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I occasionally read about people replacing broken parts of a hard drive in order to have it (fully?) function again. I've got some questions REGARDING doing such things.

1. What parts of a HDD can be (easily) replaced?

2. Do the parts need to come out of an exact same HDD?

3. What tools would you need?

4. How can you determine if the HDD it self is failing or an electronic part of the HDD?

5. Does anyone know of any GOOD websites where they describe how to repair HDDsand/or give information on whatever involves repairing HDDs?

Much obliged -

Raptor

1.  None.
2.  Not necessarily.
3.  Class 1000 Clean Room facility.
4.  Very specialized testing equipment.
5.  No one repairs them.  Recovery services can remove the discs (platters) and install into another drive to recover the data stored on the discs.  The COST of repair is 10 TIMES the cost of replacement.  Anyone attempting to repair is performing a "science experiment" for the sake of education.  Why don't you rip one apart and see for yourself?Well, that pretty much clears things up. Cheers.

I'll go take on apart and have a good look at it.

got a bit of a small problem. i am doing a prodject of BUILDING a comp in a huge server unit i got from work (because a norm case are just to small for the stuff i want to run from it).now the problem is i NEED to run 2 or even 3 power supplys. i want 1 supply to run m/b and graphics card as well as pci slots another one to run 3 h.d.d and 3 dvd cdroms and the 3rd one to run watercooling system and lights(for show). now the problem is power supplys will only work when connected in to m/b   .i have herd that you can by pass this by connecting 2 wires on the atx CABLE but im not shore which 1s .if ANYONE can help i would love to ear from you cheers  http://xtronics.com/reference/atx_pinout.htm

http://www.pc-mod.com/articles/atx/

I'm NEW to this SCSI thing....bought an older HP Smartscan photo scanner with SCSI and the card it came with is for an ISA plug on the motherboard. All I have is PCI on mine. Question: will any SCSI card work on my XP system with this scanner or do I have to drop $140. on the HP reccomended card? ???Thanks in advance.Any brand of the proper TYPE of SCSI card will work.  Remember, SCSI comes in many different "flavors" so you will need to make sure that the card supports the proper connection type.

But I must point out, you can get a very decent new scanner that will plug in a USB port for the same $140.00 or less.Hey Gussery, thanks for responding.
I realize that scanners can go for a song NOWADAYS....but the reason I've gone through the hassle with this one is that it's a SLIDE scanner as well, and thats what I 'm really looking for. I'm sure newer slide scanners are USB, but they retail for $500. to $1500. (!)
I've got a line on a SCSI card on ebay for $1.50 now (!!!) I hope it works. Again thanks.

Hello I have just built my first computer, and have encountered a very scary problem!
I will walk you through everything I have DONE, as that will be the easiest way for you to understand the situation!

I assemble the computer;
Intel P4 3.2 Prescott
Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 Mobo
512Mb Crucial RAM
500W PSU
Radeon AGP Video card
CD writer, DVD writer, 120gb SATA Maxtor HDD, floppy drive
A cheap Firewire (IEEE 1394) PCI card

and wire everything up. I boot it up, configure BIOS, everything running smoothly, install Windows XP. It installs, fine and I'm running windows. I check on the Device Manager to see if the Firewire card has been installed.. I cannot see it on the list, and Add HARDWARE finds nothing. Then as merely a test to see if it was installed (I didn't think this could DAMAGE a PC in anyway), I inserted a firewire cable into the PCI card, which I was gonna hook up to my camcorder. As soon as this cable is inserted into the PCI card, the computer just turns off. About 5 seconds later, the power returns and smoke  begins to come out of the PSU fan, and a HORRIBLE smell of burning plastic. I quickly knock off the power, pull out power cables and the firewire cable. I check inside the case some hours later, and I can see NO sign of damage to anything (i.e. the source of the 'burning' which caused the smoke), no burnt cables or burnt parts on motherboard.

I reconnect power cable and (without firewire cable in) turn on the little switch on the PSU to put the power back on. This then turns on the power supply, and thus computer, but CD drives will not open, and my HDD LED on the case is on. Nothing appears on monitor, so I hit the power switch on the front of the case. It sounded like the CPU heatsink fan came on at this point, but it was now I noticed the return of this smoke, so quickly knocked off the power.

Has anyone got any idea what is wrong? Is it a faulty PSU? Or is it the (probably fried) motherboard, as maybe the front control panel input was playing up, as it seemed to turn on with the PSU.

Please, somebody shed some light!

Any input appreciated greatly, I spent a long time saving to build this computer and now, the same day I switch it on, the thing starts burning (or something)!!!

Jon.HI
This is my advice don't mess around with this, take it in and get some-one to take a look, i know that is not what you want to hear but that is my advice be SAFE first always.

Regards PaulSounds like your Firewire port shortcircuited...  Did you remove the Firewire PCI card before turning your system back on?  Or did you leave the card in when your system started to smoke up again?I removed the firewire card when i tried it again, still burning... I'm pretty sure it is a fault with the PSU, thanks for the help guys. i would try another psu>> the varistor maybe the cause of the plastic smell.........links>?>

http://www.buildyourowncomputer.net/step7.html
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/

hey,

I have this huge problem with my Dell Inspiron 5100 running windows XP...it shuts down all the TIME. I'm guessing that it is an overheating problem, because it definitely gets really hot and it seems to help if i keep it by the window (with cold air blowing on it) and not on a flat surface. I am not sure what to do to resolve this issue, so any input WOULD really help me out. Thanks in advance!!When you turn your computer on, you SHOULD hear the fan start... Do you hear it?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Is this 5100 still under warranty?  If so, contact Dell.  My 5100 was overheating and the motherboard ACTUALLY melted to the processor(to describe it midly).  Dell replaced it with no problems, EVEN though it was purchased as a refurbished unit.

I was wondering if a PCMCIA DRIVE can support Win98 if the computer you are using doesn't have enough RAM or are these two entirely different things? Then, is RAM and memory the same THING as far as adding more to the computer?     Thank you.....MargaretAre thinking of adding Compact Flash memory to your notebook computer, hoping this will add to the computer's MAIN memory (RAM)?  If this is the case, the answer is no.  BTW, RAM=Random ACCESS Memory.  Compact Flash, SECURE Digital, etc, are memory, but are not RAM.

Hey everyone. I'm thinking about BUYING some ram but im not sure what kind I should get and if they will WORK on my computer. The one I was looking at was this

:http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=20-146-541&DEPA=0


I don't really know anything about ram so I don't know what kind to get and if it wil work with my computer. Here are my specs

Windows XP Pro
AMD Athlon 2500    1.8 Ghz
512 MB DDR RAM
Via Technoligies
KT600-8237  ( Motherboard )
EPOX-2500    ( Computer Name )
GeForce 2 Ti
Memory: 3 SLOTS: 512 MB, empty, empty


Please tell me what kind of ram will work for my computer. Thanks in ADVANCE!This tool will help you decide what you need to buy...

http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/

Heloo,

the picture on my SCREEN has started to have a consant wobble making it impossible to use...
Plze Help...Have you scanned for VIRUSES/spyware? Which operating system are you USING? Have you installed any new hardware/software prior to this incident?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Zain_Ul_Abideen............."Heloo" .........I have seen 3 posts TODAY from you , which all suggest your pc may be infested with viruses.........
Please tell us which anti virus program you are using and if it is current ?

dl65  Norton Anti Virus...Have you scanned and updated it lately? It sounds like from your previous posts that you have a virus or two.. (As dl65 said)

[glb]Flame[/glb]

I added some memory AWHILE back and since then I can no longer restart.  If I do BIOS loads the it goes to black with the blinking cursor of death.  The only way to get it back on is to POWER down, let it sit for awhile the start up.  Even if you shut down it has to sit before starting up to WORK.  Any ideas?Remove the new memory and see what happens.More of the same with either mem chip REMOVED.

System worked perfectly, but after moving it from ONE room to ANOTHER it shuts down immediatly after switch on. It will not re'energise until switched off at the mains.
When it does finally re'energise, it goes into setup screen and message says: 'During last boot-up your system was hanging for an incorrect CPU Speed' It is set at 1800 Mhz and that is what it should be set at, so what COULD the problem be?What spec is your p.c?

Just want to ask, Do broadband Router can maintain fixed ip address? can i use it with vpn?Yes a broadband router can maintain a fixed IP address if your provider gives you one (normally an extra charge).  If they won't give you an address then there are SEVERAL companies out there that will keep track or your DYNAMIC address so that it will appear fixed to the rest of the world.  This one has a free service (as well as upgraded pay for services)   http://www.no-ip.com/

See your other post for the vpn answers and please don't post the same question in DIFFERENT forums.  It can be confusing to you and us and I hate answering the same question TWICE or more.

If you use a broadband router then presumably is is constantly connected meaning that your ip wont change ANYWAY

I APPRECIATE any help!

I am putting together a new system, all new components:

Antec box w/350W power supply
ASUS MB: PSP800s-X
Intel P4 3.4Ghz
Kinstson Ram 2 DIMM = 2GB
Western Dig 160GB HD UltraATA
ATI Radeon 8500 (repurposed from my current rig)
Pioneer DVD RW
floppy from my current Dell

I put everything together, and when I try to boot it comes on, fans start GOING, sometimes the screen GETS to the 'ASUS' screen, then it all shuts down.

I have checked all the connections to the best of my knowledge and the little amount of DETAIL in the manuals.

Please let me KNOW if anyone has any solutions or troubleshoots!I assume you have installed windows on your default deivce?

I have a fairly well known and expensive soundcard in my machine and it works PERFECTLY well except when I connect anything to the "line-in" port in the back of it.  

Whenever I do this, no matter what kind of cable or DEVICE I use, I get humming noise which only goes away if I TURN down the volume or mute the "line-in" option on the software mixer that came with the card.

I have followed all of the troubleshooting advice in the manual that shipped with my computer as well as all the troubleshooting advice I could find on the web site of the manufacturer who made the soundcard but none of this has helped.

Neither of these manufacturers has  helped me because each one tells me to contact the other and neither of them want to do anything unless I first commit to spending an undeterminate amount of money for their assistance (which I cannot).

I spoke to someone who works at a well respected stereo shop and when I described the problem he told me that it was most likely the case that "something is not gounded".

I moved the soundcard to an alternate SLOT, tried connecting different cables and devices to the "line-in" port but this didn't CHANGE anything.  I carefully examined every connection on the motherboard with my eyes for anything that might look out of the ordinary but found nothing.  I also spent over  an hour searching the internet with combinations of the words "soundcard, "line-in", "noise", "hum", and "grounding" but found nothing that helped.

I have the latest drivers, and have checked for "device conflicts" (irq etc) in the OS's control pannel several times but found none. I ran all the proprietary diagnostic tools that were specifically designed and were pre-installed on my computer by the manufacturer as well as a diagnostic tool which was specifically designed by the manufacturer of my soundcard and which is included in it's installation cd.  All of these tools said that there was no problem whatsoever with any of my any of my hardware despite the noise.

Can anyone be of assistance?

PC's been RUNNING fine, now all of a SUDDEN it won't power on using the front panel switch.  When the switch on the power supply is turned on, all the case fans and the proc fans spin for a second and the green light on the motherboard indicating power comes on and stays on steady.  I thought at first that the power switch might have gone bad, so I bypassed it by using a jumper to short the power switch leads on the motherboard, but still no go.  Here are the specs:

ASUS A7N266-VM motherboard (onboard video/sound)
512MB Corsair ValueSelect PC2100 RAM
Athlon XP2000 proc
300W power supply
Western Digital 80GB HD

Nothing else connected right now, for testing purposes.  This is my wife's aunt's PC that I built for her.  I've only been able to tshoot what I could while I've been at her house, but I PLAN on taking the PC to my house this weekend for further dismantling.  My next step was going to be removing the mobo from the case to make sure there's not a short.  Any other ideas??Made any adjustments to your setup RECENTLY or just before you had the PROBLEMS Quote

Made any adjustments to your setup recently or just before you had the problems

:-/hi i was told that it is could to remove your cookies from your computer my computer RUNS slow i have aol do i need software to remove any viruses mari NAVARRO......you MIGHT wish to let us in on exactly what "IT" is . And yes you most definately need a anti- virus program to detect and remove viruses. You should also have some type of spyware SCANNER , and then of course there's Trojans and Hijackers as well.

let us know

dl65

Is there any ADAPTERS or CONVERTERS that allow you to use a SCSI hard drive in a regular computer?Sure, purchase a SCSI controller CARD.

Hi, i just put together my first build, but when i try to boot it up for the first time it says its SCANNING pci (I have one sata 160 gb hard drive) then it says no device connected to fastrak controller, bios not installed. Then it takes me to a BLANK screen with "Reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in SELECTED boot device and press a key"... it almost seems like the computer isnt detecting my hard drive or somthing. Ive CHECKED all the cables and everything seems okay, i dont know what to do cuz my computer wont boot up.

I have a asus a8v deluxe mobo, with an ATHLON 64 3000+ and 514 ramtypo its actually 512 ram, i also have a msi rx9550 vid cardyour p.c can't boot on a HD untill it is formatted. insert your windows disk or something for it to boot from then format your HD. If you have a boot disk and it isn't being picked up you need to changhe the boot order in your bioswhen i put my windows cd into the cd rom, and i change the boot priority in the bios so that it boots from the cd first, it still doesnt do anything. It just brings up the same message, "select proper boot device.

Hello everyone! I have to buy an Ethernet card to install obviously, and have one in mind, but I am unsure if it is Plug-and-Play compatible.... I NEED a plug and play card, becuase I tend to GET in trouble with drivers... lol      The product description says that it is Plug and Play compatible, but yet, it says that the drivers are on a CD ROM.... Why are they on the CD ROM if it is Plug and Play?  Here is a link to the product... http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=301595&pfp=BROWSE ...

[glb]Flame[/glb]Flame,

Plug and Play doesn't mean that you won't need to install drivers, it just means that the device will announce itself to the computer/OS with enough information that you can install the correct driver.

Trust me, it is much, much better when the card says "Hey, here I am, and I am a DFE-530TX+ 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet PCI Adapter" then when it isn't seen at all until you install drivers and configure it through it's own command line interface.

The card you have picked out should cause you no problems at all, but it may take you upwards of 3 minutes to install it, including opening the case, seating the card, and closing the case.I see, but I was under the impression that the drivers would install themselves... No?  

[glb]Flame[/glb]windows XP has the drivers for quite a lot of devices. Those are the true plug and play devices. however gussery is right. it would take no time at all to install the drivers. *censored* you could just use the windows wizard. If it is truely plug and play then the drivers on the DISK are for windows 95/98Sometimes they will because Windows has them, sometimes the card with tell the OS where to find the drivers on the CD.  It's all so automated now that it isn't even fun anymore.

Sure do miss the days of excluding RAM addresses so that drivers could load and resolving IRQ conflicts  
!! NOT !!Oh, and less I forget loading everything inside the first 640K of RAM..........

Oh where or where did my memmaker go..............

lol ok. Well, thamks guys! I'll see what happens...  

[glb]Flame[/glb]Flame:
You said you had no slots available for an ethernet card.  What happened?

Gussery:
QEMM was my CHOICE.  Remember Stacker?Ah yes...............  The good old days.................

I do remember them both.  I also remember that my employer at the time was too cheap to spend the $20.00 or WHATEVER for QEMM........Since the IT department only worked with Macs, they didn't care as long as the cost didn't come out of their budget.  I ended up being the defacto IT for PC's.When did I say that I had no open slot?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Many months ago.  Have you forgotten already?
You recently asked for USB to ethernet adapters.  I thought you were going to buy one of those.Right... But my CONCERN was that I did not want the desktop to be wireless... I also had no Ethernet port... And I was not sure if I had any open slots.... Are you sure? Maybe USB was the issue?

[glb]Flame[/glb]

I have a C-media 8378 6 channel sound card and my labtec speakers plugged in. I recently reinstalled windows and since then only the front two speakers have worked. i am sure that the c-media software is setup and i have had a look at the windows sound SETTINGS. My onboard sound is definatly disabled and i am stumped. any IDEAS?Well friend, I think there is nothing complex with this problem. Make sure the left RIGHT balance in volume control is OK and also if your speakers have individual bottons on it, set them properly. ummmm,....yes... also try different player.
Do take care of you and others and be happy.
D Wahabhaha nope. not that all the sliders on the CMEDIA software are on full and there is only one dial for the entire set of speakersI have fixed this problem myself. just required a lot of tweeking with the official software. I wont be going with c-media again

I can explain the problem fine, but fixing it is something I don't know how to do. My computer confuses any sound that comes OUT of my speaker as sound that is being input through a microphone. Example: If I play MUSIC through my speakers, my friends on TeamSpeak(a voice chat client) can here the music, as if it were comming through my mic. No, my mic sensativity is not up too high, as it happens when my mic is unplugged. My computer just takes any sounds that it produces, and sends them right back out again. I can talk to my friends but I really can't because it's too annoying for them, whatever they say, is repeated back to them because it comes out of my speakers. Oh and my mic is a headphone mic, but it MAKES no difference whether the sound comes from the earpiece or the speakers, the computer is just confused.What sound card do you have?I left the onboard sound on from my nice MoBo. The board is the K8NS Ultra-939, has 8 Channel Audio with Universal Audio Jacks (UAJ). One of the UAJ's doesn't function properly, but that "shouldn't" EFFECT the other audio jacks. Me and my friend put the computer together, Im starting to think I should have gotten a REAL sound card, and I may just do that. If thats what ya'll think would be best than any recomendations for sound cards?Creative cards are good. check out their 5.1 range

So I was trying to do something else entirely, and was tooling AROUND inside my wireless router's settings (it's a linksys BEFW11S4 if anyone cares)...

Went to the DHCP Options tab, selected "DHCP Clients Table"... And there were like six computers there! (I have two wireless computers on my home network).

So someone is hijacking my bandwidth!

With the usual firewalls, etc., in PLACE, though, my data is safe, right? I mean, they were probably just trying to glom a free ride?

Is there an easier utility to USE to check that kind of thing out?rjbinney   Delete the four ( 4 ) that arent yours  from the
"DHCP Clients Table"...
Can you identify the ip address's of the other 4 ? If you can ,I would record them and if this keeps on happening , I would consider reporting it to your police .......they have the resources to track down these guys.

It's possible its someone who is parking inside your wireless hotspot .....and simply using your connection .

dl65  
I figured it was harmless... Just want to make sure.

I went to the "restrict access" tab and put in the MAC addresses for my two laps and printer... But I know when I add another machine or have someone over, I will forget and spend hours trying to figure it out!!!

But I also enabled the logging procedures, just to see if I can figure out who it is... And then blackmail 'em!!

Some Routers have the ability to limit the braudcast area. if you made it smaller to like the size of your house then you could PREVENT people getting on and not need mac adress FILTERING on

My system boots,  displays the Windows ME SCREEN and then gives me this error message, " error LOADING powerprof.dll, one of the library files needed to run this application cannot be found.
Orginally it was a SUWIN.dll error  but I continued trying to fix it.  My system has been down for 4 weeks.

I do not want to erase the HD because I need the data.

Can I fix this problem

Thanks

The easiest way to replace the file would be to use the system file checker:

sfc /scannow

Run SFC from the command line. If you can't get into your system, try safe mode. You will need your ME disk.

Hope this helps.  this might not work but i FIGURED I'd suggest it.

if you can get into safe mode then once there, hit the start button, go to "run" (might be somewhere diffferant on ME, I'm currently using 98se) then type "msconfig" (without quotes ofcourse) that should load up a box thats titled "system configuration utility" go to the tab labled "startup" and uncheck the box labled "load power profile", hit apply and then OK. It will ask you if you want to restart your computer yada yada yada, hit OK and it should restart. OR hit no and then restart manualy (manualy is what I do, simply because I've had problems with those restart boxes in the past) you should then HOPEFULLY get into windows normaly! Please note that this is just a work-around and won't actualy fix the heart of the problem, and so I suggest that you get whatever data you need off and then put on a new operating system (PREFERABLY not ME cause its probly the worst operating system on the face of the earth, lol trust me I have first hand experiance.) XP works fantastic so long as you have a decent amount of RAM and a fair graphics card.

Hope this Helps! Signed,
Red

Hi...

I hope someone can help me. I'm TRYING to wipe my hard drive to reinstall Windows for performance purposes, however... Apparently, my Dell Dimension 4600 has a non-bootable CD-ROM drive. I have verified that the CD-ROM drive is first in the boot order, but apparently is a slave for the DVD drive, is this a factor? Could someone please explain what causes a CD-ROM drive to be non-bootable? Can I swap out the CD-ROM drive for one which I KNOW to be bootable to resolve the ISSUE? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your time.Sorry, I forgot to clarify that I'm trying to reinstall Windows XP Pro. I've tried the restoration DISK which was included with the PC, and I've also tried using my retail version.so you want a fresh format or just re-instal.

If it is a non bootable disk then i'm assuming to instal windows you would have to install it within windows then let it reboot

Hello all!

Let me get right to it. When I put my computer into standby mode, either by using the button on the computer tower, or selecting it on the shutdown screen, everything goes into standby alright, but all three of the lights on the keyboard start flashing simultaneously. When I hit the standby button again on the tower, everything starts back up FINE, but the keyboard continues it's flashing. The keyboard ceases to function when it does this. No buttons work. I have to RESTART the computer for the keyboard to work again. What could be causing this?

My comp has Win98Se,
Pentium I 133MHz
'94 Intel motherboard
64 megs ram
3 hard drives + CDROM

The keyboard is the old school type, where it LOOKS a lot like the PS/2 plug but bigger. I have tried several different keyboards, all have the same effect.

I know it's old, but it works great except for this one problem. Can anyone help?maybe an upgrade of graphics drivers will sort it>> intel graphics accelerator......seach the link for the chipset........do you have dxdiag 8.1 on your pc.?.....maybe also you need more ram>> for ......try freeram...majorgeeks.com  also a check of the psu may help.....or  a REG patch from aumha.org  [options] or DIAGNOSTICS>>http://www.active-hardware.com/english/misc/sandra.html

Ok. Basically I tried to write a CD the other day, but my drive wouldn't open. I shut down my computer completely and booted it up again. Then the drive started working and opened. Once I had selected all the files I needed to put on the CD-R I started to burn it. Half way through the CD-R drive stopped working. I have tried this several times with the same "results". I have Windows XP and the latest driver for my drive (Sony CRX140E). I don't what the problem is and could REALLY use some help. Also I'm not very familiar with most computer jargon so if you could please simplify it for me. HELP!!!hello friend, how are you? There are some reasons bcz of which that problem accurs. First of all, I advice you to use nero express software to burn your CD's.  Secondly, plz give me some more details like what really happened when problem accurs "is your drive lose power or eject the CD out?" and "what is % of burned data when problem occurs?" etc.....
May be there is some sort of virus....
Do take care of you and others and be happy...
D WahabOk, this may or may not help but I figured I'd throw it into the works and see what happens   . Do you have nero's "inCD" installed? it should show up on your "task bar" (that little section on the far right of your "start bar" that has a bunch of small icons on it) as a tiny YELLOW box with a hand in front of it holding a CD (it probably will say "inCD" if you click it, or rest your mouse on it for a second or two). This little program caused alot of headaches for me. I could burn a FULL CD using the standard nero cd burner but as soon as it GOT to the final step and it opened the cd drive the computer would FREEZE. I un-installed the inCD program and now I can burn fine.

Also, did you have any problems during the install of your CD burning software? And are you using more than one type of CD burning software?

Hope this helps!
Signed, Redeyes_Gambit

This is coming internally from my computer..
I purchased Windows XP Home and installed it on my computer, but sometimes, especially if I am playing a game , it will make beeping noises, very much like the OLD arcade game PONG!!
weird..I don't know what it is doing this, but I get the same sounds on different games, it will also do this when I am just in Windows and not playing a game. This is internal and not from my speakers...
I went into my BIOS and disabled beeping when my computer overheats... It stopped beeping. But why is it overheating? I have 2 cooling fans in there, a heat sync, blah blah blah, The tech guy said this is more than enough coolng for my system. Also, the beeping didn't start until I started a game, like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2. Once I turned off the game, the beeping would continue while I am in general Windows. Once I disabled the beeping, my game started crashing too... Does anyone know why?
What should my temp be set at?

UPDATE

well, I installed Speedfan 4.2.2
I t says that
Temp 1 is 33 C
Temp 2 is 48 C And has a red arrow pointing up...
Temp 3 is 34 C
What does this mean?
Why do I have 3 temperatures?
If Temp 2 is at 48, and the arrow is red,,, am I in TROUBLE?

Also,
Fan 1 is 2177 RPM
Fan 2 is 4167 RPM
Fan 3 is 0 RPM...
Fan 3???
I didn't know I had a fan 3...
I am kinda new the hardware angle and am learning as go here, Any ideas?
Tx
Mattmay be the 3ed fan set as stand by that mean .... the 3ed fan working only if the tempratures increse than 48degrees...........
and 3ed fan must has lergest RPM (more than 4167RPM )..............................
and if 3ed fan not working chek wires and thermostate or temprature sensor that sesing the high temprature on your computer........
if every thing is ok. then maybe the 3ed fan damaged.....Do you have a small case? I had a compaq (read as comp-ACK!!! lol) in a small case at one point and though all the fans worked fine the thing cooked itself lol. atleast your gives beeps. mine gave no warning until things started going haywire.

also make sure it has adequate room at all the PC's intake vents/slats and that they are free of dust and debris (shoulnt make that BIG a differance but you never know).

And finaly do you have your PC in one of those desks that ALMOST entirely encloses the PC? If so move it out into the open where it has a little breathing room and run it like that for a while with the beeps turned on and see what happens.

HTH! Signed,
Redeyes_GambitIf your heatsink is clogged with dust it can also cause a problem. if you got a program like motherboard monitor you could check the tempratures. If it happens while running games it could be an issue with your GFX. try moving the fans to cool the card or different areas of the p.c untill you find the problem.

???IBM  Aptiva 2136 ,Win  95  OS2 ,Intel Pentinum
Help. When I power on my computer it  starts to load then goes black and gives me message "Password  Violated   System Halted" I have tried to run  my Startup Discs and my recovery disc. Get Invalid  Disc error. I removed the battery but only for a very short time.  It does not load enough for me to get into BIOS or ?SafeMode. What if anything can you suggest ?
                     AlvieFor something this old, only a decent burial I'm afraid  Thank you for your ANSWER.  However being 78 years old and having my pensions being desimated by an overly inflated Can dollar and prices spiraling out of sight  your answer is not an option.  
    Alvier N. Leeper    (aeleeper)Sorry if the answer came across as flippant but if the BIOS is not loading it is probable that a chip on the Motherboard is malfuntioning.


There is a local charity here which recycles old computers donated by businesses for use by Silver Surfers and NON profit organisations but I am in the UK so that is little help  


If you have Regulations like ours that mean companies have to pay to dispose of electronic items so there may be an organisation that does this near you as it is cheaper for companies to give away stuff than pay to get rid of it.Thanks foryou thoughtfulness. AlvieAlvin, What province are you in? There are a couple organizations here in Alberta that supply computers in certain [email protected] Give me a shout.
jimYou said you removed the CMOS battery for only a "very short time" how short? it might not have been long enough. 15 minutes is the time my friends who are computer gurus always tell me (lol ive had my share of CMOS woes). BUT NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES! Anything more than 15 mins and your toast for good.

Also did you check the motherboard for a jumper or a switch that will reset the password? Normaly they have a little jumper on two pins with a third unused PIN right next to it. also there are USUALY instructions on either the inside of the case that tell you the location of the jumper and what to set it to. OR the instructions are on the motherboard itself, in tiny print that says something along the lines of "CMOS password rest" and then a little diagram.

if so, then observe the proper anti-static precautions, switch the uhh.. switch lol (or jumper) boot up, and after it either says CMOS password reset, or you can get into CMOS (if it says nothing) then power down, observe the proper antistatic precautions and set the jumper/switch back to its original position. And boot back up.

This may not be your problem but i figured id post this anyway.

HTH! Signed,
Red

At computer startup I received a message saying CMOS battery low and prompting to set the date/time.  Following the instructions provided courtesy of this website (thank you!) I replaced the CMOS battery.  Now when I try to start it, the SCREEN first shows the logo of the company that built the machine, then it goes through some process where it is looking for a DHCP, then it comes back showing the MAC address and says:

PXE-E53: No boot filename received
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM
Drive Not Ready - System Halted

Any suggestions for how I could get this working?  I think it was running Windows 2000 (it's a co-worker's machine).

Thank you!can you get into BIOS?It is trying to boot from the network(PXE is a network boot).  Is this what you want it to do?

If not you need to get into the bios and change the boot order.I was able to get into BIOS.  What do I need to do to change it from a network boot?  The Boot Device Priority lists the 1st boot device as Removable Dev., 2nd is hard drive, 3rd is CD-ROM, 4th Intel UNDI, PXE.  Does that mean it's not reading the hard drive and skipping to the 4th device?Yep, that's exactly what that means.

So now you need it to detect your hard drive.  There may be some autodetect features in your BIOS.  Once it finds the hard drive it should be able to boot to it.  This, of COURSE, assumes that you have an OS installed on your hard drive.

BIOS shows that the IDE type is set to auto but says the primary IDE master is not installed (nor is the slave which this computer doesn't have anyway).  I checked the interface cable and the power cable and they seem to be connected properly.  Is there any other way to get the hard drive recognized?  I started to think that MAYBE one of the cables had gone bad -- could something like that cause a low CMOS battery message?

By the way, I really appreciate the help.  I TEACH in a public elementary school and our school's budget took a nosedive so we had to discontinue our contract with our tech people.  I teach computer applications so somehow that makes people think I am a computer guru.  So, thanks!!CMOS battery is like the battery in your wrist watch.  It keeps the clock going and the BIOS settings saved to CMOS memory.  However, it's only used when the computer is unplugged and/or off.  As long as any changes you've made in BIOS are remembered (after you turn computer off), battery is working.  IDE (auto) should recognize the hard drive. Remove the 2 cables to it and then plug them back in.  This action can "clean" or "wipe" the contact surfaces.  A bad cable will have no effect on the CMOS battery.

<>
Compared to them...you are!

I just PURCHASED an Epox EP-8RDA+PRO Mb, with an Athalon XP 2800+ CPU, and 1Gb of Crucial PC3200 DDR400 memory. After installing everything I cant even get the POST screen I get absolutly no video or graphics on the monitor. I have quadruple checked all my connections, and found NOTHING wrong. The only THING that I have no idea about is the code that is displayed. The code is F2. Anyone with ANY information on this please respond. Thank you.

can i have 2 HARDDISKS one of 10GB and the other 40GB on a single PC with Intel Pentium III processor and 64 MB RAMSure.Reminds me of the Depeche Mode song, Master and Servant.  HOPE I'm not showing my AGE here.You've definately done that!! lol No reason why it won't WORK...

dose any one know how or if it is possible to setup 2 video cards in your computer to give it more video power?

i saw somewere somthing about that supject but cant find it agin anyone have any ideas?

thanksOk, first off...  It is indeed possible to setup two video cards in your computer.  But as far as I know, it is not possible to use those two video cards to "give it more video power".  The only way that two video cards can be used is for multi-screen display (Using more than one monitor to show the screen on your computer).

Hope that helped!Actualy it is possible to have two cards working at the same time (with not quite 2x the power from what I've heard but close)! However you can't just grab ANOTHER graphics card and slap it in your PC. You have to have a mobo with either something CALLED SLI (Scaleable Link Interface) or a speciel alienware machine wich uses their own proprietay SLI-ish, but better, setup known as video array (SEE ADRESS below). ALSO the SLI mobos only come in the new PCI express flavor (aka PCI E) and it splits the single pci express 16x speed into two pci x8 channels (probly not the right word but hey ).

In addition you MUST have two of the EXACT SAME card (same chipset, model and from the same board manufacturer) and with PCI E cards so pricy right now your talking lots o' $$$. THEN add the quite pricy SLI mobo on top of that and you've got one expensive machine.

Heres a link to where you can see a SLI mobo or two:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?cat=13&keywords=SLI%20SLI&noredirect=1

and here is alienware's machine with their proprietary twin graphics card ability, video array. (FYI they make SLI based machines too):

http://www.alienware.com/ALX_pages/main_content.aspx

Not too long ago, I had thought my MOTHERBOARD blew up so I bought and installed a new one.

The system boots up fine and the OS (Windows XP) loads up. After a period of time though (5 minutes, 15, it varies), my screen suddenly goes blank, and I can hear my hard drive stop spinning. The fan still runs, though, and I have to either press the power button or turn off the ATX SWITCH to shut off power.

Now I know my hard drive is fine: when I transfered it to another computer, it loads up fine with no problems.

I also know it's not the mother board. In fact, the previous mother board was just fine as my computer was suffering from the same problem. The only difference was that it powered off 10 seconds into the initial power up.

So it's either the processor or the power source, and possibly the fan/heat-sink. I just don't know which. I'm less inclined to believe it's the processor, but I don't want to go out and buy a new power supply and/or heat-sink/fan if the real problem was the CPU.

Or is it a software problem? I highly doubt this. But at this point I have no idea.Is it powering down after a short period of inactivity or are you busy using the computer when it occurs?

Have you scanned your system for viruses and malware?

No virus', spyware, etc. It doesn't power down due to inactivity: I've changed the power options to never power down (either main computer or monitor, etc). But it shuts down whether I'm working with an application or not. Mind you, I haven't used the new motherboard-ed computer very often as I'm afraid of damaging some system COMPONENT everytime the power dies.

I know it's not entering standby mode, since the sound of both are extremely different. In standby/sleep mode I can hear the monitor go, then the disks shut off moments later. When my computer powers-down, I hear a pop (and it's a worrisome pop sound), then everything shuts off simultaneouly save the fan and the power LED. The light remains on, and I have to hold the power button for a few seconds to turn everything off. Of course, once I do, I can't turn the sucker back on until I shut down the entire computer (turning of power box) for a good 30-45 minutes.Sounds heat related and/or power supply related.
How big is your power supply?  Have you cleaned it with clean canned compressed air lately?  How about the CPU fan?

No, I've never cleaned it with clean canned compressed...which may be the problem since the system is over 2 years OLD.

The CPU fan seems to work fine, though. I have no idea what the heat-sink does (presumably conducts heat away from the chip?? just a novice here) and whether it can independantly malfunction from the fan.

350 Watt power supply. Specs here since I don't know what's significant or not.Does you BIOS contain settings for chip temperature and power down?  If so you may want to monitor the chip temperature and see if that coincides with the shutdown.

BTW, your assumption is correct on the heat sink.  An incorrectly installed sink and/or fan can actually make you chip run too hot.

Not that I'm aware of. I tried to check, but moments after I loaded the configuration screen, everything just froze. No hard drive was connected this time, but there was an audible change in the fan/heat-sink sound. It sounded like something had shut off, or the fan noise quieted down.

I'm while I'm leaning towards replacing the heat-sink and fan, in the back of my mind I still think it could have something to do with the power supply, or that my processor (3 year old intel celeron D 2.2 Ghz) is creating problems.What spec is the rest of your p.c If it is pretty high then it could be the power supply. i got the same problem when i installed my new graphics card that needed a fan. my psu was on 300W though. Try unplugging your c.d drives to test it and see if the problem remainsAt the moment, no drives except the floppy are plugged in. It's a really basic system, put-together (Soundblaster Live, firewire card, 512 RAM, Asus p4 w/ usb+lan+vga out, 2 maxtor hds, and a dvd writer) and I've never had problem with this setup until recently. Which I thought was caused by the motherboard "blowing up" (the previous one was an ECS model).

The new Asus mobo has an internal power LED which remains on after everything suddenly powers down. I don't know if it means that the power box is not the issued.

[size=13]Hi
I BOUGHT an Intel chipset BOARD d845wn and 512-Mb pc133 sdram memory. When I rum my system.
It showed Intel Pentium 2.4 and also shows 512 memory, F2 to setup and F10 to BOOT with network. When I PRESS F2 for setup its hang. I wait couple of hour but didn’t work. I check the all option I Chang the jumper setting for update bios. I download bios from Intel side. But still not working. Let me know what I do. Please help me.[/size][/size] :-/[/size]READ your MOBO manual very carefully ..........then do exactly as it says .

dl65

Does anybody KNOW where I can get a new LCD panel for a Toshiba Satellite 1555CDS laptop?. The screen is very, I guess you could say blurry and slow. Like moving the mouse makes it disappear. Andy typing is a blur.

Thanks in Advance!  LOOKS to me like you can get a the whole laptop on eBay for about $250.00 USD.  That would probably be the minimum price for the screen if you could find one.

At LEAST getting the whole laptop would give you more replacement parts.

Ah! Now I see why the screen is like this. It is susposed to be. It uses older LCD tecnology that is not very good with moving objects, thus making them blur or disappear. I forget what LCD technology this was called. My other laptop has the modern LCD technology, so THINGS do not blur.

Can Sdram Ram memory on the motherboard and DDR video memory on the graphics card work together?jbloney.... I'm not 100% sure ,but I would think that if the MOBO had SD Ram in it ........and it is compatible with the vid card that things should be OK ......Your MOBO manual should TELL you what types of vid cards it will support .

dl65  I used to have an onboard graphics card. that MOOCHED off all my RAM but if it is an AGP card is has its own memory so doesn't combine by default however in my frequent trips into the bios i have knoticed things (don't ask me what because i can't remeber). But that would be a good place to startThanks dl65 and kablam for your response. I think I'll GIVE it a try. It does take an AGP card. If it doesn't work, I'll give it to my daughter. She has DDR memory on the MB and a AGP 64 mb DDR graphics.(I'm sure she'll appreciate the upgrade)

I have a GIGABYTE 7N400Pro mainboard and these two BIOS options have been bugging me for quite a while:

1. What is CPU Thermal Throttling and how can I make most efficient use of it.. Whatever it is supposed to do? It is now set at 50%. (Standard setting)

2. What does the Case Open Status do? (Under PC Health)

Technical support did not 'understand' my questions they had no idea where to find these options. They never E-mailed me back after I had given them a very clear explanation of where to find them. Teaching the teacher. Ironic.

Raptor .....Don't know if this will assist ...but have a read.

CPU Thermal Throttling
This BIOS feature determines the CLOCK speed of the processor when it is in the Suspend To RAM (STR) power saving mode. It has no effect when the processor is in normal active mode.
Available options for this BIOS feature are set values of the processor's power consumption. They range from a low of 12.5% to a high of 87.5%. Please NOTE that these options reflect the desired power consumption of the processor, not its clock speed. The clock speed of the processor will be determined based on the option chosen.

The default setting is usually 62.5%. This means the processor will be running at a clock speed that allows it to use 37.5% less power.

The choice of what you should set the processor to run at is really up to you. The lower the value, the more power you will save when the processor is in Suspend To RAM mode. Generally, it WOULD be nice to minimize power consumption while in Suspend To RAM mode. The only potential drawback might be a slightly longer time required to BRING the processor back to speed.

It is common for this BIOS feature to be mistaken as a BIOS control for the Pentium 4's Thermal Monitor feature. However, the clock throttling provided by this BIOS feature is completely different from the Pentium 4's Thermal Monitor feature.

Case open status ........ Haven't got a clue ...but will turn over a few rocks and see what I can find ......LOL

Cheers

dl65  


Hey, DL65.

I found the exact same response whilst doing a Google search. It seems to be the only article ever documented about CPU Thermal Throttling. I understand what is written there, but what would Suspend to RAM do?

Case Open Status detects if the case is open or closed.. I understand that much.. But what good does it do and how does it know if the case door is open or closed?Servers have been know to use the case open as it creates a bios log and warning message to let you know someone has opened your server case in your absence.  Sort of a security thing.  It may have other uses..............

HI ,

iam wondering if anyone can help me ,i seem to have a problem when playing back sound using my terratec dmx6 FIRE 24/96 all the sound seems to skip, ive updated the drivers {did not fix problem} i uninsatlled the sound card then reinstalled it using the drivers that came with the set up disc {this gave me a new problem which was no playback at all} and when trying to access the sound card control panel it came up with an ERROR saying problem with drivers, so i done a system restore and iam stuck with my orginal problem, ive looked through this site and tried various things but to no avail ,if anyone could help me out that would be great ,sorry for the vauge info but iam mearly a learner when it comes to pc's You say the sound is skipping? like on a c.d when you scratch it? is this with all your music or just some spacific TRACKS?it play's the track's at normal speed then it play's it slower kind of time streched ,this happens on all tracks saved mp3 and cd's played direct from the drive,


any ideas??



thanksslowed down? sounds like ur beeing swamped with processes perhaps? before i formatted when i booted up something heavy ontop of everything else it slowed my sound down for breif PERIODS.

I don't think it is your sound card. Is it onboard sound, PCI or USB and can you test it with another one Quote

sounds like ur beeing swamped with processes perhaps?

Somewhere in a large-scale salvage operation on my PC (found several viruses, adware and lots of spyware), my soundcard went dead. I reinstalled all the software for the PC except the OS (Windows 2000), all the drivers and so forth, and could barely get a sound out of my speakers. I checked the speakers with another source and they work, and I even get a short sound from them on only two functions (I think it's when I close an option box and something else). And yes, those sounds are NOT from the little speaker in my computer case.

I checked in CONTROL Panel under Sounds and Multimedia, and several things are listed as normal sounds for different functions, but none of them make any noise. I can't even play them in the little dialogue box that has a play button.

I tried several different drivers, and finally found (what is supposed to be) the correct one for this Motherboard (sound is onboard the MSI-6380E mobo). Downloaded the latest version from the MSI site and installed it (after uninstalling any other audio drivers that were in there) and still nothing.

No sound from CD player or DVD player, or stored MP3's or WAV's either. Should I send the PC to that monestary with the vow of silence or what?

FYI: The audio driver is for a VIA AC'97 Enhanced Audio Controller (WDM) and shows a version number 6.14.1.3870, provided by Sensauro Ltd., file version 4.12.01.2002
That probably means something in Greek, but not to me. I don't even really understand what an "audio controller" is. Is that the actual chip on the mobo that says "VIA" on it? And the driver is the software that TELLS the mobo what to do with it?

No conflicts showing in Device Manger or ANYWHERE else.
http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/download/dld/spt_dld_detail.php?UID=320&kind=1

is the MSI webpage that shows my mobo and lists the driver for audio. It's the VIA AC97 PCI Sound Driver. By the way, MS-6380E is the PCB (printed circuit board) name, which is used with various chipsets to produce the final motherboard.
K7T266 Pro2-A is the chipset used in my motherboard.

More specifically, here's what I'm running on, according to this nice little Belarc Advisor program that I downloaded from somewhere:
Board: MSI MS-6380E 1.0
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 07.00T 04/02/01
1150 megahertz AMD Athlon XP
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache
Windows 2000 Professional Service PACK 4 (BUILD 2195)
768 Megabytes Installed Memory

I do get sound - in only 2 obscure situations - which indicates:
a. the speakers work
b. the onboard sound still works
c. some driver, at least, works some of the time
I don't know didley about codecs or those other things I saw in the "Sounds and Multimedia" folder, but something is working some of the time.

The question is: Why do I only get these 2 obscure sounds (a beep and some other oddball sound) in these 2 obscure situations, and nothing else?I have a sound card error messgae, I have windows 98 and the sound was fine until now it just stopped working and comes up with an error saying that there is no sound card, but that is impossible as the sound only stopped a week ago, please help !!!!!

I have a Dell Dimension 4400 running XP.  The other day, I was burning a cd and the status bar just HALTED its progression completely and hung there.  I had no choice but to shut off the computer during mid burn.  Now I have a constant buzzing sound coming from my hard drive.  I THINK it might be the fan, but I'm not sure.  Is there a WAY for me to diagnose for sure what the problem is? (and possibly fix it)
thanksShutdown...pull POWER PLUG from computer...open up computer...look inside.  Are fans choked with dust?  Should be 2 fans, 1 mounted on top of CPU, 1 contained within power supply (visible from back of computer).  BTW, hard drive has no fan.

I have a problem and I am not sure it is related to my serial PORT or not.  My wife recently BOUGHT an ovacue machine to MEASURE fertility.  INCLUDED was a data cable to connect to the computer’s serial port so that the accompanying program can chart her fertility.  This worked well for a month.  Now the data will not download to the computer. I have reinstalled the program and it still doesn’t WORK.  I am posting here because the only troubleshooting help provided from the company is an 800 number.  Do you think this a communication problem or a software problem?  I checked my devise manger and it claims the port is fine.  I also tried to update the driver but there is no update for it.  Nor can I roll the driver back.

I am running Windows XP home with the second edition of updates

I have changed the Process Unit and have endeavoured to press Ctrl Shift F1 at the status screen. The MESSAGE Change Process Unit still appears. At what point should I press Ctrl Shift F1? Help / advice please.I have solved this myself after all by connecting to my old laptop, still RUNNING Win98. I think I cannot get the Panasonic KX-P6100 to work with WinXP although the KX-P6300 will do so.Have you TRIED updating the drivers for that other printer? (That is not WORKING)

[glb]FLAME[/glb]

Hi there,

i have two Laptops at my home. One in Drawing room and one in bed room. I want to CONNECT the two COMPUTERS to WWW with one DSL line. Can anyone help me out?Purchase a router.Since you SAY laptops then I must assume you want to MAINTAIN portability, so a wireless network would be in order here.

You will need a wireless DSL router, and two wireless cards for your laptops (assuming they don't have built in wireless).

If you are totally NEW to home networking then I suggest you start here....

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1428
and here
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1427

Hope you guys can help. I have a Athlon 1700 but that’s not the problem. When I push the start button, internal fans will make 1 or 2 turns, then nothing. In half a second, the whole computer will start and stop. Thinking it’s the power supply, it was replaces by a NEW higher WATTAGE one. Still does the same thing. Would you guys have any other idea of what my problem could be? Thanks for your time.

???BOOGIE
When you replaced it with the higher wattage one, did you first check to make sure that your computer can handle a power supply that large? You might have too many watts RUNNING through there... How much did the old supply have, and how much does the new one have?

[glb]Flame[/glb]I went from a 225 to a 250. I have 2 cd players, 2 hard drives and 3 small fans. I'm wondering if the push button switch would be bad. The little light on the mother board is on. It's just a quick flash everything is on then off.Did you check first to make sure that your system is compatible with a 250 watt power supply?

[glb]Flame[/glb]I'm looking for the manuels on line with no luck. It's a Azza 366A-AV mother board. I already replaced the switch and it still does the same thing.boogie....when you say ...."When I push the start button, internal fans will make 1 or 2 turns, then nothing. In half a second, the whole computer will start and stop. "   Do you mean it completely boots up and then shuts down?
And , which fans are you refering to .......the CPU cooling fan and the PSU cooling fan ?

LET us know

dl65  The computer will not power up at all. The 3 cooling fans and the power supply fan will make a few turns then nothing. The power supply is good. It's been tested with another computer. Boots fine. I replaced the switch, still nothing. boogie.....Ok ......lets back up a bit ........Has this pc been working ok .......previous to the current problem ? or was it doing odd things before that possibly you ignored ?
Had you added any hardware or were you inside cleaning or anything like that ?

How old is the pc ?

dl65  It's been working fine. Got up in the moring, tried to turn it on and it didn't work. The last thing I added was a dvd writer, that was 5 months ago. Working one day not the next. I did open it at work today and blew out dust. Could the processor or mother board go out and couse this problem?boogie.....Yes either could cause that problem .......did you remove the CPU , when you were cleaning it out or possibly disturb something on the MOBO .


dl65  It already had the problem when I opened it and cleaned it. Looks like I'm upgrading. Thanks for all of yall's help.

I was messing around and I put in the power cord to the computer and the power was on. There was a spark and it won't turn on. My mom is crying.   Is my computer RUINED?It sounds like you shorted out your power supply... You might need to buy a new one... Lets hope that the motherboard is not messed... If it's only the poer supply, then you are NOT screwed!    But if you replace the power supply and you still have problems, then you ARE screwed...  Sorry if that was scary, but I have this urge that tells me that I have you be honest with you all...

[glb]Flame[/glb]Thanks. Where can I get another power supply?NEWEGG..... cdw..... dell..... pc world.....compusa.....BEST buy?...ebay....Doing what you did should not harm your computer in any way, it is no different to a power outage and restoration.
You may have BLOWN a fuse.
Where did the spark come from?
Try and be very descriptive & PRECISE with your answers.

Symptoms:

CD-ROM drive is very SLUGGISH when it comes to reading CD's.

Especially during the installation of programs when music is played, the music is constantly breaking up. The same goes for movies played from the CD-ROM drive.

Data is read properly and the rate at which software is installed is as fast as the other CD-ROM drive that is installed. Which does function properly when it comes to movie/sound.

Details:

ATAPI 52X Max CD-ROM drive (Master)
Standard Windows XP Home drivers installed
CD-ROM drive dates from 2003

BIOS detects the CD-drive properly and Windows XP reports no errors.

IDE cable has allready been switched.

Sound card drivers have been installed and reinstalled.
Sound card has been REMOVED and readded

This has been quite a nuisance to me, especially when it comes to installing programs that have music playing in the background. It sounds much like an old radio that can not find the proper frequency.

Also, an interesting side note: An older game could not detect my CD-ROM drive properly. It required at least a 2X CD-ROM drive and that it could not find (so it claimed) even though it installed just fine. PERHAPS it thought it was under 2X speed... Is that even possible?

Raptor... I'm sure that I don't need to remind you of such things, but here goes... Have you scanned for viruses and Spyware? How much RAM do you have? Are you running multiple programs at once that could be "eating up" your virtual memory? Also... It was a little unclear... Does this ONLY happen when music is playing, or is it like this with every program?

[glb]FLAME[/glb]Try one of your spare CD-ROM drives.  I've seen this behavior before.  Installing a different drive usually works.  Why it happens?  I don't know for sure.  Could be laser misalignment.  I've had brand new ones do strange things. Quote

1. have you scanned for viruses and Spyware?
2.How much RAM do you have?
3.Are you running multiple programs at once that could be "eating up" your virtual memory?
4.Does this ONLY happen when music is playing, or is it like this with every program?

Try one of your spare CD-ROM drives.  I've seen this behavior before.  Installing a different drive usually works.  Why it happens?  I don't know for sure.  Could be laser misalignment.  I've had brand new ones do strange things.

Is it possible to RUN both onboard sound CARD and a soundblaster card together :-/I would disable the onboard if I were you.NO WAY!   Not a good idea... You could then face driver conflicts and such... Save yourself a lot of time and pain... Disable onboard. (The SoundBlaster sounds like a more ADVANCED card)  

[GLB]FLAME[/glb]

Where is the CMOS battery located?  There is no CONVENTIONAL motherboard.  Functions are split between the "system" box and the monitor.  post is two short beeps and ERROR CODES 161 and 163.  REALLY?  You have a PS/1?  How cool is that?

I am no help to you but I am impressed.

I think the IBM PS1 is a 286 or 386 CPU.
http://www.answers.com/topic/ps-1

The battery is $23.
http://www.sparepartswarehouse.com/IBM,Computer,Part,33F8354.aspx

...I'm thinking it would just be cheaper to get a new system but I have files on this system I need to get off.

I got this computer a couple of months ago and am just learning about the pitfalls of having a complete system in one box...