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:51:44 +0800

Hi everyone,

i have a small events with some performance, during the performance on the main stage, we also have 2 projectors at the sides, we want to kind of stream the main stage to the side projectors, and also add some captions during the stream.

we will probably connect a camera or small video recorder to the laptop before projecting to the projector, is there a way to insert lines of words, like making a live subtitle?

Thanks.

I built a free YouTube subtitle translator,

genjo — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:09:13 +0800

I have always wanted to build a browser extension, and after spending quite some time on it, I am finally ready to share my first one.

It is called Video Translator. It is a free Chrome extension that helps translate burned-in subtitles in videos, especially YouTube videos where subtitles are already part of the video and there is no CC/subtitle option available.

You can customise things like:

Translation accuracy
-Font style and size
-Subtitle position
-Other display settings

It is still a work in progress, so I would genuinely appreciate any suggestions, feature requests, or feedback from people who try it.

Chrome Web Store:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/g...phjadlkbbbidoip

Linux Mint,

backwards — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 19:05:55 +0800

Need some expert advice.

I got my hands on an old 256gb M.2 SSD. I put it in a USB enclosure and now I'm thinking of using it to install Linux Mint there to try try. I'm thinking of a setup where I can plug in the SSD and boot when I want to use it, or remove it if I want to use Windows 11.

I've seen some of the guides out there saying to disable Secure Boot during installation, but no mention of whether we can turn it back on after. Is it worth trying with it on? Nothing bad will happen right?

The first guide I saw was the youtube video:

Reading the comments below the video, some people had exactly the kind of problems that I don't want to face...

QUOTE

@SaN_D-S
3 months ago
I installed on external SSD exactly how to did but when I removed the external Linux HDD not the pc goes into grub. I went into boot menu and put windows as boot priority but still no matter what I do it goes into grub! Help

QUOTE

@ComputerTinkerer
4 weeks ago
How did you get it to boot anywhere? I've followed the process a couple of times and it only boots from the computer it was created with. For some odd reason, grub wants to work from the computer, not the external drive.

QUOTE

@rbm314
3 months ago
Please do the last step too, making you skip GRUB when you have disconected the external harddrive and automatically select the primary harddrive to boot from. That's what windows users expect to happen , but which doesn't happen in linux. That's where things tend to go sour and makes Windows users weep that they have bricked their computer. It's easily fixable when you remove grub, but makes sure windows users never trust "easy linux" installation videos again and stay away from Linux instead of choosing Linux as their main system. Don't just show off, show your problems, failures and how you fixed them.

QUOTE

@thelastsamuraibushi
3 days ago
Well, this happened with me.
What happened is, whenever I disconnect external drive and turn my laptop on, it goes to GRUB.
Now, I have to go to boot manager and manually select Windows.

Windows being Windows, it updates and restarts.

Then it goes again to grub.
Haiyaa.
What to do now???

Then I read this one:
https://www.ghacks.net/2025/07/11/how-to-in...n-external-ssd/

There's a section about RST that sounds annoying already. Specifically I don't want to change BIOS stuff and type command line stuff that may mess up Windows:

QUOTE

Switching from RST to AHCI

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator

2. Type the following command:

bcdedit /set safeboot minimal

3. Reboot your PC and go to your BIOS.

4. Change SATA mode to AHCI

5. Reboot the computer. It will go to safe mode.

6. Open CMD as admin and type this

bcdedit /deletevalue safeboot

Norton Ghost, Software search

Colada — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:07:53 +0800

I have some Norton Ghost backups on an old drive that I'd like to open. Unfortunately Norton Ghost is long out of production and I don't have the original software CD/DVD anymore.
Does anyone out there know of a software shop in KL that has a copy? Maybe someplace in LowYat Plaza or Digi Mall?

WTA: Good RDP Software for Multi-User, 3-5 pax

watermineral — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:25:13 +0800

I'm looking for a Remote Desktop solution for my company. Currently, we have one powerful PC, and I need 3 to 5 staff to be able to work on it at the same time.

I don't want "screen capture" software like AnyDesk or TeamViewer because they lag and you can't have multiple people using different accounts at the same time. I want something like the native Windows RDP where everyone has their own desktop session.

I know Windows 10/11 Pro normally only allows 1 user at a time. Is there any good 3rd party software that can "unlock" this for 5 users? I've heard of TSplus and Thinstuff, any of you using these for your office? Or are there better "value for money" options in 2026?

Looking for something stable and affordable for permanent use. Thanks in advance!

CNY Ngau Card Game, Program to calculate Ngau scores

firstruler — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:47:05 +0800

For those who plays Ngau during CNY and have troubles calculating the score, I've written a program to "cow-culate" scores based on the input of your hand.

https://klyow.github.io/cowculator
It will take a bit of time during initial loading.

To use this simple program, just input your card values, i.e.
1-9 for card numbers,
T for Ten, J for Jack, Q for Queen, K for King,
A for Ace of Spades.
Note: Suits don't matter here, except Ace of Spades. For other types of Aces, use 1.

The program will calculate ALL possible Ngaus for your hand and rank them from the highest to the lowest score.

For those who play Joker variant, you may input X for Joker. For my case, my gang plays using standard 52-card deck with 2 Jokers. The Joker card be ANY card, thus guaranteeing a valid Ngau every time.

Please enjoy and let me know if there's any bugs! Happy CNY and gong xi fa cai!

Automate create job task.., From whatsapp and gmail

moiskyrie — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:48:24 +0800

Currently i use microsoft to do list..
But i need to manually create the task ....
I mostly receive job from whatsapp and gmail...
So is there any tool to help automate create new task from whatsapp and gmail...
As i some time forgot some of the task and need rush it...

No code chatbot builder business,

hahakim — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:53:28 +0800

Is there big enough market for business wanting to create simple chatbot on WhatsApp and e-commerce store?

The platform sales pitch would be something like:

QUOTE

Easily build chatbot for whatsapp in minutes

The main features are:
- Drag and drop chatbot builder (AI assisted)
- Multimedia support
- Teams inbox
- Chat analytics

Currently in v2 development phase but if I cant foresee big enough market or get enough users, I'll just move with other things. Maybe revisit the project again when time permit.

Tools for creating presentation,

Taikor.Taikun — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 23:07:46 +0800

Hi all,

Which tools or AI for creating presentations that you use? Please share.

Computer Services Manager v2.3, FREEWARE

Xploit Machine — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 20:34:24 +0800

Computer Service Manager v2.3

[center][/center]

Overview
Computer Service Manager 2.4 Is A Comprehensive Desktop Application Built WithPyQt5 AndSQLite For Managing A Computer Repair And Service Business. It Supportsmulti- Language And Includes Features For Customer Management, Service Tracking, Inventory, Invoicing, Warranty Monitoring, And Reporting.

Key Features
1. Multi- Language Support
- Languages: English (EN) & Indonesian (ID)
- Dynamic Translation: All UI Elements Update In Real- Time When Language Is Changed
- Persistent Settings: Language Preference Saved In Windows Registry

2. Customer & Service Management
- Customer Information: Name, Phone, Address
- Device Details: Type, Brand, Model
- Service Information: Problem Description, Status, Technician, Pricing
- Warranty Tracking: Automatic Warranty Period Calculation And Expiry Alerts
- Google Maps Integration: Quick Access To Customer Locations

3. Inventory & Supplier Management
- Spareparts Inventory: Track Part Name, Type, Brand, Quantity, Price, Supplier, And Location
- Low Stock Alerts: Visual Warnings When Stock Falls Below Minimum Levels
- Supplier Database: Store Supplier Contact Details

4. Warranty & Reminders
- Warranty Status Tracking: Color- Coded Status (Active, Expiring Soon, Expired)
- Automatic Alerts: Real- Time Updates And Filtering
- Reminder System: Send Warranty Expiration Reminders To Customers

5. Reporting & Analytics
- Service Summary: Total Services, Completed, In Repair, Waiting For Parts
- Financial Reports: Monthly Revenue, Average Service Cost
- Technician Performance: Service Counts, Completion Rates, Revenue Generated
- Device Statistics: Brand Popularity, Repair Success Rates
- Warranty Reports: Active, Expiring, And Expired Warranties

6. Data Import & Export
- Import: Excel (.Xlsx, .Xls) And CSV Files
- Export: Selected Or All Data To Excel
- Backup & Restore: Full Database Backup And Restore Functionality

7. Settings & Customization
- Database Path Configuration: Customizable Database And Backup Locations
- Window State Persistence: Remembers Window Size And Position
- Theme: Clean, Professional Fusion Style With Custom Styling

Technical Details

Built With
- Python 3.X
- PyQt5 – GUI Framework
- SQLite – Embedded Database
- OpenPyXL – Excel File Handling
- Windows Registry – For Saving Settings

Database Schema
- Contacts: Customer And Service Records
- Suppliers: Supplier Information
- Spareparts: Inventory Management
- Invoices &Invoice_Items: Billing System
- Warranty_Reminders: Warranty Tracking

UI Components
- Tabbed Interface: Organized Into 6 Main Tabs
- Split Views: Form And Table Views Side- By- Side
- Custom Widgets: Uppercase Input Fields, Price Spin Boxes
- Real- Time Updates: Timer- Based Warranty Status Updates

System Requirements
- OS: Windows 10/11 (Uses Windows Registry For Settings)
- Python: 3.7+
- Dependencies: PyQt5, Sqlite3, Openpyxl, Winreg

License & Copyright
- Copyright: © 2025 ECOMTECH
- Author: Rahfie27
- Disclaimer: Provided "As- Is" Without Warranty

Downloads
- https://seyarabata.com/XMCSM
- https://buzzheavier.com/vtd1nr2ey7n2
- https://www.upload.ee/files/18902814/Comput..._MULTI.rar.html

Automatic keyword highlighter, Chrome extension

Sanz10 — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 21:37:32 +0800

[YOUTUBE]soqX-6p5MXQ[/YOUTUBE]

Hi everyone,

Check out this browser extension that automatically highlights keywords on websites. The built-in language model searches for relevant keywords and highlights them fully automatically. It is especially optimized for reading online academic articles but it works on scrolling and dynamic sites as well. It's completely free without any paywalls or ads and compliant with the strict data privacy policies by the respective browsers. Test how much faster you can read with it. Thank you and have a wonderful day.

Download links: Chrome | Safari | Edge | Firefox

CSV/Excel Cleaner, a simple tool that fixes your data in se

techky — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 13:50:41 +0800

Hey friends 👋

I’ve been working on a small side project lately — a simple tool to clean up messy CSV/Excel files.

It helps you:

👉 remove blank rows & duplicates
👉fill missing values quickly
👉download a cleaned file in seconds

Nothing fancy, just something useful I built for myself and thought others might find handy too.

If you often deal with spreadsheets, you can check it out here 👉 🖇️ CSV & Excel Cleaner Tool 😁

Built a PowerShell script, Auto-email M365 inactive users & group r

techky — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 16:52:39 +0800

Hey everyone 👋

As an IT, I got tired of manually checking Office 365 mailboxes and distribution groups every week.

So I built a PowerShell script that:

✅ Auto-connects to Exchange Online
✅ Exports 2 reports:
• Inactive users
• All distribution group members
✅ Emails them to you as CSV
✅ Fully automates via Task Scheduler

It now runs silently in the background and saves me hours every week.

I’ve wrapped it into a clean package with a README and secure credential handling (no plaintext passwords).

If this sounds useful, feel free to DM me — happy to share more details or help you get it set up. 😊

Would love feedback! And if anyone finds it useful, feel free to use/modify it for your team.

https://zeusyee.gumroad.com/l/email_reports

how to block website adds url, chrome and too many background urls

hdbjhn2 — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 15:22:17 +0800

Hi, i don't know how to explain properly but i will try.

I'm am a google chrome user. I need software advice.

When i open Chrome's task manager, it shows some info, it shows all the tabs, the websites and process(Urls) that is running.
To my hatred, i be only using 1 or 2 tabs(and hnce just that much of webpage). But beneath those webpages, i can see A LOT of subframes url running beneath it. It's just annoying.

FOr example, i opened a website Gsmarena. Then, i check on chromes task manager, it shows that website but under it, "Subframe", there are so many(20-30) other Urls(process running on the webpages i believe).
SO, can i ask how do i block those urls?? Is that using ad blockers? It just too many processes.

Can add those urls to block list on my CHrome? Are there steps for it?

Basic Lazada Price Scraper, Python Tool

techky — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:51:11 +0800

# 🛒 Basic Lazada Price Scraper – Python Tool (No Coding Needed)

Effortlessly scrape Lazada product[U][B] listings in seconds with this beginner-friendly Python tool.

---

## ✅ What It Does

- Automatically scrolls and loads visible products

- Extracts:

- 🏷️ Product Name

- 💰 Price

- 🔗 Clickable Link

- Saves everything into a clean output.csv file

---

## 🧑‍💻 No Coding Required

Just follow the step-by-step guide in the README.

Tested and works out of the box on:

- ✅ Windows 10 & 11

- ✅ Python 3.10

- ✅ Playwright (free browser automation)

---

## 📦 What You Get (ZIP File)

- scraper.py – The main Python script

- README.md – Clear installation and usage instructions

- output.csv – Sample result file to preview the format

---

## 💡 Use Cases

- Monitor product prices

- Research market listings

- Collect data for resale or comparison

---

## ⚠️ Note

This is a **basic version** – quick and lightweight.

Ideal for small tasks or as a beginner starter tool.

---

## 🌏 Supports

Lazada Malaysia

https://zeusyee.gumroad.com/l/gkxkjj

What Software Can Replace Pitching Voice?, Its Sony Sound Forge Rite?

Powink — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 00:48:51 +0800

Hallo, May I Know What Software Can Replace Voice Pitching
Sony Sound Forge Can?

Thanks ( " , )

Unable to play Youtube on Chrome, blank screen

3536837 — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 02:10:04 +0800

hi all ...

please check the attachment , any idea to solve it ?

i tried
update chrome to latest version
reinstall chrome
restart pc

reset chrome can solve it , but problem come back after browsing few videos.

[attachmentid=11514454]

two office ESD License in one email, clash or not

ktek — Fri, 02 May 2025 09:00:03 +0800

my laptop came with free office home-student. baru claimed it with company email.
later i bought home-business ESD from pc shop (just an envelope with slip inside). shall i use same company email or register different one.

next time i sign in, able to select home-student or home-business or not.

BIOS suspect locked,

drake88 — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:25:47 +0800

Good day Si Fu sekalian,

Im currently running Linux Ubuntu on my laptop and i would like to reformat it and change to Window 10. The problem is when i try to change the priority boot in my BIOS from boot ubuntu to boot via USB , i cant change, i can't access the column at all ( it seems like it is locked ) .

anyone here can help me out please. thanks