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751.

Solve : Having problem connecting HDD LED?

Answer»

I had to replace the motherboard on my computer with an ASUS p4bgl-mx. I cant find where to connect the HDD LED on the board. Help plz. Ive never replaced a motherboard before either, what's going to happen once I boot up?Alex S....Read the manual or go to .......
http://www.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/sock478/p4bgl-mx/e1339_p4bgl-mx.pdf...

go to PAGE 28 of 67 and look at section 12 ........
Hard Disk connector ...... 2pin HDDLED

Please do yourself a favour and dont turn anything on until you are CERTAIN you have everything plugged in or connected properly .......

let us know

dl65  THANKS that helpped, alot. I BOUGHT the board refurbished on EBAY and it only came with chapter one of the manual and the drivers CD.

752.

Solve : BIOS and booting problem. please help!?

Answer»

my IBM PC 300 GL bios setting is in a language i can not understand.  how do i CHANGE it to English?

2ndly, the machine is not booting. i tried to BOOT from a CD but but drive can not read the PROGRAM CD. what do i do to restore my machine in working state?

LeeDoes this look like it:

It's a PIII-600 ?
For INFO on IBM, you NEED 4-digit part number.
http://www-132.ibm.com/content/search/300_gl.html

753.

Solve : new drive connected,problems with existing progs?

Answer»

I've just had a new cd drive connected.  It has changed a few
of the drive names on the existing drives.  I have trouble
using some PROGRAMS, Control Panel won't even let me uninstall them.  The person who connected the drive said I'd have a little trouble because of the changed drive letter assignments, but I REALLY didn't think this much!  Programs that were in G drive are now in F, F in E etc etc.  It has messed things up completely.  Depending upon your OS you can make those drive letters anything you WANT them to be, EXCEPT C of course.

754.

Solve : maxtor? good??

Answer»

I'm looking to upgrade my hard drives, but I'm debating on what to get. I was planning on getting Western Digital Caviar RE, but I've seen several recommendations for Maxtor DiamondMax 10 hard drives over WD. Now I'm not sure what to get b/c the Maxtor seems better on paper, but I've heard so MANY HORROR stories of problems with Maxtor and how RELIABLE WD is. Is Maxtor really reliable now or what? Any hard drive recommendations. I'm looking at spanning two SATA 250 GB hard drives.Hello, I dont have any EXPERIENCE with the diamondmax 10, but the Diamondmax 9's definately had thier problems. They ran too hot and had too high a failure rate. Western Digital has always been rock solid in my experience.yeah, i've only bought wd and was ready to buy again until i heard that the diamondmax 10 was supposed to be good. i've NEVER bought maxtor before b/c of the poor reliability associated with their name, but i just thought i'd see if anybody had heard much about the diamondmax 10's and if they were worth buying over the caviar re... or even if there was still a better drive than these two. Quote

...Western Digital has always been rock solid in my experience....

Mine, too.  Seagates seem to be very reliable, too.
seagate.............baracuda:)........for get maxcrap......w/d used to clonk alot.......the biggest cause for hard drive problems is mounting the drive.........[vertical is best > not horizontal.......less bearing wear]According to Seagate:
"...Mount the drive in either the horizontal or vertical position depending on your case orientation."

http://www.seagate.com/support/kb/disc/howto/ata_install_tshoot.html
755.

Solve : Hard drive/PS problem?

Answer»

Here's the problem...

when I start the computer it will get to the xp load screen and maybe make it to the login screen before the hard drive clicks and everything freezes. I attempted to reinstall windows after pulling my hair out and that hard drive will click over and over again, almost like it powers up and off over and over. I put the hard drive in another computer and it booted up perfect at least 10 times, so I pretty much ruled out the hard drive. so I put it back in my box and click, click, click. So, I tried some other HD's I had lying around and they all click. I then disconnected everything but the essentials, just cd, floppy, HD; and took out my vga card, sound card, lan, etc. and used the mouse, keyboard and monitor hookups from the mobo. in other words, bare minimums. still clicks.

This problem started a few months ago after a blackout, and I THOUGHT a surge might be the culprit, but the problem went away, and every great while it would do this, I'd get PISSED shut down and go to bed. The next day it was fine and ran fine for a couple months and do it again. this time it won;t go away and I'm leaning toward the power supply being the problem. just wanted another opinion before I replace it.

Antec True Power 430 watt PSU
Asus A7N8X mobo
Athlon 2600 XP
1gb Corsair XMS DDR
WD 120gb SE hard drive


All this ran beautifully for almost 2 years til now.

Thanks for any help. SOUNDS like some damage was done to your motherboard? i would try a different HD in there just to check. if the same problem occurs buy a new MOBO and surge protection. Actually on SECOND thaughts talk to insurance people. My p.c was replaced with a V NICE one when lightning struck. It did write off the p.c though

756.

Solve : Raspy Laptop speakers?

Answer»

Maximus,

GET the feeling no ONE knows the ANSWER to your particular problem?

The only THING that I can offer is that laptop speakers are never the best.  I rely on them only to give me basic audio (like error beeps etc.).  Everything else I use headphones or external speakers.well i GUESS i was right... Know one here is that advanced yet.Omg....  Well, even if "Know one" here is advanced enough to solve your problem, are you any better?  If you've come to this site just to diss us, why don't you actually become "advanced enough" with computers to solve your own problems first?  Dissing others for not being able to do something that you yourself can't do is hypocricy itself...

757.

Solve : PCI routers and modems?

Answer»

I am trying to BUILD a computer with some flexibility with BOTH DSL and cable internet connections.  

1) My first question is does a PCI router matter if it is DSL or cable?  I can only find PCI ADSL routers available but I can also find EXTERNAL DSL/cable routers available.  Does this mean if I get a PCI ADSL router, it won't work with cable internet signals from the modem?

2) I can find PCI DSL modems and PCI cable modems as well but I have no luck in finding a combo PCI DSL/cable card.  Do they even exist?All you really need is an Ethernet card.  DSL and Cable both with plug into a standard ethernet card.

As far as a router goes, one with an Ethernet WAN interface (pretty darn standard) will attach to either service.I think it's a Language thing.  In Europe, they call them ADSL routers...in North American, it's DSL modems.  Everyone seems to call them Cable modems.  Of course, technically, neither one are MODEMs (Modulator-Demodulator).  There are very few PCI DSL or Cable modems.  Almost all are external and have ethernet and/or USB connections.  Routers are all ethernet.
These are routers:
http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=34&scid=29

http://www.cable-modems.org/articles/linksys_review/  Ethernet cards?

  I tried looking it up on google and all I see are ethernet cards with a single RJ-45 connection?  What I WANT is a cable line that goes directly to a cable modem PCI input card which also has a RJ-45 output to go to a router PCI input that has wireless output to other computers within range.  I also wanted some flexibility between DSL and cable internet so that I can connect a DSL line into a DSL modem PCI input card, etc. etc.  What I wanted to know was if the router in both CASES will accomodate both DSL and cable internet RJ-45 inputs?  Thus I could be using a cable internet service provider using Router "A".  2 years later I switch to a DSL line instead, can I still use Router "A" for the DSL line because it was only specified for use with a cable line?  The links provided are "external" devices, I am looking for a combo cable/DSL modem "PCI" interface but have not found any vendor having this card. Quote

...
1.  I tried looking it up on google and all I see are ethernet cards with a single RJ-45 connection?  
2.  What I want is a cable line that goes directly to a cable modem PCI input card which also has a RJ-45 output to go to a router PCI input that has wireless output to other computers within range.  
3.  What I wanted to know was if the router in both cases will accomodate both DSL and cable internet RJ-45 inputs?  
4.  I am looking for a combo cable/DSL modem "PCI" interface but have not found any vendor having this card.

1.  Use 2 ethernet cards.
2.  Every cable modem has RJ-45 output.  All routers have RJ-45 input, RJ-45 outputs.
3.  Yes.
4.  Never seen one.
info>http://www.cable-modem.net/tt/primer.html
758.

Solve : 2 pc's connect into modem/router, nettworking help?

Answer»

I have an adsl modem/router. Netcomm nb1300. I have 2 pc's PLUGGED into it, one with the usb and the other with the networkcard. Both r able to go on the net but how can I SHARE files etc between them. By the WAY this is the only way i can hook them up DUE to some other issues. ThanksBy running windows network setup and keeping the settings the same i.e the network name. I keep it on Mshome for easyness.

759.

Solve : 3D Cards?

Answer»

Hi Group,

I don't understand anything about cards so please make it simple.
A game I want to be able to use needs a 16MB 3D Card.
What would this cost ? Where would I get it (in the UK) ?
Can they be put in laptops or would it have to be a tower PC ?

Best wishes


Dave EA 16 MB card only? That's pretty small... You can find that card for probably under $50 in the US or UK... And yes... They are installed in both Laptops and Desktops... (They just have different models BECUASE of size)

[glb]Flame[/glb]16Mb is absolutly pathetic in todays standards.

here are some 16Mb to look at

http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPP-Graphics_Cards--16___32_mbHi Flame,

THANKS for your reply.
What would I ask for if I wanted a modest 3D card for a laptop.
During a search I found a 3D pin  ball game installed in my laptop. Does that mean I have a 3D card.



Best wishes



Dave EMost all laptops cannot be upgraded with a different video card.Let's see what kind of card you have... Click on Start -> Run... In the Run box, type:   dxdiag    ... Press enter... You might see a small GRAY box... Just click no one that... You should now see a large gray box... Click on the Display tab, and look at the top-right of the window... This should tell you your video card information... Mind reading to us what you see there?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Hi Again,

Top right box has some INFO and then:-
Mini VDD: vtmini.sys
VDD: n/a
DDI Version 9 (or higher)

Is this what you wanted



Best wishes



Dave EHi again,

Left box is named Device
Right box = Drivers
Bottom = DirectX features



Dave Emaybe you can go to the mobo website and download a graphics accelerator>>>like intel.......this may help id your mobo etc>>..http://www.active-hardware.com/english/misc/sandra.html

and dabs.com have load of stuff.......

760.

Solve : IDE drives not recognized?

Answer»

Hello, the problematic computer is my 6 or 7 year old P3 800MHz, 384MB RAM (128MB+256MB).  Well, I'm really not sure about the individual parts, since we bought it so long ago, from an odd company.  Well, it was working fine, for the most PART...  Well, we got a new computer, so we stopped using that computer for a good year...  I tried turning it on the other day (So that we can have another net-surfing computer in the family), and well, POST showed up, the RAM was checked, and then...  The IDE drives were no longer detected!

I tried replacing the IDE cables, I triple-checked the connections and used other IDE drives, but to no avail.  I'm completely lost =\  Naturally, since it wasn't in use for so long, there were no hardware/software changes....  What can the PROBLEM be?  I'm sorta running out of options...  The only two solutions I can think of at the moment are buying a new motherboard or buying an IDE PCI card...  But, since it's just a net-surfing computer, if possible, I would want to spend the least amount of money necessary...  ANy suggestions?Remove all plug-in cards, memory and CPU, and then reinstall.  Contact mating surfaces can become "CORRODED", over time, removing and reinstalling wipes them CLEAN.  This has worked many a time for me.The IDE drives were no longer detected! : rs8389


---------------------------------------------------------------------
what o/s is used!!!m_2
if its winxp you need the  cdgone  patch aumha.org

761.

Solve : cpu stuck to heatsink! doh!?

Answer»

This is actually more than the heatsink stuck to the cpu, ill start from the top...
It was TIME to get a new computer and i decided to have a go at building it myself. i got all the parts set it up installed windows no problems! but then.... one night. i shut down the computer, and suddenly 3 seconds later it turned back on by itself. the case was still kinda open and to my absolute horror, the fan wasnt spinning! i pulled the plug immediately. then i decided to go SLEEP, let the cpu cool down. then in the morning i plugged the computer back in, and it automatically turned on. i DIDNT EVEN press anything, and the cpu fan wasnt working again! so then i called up the place where i bought the computer parts and they said to bring in the motherboard and they will replace it, so when i was taking out the ram, video card, etc. i got to the heatsink/cpu, i tried to take the heatsink out but it didnt work, i applied a lil more force and it came out..but with the cpu stuck on it!!! arghhhh...now im back to square one and probably worse. btw all this happened within 24 hrs.
i got a cpu that is stuck on a heatsink.. i dont even know if the cpu works now from what happened the other night where the cpu fan stopped, and i got a computer that automatically turns on whenever i plug the power supply to the wall socket. some one please help ><urrrm. This sounds like less of a tech question more of a bin and get a new one. If it has stuck i would assume it is to do with heat? In which case the only way to remove it would be to reapply heat, something i wouldn't recomend. See if u can dupe the company out of a new processer and heat sink aswell. tell them that the faulty mother board caused the problem. cos well it did

762.

Solve : help help!!?

Answer»

i used to run my pc for WEEKS without SHUTTING down.recently whenever i tried gaming, the pc would shut off just LIKE that without any warnings. upon opeing the casing, i saw that one of the 2 fans on my motherboard is not working.

this would occur whenever i tried to run games APPLICATIONS. after the shutdown, i am unable to restart the pc for at least 5 mins.

a friend suggested that the power supply is faulty and advised me to change it. or should i just try to fix the faulty fan instead?Yeah It sounds like your over heating. The fans would be the first place however if you have a low PSU it wont be able to support so MANY fans. Another salution woudl be a new case like Coolmaster. their new case comes with something stupid like 10 fans and a PSU to support them all and stuff.. but yeah. Fan first

763.

Solve : frequent blank screen on monitor?

Answer»

My motherboard died on me abt 3 weeks ago. I took the CPU to the shop to get it fixed. They replaced the motherboard and RAM. While it's working fine now, I'm wondering why I get this frequent blank SCREEN on the MONITOR. I've checked the "power SUPPLY" option in the control panel. It's not that the whole monitor shuts off. But the screen just goes black for 2 - 3 seconds and then, things are back to normal again. But this happens every 20 - 30 mins or so.  Check your video card to make sure that it was not "knocked out of place" in the tower... Also, try upgrading your video card drivers by going to your video card manufacturer's WEBSITE...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

764.

Solve : Searching for a lost script?

Answer»

Some years back I SAW a script one COULD put on their server that allowed users to write a book. It displayed a neat OLD book cover - there was a choice of several - put your TITILE on it, etc. And you turned the pages to read the book. Users could come back at any time and add to their book.

IF anyone out there KNOWS of this script I'd sure like to be pointed to it.

Thanks in advance.Sorry. Somehow put this in the hardware instead of the software section. (sigh)

765.

Solve : wireless modem problems setting up HELP?

Answer»

I am having big problems. Just bought a BELKIN WIRELESS MODEM + USB NETWORK

ADAPTERand i cannot get it to work.
I have used the set up wizard but nothing has happened i just cannot connect.
When i am ask for my isp details there is a BOX asking for VPI/VCI  -- I havent a

clue what that means---next to VPI/VCI are 2 BOXES where i assume you put the

correct numbers in--- currently they are 0  and 38


IF ANYONE HAS ANY USEFUL TIPS  OR  step by step GUIDE FOR USELESS PEOPLE  (IE  ME)
PLEASE PLEEEEAASE GET IN TOUCH  ASAP

CHEERS
Arthur.

Short of following the steps I would check out the belkin website and PHONE the tech support. I have experience with belkin and found following the instructions worked when seting up mine and my mates network

766.

Solve : Connecting home pc to laptop to use monitor?

Answer»

My monitor for my HOME pc broke - I'm TRYING to CONNECT my laptop from WORK to my home pc but am at a loss - I have the cord but that's about as far as I've got - help?Wont work.  Cannot be DONE.  You can connect a separate monitor to the laptop but not the laptop monitor to the desktop.

767.

Solve : unable to get my computer to sense(or read) my VGA?

Answer»

How do   I get my computer to OPEN up  my VIDEO player? I have already connected up my motherboards, and I have ALSO ripped the whlole  thing, but I can't get MT SCREEN to play Am  I missing  something, or am just stupid?...?

768.

Solve : hard drive troubles?

Answer»

well THERES several parts to this so bare with me

i recently bought a 250 gb HARD drive and installed it and when i went to properties the hard drive was reading as 125gb

i want to transfer the files over from one hard drive to another but i have the new hd on xp pro and the old one on xp home i was wondering is there any way to transfer the files from one to another WITHOUT having a copy of xp home

and when those two problems are solved i need help setting up a master and SLAVE situation

any help WOULD be greatly appriciatedThe full capacity of EIDE drives larger than 137GB (128GB binary) is not recognized in Windows 2000/XP

Jumper settings for WD EIDE drives

769.

Solve : dazzle 90 screen freeze?

Answer»

I have just bought dazzle 90 ubd video DEVICE to convert analgue camcorder TAPES to dvd.
When i get to the capture PART on studio (9.3) the screen freezes and i am forced to restart computer.
Has anyone succesfully used the dazzle 90 and help me get it working?
Which operating system is this? Have you checked to be sure that the software is compatible with your system? Have you been keeping up with your Windows Updates on http://www.microsoft.com ?

[glb]Flame[/glb]yes i believe this product works with xp. I'm on sp2 and have updated recently (its on AUTO)How much RAM are you using? Does this happen with any other program?

[glb]Flame[/glb]the freeze has not happped before....
I do get the occasional computer restart, which i'm inverstigating as we speak.

Microsoft.com suggests going to cmos and disabling all caching and shadowing?  Trying to get my head round that.  #
I've also put a thread on the drivers forum as i'm more than slightly confused over updating them (under superdry)
just upgraded to 512 to use this dazzle 90.i've downloaded the patches for the motherboard, but now the studio programe that comes with dazzle 90 is not responding?
any ideas what i can try next?

770.

Solve : Monitor slow to come on?

Answer»

Recently my monitor started coming on slow when i frst TURN on my computer or after I totally shut it down the restart. It is a Dell Dimension 4400 with a Pentium4 and a Dell flat screenHave you scanned for viruses and Spyware?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Yes, I run a scan once a week and no viruses also I have run adaware. I was wondering if maybe settings have changed somehow.My monitor problem all started after my screen totally FROZE one night and I had to shut the computer down. Then when I turned it back on, all I had was a black screen. On the third attempt, I waited a little longer and finally the monitor came on. It has done this every time since then. It takes between 5 and ten minutes to come on. Could I have done something to the settings? If so, how do I get to bios on a Dell Dimension 4400 and then what do I do once there?first i'd check if its the monitor and not the p.c or vice versa, have you tried other monitors?No I haven't tried another monitor but maybe a good idea huh. ty Quote

...how do I get to bios on a Dell Dimension 4400 and then what do I do once there?

System Setup PROGRAM
Dell™ Dimension™ 4400


Thank you for the site and it did help my monitor a little but now I've NOTICED that after a power outage while the computer is on, when it restarts, the monitor fails to come on and I have to shut the computer off then wait a MINUTE or so. After I turn the computer back on, it takes between 5 and 7 minutes for the monitor to come back on. I know for sure that the monitor itself isn't the problem. Any ideas from anyone?
771.

Solve : motherboard - hard drive problems?

Answer»

Hi all,

So I have a Compaq Presario 700US from 2002, and the old hard drive got fried.  I´m in Chile so my options are limited, so I connected a friend´s old 10gb hard drive from a 1999 computer.  I was able to install Windows XP just fine, but then problems began.  One out of three times, the computer freezes while booting.  The rest of the time it loads, and I can use it for a while.  Then a clicking sound starts emanating from the case, and within a few seconds the thing freezes.  This has happened maybe 6 times, and each time it works for a shorter period of time before the clicking starts.   I tried reformating Windows fromt the CD, once successfully, but the problems didn´t go away.  I don´t know what´s going on...it´s not consistent!  Any ideas what the problem might be?  Could the motherboard and hard drive not be well suited for one another?  Could the hard drive be bad?  Could the motherboard have problems?  Any suggestions on what I should try to do?  THANKS so much!!!!

-EricHi Eric,  A little more information please.
What size, make, model was the old drive/is the new drive? Have you checked the jumper settings? What make and model is the motherboard? Do you have backup devices? ie. Jaz drive, tape, etc. Are the fans WORKING? Do you GET any beep codes? How are the ribbon cables connected to HDD and CD? ie. HDD on one cable, CD on another, both on one. Does the BIOS recognize the new drive CORRECTLY?
Let us know please.
jimHi,
Thanks for your response - the old drive was a 20GB.  The new hard drive is a 10GB IBM Travelstar, model IC25N010ATDA04.  The jumper settings are okay.  The motherboard is a Compaq 274774-001 (I tried for more info, but even Compaq´s customer service couldn´t give me more than that).  No backup devices.  The fans do work, no beep codes.   The HDD and CD are on separate cables.  BIOS does recognize the new hard drive, but how do I know if it recognizes it correctly?  In the BIOS setup (after pressing f10 while loading), i can´t do anything but CHANGE the load order of the drives.   Thanks again for your help!

-Eric

772.

Solve : Mystery Freeze-Up?

Answer»

I am as of late experiencing a strange FREEZE in my computer, where it goes unresponsive and then refuses to boot for several minutes after I restart.  The problem first occurred when a friend of mine installed 3D Mark 05, and RadLinker, in hopes of upping my score.  After finding a "stable" level he proceeded to play Knights of the Old Republic, showing me the improvement, the game ran fine for about 10 mins then the computer froze.  That being the first time the computer froze I removed RadLinker.  

The problem still remains, I originally thought it was connected to the Video card, but have swapped out the card and used other cards after the system froze and discovered that it still refuses to load.  Its not related to the game, as the computer has frozen up just opening a web browser, the strangest part is that there seems no reason for the freeze up.  It has happened just loading into windows.

My rig is a Giga-Byte: GA-K8VNXP w/VIA K8T800 chipset,  AMD 64 3000+ Athlon, 1-gig DDR 400, Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro with 256mb DDR, Belkin wireless card, SoundBlaster audigy platinum, Sony CDRW, Creative CD-Rom, Zip DRIVE, Floppy, and two hdd, 1x80gig and 1x10gig, Powered by a 500watt power source, Running windows XP Pro.  

Please NOTE the only changes to the system since this has started happening have been the regular security updates from Microsoft, and the average temperature in the room has GONE up but the CPU remains between 30c and 40c at all times, with no discernable heat from the system except off the video card and a chip on the board located directly bellow the AGP port (which has since been covered with a heat sink, and produces considerably less heat. (you can see a picture of the board here, and the chip I covered. http://www.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Products/Products_GA-K8VNXP.htm# )

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

773.

Solve : Ethernet cards override USB?

Answer»

I have an Athlon AMD XP 1800+ It has 2 onboard USB connections, 1 onboard Ethernet and 1 pci ethernet. My adsl is using 1 usb.
When ever i plug in something into either ethernet plug my usb connections stop working? i dont know what it could b. There r no conflicts when U look in device manager. USB ip/tcp is set to auto whilst the ethernet card has 192.168.0.1 for my xbox. It was working fine until a mate tried to network his pc to mine. he doesnt know what he has changed. Any help would b MUCH apprieciated.Have you tried running a Windows Update by going to http://www.microsoft.com ? Have about UPDATING your DRIVERS for the Enternet card?

[glb]FLAME[/glb]

774.

Solve : Computer Growls?

Answer»

I have an IBM system that I purchased in 1999 (I think). Several months ago, it began making growling noises.  I PRESUMED my hard drive was failing.  I figured I'd continue to use it until it just died.  Well, last night it did.  If it boots at all, it boots to Safe Mode.  I have parts of another computer that I attempted to get working.  By placing a different hard drive in the original system, it still growls.  So it's obviously not the hard drive.  Also, I checked the fan to ensure nothing was touching it to cause the noise, and there wasn't.  However, even if there was something touching the fan, it should still boot. Any idea what could be wrong?  Call an exorcist! I want you to recite these words to your computer... "The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!" If possible, put a holy cross next to it, and maybe just a TOUCH of holy water...

Time to be serious.... Did you have virus protection prior to this "growling" maybe a virus has invaded your system and has messed with a few things....

[glb]Flame[/glb]Yes, I have always had Norton AntiVirus running with regular updates.  The growling began several months ago, and continually got worse.  About a year ago, I lost sound, but it magically came back.  I can power the system off, but to be able to turn it back on I would have to discharge capacitors.  That problem corrected itself the same time the sound came back which was several months ago.Perhaps I need to clarify my last post.

Like I said originally, this is a 1999 IBM computer.  I first began having serious problems a little over a year ago.  The system wouldn't power on unless I discharged the capacitors every time.  So, to get around this, I began LEAVING the system on all the time and just doing regular reboots.  At the time this problem began, I also lost sound on my system.  I had not made any changes to the computer at all around this time.  I uninstalled the sound drivers in Safe Mode but upon restart, it didnt' find the sound card.  A year later, the system began booting normally and the sound just came back on it's own.  This was about 2 months ago.

Not long after, the system began making growling noises.  Not all the time at first, just every now and then.  But the noises became more frequent.  I presumed the hard drive was going bad and figured I'd just use it until it completely killed over.  Well, a few days ago, it wouldn't boot up except for in Safe Mode so I figured the hard drive had finally died.  I swapped out the hard drive.  The system still growled and didn't boot properly.

I placed the hard drive in another system, it boots and no growling.  So, I thought maybe it was the power supply (100w).  The only other power supplies that I have are 250w.  So, I tried one of those.  Again, it only boots to Safe Mode but at least no growling.  While in Safe Mode, I ran my Norton Anti Virus and it didn't find anything.  

Hopefully this additional info will help.Sorry Michaela, but I'm all out of ideas! You best wait for someone else on the forum to help you... Sorry!

[glb]Flame[/glb]I'll take a shot at it.  I suspect one of the fans is choked with dust.Would dust in the fan actually make the growling noise?  Wow, I would never have thought of that.  The fan is dirty, but with it being 5 years old, what else could you expect?  Any ideas on the best way to clean one?LOL.....maybe you should try Flame's idea about the exorcist.      
Just kidding....


Anyways, you use compressed air to clean your fans.  I thinks that's whats causing the noises.   Also, if you thinks it's the hard drive, did you install something big in it?  Cause my 5 year old 6gb hard drive started to make noises when i installed XP on it.I would either use compressed air, or a slightly wet que tip, and gently clean out the dust... Also, for some hard to reach places... What about tweasers? Try them... Please remember that when you open a computer's case, that you need to unplug the power cord first, and ground the electricity from your body... (Done by touching the inner metal frame of your computer)

[glb]Flame[/glb]I'll try cleaning the fan and LET you KNOW the results.  Thanks for the suggestions.I go with the fan is just dying.  When the bearings go in a fan, it will frequently growl for a time, then get quiet, etc.Well, I cleaned the fans (pw and processor) with canned air.  It appears as if the growling has stopped.  Unfortunately, now the system isn't recognizing my hard drive (which was removed during cleaning).  Geeze, just one problem after another.....What error message are you seeing when the hard disk is not recognised? Have you connected the wires correctly? Are they connected firmly?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Michaela Cole.......By any chance , did you remove the heat sink and processor when you were cleaning the fan ? AND .....why on earth did you remove the hard drive ?   Thats like going out to clean the trunk of your car and saying ...I'd better remove the engine .....
Are you certain the hard drive is plugged back in properly ?

let us know

dl65  
I wondered the same ting about the hard disk, but I thought that I best not ask... It's too late in Florida right now to hear about it...  

[glb]Flame[/glb]

775.

Solve : RAM stuff?

Answer»

My girlfriend has a Dell with Intel Celeron with 128 MB of
RAM.  I really don't know too much about rams except that they play football in St. Louis.  Her puter is very slow, in fact, you can push the buttons to get it going, then eat a dinner and then it should be BOOTED up.
I was told that if I put more RAM in it, that it will make it BOOT up faster.  Is this true?  I was advised by a friend who KNOWS a lot about puters that if I buy a 256 RAM thing and install it along with what is already in there, that it will boot up faster.  Is this true or false?  He showed me how to do it, but if it ain't true, then I won't be doing it.  Thank You :-/That actually just depends on what else is going on.  I suspect that if it is as slow as you say it is that RAM will have little effect.

Let's start with....
What OS is on the computer?
What speed is the computer?
What programs are loading at startup?
Is the slowness in the initial stages of boot or the final stages?

Also, when was it last defragged, temp internet files deleted, excessive e-mails deleted? All of these can slow it down to a crawl too.
jimA great program to use is MICROSOFT bootvis which analyses and speeds up boot times http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=664To Gussery:  I will get back with you within a couple of days with the info you want for the RAM stuff whenever I get back on her computer.  Thanks
By speed of computer, do you mean RAM or where do I find the speed?Processor Megahertz (Mhz) or Gigahertz = Speed

776.

Solve : Signal Problems?

Answer»

Starting about 3 days ago whenever i try to play video type FILES my moniter turns black and the "No Signal" message APPEARS and I have to restart my computer. And starting yesterday sometimes it happens and random times. I'm not very computer smart so any help/thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.check cable  connections.......tower/desktop to monitor..

have you added a NEW vid/graphics card?? does your keyboard/mouse work!Yes, i've checked all the WIRE connections and they are all hooked up properly.

No I haven't added anything new and everything works fine up until the point the signal stops in which CASE I have to restart in order to regain the signal.How old is this system??

777.

Solve : Would appreciate info on motivating an old floppy?

Answer»

Hi all,

I am a short filmmaker and am trying to construct a prop with a SPINNING wheel for an UPCOMING short film.  I have settled upon the drive motor from an old 5 1/4" TEAC floppy drive for the motive power, but am unable to work out two essential elements A) the voltage these things ran on, and b) how to connect a battery to make the thing move (it needs to be something like this setup, to avoid causing any damage to actors, crew etc.)

It's an unpaid/"No budget" film.

SO if someone could give me any idea of the correct CONNECTIONS to look for, I would be eternally grateful!

Cheers from "downunder",

Ian Newman
PS: I am a qualified "house electrician", but was never trained in electronics.Ian Newman..... If you look at the back of the  51/4" floppy drive , you will see two (2) rectangular plugs ......
one has many pins ....( I can count then if you REALLY want to know ....)  the other will have just 4 pins .....thats the one you want ....... If you can get a hold of an old pc power SUPPLY and cut off one of the 4 pin plugs ...... the voltage of the motor is 12 volts......

Good luck.

dl65  

Thanks muchly dl65!

Cheers

778.

Solve : Load Keyboard?

Answer»

Installed NEW Logitech PS/2 keyboard (WinXP SP2). DOWNLOADED latest drivers.  Keyboard does not load at BOOT.  Must uninstall and reinstall.  Wizard wants to reboot DUE to new hardware.  If I do it does not load..Back to square one.This this keyboard compatible with your system?

[glb]Flame[/glb]

779.

Solve : gaming problem?

Answer»

I've been TRYING to PLAY Guild Wars on my computer. However, after playing it for about 5-10 minutes, I get a blank screen with the message "out of scan range", and then I cannot do ANYTHING other than restart my computer. Any ideas?

My specs:
1.6 ghz.; 512 ram; 128 video; however, the monitor i'm using is old, i'm talking 1994. Thanks for any input.You have NO IDEA how annoying this is... Check the Gaming board...

[glb]Flame[/glb]Thats a Graphics card issue. Try UPDATING your drivers.

780.

Solve : Do i need to update my Bios?????

Answer»

I reformatted my hard drive because I THINK I had a virus. Then I reinstalled windows 98. Now the computer wont recognizes the CD-ROM the floppy drive or the jump drive. I also can't change the monitor from the lowest resolution and color settings (I do have the monitor MANUFACTURERS DRIVER installed) Do I need to reinstall the Bios? Do I still have a virus?in answer to your questions no. Just sounds like you need to fiddle with it. I'm not too familier with windows 98 as i was like 7 last USED it.Reformating doesn't necessarily get rid of a virus. You need a good anti virus program or an online scan to do this. Also, any malware programs you can FIND. Try that before doing anything irrevocable.
Good luck.
jimJump Drive and monitor (graphics card) require 3rd party drivers to function in Win98.  Download from respective manufacturer's websites.

781.

Solve : Laptop shuts off out of nowhere?

Answer»

I have a Sony Vaio Laptop PCG-GRT 160.  It's ALMOST 2 years old.  Nothing wrong with the performance but the laptop shuts off by itself after being on for a little while or if I am running programs that use a lot of power...such as playing music, playing movies, or using P2P software, even using powerpoint.  The computer is very loud...sounds like a jet airplane engine...which makes me think the fans and cooling SYSTEM have something to do with it.  I have mentioned this PROBLEM to many computer repair centers, but they all have no idea what could be wrong.  It is definately a physical problem but I can't get any ideas of what could be wrong.  I just hope maybe someone has had this same problem and can tell me what to do.  It's quite frustrating when I'm working on something and my computer just shuts down out of nowhere.  I have to wait another 3 or so hours for it to cool down just so it will work for 15 or so minutes when I turn it on.  Please, anyone, help me with this.  Your words are greatly appreciated.You know what this sounds like... Your fans are making that sound becuase they are all "cloged" with dust... And they came on becuase your computer is running a large program, and it needs to cool down the computer... However, becuase it can't cool the computer down, the computer overheats, and "triggers off" the security device telling the computer that it is too hot, thus making your computer SHUT itself down... Also, waiting for 10-15 minutes is becuase it is natually cooling off... You need to get that fan checked... TAKE the laptop to a computer store for a look...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

782.

Solve : Computer/Sound starts to lag?

Answer»

Hello, everytime I play a game or so or have several programs running or leave my computer on for some time my sound starts to crackle and lag alot so does my computer which stops me from playing my games... It happens ALSO when I open a game then close it then attempt to open it again... I have to switch my computer of by the plug/button because if I just reboot then it's still the same  .. I don't think it's a virus because I have formatted 2-3 times... I don't know what the problem is.. I'd appreciate it if someone could help me with this problem  Go to your sound card manufactuer's webiste, and download the latest drivers for your sound card... Follow the provided instructions to install them... This SHOULD fix your issue...

[glb]Flame[/glb]It's not just the sound my computers performance drops... I also have the latest updates of my sound card...ok.... Well.... Would you LIKE to share your computer performance problems with us so that we can help? Also, when was the last time you updated your sound drivers?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Well things take longer to load while ingame I move very slow and I can't aim because of it... the sound is very rusty and I can't use my internet fast when it starts... Before I formatted my computer the sound was crackling very bad and i was hearing alot of odd sounds and the lag was even worse.. when I formatted my computer was fine for 2 DAYS then it started again.. Could my graphics card be knackered or something? it also triggers it off if I open a game and close it then open it again or open a program like photoshop
edit: my sound and computer is absolutely fine until it starts to lag :SOk... Have you scanned for spyware? Virus protection? And as I asked earlier... When was the last time you at least checked for sound card updates?

[glb]Flame[/glb]I have spyware doctor 3.2 registry mechanic, AVG... Norton all very effective.. I searched for updates through windows and it said the hardware was up to dateI just looked on everest and found this in Problems/suggestions under my graphics card...

Problem      AGP is disabled. This may cause performance penalty.
AGP Version      3.00
AGP Status      Disabled
AGP Device      nVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X
AGP Aperture Size      64 MB
Supported AGP Speeds      1x, 2x, 4x, 8x
Fast-Write      Supported, Disabled
Side BAND Addressing      Supported, Disabled





Ok... So let;s enable it... Right-click on the My Computer icon, and hit properties... Click on the Hardware tab... NEXT, click on the Device Manager button... The Device Manager will now open... Find your video card, right click on it, and hit the enable button...

[glb]Flame[/glb]There was no enable option but I clicked update hardware and it updated but everest still says the same thing :S.. I'll report back if it starts againCan you click on the properties button, and enable it there?

[glb]Flame[/glb]

783.

Solve : laptop screen freeze?

Answer»

Hi- this site is a wonderful resource. I'm having problems with my laptop freezing. It is hit or miss (i.e. SOMETIMES it happens, sometimes it doesn't), but occasionally when I BOOT up the screen will freeze and slowly start fading into a blurred image. Sometimes the freeze can be temporarily stopped by clicking the touchpad repeatedly, but this only postpones the inevitable. I can CLARIFY if anyone needs more info. Thanks for all and any help!Try reinstalling your video card drivers... Actually... I want you to update them... Go to your video card manufacturer's website, and download the drivers for your video card... Just follow the instructions provided with the driver(s) to know what you should do...

[glb]Flame[/glb]Thanks, I will do that. Another thing to add: It is definitely related to the amount of power in the battery. My laptop works fine when the charger is plugged in and both lights are green. The freeze only happens when the battery is CHARGING and I try to boot (i.e. one light green, one light orange).So when it is charging, you have problems? It sounds like that is hardware related... CONTACT the manufacturer to see if it can be replaced...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

784.

Solve : 1557 Keyboard keys all missed up?

Answer»

Somehow I activated the "Fn" hotkey and thus turned all keys marked with blue on my aopen 1557 laptop keyboard into other letters and numbers. The reason I can write to you now is because I am writing on an external keyboard.

How do I change the keys back to the default signs. how to turn off the Fn key.It's DIFFERENT for most laptops. do you have a guide?no, I don't. what do i do, i can't FIGURE out how to deactivate it.somwhere on that laptop should have a reset button.....normally a pen shoved in the re-set hole may do it.....thanks, but I just reinstalled Windows. I had tons of SPYWARE anywayJust for the future... There should be a blue/purple FN key somewhere on that keyboard... If I'm right, all you have to do is press that button to deactivate it... ALSO, becuase you have had spyware trouble, I just want to say that... You mgith want to consider Microsoft AntiSpyware for protection...  

[glb]Flame[/glb]Yes, you would figure so. That is what I thought too, but pressing the blue Fn button did nothing, keeping it pressed for a long TIME also did nothing. I was quite surprised that it didn't work.

I'll check out the anti-spyware, thanks.

785.

Solve : computer will not start fans on and lights?

Answer»

short version FANS stay on no post?


I just got this computer as a second computer. it was not getting any power at all. so i went an bought the power surply, i installed it and now the fans come on and the lights in FRONT come on. no hard drive noise, floppy or cd rom, and no monitor. just the fans and they stay on. when i push and hold the power button in front to turn it off it does not do anything.

stats
emachines t2040
atx
2ghz
40gb
256mb
56k modem
6usb ports
its one of those mother boards that eveything i on there the only card is the modem. power suply is 250 watt you know the one with 115/250 red button.


thank you for all your help.
Did you replace the new power supply to have the same voltage as the new one? Or id the new one more powerful?

[glb]Flame[/glb]I'm having a similar issue--the only thing I can think of is the power supply--I've already taken steps to correct any other possible problems with mine--new mother board, processor, hard drive, etc.  Check out the post about a "no POST issue" in the computer HARDWARE area--it may help.  It's the one that ends with "please read and help if possible."have you replaced anything else on this pc.like mobo/cpu  was it bought CHEAP??.....does seems to point to mobo?//It seems the connection fron the front panel to the motherboard is not connected the right way you might like to check to see if they are this way looking at the motherboard starting from front of the case Reset next to it HDD top row power might show as pwd or power sw nest to it power led and make sure all coloured wires are facing to the back of the case >like GREEN orange ect.I may be out on a very tenuous limb but, it's possible your BIOS is empty. You said you got it as a second computer, new or used?
jimit was used and it did not have any power going to it. i replaced every thing the way i took it off. i have checked all the wires and i am guessing it is the motherboard. the led light the green one in front of the case is on and it stays on. i was thinking i would get some noise out of the hard drive or floppy.

again thank you all for your help.

786.

Solve : installing PCI lan card with onboard lan?

Answer»

Hi all, my pc has one onbord lan socket. I'm trying to install a PCI lan card so I can have two or three lan connections. I'm trying to set up a network. When I boot up with the PCI CAR installed, the PC powered up, but does not get as far as POST. No post code, and it stops there. I TRIED to disable the onboard LAN in Windows, but still does not give POST when BOOTING. It is o.k. when I TAKE the lan card out, but I need to add at leas one more lan connection.

Thanks in advance.

WayneTry LAN card in different slot.  If no good, card is bad.

787.

Solve : computer crashing, please help?

Answer»

alright, my computer is randomly crashing in game, upon restart i submit the error report and get apon doing so microsoft gives me the error message "STOP 0x000000EA THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER" I've reinstalled Video card Drivers (Nvidia Geforce 6800 GT Card) my BIO settings are all as they should be, I haven't recently installed any NEW hardware or software. Can anyone help me out with this!?The Power of GOOGLE

SYMPTOMS
When you run a video-intensive program, such as a movie or a video game, you may receive one of the following stop error MESSAGES and BUGCHECK information:
STOP 0x000000EA, (0x81774538,0x81a8fc78,0x8193e490,0x00000001)
THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER
Note that the four PARAMETERS after the stop code may be different.
Back to the top

CAUSE
This problem occurs because your computer has an Nvidia video card installed that uses the Nv4.sys video driver.

To see if your system is using one of these drivers use the following procedure: 1. Open Device Manager.
2. Under the Display Adapters icon, click to highlight the display adapter, right-click it, and then click Properties.
3. Under the Driver tab, press the Driver Details button to view the driver names.
4. If you have multiple display adapters, repeat these STEPS for each adapter.
If you have multiple Adapters in your system, it may be necessary to capture a memory dump and have it analyzed by Microsoft Product Support to determine which video adapter driver is at fault.
Back to the top

RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain an updated driver by contacting your video card manufacturer, or visit the following Nvidia Web site:
http://www.nvidia.com
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
i've got the latest drivers, straight from the nvidia site already, thats the first thing i did. im just trying to exhaust every option before i go and blame it on the hardware, cause then i gotta send the *censored* card in for repair, assuming that even is the problem. :-/

788.

Solve : Need help installing win 95/CD-ROM not recognized?

Answer»

I am trying to SET up a PC for my Daughter, but not sure how to INSTALL windows 95.
I put a spare hard drive in it that I formatted, and I am not sure how to run the windows setup from the CD-ROM, because the COMPUTER doesn't recognize it YET.  What do I need to do to access the CD-ROM?So the CD ROM lights do not flash at all? Or they do but you can't read CDs?

[glb]FLAME[/glb]Yes, lights flash, but it won't read.Well to run from the Cd use www.bootdisk.com and use it to enter DOS to run setup or enter system setup. Mine is hit DEL to enter don't know yours. Try changing your boot sequence to CD first.

789.

Solve : Did I ruin this hard drive??

Answer»

I was formatting an extra hard drive, I think the whole thing was partitioned, and I DELETED the partition.  Now my computer doesn't recognize it.  How can I fix this?Deleting the partition is normal... Do you see any error messages when you try to boot up? Or should I say this... What makes you think that the computer can't find the HD?

[glb]Flame[/glb]I had it in another computer, trying to see if I was having a hard drive problem in it when I did this, and it wouldn't show up after I did this.  I put it in this PC, and it wouldn't show up on this one either.Sorry, ALSO there is no error message.check your cables two comp cannot be wrong also your SETTING on the drive your jumpersCreate partition and format. Quote

Create partition and format.


Agree...if you have a system floppy disk with dos files, including FDISK, it's a piece of cake...just run FDISK, create the active partition and then format the drive...easy for me to do after learning the hard way a few years back.
Give it a shot... It's the best way...  

[glb]Flame[/glb]
790.

Solve : epson fx1170?

Answer»

do any ONE knows how to use epson fx-1170?

My PROBLEM was when I am printing a document it stops in the MIDDLE and beep twice with four BEEPS and all the lights were blinking

I am printing multi form paper with 4 pages.
Once again... See the last post....

[GLB]Flame[/glb]

791.

Solve : epson fx-1170?

Answer» IM PRINTING from epsonfx-1170. Its a dot MATRIX. When im in the middle of printing, It stop and beeps a number of times and all the three lights are blinking. Im printing with a 4 sheets of paper.Please see LAST post...

[glb]Flame[/glb]
792.

Solve : 64ram xp pro 128 would be nice?

Answer»

I put this, TX97-X Asus togther from scratch literaly, It only takes SDRAM, I put this 128 card into it but she only recognises 64ram. Do I have to update my bios to do this? seems a little tricky to me  
                                                                     ,ZukruWhere do you see that there is only 64 MB? Also, you are SUPPOSED to have 256 MB of RAM for XP...

[glb]Flame[/glb]hello Flame,
Yes im RUNING xp pro with 64ram, I took out the xp fancy look, In the perforrmance options. It runs fine, 98 would not recognise my AirPlus Xtreme G PCI Wireless Adapter card, this motherboard duz not have small ram sticks in it only the LONG large SIZE SDram I belive. I have a 128 card in it and she wont run it all only half of it, I heared though the grape vine, that i would have to update my bios in order for my asus to recognise the 128ram, is this true? I builded this PC my SELF from the ground up with older wareware    hellya fun, got to start some where.
                                                                       ,ZukruYes... I think that updating your BIOS would help... Try it, and get back with us...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

793.

Solve : Modem probelms?

Answer»

Here's the system:
PCChips M741 series motherboard with on board sound and modem-actually the modem is a little mini modem that plugs in on the motherboard rather than an expansion slot.  Only ONE expansion slot available.  We upgraded to W98SE and have tried numerous drivers to GET the modem working-no luck...sound drivers work though.

Intel Pentium III
86mb ram
8gb Hard Drive
Win98 SE

I just installed a Rockwell HCF 56 modem in the one expansion slot available but Windows can't seem to find it.  I'm wondering if there's a bios setting that is preventing it from seeing the modem.  The numbers next to the expansion slot are: PC11...no clue what that means at this point, or if it's helpful information.

This is starting to be a real pain...it also has an onboard ethernet ADAPTOR...it also doesn't install...very strange.

Any help GREATLY appreciated.

what does the device manager report??.....maybe the mobo.......>>.http://modemsite.com/56k/trouble.asp Quote

what does the device manager report??.....maybe the mobo.......>>.http://modemsite.com/56k/trouble.asp


Still investigating here...the onboard modem worked prior to our clean install of W98SE...it's feeling like pilot error here.

Device manager sees the modem after installing it, but the OS doesn't recognize the driver occasionally, stops installation, etc.....when it does recognize and allow driver installation, control panel diagnostics doesn't see the modem...since we have nothing ELSE other than the OS on the computer, we may do another W98 install...still thinking this through. Quote
what does the device manager report??.....maybe the mobo.......>>.http://modemsite.com/56k/trouble.asp


PS!  I went to System Information and boith autoexec.bat and config.sys files are EMPTY...very strange...BIOS setup perhaps? Quote
what does the device manager report??.....maybe the mobo.......>>.http://modemsite.com/56k/trouble.asp


Thanks for links Merlin...a BIT of patience and the PROPER drivers have everything in good order here!...modem, ethernet adaptor all work perfectly.  Also found an updated video driver that CLEANED video up as well.
794.

Solve : Keyboard....?

Answer»

I read a LOT of topics on this that I found but none really answered my questions, so now I come to you guys…and gals for help, my “?” on my computer is and “E” with a line over the top, my setting are not on French and it is only one the one key…is there away to change the properties of just one key?
How did this happen?, and more important how do I change back?
maybe a corupted files or  a trojan worm is the cause! always guess the SOLUITION with LITTLE INFO provided?? :)Options to  try a reboot- and hold down the f8 on boot .......chose last good config.......or GO to the control panel and click the keyboard icon.....and chose english settings....re-set...it..have you downloaded any files from msoft??

795.

Solve : LAN, Modem, firewire missing from Device Manager!?

Answer»

Hello!

I have a barebones P4 1.6 GHZ that I PUT together about 2 years ago.   It has on-board LAN and modem, and I added a firewire PCI card about 6 months ago.  I also have an AGP video card installed.  Earlier this week I was rendering a DVD overnight (LOOOONG process) and I awoke to find that the computer was in what seemed to be a "hibernate" mode.  No display, but lights on the tower.  Computer did not respond to mouse or keyboard input.  Eventually I reset and there was no display on startup however it seemed to be starting up normally.  I removed the AGP card and plugged the monitor in to the on-board video.

When I restarted again I had video again and everything appeared to start up normally.  However once I got in to XP and started looking around a bit, I found that the on-board LAN, on-board modem, and firewire PCI card were no longer working.  All of my network connections were gone and the components were missing from the device manager.

I have tried to reinstall both ORIGINAL and updated drivers for the components, but XP does not even detect them.  I also tried a PCI LAN card from another computer that was known working and XP did not detect it.  I did a repair install of XP tonight with no positive results.  The install went fine and XP is running smoothly, but still no on-board LAN, modem or my firewire card.

Anyone have any ideas?  Thanks in advance..On one of your bootups did you happen to select
'boot to last known good configuration'?
I recently did this & lost the lot (drivers).  

I then had to reinstall every driver manually. Quote

On one of your bootups did you happen to select
'boot to last known good configuration'?
I recently did this & lost the lot (drivers).  

I then had to reinstall every driver manually.



Thanks for the reply!  I hadn't done any previous boots using "boot from last know working configuration", so I don't think that this is the problem.  XP won't even let me install new drivers because it's not even detecting the hardware.  It's as if the hardware doesn't exist or XP has lost the capability of detecting hardware.

Starting to wonder if something has gone bad in the mainboard..

Thanks againSee if you can 'add new hardware' from the control panel.Nope, no good - tried that already.  Doesn't recognize any new hardware, and when I try to install manually I get the CODE 10 error.  

Last night I took a new hard drive, formatted it, disconnected my old HDs and installed XP on the new one.  Didn't detect any of the same STUFF.   Guess I will install a new motherboard - guessing that the PCI bus is fried or something..

Thanks allremove both cards from the device manager and re-boot...... and then shutdown  then* take out the cards* and re-boot it maybe an irq problem...

*Case removal caution is needed* esd........play safe.....
796.

Solve : CD-RW probs?

Answer»

Hi guys - I hope someone can help me. In short, my prob is that I have to reboot my computer every time I change a CD. It will then read the CD, but if I put another in the drive, I have to reboot again for it to read. Clear as mud?
I have removed the CD Burner and replaced it with another - same prob, so it doesn't look like a Burner problem.
I am running a Pentium 4 with XP Home, and I have tried both the original Samsung burner + a TDK ONE. Can anyone help?

TrentHi TRENT... Try updating the drivers for the burner by going to its manufacturer's website... Also try running a Windows Update by going to HTTP://www.microsoft.com ...

[glb]Flame[/glb]Thanks - I'll give that a SHOT - though with the same problem with 2 different CD burners, I didn't think it would be a specific driver issue. Thanks, and if you think of anything else, please let me know.  

Trent  Actually, you would have to uninstall the drivers for the old burner for the NEW one to work... That is because they are two different kinds...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

797.

Solve : monitor won't display colors?

Answer»

My old computer doesn't recognize my brand of
monitor.  It only lets me select 16 colors and the
desktop only shows shades of gray.  I've already
rebooted from the start up disk and that didn't change
a thing.  No PROGRAMS or games will run because it
says I need to switch to 320 by 240 (or somthing)
colors but I can only select 16 colors.  

Thanks for any help.I am not a computer_god or registered but you might want to try updating your drivers. Go to the MANUFACTURER site of your graphics card. If you do not have internet access then go somewhere where there is one.Pick up your video card drivers at www.driversguide.com The default driver that windows gives you is crap unless it is an internal BUILT in video with motherboard (yuck!) To find the right driver look for the manufacture NAME and MODEL on the video card. Then update.

798.

Solve : No graphics on monitor?

Answer»

computer boots-no GRAPHICS on monitor-tried all hardware on friends computer EXCEPT memory-works. Replaced motherboard-same problem.how far in the boot process do you get?

have made any hardware/software changes

can you boot in safemode?

have you tried to do the "last good configuration option"?no new hardware/software changes
monitor/video card works but doesnt seem to be communicating with computer nothing shows on monitor-completely blank
cant reboot at allare the cables in back of the tower/desktop properly??and the monitor is switched on!is this a pc or is it a laptop!:)One thing you might check too use a felt pad when you SCREW the motherboard into the stud underneath the motherboard, otherwise the metal screw will touch something metal on the motherboard and cause it to short out, where it doesn't boot.  Also, check the fan and make SURE it is powerful enough to cool the processor, otherwise it MAY damage it - causing it not to boot... just a couple suggestions...

Jason Ziarko
Home Computer Consulting Online
http://www.homecconline.com

799.

Solve : Hard drive letters?

Answer»

I have just INSTALLED a new extra hard drive as master (with XPhome) and have the original hard drive set as slave. I want to use the new drive as the BOOT and the old drive as STORAGE. Can I get the new drive to be recognised as the C drive, instead of I drive, as has happened? Will flashing the CMOS do any good ?  http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309000

800.

Solve : Hardware RAID?

Answer»

Hello.

I've a desktop PC and I'm thinking of adding hardware RAID, but a search of what is available has taken me into technical waters over my head.  Can ANYONE help?

My motherboard is an Albatron PX845PEV  "which supports Ultra ATA 33, 66, 100, BMIDE and PIO".  Most hardware RAID cards seemed to be designed for SATA.  Is this the same thing?

My hard drives are three Western Digital CAVIAR 40GB 7,200 rpm Mode 5 Ultra ATA.

At the cheap end of the PCI Raid cards is the Megapower 8212 (specs at :http://www.megapower-int.com.tw/product_ide%20card_mp8212Raid.htm)

In the "middle" (my DEFINITION) is the Kouwell KW571B  (Specs at: http://www.verbatim.com.au/products/productdetail.cfm?ID=KW571B)

At the top end are products like the Promise FastTrak TX2000 (Specs at: http://www.promise.com/marketing/datasheet/file/FTTX2000_v3.pdf)

Would all, any, none of these work for me?

Why is there such a big price difference?  Does it tell?

Does the addition of a PCI card with IDE channels disable the onboard ones, or can I use these as well for, ie, a CD-ROM and a DVD writer?

Thanks for your help.