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Hello

I am writing for a bit of advice.

I have just installed a hard drive in my PC tower. This is in addition to the drive (C) I already have and which holds Windows XP Home.

I have bought this additional disk so that I can install Windows XP Professional on it. The Professional CD I have is a special edition 120-day version for me to prepare for a Windows exam.

When I double-click on My Computer I cannot see the new Hitachi disk, but I can see my usual CD-ROM drive, C drive, etc.

I can, however, see my new disk in Device Manager, and I can see it in Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Computer Management. In Computer Management I can see disk 0 (my C drive) and disk 1 (my new Hitachi drive).

My C drive shows a healthy NTFS system, while my new drive is showing Unallocated. If I right-click on 'Unallocated' I can see that I am to be invited to create a new partition and then Primary partition.
please?

I do not want to give Windows XP Professional any kind of prominence because I will remove it after the 120-day trial expires and I want to be able to choose when I load it. I don't want the PC to boot into Professional and then for me to have to choose my Home edition, because all of my files and programmes are on the latter.

Where do I go from here, please?

Many thanks for any advice.

SteveI've never dual booted a computer. 

(I cheated, and installed one of those drive bays where you can swap drives.)

I was poking around on the 'net last night, but couldn't find good INSTRUCTIONS for you on how to dual-boot XP Home and XP Pro.

I will throw out the hardware solution, based on the "ifs" -- if you have space in your system (a 5 1/4 inch bay), if you have the money (they're not terribly expensive) and if you want to deal with swapping physical drives -- you can have XP Home on one drive and XP Pro on another -- if's it's worth the bother for four months!   

I'm almost sure there's a way to dual-boot them, but I'm not sure of how to do it.XP Home and Pro can be installed in a dual boot configuration.  You can't install the second operating system from within XP Home - you have to restart the computer and boot from the XP Pro CD.  During the XP Pro installation choose the new hard drive as your installation location.

Your new hard drive doesn't show up in My Computer because it has not been formatted.  Create the new partition using Computer Management -> Disk Management.

  Quote from: Eg0Death on September 16, 2008, 06:39:57 AM

Your new hard drive doesn't show up in My Computer because it has not been formatted.  Create the new partition using Computer Management -> Disk Management.

You need to use the BIOS to switch which drive to boot to...i thought this is how you wanted it setup so they were completely seperate as you are getting rid of it in a bit.
To enter setup you watch the screen to see what key to use...Delete F10 or F2.
Once in setup you go to the boot device screen and select which drive you want to boot to   highlight it and press F10 to save changes and Exit...
It will now boot to which drive you selected.

There are a number of options when attempting to connect my computer to my TV.  I have a Dell Inspiron Windows xp computer with dvi and vga outputs.  I have a Sony Wega LCD TV which has either HDMI or VGA inputs.  What is the best way to connect these?  I tried to connect with a DVI HDMI cord and seemed to work ok other than the screen was shrunk up some.  Would VGA to VGA be better?

Thanks for you help.In my opinion you have the best configuration.

You might want to see if you can CHANGE the Sony config and turn off any overscan it might have. My older Samsung DLP overscans on 1080i HDMI signals and the scaling MAKES the computer text look pretty crappy. It ALSO cuts off at least a dozen pixels all the way around.

RaydudeAny helpful hints on how to change the config to turn off the overscan?You have to look in the manual or through the menus. I don't own a Sony so I can't begin to guess.

Sorry I can't be more help. If you find a pdf of the manual online I can look through it for you.

Raydude

So I got the problem with the no sound on IE7 fixed. BUT now when I try to USE my microphone, it doesn't work.  What ELSE do you need to know?As much as we needed to know the first time...Got it fixed on my own. Checked my DRIVERS and UPDATED it. Thanks though!Sure THING...

i CANT get it opened. I tried PUTTING the pin in through the whole and it still doesnt open. I assume that the CD is in the drive - probably not seated correctly.

Push on the release with the pin (paper clip MAY be better) and, at the same time, try to pull the tray open.

Best of luck!no there is nothing in thereTry the paperclip and pull gently on the tray.how do i pull on itYou don't mention an operating system so we'll PROCEED as if it is Windows. First, let's try this: Go to My Computer, right-click on the CD drive, select Properties, click on "Eject."

If that doesn't work, make sure that the straightened paperclip is a couple inches (5 cm, or so) long. Push the paperclip into the HOLE until you feel some resistance, continue pushing and the tray ought to begin coming out, grasp it and pull gently.

Let us know how you make out.Do you have kids?
When you place a CD in the drive, do you press the button to close it, or just push the tray in?
Does the drive show up in My Computer? Quote from: JJ 3000 on September 21, 2008, 11:53:03 PM

Do you have kids?

Hey all,

Just wondering what motherboard is BETTER out of the 2 and why do u think the BOARD u have chosen is better......

Cheers VNCPTRIt depends for what purposes really.it will be MAINLY for GAMING I'd get the GIGABYTE, but neither are very new boards.

I have been THINKING of building a new computer instead of buying one.  I have very little experience but I have always been the type to learn as I go.  I primarily use the system for gaming and downloading music.  Could someone give me a great build so I can get started.  Any help would be appreciated.  The system should include a new monitor.  Thanks.you can build a pretty sick system with 3k. i suggest going to newegg.com and doing a little research. here's one system i concocted for under $1500:

1 lite-on combo drive (23.99)
1 lg 20x dvd burner (24.99)
antec 900 case (129.99)
2x 250gb seagate barracuda sata 3gb/s hard drives (119.98 or 59.99 each)
lg 22" widescreen monitor (279.99)
asrock am2+/am2 nforce 780i motherboard (189.99)
2x evga geforce 8800gt video cards for sli (299.98 or 149.99 each)
corsair 750w power supply (129.99)
4GB (2x2gb) mushkin ddr2 800 ram (93.98 or 46.99 for 2 gigs)
amd athlon 64 x2 6000+ 3ghz socket am2 processor (92.99)

it comes out to a little over $1400 after shipping. but don't just take this build and do it. do some research for yourself, determine WHETHER or not you like amd or intel, ati or nvidia, etc. and if this build TICKLES your fancy, then go with it. good luck!

Thanks.  I actually have had better luck with intel and nividia.  I just wanted a list to work off of.  I have been a lot of reading but it becomes overwhelming with the amount of DIFFERENT products.

if this is my motherboard.
Brand MSI
Series MBOX
Model K9VGM-V
 
CPU Type AMD Athlon X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64
CPU SOCKET AMD Socket AM2
FSB 1000MHz HyperTransport

Chipset
North Bridge VIA K9M890
South Bridge VT8237R+

could i run this processor?
Brand AMD
Processors Type Desktop
Series Athlon 64 X2
Model ADX6000CZBOX
CPU Socket Type Socket AM2
Core Windsor
Multi-Core Dual-Core
Name Athlon 64 X2 6000+
Operating Frequency 3.0GHz
Hyper Transports 2000MHz
L1 Cache 128KB+128KB
L2 Cache 2 x 1MB
MANUFACTURING Tech 90 nm
64 bit Support Yes
Hyper-Transport Support Yes
Virtualization Technology Support Yes
MULTIMEDIA Instruction MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, 3DNOW! Professional
Voltage 1.35-1.4V
THERMAL Power 125W
Cooling Device Heatsink and Fan included

No.ok thank you

Apologies if this is in the wrong section of the forum, but since I don't know what's causing the problem, I'm not sure which section it goes in.

I don't know the details of my computer, and since I can't turn it on, I can't really check.

Basically, when I turn on the computer, it starts to load up as usual, and it always goes to the mode screen, where it asks me to boot in safe mode, or normal, etc. Then, when WINDOWS starts to load, I get a flash of the BSoD, and it restarts as before.

I managed to take a picture of the BSoD with a digital camera, and it's a standard error message, the code being ***stop: 0x00000024, with a long string of numbers afterwards, but they're obscured by the windows symbol.

I don't think it's a coincedence that my computer broke the first time it was turned off since I installed Spore, so if anyone knows of any problems with that, it could help.


Unfortunately, all the solutions I've seen to this sort of problem fail to take into account the fact that I can't actually use my computer, so anything asking me to use the 'Run' dialog box, or go to My Computer is useless. Have you tried booting in safe mode or booting into "last known good configuration."

If spore borked it then the last known config should uninstall it and fix the problem.

It doesn't matter which mode I try, I always get the same result from the computer.Okay, because you tried last known config and it didn't work, LETS assume for the moment its a hardware problem.

Remove all hardware except the CD/DVD, video card and hard drive and boot again to see if the problem goes away.

That means unplug EVERY USB device except the keyboard.

If it boots, plug in the mouse so you can move your cursor.

If that doesn't help and you can't get any more information from the BSOD then it seems more like a software issue again...

At this point you should boot the windows CD that came with the computer and try the "repair" option.

That might get it to boot.

Beyond that its time to reinstall windows which means you have to somehow get your data of the drive (stick the in another machine and copy the data to a usb key or burn a DVD, etc. Or you could buy a new hard drive and do a clean install to it with your old drive set to secondary).

If you buy a new hard drive, be sure to keep all your data on the old hard drive around while you wait to see if the new hard drive is going to crash. With fail rates as high as 50% these days better safe than sorry.Alright, thanks. I'll have a go at that, and if it doesn't work, or I'm trying to do things I don't understand, I'll take it to be fixed somewhere tomorrow. Quote

A problem occurred within NTFS.SYS, the driver file that allows the system to read and write to NTFS file system drives. There may be a physical problem with the disk, or an Interrupt Request Packet (IRP) may be corrupted. Other common causes INCLUDE heavy hard drive fragmentation, heavy file I/O, problems with some types of drive-mirroring software, or some antivirus software. I suggest running ChkDsk or ScanDisk as a first step; then disable all file system filters such as virus scanners, firewall software, or backup utilities. Check the file properties of NTFS.SYS to ensure it matches the current OS or SP version. Update all disk, tape backup, CD-ROM, or removable device drivers to the most current versions.

Greetings all,

On STARTUP, my BOX detects a USB connection that does not exist. The "safely remove hardware" icon is always in the quick-launch area of the taskbar. When I click it, it defaults a USB connection that is not in place. Although a minor annoyance, it is STILL annoying. Is there something in the registry I can change? Any other possible remedies? I appreciate all help.

 What happens when you remove it in the Safely Remove Hardware?

Unplug all USB Devices and see if it is still there.

Otherwise, you can hide the icon if you want.Hi,

Thanks for the response. No USB item is connected on startup; the SYSTEM seems to think there is. YES, when I click stop, it says OK to remove, but there's nothing to remove. How do you hide the icon?

Right Click the Task Bar, go to Properties.
Then click Advanced.Thanks for the tip!No Problem.

I have a LITEON DVD player and it came with Nero 7. I can not get any sound when playing DVD. . I tried using Windows Media Player and same PROBLEM. On my Lenovo notebook I use Windows media player and I get video and sound. Is it the software? when I play music CD's I get sound. I can not figure it out. Quote

I can not get any sound when playing DVD

Now you would think a big company like Microsoft would have a complete package to play DVD's properly.

Hi, I'm about to build a new rig consisting of a) AsusM3a770 mobo, b) AMD x2 6000+ cpu, c) 4gb Corsair ram,d) 250gb Sata2 HDD, e)Sata DVD drive, f)450W PSU. Vista Ultimate 64bit OS (OEM).
My questions are, does the DVD drive need/have the 'audio in' cable to the mobo ( or is that just for CD drives)? Will my Epson CX3200 printer work with this OS (currently on XPHome) or will I have to d/load DRIVERS?
 I will be installing my (old) NVidea 7100GS G/card. Will this work on Generic Drivers until I get the 64bit ones? How can I TELL if 64bit drivers are on the cd instalation discs? All the parts should arrive tomorrow (God willing!) & I'd like to get cracking with the build. BTW Vista is a new experience for me so I'll need a fair bit of luck there alone! Cheers AlexCD/DVD drives haven't needed that audio cable connection since Win98...
You will need drivers for the Epson...
I would CHECK nVidia's site for the proper vid card drivers...`
I'm unclear about whether Epson has Vista 64 drivers for the CX3200 - check your CD and look here: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supAdvice.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&noteoid=86150&type=highlights. You may need to contact Epson.

Looks like your NVIDIA driver is here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x64_175.19_whql.html.

Best of luck!

Hello, I've been trying to overclock my toshiba for quite a bit now but im not really suceeding.
I know the potential risks of overclocking a laptop (over heating, permanent HARDWARE damage..) but I only to set the fsb up to 2 % more at max.

thx,   

TOSHIBA Satelite P300
Core 2 Duo P8400 (2.26GHz)

Chipset: Intel PM45
Southbridge: 82801iIM (ICH9-M)
Just don't try, you'll get nowhere.
Laptop overclocking is never a GOOD idea.
What are you using to overclock anyway?I just want to get a little more juice out of my cpu,
I have tried multiple software to try to overclock it but they don't seem to support my mainboard and the bios doesn't support overclocking.
I've increased the airflow inside of the laptop and have added an extra fan from my old latitude to enable better COOLING.

Quote from: Calum on September 12, 2008, 04:43:18 AM

Just don't try, you'll get nowhere.
Laptop overclocking is never a good idea.
What are you using to overclock anyway?

I've increased the airflow inside of the laptop and have added an extra fan from my old latitude to enable better cooling.

Ok so i have a dell dimension  e310.  my speakerswork fine if i run my windows media player, but i dont have any sound when im on the internet. but just from the internet, like from you tube or to watch shows on abc.comWhat BROWSER do you use?I have the same problem, almost exactly.
I was told it was the sound driver. ( I have SOUNDMAX).

I was told to delete the sound from add/remove programs, and switch off the computer.
Reboot the computer and Windows Xp (I have) boots up and tells you it has found new HARDWARE and is INSTALLING the drivers for it. Continues to load new drivers and boots up normal.
I did it last time I had this problem and it worked for me....Most likely, you have some codecs MISSING. Get K-Lite Codec Pack Standard: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Codec_Pack.htm

Ok this is one of the strangest issues I've run across and for that reason im thinking the problem is the power supply but need some expert opinions:

My self built computer was running fine for a good month now and i recently ordered a 8800gt to add on as I had been working off of the integrated graphics. After plugging the card in none of the peripherals would work (mouse, keyboard, nothing). I took the card out and unplugged everything except the keyboard and the keyboard lit up and worked. If I try to plug anything else in, say the mouse, it will work but the keyboard will shut off. Seems to be a power supply issue but just want to make sure it wouldnt be a motherboard problem before I drop money on a brand new power supply.

Here is what I'm working with:

Vista 64bit
250gb seagate
2gb ddr 800
ecs 8200a
Rosewill 550W
Athlon 64X2 5400BE
Arctic 64 Freezer Pro

Some other things to consider:

There has been and still is a smeared screen displayed after POST before getting to the windows LOGIN. I originally thought that it was an overclocking issue but after restoring defaults in BIOS the screen continues to come up. Not sure if this correlates or not. Also my external HD would have intermittent accessibility issues via the USB ports before this happened.

Any ideas?What is showing in device manager, any yellow marks next to a device?Nothing is yellow in there. Everything I would expect to be listed is there.OK. WELL you have to start someware and it would be with the power supply.The city you live in , do they have a Frys store?yes, not too far away.The reason i ask is when i have a problem with a unit i purchace a piece of hardware and try it out.If this is not the PBLM i return it with no PBLM. They have a 30 day return policy.I do not feel guilty in doing this because i end up buying all my hardware in the end from them.Sortware ect. Getting BACK to thePblm.By getting into windows makes me think.Without the new device added [that gave you the pblm]does the same thing happen now.Have you re loaded drivers? Re set your BIOS to best known config or default?The card that gave the problem is out and i have restored the bios to defaults. just trying to see what lead to take on hardware because I dont really see this being a driver issue since they were working before the card insert.I notice you are running Vista.Dis able the devices and turn back on the OS should recognise them & re install them. Might revert to a system RESTORE prior to when this pblm happened,[ worth a try] keep in touch.The ports are recognized, they just wont work more than one at a time. For example if i boot up with only the keyboard and try to plug in the external hd or mouse, the keyboard power goes out. If i unplug everything except the mouse, the mouse will then start working. I'll try restoring windows to a previous state though just in case.If the PBLM is still there buy a PCI/USB card and try itYa. I'll give power supply a shot and then move on to that as my second solution. Would really hate to lose accessibility to all that space though. I got my bets placed on power though, hopefully that pans out.Good luck , keep postedIn Control Panel/System/Hardware/Device Manager RIGHT clik every instance of any USB hubs and ports and select uninstall/remove.
Upon re-boot Vista will automatically re-install them...
Try this and see what happens.Figured out the problem. Seems that one small AREA of the mobo was grounded around the peripheral area which was causing the problem. A screw must have fallen out when I was installing the video card. Thanks for the help everyone!

The family computer downstairs is really old (approaching a decade now ) and I think it's died and I need a little help with a couple of issues. Let me explain what has happened to the computer first of all.

Although it's as slow as a dead SNAIL, the family PC has always been reliable but recently (in the last 3 weeks) it STARTED restarting alot by itself at random times. This wasn't too much of a problem because my family only USE the computer sparingly, to check the odd e-mail/facebook/ebay auction so a crash here and there wasn't much of a problem.

However, yesterday when my dad tried to turn the PC on it got to the part of the loading up process where you see the Windows XP logo screen with the scrolling bar below it, stayed on that for about a minute and then it just restarted itself, started booting up and got to the same part of the load up process before restarting. It does this everytime, and trying to load the computer up in safe mode makes no difference.

The biggest concern of my parents is that there are ALOT of photos on the computer they really don't want to lose so I am doing my best to recover the pictures somehow.

I figured a good way to do this would be to take the hard drive from the family computer and put it in to my computer so I could move all the pictures from that hard drive to mine. However, I'm having some problems. When the hard drive from the family computer is connected to my computer it takes ages to boot up in to windows, and all the time it's doing this the hard drive from my family computer is grinding and churning away. When I've finally got in to Windows (I'm booting in to windows from my hard drive, not the family hard drive obviously) if I try clicking 'My Computer' the computer hangs, I get the hour glass icon and it takes a good few minutes before 'My Computer' section opens and I can continue. My PC detects that the family computer hard drive is connected but when I double click it I get the old churning, hour glass and hang syndrome for a few minutes until it finally tells me that the (D: ) drive is not formatted and asks me if I would like to.

I'm really confused, what is going on? What is with all the hanging and loading while the hard drive is connected to my PC, and when I double click it to try and browse the hard drive why does it tell me the hard drive is not formatted?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.You did the first thing that I would have recommended - now it's time to quit.

Sounds like the old drive is (or about) shot. If the data on the drive is important to you, I would IMMEDIATELY quit using the drive and look for a data recovery specialist. They are very expensive but what's the value of a 10 year old picture? You run the RISK of making the data irrecoverable if you keep trying to recover.

Not to add injury to insult and this is not a criticism, but, rather, a suggestion to others:

a) CD-R's (DVD-R) are cheap

b) Flash drives are cheap

c) External hard drives are cheap

d) Data recovery is (very) expensive


                                        *BACKUP YOUR DATA NOW*


                                         *BACKUP NOW AND OFTEN*It sounds like from your description that the drive is dying.
It may be that the drive has developed bad boot sector and has become corrupted. Thus all the hanging and wanting to FORMAT.
When you add the old computer drive to your NEW/OTHER computer, the drive may not be compatible with the Operating system, NTFC, FAT32 so on  and your new computer wants to format it.
Best to use you old computer then.

Your old computer may actually have a dead BATTERY in it. It is ten years old after all. The cmos battery is easy to change and very cheap. If that is the problem. Buy/get a battery (about $2 worth CR2032) and install it. There are posts in here that will guide you through how to change the battery or you might ask and someone will walk you through it.
Reset your bios date and time. Boot your old drive into windows.
All normal?
Move your photos and save, get anything you want/need from this drive when it is working, it may be your last chance.
Do you have any other drives around to install to this old computer?
Does your old computer have USB connections available?
Try using a USb to send Data/Photo's to saveable location.

I was wondering which is better for a video CARD Nvidia or ATI? nvidia all the way. thats why i got two in my machineI've always had better luck with Nvidia.Same Here.

I am also aware with a some problems with a few games with ATI.It's all about which cards you are talking about.
Any topic like this will always attract nonsensical replies with people claiming one brand is better.
This may be true, however only for a short period of time - one brand never dominates for LONG, and hopefully never will.Excellent points...September 12, 2008 Windows IT Pro Mag

nVidia In Hot Water Over Faulty Chips
Ever had one of your systems complete fail because of a faulty nVidia graphics card? As it turns out some of their cards are bad and can seriously overheat a system.
According to a story at the Inquirer, it's the G84 and G86 chips that have a problem. nVidia took a big financial write-off over the problem and now a New York law firm has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of shareholders, alleging that nVidia knew about the problem but kept it under wraps.

This doesn't precisely relate to a security problem, unless you consider the fact than overheated system COULD also crash a drive thereby causing you to lose your data.

In fact, I have 2 Dell laptops that experienced this exact problem, but with a different chipset. Those particular systems had the nVidia GeForce 7900 card in them, which I believe uses a G71 chipset. One of the systems became so hot that the plastic cover on top of the system actually warped due to the heat. The WiFi card was rendered inoperable as well. The other system simple STOPPED displaying video. I'm not sure who's at FAULT with this: Dell (for not providing an adequate BIOS to control heat) or nVidia. Either way there's no relief from either company for those problems.

Spoiler talking
I have alway had good luck with Nvidia and I would buy from them again. I did want to post the story so you can be more informed.

Hello

I am trying to copy some files (HTML pages and exe programmes) I have on my desktop onto a CD. They are only on my desktop, not on a server.

When I click on a LINK, let's say, 'Download IE7' on ONE of the Web pages, I get a pop-up asking if I want to run or save IE7.

The path to IE7.exe on my desktop is this:

Download Internet Explorer 7[/url]

After many years of faithful service, the backlight in my 19" LCD Acer AL1914 has given up the ghost. After several hours of attempts by my monitor-repairing colleague, we've decided there is no saving it. Replacing the light is going to cost me nearly as much as buying a new 22" widescreen so...

I'm looking at a couple models, some from Acer, seeing as I've had no serious problems with their monitors in the PAST. I've also seen some nice LG models around the same price range (about $200) for the 22" ONES. ANYONE know anything about LG monitors? Are they any good?yes sir i m one of the USER of lg.. my lg l226wtq'' steel works fine and i dont eperience any problem for 3years..Yeah, I went ahead and got the LG Flatron W2252TQ. So far I'm quite pleased with it. Using a DVI cable. Fantastic picture quality and bright colors. 3 year warranty. Free 2GB Trek ThumbDrive as well.

I'm looking for a cheap socket 479 board, preferably one that can overclock although that's not so important.
I see them on Ebay quite often, but they're £65+, and that's a bit much for me.
All I WANT to do is use this mobile CHIP I have lying around, so I don't want to be paying through the nose for it.

In the same vein, I'm also looking for a socket 754 board that will TAKE a Turion CPU, again I would prefer one that offers oem overclocking options but it's not so important.
There's a list here of boards which will apparently work, but again I'm having trouble finding any that are reasonably priced.

If anyone knows of anywhere I could perhaps get these boards from, or sees a good deal, please do let me know, I hate having hardware sitting around doing nothing.Calum, why are you building these ancient computer systems? For 65 Pounds you could buy a brand new board, and the performance difference is absolutely insane. I mean, come on, man!It's not ancient, and I already have a perfectly good computer, check my specs.
These are just little side projects to use some of the hardware I already have.
I don't want to spend £65 at all, I'm thinking more like £20-30, which isn't bad for a LOW noise system as I have the other parts I need.

Microsoft Windows XP
Home Edition
Service pack 2
AMD Athlon 64 processor
3000+
1.81 ghz, 2 GB ram

I believe my main hard drive has been acting up for a while now, and I have purchased a second drive and it is installed. The second is used  as a back up using Norton Ghost.  Both have plenty of SPACE available, 200 and 300 GB.   

Lately, I have not been able to set a new restore point, (error stated that Symantec can't read 3576 sectors starting at LBA 505032 and that there was a data error - cyclic redundancy check), I still have an older restore point saved though, my files continue to be backed up OK, my system very intermittently reboots on its own, and games played are usually booted out after 10 minutes or so, and I have not been able to defrag my main drive for sometime now without having to restore the system as it completely locks up. I have defragged for months because of this issue.

What I want to do is now transfer all my systems and files to the back up hard drive and use this as the main boot and system drive. Then use my original drive as a restore and file back up drive. Basically swapping drives.

Question? - after I install windows to the new drive, using Norton Ghost, should I COPY the entire system over or RESTORE  it to the new drive. Also a menu question comes up asking whether I should ignore disc errors or not during the change over. If I ignore, will the current sector reading issues be copied over as well? Or is this software vs hardware issues.

SORRY about the mouthful but I wanted to make sure as much detail is included. Thanks all.             

Since no one has replied here yet, I will give what limited knowlege I have of this area;

If you clone the drive, you should be able to format and then reinstall.Using Norton Ghost, you should be able to make a copy (clone) and send it off to the other drive. So, I started this process, it asked me If I am sure as any data (my backups) on the new drive would be removed. I said OK, then part way through Ghost said it cannot complete the copy due to errors in the current drive. (which is why I want to move to another drive). So, I am now still using the current drive, BUT, I have lost all my back up data in the new drive. Plus now I cannot not even save into the new drive. The drive shows up in the BIOS, start up and system hardware menu, but it does not appear under the "My Computer" icon. When I try to move anything over to the new drive, I get a message stating it does not exist??!!     

I disconnected the new drive, booted up, shut down, reconnected, and re started, thinking it would recognize the drive as new hardware. No luck as no change occurred.     

So now I am really at a loss of what to do. Afraid if I crash again will lose all my setttings and will have to start over. I do have REALLY important stuff on a flash drive that works, so at least key files won't be lost.  I strongly suggest you do this:

Go to Start --> RUN and type chkdsk /f then click OK.
I agree with Carbon Dudeoxide. Run checkdisk first and than go to the manufacture of the drive and download the tools to check the drive.

How much data are we talking about? If the drive is bad already, cloning it will do you no good.

I would copy your files off it ASAP. Than get a new drive and do a fresh install of windows than copy your files back onto the new drive. Lastly, you can than setup ghost to clone the drive.



Carbondudeoxide and spoiler, thanks for the tips. I down loaded the analysis tools and it does show a failure on my primary drive.  The chkdisk does not show any failures, so there you have it.

I will now start backing up all info I need or want to keep, and start fresh with my new drive and reload all programs as before, then basically toss the old drive. 

Now, one last comment/question before I sign off for a while until I get things in order. This will be my third hard drive in about 7-8 years. Is this normal? My system is usually turned on about 7:30 am and shut down about 11:00 pm every single day of the year. Really not sure how much of a life I  should be GETTING out of a drive, some folks have told me this is normal where OTHERS are shocked I have gone through so many.  What are your guy's thoughts? 

Thanks again for your comments. Love this site, I am sure it has saved me a few hundred bucks and I have learned stuff in the process. Personally, I have only had one hard drive fail on my, but that hard drive was about 8 years old with Windows 98 on it.

As far as I know, it usually depends on how your computer is treated.
For example, don't kick it or knock it around too much.
Make sure it's defragmented.
Keep the hard drive space as FREE as you can.

 I have gone though about 4 hard drives in the last 8 years. One was a SCSI drive and the others were IDE. I leave my machines on 24/7 and kind of work them. The 3 IDE drives were on a FTP server with a lot of users.

If you defrag them and every now and than it helps in drive life. I run checkdisk about once a month just to be sure that things are working ok.

Again, thanks guys. I am using the SEA TOOL's  downloads to check and maybe repair the original drive.  We'll see what happens then, but first I am going to backup ALL of my files, as I may end up starting fresh on a new drive. YIKES and yuck.   

"If" I ever get back, will let you know how I made out.  I'm going in!All Right, Good Luck!

Hi,

I was visiting a website. Suddenly, my computer went into safe mode, but the screen was less clear than usual.  It was like if the computer was working with less power.

I  got a message telling that the VIDO CARD  was not working.  Few days ago,  jchanged that ETHERNET CARD because damaged by some strong storm (lighting).

I turned the computer off and seems to be working ok for now.

What happened?

THANK you.

air
The lightning MAY have damaged the power supply or any of the other components in the system. Buy a surge suppressor if you GET a lot of electrical storms and perhaps a UPS would HELP as well.

If a power cycle fixed it, then its an intermittent problem. One thing you could try, if it happens again, is boot to BIOS and see if the BIOS will tell you the internal voltage levels. If any of them are low or varying then you know its the power supply.

Lightning is really bad voodoo.

Keep a close eye on it and wait for what ever is dying to finally die. Then hopefully it will be obvious and you can replace it.

Take the time now to make a backup of everything that's important to a device that wasn't struck by the lightning surge.

Raydude
Thank you for your answer.

I have UPS, but the lightning got in through the dsl line which was not inside ups (analogic holes).

Now, it is working fine. What is a power supply?

Thanks again.

air



a power supply is the small box on the top of the inside of your case that converts A/C current from your outlet to D/C power the computer can usethank you.

air

Can anyone recommend a Portable external hard drive which will also synchronise as well (I have a  Vista Laptop and an older XP laptop which I use as a spare.)Keith, Welcome to the CH forums. There are PROBABLY many portable Hd's that will satisfy your needs and i think it would be more productive if you SHOPPED for the best price once you have determined what you want. If you don't need to be at the leading edge of the technology (IE one of the 1 tetra byte units that are now being offered) then drives up to 250GB are readily obtainable below $100.00 U.S. Fry's electronics (both the stores and the online) http://shop1.Fry's.com/template/harddrives/  will give you some idea of the costs. Others on the forum seem to favour "newegg" but i personally have no experience with them. Another ALTERNATIVE is to convert an internal hd to an external with a case enclosure. I have DONE this with a number of hd's of varying capacity and they work well. If you happen to have an internal that you are not using this could be a cheaper option. The cases connect via USB ports and are totally portable. goodluck ,truenorth
Quote from: Keith66 on September 08, 2008, 09:37:53 AM

Can anyone recommend a Portable external hard drive which will also synchronise as well (I have a  Vista Laptop and an older XP laptop which I use as a spare.)

Hello, can anyone help me?
I have motherboard Gigabyte GA-945GZM-S2. I can`t turn it on, when i press power button there no fans swinging, no beep, nothing on screen. I think some capacitors DAMAGED, because i started it WITHOUT capacitor and the fans started swinging but no beep or other action. Help me please how can i solve this problem? Quote

because i started it without capacitor and the fans started

Hello, not sure if this is the right section, but will give it a go. 

I've tried to get the files of the card reader but it wouldn't let me. Apparently as soon as it's connected, 3 folders should come up in the "my computer" section, which I do get. Computer DOES recognise the reader however every time I try to click on one of the folders it says "E:\ not accessible. access denied". Is there ANYTHING that can be done about it? =[

Thankyou.is there an SD card in the card reader?Is the SD card password protected?

RaydudeYes, card is in the reader.

And no it's not password protected.I'm off to bed, but something to try:

Open computer management (right click my computer) and choose Disk Manager. See what that program thinks of the flash drive. Does it see the right size? Does it say if its formatted to FAT or FAT32 format?

You could also look in the event log to see if the system is reporting any more details about the error.

G'night and Good luck. QUOTE

every time I try to click on one of the folders it says "E:\ not accessible. access denied"

Yes, card is in the reader.

My Monitor is TURNING white?? i really don't know which one has the problem.the monitor or my video card.considering that my video card is newly replace just a month ago. and i never used my pc for quite some time.i just upgraded my cpu for me to be able to use this desktop unit again. we bought this monitor on 2002. and we only used this for typing only so we only used this for only an hour or 2.but this time we have our own internet connection.and online games are in now.i'm using this unit now for almost 5hrs straight.this problem occurs just LAST week.but the monitor was just blinking and BLACK lines just pops out for a sec. but now my monitor is turning white with slanted lines.and when i tap my monitor it turns back to normal. i just want to inquire this problem to you.i know that it's obvious that greater PERCENTAGE that my monitor is the problem.but i just want to avail my 2months warranty of my video card if i might be wrong? i wanted to try my on board VCARD to determine if its the video card.but when i slot in my monitor to the on board vcard.it has no display?  Try monitor on another computer.its hardware issue,, if you have experience in electronic open your monitor then try to adjust the screen on the flyback,,, but pls,,, becarefull it has a high voltage..Do what Broni said to do first.

Do I have to have my laptop switched on to charge the BATTERY? (YES it's plugged in to mains)Is it the original laptop charger?

How old is the battery?laptop is only 4 weeks old with original charger, it does charge ok,just wondered!Wait a sec, Sorry. I misread your QUESTION. 

The laptop will still charge if it is switched off. If the battery is done CHARGING, it will automatically not overcharge the battery. Quote from: Chelle on September 11, 2008, 08:57:06 AM

Do I have to have my laptop switched on to charge the battery? (yes it's plugged in to mains)

Hello! Please help.

My slave drive always disconnects. Sometimes, it does not shows up upon start up. Sometimes it disconnects while the PC is on. When it suddenly disconnects, my pc hangs and the only way to shut it down is hard reset/shutdown.

I'm not good in computer so I don't know what other relevant information must I add here. Please help and bear with me.

Thank you in advance.Welcome to the CH forums.

Please read this..

What message do you get from the computer? What makes you think the slave disconnects?

Can you enable SMART in the BIOS and see what error messages you get from the drive on bootup?

Did you check the (S)ATA and power cables to make sure they are snug and in good shape?

RaydudeHi Dusty and RayDude,

Thanks for prompt reply. I'll try to give the specs of my computer.

I have winXP svcpack2, Pentium dual cpu, 1.62Ghz, 992MB of RAM, two HDD NTFS both 80GB. I have Avast, Spyterminator real time shield, and ZoneAlarm. I also regularly scan using SuperAntispyware. I dont know what else is needed to be posted.

I also tried going to BIOS but I didnt see the SMART. I remember before, that I always got IDE error (I hope I got it right, its been 4mons already)  for drive D (the slave drive) during start up but no errors found always. I googled the error and I found an instruction to disable the startup scanning and done that. Sorry I forgot already what I did.

I'll try to gather some courage to check the cables again. I did visual CHECKING before but my inexperience eyes cant find anything amess.

I know that the slave disconnects because sometimes the computer stops or hangs. Also, I cant find drive D in My Computer. My Document folder is in drive D that is why its easy to know that the drive D disconnects. No error messages, I just hear a "click". But I wonder why drive D never disconnects when I am in safe mode.

Thanks againPlease, when the computer is cool, make a backup of that important data! To keep the drive alive as long as possible open the side of the case and put a fan blowing directly across the hard drive.

Copying the data onto drive C is going to save you headaches. Better to copy it to C and then burn a CD or DVD if you can.

It sounds like the hard drive itself is dying. I'd guess that the power connector or ONE of the on board regulators is fractured or has a cold solder joint, but that's just a guess.

Its critical you act as soon as possible to back up your data!

Once that's done, consider buying a new hard drive. The 80GB COULD still be in warranty, check that first, but a new drive will be bigger and faster.

Thanks RayDude,

I'll do what you suggested. That harddrive is from my old computer, so you could be right that it is already dying ( it could be 4yrs old already). I'll also replace the cables just to make sure. I'll post back once I've done them.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

HELLO AND GOOD DAY TO ALL OF YOU... IM NEW HERE AT C.H.F.  CAN ANY BODY KNOW HOW TO REPAIR PSU,,, TNX..This is a hardware issue re forum choice, but - I doubt in most cases repairs to switch mode PSU's is practicable.  Just occasionally for someone with some electronics experience it might be possible to find something simple to fix but usually unlikely IMO.

Please ------------- turn off your CAPS LOCK!!Moved.

If you have had no experience with fixing electronics/circuits, I would advise against doing anything to it.

Also, you don't know what current is still lurking around in there....  thank you very much sir.. ACTUALLY i have a little bit experienced in ELECTRONIC... all i want is a guideline like schematic diaglams..or any troubleshooting guidelines tnx.. do you have diagram of psu samsung psd-300dag3?About to go to bed but I found this:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=power+supply+unit&search_type=&search=Search

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkxHJik635o

You might want to have a look.thank you verry much sir... sorry for disturbing you.... but i really appriciate your help thnx... No problem at all. if your going to mess around inside your PSU, just remember to discharge the capacitors. Quote from: homer on September 11, 2008, 11:43:53 AM

if your going to mess around inside your PSU, just remember to discharge the capacitors.

first of all i am currently on a completely unmodified dell dimension 5100 RIGHT now so its not exactly the best pc on the earth, heres the specs for it
http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/desktops/0,39029979,39192686,00.htm

well theres so many questions i need to ask, first of all this is what im looking to do, i would like to replace my computer monitor and tv monitor with one tv screen, and connect my computer ps3 and sky to the one monitor, this is where my first question comes in, is this possible and how hard would it be to do?

this is what i was planing to buy can anyone give me some opinions or changes to my choices?

a new graphics card - nothing amazing just so i get a crisper picture quality than ATI RADEON X300 SE...budget for graphics card = £30-50
XFX 8400GS 256MB nVidia PCI Express Graphics Card - currently looking at buying
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000SAIQWQ/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A17AS5ETPMZ9A1


a new 5.1 sourround system - budget of £40-100 on this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000UC7W3Q/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ACRTI4YR8LRR0

a new sound card to support 5.1 sourround - was looking at Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE - budget of £10-30
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000CF0ZXK/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ACRTI4YR8LRR0


new hard drive - didnt realise i only had 40gb's on my hard drive  and only had 120mb's left so need a new harddrive looking to spend no more than £40 -
Generic Hard Disk Drive 250GB SATA II (the one im looking at buying)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Generic-Hard-Disk-Drive-250GB/dp/B000OUI8QO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1221054516&sr=8-7

so the full budget would be around £200 max

anyway thanks for having a look, there will most likely be many more questions i would like to ask

I don't think you'd get crisper quality from a better graphics card, but you would get better 3D performance.
I'd strongly suggest more RAM, at least another 512MB and preferably 2GB total.
That sound card isn't great - if all you need is 5.1 support then it's fine, but it's not good quality.
It's possible to use a TV monitor as your PC screen but the picture won't be great as it will be low resolution for the size.  However, I believe what you want to do is achievable.sorry i forgot to mention im GOING to be getting another 4gb of RAM too

well i am looking for a way of having one monitor or tv screen, playing my tv, ps3 and computer, im deffinetly sick of the dell screen that came with the computer, i dont have too much to spend on what im wanting to acheive, but do you have any idea's on what you would do? im only trying 2 work out what i could get with my MONEY, i have no solid plans as of yetWhat I would do in an ideal world is buy a nice big monitor, big enough to watch TV on.  But, that's expensive.
You've got a choice between a quality PC monitor and make do with the smaller screen (maybe sit closer?) or a larger TV and make do with the low resolution when you're using the computer.
if you get one with the right inputs, or buy converters, you can have Sky, PC and games consoles on either one.
It'll come down to how much you want to spend and what you want, and in the end we can't say what you'd prefer.would the quality of the picture from a tv monitor instead of a computer monitor really be so much worse? i dont know i like the size of the tv but at the end of the day i think id rather go for quality than size what size of computer monitor would be in my price range?, im actually hopeing my parents will get me the monitor for a joint bday xmas present but i know they wouldnt be willing to spend over 300 and that would be streching the amount theyd buy me anyway, the rest im buying from my own moneyoh and another thing, is there anyway of my surround sound working for my computer ps3 and tv without having to constantly switch the cables? sorry about all the questions im a bit out of my deapth right now lol Quote from: Fraserr1991 on September 10, 2008, 01:22:45 PM

sorry i forgot to mention im going to be getting another 4gb of RAM too

well i am looking for a way of having one monitor or tv screen, playing my tv, ps3 and computer, im deffinetly sick of the dell screen that came with the computer, i dont have too much to spend on what im wanting to acheive, but do you have any idea's on what you would do? im only trying 2 work out what i could get with my money, i have no solid plans as of yet

Hello, I just newly joined because I seriously need some help with my computer display. I reformatted today and set everything up but noticed the monitor was flickery. I was confused to as what was wrong so I tried to look up my video card.

I have directx installed so I went "START -> Run -> typed "dxdiag" -> went under display tab" to find that I have nothing under the device column. No Name, Manufacturer, Chip Type, etc. I've tried to find my video card in the Device Manager as well but I can't find it. I can't find it under SYSTEM Information either.

Maybe I don't know where to look, but I'mm pretty sure I'm looking in the right places. I don't think it's a driver probelm either because nevermind the driver, where is my hardware?

Please help me out~
Thanks.You need the proper driver installed for the system to identify your video card.

What video card do you have?In Device Manager, it should be listed under "Display Adapter".
Do you have any yellow "?", or "!" marks in Device Manager? Quote from: drmsucks on September 07, 2008, 10:38:56 PM

You need the proper driver installed for the system to identify your video card.

What video card do you have?

In Device Manager, it should be listed under "Display Adapter".
Do you have any yellow "?", or "!" marks in Device Manager?

Yeah, this is little bit confusing.
Let's see what Belarc: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html says.
Look under "Display" section.

yeah I did check Belarc and I posted the scan results on earlier pages. Under Display it said none. Which is weird I thought.

When I try to download drivers, it usually says unable to locate the device it's working for other something similar to that.

WinXP, Older Gateway, 160gb hard drive.  Been getting worse and worse about finding hard drive on boot.  It's fine after it finally boots up after a long warm up and several TRIES if I just leave it on.  But today its been on now for a couple of hours and have tried many times and it just won't find HD or boot.  I have changed the boot sequence to HD first, CD rom first, etc.  Still no luck.  It won't boot from CD rom either from the Win XP installation disk.  Can't find my old Win setup floppy but don't think it is going to boot from that either.  Beginning to think it must be motherboard since it won't boot from the Win XP cd rom.  Any ideas or SUGGESTIONS? Quote

Beginning to think it must be motherboard since it won't boot from the Win XP cd rom.

If the PSU has gone faulty, would the led's on the front of the base unit still light, would there still be power to the hard drive and would the fan still work?The PSU will be outputting 3.3v, 5v, and 12v supplies ........ so a fault or loss in any one of those could lead to problems. 

Right now I forget LED and fan supply voltages but - it certainly could be possible to see those as functional even when a voltage rail has gone down.The lead labelled power switch has no power from the connectors on the main circuit board, the power led is ok. The hard drive has power to it. But the pc does not boot at all, only the fan powers up.
It is a e-machine 370. Does anyone know if there is an in line FUSE SITUATED on the main board. Quote

The lead labelled power switch has no power from the connectors on the main circuit board

only the fan powers up.

Does anyone know if there is an in line fuse situated on the main board.

If the PSU has gone faulty, would the led's on the front of the base unit still light, would there still be power to the hard drive and would the fan still work?

I've got a vista home premium multi-media computer connected to my tellybox. When watching tv it's fine but the normal desktop is far too small to see anything i have to use the magnifier. I've tried changing the resolution but it's still too small.

I don't remember the VIDEO card details but i'll look them up in a bit.

cheers

FBWhen you're hooked up to the TV, RIGHT Click the Desktop and go to Properties and head over to the Settings tab (where you change the resolution)

MAKE sure Device 2 is selected and try changing the resolution.
See how that WORKS out.I can't find 'device 2' but i did figure out that it's Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT. and i tried changing the settings in the GeForce control panel and that hasn't helped. The lowest resolution i can get i 800*600 and that's still too small to read.

FBIt's possible you cannot change the resolution on the TV.

I can't do it with my TV.

right now i am using an unmodded (except for more RAM) HP Pavilion a1424n.

i need to upgrade my motherboard to one with PCI-e 2.0.  I would like to keep my same CPU and OS.

my CPU is a Pentium 4 3.06GHz dual core, and my OZ is  XP.

my problem is figureing out about 64-bit and 32-bit.  my OS is 32-bit, and i'm sure my CPU is also.  I know that the motherboard figures into this because of the connector with the RAM, so i want to MAKE sure that i can get one that is 32-bit, or find out if it doesn't matter.

Does anyone know of a motherboard that will take that CPU, have PCIe 2.0, and also be able to handle 32-bit?

thanxmay i ASK why you WISH to have a motherboard with PCI-E 2.0?

keybd   very slow----have to hold key to get any char onscreen---control panel says kybd is ok.


any ideas?Try another keyboard...
Click here to find out what information I should add when submitting a question?tried several other keyboards including purchasing a usb.  took it to best buy --tech looked at it, ran some tests and was baffled---did not want to spend min of 200 on checking it further.  he said his software showed no virus or trojans.  If I hold down a key, for about a second, the letter shows---someone said it is a registry problem  for me, that is greek.Click here to find out what information I should add when submitting a question?
All keyboards you tried were USB, or you tried PS/2, too?two keyboards teied were plugged into back---ROUND plug and one new one purchased was a usb device but did not come with any driver disk.You shouldn't need any driver.
You still didn't READ my link.computer has been upgraded last jan to intel duo core running xp.  my wife said she was typing away on microsoft word when it suddenly stopped responding.  no response with keyboard except as I described, holding the key down until I hear two subtle clinks in any program or email.Was the upgrade professionally done? Did problem start right after upgrade?
Frys did the upgrade in Jan 08---prob is only 1 week old----Go Start>Run, type in:
devmgmt.msc
Click OK.
This will take you to Device Manager.
Right click on keyboard entry, and click Uninstall
Restart computer.did it ---no change---still have to hold down key for about a second until I hear the clink---right now, am typing this on my laptop because of other keyboard probsGo Start>Run, type in:
sfc /scannow
Click OK.
Have Windows CD handy.Thanks for ASSISTANCE so far----have to get ready now for bus trip tomorrow ---will try your LATEST suggestion on friday.

housedokOK.

Hello, I picked up an old IBM flat screen monitor T55D, model number 9513-DG1  from a friend and it has what resembles an M1 male connector....30 pins plus a slot. I tried to use a CTG 38063 adapter but when I plug it in to the adapter, the monitor screen goes blank. Here is what I used: 

http://www.mediamegamall.com/cables-female-hd15-male-adapter-38063-p-7735.html

Can ANYONE tell me where I can find the proper female to male VGA adapter for this thing? Any advice WOULD be welcome.... Or should I just throw this monitor in the trash?


Depending on the condition of the monitor (whether it WORKS or not)...

Take a look at this cable:

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=117&sku=38062

...and then look at the M1 connection from your monitor.  Isn't the above more suited to what you want to do?

Also make sure your video card supports the monitor.  In case you'd like a GOOD read:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=VLAR-42YT65

Hello!
Hope someone would help.
     My Windows does not boot. Computer reboots continuosly, Safe modes do not WORK too. I wanted to boot from Windows disc, but first boot device is not CD/DVD drive. I can't enter to BIOS setup to change it, 'cause some ''good friend '' has locked it. I've tried many 'universal pwds', but none of them was useful.
     I CAN'T reach the BIOS chip itself to reset it by removing battery etc. Also, because of this the manufacturer of my bios is unknown. All I know is: Micro-Star International AMD chipset ('ve read it from driver disk).
     By the way, most of proposed pwds include more than 8 symbols. My prompt is only of six. MAYBE I should look for different topics than 'universal bios passwords'? Than how should my question look like?
     The prompt is placed on the center of the empty black screen and looks like:
                                  Enter CURRENT Password:
and gives three tries. After them - F1 request and another rebooting.
     Maybe this could help to see something particular relating my chip...
     Please tell me some pwds that really work! Or some password bypassing combinations...
      Sorry about such an annoying question. I'm desperate. eF One! Mighty MAGICIANS, where are you?
Thanks for paid attention. R.S.V.P.I really don't know any way around it other than removing the CMOS battery or tripping the reset jumper (if you have one).  Why can't you get to the battery?  Is this a laptop?    No, it is not a laptop. I can't 'cause machine is shut tight with warranty seal. And since it actually not only mine, I wouldn't intrude. Quote from: Archer on AUGUST 22, 2008, 07:57:52 AM

    No, it is not a laptop. I can't 'cause machine is shut tight with warranty seal. And since it actually not only mine, I wouldn't intrude.

Hello folks, Im toying with the idea of building a computer, and would like to know what people think about video cards. I would be using the computer for gaming, but Im by no means a sit in chair all day and play games guy...I like to go online and play "Shooter" games like FEAR from time to time and generally ( ok, always) get my *censored* kicked soundly ( still fun tho ), Anyway, I would like to know if theres any real difference between ATI and Nvida cards. I have a friend who says Nvida cards tend to die in a short time, while the ATI cards last and last...
Another question would be, is it better to get a good 1 gig video card, or two mid range 512mb cards? Im sorta planning on buying an EVGA 780i motherboard with a core2 duo 3.0 ghz processor ( which means a nvida card ), but nothing is set in stone.... Any advice would be nice. Thank you, EOD what is your budget? i personally would go with ati a 4870 to be exact to beats all nvidia cards besideds the gtx280 which the 4870 still beats in a test or 2 plus crossfire (to ati cards together) scale better then sli(2 nvidia cards together) Ati or Nvidia doesn't really matter, in my opinion. It goes down to your budget, price and what cards provide the best performance in that price range that your computer has the power to handle.

If you absolutely want the best, get the ATI 4870 like ocmputeruler said only because it's got the fastest memory and speed and yes, crossfire is more scalable because you can use any mix and match of ATI graphics cards from same series.

Nvidia's SLI requires exact same model cards. 2 8500GT's from BFG ok but 1 MSI 8500GT and 1 BFG 8500GT won't work and neither does 1 8500GT and 1 8600GT regardless of brand.mcxeb52! I'm afraid you're wrong in some points.
Nvidia's SLI does not require the same manufacturer, just the same model.
You are correct however that Crossfire does tend to scale performance better, and that the brand and manufacturer is irrelevant, insofar as there's no reason to specifically favour either manufacturer rather than choose the card that fits your needs and budget.

EOD, having an Nvidia-based motherboard doesn't restrict you to Nvidia cards.
As computeruler said, we would need to know your budget and what you plan to do with the card before recommending you a video card - if you like, post your budget for the whole build and we'll help you pick all your parts, but it's up to you.i honestly wouldnt get a nvidia based motherboar either they have problumsMy newer HP 4600 came with Nvidia fx 1700 on board - I was appalled to see the price tag on that card!!  Mind you I got the machine as ''scratch and dent'' so saved a bunch.

My last machine ran an ATI Readion 9600 and I was pleased with that and the "Catalyst" control panel gave many options, plus it had provision for vid input

Thus far my Nvidia runs two mons fine (wide screen LCDs on 1680x1050) - using the DVI hook-up.

It seems that lower end G-force cards are good prices but when it comes to top end then ATI perhaps has better prices... just an impression. Quote from: computeruler on August 18, 2008, 02:01:40 PM

i honestly wouldnt get a nvidia based motherboar either they have problums

mcxeb52! I'm afraid you're wrong in some points.
Nvidia's SLI does not require the same manufacturer, just the same model.

My pc started shutting off and would not reboot. I played around and took the cover off and checked the wires going to the mother BOARD from PS. They looked like they had been shorted out or SOMETHING of that nature.

After it would set a while it would boot back up but recently when this happens I can just shake the plug that goes into the motherboard and it will boot back up but not for long and not until I shake the connection again.

I have looked onlilne to try and found an easy method of checking the Power Supply but haven't really gotten the answer I was looking for.

I was sure it was the psupply until I shook the wiring, now I wonder if it's releated to the board.

Any input, help, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks  by the way it is a  hp d4100yi do not RECOMMEND you attempt to fix this issue yourself unless you are experienced with electronic circuitry. how comfortable are you with live voltage testing?I could PROBABLY take it out and have it tested put I am no Freddy Killlowatt... Does it sould like the ps to you?it could be either the PSU or the motherboard at this POINT. testing of the PSU will confirm which one is the culprit.I know a few dudes who can check it out but it's better to know that start parts changing.

Thanks a million!your very welcome, any other questions about computers, dont hesitate to ask.

Hello. I just bought myself the new HP Pavilion Elite m9360f PC with a blu-ray drive and the monitor I have can't really handle the information the blu-ray drive PUTS out. So I am on a mission to buy a new monitor. I am looking at two options.

The HP W2408H 24" Widescreen LCD

and the Samsung T240 24" Widescreen LCD


I don't know MUCH about monitors so I am asking for some help, I don't know which one is better.
Thank-you in advance for your help.The links you posted aren't working, so here you GO.
HP w2408h
Samsung T240
I'm not sure which is better for you though, they are the same resolution and both HP and Samsung have a good reputation.There we go, links fixed. Sorry about that.uh, hello?

Anybody?

One other small aspect re laptops ....... where IMO desktops score bigtime ......

Can we say ''HEAT dissipation" ?? Quote from: Calum on August 22, 2008, 09:52:56 AM

If you can provide a reliable source for that statement, I'll eat my glass mousepad.

I've seen less issues with every desktop in my house than with the laptop I used to use.
I would in FACT say that highly integrated systems would have more problems than a system with less integrated components, and a less integrated system is easier to repair and upgrade too.

Hello All,

      I recently Upgraded my RAM to 2GB, at the TIME of booting it showing this message " IC fail. Please enter setup to change OC fail settings" and it keep on showing that only..... until i PRESS F1 to continue ....

     Can any one please TELL me why it was showing... is there any chip failure... Mine is HP dx2280MT system...OC means over clocking; one component of your pc is set to a higher frequency.

You can load the fail safe in bios and set other options manually.

I would advise you to check the frequency and voltages FIRST, It is found in bios itself.

 

Hey guys, it's my first time to post here. I have some question with my keyboard.
When I press the "Window" key (beside the ctrl)  at the left side of keyboard, it shutdown directly. The right one "windows" key, it's normal as well.
The second problem is pressing "ctrl" will mute/unmute.
I didn't create any SHORTCUT key or hot key before and not the virus.
Last, the key of  "  and    changed to and ". When I press , it display as ", and press " will show as .
Does anyone have any solution? Thx!
Info:
Windows XP Professional SP2
Ordinary Keyboard

(solved)Danged if right now I can remember where to get at the SETTINGS info - but you have what sounds like a reversal such that instead of US keyboard you are set for the UK one - which reverses these " and options.  Not so sure about the win key tho.

I'll try and remember the way to set this - usually of course it's something set up at OS original install.  I expect someone will be along to remind us! Quote

Danged if right now I can remember where to get at the settings info

Quote

Danged if right now I can remember where to get at the settings info

Control Panel --> Regional and Language Options. 

What about swapping keyboards?

I know that L1 Cash is Cash Memory ONBOARD the CPU and L2 Cash is Cash Memory on the MOTHERBOARD just used by the CPU.

But are Motherboards still BUILT with L2 Cash on them for the CPU??I haven't heard of any.  Any CPU I know of has the L2 CACHE built into it now.I think you should look up this!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_cache

I have a P4 1.8 with a gig of ram and it ORIGINALLY had a 40 gig HD but I stuck in a 200. I have looked up the bios which is RG84510A but I DONT know what to do to change it.  you have an older version of windows XP. you either need to:

A: purchase a newer version of windows (either a newer version of XP or vista)
B: CREATE a partition.
        -create about a 40gb partition for XP and/or other applications, download and install the XP updates. after installing the updates you should see the REMAINING harddrive space within XP's "computer management" application, from there you can format the remaining harddrive space.as of now, there is 121gb on local and 61 on "new volume". i am not sure how i got here. this is off subject but could this rig run vista? [email protected] 1 GB DDR2100?  it could, i just wouldnt recommend it.is there no amount of updating that can fix this?    Quote from: waltermmckown on August 21, 2008, 08:13:52 PM

is there no amount of updating that can fix this?   

Hi all

I have a problem with my keyboard (not this I am using) but it is going mad and I decided 2 buy a new one

But I have a prob because from the 2 I want (Razer - tarantula or Razer - Lycosa) I don't know which one to buy

pls help me. I would like 1 that is good for music, gaming, typing and and that is very confortable when u need to work during night and day.

Pls tell me witch 1 is best for me.We can't REALLY tell you what keyboard is best. Only you can decide that.

Can't you just go to a local computer store and browse their keyboards?The Lycosa looks cooler, but the Tarantula looks like it has more functionality.  It's also more expensive, however, and doesn't have very good reviews.  Personally, I see no reason to get EITHER one, especially when they cost so much money.  My keyboard was $5 and I've had it for a few years and it still works GREAT.  I ACTUALLY choose to use it instead of the wireless KR-0401 that came with my computer.

Please HELP!

Ok here's the situation. Over The past 6m my computer has been acting funning, getting slower, and with it a couple of peripheral failures along the way.
Funny how:
Folder and file names that have been scrambled and changed.
Disappearing files and folders.
Really long waits to access folders and files.
Hard disk is silent for a long period after you request data by opening a file or folder.
Windows boot steadily increasing and now >10 min with a WHITE progress bar on a black background. That I actually new when most of the problems started? Any ideas about the bar??

Anyways, Initially I tought it was viral, although I play cautious, I play MOSTLY unprotected.  So I tested via couple of online virus scanners....nothing. But decided to protect myself and installed a firewall, antivirus, and anti spy/adware. Still relatively clean. A few DINGS, but nothing catastrophic, but also no improvement. Ran Hijack this and DSS, Nothing.

Removed some programs, Defragged.....some improvement which quickly deteriorates. Now I can't even bring up the windows defragger.

At that point I had to fix a few other things. I know this is boring, but I don't know if it might be relavent.

Anyways, Finally dawned on me, might be the hard drive. Dowloaded Seatools. Every test RESULTS in Fail, actualy wouldn't even run. Then ran Acitive smart. which tells me WARNING! The drive Maxtor.........indicated a SMART error condition. Immediately back-up your data and replace this hard disc drive! A Failure may be immenent.
The problem areas:
The reallocated sectors count, Data address mark areas, current pending sector count, Seek time performance. I have no ideas what these mean, and I can provide a log or values if needed?

Please, What do I do? Can I fix it, if so how, and long term prognosis. What's the best way to back up data? Will reformatting work, or do I need a new hard drive? I must admit this was a hand me down, so evrything is official and validated, but I don't have any disks, ie windows and office. Any work around for that
On a similar note, it seems one of the corrupted files belongs to outlook, and now will not start up, I can GIVE you the error message, but mostly I was wondering if there was a way to get the contact information without opening the program??

Please I will give any additional information you need to get this working again, please HELP

Thanks Need system info, Operating system,cpu,ram [how much ram] how many hds? Quote

What do I do?

Can I fix it

Any work around for that(?)

The drive Maxtor...

Need system info, Operating system,cpu,ram [how much ram] how many hds?

guys need help...been to device manager...systeminfo at cmd...
need to show the processor bit

thnxyou mean 32bit or 64 bit? you will not FIND that within WINDOWS. you need to find the processors model NUMBER and look it up. are you planning on going with a 64BIT OS, or are you TRYING to find out if your current OS is 64bit?