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I am customizing a PC and I am not sure about a few things. If anyone could help me in making some decisions that would be great.

The motherboard will have a FSB of 1333MHz if its an Intel processor or a FSB of 2600MHz if its an AMD processor. I am not sure which brand of processors is better, Intel or AMD, and what price is suitable for my NEEDS. I am looking to play games and use the computer for surfing the INTERNET and doing work for school on it. I multitask a fairly high amount of the time and have multiple applications running a good deal of the time. What would you recommend?

Processor:
Intel Cor 2 Duo E8400 (3.0GHz, 6MB CACHE, 1333MHz FSB)  $169.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.40GHz, 8MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)  $189.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33GHz, 4MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB)  $219.99

AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition, UNLOCKED 2.50GHz, 4MB Cache, 2000MHz FSB)  $184.99
AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition, 2.60GHz, 4MB Cache, 2000MHz FSB)  $194.99
AMD Phenom X4 9750 2.40GHz, 4MB Cache, 1800MHz FSB)  $229.99
AMD Phenom X4 9600 2.30GHz, 4MB Cache, 1800MHz FSB)  $239.99

Memory (RAM):
I am deciding between two speeds of DDR2 memory. Is there a noticeable DIFFERENCE in performance between PC6400 (800MHz) and PC8500 (1066MHz) memory. Is it worth the money to go with the PC8500 or not? I was told there would be a bottleneck with the PC8500, is this true as well?

ok i have an old Dell Dimension desktop that i've had for years. the intergraded video gave out and is preventing me from getting on it so i can recover all the old FILES that i have on its HD. i have found away to get on it by using my ATI Rage card to temporary let me get the files by pluggin in the ATI card, boot up the Dell, and copy all my documents on to a flash drive. but im wondering if i should even attempt this since i have had the COMPUTER unplugged for a year and a half. could the data on the HD worn out since it stores the data magneticly.

please respond
,Nick I can't see, why not to try.thanks for the reply.

i was just thinking since its been unplugged for such a time that the data on the HD would fade out since its STORE magneticallyWorth a try if there's data you really want. And it is ENTIRELY possible that the data is still intact.

You never know, computers can do the most intriguing things. Quote from: quaxo on October 10, 2008, 09:36:56 AM

Worth a try if there's data you really want. And it is entirely possible that the data is still intact.

You never know, computers can do the most intriguing things.

Although I have upgraded computers numerous times this is only my second complete build from the ground up and as seems to happen I have encountered a problem GETTING the system running.

When I boot the computer everything starts up and i get to the POST screen where it runs through the usual checks and then stops after the line "00 USB MASS STORAGE DEVICES FOUND AND CONFIGURED" then nothing else happens. I've tried messing around in BIOS to no avail.... The motherboard manual just gives me the same DESCRIPTIONS that the BIOS gives me anyways. The only way I've been able to get further is to change my ATA controller to RAID but then it just says it finds no devices and goes to a BLACK screen. I have no idea what to do... HELP!?

Specs:
MSi K9N2 SLI Platinum Nforce 750a MB
AMD 9850 X4 Processor
XFX GeForce 9800 GT 512MB DDR3 SLI VC
2x SLi OCz PC6400 2GB DDR2
500GB SATA HDD
IDE HP DVD RW Drive

Hey,
I just got some great quick help on my first POST so I have to say
that I have more hope for my computer and I'm going to try another
one.

I have a Lenovo 3000 N100 laptop running Windows XP.

In my "Power Settings" I have the options for how much time should
pass before the computer will 'turn off monitor' or 'turn off hard
disks'.  So if I have the 'turn off monitor' set for 10 minutes, after
10 minutes of no activity the monitor goes black.  The problem is that
sometimes, 1 in 10 times or other times 1 in 25 times, the monitor
won't come back on.  When this happens I close the top of the laptop
and then open it again.  As soon as it is back open the screen is on,
but then because I've closed the top it goes into Standby.  I then
press any key and it comes back.  It doesn't waste that much time but
is a pain anyways.  When the screen doesnt' come back on it is
defintely still running all programs because I can still hear music or
can use keyboard shortcuts and see the results when the screen comes
back.  Strange.

This has happened for a long time and I've just BECOME used to it.

Thanks!(I have a lenovo C200  )

Try configuring your power settings to this:



(should be similar for both XP and Vista)

Try that and then post back.Thanks again Dudeoxide,

I've just made the changes and will report back in a couple of days after I've given it a whirl.Good Luck!So far your fix seemed to have WORKED.  Is it the hibernate feature that causes trouble?

But, an interesting and nearly disastrous development. 

A few times in the past I've opened up the pc after having the top closed for a bit and noticed that the battery had singnificantly drained.  Could it have come out of Stand-by while the top was down?

A few days ago I installed the Windows PowerToy called Powershot.  It takes pictures from the pc's built-in camera at regular intervals.  We set it at 10 minutes and its been pretty funny so far.

So yesterday, before implementing your changes, we took a trip into town and I had my pc in a backpack.  When I opened the bag I found the fan running and the pc was hotter than I've ever seen.  I was really worried about it having overheated.  I shut down and got it into cold air quickly.

I checked the Powershot HISTORY and found that it had been taking pictures every 10 minutes.  It had been running the whole time in the bag.

So it was somehow coming out of standby while the top was down and running the disks I guess...  I'm not sure if your last fix would address this but I'm going to put the Powershot on again tonight and put the top down and see if we get any by morning...


Thanks
EmmettCarbon can elaborate, but I always configure a laptop to shut down when the lid is closed.

How is yours configured - sounds like standby; and, perhaps, Powershot won't allow the system to enter standby so it keeps running.Looks like I have another picture to show.

These are what my settings are so far:


It basically means when I close my laptop lid, it does nothing (only turns off the screen).
When I press the power button, it goes into Stand By.

Try changing those settings and see what happens.The below statement was taken from Help and Support in my start menu.


standby
A state in which your computer consumes less power when it is idle, but remains available for immediate use. While your computer is on standby, information in computer memory is not SAVED on your hard disk. If there is an interruption in power, the information in memory is lost.


So when you put your computer in standby it is in effect still on so if you unplug the power cable it will still drain the battery even though it may take longer then normal for it to do so. If it is is standby and in a back pack it should heat up as it is still running and has no air circulating.

If you are going to be transporting a laptop I would suggest completely shutting it down first.
In Stand By, The only thing the battery is giving power to is the RAM.

My laptop drains about 1% every 2 hours in Standby Mode.Thanks all. 

Dudeoxide it appears that your fix has worked!  I've also started to shut it down whenever I travel with it, even though it takes time to start up, because that's obviously the more rational thing to do.All right then.

If you're happy, we're happy. I appreciate the sentiment, although I'm not totally happy.   

I think that I've got a virus.  If I can't sort it out and remain not totally happy I'll be back to seek your advise... ahh the road to happiness.If you have a virus, we can help.

Just ask.

Thanks,... I use win xp ,..and something wrong is happen...the unit of Cd (D) disapear ...even in the bios I can´nt  find it ...but the stranger is ......if I plug a usb memory the unit Cd-rom appear again....could you help me ?...GOD BLESS YOUTry one of these:
1. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060
or...
2. Download, and run RESTORE Missing CD Drive patch
Double click on DOWNLOADED FILE, and allow REGISTRY merge.
or...
3. Go to Device Manager, click a "+" sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
You'll SEE two items:
- ATA Channel0 (or Primary Channel)
- ATA Channel1 (or Secondary Channel)
Right click on each of them, and click Uninstal. Confirm.
Restart Windows. They'll be automatically reinstalled.

I need a pent 4 478 for my one rig that I had parts left over from when I built my gaming tower.  The thing is I went to geeks an seen Intel Pentium 4 3EGHz 800MHz 1MB Socket 478 CPU   does that mean its faster then 3 ghz?  I DONT want it for this machine but thought about removeing the one in my gaming pc since its like 2.8 ghz
There are different flavors of even those older chips. Best thing is to TAKE a look ant the Intel site and look it up with the part number. Some on line stores do a poor job of detail on the stuff they sell. The E usually designates a HyperThreading capable CPU.
Those specs match up with the SL7PM CPU - 3GHz, HT, 1MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB.
As you need a P4 anyway, if it's a good price you MAY as well replace the one in your gaming rig, however if there are cheaper ones just grab one for this other PC as the speed boost won't be much for your rig.so basically its just processing more threads? Quote from: squall_01 on October 09, 2008, 05:17:46 AM

so basically its just processing more threads?

I have a computer that starts but see nothing on screen and shuts down after 12 seconds so I took out processor know it runs and did not shut down does this mean the processor is at fault or could motherboard still be at fault? Could be heat related? Did you CLEAN heat sink & processor & apply new thermal Paste? Quote from: xavier on October 09, 2008, 06:59:32 PM

Could be heat related? Did you clean heat sink & processor & apply new thermal Paste?

Surprisingly, I can't find any reviews.  Right now, it's down do 60-65C but it still sounds like I'm running a graphically-intense program. I'm just surfing the web and writing a paper. Is there any solution to this?Not sure......

Cooling PAD?
http://www.amazon.com/Targus-PA248U-Notebook-Chill-Pad/dp/B0000AKA8Y/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b

I've GOT one for my LAPTOP.

What do you do online? Any games? Those can get pretty resource intensive.Currently browsing the web at a cool 90C...*censored*...ANYONE want some tea, I'll put the kettle up...Like I said earlier, it could be a design flaw with the machine.....as well as that blanket.Hope you don't mind me intruding . . .
That's a "GAMING" desktop replacement laptop, correct?
Specs I found included a T7200 and X1700.
DTR laptops will get hot as they use higher performance parts than most laptops.
100C is the max. for your CPU I believe - they do run very hot but I wouldn't like to see mine, if I had one, above 80C.
Laptop coolers generally don't bring down temps all that much - I;d suggest reading this guide here - kudos to "Chaz".

Can someone tell me what the DC VOLTAGE should be for the YELLOW, Blue, Red, & White WIRES on PSU's?

Tanx,
KC*Blocked Russian URL*/*Blocked Russian URL*/Power/BigPower_pinout.shtml[/url]

Re-check connections inside. It happened to me, some cable got lose. Quote from: blazingeagle2c on May 25, 2008, 09:53:46 PM

yes I have to plug it into a outlet for it to turn on. it is an old desktop hard drive.

It is LISTED under Disk management. it doesn't have a name. but it says it is online. it has a 2.75 gb HEALTHY (primary partition), a 63 mb healthy (EISA Configuration) and a 74.5 gb partition.

I am looking at 2 different computer for possible purchase.  One has an Intel Core 2 DUO Processor T5850 2.16GHz with 667 MHz FSB.  The other has an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E7200 2.56GHZ with 1066MHz FSB.  Obviously the 2nd one is faster, but how MUCH faster?  Yes, I know the 1st processor is primarily used in notebooks... these are both all-in-one computers and I am trying to figure out if it is really worth the extra bucks.

Note:  I play World of Warcraft on it, and do some video editing.It doesnt make sence to use a notebook for what you are using a computer for.Your limitations for upgrades are alot better with a desk top.Yeah, I agree. Better go for the desktop if you want to have a long INVESTMENT. 
But still, a notebook with a FSB of 667MHZ is really moving! 
Did he say it was a notebook, or a desktop with a notebook CPU? 
He WANTS great video. Very hard to upgrade a notebook video, I don't think you can! For what he wants, the video system has to be top notch or the RAM speed is just wasted!

Today, for the first time,  I tried to copy some pictures onto a CD. Got a message saying no CD DETECTED. Installed an old Kodak Easy Share CD to see if CD ROM would work on it and it didn't. CD ROM is making some funny noises, eg ckicks & clacks. Also sounds like it is starting/stopping. From reading on this website, sounds like CD ROM is suffering from some mechanical problems and needs to be replaced.

Last week I had a Verizon FIOS installation plus did some COMPUTER clean-up - defrag, deleted spyware and some programs I don't use. SEEMS like an odd coincidence that this CD ROM problem happened right after all of the other stuff.

I have only used CD ROM maybe 6 times in the 2-3 years I have had this computer. Seems like it should not fail so soon. Is there anyway I can confirm I need a NEW CD ROM before I pay $100 for one? Thanks.Best way wou;d be to pull it and install it in another machine...if it exhibits the same symptoms it's the drive...

This laptop is from my daughter's BOSS..

Twinhead
Windows XP
celeron 1ghz
1gB memory

problem:

Some keys not working like G, X, Spacebar, Backspace and F4.. I dnt KNOW if the keyboard was spilled by something liquid....so I ASSUME it ddnt happened.

I already tried external keyboards... But the keys I've mentioned above were fine in the external keyboard....

So what do you think??? Is it need to replace a new one[keyboard]try hitting the key, from all corners of the key.. if it still doesent work it probably had something spilled on it, and if thats the case the keyboard will just get worse and worse and eventually ruin your laptopWhat happens if you hold FN with the keys?

I'll turn on the computer but it only starts about 2 hrs later...serious ...starts normally and runs fine, however the time  and date is way off... sometimes like 2 DAYS. I've changed the cmos battery and it started on time at FIRST, after about one WEEK it resorted to the delayed start. Could this be a mobo problem? a processor problem? ..on eventual start up there's an "overclocking failed" notice.....I'm lost can someone shed a little light here?

Intel p4 2.81 GHz..socket 478, ASUS P4P800S mobo, ATI radeon 7000 series video  card, 1gb ram,  xp pro sp3Have you been PLAYING with your BIOS settings?cau you try reinsert your RAM..

Hi, all of a sudden when I tried to print from paint shop PRO, my print spooler has stopped running and i've been trying for over a week now to get it running again.

I 'm running windows xp media center edition on hp media center pc
and my printer is hp psc 1350. I don't have the windows xp cd, it was already install on my computer when I purchased it.

I've tried reinstalling with the software but I get this error message:

Print spooler(spooler): The SERVICE cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

I was getting the error message: cannot install printer because the print spooler is not running

I've tried restarting the print spooler in services.msc but I get :

could not start the print spooler service on local computer
error 2: the system cannot find the specified FILE


where is the file

the startup type is automatic and the staus is blank
the path to executable is C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe

dependencies are fax and the print spooler service depends on the RPC

the RPC status is started and set to automatic.

Nothing I have tried will get the print spooler to start


please help,
thanksGo to your Run box and type services.msc.

Look for the print spooler and start it.I just tried to do that again and it says

could not start the print spooler service on local computer
error 2: the system cannot find the specified file
1) Try to remove all dependencies except RPC, as follows:
Start>Run, type sc config spooler depend= RPCSS (note the space after the =).

2) Uninstall the printer: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00365839&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&rule=12412&product=306888.

3) Re-install the printer.

Best of luck.the printer has already been uninstalled and I can't reinstall because upon installation it gives me the error message about the print spool. I'm trying to borrow a windows cd.
I have windows xp media center edition, does it have to be the cd or could it just be windows xp Quote from: nikis360 on September 29, 2008, 02:22:51 PM

the printer has already been uninstalled and I can't reinstall because upon installation it gives me the error message about the print spool. I'm trying to borrow a windows cd.
I have windows xp media center edition, does it have to be the cd or could it just be windows xp

tried the routine in one and when it reboots the found new hardware wizard says it was a problem installing this hardware an error occurred during the installation of the device

The printer should be unplugged when doing this...matter of fact if it's a USB printer it shouldn't be plugged in at all until you are prompted when re-installing the software for it, but let's address the other issues first by trying the above procedure first and then running sfc /scannow as drm suggested.
Remember to re-boot when it finishes.

Hey guys, I've recently built my own computer co mpletely on my own (which im proud of )
I'm not going to got through specs atm, but it's a very GOOD gaming computer and I've been using it for over one month now and gosh it's awsome.

One thing I couldn't do when ubilding it was front panel audio and USB I had absoultely no idea so i said stuff it, but now I really just wanna install them so my computer feels complete.

What i have done here is basically opened my case grabbed the front panel usb cables (theres 2 parts to that one) and front panel audio cable and wrote down the name for each pin, then I have screenshots of motherboad manual telling which goes where, but the NAMES do not match so i don't have an idea, but I'm assuming smart guys on this forum will know what names mean what and where they match up.

Here's the stuff below!

Front panel audio / usb

AUDI-------------------USB (this one is the two 4 pins and one single pin)----------USB (this one has 7 seperate pins)

Mic -----------------------------(1)+5V------------------------------------------------GROUND
Mic bias-------------------------(1)-D--------------------------------------------------TPA+
Aud Gnd-------------------------(1)+D   ------------------------------------------------TPB+
FPOUT-R------------------------(1)GROUND---------------------------------------------+12V
FPOUT-L------------------------(2)+5V-------------------------------------------------TPA-
RET-L---------------------------(2)D   ------------------------------------------------TPB-
RET-R---------------------------(2)+D-------------------------------------------------GROUND
---------------------------------(2)GROUND   
---------------------------------GROUND (Single pin)      

(1) = circle with one in it infront of writing on the 4 pin connenctor
(2) = ^ as above with 2 instead



MOTHERBOARD MANUAL







i would HUGELY appreicate if someone could basically tell me this pin in instructions matches this pin on the name of cables in your case.


I'm using case XG Dragon.

For the power one, firewire one, There is 7 pins, yet mobo has 9 which needs to be plugged.
There is 3 grounds my case has 2 and there is two +12v my mobo has one, how do i know which 12 V pin i dont plug, and which GND pin i dont plug?

also, on the 2nd usb one, there is NC, what is NC? Is NC, just the separate ground pin?
if so all i need to know is what these stand for in relation to my case.

If those could be answered, I'd be sweet for USB front ports.

Then all I need to know is this for front panel audio, basically what my case pins = in relation to the names on mother board manual.

my case =

Mo mobo has 7.1 surround sound, so I'm assuming i USE the HD option?

If so all i need to know is what these means in relation to my case and motherboard manual.
my case = as below ----------------------------------------------- mobo names = as below
Mic----------------------------------------------------------------- MIC2_L
Mic bias------------------------------------------------------------- GND
Aud Gnd--------------------------------------------------------------MIC2_R
FPOUT-R--------------------------------------------------------- |  -ACZ_DET
FPOUT-L------------------------------------------------------------ LINE2_R
RET-L---------------------------------------------------------------- GND
RET-R-----------------------------------------------------------------FAUDIO_JD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------LINE_2L
-----------------------------------------------------------------------GND

So basically ^^^^^ Which ones equal which? and which pins do i not worry about.

you know, I assume mic = MIC2_R (pin3) and Mic Bias = MIC2_L (pin1)and Aud Gnd = GND (pin2)
then FPOUT-R = Line2_R (pin5) and FPOUT-L = LINE_2L(pin9), would that be right?
and *censored* is ret-l and ret-r?

I hope someone can help!

and yes, it has mic and sound in front panel.

I just purchased a used Compaq Evo N600c running Windows XP Home SP2 with an ESS allegro PCI sound card. The Laptop also has a built-in microphone. When I play sounds they seem to be working but no sound comes out of the laptop. But my microphone works. Even when I test the hardware in Device Manager the results are "your hardware is working properly" all drivers show working. When I used the sound up/down button on the laptop it would show a visual sound bar on-screen. When I tried to go to volume CONTROL I realized it wasn't there. So I downloaded it. Now when I use the volume button on the laptop no visual sound bar, but it shows volume moving in sound control. I have tried every combination of updating, rolling back, uninstalling, re-installing and downloading from manufacturer page. When I put headphones in they do work. I have run out of IDEAS. It is probably not a hardware issue because earphones and microphone still work. And it's not a driver issue because I have done EVERYTHING! There are no hardware conflicts and volume is at a good level. Can anyone help me?

System Info:
Win XP Home SP2
Compaq evo N600c
ESS Allegro PCI Audio (WDM)Is this your first Compaq?  Is it an old model?
Look around. Look at all the buttons. Turn it over. There is another place where you can shut off the speakers. 
NO? OK, then the headphone jack is out of shape. It shuts off the speakers when you insert a headphone. A tech will have to take a look at it and see if that is the problem and if can be fixed without tearing up the whole thing!  Quote

There is another place where you can shut off the speakers.

when I use the volume button on the laptop no visual sound bar, but it shows volume moving in sound control.

How can I install BIOS to my mobo??? I already read the manual but its not there....

ASrock P4vm800
BIOS: AMI V02.57       1985-2004
Intel..


Please explain more about what you are trying to do.BIOS is a program on a chip...already attached to your motherboard.

Unless you have a motherboard with no BIOS chip...I  guess if this can help in solving my problem... REGARDING detection to my CD-ROM drive.... because it won't detect even my cd-rom drive is fine... I want to re install it with Windows XP... Because its corrupted......
ahhhh so I mean to update it.. sorry... so its possible right?? if I can't enter to my OS bcause my HDD is corrupted...Do you want to update your motherboard BIOS to a more recent version?

If so, go to the Asrock site and look in "downloads" for BIOS updates. Follow the installation instructions precisely because a mistake can make your board unusable.Look here: HTTP://www.asrock.com/mb/download.asp?Model=P4VM800I've never had the need to update a BIOS.  I'm not saying it never needs to be done, but it's a procedure that, if not done correctly, or sometimes, even if done correctly, causes more problems than it solves.

I would explore other options before updating the BIOS.yah.. good advise... thanks....
Updating the BIOS to get a CD to boot is a very bad idea and may produce an expensive paperweight when completed... Quote from: Aegis on September 26, 2008, 11:57:29 PM

I've never had the need to update a BIOS.  I'm not saying it never needs to be done, but it's a procedure that, if not done correctly, or sometimes, even if done correctly, causes more problems than it solves.

I would explore other options before updating the BIOS.

can i install a second hdd, divide it into 3 partitions and use one partition to mirror my existing hdd while using the other partitions for 1: a second os (linux) and 2: data storage? and if so howYou can, if you're using software RAID.  HOWEVER, software RAID is only supported with:

1) Windows 2000 Server
2) Windows Server 2003
3) Windows Server 2008
4) Dynamic Disks.

In that case, for example's sake:

Disk 1: 80 GB
Disk 2: 250 GB

80 GB of Disk 2 can be used as a software RAID towards Disk 1.  The rest can be used however you want.

Linux may totally crap on dynamic disks...I don't know.

Barring that, dynamic disks are a PAIN.  Also Ghost doesn't recognize software RAID (not sure about ACRONIS).

As for hardware RAID, you'll probably need a COMPLEX RAID CONTROLLER to pull that off, and even then...good luck.

INtel 1.7ghz
MOBO: Asrock p4vm800
BIOS: AMI v02.57
CD-MASTER 48E SC-148 CD-ROM drive
256 ram

HDD Seagate barracuda 40gb (but this was corrupted)

now i want to install new OS windows xp sp2.....
Set cd/dvd as PRIMARY in the bios...
connection: 1st IDE cable to HDD master
                   2nd IDE cable to CD-ROM Drive
license Windows XP sp2 bootable CD already inserted...

But it won't run.... monitor dead....... no response....
LED indicator in the PC is green... CD-ROM flashes the green LED.....


can U help me??? maybe i forgot something just ask me....

Quote

Set cd/dvd as primary in the bios...

I have a Aspire Acer Computer, AMD Sempron (tm) processor 3000+ 
1.81GHz , 192 MB RAM. (Just Upgraded this with 1GB)
It has windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3.
Well it did have..............

I bought a new 1GB memory stick, sent all the info to Upgradeable.com using CPU-Z.

I installed it as was instructed.
While I was there I gently cleaned the fan as well.
I removed it and put it back as so.

Now when I turn the comp on the fan is going great (non stop in fact) but nothing else is happening.

Thats it nothing on the monitor.
I just tapped the side of the comp and the fan stopped.
I removed the new Ram to see if that would help but it hasn't.

I have just called Upgradeable.com to see what they advise and they have asked me to check all to make sure there are no loose wires.
Have done that, now advised to leave off for 15 minutes to see what happens then..........................


Stressed to the max, help please........................
Did you REMOVE the fan from the Sempron processor, and then replace it?  Did you apply thermal PASTE to the processor when you did this?Yes I did remove the fan.
Thermal paste what is that? no did not
The fan just lifted up.

Thermal paste: slimy stuff between the heat SINK and the CPU.  Usually white, gray, or silver.

It's purpose: to transfer the heat from the CPU to the heat sink.  Without that, your CPU will run hot.

i got a amd athlon x2 5200+ processor w/heatsink. does the heatsink already have thermal grease on it? i don't see it on the processor. but there is plastic on the bottom of the heatsink with a square in the middle of it where the processor fits into and inbetween the heatsink and the plastic is a grey compound. it's not a perfect fit to the plastic there is some BUBBLES in it. is this the thermal grease? or do i need to buy some to put on the processor? i have been having problems with he cpu overheating when i'm playing mmo's and that's the only conclusion i can come up with. either that or i need a new mobo or a bigger heatsink or a better tower like intercooled or something.The grey compound is the thermal grease but the way you describe it makes me think that it's STILL in the packet. Usually the thermal grease comes in a plastic packet. you squeeze it out and paste it across the interface then screw down the heatsink.


FBI would check the instruction manual for that CPU...some manuf. do it differently and too much is just as harmful as not enough...ya there is plastic in between the heat sink and the processor. there isn't any thermal grease on the processor cuz the compound is in the heatsink on the other side of the plastic.  the manual says it comes with it and gives me instructions on how to put it on should i want to put another compound on there and to go to amd's website to see approved thermal compounds. i dloaded cputemp and it's sitting at 41 degrees celsius now but as soon as i load warhammer or world of warcraft it heats up and kicks me out saying to hot powering down now i cancel it and it's at 101 degrees and starts going down when i'm not in game and when i tab back in it goes up and TABS me back out.Remove the "protective" plastic film cover (from the thermal paste) before installing the heatsink.  It is blocking the flow of heat from the processor to the heat sink. Quote from: PATIO on October 07, 2008, 05:40:09 AM

I would check the instruction manual for that CPU...some manuf. do it differently and too much is just as harmful as not enough...

I just got a new CD and when i popped it in my CD drive NOTHING happened. I opened up Windows Media player and tried playing it but it didn't even recognize that there was a CD. I tried another disk just in case and the same thing happened. I even went into my computer and it was not reading the disk.

Now I right clicked on my computer, went to properties, clicked hardware and went into the device manager. Under DVD/CD-Rom drives both drives have the yellow "!" besides them. I am not sure what is WRONG with them.

Then I tried playing one of my mp3 files and Windows Media Player came up but also a window saying:

"Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There may not be a sound device installed on your computer, it may be in use by another program, or it may not be FUNCTIONING properly."

ANY help will be great, going crazy over here without my music.Right clik one of the drives and select uninstall/remove...you will see an ERROR message...ignore it.
Re-boot and repeat for the other drive.
DONT do both at once or you will be repeating these steps again which is a waste of time and effort.As for WMP....forget it.
Try VLC Player: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/I tried doing the uninstall through the device manager and it just freezes on me doing that stupid "Not Responding" thingThen this machine has other issues as well...post as MUCH info on it as you can along with what happened prior to this...Lets see my brother just cleaned my computer of virus's and what not. But the sound was working after that. Also recently I couldn't connect to my dial up internet but that got sorted out. Last time something like this happened I believe I just downloaded a new driver, but I do not remember where I went to do that.Go Start>Run, and type in:
sfc /scannow
Click OK.
Have Windows CD handy.I will try doing that. But before I do I was finally able to uninstall and install both drivers, I have sounds from my mp3's and stuff, but it still will not recognize CD's or DVD's. Could it possibly be the drivers and I have to download new ones. Quote

I was finally able to uninstall and install both drivers

Go Start>Run, and type in:
sfc /scannow
Click OK.
Have Windows CD handy.

Are these 2 stnds compatible? Specifically, can I PUT a PCIe into a PCI slot.  I should know this...but I don't.

Hep Me,    No, they are not compatible.Is PCIe an abbreviation for PCI EXPRESS?

My continued problem with people who over-abbreviate is on behalf of NEWER or more inexperienced people who VISIT, and may not know what the abbreviations mean.Yes, PCI-E (ALSO referred to as PCIe, or incorrectly PCI-X) is PCI Express.

O boy. A power supply would would B a good start.It could b a HDD pblm also,   you have to start some wareSince the HDD worked fine in my computer I have ordered a new 500w Antec power supply from Newegg.  We'll see where to go from there.  If nothing else, I can USE the power supply to rule out parts in the future.OK. Hope the new power supply is all that is necessary?Be carfull when dis. connecting & re installingTry a HDD diognostic utitity from your HDD manufacturers website to check the hard disk health?No No No.... I think I have the answer since this happened to me alot, what happens is windows would have to reinstalled when this happened to me or disconnect an reconnect the cable's.  Tell me what drive is it maxtor,western???  How did you format set it up?  If its maxtor you cant use any old versions.  You need an have to use maxblast 5.    Which was my problem.Squall... thanks for your input.  The HD is a Western and is a bit old, but I think it is holding up.  I tried ANOTHER working HD in that computer but I had the same those variables through other tests.  I really BELIEVE that the problem is the power supply or the MOBO.  If it is the HD, that's an easy fix as I already have all necessary info backed up.  I'll keep you posted, and thanks for the help.As opposed to just buying a PSU borrow a known good one from someone overnight  to see if it is in fact the issue...
As to the drive DLoad and run WD's Data Lifeguard Tools to check the drive...Free from their site.
Run the long Test...before going to bed for the evening.Like I said it was my problem.  Mite have tied into yours, it took me about a year till I got it tooken to a repair shop to find that out, hopefully it wont be to hard of a fix.  this ever get fixed?Hey Squall... Sorry I didn't get to post back... I have been out of town for a bit.  I got important FILES off the computer, reformatted the hard drive, and reinstalled Windows XP.  It runs like a charm.  Thank you for all of your helpYou KNOW where we are if trouble occurs again.

My computer system Bord went out, WOULD like to hook up as a SLAVE to another computer and retrieve data from it. The operating system is XP on both, can this be done.Yes you can. GOOGLE [TRANSFER files} Quote from: xavier on October 07, 2008, 06:49:28 PM

Yes you can. GOOGLE [transfer files}

Hes asking how to transfer files not how to make the 2nd HD a slave.

Hi All.
 I have a problem that just started.  I can no longer find my DVD/CD-ROM on the computer...it's gone.  It is still LISTED in the device manager, but it has a yellow exclamation mark next to it and say that "The device cannot start  ERROR code 10"  I have UNINSTALLED and then restarted and the computer says that it has installed, yet still the same issue.  I have searched for UPDATES, no luck it states that I have the most current.  I could get a driver sent to me, but it was on a disk...how is that supposed to work when the disk isn't WORKING??    It will also not let me "roll back" the device driver.  I am at a loss.  it worked just last week.  Any suggestions?

Thanks.
I am running Windows Vista (32 bit) on a HP Pavillion a6000n
Vista should not need drivers for it...
Try powering down and re-seating the cables.If the above doesn't work...

Try one of these:
1. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060
or...
2. Download, and run Restore Missing CD Drive patch
Double click on downloaded file, and allow registry merge.
or...
3. Go to Device Manager, click a "+" sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
You'll see two items:
- ATA Channel0 (or Primary Channel)
- ATA Channel1 (or Secondary Channel)
Right click on each of them, and click Uninstal. Confirm.
Restart Windows. They'll be automatically reinstalled. :DJust an FYI it is now fixed.  I tried the above suggestions but still nothing.  I finally called tech support and they led me through removing the upper and lower filters in the registry.  When I restarted the computer the CD/DVD was magically there and working.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.JFYI, the fix #1 was about removing upper, and lower filters
Thanks for posting back Thank You, yes I saw that but I was nervous to delete them at that time because it was about XP and I am running Vista...the error codes were also different.  I don't know enough about the computers to trust myself deleteing things unless it matches my issues exactly.  So I figured I would put it out there for anyone else running Vista who has the same problem.  That's OK. Better cautious, than itchy hands

My dad bought a 500 gb portable harddisk. in the start it showed the CORRECT 500 gb.. but now it only shows 103 gb.. How do i make windows "find" the ekstra 400 GB ?

Using vista
Portable harddisk is a "Verbatim" model#47501

If it is any help - my dad copied the whole system to the harddisk with a program

I have formated the disk.. didnt helpThat is probably because you are using 400GB of your Hard Drive.

How are you checking?Can you check the total capacity? I MEAN not the used space and FREE space.  Quote from: Carbon Dudeoxide on October 04, 2008, 06:16:20 AM

That is probably because you are using 400GB of your Hard Drive.

How are you checking?

Tell us the current total, used, and free capacity.

Hi. So just recently, I decided it was about time to upgrade my computer. I’m having trouble deciding how I want to do that though. Here are my current specs:

Mobo: Asus PC-DL Deluxe
CPU: Dual Intel Xeon 2.4s
RAM: 1 Gig 333 Mhz DDR
GPU: Geforce FX 5200
HDD: 320 Gig Western Digital EIDE
PSU: Antec Truepower Trio 650
Sound: Sound BLASTER Audigy 2 ZS
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate
 
Now I was thinking of upgrading the CPUs to 3.0s, the RAM to 4 Gigs, and the GPU to a SAPPHIRE 100228L Radeon HD 3850 512MB. I priced it all out and it comes out to $440.

What I would like to know is whether it would be worth it to make those upgrades on such a limited motherboard (the RAMs 333 Mhz, the GPUs AGP, etc etc) or if I would be better off buying a NEWER low end system for $440, or even if I should just save up another $500 or so and just buy a nice new midrange system. For the most part, I just use my computer for school and stuff, but I play a few games like Lord of the Rings Online every once in a while, I do some music recording and editing with Sonar 7, and I occasionally like to FIDDLE with Adobe Premiere. Any ADVICE would be greatly appreciated.
When doing a up grade keep in mind your power supply. What is it at present?It's an Antec TruePower Trio 650 Watt PSU

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=23650I think, it was a MISTAKE to put Vista on 5 years old mobo with slow 1 gig RAM.
I'd go for a new machine.Sorry i didnt notice the power supply in your Post. I personally wouldnt  do any upgrade to your existing system. Yeah, I figured that would probably be the case. Well thank you both very much for your input. Quote from: snakeeyes021 on October 07, 2008, 02:59:43 PM

Hi. So just recently, I decided it was about time to upgrade my computer. I’m having trouble deciding how I want to do that though. Here are my current specs:

Mobo: Asus PC-DL Deluxe
CPU: Dual Intel Xeon 2.4s
RAM: 1 Gig 333 Mhz DDR
GPU: Geforce FX 5200
HDD: 320 Gig Western Digital EIDE
PSU: Antec Truepower Trio 650
Sound: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate
 
Now I was thinking of upgrading the CPUs to 3.0s, the RAM to 4 Gigs, and the GPU to a SAPPHIRE 100228L Radeon HD 3850 512MB. I priced it all out and it comes out to $440.

What I would like to know is whether it would be worth it to make those upgrades on such a limited motherboard (the RAMs 333 Mhz, the GPUs AGP, etc etc) or if I would be better off buying a newer low end system for $440, or even if I should just save up another $500 or so and just buy a nice new midrange system. For the most part, I just use my computer for school and stuff, but I play a few games like Lord of the Rings Online every once in a while, I do some music recording and editing with Sonar 7, and I occasionally like to fiddle with Adobe Premiere. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[/quote

it would be much better to buy a new rig, because it is actually cheaper and you can get better specs than upgrading your old rig. especially now, where hardware is cheaper and cheaper everyday, especially harddrives, ram and cpus

Hey People. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I have added a 1GB DDR memory and a PNY GeForce 6800 128MB GC to my HP m7330n desktop. After about a year now I GET HARD disk FAILURE error. Rarely when I take the graphic card out it works. Most of the time after getting the error and putting in the Windows XP CD it gets to the "choose partition" page, but it only says "unknown disk: no disk in the drive". After that whatever I press it goes to the blue page that says turn off to avoid damage to the hardware. I tried another brand new hard drive and I got the same results. Also taking out the extra 1GB ram and0or the graphic card does not help now. I was thinking maybe the motherboard is the problem, since in the initial boot up page it does not recognize the hard drive. Is there a way to reprogram the bios using hardware only??  Also I don't think there is much of a problem with PSU not being able to deliver enough power, since I tried unplugging some of the peripherals and DVD-R/RW, and it still did not work!!

Anyway these are the specifications:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c00587142
MB: MSI MS-7184
CPU: Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.2Ghz
RAM: 512KB + 512KB + 1GB
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 250GB 7200.8 ST3250823AS SATA 3.0
PSU: Bestec 300W ATX-300-12Z
GC: PNY GeForce 128MB vcg68128xwb (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133155)

I appreciate your help  Your PSU is probably failing...best way to find out is to borrow one from a friend of the same wattage or greater and swap it in there...if the symptoms go away replace the PSU.

Bestec isn't quite a name that instills confidence when speaking of PSU's...At this point I would not agree with Patio. 
What if you remove ALL the things you added? A PSU seldom goes weak. It just goes snap, crackle, pop!   
It can be the memory stick! Some 1GB sticks are junk! Also, make sure you have put all the wires back on the motherboard. Check for over heating on AMD CPU.


Quote

Check for over heating on AMD CPU.

I have a Dell 1100 5 years old when plugged in to AC screen brightness will flicker all the time and power indicatior icon will switch from ac to BATTERY. I have inserted needle in plug contacts to make contacts come TOGETHER tighter still will not solve PROBLEM and if you hold plug up or down it will work looks like will need to open up unit to see if I have break on circuit board. I can remove hard drive and battery but will I need to remove the LCD screen as well and how difficult of a task will this be?

                                                                          Thanks JohnThis would be very difficult if you don't know what you're doing (especially if you've never done this sort of thing before)

Also, I don't THINK it's a break in the circuitry, but just a loose socket, which is why you have to hold it in for it to charge.

I would think your safest bet would be to send it in, but I don't know what they can do with a 5 year laptop.

Hey,

Well I've got a tread going on on this topic on over here. But since I"m not sure this is a motherboard issue anymore I MADE a new thread for this problem alone.

Here's all the info so far:

Quote from: LNBZero on October 05, 2008, 02:51:20 PM

Well, today I've been trying some games and a few keep crashing. With 2 3D games (Ragnarok Online 2 and Dream of Mirror Online) I see some textures mess up and then a second later all the pixels on the screen get randomized sorta. It's KINDA like sort off diagonal lines that go through the screen and all the pixels on those lines are randomly placed all over the screen.

Calum was thinking this was an error with my graphics card overheating but after running some tests it pretty much stayed around 50~55°C all the time which is alright. So in the end it might be a faulty motherboard so unless someone ELSE has a suggestion or something else I should test/try out I'll call the store I got it from tomorrow and see what they think and if I can replace it.

I have not INSTALLED any new HARDWARE or software.  But now when I put in a blank DVD into the DVD-RW my conputer crashes and reboots.  I have uninstalled the primary and
secondary IDE CHANNEL and REBOOTED.  Windows reinstalled them but still have the same problem.  The device manager shows no problems.  The DVD-RW will play regular dvd's.

Equipment:
Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-105
VPR matrix computer with 1g ram

Thank you, BillG

Try a new IDE cable...How old is the DVD drive? When did this start? 
If it is under warranty, send it back. The DVD drive may have a warranty longer that what you think, depends on the brand.  Does the system crash as soon as you INSERT a blank DVD, and the player "spins up" to try to read it, or does the system crash when you invoke certain software?The drive is out of warranty.  It will crash as it is spinning up.  I will try a new cable.

Thank you all for the great help!

Billg

I bought an Acer with a 160 gig drive, but it is seperated into two 80 gig drives.  The first is designated as:
ACER (C) and ACERDATA (D).  the latter doesn't seem to have anything in it, by programs etc are in the ACER (C).  Can I USE the ACER DATA (D) to store files, etc?  Thank You..Simple Answer - Yes.

However, you cannot simply move the programs over to D drive, they will need to be uninstalled, and reinstalled on the other partition.

However, if you have any media (like pictures, videos, movies, ect....), you can move them to D Drive.
This may free up a lot of space on your primary partition, C Drive. Quote from: Carbon Dudeoxide on October 05, 2008, 10:24:34 PM

Simple Answer - Yes.

However, you cannot simply move the programs over to D drive, they will need to be uninstalled, and reinstalled on the other partition.

However, if you have any media (like pictures, videos, movies, ect....), you can move them to D Drive.
This may free up a lot of space on your primary partition, C Drive.

Well, I would not do that until I knew why the drive was there.

Are you short on drive space? With 80 GB?

ive got a similar situation with a partitioned drive except i want to know if its possible to reallocate space from one to the other
my D drive is my recovery disk and my C is where everything else is and id like to take 2 gigs from the D and put it on the C.
is that even possible or do i have to erase the D in order to use the space?

• Intel Chipset Inf Update Program (Installed correctly but...)
• Realtek Audio Driver (Install failed)
• Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet Driver (Installed correctly)
• ASUS EPu Driver + AI Gear 3 Utility (Installed correctly)
• USB 2.0 Driver (Didn't need to be installed)

It may be the card...can you borrow another one to swap in there ? ?

ASUS motherboards can be hard. 
You need to install the stuff the way they say, do not use other software to install the ASUS drivers and programs. Do it the way they say.Read the documentation very, very carefully. 

I have a 40G HDD as a slave drive(IDE) and sometimes my PC cant read it.there's no DISPLAY or icon in "my COMPUTER".and it has a weird sound when i boot my PCDLoad and run the FREE DIAGNOSTICS from the drive manuf. site...
Run the long Test...it will tell you if the drive is failing as it sounds like it is.thanks man You got it...

Had same problems with Companion 5 as you have plus Pod had volume full on all the time. Even DRAGGING a window to a new position would CAUSE Bose to quit. Disconnected everthing except mouse and Bose from computer and still had problem. Changed out cables. Talked with FACTORY many times, they sent new Pod which fixed volume control. Installed new 5 port USB-PCI card with only Bose connected, still same problem. It would work majority of time if the only thing I had going was music. Opening up new applications or internet would cause it to crash. Could disconnect power to base box, wait 15 seconds, reattach power, then adjust Pod and would work until tried something else at same time. Also downloaded latest Vista service pak (update) that was supposed to help, it didn't. After about 6 calls with factory, have acquired RMA to send in for warranty repairs, will take 3 weeks. It WORKED great for the first nine months.

I'm practically unable to watch any flash videos (youtube) or use other software that have MINIMUM requirements well below my hardware. The processor almost immediately spikes to 100% and the video becomes choppy to the point where the browser quits responding. Vista Media Center is practically unusable as there are tremendous delays.

System Specs:
Pentium 4 2.6GHz Hyper-Threaded CPU over clocked to 2.86GHz
2GB PC3200 RAM (confirmed 400MHz)
GEFORCE 5600 FX (256MB)
30 GB ATA HD (3 gig free)
ASUS P4P800 MB (latest BIOS installed)
Running Windows Vista Ultimate

I've verified that there are no ROGUE processes stealing cycles, or any sort of irregular programs running. The Vista install is a fresh copy. I had this same problem with Windows XP (to a lessor degree), but only about 2 years after initially building this machine.

I'm not sure if the hardware I'm running is just too old, or there is something wrong. While I know Windows Experience numbers can be vague, the values I'm getting for my processor seem to be very low on average with just about everything else I find (with the same processor). The processor is rated at 2.2 on my box. In the ASUS bios, i can perform over-clocking easily, so just to try it out, I over clocked to 2.8GHz and then 3.16Ghz and both still give the same Windows Experience rating of 2.2. (CPU-Z and Windows both show the over-clocked speeds).

I'm at a lost for what to do next. Either this hardware is simply too old to watch youtube videos, or there's something wrong with my processor. Any advice on how to go forward would be greatly appreciated.I'm not sure what is causing this but I am almost certain your specs are more than adequate for what you are doing.  Does this happen with any other program?  CPU overheating is the first thing that comes to mind, but it would have the same problem in other programs.  I'm not sure either but I'd be looking at available disk space.

& welcome to CH.30 GB ATA HD (3 gig free)
The above may be your problem.
Windows needs at least 15% of a free space to run correctly - 4.5GB in your case.
30GB HD for running Vista appears to be pretty small, anyway. Quote from: monies on October 04, 2008, 06:12:37 PM

30 GB ATA HD (3 gig free)

I had this same problem with Windows XP (to a lessor degree), but only about 2 years after initially building this machine.

Sorry I need some help. I turn on my computer and all I get is a BLACK SCREEN. The computer light is on. The CD and DVD opens and closes. I switch monitors to see if that was it and they work fine.

Computer Info:
Gateway E-4100 - 2003

Processor:
Intel Pentium 4, 2800 MHz 200MHz external bus

Bios:
Intel Corp. BF86510A. 15A.0045.P08.0309261344 9/26/2003

Memory:
2560MB physical
90% free resourses
4 memory slots, 0 free (256+1024+256+1024)

Video
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 (gateway)
Screen Area/Colors: 1024x768 pixels, 16 million colors
MONITOR: Samsung 265

DRIVES
C:\ (NTSF) 156327MB total, 25499MB free

Hard Drive
Maxtor 160-GB 7200 RPM 80GPP SATA Hard Disk Drive

Operating System
Windows XP Professional Media Center Edition 2004
w/SP3DirectX Version: 5.03.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-0845)

Monitors
Delta Analog Input LCD Black Flat Panel Monitor with 17-inch Viewable Area

Motherboards
Intel (Midway) Pentium 4 Motherboard No CPU

Optical Drives
HLDS DVD-RW/+RW Rambo 3 Drive R1

Optical Drives or DVD Decoder Cards
HLDS 16X DVD Drive 02ID
 
Power Supplies
160 Watt Power suppy Lite-On
 
Processors
Intel (Northwood) 2.8GHz/800MHz CPUMAC R0
 
Sound Cards
Sound Blaster Audigy II Audio with IEEE 1394 Sound Card
 
TV Tuner Cards
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 TV Tuner Card
 
Sound Blaster Audigy II Sound Card Driver CD

I think that is it....PLEASE HELP  Remove both 256 sticks and re-boot....took them out and still black screen. took all of them out and still black screenThis is almost identical to a problem that a friend of mine had with an eMachines.

Couple questions:
1. Have you had lightning, or a power outage recently?
2. Is the computer and any other devices attached (ethernet, printers, etc.) plugged into a surge protector?

If 1. is yes, or 2. is no, then there is a possibility your motherboard may be toast by means of a power surge/brownout.

But let's consider best case:

Questions:
1. Have you moved your computer AROUND recently? Or jarred it?
2. Have you made any modifications within the case recently?
3. Does the BIOS beep?

Try this:
1. Go and reseat the graphics card, and make sure (if it's a PCI-E) that the power cable is plugged into the motherboard.
2. Have you tried a different monitor connector? (DVI, etc.)
3. Have you tried a different monitor with the computer?

I don't have MUCH experience personally with a Gateway, but I've heard of these solutions working.

Good luck!

Signed,
Sharkfin1) Yes we did have a power outage. and thats when it starts giving me trouble of freezing up.

2) Yes they are in the surge protector

Questions
1) No
2) No
3) Yes

Try this
1) Already tried the Graphic Card its fine
2) Yes I tried another monitor
3) Yes


Borrow a known good PSU of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there...
If this machine has a modem card remove it first.Remove your memory and clean it by using an eraser (pencil eraser). Then put it back. Try to turn on your computer again.If still the same, try to use other memory that suits your main board. Borrow from a friend. Try to turn on your computer again.

Hiya, Im changing a COMPUTER from a FRIED motherboard. I put in a NEW motherboard, cpu and ram. And im hoping I do not have to wipe the harddrive. but im getting a SYSTEM error saying configuration error. Is there any way to load up the drivers of the motherboard without wiping the harddrive? Or am I just kidding myself?You'll most LIKELY have to reinstall your OS.

A new motherboard, cpu and ram is like a new system. You could try loading BIOS defaults, but in all honesty the mainboard change is the issue.I agree what pcwizard said.

I've got a nine year-old Sony PCG-F480 laptop that's on the brink.

Here's some background:

A couple years ago I started using it as a backup computer, only to find that using the sound card causes the system to immediately lock up. No problem-- I don't need sound on a backup system anyway. I just disabled the sound card in Windows. Over the past few weeks, my hard drive on my other laptop died a horrible death. No problem-- everything's backed up. Enter the present.

I can press the power button and it will turn on-- LEDs come on, the hard drive spins, and the CD spins-- but the BIOS never starts. If you leave it like running like that for about an hour, come back and restart it, it will normally start the BIOS-- sometimes it locks up after the BIOS chime, but restarting it again will normally cause it to come up. But last week, it booted to the Windows 98 loading screen, and then locked up with horizontal black lines running up the screen. Great. Just restart it, and it'll come up.

After a week of pretty heavy use, I started it the other day, repeating the process as usual, but this time not getting ANYTHING. Not a peep.

I managed to get it running this morning, and get some of my stuff off of it, but then it locked up again, and won't come up at all.

I've done everything I know to do-- reseating the memory, taking the hard drive out and booting it, various cominations of buttons, playing the PIANO on the keyboard, etc., etc..

I've got three questions:
1. Is it toast?
2. If no, what do I do to get it to start?
3. If yes, could someone get me some butter?

Sony PCG-F480
Windows 98 SE
Pentium III 600mhz
192mb RAM (128mb original, I think)
Yahmaha Sound Card (dead)
Integrated GRAPHICS of some sort

Thanks to any who bothered reading the post!

Signed,
Sharkfin

P.S. I'm not worried so much about getting the data off of it-- I can always pull it and plug it in one of my other laptops, but starting it would be a very big time saver. Thanks again!Nine years old? have you ever changed the cmos battery? Some sites I saw suggest replacing the power jack before declaring a motherboard dead, but the cost of getting a repair shop to do this will far exceed the value of a 9 year old machine.

No, I haven't. Actually, I've read that this might be solved by removing the CMOS battery for a few hours-- this was SOMETHING I was going to try. Thoughts?

As for the power jack-- would it still affect the motherboard even if it was running on battery? The battery is still in good condition, and no matter with what power source I start it, it refuses to boot.

UPDATE: I got it to boot to Windows last night, but it locked up before I could do anything. Strange... it's never locked up for seemingly no reason.

Thank you!

Signed,
Anthony Quote from: Shark Fin 101 on October 05, 2008, 11:06:45 AM

As for the power jack-- would it still affect the motherboard even if it was running on battery?

Hi, I have a question!

My laptop fell off a table whilst the disk tray was open and jammed the disk tray shut. It didn't damage the laptop at all, just made a whirring noise every time I turned it on and off because there was a CD still in there. However, TODAY the tray OPENED a LITTLE and so I pulled it out.

Now my laptop won't turn on, and even the charging LIGHT doesn't come on. A piece of plastic RIBBON that I think was attached to the tray is loose - could it be that?

(Acer Aspire 5920, Windows Vista)Dropping a laptop is very bad news.

Is it under warranty by any chance?

Is there anyone can help me ?
How many pc can go to internet via a router at the sametime ?? Is there any limit user access point at the router or can i set the limit of access point . If too many PC  go to internet at the same time , will it cause low SPEED ?the more pcs USING the wireless or wired interenet on a router will slow it down you can kick different ips and mac address of the router id thats what you mean Quote

you can kick different ips and mac address of the router id thats what you mean

Hi I have an Iwill DVD266-R the specs are:

2 identical P3 1GHZ processors
2 PC1600 ECC Registered 1gb ram chips

Processor
Supports single or dual Intel® Pentium® III processor from 500 MHz to 1.0 GHz and higher
Supports single Intel® Celeron™ processor from 300 MHz to 733 MHz and higher

Chipset
VIA® Apollo Pro266 chipset
• VIA® VT8633 (552-PIN BGA) Northbridge
• VIA® VT8233 (376-pin BGA) Southbridge

Bus Frequency
133/100/66 MHz system bus

System Memory
4 x DIMM slots
Supports up to 4GB DDR266/200 SDRAM
Supports Unbuffered / Registered DDR SDRAM modules

IDE
Dual channel ATA 100/66/33 IDE
Supports ATAPI IDE CD-ROM, ZIP-100 and LS-120
Supports maximum of four (4) ATAPI / IDE devices

IDE RAID
AMI® MG80649 IDE RAID controller
Dual channel ATA 100/66/33 IDE
Supports RAID levels 0, 1, 0+1

Audio
C-Media® CMI8738 audio controller
4.1 channel hardware sound
32-voice HRTF 3D positional audio
Supports Microsoft® DirectSound™ 3D and Aureal® A3D
Supports EAX (Environmental Audio eXtension) sound effects


Expansion Slots
1 x AGP slot supports 4X and 2X modes
5 x PCI 2.2 Bus Master slots

I/O Interface
4 x ATA/100 IDE connectors
1 x Floppy connetor
1 x SMBus header
1 x Internal IR header
2 x PS/2 connectors (keyboard and mouse)
2 x 9-pin 16550-based serial ports
1 x 25-pin ECP/EPP parallel port
2 x USB ports
1 x Internal USB pin header
3 x Audio connectors (Line-in | Line-out | MIC)
1 x MIDI/Game port DVD-R, KA-R

BIOS
2 Mb EEPROM with flash protection
Iwill "Bye-Bye Jumper" Smart Setting
PC99 Compliant
Plug and Play (PnP)
ACPI 1.0
APM 1.2
DMI 2.1
Adjustable Vcore
Manually assign PCI IRQ

System Management
Supports power-on by LAN, modem, PS/2 keyboard and mouse, RTC, PME
Supports resume-by LAN, modem, PS/2 keyboard and mouse, RTC, PME
Onboard DC/DC switching voltage REGULATOR supports Vcore up to 35A current

Hardware Monitoring
Supports voltage monitoring
Supports fan ON/OFF control signal
System TEMPERATURE sensor
Chassis intrusion detection

Board Size
ATX Form Factor
12 in x 10.2 in (305mm x 260mm)


Problem:

I got every thing plugged in correctly and checked it over and over several times
and it beeps several LONG beeeeeeeep, beeeeeeeeep, beeeeeeeeep and so on forever...
and I can't figure out why. could you help me out?

thanks,
Kyle

Two things you may want to check:  video card and memory.

Make sure the video card is seated properly...as well as the memory.

Have you checked this?

If you're still experiencing the same problem...try using a different video card to see if it still happens.  If it doesn't...it's the video card.  If it does...try testing the memory for any bad sticks.OK, I tried a different graphics card, pci, agp cards, no cards both ram chips also one or the other or no ram chips at all. and it still beeps the same i also made sure the processors are the same too. any thing else to try would be appreciated.
 Keyboard?no its a ps2 keyboard and its working properly.

I am running windows xp with a penitum 4. I removed my old cd-rw drive and I added a PCI sata card in order to install a dvd+rw drive with sata connections. After installing the sytem had to RESTART and then error:
couldn't open drive multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)PARTITION(1)
NTLDR: Couldn't open drive multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)
When I try to boot the computer up, it stops on this error. If i disconnect the dvd+rw drive it boots up and works FINE. What am I doing wrong? Please help...Why the change from IDE to sata?If you are USING XP os and have the connections secured when you boot up your device should be recognised.Have you tried another PCI slot if you have 1?Could be a bad card or rom drive?i bought the dvd+rw drive without realizing it was sata. My computer only had ide connections, so I added the pci sata card. it is in the only empty slot. if i disconnect the rom and continue the boot up, and then connect it after the computer is up, it recognizes the drive and installs it. but then it asks to reboot and i get that error...Probably you will need to edit BOOT.INI

hi everyone just a quick question i had a virus which had looped my login on xp and microsoft sugested to reformat the hard drive and reinstall xp, i inserted the xp cd and yes did a FRESH installation, but heres the question when i now turn on my pc it beeps once but nothing and i dont EVEN get the msi screen LOGO to go into the bios and dosnt even read the xp cd now any ideas many thanks juan ( see xp activation )software  FORUM Click This...hi there i found an old graphics card and INSTALLED it and my pc is now working beter many thanks juan

I just put my pc together (specs are below). I took everything out of the case, put it together, and STARTED it without the cpu and the BIOS won't post. And their's also no beeping, just a black screen on the monitor.


GeForce 9800 GTX 512mb 256-bit - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814130339

amd phenom processor- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103285

4gb ram- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214

power- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371001

motherboard- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128352

24' monitor- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824112011

500 gb HARDDRIVE- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136143

cpu cooler- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106061
You NEED the CPU for it to POST.Yea my bad I did have the cpu in.  Im re-applying some THERMAL paste right now.

Tried to find help in previous forums but all of the tech help looked specific to each person/computer....  So here is my issue:

Neither my CD-RW or DVD ROM will work or even show up in My Computer.  I have no idea when it happened or what caused it.  They are still listed in the devise manager but with little yellow exclamation marks.  Tried to use windows to get NEW drivers but it always says there is no better match.  Also tried to uninstall and reinstall but that didn't work either.

Thx in advance if you can help.

Running XP Home Version 2002 Service Pack 3.  No idea about the cd/dvd drive INFORMATION...they came in the computer:  HP Pavilion a1000n Do yhe drives show up in BIOS?where do i see that?Try one of these:
1. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060
or...
2. Download, and run Restore Missing CD Drive patch
Double click on downloaded file, and allow registry merge.
or...
3. Go to Device Manager, click a "+" sign NEXT to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
You'll see two items:
- ATA Channel0 (or Primary Channel)
- ATA Channel1 (or Secondary Channel)
Right click on each of them, and click Uninstal. Confirm.
Restart Windows. They'll be automatically reinstalled.I Am having the same issue but in windows vista.  I can see the device but with the exclamation point and error code 10.  I have uninstalled and it reinstalls on restart, but still error 10. I have updated and searched but it always says I have the newest version.  Anybody?  If not, I have thought about bringing it to geek squad...any comments on that?  I have never had to bring in a computer before and don't know how to choose a good place.
Thanks.
Quote from: ctbosox on October 01, 2008, 04:43:55 AM

I Am having the same issue but in windows vista.  I can see the device but with the exclamation point and error code 10.  I have uninstalled and it reinstalls on restart, but still error 10. I have updated and searched but it always says I have the newest version.  Anybody?  If not, I have thought about bringing it to geek squad...any comments on that?  I have never had to bring in a computer before and don't know how to choose a good place.
Thanks.

My PC is too trashy to play some of the newer games coming out these days so I'm going to buy a new one. I don't know much about the guts of a PC, so here I am.

I don't feel like building a PC, so please don't tell me I should build one even if it is super duper easy. 

If you CLICK this link you'll go to a list of gaming PCs at Newegg.com in the $1000-$1250 price range, which is right around my budget.

I've been trying to pick out one of these PCs to buy, but I have no idea which one to go with.

Are any of these PCs worth it? If so, which one should I buy.

And will it be easy to upgrade it with a new graphics card or whatever when the time comes?

Anyone that helps me out has the potential to be the coolest person in the world... it could be you!

Thanks. Well, you don't want to hear it as you say but, you could REALLY do better with that money. A lot of these are using on board graphics. They may say "gaming", but research what games you are wanting to play. Keep this link System Requirements Lab. You may find yourself upgrading quicker then you think.

My suggestion.

Most of them come with a graphic card like

NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+
NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX

I thought they were good  Their not bad. I just like seeing people get everything they pay for. I would go with a 9800 GTX. The memory speed is a little slow for gamers and GPU hertz but it's expected with pre-built. You could get a nice aluminum case with a good over clocking board. Looks like you'll probably be getting the CPU power.

Anyway, I didn't LOOK at all of them. But you can't go to wrong with higher priced ones. Read the reviews as well. You can get a lot of info there. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229044 that one sounds good

or this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229043rasilun, can you please qualify some of your statements?
You say those PCs have on board graphics?  You suggest a 9600GT is better than a 9800GTX?  You say that the 9800GTX is too slow for gamers?  And you say that spending more is better?
Please do explain further because I really can't see your point of view - do you know anything about hardware?ya really good point calum i dont see how there that slow for gamers the gtx + is even a little better not that much thoughI went with http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229043 (9800 GTX+)

Thanks for all the help!woa!!!!!!!! its deactivated!! did you buy it yet? cause if you didnt you wont be able to weird how thats deactivated cause it seems like a good gaming computer for the price....

if you didnt buy yet http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229044 get that it can be overclocked higher tooZappa, that's a nice PC, hope you're happy with it and do let us know your thoughts when you get it, we'd be interested to hear (assuming you have bought it before it was deactivated anyway).

I ordered it last night and my credit CARDS been charged so I guess I'm alright... phew!

From Newegg:
What is a Deactivated Item?

When a product is out-of-stock, it may show as "Deactivated" on the item page. This could mean that the item is no longer available and we are searching for a new supplier. However, if an item has reached the end of its product LIFE cycle and will no longer be available at all, the deactivation will be permanent.good very goodOne last question...

The review at newegg says you'll need a monitor with a DVI input. My monitor has a DVI-D

Is that the same thing? I've learned that one letter can mean a lot no itll workAwesome. I'll let you guys know how everything goes when it gets here.

Thanks again for the help!