Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in .

I currently have 4gbs running with my computer it lags rarely but sense i built it, there shouldn't be any, should i add another 2gbs would it stop any lagging. OO and just to add my computer is currently disassembled so i can't really TRY anything, thanks. IMHO 4Gb should be well good ENOUGH. 

Any lag would I think be more likely due to some ''bottlenecking'' in the system, unless your RAM itself has any problems.  Someone else may recall the method for a RAM test - it escapes me right now.Vista, as any other 32bit system, can't even use 4GB of RAM. All you can use is ~3GB.Oops - THX Broni - forgetfull me again!  alright cool ill just keep the 4gb, i read up on it yea UR right 64bit uses 4gb 32bit uses like 2.9 3.1, so how can i fix or indicate bottleneckingRe bottlenecking - I think just run thru all your processes and see if anything stands out as being a problem. 

services.msc will be useful to peek at for what is running.  And even processes in taskmgr.exe can maybe help too re load on RAM etc.With 64bit system, max RAM depends on Windows version:
Theoretically even on a Cray Research Supercomputer there is bottlenecking....what makes you think you have an issue ? ?
How does the machine run ? ?

Hi There!!!!
I have 17" CRT Monitor. Intel Chipset 915G, OS XP SP3 Professional.
My display is Vibrating/ Shaking whenever I INCREASE resolution or refresh rate.  So I can't have resolution more than 800x600. Whenever I increase resolution to 1024x768 or more, it vibrates. If I increase the refresh rate to more than 60, then display is shaped like PINCUSHION, which can not be Straighthen by the menu on the monitor.

HELP Please....................This must be an OLD monitor [you don't give any info about it] as it can't handle the resolutions or refresh rates you're trying to achieve.  Best replace it.

Alan <><

Monitor went blank.

Nothing responds, including the power button.  CD doors won't OPEN.  When I attempted to reboot by pulling the plug and restarting it, the router light indicating the computers connected goes out as soon as the power goes on to the PC. 

Any thoughts?

Thanks for any help you can provide. More info might help.

What if anything preceeded this?  How long computer in use.  What OS version? (SP2, SP3).  Recent changes?

Right now sounds LIKE a near total failure of PSU.  Normally CD drawer would open as soon as power comes on - plus of course a power LED.Ok...

The situation occurred while a game program was on - Bridge Baron, which has a fairly minimal graphics and sound requirement.  Computer had seemed a bit SLOWER of late, but no other oddities that I noticed.

Computer has been in use fairly constantly since purchase in November 2002.  Operating system is Windows XP, not sure what service pack.  I have been doing the recommended updates from Microsoft and had installed the latest update in the morning.  No other recent changes.

Not sure what a PSU is...power source unit?

Thanks much for your help.

Sorry yes - "Power Supply Unit".

If no major warning signs then does seem POSSIBLE the PSU has a major problem.  6 years is quite a time for a machine too.

If you have had updates then probably SP2 is on at least and anyways - sounds like that may not matter too much even if a very recent update added.

If the puter/PSU runs as an ATX (the sort that powers down after system shutdown) then that too may be behind the problem - either due to PSU not responding to the power button push - assuming that in itself is fault-free.

So - subject to other's comments I still feel the PSU is your failure causing the problem, unless I forgot something else.  I am TRYING to remember if PSU units have any fuze that could blow - right now I think not from what I have used over the years.

Hello,

I am looking to buy a new GRAPHICS card to enable me to play the latest games, I am specifically looking at getting a GeForce 9800GT or an ATI Radeon 4850.

However, my motherboard isn't the GREATEST and I'm not sure that it will COPE. 

I have an Asus P5VD2-MX SE, specs are listed - http://www.ciao.co.uk/ASUS_P5VD2_MX_SE__6638990

I have a 450W PSU which I understand is sufficient.

I have a Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4ghz processor and 2gb DDR2 Ram.

Can ANYONE help with this, I would really appreciate any advice you can give.

Cheers!

your motherboard should do fine.

BTW, the 4850 OUTPERFORMS the 9800gt.ok - I'll give the 4850 a go.  Thanks for the help homer.no problem.

I was wondering if this computer was a good deal. It is from Dell:

PROCESSOR Intel® Core™2 Duo processor E7200 (3MB L2, 2.53GHz, 1066 FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Business Bonus
OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft Works 9.0
WARRANTY & SERVICE 1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
MONITOR 19 inch SE198WFP Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor 
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4DIMMs 
HARD DRIVE 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
OPTICAL DRIVE 16X DVD+/-RW Drive
VIDEO CARD Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100
SOUND Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio 
KEYBOARD & MOUSE Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Keyboard and Mouse - Arctic Silver
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive Included
MODEM No Modem Option
My Software & Accessories
SPEAKERS Dell AX210 1.2W Speakers
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, FIREWALL, 30-Days
My Service
DATASAFE ONLINE BACKUP Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Mouse Mouse included with Keyboard purchase 
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9.0 Multi-Language 
Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet 
Labels Windows XP™ 
Miscellaneous Award Winning Service and Support 
PHOTO AND MUSIC SOFTWARE No Entertainment software pre-installed

It costs $894
Hi Nate.

You might want to run those specs by a few other manufacturers and do a comparison, but any difference you might find in price will be minor and likely not worth considering. Yes, that's a good price.

The one thing that jumps out is the video adapter which in this case is the standard onboard device that comes standard with most Dell machines.  If you're doing any gaming you'll want to upgrade this. If that's not the case, you have everything you need in this configuration.

I think this is a good choice, but just wait to see what the rest of the gang here has to SAY before you jump in with both feet.ok thanks there is another option for a video card and its an ATI Radeon HD 3450 256MB supporting HDMI video card. It costs $40 more. If you are a casual gamer the $40.00 card is ok but if you are a serious gamer i wold look into the Ati 3850.  And you may save money getting your own card and installing it instead of ordering one of Dell's options...well good news! I found a $200 coupon code and I changed some things.
Here is the new list (not much has changed though,):

PROCESSOR Intel® Core™2 Duo processor E7200 (3MB L2, 2.53GHz, 1066 FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Business Bonus
OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft Works 9.0 
WARRANTY & SERVICE 1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
MONITOR 19 inch SE198WFP Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4DIMMs
HARD DRIVE 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
OPTICAL DRIVE 16X DVD+/-RW Drive
VIDEO CARD ATI Radeon HD 3450 256MB supporting HDMI
SOUND Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
KEYBOARD & MOUSE Logitech Cordless Desktop S 510 Keyboard and Mouse - Arctic Silver
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive Included
MODEM No Modem Option
My Software & Accessories
SPEAKERS Dell AX210 1.2W Speakers
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 30-Days
My Service
DATASAFE ONLINE BACKUP Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year 
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Mouse Mouse included with Keyboard purchase 
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9.0 Multi-Language 
Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet 
Labels Windows XP™ 
Miscellaneous Award Winning Service and Support 
PHOTO AND MUSIC SOFTWARE No Entertainment software pre-installed

The new price is $844
Thats good: You can use the savings to get a better Video card & like Patio stated installing the card yourself will save $$

Hello everybody

My grandson has a new computer, it runs very well but he believes that a computer should be able to run 24 hours per day 7 DAYS per week. As re reckons that EVERY time you switch it off it creates problems. I have a computer myself which I only switch on when I have to use it.

We always are at loggerheads, as I reckon you are wearing out the bearings of the fans and the hard drive.


Is there any reason for keeping the computer on 25/7.

I'd have to take your side on this topic. There shouldn't be any need to leave a computer on over night, unless it's downloading a large file that will take several hours.

I don't believe that physical wear is the problem, as computers become obsolete before physical wear really sets in. but leaving a computer on is going to have detrimental effects on performance. for instance some poorly designed programs may not release memory so when they're no longer in use the memory is still unavailable. Also heat may be a problem depending on what kind of environment the computer is in.

Quote from: Bert184 on October 14, 2008, 09:07:13 AM

Is there any reason for keeping the computer on 25/7.

However, if you regularly clean your computer

There is nothing wrong with either way: always on, or on, and off.
There is no proof of any of those ways having any impact on computer health.
The only difference is the electric bill.
Personally, I stay away from any form of power saving modes (sleep, hibernate, etc.). They suck.

personally, i always switch off after use, because it saves power, and at least you let the fans stop for a rest.

No offense Broni, but what is it about Sleep mode that sucks? I've had no problems.

and it does say pc400?

I'm getting a new dell and I Was wondering if this was a good hard drive and if it will help my computer run faster

I am getting an Intel® Core™2 Duo processor E7200 (3MB L2, 2.53GHz, 1066 FSB) and 4GB DUAL Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4DIMMs

This is the hard drive that I want to get:

320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™

Thanks  Who makes it ? ?
Dell doesn't make HDD's.

I am going to buy a Motherboard that supports 4 STICKS of DDR2 Memory.

Now the Motherboard runs in Dual CH. and they told me if I install one tick of Memory it will run it in Single CH. MODE.

Now I know that DDR2 meens that it can send and receave Data one every Clock Cycle.

And that is whare the DDR2 comes frome.

So if I install one Stick of DDR2 Memroy and it runs in Single mode like they say does that meen it will not be sending and receaving on every Clock Cycle??

I hope I explained myself if not just ask??Anyone?DDR2 can be run in either dual or single channel mode.
Dual channel mode can increase performance, but it rarely has a very measurable impact compared to single channel.
However, to ANSWER your question, DDR2 still TRANSFERS data twice every clock cycle whether in dual or signle channel mode - it's jsut that in dual channel mode both sticks can be accessed at the same time.

a duckt thing

It's stupid because if your making toast or something, you need bread. Where is the bread? in the kitchen. What else is in the kitchen? A TOASTER.


It uses a PCI slot, AND it adds a LOT of heat.

Okay so I recently dropped my computer by accident. (Actually it was hardly a drop, maybe a foot drop)

But anyways, I looked and nothing was noticeably wrong with it, until I tried to listen to something. There was no sound. Then I tried to put my headphones in and realized that the headphones input thing was jammed inside of the computer.

So I was wondering if anyone could tell if this is COMMON. Do you know hat happened to it? Would I be able to fix it or would I need to take it to a shop? How much would it COST?


Thanks for any helpIf everything was working prior to the dropping of the laptop i woul say it needs repair.As far as you doing the repair that depends on your knolage with the unit. If you dont know i would take it to a shop and explain the pblm.to them and ask for a rough estimate.They probaly wont be able to give you a FIRM quote until going into it.Computerhelpneeded,Welcome to the CH forums. xavier is giving you sound (no pun intended0 advice. However looking ahead to your getting the news as to what is involved and how much it will cost to repair the damaged connection (and whatever else MIGHT have been affected by the drop). Might i offer another solution at that stage. Purchase an external USB sound card (could be a lot cheaper than the repair cost. I am not advocating either of the links that i am about to give. They are only given as examples of what is available (a lot more than just these 2 sites).   http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=205&product=9103


  http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/category/category_tlc.asp?CatId=107&SRCCODE=CANWGOOGPS&cm_mmc_o=7BBTkwCjC-p8ByplCjCabTwyKbywgfCjCmH4

Good luck,truenorth

I have a Dell 4700 with 2-256 MB RAM strips.  The machine's owner says he installed a NORTON SOFTWARE update, after which the BSOD appeared.  The machine will boot up in Safe mode, but within a few seconds, the BSOD again appears.  I ran a hardware diagnostic, and found that one of the RAM strips reported as defective.  I took this strip out, but the machine still has the same symptoms.  I intend to try to do an XP repair operation.  In the meantime, perhaps you hardware experts out there may be in position to confirm or refute my hypothesis that the defective memory strip may have caused read/write errors which in turn led to the BSOD.  If so, it appears these errors may be so extensive that I'll have to do a clean reinstall of XP.  By the way, after removal of the defective memory strip, the hardware diagnostics reported no errors.

Another by the way - My first step was to check for viruses and spyware.  Found no virus indication, and only a couple of benign tracking cookies in this process.  I also ran chkdsk, and found that two sectors had indexing errors, which were corrected.  Still - the BSOD continues to appear.

Any advice on this issue will be much appreciated.Although not very common any flaky hardware issues from power problems to failing HDD's and even numerous RAM based errors can in fact affect any software installed including the OS itself.
Although i don't think this may be the issue here it's better to be safe than sorry.
I'd suggest replacing the RAM first off because XP will gasp with just 256 in there.
After that i would DLoad and run the diagnostics on that HDD from the manuf. site.
Third i would post back here with the PSU manuf. and wattage rating so we're sure it's not underpowered.

Last but not least you could do a repair install of Windows if the blue screens CONTINUE after all this.Patio:  Thanks for your reply.   Since I couldn't locate new RAM right away, I simply removed the defective strip (after checking all the RAM thru several diagnostic tests), and MADE do with the remaining 256.  To free up as much memory as I could, I disabled all non-Microsoft startup processes, and managed to do an XP repair, but, as you suggested, it was a bear with so little RAM.  I have a GB of RAM on order now for this machine.  The hard drive passed all diagnostic tests, and the machine is only about 4 years old - so I gather that the continued blue screens after removal of the bad RAM resulted from corrupted files caused by the memory errors.  Anyways, after the repair operation (which I could not get thru until I removed the RAM), the machine is  stable and it appears it will do quite well when the RAM which I have on order is installed.

Thanks again.Good news indeed...stop by anytime.

Hello:  My computer is acting real weird for a loong time,here is the problem .....Since I built this computer it never TURNED on "normall" I had to pressed the "on" and "off" surge protector  many times till I see the blue lights of the fans and the sound will go away and that indicates me it was ok to turn it on from the pc button.Other wise it will turn off RIGHT there and then without even try to go th "post"....Ok so once I past the "turning" back and forth On and Off  thing ...the computer will act as normal as any computer .But now after the whole thing It still TURNS Off after 10 minutes or so....Why?
I just changed the POWER SUPPLY thinking was that and the same problem....I amd frustrated and beyond any ideas...CAN YOU Help Me Please??
Hers are my Specs:
Mother Board= Asus Model A7N8X
CPU            = AMD XP 1500 1.3
Memory       = 1 Gig
System OS   =Windows XP
HD              = 120 Gigs
Video Card   = BFG Ge Force 6200
DirectX         =  9.x
Thank you ....HELP Please !      So every 10 minutes, the computer just shuts down?

Exactly 10 minutes?

Any errors?Bo, it just shuts down   does not REBOOT at all....And I GET no errors !Does it still shut down in Safe Mode?

Hello, I want to update my computer graphics without taking out my old graphics card.

Can I run 2 different graphics cards.

The one i have in my computer now is, Nvidia GeForce 7600|2006 model

The one I want to add onto my computer, http://www.mwave.com.au/newAU/mwaveAU/[email protected]YZEX1BIW6WN&sku=42022128
You can run 2 cards if you have a SLI board, meaning the board has 2 slots for one for each card .Why do you want to run 2 different cards?

Please disregard the above advice, it is incorrect and misleading.Why disregard, Im stating a fact1. You do not need an SLI capable board, only a board with two expansion slots.  These could be PCI, AGP, or PCI-Express, as long as both can run together.
2. Assuming you ACTUALLY meant that an SLI board is needed to run two Nvidia cards together to increase performance, you need the same model, which you did not mention.
Therefore, your advice is either (1) incorrect or (2) incomplete.A SLI board will perform ALOT better than with a board with 1 card in a pci slot and another in a agp slotI'm not talking about performance, I'm talking about actually running two different video cards.
The cards in the original post can be run in any board with two PCI-Express slots, but never in SLI mode, so why do you keep talking about SLi boards?
I still don't know what you were trying to get at, but your advice is still either incorrect or incomplete. Quote from: Calum on October 17, 2008, 07:54:45 AM

Why do you want to run 2 different cards?

Please disregard the above advice, it is incorrect and misleading.

So, I want to keep my old graphics card while inserting a new one to improve performance.

So, i need an SLI board and run the same GPU for it to boost performance?

Hmmmmm. maybe buying a new Computer is the way to go.

could i put my current hard drive in it and boot off 2 hard drives?

I have a Hewlett Packard printer.  I've been publishing a newsletter for about two years and never had this problem before.  I use Microsoft Office Publisher 2003.  The printer will print everything else except publisher.  It will pull the paper in and then it completely stops and the printer icon disappears.  Anyone have any ideas?I GUESS no one can help me.  I've tried everything.  I just unplugged the printer for 10 minutes took out the ink cartridges and when I put everything back the same thing happened.  I've only had this thing for two years.  I need a GOOD printer for the newsletter.  It's very important.  It has worked so well for me before.   Not sure why you'd be having a problem with only 1 program, but you can TRY saving it as SOMETHING different first, and then printing it. A good way to do this is use a PDF printer which SAVES the print out as a PDF instead of actually printing it, then it can be printed from Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader.

doPDF is a good, free PDF printer. http://www.dopdf.comIt is in pdf form.  I have a free program for that and this morning I finally fixed it.  It seems that pdf files are sometimes hard to print but in the settings click on Advanced and click the box for "Print as an Image."  It worked!!

Thanks for your advice.See pepper...that didn't take that long....

patio.

Hi, I am planning to build a computer. I never built one before.

I know what it looks like inside a typical mid-tower casing, BUT the casing I have is from a "Olivetti Personal Computer M240" computer (a mid 1980's computer), I have difficulty planning the right hardware for this particular casing. The biggest QUESTION I have is how do I fit a motherboard in it correctly since this is a REALLY old computer. 

This is the computer casing I am trying to use. I already clean out all the old hardware out of it, now I want to put hardware that is compatible with Windows XP Media Center Edition Operating SYSTEM in this case. Could anyone tell me where do I start?
you will need to do a LOT of modifying to that case to get it to accept modern hardware and as we are not physically there, we really cannot give you any instructions on how to modify it. you will need to use your better judgment and experience. however, if you are not experienced with computer hardware, i highly suggest that you do not start modifying the case. I KNEW I would modify it first since the modern hardware seems so different to this computers hardware . I thought I should use a modern Case first but since I had this computer that has booting problems, and is not compatible with today's hardware I thought I would use it's case instead. Since I have no experience building computers I'll get a modern case. Thanks

Hi I'm upgrading my Mobo/CPU for the first time and it will also be my first time installing these items. I'm looking for info suggestions on the items I want to buy.

I currently have

Windows XP pro
Motherboard: A7V400-MX
CPU: Athlon XP 2500
2Gigs DDR2 400MHz
500W Power Supply
AGP GeForce 6200
80Gig hardrive
dvd burner

What I want to buy

ECS A740GM-M Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+

I am only upgrading the Mobo/CPU the rest of the components are from my current set up. Here's what I would like to know;

Can you for see any problems/ hurdles I might want to look out for with these products?

How good is the on board video? Will it play what my GeForce 6200 plays or will it play newer games?

What should I keep in mind when in installing these components? Will I need to reinstall Windows?


Additional Notes:

My goal is to upgrade to a better Mobo/CPU than what I have on a limited budget. Also I wanted to pick a motherboard that I can continue to purchase upgrades with [ like an PCI E card] in the future.

Also thank you everyone who HELPS me out. Quote

How good is the on board video? Will it play what my GeForce 6200 plays or will it play newer games?

...can't run any of the modern games...

I have a Dell inspiron 1501.  It is about a year old and i just replaced the battery about a WEEK ago with a new 9-cell battery.  Anyways all was FINE and dandy till this morning. It was plugged in all day yet this morning it would not turn on unless i had it plugged in.  When it booted the power meter in the corner showed the battery was charging and was at 47% well i left my laptop in the rest of the day and STILL did not go past 47%.  Also as soon as i unplug my laptop it shuts completely off. no pwer whats so ever.  Please help.....If you just replaced the battery then it should be under some kind of WARRANTY. I'd take it back if i were you.

FBYeah, Take the laptop back with the receipt and tell them what they did didn't work.

I am using a Sony VGN-FS550. I have Ubuntu installed on the hard drive, but have the same problem when I used to run Windows XP and also now when I run Backtrack 3. The hard drive has "SMART Failure Predicted on Hard Disk 0. However, I don't think the hard drive SMART error is the problem since I load Backtrack 3 from a CD (liveCD).

Everything boots up fine, I can get into any of the three operating systems and the monitor works fine. It looks like at some point something overheats. This is where the monitor problem comes in. All of the colors on the screen run TOGETHER rendering the monitor useless as there is no viewable image. The lines on the screen are moving though. Sometimes it does this right after the BIOS splash and other times it does it an hour into using the operating system.  Its hard to explain what it looks like. If needed I will take a picture of it and post it up.

I have no idea where to start with this, so I came here looking for help. What is Backtrack 3, and does your system act this way when you don't use Backtrack 3?S.M.A.R.T. is a built-in HDD health indicator....that deive is getting ready to fail and should be backed up immediately and replaced. You may have a week...or you may have an hour.Aegis - If you read my post, I clearly stated that it does this with all 3 different operating system. The OS is not the problem.  Backtrack 3 is a Slax Linux distro.

Patio - I know what SMART is. I am not concerned at all with the data on the drive, if it crashes then O well. My concern is the monitor. Does SMART correlate with the monitor discrepancy? If not, what is causing the monitor to act this way.


Quote

Aegis - If you read my post, I clearly stated that it does this with all 3 different operating system. The OS is not the problem.  Backtrack 3 is a Slax Linux distro.

but have the same problem when I used to run Windows XP

You clearly stated it in your own mind.

I can get into any of the three operating systems and the monitor works fine.

When I TURN my computer on, my MONITOR will not receive any signal from it.  I am certain the that monitor works, because I tried it on another computer.  My graphics card is built into the motherboard.  It's a Dell Dimension 2400 that's a few years OLD.  I was wondering if this could possibly be a simple problem, or if the motherboard is completely bad.  Any suggestions?Do you have acess to a video card? If so installDear ,

CHECK your VGA card, there may be some problem with it. Install another one and then check.........

 From what the spec. sheet on the dell 2400 showes it only has on board video, no slot other than PCI. Will have to use the PCI route Quote from: usman.sialkot on October 16, 2008, 05:47:25 AM

Dear ,

check your VGA card, there may be some problem with it. Install another one and then check.........

 

I am looking for WIRELESS computer MEANS there are no wires from/to any peripheral or device from/to CPU and NETWORKED wirelessly too . Doesn't exist...
Even laptops which would come CLOSEST to your NEEDS need to be plugged in from time to time...

OK I'm new to this so go easy...

I just bought a 3 monitor set up 2 of the monitors will be used as an extended desk top. the 3rd monitor(one I already had) will be a clone to one of the monitors so that my CLIENTS can VIEW it at my desk..  The PROBLEM I'm having is that the cloned set of monitors are connected with a splitter and are different BRANDS but the same res 1680x1050 when they are both hooked up the computer doesn't know what monitor its looking at.  If I START the computer and only one monitor is hooked up it works fine and I can even hook the clone up and the res. is perfect but if the computer get started up with both hooked up the image is very large and the res gets set to 1024x768 but in properties it still says its 1680x1050 so I don't know how to over ride the computer not knowing what brand its hooked to and just put out the right res?

I know that was long and may not make much sense but that's what I got.

Very randomly my computer shuts down and i get this message Target_Mdl_Too_small  and I saved a mini DUMP file.Can anyone help me to debug the minidump or find whats causing this crash? I did find a lot of dust on the cpu fan and cleaned it out with a soft brush and can of air. I checked other fans they are running but im not sure if the power supply is running as fast as it should be. i blew it out also . my computer is about 4 years old and I never turn it off. I ran speedfan everything is normal but it shows hot on cpu but i found that the cpu is suppose to be around 70c and its showing about 60-60C sometimes up to 70c. my video card does seem to give me heck sometimes playing flash so thought maybe it may be going out or need newer driver I updated the driver and still problems. well any help appreciated. just want to send this minidump if someone can read what it SAYS. i dont have the cd of winxp just  a restore software disks. cant find the debugchk.exe on it. Quote

i found that the cpu is suppose to be around 70c

Hello,

So continuing on my dead computer, i'm finally trying to set up my hard drive in another machine to recover the DATA. And, of course, i'm having troubles with it.

Here's the situation. The data that i'm trying to get is on an SATA hdd, only i don't a computer that runs an SATA hdd. Infact, the computer it was in didn't run sata hdds. I have one of those ide to sata converters, though, and i wouldn't be surprised if that's what's causing the problem. So i PLUG it in, and it simply doesn't recognize the new hdd. I can still start up windows off the ide one, but it doesn't give any indication of seeing the new one.

Yes, it was also suggested to me to get an external case for it so i COULD easily get the information off. The only reason i'm not doing this is because after I've got the information off it i want to reformat it and use it as my internal hdd. So i would literally be spending the money on a case to just get the information off it when i know there's another way.

Any ideas?
Just as i was typing this i thought about drivers for the converter, but when i originally set it up i think it automatically installed them and i'm not sure where i'd find them for it...

ThanksYour least painful solution would be to find someone with a newer machine that has a burner and take it there and hook it up to SATA port 2 or above and COPY and burn your info to CD/DVD....
Then format it.

I wouldn't suggest using adapters of any KIND if your data is important...

hello!

I got a harebrained idea today and wish I had a time machine LOL. Anyway I am posting fromu iPhone so please forgive any errors

HP pavilion a847c
250 g serial ata hard drive
Pentium 4 w/hyperthreading
512 mb pc3200 DDR sdram
HP pavilion f1703 flat monitor

Windows xp sp 2 & 3

I pulled a video card (PNY GFORCE 3200 64 bit) out of my old machine since the hd crashed.  I also pulled 2 512 mb memory cards and installed all into the second machine (specs above). Now when I power it up, it does the single beep (I understand that this indicates all is SUPPOSEDLY well?) but the monitor doesn't wake up!!! 

Help!! What could havegone wrong and any suggestions on what I can do?  I have done these installs before on other pcs with no issues and I'm stumped

TIA

Mismatched RAM....
Vid card drivers need installed...

Try booting the machine in safe mode and SEE what happens...thanks. I'll try removing the memory cards though they should be compatible

How do I start in safe mode if I can't see anythiing?  Dumb question I know but it's been forever since I've had to use safe mode haRestart the machine and tap F8 repeatedly and before you see the Windows splash SCREEN...Well, removed memory cards and it starts, but resolution is way off, everything is huge !  I am in safe mode now, but when I try to restart, it just restarts itself and then prompts me to start in safe mode.  I even tried plugging the monitor back into it's original spot and it's still doing the same thing.  I guess I should have left it alone, huh?

I don't know what to do next   Maybe the video card is shot?  If that's the case, wouldn't the original video card work?

Quote

Vid card drivers need installed...

Hi..I searched to see if this has been brought up already and I didnt see anything on it.

I need to download a quickbooks file onto my sandisk 8gb flashdrive.

The computer recognizes the hardware, but when I go to d/l the file, it says invalid path.
My husband downloaded a new driver for the flashdrive, could he have d/l the wrong one?

Do I need to REFORMAT this? If so, can someone TELL me how?

Thanks! When you put the flash drive into the computer, can you see it in My Computer?

Also, I ASSUME you mean you want to put the quickbooks onto the flash drive?Hi..gee,youre everywhere!

I stand corrected, yes the quickbooks file.
It does show up in "my computer".

What do you think could be the issue, and what if it doesnt show up in my computer?(for future reference).

The computer is recognizing the flashdrive.

Thanks!I think the main problem with flash drives not being recognized is if you keep pulling them out without using the Safely Remove Hardware feature.
When you PLUG in the flash drive, there should be an icon with a green ARROW in the System Tray (near the clock).
Left Click it once and click on the Flash Drive to remove it safely.

Quote

Hi..gee,youre everywhere!

Hi..gee,youre everywhere!

Hello guys, I just bought a replacement computer screen for my computer.
I was wandering if the the VGA input will work in my computer.
At the moment I have a HDMI cord pluged into my computer.
It is plugged into a port next to the another port with a HDMI to VGA adapter.
I was wandering why do i have 2 ports for computer monitor input?
If i PLUG a VGA cord into my VGA adapter will it work?
I'm not even sure if the adapter cord is connected to my graphics card.......

Please help

So you've got TWO VGA ports in the back of your computer?
either you've got two cards or that card you have got supports two monitors. I can't see it not being connected to anything.

There's no harm in trying, plug the new monitor into the VGA port and it should work.

FBNo, they are both HDMI ports, Its just that one port has a HDMI to VGA adapter.
Will that support a monitor with VGA cord?yes. If you have a HDMI port and a VGA cable then as LONG as you have an adapter then it should be fine.

FB

my laptop kept getting hot and shutting down- so i took it to repair shop- they said had corrupted files, and SUGGESTED reformat. i have some documents i'd like to save if POSSIBLE. i realized it was probably getting hot DUE to dust in the fan- so i cleaned that. sometimes it will come on and work fine- other times it wont even come on- the power light will, but screen stays black, and sometimes it will come on all by itself. the system is vista, it is aspire 3680 2682 Quote

they said had corrupted files,

Quote

they said had corrupted files,

I would like to speak to them.
No doubt they offered to fix it?

I don't think reformatting is they key.

Is this a recent problem?

Okay a few months ago I fell asleep with my computer on and a storm came pretty suddenly while I was asleep...anyway few hours after i fell asleep i pretty much literally jumped out of bed to what sounded like an explosion. What had happened was lightning stuck the tree outside my house leaving it in half splinters and half...firewood. Anyway it knocked out my power and when we got it back on a few hours later i TURNED on my computer and heard a loud sound i looked at the back and the sound seems like its from the fan in overdrive or something and about 1 minute after computer startup it stops...no fan or anything so im AFRAID of my computer OVERHEATING but nothing has really happened in the past few months.

What i have to do to shut it down is unplug it in the back. I let it go through its shutdown procedure and everything is fine...till the "Windows is shutting down" screen goes away and it goes black I get a "no connection" on my monitor which i expect but i hear that same loud fan sound from the back of the computer till I unplug it.

Before the strike I would just push the button on the front and it would turn on no problem and when i turned it off it would go from "windows is shutting down" to completely turning off.

Anyway I wanted to see if I could figure out the problem because I want to put in a new graphics card but im afraid of putting one in and having it get ruined...i plan on buying a new computer but till then I want this one to run the best as i can get it to.

If anyone has any SOLUTIONS id greatly appeciate any help I can get...even if its "take it to a computer person" im afraid ill have to do that anyway Quote

i hear that same loud fan sound from the back of the computer

this CMOS battrey problem.. change your CMOS battrey problem solved.

/////I am trying to install the dual monitor abilty on my PC. I hooked up my primary monitor to my graphics card, and i hooked the other up to the second display adapter above that.

Both monitors work fine, Ive hooked both up to the graphics card, and the are both flawless. Ive gone into display properties/settings and tried to extend the DESKTOP onto my second monitor. This didnt do anything. Every forum i follow tells me to select the secondary monitor and click "Extend my Windows Desktop to this Monitor," and then click either "ok" or "apply". Once i click apply, or ok, my main monitor simply flashes, and then the box becomes UNCHECKED, and nothing has changed.

Ive gone through the hole Troubleshooter, and it told me that it coulnt identify my problem. If any of you kind GENTS could, please give me a hand,
Thanks much

-X-What graphics card is this ? ? Quote

...and i hooked the other up to the second display adapter above that.

My Digital Storm PC needs to be soft-booted each time we start in the morning. The XP Pro software loads, but the screen just GOES dark (the monitor is on).

Thought maybe the fans were not working, overheating, so I ran SpeedFan's software and discovered that the GPU (Ge Force vid. card) and Core (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor) were listed as 63' C! Checked the fans in nVIDIA'S settings and thery were at CPU 1973 RPM and GPU 4983 RPM.

The MAIN board is a EVGA 122-CK-NF68 2; clock is at 266 mghz. and is not pushed.

Can I fix this overheating problem with an extra fan?An extra fan NEVER hurts.  Have you cleaned the inside of the computer lately / lots of dust bunnies there / latest drivers for the VIDEO card?

Alan <>< Installing the latest drivers for the GeForce 7900 vid. now. Maybe that's it!I have a SOYO MBoard that has acted the same way for a few months now...never did track down the cause...i guess i just got used to it.
One thing you COULD try would be to borrow a known good PSU of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there overnite and see if that changes things...Called Digital Storm and they are sending out a MB (free of charge to me) today! That's certainly better than anything we've come up with.....
Good News. Quote from: Thomas Bailey on October 13, 2008, 03:29:12 AM

Installing the latest drivers for the GeForce 7900 vid. now. Maybe that's it!

I just bought one of these , i want to know if it can play world of warcraft on low settings , but i cant find the spec for it anywhere 

Anyone have any ideas?

Also is it a good laptop?

Tony:] Specs for what?

Also, I'm not very familiar with WoW, but aren't there like different variations of the game?Its in the question carbon

What's in the question ? ?What i want to know....

The subject is the question....

What GPU does the webbook VIA C7-M 1.6Ghz  have?  The Elonex Webbook is a mini laptop being promoted exclusively (in the UK) by The Carphone Warehose – for 'free' with a new two-year Orange broadband account, or separately for £249 with XP and £219 with Ubuntu. It's an SCC (Small Cheap Computer). It is not a gamer's rig! It is meant for web surfing and wordprocessing. I believe it has a Via Unichrome Pro chipset which includes the GPU. I would not expect the gaming performance to be sparkling, the thing can barely play mpegs.
I know it isn't a gaming rig ?

Thats exactly how i got the laptop , everything you just said i already know. I don't intend to ram games into , im asking if i can play one game , and dont GIVE me that crap it can BARLEY perform Mpegs : /


Quote from: T-Rex on October 12, 2008, 03:55:09 PM

I know it isn't a gaming rig ?

Thats exactly how i got the laptop , everything you just said i already know. I don't intend to ram games into , im asking if i can play one game , and dont give me that crap it can barley perform Mpegs : /

it can barley perform Mpegs : /

Quote

it can barley perform Mpegs : /

...a little barley, a little hops, a little malt...who needs MPEGS?   

Bottomline:  Apart from a bit of trouble playing videos, the Webbook is a very reasonable SCC.

its performance in all areas except hard drive is sluggish.

Its not the prettiest or best performing netbook around but you can get it for free...

The sample MPEG 4 video we played under QuickTime during battery life testing was jerky, with a low frame count, so you would need to watch in a smaller window to be able to view media comfortably.

Hello everybody,

i turned on my computer yesterday and after 3 SECONDS
there was a sound of siren (like a fire truck) and the computer
immediatley turned itself off.

i have to mark that the siren was still singing altough the com' was off...

what should be the problem?? how can i fix it? PROBABLY overheating or something is hooked up wrong...
Have you MOVED the machine recently and/or added any new hardware ? ?
Post ALOT more info about the machine as WELL.

I have an AMD duron socket 462 1300 MHZ 128 MB Taiwan 361BS rig an I had changed the cd drive which ran at 48 SPEED to a slower reader or something.  Its seeing it in the BIOS but it WONT read maxblast 4 so I can put 98 back on it.

I have an old computer whose processor is Intel pentium 3, 500 Mhz speed. About two days AGO, a friend gave me an Intel pentium 3 processor whose speed is 800 Mhz. My question is: is it technically possible to replace the old 500 Mhz processor with this 800 Mhz processor with the existing motherboard to upgrade my computer? Will there be other factors required for this proposed upgradation? Your technical advice will be appreciated. Thanks a lot.What is your motherboard make and model?To Calum:
Hereunder is the specification of the existing motherboard:
     brand = Gigabyte Technology Co., Inc.
     model = i440BX-8671
     chipset = Intel i440BX/ZX Rev. C1
     southbridge = Intel 82371 EB/MB (P11X4E/M)

Actually, the existing processor is Intel Pentium 111 450Mhz (not 500Mhz as I have written earlier). Hereunder is the specification of the existing ptocessor:
     name = Intel Pentium 111
     code name = Katmai
     specs = Intel Pentium 111 450Mhz
     family = 6      model = 7     stepping = 3
     ext. family = 6     ext. model = 7 revision = KCO
     Clocks (core #0)                      Cache     
     core speed = 451.0Mhz           L1 data = 16 Kbytes
     multiplier = X4.5                       L1 Inst = 16 Kbytes
     buss speed = 100.2 Mhz          Level 2 = 512 Kbytes
'Hope this info will GUIDE you to give me technical advice. Thanks.


It depends on the actual revision of the motherboard, which will be written on it somewhere as a version number, probably near the model number.
Also, what's the stepping code on the CPU itself?It "might" (key word here is "might").

The P3-450 you described is 100Mhz FSB x 4.5 multiplier.

A P3-800 can either be 100MHz FSB x 8.0 multiplier or 133MHz FSB x 6.0 multiplier.  If your motherboard AND RAM do not support the 133MHz FSB and the P3-800 you have is 133MHz FSB, it won't work.  If it's 100MHz, then you may still be in business...

...but...

...the other thing to consider is the socket.  Some early P3s were Slot 1.  LATE P3s are all Socket 370.  If the P3-450 is Slot 1, then the P3-800 Socket 370 won't fit (at least not without what's called a "Sloket" or "Slot-ket"...good luck finding one of those nowadays...)

...and one last thing is to make sure the BIOS supports a x8 multiplier if your P3-800 is 100MHz FSB x 8.

So in a nutshell:

1) P3-800: 100 or 133 MHz FSB?  If 133, then it might not work.  If 100, then does your motherboard support a x8 multiplier?  If not, is there a BIOS upgrade that will?
2) P3-450: Slot 1 or Socket 370?  If Slot 1, then the P3-800 won't work without a Sloket.  To killerb255: Thanks for your message, however, I am a little bit confused on the technical aspect of what you have stated. How will I know if my motherboard will support a x8 multiplier (please specs of my motherboard in my PREVIOUS message)?  If not, where can I find a BIOS upgrade that will? I think my old processor is slot 1, as for my P3-800Mhz, how will I know if it is slot 1 or socket 370?
Anyway, hereunder is the specs of my P3-800 Mhz processor as written in the processor itself:

         PENTIUM 111
800 / 256 / 100 / 1.65V
7031A062 - 0024   SL463

I hope this info will give you an idea if I can replace my old P3-450Mhz with this P3-800Mhz. Thanks again for your advice.Slot 1 vs Socket 370 is the easy part.

Slot 1:
http://www.cpu-world.com/Sockets/Slot%201%20(SC242).html

Socket 370:
http://www.cpu-world.com/Sockets/Socket%20370%20(PGA370).html

Sloket:
http://discussions.hardwarecentral.com/archive/index.php/t-14947.html

It does look like the P3 you have has a 100 MHz FSB (same specs as my old one from...I think 1999...2000...)

As for your motherboard...my GOOGLE Fu came up with:

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID=1451&ProductName=GA-BX2000

Wow...this is REALLY bringing back memories...this was the first motherboard I bought in 1999 when I started building PCs!!!!  Deja vu...deja vu...(cue Twilight Zone music)...

....

...

((memories of doing the exact same thing coming back: putting a P3-800 in a sloket on that exact motherboard...no dice...))

My deja vu says no, you can't do it.  The specification say 550 MHz is the max...and that motherboard means it!!!

It's actually a little stranger than that. 

I got a new POWER supply and case today.  I thought my old power supply had died so I replaced it.  The new PSU works fine prior to installation in testing.  However, the PSU will not turn on once I connect the motherboard.  There is a very real chance the motherboard is dead since it is old, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything here before getting a new one. 

There is no power getting to the motherboard at all, and once I disconnect the PSU from it, the PSU STARTS up just fine again.  Any ideas?Your front header jumper to the power switch on the front of the case is hooked up backwards...I'll check it, but that doesn't make sense to me.  Nothing is connected to the power supply at all except the MB.  After I had problems I disconnected everything to use a process of elimination.  The PSU is only connected to the MB via the MB TWO connections.  The power supply itself will not even turn on now.  It has an LED display that turns on with no problem until I connect the 24 pin.Read over your documentation for the motherboard.   
The motherboard turns on the power supply when you press the front panel button. It you pulled off the small wires that go to the front panel it will never turn on.  dslgeek is essentially correct, but he might better explain that the power button on the front of the computer completes the circuit.  The twenty-four pint "bus" from the power supply to the motherboard is what gets power to the central processing unit and motherboard, but it's engineered to be controlled by the push-in buttton switch on the front of the computer.  I kind of miss the old days when computers had large red "flip" type switches, usually in the back.  You knew that was serious!


dslgeek:  I noticed the "eye roll" at the end of your post.  It's nice to know you never make mistakes. Ok, just so I'm clear on this. 

The power supply will turn on just fine until I connect it to the MB. 

After the power supply is connected to the MB the MB must be connected to the front power button on the case, and I can no longer turn on the power supply via its own switch.

Even though the power switch on the power supply is turned on, the LCD on the power supply itself still will no longer turn on simply because it is connected to the MB. 

If I disconnect the power supply from the MB, the power switch on the power supply will now power on the power supply.

I have never in all my YEARS of building systems encountered a problem like this ... ever.  However, this is one of those new power supplies that doesn't use a fan so it's new to me. 

I just want to be clear that you all understand that the MB itself is preventing me from turning on the power supply via the power supplies own power switch.  How in the *censored* is the MB and case power button preventing a self-contained power supply from turning on? Quote

the power button on the front of the computer completes the circuit. 

I want to begin using 2 monitors. In the back of my Dell8300 are two blue sockets. One produces a picture when attached to my flat panel monitor. If I switch to the other socket on the computer I get a message on the monitor saying that I'm connected to the wrong socket.

I believe one of the sockets on the computer puts out an analog signal while the other one puts out a digital signal.

If I get another monitor and cable and PLUG into the available socket will I have two monitors so that I can view two different windows or will I just have two monitors showing the IDENTICAL image?

In the research I've done I see instructions to click on boxes with 1 and 2 and so forth. I don't have any such boxes available with my VERSION of XP Home. Or is that something that would appear if I had a different video card?You can use a display card with 2 outletsWhat video card is in there ? ?Or you can use a VGA to DVI adapterWe may be looking at onboard video + a vid card here which is why i asked... Quote from: patio on October 12, 2008, 12:57:41 PM

What video card is in there ? ?

Go with the adapter Dvi to vga

same image , You might want to [Google] type in ,   two monitors

I BUILT my system about 3-4 years ago. Pentium 4 2.5 processor 1 gig memory and XP Pro (retail version) . I have a RW CD a RW DVD and a DVD DRIVE and have had no problems.
About a month ago when I went to use a blank DVD my drive said it was a CD drive and would not let me use the blank DVD. It is a Memorex true8 drive. I bought a new Sony drive and it did the same thing. I tried changing the drive from slave to master and tried the secondary slave and master to no AVAIL. I have not added any programs or changed anything in over 6 months as this used as my 3rd computer and only for picture/video programs ( no gaming). I have even tried reformatting and installing XP pro with no change. Although in reformatting in some programs even though it says it is a CD drive instead of DVD it will take the DVD and record.
I have looked online and have seen many questions on this and most say it is a hardware problem mostly with Memorex, Panasonic and Lite On and was suggested they share parts. Although with reformatting and a new Sony DVD it still does the same thing.

I was wondering if anyone has heard or knows of any REASON why and any idea of a FIX?

of COURSE, if you buy a new one, then it would fix the problem, but you must install VIDEO card DRIVERS. but for your current problem, you should be able to change the resolution from the icon in your toolbar. easy and simple to fix.

however, you did say after playing BATTLEFIELD vietnam right?

then your graphic card might have OVERHEATED and got overheated, hence the bad colorsBut it crashe when it was loading.

Not during gameplay...

Hello again.   

I'm now trying to install a Rocketfish USB 2.0 Hard drive enclosure. I've taken my old 40gb hd, and put it inside a Rocketfish USB2.0 enclosure. Hooked it up to the computer, and RAN the install program, which the installer didn't recognize the drive. I called tech-support and they said I needed to make it the master, and start over.

Well, I moved the jumper to master, and now I get a yellow circle with a "!" next to the Massive Storage Device under the USB Controller on the device manager.

When I had the 40gb hd in my computer, I couldn't boot into WinXP Home Ed. I was told by someone at Best Buy, that if I put the drive in an enclosure, if it would look past the boot sector and see the rest of the drive. And they told me it would. I'm wondering now...could there be a possibility that the drive is completely bad. I originally thought it was just the boot sector.

Any ideas?What OS?  XP?

Surprised you'd need any installer program, at least not for XP ..... and wonder if you can uninstall and then try enclosure with drive just straight into USB and let (if XP) the system ''find it".

IIRC when I put a drive in enclosure I leave jumpers off usually tho would have thought master would be OK too.

I have had a problem in past with 2 WD HDDs which seemed to be accepted and yet never had a drive letter assigned.When I first plugged it into a USB2.0 card, I had it as a slave drive. XP recognized the new device, but couldn't see the contents of the drive. After changing the jumper to master, and uninstalling from device manager, it again saw a new device, and after a few seconds got the yellow ! INDICATOR. The yellow ! never showed up when it was a slave drive.

My Specs:
WinXP Home Ed. (32-bit)
1.8 GHz CPU Pentium 4
640 MB RDRAM

If there's anything else you need to know, please tell me. Thanks.Right click My Computer and select Manage...then Disk Management.
How is the drive showing up in there ? ?
You can right click it and select Properties for more info...

Report back with your findings.Here's a pic of the Computer Management Console. The drive doesn't show up.

[Saving space - attachment deleted by admin]Here's what it looks like under "device manager."

[Saving space - attachment deleted by admin]Hmmm
Is this being plugged into a rear USB port ? ?
Reason i ask is many front ports are underpowered.
Also try removing as many USB devices that you don't need to get it recognised.

If still no luck go to Contro; Panel/Add Remove software and un-install the driver software for the device.
Power down...do NOT plug the drive in yet.
Boot up and run the driver install again...it will prompt you for when to plug in the drive.
Good Luck. QUOTE from: patio on October 01, 2008, 07:19:48 AM

Hmmm
Is this being plugged into a rear USB port ? ?
Reason i ask is many front ports are underpowered.
Also try removing as many USB devices that you don't need to get it recognised.

If still no luck go to Contro; Panel/Add Remove software and un-install the driver software for the device.
Power down...do NOT plug the drive in yet.
Boot up and run the driver install again...it will prompt you for when to plug in the drive.
Good Luck.

I have a 300giga external hard-drive, every TIME I connect it to my laptop and it stays connected for 2-3 hours I get this blue screen that tells me that I have installed a new hard-drive "incorrectly"! I have used this hard-drive for almost 3 years now and I didn't have any problems! (it runs on electrecity its Not a usb), I did a VIRUS SCAN and malware scan and nothing was detected...any ideas will be appreciated.

Exact message, PLEASE. Windows VERSION.

I'm trying to understand why all the different components of my TV Tuner card won't show up under Vista's device manager. I have installed this TV Tuner card on a different box with Vista and I've been able to use the Windows XP drivers to get it up and working on that box, but when I MOVED it to a new computer I am unable to correctly install the drivers.

When this card is operating normally (when it was in my other Vista box), the following list of hardware shows up under Sound, Video and Game Controllers...
- ADS PTV 305 Audio Capture
- ADS PTV 305 AVStream Crossbar
- ADS PTV 305 MPEG Encoder
- ADS PTV 305 Tuner (Silicon)
- ADS PTV 305 Video Capture

Now that I have it in my new Vista box, only the following show up:
- ADS PTV 305 AVStream Crossbar
- ADS PTV 305 Audio Capture
- ADS PTV 305 MPEG Encoder

So, two pieces are missing (Tuner, Video Capture).  Usually, I would expect that I'd find two unknown devices sitting in Device Manager, but they are nowhere to be found.  When I try to 'Add Hardware' via Control Panel and just brute force the other two components (I have drivers for all 5 pieces), my computer will BSOD.

The computer in question is a Dell Optiplex GX620 and is a slim pc.  There's a PCI expansion BOARD that plugs in to the motherboard to allow full-size cards to be used. I have no idea if this is causing an issue.  I have kept the case open and plugged the TV Tuner directly into an open PCI slot (removed the expansion board) and still got the same result.

I've TRIED looking on Dell & Intel's site for CHIPSET drivers for the 945G/GZ chipset - to no avail. 

Computer Specs:
Pentium D 820
1GB PC-4300
80 GB HD
i945G/GZ Chipset
Intel on-board video card

There are no other cards installed besides the TV Tuner. It's an ADS Tech Instant TV Deluxe (PCI). http://www.adstech.com/support/productsupport.asp?productId=PTV-305&productName=Instant%20TV%20Deluxe%20PCI%20(MCE) There are no Windows Vista drivers; however, I have gotten this card to work under Vista with the XP drivers in ANOTHER computer.

I'm at a loss for what to try next to get these other two components to show up in device manager so that I can install the drivers.  Any suggestions? Until they write drivers for Vista i'm afraid you're out of luck...
Have you contacted the manuf. yet ? ?The manufacturer has said they won't be supplying Vista drivers.  I am curious as to why this card would work under Vista in an ASUS P4P800 MB, but not in a Dell Optiplex (sorry, don't know the MB).  Does that make sense to anyone?  I thought drivers were hardware independent, as in, it shouldn't matter what motherboard you're using, the drivers are the same. Not only that, but I'm fairly certain if I installed XP on the Dell this card would work just fine, or I should say, it darn well should. 

This just isn't making sense to me.  Is there a possibility that there's a hardware conflict somewhere? I haven't messed around with IRQ's or any of that stuff since before 2000. Is there anyway to pull apart the BSOD message to see why its happening?No it's probably because Dell's all use native drivers written specifically for Dell's...
It's been this way forever.
You're not the first one to have hardware not work properly on a Dell machine.

I see in ADS, that there are hard drive enclosures?  Are these to place internal drives (whick are on the cheap) into and use as an external drive?  As someone who has not delved into the "interior" much, I was thinking this might be a way to go, but would like to use USB INSTEAD of hooking up lots of wires?  I know this SOUNDS very immature on computers, but have to get expertise somewhere?  Thanks


William Bowser
Type Fast, Click Fast, Change Drives  with the speed of Light...but, can't figure out the internal parts. Quote from: posse14 on October 12, 2008, 01:33:50 PM

I see in ads, that there are hard drive enclosures?  Are these to place internal drives (whick are on the cheap) into and use as an external drive? 

but would like to use USB instead of hooking up lots of wires?

Hello,

I have a Sony Vaio PVC RX7790 (uc) 28470030.....   I was told that I have only one physical drive.  My C drive only has only 354mb of free space left.  But me D drive has 23.12 GB free.  I FOUND out that the C & D are actually combined.  Can you share with me how to separate the partition?  I was told  it could be done.  I have  done nothing, this is the way it came from the box!

Thank you, LaRaeIf you have the cash, Partition Magic is an excellent program.
http://www.symantec.com/norton/partitionmagic

If you don't want to spend the money on that, then I would suggest moving some of your data over to your D drive. You can use both of them to store your data.

You can also do a clean install and re-size your partitions that way. Just make sure that you back up everything that you want to save beforehand.

What operating system are you using?Welcome to the CH forums.

Easeus Partition Manager from here can help.  Backup files before using and make sure you read the relevant section in the Epm.pdf file which will appear in the Program Files\Easeus\ folder when the prog is installed.

Good luck.
Quote from: JJ 3000 on October 12, 2008, 02:30:11 AM

If you have the cash, Partition Magic is an excellent program.
http://www.symantec.com/norton/partitionmagic

If you don't want to spend the money on that, then I would suggest moving some of your data over to your D drive. You can use both of them to store your data.

You can also do a clean install and re-size your partitions that way. Just make sure that you back up everything that you want to save beforehand.

What operating system are you using?

Hello and thank you for responding.  I have Win XP Home Addition.  Yes, I have moved everything possible over to the D drive.  My Documents,won't move though.  Doesn't give me the option of moving to D.  
I have been looking for an EXTERNAL harddrive,  Is there any out there for less than $50?  $70 seem to be the number. 

Thanks again....L

Welcome to the CH forums.

Easeus Partition Manager from here can help.  Backup files before using and make sure you read the relevant section in the Epm.pdf file which will appear in the Program Files\Easeus\ folder when the prog is installed.

Good luck.

That partition most likely contains your Recovery Data for that machine including the OS that shipped with the machine...
You should travel to Sony's site and follow the instructions for creating a Recovery CD before you use any partition tools on it...

Ok, I've got an older-ish Dell (Dimension 4700 if that HELPS any) with SATA 1.5 capabilities, and just got a 1TB SATA 3.0 WD drive as a gift, but my BIOS doesn't recognize it. I've confirmed the drive is working (installed it on my boyfriend's much better, much newer MACHINE with no problems) and I know all my cables and slots are working (have another SATA 1.5 drive installed where I was going to put the new one). So all my research so far points to the fact that my BIOS just isn't able to support the newer SATA 3.0 - even though in most CASES it is backwards compatible, it would appear I have one of those systems that is the exception. I tried changing the jumper settings to restrict the 3.0 to 1.5 as instructed on WD's support site, but no joy. (The only option left is to call their support, which is hard because I sleep in the hours they're open...)

Considering this is a stock Dell with integrated everything on the motherboard and not much room for expansion, is there any hardware I can add that will allow me to use this drive? Motherboard & BIOS configs are not really my strong points, so I'm a little ignorant when it comes to these bits.

I've tried to answer the question myself, but I can only find info on items to buy without being able to tell if they will help me, so I'm asking the experts.
What BIOS are you currently USING ?

A07 under Fixes and Enhancements has the below statement.

Improved drive detection for new larger hard drives.

LookHere

You can install up to A10 Bios upgrade.I only noticed the A07 as having
'Improved drive detection for new larger hard drives'. So.....Try the A07.Ah yes, the simplest explanation is usually the right one... FLASHED the BIOS (to A09 in fact) and now it works!

Much appreciated, now to just get the 300GB of data copied over...  Good for you.We are glad that fixed it friend.

i have  uninstalled and reinstalled after cleaning BURNER
in all media programs  it gets to finalizing then spits the disc out tried diffrent discs  and the error message  i get is change speed 
it will rip music  you can HEAR it BURNING     it actually burned one SONG to the disc then closed   
help i am frustrated tried  what i know
thanks  aprilHow old is it?
Burners use two lenses, one for reading, one for writing. Writing LENS MAY be dirty. Did you try lens cleaner?

I am getting a the following video card for the Dell Dimension 2350 1.19ghz PC in our basement (a Pentium with Windows XP Home Edition).  I have a question about how many watts the video card is going to use.  The PC has a 200 watt power supply.  Here's a link to the eBay page where I am getting the card from.  (I have not paid yet.  I'm going to pay through Paypal on Monday using my credit card, so that charges won't appear on it until Thursday.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-64MB-NVIDIA-GEFORCE-2-MX400-PCI-VGA-VIDEO-CARD_W0QQitemZ370090614246QQihZ024QQcategoryZ3762QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The card is the 64MB NVIDIA GeForce2 MX400 PCI video card (VGA output)

Do you know if the power supply will be able to handle this card?
I can't find the power requirements for this card but the PCI spec is limited to 25 watts. What video are you now using - onboard or a different PCI video card?

You're wise to consider power, but, remember, you're looking at the difference in usage between your current video and the new card - and that difference has to be less than 25 watts. If you currently have a PCI card, more than likely you'll not have a problem.

But, remember, if you change power supplies, Dell is notorious for non-standard PSU's. CHECK with them before replacing.

Best of luck!The current video is onboard, and it isn't good enough to be able to run Jedi Outcast in high quality.  I'm getting one of the cards that the game supported back in the year it was launched.

The onboard video is Intel Extreme Graphics.

Yesterday I checked the bios to be sure that I could change the video mode from integrated to PCI, and it allows me to.  I'll still need to disable the onboard video in the device manager once the video card is installed and detected.Ryan - Going from onboard to a discrete video card will be close with a 200 watt PSU, I think. Give it a try and see what happens. For an idea, you may want to take a look here: http://www.extreme.outervision.com/powercalc.jsp.I got the PCI card installed yesterday, and got it working properly.  (No PSU problems.)  However, I'm experiencing choppiness in Jedi Outcast in very high resolutions.  I need more RAM.  (I ALREADY checked with Crucial.com and know what I need.)  I can't buy anything until next Thursday.

At any rate, I'm going to get a pair of 512MB PC-2700 DIMM RAM sticks.  I'd like to maximize this computer's RAM capacity.Adding RAM will also increase the computer's power requirements; keep aware of any system malfunctions that may be caused by being underpowered - random re-boots, system hangs, trouble starting, etc.

Let us know how you make out.How much power is required for 1 gigabyte of RAM?  Maybe I should get the 400 watt power supply first?  I currently have no trouble starting, and the system never hangs or restarts.Figure on a power consumption of 3 - 5 watts per module of DDR or DDR2 memory.  Not significant if you add two modules; but, on top of the incremental power required by the video card, probably in the range of a 20-30 watt total increase. That's 10 - 15% of your PSU's capacity.

Since you're not having any problems now, I would suggest that you add the RAM and see what happens. If you experience PSU ISSUES, go for a bigger PSU.

BTW, there is no need for a 400 watt PSU for your system if you're running fine with a 200 watt PSU. If you upgrade (and remember the caveat pointed out in Re[ly #1), a GOOD QUALITY 300 watt PSU ought to be fine.

Best of luck!I'll go for the modules first then.  I had searched Dell's forums regarding replacing the power supply, and saw something.  I'm registering with them now and am going to ask them a question about trying to upgrade enough to be able to play Doom 3.

Can you send me a link to a site I can use to scan the Dell for power usage? Quote from: Ryan on October 04, 2008, 10:22:18 PM

Can you send me a link to a site I can use to scan the Dell for power usage?