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my computer broke and i want to save its old data. i got myself another computer and a hard drive enclosure so that i can retrieve the data, but that didn't work. i tried 2 things. 1st, i set the drive on master and connect it with the enclosure to the computer. when i did that, i couldn't assess the drive at all. the 2nd thing i did was setting the drive on slave. when i did that, i could assess all irrelevant files, like the program files or the desktop icons, but i can't find any of the information that i saved in My Documents in the Documents and Settings folder on the old drive. several people told me to quick format the drive then use data recovery programs to recover the data, but i fear that this would be too risky and that some items would not be able to recover. is quick formatting the drive the only way, or is there a more efficient and effective way to retrieve data from an old hard drive?

just some other info: my old computer was a compaq presario with window xp. the hard drive in question is a samsung 80 GB ide hard drive and the hard drive enclosure i'm using is a Inland 3.5" hard drive enclosure.

Thank you in advance. You need a USB to IDE/SATA adapter. This will enable you to download your HD to another HD or external HD.You can also put your old drive as a slave and remove the data that way. After I did that I then formated that drive and used it for data storage. either way works.I should have read your first thread more carefully. You need to remove the jumper in your old drivr to make it a SINGLE not a master, your computer should recognize the external drive then.Karnac: what do you mean i need a USB to IDE adapter? my hard drive enclosure already converts the IDE to USB and i connect to the computer after that.

Chevronman: my computer RECOGNIZES the hard drive when it's not in master, but i just can't get any of the info that i saved on the My Documents folder in this old drive out. as a matter of fact, i can't even find the data when i do a search. i tried going into the old drive to  Documents and Settings/Owner/My Documents but that just redirect me to the My Documents in the computer i'm using and not the My Documents in the old HDHi ...I suggested  the adapter because you were having difficulty with the present setup.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3425970&CatId=3770doesn't the adapter have the exact same function as the hard drive enclosure? Are you sure you are looking at the correct drive? When you use it as a storage drive instead of an OS drive labeled C: it will LABEL it as D: or E: or F: etc...
You should be able to goto "my computer" and double click on the drive that you wish to look at and then choose the folder you want.You could just slave the drive in the other computer.

http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2007/04/23/how-to-slave-hard-drive/

that might work

or try to take ownership of the "relevent" files

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

if neither of those option work, you could use a utility like this ONE to save your files

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

Thats another option, but it sounds like he doesn't want to use the ide because it is so slow compared to sata or esata.I provide three options there. (My money's on the second one )

My computer does not detect any external hardware attached, When I connect my Ipod to the comp , it does not detect it, When I try to connect my CELL phone to my comp, it still won't detect it, by detect it I mean it won't give the pop up saying 'new hardware detected'....I try LOOKING in 'my computer' and 'device manager' but still won't show anywhere, I have tried different ports.
Thankyou.it had also happened to me...but try to turn off your i-pod and then connect it to your pc again...if it doesn't work  still, then try to configure your i-pod, some i-pod is like, when you connect it to pc a message will appear on the i-pod the options that you want to do, select "data trandfer mode". (just trying to help, nothing to lose if you'll try it)Thankyou curiousity888 ,

Quote

try to turn off your i-pod and then connect it to your pc again

when you connect it to pc a message will appear on the i-pod the options that you want to do, select "data transfer mode".

I am going to BUILD my next computer myself (1st time). I was wondering about some research I have been doing in that some people are talking about a "burn-in" time with the puter. Is this necessary and what is involved...obviously I need to get the puter to do some major processes to get it to full load and stuff. Am I right or am I completly off? Any help would be appreciated. What is your budget?

What are you going to use the computer for?I do my burnins for 24 hours...a bit of overkill but habit.

You can do [email protected]  and kill 2 birds with ONE stone... Quote from: JJ 3000 on March 04, 2009, 02:26:28 AM

What is your budget?
My budget is going to be about $1200.00, I would feel comfortable with that. The parts I have picked out from new egg will be about $1000.00-$1100.00.
What are you going to use the computer for?
I am using it for everyday stuff (internet, word processing, and of course games). I have a pentium 4 3.2 ghz puter with a graphics card that will have problems with most of todays games or maybe all of them. I have been playing Neverwinter nights and want to play neverwinter nights 2 but I am unsure if my gpu will handle it. I also have a 400 watt ps so that if I was able to upgrade the gpu I would have to upgrade the ps and that would cost quite a bit so I might as well get a new system but I also realize if I buy one off the shelf then it wil be out of date by the time I get it out of the store. I will post my new system in a few minutes as soon as I am able. Thank you for all your advice and help.

I do my burnins for 24 hours...a bit of overkill but habit.
Do you have to do a burn-in TEST and is it necessary?
You can do [email protected]  and kill 2 birds with one stone...
I want to try this and I think since I will not get my new system for a few months (WAITING on tax returns) I will try this on my current system.

You're getting good at quoting posts here...
What updated info are we supposed to be looking at ?

My computer system the system I have now and the system I plan on PUTTING together.

Ok here's a NICE one for everyone...My mom's computer is a Gateway, not sure of the Model, but it's got a Celeron Processor and 256 MB of RAM & Windows XP Home, Service Pack 3...  When I arrived in California about 5 months ago, I opened up the computer and it pretty much gave new definition to the term "cigarette computer".  It also gave new definition to what I call COB WEB computer, and dust computer.  Yes, it had old spider webs in it.

I took it outside, pulled almost everything out....cables, CD drive, took off the front plastic part of the case......Next I hit it with almost a whole can of compressed air. Next I put everything back together, moved the computer to a new room closer to the phone jack, because her dial-up phone chord was about 50 ft long!  Reinstalled XP  for her.....updated to serv. pack 3, added anti-virus.....bla bla bla, you get the idea...

Everything seemed fine for quite some time, until the computer began shuting down within seconds of cold booting... The PC does NOT always shut down after cold booting, only sometimes.

I tried swapping in a different power supply, no go on that... I checked the Voltage at the wall.....Ok there...  I checked the CMOS boot log, and it had reported lots of "start up keyboard errors", so I switched keyboards....I thought maybe the current keyboard is bad, but that didn't fix the problem either.

After this problem had already been present for a while, I switched the processor to a Pent. 3, just for fun.....The problem remained after the installation of the new processor so the problem was likely not the old processor....

I haven't checked the CMOS battery yet, or double checked the seating of the cables...I haven't pulled out the cmos battery yet either, I may have set something wrong in there, but I doubt it..  Maybe flashing the motherboard would do the trick.
I don't get to go to my mom's HOUSE that often, so next time I go over there I'd like to try what I haven't tried yet, plus any other suggestions...

Power Supply. That would be my first bet.

Might be having issues with the POWER_GOOD signal or something; in which case, even though the  PSU reaches full output the PC hasn't started yet and enough power isn't being drawn yet so the PSU shuts itself off automatically. although, most of that is pure conjecture on my part.Power_good signal crossed my mind as well, but I tried a different power supply... However, the power supply I tried makes irritating squeeling noises when in use....   PROBABLY due to the transformer or capacitors ...so it might be lacking the power_good signal...who knows

But then again, that same power supply was plugged into two other computers recently, the those two computers didn't suffer from immediate shutdown...

I suppose I could try another power supply though, one that I know is good..

Try it with only 1 stick of RAM in the bank closest to the CPU.
Swap a different one in there if it does not work the first time.I've resurrected this thread because I found the problem...  When I took the computer apart I didn't replace the IDE Hard drive cable correctly...   I had the jumper pin set on Master while using the second connector on the cable, instead of the first one...   Bad cable configuration  ...doh!!!

I went ahead and set the jumper to cable select and walla!  problem solved...

I could have swore I had all the cables correct......



Of COURSE that's what they all say right?  They all say "doh" 

Glad you got it working. Quote from: Quantos on August 10, 2009, 06:01:11 PM

Glad you got it working.

Why would having the jumper set on "master" while connected to the second plug be critical? 

Hello all ,

          This problem has been around ever since i BUY this PC inspiron 530.
          The problem im having is when im playing computer games , most of the time it will turn to black screen, the light for my monitor turned amber , as for my CPU its still running , but the whole system hangs. i have try unpluging the wires and putting it back but the problem is not solved . Do comment on what u think is the root cause so i can do a research on those problems .
Here is the Com Spec

System Manufacturer:Dell Inc
System Model: Inspiron 530 [32 BIT] [60Hz]
BIOS:Phoenix-AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor:Intel(R) Core (TM)2 QUAD CPU Q8200  2.33Ghz
Graphic Card: ATI Radeon HD 3650
Chip type:ATI Radeo Graphics Processor (0x9568)

oh . one more problem , my window exploer keep on not responding [any clues to that ?]
Im a beginner at this so please help me !
thanks It sounds like the monitor is going into POWER saver mode. CHECK your Power Options.Thanks for the comment , i will update if the problems happens again

How many video cards can i run on http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4308459&CatId=2639 ?? i got 9800GT  Can I Add ANOTHER One You can...but the performance hit you will take running the 2nd one on a PCIex2 SLOT will make it a WASTE of money...heh EVEN WORSE- looks to me like it's one PCIex16 slot and the rest are x1...

On  another thread, BLOCKHEAD made the following statement
"When I took the computer apart I didn't replace the IDE Hard drive cable correctly...   I had the jumper pin set on Master while USING the second connector on the cable, instead of the first one...   Bad cable configuration"

  Why would having the jumper set on "master" while CONNECTED to the second plug be critical?    I need to know as I am replacing my two hard drives.   One (the slave) will be connected to IDE cable while the Main one (with the OS) will be SATA.  Do I need to assign master and slave and do I need to be particular which IDE connector i use on the slave?
 
MBoard============================Slave=======Master.

Some machines don't like cable SELECT so it's good to know the proper way.

Most issues from this are on older machines but it's the proper setup. Quote from: jim.mar on August 11, 2009, 11:40:08 AM

"When I took the computer apart I didn't replace the IDE Hard drive cable correctly...   I had the jumper pin set on Master while using the second connector on the cable, instead of the first one...   Bad cable configuration"

  Why would having the jumper set on "master" while connected to the second plug be critical?    I need to know as I am replacing my two hard drives.   One (the slave) will be connected to IDE cable while the Main one (with the OS) will be SATA.  Do I need to assign master and slave and do I need to be particular which IDE connector i use on the slave?

MBoard============================Slave=======Master.

No there is only 1 type of cable...

The book is mis-informed.

I had an issue with windows that would make my computer restart when i was trying to load a game so i tried everything i could think of to fix it but nothing worked then my friend told me to TRY and repair windows with my windows XP CD.

So i did what my friend told me and did the repair but my XP CD was from 2001 so i had to update service pack 2&3 again. Now windows cant find my video card at all. There is no video options in control panel or in the device manager but i have my monitor going through the card and the picture till comes up so i have no idea whats going on.

I have tried to reinstall the drivers for the video card but it says it cant find the hardware at all but programs like Everest can find it. 

Field   Value
Computer   
Operating System   Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
OS Service Pack   Service Pack 3
DirectX   4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
Computer Name   
User Name   
   
Motherboard   
CPU Type   AMD Athlon XP, 1800 MHz (13.5 x 133) 2200+
Motherboard Name   ECS K7VTA3 v8  (5 PCI, 1 AGP, 1 CNR, 2 DDR DIMM, Audio, LAN)
Motherboard Chipset   VIA VT8377 Apollo KT400
System Memory   1536 MB  (PC2700 DDR SDRAM)
BIOS Type   Award (09/22/03)
Communication Port   Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port   ECP Printer Port (LPT1)
   
Display   
Video Adapter   nVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT AGP
3D Accelerator   nVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT AGP
   
Multimedia   
Audio Adapter   Creative SB Live! 5.1 Sound Card
Audio Adapter   VIA AC'97 Enhanced Audio Controller
   
Storage   
IDE Controller   VIA Bus Master IDE Controller
Floppy Drive   Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive   HDS722525VLAT80  (7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Optical Drive   SONY CD-RW  CRX215E1  (48x/24x/48x CD-RW)
Optical Drive   TSSTcorp CD/DVDW SH-S162A
SMART Hard Disks Status   OK
   
Partitions   
E: (NTFS)   190771 MB (9338 MB free)
   
Input   
Keyboard   HID Keyboard Device
Keyboard   Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse   HID-compliant mouse
   
Network   
Network Adapter   Linksys LNE100TX FAST Ethernet Adapter(LNE100TX v4)  (192.168.1.3)
   
PERIPHERALS   
Printer   Microsoft XPS Document Writer
USB1 Controller   VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller
USB1 Controller   VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller
USB1 Controller   VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller
USB2 Controller   VIA USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller
USB Device   LACHESIS Mouse
USB Device   USB Composite Device
USB Device   USB Human Interface Device
   
Problems & Suggestions   
Problem   Disk free space is only 5% on drive E:.
Quote

Problem   Disk free space is only 5% on drive E:.

There's your issue right there...time to do some housekeeping.

I would try the following

1. uninstall the nvidia drivers

2. Then  run driver sweeper utility

3. Upon reboot, go to the device manager and uninstall the device.

4. Then restart pc in safe mode (use safemode with metworking), and the computer should detect your hardware and attempt to install software/drivers for now "new" card.

5. Reinstall latest nvidia drivers for your card.

Hope this works for you, it did for me on my Windows Vista machine when something similar happened, but I think it would work on XP too and just make a system restore point before you start if you're bit worried.

that's drive E: though.... not drive C:...
So, doesnt mean its not the local hard drive..... you can assign what ever letter you like.... also its the only drive he has listed.

hey

sup,im going into the national guard soon and im getting a $5000 enlistment bonus. im going to use $2000 of it to build a new comp (old ones still really good but its like 4 yrs old) now im no noob when it comes to comps but i do like getting info from other people, it tends to save time, money and work.

heres what it has to do .
have 3 hard DRIVES, 1 a 250GB for the system programs, 1 big one for the 37 games i already have with room for more and another medium/large one for my pics, vids, editing software and STORAGE for my JUNK that i never use but got to have ya know.

great processor, i got a phenom quad core now, ive heard good things about the new intel quad is there any thing better and can i afford any thing better.

newest ninvidea card. i havent kept up with this one WHATS the newest ninvidea card and whats the best one i can get for my $2000 budget?

sound card. ok i don't know anything about this

and lastly whats the best operating system? i love XP but what about this new windows 7?


thnx for reading
sBsLeonidaswhat games are you playing? That's one factor when determining what graphics card to get with your budget, as you have other computer parts that you can upgrade too  It sounds like you are just looking for a new toy. 

  Let me know what you decide on...  i play anything from hl2 to crysis to cod5 to bf2142 it dosent matter, the comp i have now ive updated every year and it perorms very well and plays anything ive thrown at it but its time to change it in. and yes my comp is my toy its the only thing i look forward too affter a long day of work.

leo Quote from: sBsLeonidas on August 07, 2009, 11:12:00 PM

and yes my comp is my toy its the only thing i look forward too affter a long day of work.

leo

Pros: Very nice looking board with tons of features and comes with everything that you could possible need in the box. Love the NB cooling options [passive, water cooling, air, or LN2].
It has 4 PCIe slots, but only two are really usable because of the size of the newer graphics cards.

I was going to try building a computer for the first time and was wondering if these components where ok and all compatible. I've chosen the compents completely from other user REVIEWS (looking at the most popular parts) so have no idea if they don't fit together. This computer will be used for different things including a bit of gaming.

How long will it take to build roughly? I guess it will take a few days to read up on building first.

Motherboard - 100 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145751
CPU - 130 or 200 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148900 or http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151477
RAM - 50 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146049
Graphics Card - 100 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/160748
Hard Drive - 54 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150256
DVD drive - 15 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/101321
Decent power supply - 50 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124927
Computer Case - 50 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143854
Wireless card - 16 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/103208

=565 or 635 (£) (Don't want to go over £750 ideally) + OS

The CPU I'm not too sure about as I've looked at the stats and they look identical but theres a £70 price difference. I'm also not too sure about the video card as I remember last time my video card costing about £300 if I would have bought it separately but this time it costs only £100, is this videocard ok? Also I heard you can link 2 videocards together, is this worth doing?

Also I'm not too sure on the OS, I want a windows OS so I can play games, I was looking at windows 7 as this is the newest and have heard it is ok and better than vista (I'm on XP home atm). What's the main differences between the Windows 7 different types, is ultimate or prof. worth the extra £100? Is windows 7 even the way to go? Will most recent games and applications run on Windows 7 that run on Vista/XP?

Also can somebody reccomend a computer building guide there seems to be thousands on the web.

EDIT: Forgot wireless card, I just realised Windows 7 isn't released until October 22nd - what a pain should I get Vista then according to the microsoft website I will get a free upgrade, source: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/upgrade.aspx.You will be fine with all those components except for the core i7 processor you have linked there. That motherboard is a socket 775, the Core i7 needs a socket 1366.

As for windows 7...I ran both the BETA and RC and I love it 

However the difference between Ultimate and prof from the home versions *note: this is last time i checked* Is mostly just the price. Ultimate and enterprise are identical it would seem. prof only lacks these options:
AppLocker    
BitLocker Drive Encryption
BranchCache Distributed Cache    
DirectAccess
Subsystem for Unix-based Applications    
Multilingual User Interface Pack    
Virtual Hard Disk Mounting/Booting

And Home Premium lacks a few more, non-essential items that home users would rarely even need/want, these are:
Backup and Restore Center[25]    Manual to local HDD or DVD only
Encrypting File System    
Location Aware Printing    
Remote Desktop Host    
Presentation Mode
Windows Server domain joining    
Windows Virtual PC[26] + Windows XP Mode[27]    Virtual PC only    
AppLocker    
BitLocker Drive Encryption    
BranchCache Distributed Cache    
DirectAccess    
Subsystem for Unix-based Applications    
Multilingual User Interface Pack    
Virtual Hard Disk Mounting/Booting

It may be worth just getting home premium as it still comes with aero, Windows media center and touch screen controls (ooohhh)

If you want to read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions

When it comes to application compatibility, windows 7 is very good at it, and it will also accept 99% of windows xp AND vista drivers!

Hope this helps some I'd invest a little more in the PSU...KURTISKAIN   
You said, "When it comes to application compatibility, windows 7 is very good at it, and it will also accept 99% of windows xp AND vista drivers!" 
Does that mean that with windows 7 that I can again use some of the old applications that i used and loved with 98 and XP but COULD not use with Vista??This is true, The prof and ultimate versions of Win 7 also come with full windows XP compatibility, to run any windows XP applications natively, as long as the processor supports Intel Visualization technology, which I believe the one you are looking at buying does. Ill check for you and post back ok?Yes, that processor you listed has full virtualization technology, so you will be able to have full XP compatibility if you were to get Win7 Pro or Ultimate. Home Professional only has a virtual PC option, which will be slower.

All in total, Windows 7 is brilliant.windows 7 can't use Windows XP drivers, only run windows XP applications.

You simply cannot install XP drivers into Windows 7 any more then you can install Windows 98 Drivers into XP or XP drivers into Vista.

The architecture differences contribute to this. Windows 95 could use Windows 3.1 drivers for devices but frankly it impacted performance immensely. Windows 98 could use windows 95 drivers no problem- same with ME. But 95,98, and ME all used the same basic architecture (with 98 and ME also supporting the WDM). XP, being the next consumer-oriented OS, was based on the NT core which had NEVER been compatible kernel-wise with Windows 9x or 3.1 drivers. (of course with windows 2000 it supported the WDM as well so for certain devices windows 2000 and XP could use "windows 9x" drivers, but really the WDM model isn't for a specific platform by design).

Windows Vista Brought sweeping changes in both the Kernel and the User interface code, with huge portions of core code being re-oriented around the desktop window manager, (namely, GDI being essentially Deprecated by both GDI+ and Direct3d). Not to mention the changes around administrator rights and UAC. because of this any non-trivial XP driver will have problems with Vista. Cameras, Mass storage devices, and other things were mostly OK- but on the other hand the same devices that had problem free drivers on the disc had suitable drivers BUILT into the OS to begin with.


"XP mode" is basically just a addition to the already existent compatibility options present with executables, since windows 3.1 (I speak not just of the user-changable compatibility options dialog, but also the seemingly invisible application compatibility database (apphacks) built right into the OS that changes core behavior right down to the way memory is allocated, all in the name of fixing programs that weren't written properly to begin with. Anyway- this "database" also has entries for changing the DLLs that are dynamically linked to the program.

How does that work? You ask? Well, Take the XP "Luna" theme. The entire interface was revamped.

However- MS was very dilligent. They knew from experience that people don't follow the rules. For example, instead of sending a button the WM_COLOR message to retrieve the Background colour- why not just use GetPixel on the button DC?

This silly method works fine with windows 3.1, windows 95,98... etc. But what about XP? Bam- the colour returned is some part of the gradient.

It was because MS knew that this sort of thing ran rampant that it decided that unless the program explicitly said otherwise- the executable loader would link the program to the older version of "comctl32.dll". The newer version contained the logic that used uxtheme.dll to draw the various theme elements- the older version was dumb as a doornail and drew everything the same way as windows 2000.

Thankfully, by using a manifest file (a special XML file) or embedding it into the executable resources, programs can be made to draw using XP styles. This worked well, because programmers too lazy to learn how to call functions properly in general were too lazy to wonder why their programs looked 5 years old; whereas more diligent programmers who read documentation would know about this new feature since it was discussed in a number of technical articles with the MSDN.

In the case of Windows 7 (if I may go back on-topic ) I would guess that one of the main "hacks" being performed is to link to the windows XP version of a number of libraries, one of which would be uxtheme.dll, giving it the luna look (yippee(?)). Although it may be that this functionality is provided by virtual PC and it's INTEGRATION with windows itself to provide a consistent UI and might not even have anything at all to do with compatibility settings (aside from the "run in XP virtual machine") type of setting for the program.


In either case- the drivers, installed via this "XP mode" will only be available to programs that run in "XP mode", since it is within this rumoured virtual machine that they exist. In this manner it would be impossible to install, say, an older Sound card that for one reason or another didn't have Proper windows 7 compatible drivers. you could install the XP drivers via the virtual machine method, but the sound card would likely be invisible to any program that isn't run in compatibility mode.This graphics card supports two monitors - correct? Guessing that what "Dual DVI HDTV" means. Also do you think that graphics card is good enough - £100 seems quite reasonable maybe too reasonable? Also will I need to buy any extra fans? - I'm guessing the case will have fans a long with the components themselves.

Thanks for all the help so far.

I was talking about RAM today (I have exciting conversations) and they said something about single line memory or something and double line memory or something and that if you use double line memory you sometimes can't use all the memory slots in a computer. What exactly were they talking about? Quote from: patio on August 11, 2009, 07:35:11 AM

I'd invest a little more in the PSU...

I'd invest a little more in the PSU...

I had an Epson Perfection 1660 Photo Scanner and then got an Epson CX7800 Printer, copier, scanner, that is my DEDICATED printer.  I want to use the Perfection to scan photos but I guess the drivers aren't LETTING me do it. Any idea of how to GET the Perfection Scanner to WORK without UNINSTALLING the printer?You should be able to use them simultaneously.

Did the scanner come with a CD? If so, use it to install the software.

I have a Hewlette Packard Pavilion. It was working fine then one day I was watching a dvd on it and it blacked out. I tried reinstalling windows....I don't have a system restore disk. I found out 3 years after buying it that it was a refurbished computer. I bought it at Circuit city.
  Anyway ... that's besides the point. I contacted HP online and from what the technician told me to do (bios test...failed grade 7 something like that ) we find out the Hard Drive is bad. I asked if I should get a new computer or buy a new hard drive. They said to send them the computer and they would replace the part.
  I missed their calls but,.... I don't want to pay for SHIPPING and
1) Should I just buy and new hard drive? I can't afford a new computer right now.
  2) And if I get a new hard drive....can a get an external one? Will it work the same?
3) What is the best hard drive I can get for my KIND of computer? 
I could really use an expert opinion.
Thank You. 1) Yes, But, how do you plan to install Windows without a restore disk or a Windows installation CD?
2) No,
3) One that is compatible with your HP.slurpee find out if it's a ide or sata drive  first then you can go and buy a new hard drive I recommend western digital i have one myself and I've had PRETTY good luck with it so far knock on wood and I have a compaq computer. I would also go ahead a buy a xp installation cd. if you can afford it.I would buy your own HDD of the size of your choice an contact HP and demand they send you Recovery CD's at no charge because the HDD failure is not your fault...

They will comply.Yes, buy a new hard drive.  If you need help finding a new one, then can you please tell us the model of your computer? Quote from: patio on July 22, 2009, 06:41:25 PM

I would buy your own HDD of the size of your choice an contact HP and demand they send you Recovery CD's at no charge because the HDD failure is not your fault...

They will comply.

hi

i have a DELL computer which had no recent problems. yesterday i unplugged it to install a new audio device (ESI maya44) and when i try to light it up again the indicator stays orange (it usually stays orange for about 2 seconds and turns green but now its always orange)
the keyboard and mouse are REACTING but the screen remains black and nothing happens.

the computer was extremely DUSTY when i opened it to install the maya, and i cleaned it, but still it doesnt work.

any help please? im no expert so please try to make clear instructions without too many sophisticated terms....

thankshow do you know if the keyboard or mouse is reacting without display?
try taking your new audio card out just to test
maybe hardware conflict
make sure you DIDNT knock a plug loose when you were
insideUninstall the Maya and see if it's back to normal....did you dislodge ANYTHING inside while installing it ? ?
I'd re-seat any CARDS you have and the RAM.

As always when working inside the case remove all power sources and take static precautions...

I am looking to buy a new Esate Hd. But My power suply only has one power plug that will go into the back of the one i have in now. I have the chord that will go to the HDD to the board but what is the one i need besides that?If you want to split one Molex connector to provide power to two devices then you need a Molex Splitter.  I'll see if I can link you with a picture of one.

[attachment deleted by admin]Sounds more like a SATA connector is needed to me.

You just want a Molex -> Sata connector, looks like this:



Hope this helpsActually he may need both.

He hasn't mentioned if he WANTS to run both drives at the same time.  We don't even know if the motherboard has a SATA controller.

Can you get us this information unarmedmaster?unarmedmaster, if you could either let us know the model/manufacturer of your computer you are using or TAKE snapshots of the inside of the comoputer, I think that would help us in figuring out exactly what connectors you need.  Quote from: Quantos on August 11, 2009, 11:50:26 AM

Actually he may need both.

He hasn't mentioned if he wants to run both drives at the same time.  We don't even know if the motherboard has a SATA controller.

I would like to setup three or four monitors on my computer. I want the screens to have individual properties but ALSO be connected in a PANORAMIC fashion. Can I add more video cards or should I get a ready made unit that supports several monitors? If so, where's a good PLACE to look for one?
You may ALREADY have the capability to support two monitors but we need more info to determine that.  Are you currently using onboard video or an add-on video card?  If the latter, does it have two connectors for monitors? 

What expansion slots (PCI-Express, AGP, PCI) you have empty?  What is the make and model of your computer and/or motherboard?

Edit:
Quote from: ironmaster on August 12, 2009, 09:35:19 AM

I want the screens to have individual properties but also be connected in a panoramic fashion.

It is said that NVIDIA possible cancel G200b and to release NEW G3x0.

 -It will integrate 384SP and it will use 45nm technology.

 -Its power CONSUMPTION will cut a lot than G200. Its clocks will be improved to 850/2000MHz.

 -It will match 1GB 256bit GDDR5 memory and the clock will be more than 4000MHz.

It will defeat 4870X2 and any SLI set up, everisn't the 4870 a ATI card?Which would make it crossfire...not SLI... Quote from: patio on August 12, 2009, 07:13:12 AM

Which would make it crossfire...not SLI...

Up until an hour ago, I have been using a Thomson Wireless router. SUDDENLY I lost all of the BROADBAND signal.
Re-booted the LAPTOP and the router.
I am now re-connected, but on the Lan Display, it is SHOWING that I am running a Plusnet Wireless router.
Anyone TELL me what is going on?   I fitted an I-plate supplied by BT on Monday. No other changes to the system.

Hi

I've had a Sony VAIO NR38E laptop for about 8 months now.  During this time I have never been able to CONSISTENTLY burn discs using the inbuilt drive (Matsui I think, but I'm not able to confirm as I'm not near the laptop).  I am reaching breaking point with the number of discs I have to throw away after failed burns.  The failed burns are in Itunes and other programmes, and for music discs and discs of photographs.  So there is no consistency.  Oh and eventually the discs will burn [after I've binned 6 or 7 discs].

Is this a problem with Vaio laptops/Matsui drives?  Should I be seeking a replacement/refund?  Or is this a simple glitch than can be sorted with a solution that has eluded me?

thanks for any help anyone can give. Quote from: bridgey on AUGUST 11, 2009, 07:35:28 AM

Should I be seeking a replacement/refund?

I have recently done a hard reset to my netgear WNDR3300, and, as I did when i originally got the device, I tried using the Setup CD. I have my DSL modem connected only to my desktop computer, and then i put in the CD. I only get as far as the first STEP on the installation before it says either, "Internet Connection not Available" or "Network Adapter Problem". Now, this MUST not be possible, because I have full access to the internet right now in posting this thread. What must I do in order to make setup via CD possible?

I am not exactly computer-literate, so PLEASE put in terms and step sizes a newbie would understand.

I apologize if this thread is a repeat, but i am desperate to FIND the answer.
Have you followed the MANUAL STEP-BY-STEP?

I believe I have a fault with my graphics card but I am not entirely sure. This is a new BFG geforce 285 GTX and the rest of my specs are listed below. I installed the card tonight and went to try out the fifa 09 game with setting maxed out. The problems I got was that the game kept on freezing and artifacting and there was other graphics problems to. When I turned down the graphics to low I still got the freezing but not the artifacting. I previously owned a Geforce 260 and never got this freezing on low settings in this game, so do you think the card could be faulty and if so what test can I run to see if it is? Thanks!!

Geforce 285GTX
asus crosshair mainboard
4 gig ram
Amd dual core 3.21ghz
audigy gamer sound cardIf you have only just bought it...I would return it for a replacement.

One thing that does COME into mind though.

Perhaps your power supply is not QUITE meeting the demands of the card? what power supply do you have, what is the wattage and how many amps does it output on the 12v rail? Quote from: Kurtiskain on August 05, 2009, 04:45:24 PM

If you have only just bought it...I would return it for a replacement.

One thing that does come into mind though.

Perhaps your power supply is not quite meeting the demands of the card? what power supply do you have, what is the wattage and how many amps does it output on the 12v rail?

This is on my Dell P4 machine (in my specs). I previously only heard the CPU fan run on high after an improper SHUTDOWN followed by re-start. Now it sounds like it's RUNNING faster than normal all the time although not completely on high. I cannot find a CPU temp with Everest. How can I check the CPU temp?By using the BIOS and then find the hardware monitor.

To access the BIOS, continually tap either the delete key, F2, F10 or another key if it says Press *key* to enter Setup/BIOS.

From there use the KEYBOARD to find your CPU temp.

It definitely does sound like a heat issue though.

I am in the process of changing out the hard drive in a COMPUTER. I ordered the wrong hard drive by mistake. I got a SATA hard drive instead of the usual IDE. I want to keep the hard drive so my question is this: What is the fastest, easiest and least expensive way to adapt this hard drive to the current IDE system? I can do very basic stuff with computers so don't get too technical! I really appreciate the feedback I have gotten from these forums!Here...OK, I have looked at those and I am not sure exactly which ONE I NEED. I have read the reviews on some and it looks as though I have to be very careful. I don't have a lot of experience here so I don't want any hidden problems! Then i would just return the drive for a PATA replacement... Quote from: patio on August 07, 2009, 08:38:47 AM

Then i would just return the drive for a PATA replacement...

Quantos, I found this product online: VANTEC CB-SP200 Dual Port SATA to IDE Converter, will this work for what I need?
Thanks!

I bought a new converter and if refused to do anything except light-up.  The replacement was no better.  Therefore, my experience says to stay away from those things.

im trying to redownload windows xp into my desktop but once i start with the process i get an "boot from atapi cd-rom no emulation ,press any KEY to boot"  here my specs for the pc i can tell you with out getting into windows

sony vaio
windows xp
1024 mem
not sure the size of hard DRIVE but it has an partion on it
sis graphics card


if you NEED anything else let me know and ILL look it up..

Thanks in advice!

I want to install a NEW Lan card(ASUS NX 1101)(10/100/1000).I have already an Intenet connection with a LANCARD(Safeway10/100) in use for now.When it's done will all be the same or shall I wait for troubles such as loosing IP's of the Intenet Company and other setups etc ??ThanksYou just install the new card and CONFIGURE the settings that are applicable for getting the internet to work. I'd expect the new card to just be a plug and play device but I don't know (normally you'd just plug it in, and it would work but you might just have to get the right drivers or adjust some settings to get the card to work)
It should be PnP. Just install its driver.Your software settings aren't contained on the NIC that you are replacing.

I want to BUY some new ram for my COMPUTER, but It is a self built gaming rig, would like a quality brand not the cheapest. My specs are...
Windows xp home sp3 Intel core 2 Duo cpu [email protected] 2.7GB ram,
Nvidia Geforce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ Nvidia 780i MOBO.Go to crucial.com and run the scan.Try checking here at NewEgg. Quote from: QUANTOS on August 10, 2009, 05:55:32 PM

Try checking here at NewEgg.

Nvidia 780i MOBO.

A few days ago I was playing around with the stock heatsink in my case, and it was only after I removed it, looked at it, and put it back, that I read about "Thermal Grease" and what a heatsink does, exactly.  Fearing I had messed up the bond between the CPU and heatsink, I went out and bought some Arctic 5 thermal grease, cleaned up the CPU, and put some on (following directions I read online) and replaced the heatsink.  I have no intentions of overclocking my PC, and it idles and runs games just fine, but when I run the [email protected] program at 50-100% CPU usage, the quad core gets a bit toasty.

I've heard that the Intel stock heatsinks are "decent," but frankly I wouldn't know a good heatsink if you slapped me upside the head with one, and of course, having to buy one, install it, and just "see how it goes" is a rather pricey method of trial and error.  All I know is that the push-pin design of this stock heatsink is attrocious, I wish I could just throw a screw into each corner, rather than wrestle with these cheap plastic pins 

Any suggestions on types, brands, or materials?  My P6T SE motherboard has an LGA1366 CPU socket, manual says it is ALSO compatible with LGA775 CPU fan and heatsink assemblies.  Kind of difficult looking at the heatsinks on NewEgg, as they are broken up into so many category types (Is it good for Slot A? B? A and B? A, B, and C? etc.)  Not concerned with price, they don't seem too steep.  Copper, aluminum, nickel PLATED, air flow, RPM's... blah!For what you are doing, the stock heatsink should be fine.  If you have concerns about how 'toasty' your CPU is, let us know what you are using to measure your temps, how hot it's getting, and what the ambient room temperature is. 

If you'd like a heatsink for the sake of getting a heatsink that has real attachment points and not plastic spikes, then take a look at this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093
It is compatible with your CPU and is a very good heatsink for the price.  It uses a backplate to secure itself to the motherboard, so you will probably have to remove your motherboard to attach it.

Cheers!Ok, have a CMP [email protected] client (50% CPU Usage) and GPU [email protected] client running in the background right now.  This is more taxing than the games I play, and I usually run this 18+ hours a day.

Actual room temp is 21C.  4 Case fans (Stock 80mm in front, stock 120mm on back, added two 120mm on side)
Real Temp:
          GPU: 79C
          CPU: 85-100C on all four Cores.
SpeedFan :
          GPU: 79C
          CPU: 75C-80C on all four Cores
RivaTuner (and Vista Widget):
          Core Temp: 72C
          Ambient Temp: 54C

Been a while since I looked at Intel's specs on the CPU, but I believe they said the recommended running temp was 82C.  I'd be reluctant to buy a heatsink that required the removal of the motherboard, though  Wow, assuming that your monitor programs are calibrated correctly, those are some big CPU temps.  Have they changed since you reseated your cooler? (It's easy to use to much AS5, and too much can make your temps higher.) 

As far as getting another cooler, it can be a pain to have to remove your motherboard, but most of the quality coolers do it that way to ensure a firm mounting without stressing the motherboard more than necessary.  It's possible that you case has a 'hole' in the motherboard tray, allowing access to the area, but that's the only way you can get a backplate installed without removing the board.

I might hold off on CPU folding until we get those temps down.  Your GPU temps look fine, BTW.I checked the stock heatsink again, the A5 on it was actually set in patches.  I think reading all the warnings about not putting on too much scared me off of doing a proper job.  Cleaned it up, applied more using some plastic wrap to smooth it out, and refastened the heat sink.  Temps DROPPED 5C, but it is still up there.  I could always just look at SpeedFan and be happy with the temps, but RealTemp puts out those higher numbers that worry me   

I doubt I'll try tackling a new heatsink that requires the removal of the motherboard, though.  Sounds like a pain.  Guess I'll just play it by ear, see how it goes.With RealTemp, sometimes you have to manually set the TJmax.  Find out what that is for your CPU and make sure RealTemp is using it.  Hopefully, that will diminish the discrepancy.  Cheers!Comp is idling at 45, running games at 70.  I'd be perfectly happy, if I didn't want to push it running [email protected]  Reading up on the i7's, it looks like lots of people have them run hot, and some have said that the stock heatsink is "barely adequate."  So... any easy installation heatsinks out on the market, or am I looking at TAKING off the motherboard to do the deed?  Suddenly the cheap plastic pins don't seem so bad (that and I've taken the darn thing on and off a few times now, so I'm getting the hang of it).I don't know of any that I could recommend as an improvement that use push pins.  The Arctic Freezer is a good little budget cooler with push pins, and they recently announced a socket 1366 revision, but I haven't seen them for sale anywhere yet.I read a nice little heatsink review for the i7.  They did a thorough report on 6 or so heatsinks, really top notch testing.  A small, fairly cheap heatsink was going toe to toe with the big, pricey numbers and holding its own.  When it was all said and done (in the 7 page article) this budget heatsink won.  And ya know what?  It supported easy pin-installation to boot.  Went to go look it up.... not available.  Either not in the US, or not in production yet, not sure which.  Either way, bah, got my HOPES up 

Going to try out that scythe MUGEN-2 SCMG-2000, looks pretty good.  Hopefully it doesn't block any RAM slots.  Can't be worse than the stock HS, and worst case scenario, I take the time to sit down and work with the motherboard a bit (best way to learn, I suppose).Are your fans actually moving air through the case in a proper fashion?

example - sucks cooler air in at the front and bottom, blows it out the back?
If you have a fun in reverse it can help stop airflow and cause higher temps.

Can some on here please tell me what psu I need to run a BGG geforce 285OC? Currently have a cooler master 750 watt psu, but for some reason my games are freezing and SHOWING graphics GLITCHES. I can be playing a game like Battlefield 2 and a graphic will quickly pop up and then disappear, or the game can just freeze. Do you think this could be down to the psu or card itself? Thanks!!

Motherboard: Asus crosshair
Psu: cooler Master 750 watt
Graphics card BFG Geforce 285OC
Ram 4 gig
Windows vista 32bit
Hard drive: Western digital 600 Gb
Cpu: Amd athlon64 6400+ dual core 3.21Ghz
That PSU should be sufficient...
To test if it's the card borrow one of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there. Quote from: patio on August 08, 2009, 07:30:38 AM

That PSU should be sufficient...
To test if it's the card borrow one of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there.

According to specifications here, the requirements for that video card include a 575W PSU.  So, a 750W PSU should be more than adequate.

Could the freezing and graphic glitches be a sign that the graphics card is faulty? Is this usually how a graphics card would show signs of been faulty?

Sorry...i meant borrow another PSU of the same or greater wattage...if the card still acts up then it's the card.

Have you tried updating our drivers?

Same wattage is fine...we just want to rule out the PSU....

Then it's the card....

Check your Warranty info...

1 of my flopy disks is not working properly. so i put in my flopy disk and turn on my computer and it will say: Invalid system disk replace the disk and then press any key, and i take the flopy disk out and press a key and i runes fine untill i log in and an error comes up and it SAYS:
Explorer.
this program has preformed a illigal operaition and will be shut down.
O i  also tryed it on annother computer and it comes up with the same thing so whats up with that The disk is probably bad, or possibly the FDD in both your machine and the test machine are bad, can you read other floppies?

I just THOUGHT of something else too, is the FDD enabled in the BIOS?Floppy drives are notorious for corruption. Hence we all stopped using them not saying they are bad there useless, even a small magnetic field can CORRUPT a floppy. It's time to upgrade to CD/DVD.The disk in the floppy drive has to be a bootable disk or you will recieve that error. What is on the floppy disk you have in the drive?It's a corrupt disk simple.. Quote from: Mulreay on August 10, 2009, 07:49:40 PM

It's a corrupt disk simple..

A 3ghz INTEL p4 with HT.  Its a socket 775.  It was used for around a year and then was just sitting there for around another year.  On the cpu it says:
intel '05
pentium 4
630 sl8q7 china
3.00ghz/2n/800/04a
5701b031
So what do you think I could get for it?I would say about £25$35?  That sounds REASONABLE. Quote from: computeruler on August 06, 2009, 06:20:10 PM

$35?  That sounds reasonable.

$35 to ship?  I dont think so...

$35 to ship?  I dont think so...

I have a computer that when you turn it on it shuts back down in a few seconds. The first time you turn it on it gets to windows starting up then shutsoff. The next time it does not get that far before it shuts off. Please help me. Thanks for your time.When was the last time that you cleaned out the computer case and re-applied thermal paste?It sounds like a "heat" issue.  The CPU may be overheating and shutting down.  Heat "kills" electronics, so you should not continuously restart it until you eliminate "overheading" as the potential cause.

Clean out the dust using "canned" air (well it's not really air), natural bristle brush (small HIGH quality paint brush), or bellows).  Do not use a vacuum cleaner.

Ensure all the fans work (especially the CPU fan).  Use wood pencil to keep fan from spinning wildly as you blow out dust.  (Fun to WATCH but hard on its bearings).

Clean off the surface between the CPU and heatsink and reapply thermal paste if needed.

And of course, power off the computer and unplug it before beginning work on the inside.  Obey all Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) precautions.  Use a grounding wrist strap if you have one; otherwise ground yourself to an unpainted part of the case periodically.  Don't work on a carpeted floor.  Don't hurry, don't work on it when you're tired, and especially when you're not in a good mood.  It's an adventure, not a chore! Quote from: dahlarbear on August 07, 2009, 10:14:46 PM

It sounds like a "heat" issue.  The CPU may be overheating and shutting down.  Heat "kills" electronics, so you should not continuously restart it until you eliminate "overheading" as the potential cause.

Clean out the dust using "canned" air (well it's not really air), natural bristle brush (small high quality paint brush), or bellows).  Do not use a vacuum cleaner.

Ensure all the fans work (especially the CPU fan).  Use wood pencil to keep fan from spinning wildly as you blow out dust.  (Fun to watch but hard on its bearings).

Clean off the surface between the CPU and heatsink and reapply thermal paste if needed.

And of course, power off the computer and unplug it before beginning work on the inside.  Obey all Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) precautions.  Use a grounding wrist strap if you have one; otherwise ground yourself to an unpainted part of the case periodically.  Don't work on a carpeted floor.  Don't hurry, don't work on it when you're tired, and especially when you're not in a good mood.  It's an adventure, not a chore!

Motherboard is an ASUS M2N62-AR (HP calls it an ACACIA-GL6E).  The SPDIF out2 is a 3 pin connector.  The question is which pin is which?  Need to connect the cable from the graphics card to the ground pin and the SPDIF pin on the motherboard.

HP's motherboard manual specs identify the SPDIF out2 connector, but not the individual pins.

ASUS doesn't even list this motherboard on their site?????????? (so there is no manual and thus no specs.)

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks! why would a graphics card have SPDIF...  Needs the SPDIF for the HDMI output.alright, so let's go over this-

Your trying to connect the SPDIF out HEADER on the motherboard (I assume from onboard sound?) to the video card (which I also GUESS uses the audio, and it's own video to create a HDMI signal) You don't list a video card... are you USING the on-board video as well?

Is this your motherboard here? as you said it labels the SPDIF out 2 connector but not the actual pinouts.

This thread here might be helpful; post #6 lists some PINOUT info, but it's five, not 3 pins. however- the two pins on the right in the image are NC (not connected) and IN, neither of which would be used for the graphics card connection. If you can identify pin 1 on the header, (usually indicated with a small triangle on that SIDE, or other unique marking) then you should be able to identify VCC, OUT and GND, of which you want OUT and GND (if I understand your dilemma) which would be pin 2 and 3. I can't really make out much from the image, myself, though. most connectors of this sort have a notch in the plug and the header to make sure you plug it in the right way. on the header, the notch can usually be thought of as the top, and the pins are left to right.

Yes, I'm trying to connect the onboard audio to an MSI-N9400GT graphics card via a 2  wire SPDIF cable.  As I said earlier the graphics card needs the audio signal to enable the HDMI output signal.

Yes, that is my motherboard.  The board layout drawing depicts the SPDIF out2 fairly accurately.  The notch in the header is towards the top and in line with the pins.

I have examined the board around the SPDIF header and cannot find any marks that  identify pin1.  However, if I follow your train of thought, then that would make the pin on the left side of the header pin1 (right?)
            Quote

I have examined the board around the SPDIF header and cannot find any marks that  identify pin1.  However, if I follow your train of thought, then that would make the pin on the left side of the header pin1 (right?)

I have a CoolerMaster 650 watt and would like to KNOW where I look to see what is on the 12 volt rail?  I am looking at this psu and don't see anything mentioning the word rail. THANKS!!

Ok I have now looked on the side and seen this diagram below. Does this mean I have 36 AMPS on the 12v rails? Or does the 0.8 under -12v COUNT for anything?

Ac input                                           220v-230v/6.3 50/60Hz
DC OUTPUT      +3.3v  +5V    +12V1   +12v2    -5V       -12V    +5Vsb
MAX.OUTPUT    28A     30A      18A       18A       0.8A     0.8A     2.0AAppears to have two +12V "rails".  Each one is 18A.  -12V is not used for much of anything anymore.

Upgrade time for my custom computer. I have a case; I'm still fine with my 500GB harddrive. The potential PROBLEM I see is with my RAM, which MIGHT in turn not be happy with my motherboard (ICK).

Here are my specs:

Gigabyte motherboard (GA-P35-DS3L)
Intel Code Duo E4500, 2.20 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz FSB
Dual 1GB Crucial RAM, 800MHz
NVIDIA 8600GT graphics card

I use the comp for light gaming and Adobe CS4 and I've noticed a bit of lag.  It's not pissing me off just yet, but I wonder if I should upgrade RAM now while I have the money, or wait until Windows 7 comes out and I actually need it.

Also - is it worth it to buy a blu-ray reader? Quote from: notuslethe on AUGUST 08, 2009, 03:48:53 AM

I've noticed a bit of lag.

Thanks Karnac - I think I might just buy it because I have the money right now.

Gigabyte motherboard (GA-P35-DS3L)

Dual 1GB Crucial RAM, 800MHz

I have checked the CPU temp with SpeedFan and I can see 2 core temps, one is at ~40, the other is ~60

BIOS read 37 degrees

Which one should I thrust?

I have an AMD X2 3800+ running 2,142Mhz (7% overclocked by bios ulity) and an ASUS M2N moboPossibly, SpeedFan, or you're misreading something.

Download, and install Everest Ultimate Edition 4.6: http://www.lavalys.com:8081/everestultimate460.exe
Enter following registration code (Help>Enter PRODUCT key) to make it fully functional:
RHGJE-54X47-HML9C-V498I-UUMVI
(it's all legal, the above version has been recently offered as a free download)
Expand Computer folder.
Click on Sensor.
Post all info from there.
Quote

Field   Value
Sensor Properties   
Sensor Type   ITE IT8716F  (ISA 290h)
GPU Sensor Type   Diode  (NV-Diode)
Chassis Intrusion Detected   No
   
Temperatures   
Motherboard   44 °C  (111 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #1   48 °C  (118 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #2   45 °C  (113 °F)
MCP   56 °C  (133 °F)
Aux   46 °C  (115 °F)
GPU Diode   62 °C  (144 °F)
Seagate ST380215AS   40 °C  (104 °F)
Seagate ST380215AS   39 °C  (102 °F)
   
Cooling Fans   
CPU   4592 RPM
Chassis   2437 RPM
   
Voltage Values   
CPU Core   1.36 V
+3.3 V   3.38 V
+5 V   5.00 V
+12 V   12.35 V
+5 V Standby   4.97 V
VBAT Battery   3.09 V

CPU #1 / Core #1   48 °C  (118 °F)
CPU #1 / Core #2   45 °C  (113 °F)

speedfan is probably improperly labelling the sensors

Okay now I'm kinda a real noob when it comes to computers and how they work. But so far for the 6-7 months I've had my computer (nothing fancy, just cheap at bestbuy ) I've had 0 problems, none. Now I just bought this video card... it's called GeForce 8400 GS (I know still nothing super good but better than the current.) So yesterday I installed it and set up everything according to the disk it gave me. I was playing WOW and everything normally. When I woke up this morning I wiggled the mouse to bring my comp away from SLEEP mode, but nothing HAPPENED. It showed the pc was currently on, but wouldn't respond. When I  pulled the plug (wouldn't shut off otherwise) and tried to rebooting it, all that it does now is start up for about 5 seconds, nothing shows up on the screen, and then it shuts off again. It'll continue doing this forever basically without me even needing to touch anything after the first try. If any of you know how I can get my computer working again so my PARENTS don't rip my head off, that'd be very helpful . Oh btw, my system currently runs 250w, and the card says it needs 300w minimum, could that be it?Maybe ... if you don't have enough power supplied to your computer, it simply will not boot up. alright well now even when I take the new graphics card out, it still does the same exact thing. Probably new card disabled on-board video in BIOS. Enter BIOS, and check.How do I do that in about 4 seconds of the computer being on? =/ Nothing shows up on my screen so I can't really enter anything that I know of.If you're able to, look at the bottom of the screen for something like:
Press some key to enter setup
Pressing "some key" will get you to BIOS.Unable to, the thing isn't really that the video card is messed up, it's the actual pc that doesn't stay on long enough to get to that part.Did you triple check, you didn't messed up some cables inside while installing/removing video card.
Try to re-seat RAM.Okay I'll try that right now, I'm reaalll sure that I didn't mess up cables though because like I said yesterday it worked fine with the new graphic card, just today my pc is bein a jerk.new PSU. sounds like  you might have PUSHED your old PSU a little too far...Good point...Sorry, may I ask what a PSU is? Does that stand basically for power supply?yes, power supply. most are designed to give out a bit more then their rating... but not for long. Make sure to check your +12V rails, 19A would be a safe bet, as that's what I have and I used to use a 8500GT now using a 9500gT which worked fine with that type power supply which was a Hipro at 300 watts.How do I check those? I bought a 450w power supply and it still does the same thing lol =(!.

I a getting some UNUSUAL POST beeps upon startup. The PC POWERS on then stops for a second or two then gives one short then two long beeps. I do not know what version of BIOS i am running but none of the help pages on any type of BIOS match the beep codes I am getting. I am sure of what I hear, its is one short then two long beeps!! Can anybody help me?

P.S. The problem occured after adding RAM to the system. I replaced the ORIGINAL RAM and it still BEEPS!From Our Massive Archives...Been there, Done that! The beep code is not in the list! Thanks for the REPLY anyway!!OK i'll bite...
What MBoard ? ?It is a Compaq EVO D310m Mother BOARD. Pentium 4. Built in's for all cards, video, NIC, etc..ENTER IN BIOS SETUP>SELECT CMOS FEUTURE>WERE YOU CHOSE HALT ON OPTION>CHOSE NO ERROR >SAVE THESE SETTING AFTER RESTART PROBLEM SOLVE Sorry, I should have included that there is no video!That is a model # not a MBoard designation...Here  is a link to the Manual.All this tells me is that it is a system board for Intel with thermal grease. No actual specifications!Compaq 283983-001 Intel 845 Socket 478 mATX Motherboard w/Video, Audio & LAN http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/site/search/r4_0/jsp/search.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=96284&tx=beep%20codes

Use the search function....Ok, it finally did respond to me putting in only one of the original 128 Mb it will work in either slot and show me a post screen. But while it is loading the memory it stops at 4Mb. ??Try removing the CMOS battery from the MBoard for 20 minutes with the machine unplugged... Quote from: weshader on August 07, 2009, 08:06:41 AM

Been there, Done that! The beep code is not in the list! Thanks for the reply anyway!!

I want one... no I need to buy a keyless key BOARD. Something LIKE this: http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/06/12/lights-camera-glassaction/

Does anyone know where (if possible) to get one?Man that looks amazing....

Kinda like the Optimus Tactus keyboard.
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/

I'm interested in knowing where to purchase a SIMILAR PRODUCT too. I've looked on Ebay - too EXPENSIVE for me.That one looks much cooler, but about 5-10 years more advanced. I'll be looking for that one in about that much time.

I know this is not directly related to computer hardware, but i thought i'd try anyways:
I have the Altec Lansing VS4221.
When turned on, the 2 speakers continuously click (consistent, short intervals, 2-3 every second). It sounds almost like static.
This appears to be hardware related because I tried connecting the speakers to multiple computers and ipod, and the problem persists.
The woofer does not have this problem, only the 2 speakers.
What could be the cause, and how can I fix this? (although the speakers still function, it is incredibly annoying to hear constant static clicking...)Are your speaker wires running parallel and close to the power lines?  This can induce line noise.  Are the speakers plugged into the correct jack?The speakers still work.
I don't know about the power line thing, but the speakers have been working fine, then one DAY suddenly i heard clicking static sound. Although strangely enough when I touch the input wire (that goes into the computer) with my hand (or any metallic object) i hear loud static from the speakers.
I have no idea what's going on, i just want to get rid of the static clicking sound. That sounds like the cable providing connection has taken some damage(physical damage, something set on it, breaking the wire).  Depending on your skills at finding a short I would recemend some new speakers.

Before you spend any money, can you check with some known good speakers?  There is the possibility that it is a sound card issue.

Before I forget, can you open the CASE and make sure that the wires to and from the sound card are seated properly, improperly seated cabling can cause that too.If these speakers are AC powered, try plug them into another ac outlet in another room with en extension cord.....something on the same circuit may be cycling causing the noise. Quote from: Karnac on AUGUST 07, 2009, 06:25:35 PM

If these speakers are AC powered, try plug them into another ac outlet in another room with en extension cord.....something on the same circuit may be cycling causing the noise.

I'm updating my wireless network and want some opinions on on two things. 1 Wireless ROUTER. D-link DIR-655 and 2 Network storage. D-link DNS-321. So if any of you have an opinion on these products, you own them and want to tell me some prose and cons, or have any tips on setting them up (manly the network storage) I will thank you in advance....Thanks.

Edit:P.S. I plan to PUT 2 500Gb HDD RAID 1 in the network storage. I have set up a routers before but if there is anything i need to do to work with the storage please tell me. oh and just to quadruple check, the router will work with G and N wireless at the same time RIGHT?

My brother's PC keeps turning off when playing games. I suggested he has a faulty PSU, it certainly has a high enough WATT rating to power the PC. I was just wondering does anyone else know of any possible causes before he forks out on a new PSU?
Thanks.Could be overheating, download speedfan and post your temps....has the pc been cleaned with compressed air recently?...are your fans all RUNNING?
Swap in a known good power supply and ELIMINATE it as a cause.
Reseat your ram as well.

http://www.almico.com/speedfan.phpThanks Karnac.
He used speed fan and cpu-z to monitor temperature on the GPU and CPU over a few days, there were no temperature spikes around the crashes. And he hasn't been in the PC to clean it or anything. When it started happening, at the beginning of summer (which made him think it was overheating, apparently not) he rebuilt the PC completely and it still crashes.
He thinks it may be an issue with GFX card firmware (ATi HD 4870). He has tried uninstalling it and re-installing it PLUS drivers to no effect. He is now going to remove the card, boot in safe mode, uninstall, remove all drivers and registry entries and then reinstall the lot...

He also ran a stress test on his card which didn't cause a crash, so it's crashing while playing games but a stress test didn't crash it, plus it isn't getting very hot....
I'll tell him to see if he can get his hands on a different PSU to test to see if it's that, but I'm sure he would have tried that if he had a spare.
Any thoughts in the mean time would be helpful
Thanks

P.S When I SAY 'crash' I mean turns off.Try the different psu.  When you remove the card switch to onboard video in bios and run like that for a while to see if it improves....then you can narrow it down to the card....Have you had any other power symptoms like random reboots or freezes....Have to ask....was thermal paste reapplied during the upgrade?....Still leaning towards the PSU.....Seems like the card is tapping the power supply when the games are run and the psu can't handle the power demands.I AGREE with you Karnac about the PSU, however it is a new PSU, only about a year old. I don't know the Watt rating of it, but I can check it out when he gets back online... I'm sure it's got to be atleast 300w, which should be more than enough to run any combination of components, should it not?
Therefore perhaps it is faulty... I guess their isn't anything more to try without a different PSU.
I'm not sure whether he used thermal grease but looks like the heat sinks are doing their job fine if speedfan isn't reporting any high temps, right?
Thanks for all your help. He could take the side off the case and run the games with a table fan blowing into the case....might bring down card temp and give an indication of whether heat is the issue.....300 watts should be good...

Should have asked this first post......how about the specs for his computer....how much ram in there? If its 300w its your psu.  A 4870 and a 300w psu will not work

Hello,
 Can some one tell me which Graphic card is better as i got two of them
first is a nVidia Geforce Ti 4200 64MB
second is a  nVidia Geforce FX 5200 AGP8x 128mb

Reason is I wanna use the better one until i can afford a upgrade  The FX 5200 is superior, but DEPENDING on what you are doing you may not need a new VIDEO card.

What makes you think you need an upgrade?it's because i brought a new game called Empire earth have not add chance to play it yet so don't know if it's any good but yea it's mainly for games at the moment i'm with the Ti 4200 but i'm now i'm going to change it to the FX 5200
Thanks for the info  Don't be surprised if you don't see much difference between the two cards.  The FX 5200 should be a little better, but I don't believe you'll see a BIG difference.  I'm basing this on peronal experience with both cards.

However, if your game REQUIRES DirectX 9, you should go with the FX 5200, which was the first nVidia card with DirectX 9.  The Ti 4200 is DirectX 8.  Thanks for the heads up soybean didn't realise about the Dirext9 thought i already add it
I'm using the Ti 4200 at the moment so i should switch over.
thanks

My brother wants to sell his laptop and wants to be as sure as possible he can get the hard drive wiped clean before he sells it. Other than downloading a program to do this, is there a way to completely erase the hard drive? He said he got some kind of error when he tried to format the disk and it wouldn't let him, so not sure if that was the only other option to do this or not. The laptop is running Windows XP. Thanks.Darik's Boot and Nuke...I'm with patio on that.............but if you don't want to download, which I don't see why you wouldn't want to, has he tried simply reinstalling the OS? Quote from: munkytown on AUGUST 09, 2009, 04:01:48 PM

My brother wants to sell his laptop and wants to be as sure as possible he can get the hard drive wiped clean before he sells it. Other than downloading a program to do this,

is there a way to completely erase the hard drive? He said he got some kind of error when he tried to format the disk and it wouldn't let him, ...

Laptop originally had VISTA, but I don't have disks so I have XP install disk only

1. Vista HP Pavillion laptop crashed
      THEN
2. HP recovery utility failed
     SO
3. Partition Magic used to create a single NTFS primary partition that was set to "ACTIVE"
    THEN
4. BIOS Quick, comprehensive, and SMART drive tests all WITHOUT ERRORS
   THEN
5. Windows XP install fails "Hard drive Not Found"
 THEN
6. MEMORY and HARD DRIVE REMOVED AND RESEATED
 THEN
7. Partition Magic used to create a single DOS32 primary partition that was set to "ACTIVE"
 THEN
8. Windows XP install fails "Hard drive Not Found"
THEN
9. BIOS setup "return to default settings"
THEN
10. #3 thru #7 repeated
STILL

HARD drive found by BIOS and Partition Magic BUT NOTwindows Install
HELP !!!!!!!!
Despite your HDD tests, it's LOOKING more like a HDD FAILURE.  The System crashed, the recovery failed.  Other than that, I have no ideas. Sorrymy laptop refused to accept a XP install, giving me the same error, before I acquired the proper SATA drivers for the laptop.

It's entirely possible that like my laptop, yours doesn't have drivers for XP.  You may need to contact the vendor, what make and model do you have?Needed to set BIOS to non-SATA or install SATA drivers via seperate Cd during windows install.

THANKS EVERYBODY

I am using my son's computer - long STORY and I NEED mine working too - anyway 3 people at least using it and size is 160 - between videos and games etc it is now full (hard drive) and I am having problems even getting it to start up - help! i have just got a WD external hard drive so I can take all mine off of his; but would have to load and put all my docs and info on it which would take a lot off the original but have to get it to come up first - system is xp - the computer is not very new at all....do not know much about it
i do know it has about 1028 for memory-I replaced power suppky last yr-It will power up and I usually hear the hard drive a bit, now it is not coming up anything on the monitor although it will begin power with lights coming on as startup on disk drives.  The monitor seems to be in a sleep mode (had problems with that a couple of times recently before I could not get it to run....so I do not knowwhat I am doing or what is going on.)
Help - he will really be mad at me as with my luck this has happened while I used it.
I just need to get it running so I can save my items, get rid of other stuff probabliy not needed and get it to him so I will not be blamed for anything else. Power supply died and it was my fault : ) God BlessDid you try to start it in Safe Mode?You poor thing!!
Have you pulled out the cords and reconnected them?
Or do you have a friend that is a computer wizz?
Maybe you can ring them? Quote from: Rowena on August 06, 2009, 01:16:25 AM

You poor thing!!
Have you pulled out the cords and reconnected them?
Or do you have a friend that is a computer wizz?
Maybe you can ring them?

so i haven't been using floppies since like 2005. because...well theres no POINT since i have flash drives. So today i see a green floppy,dusty, i insert it in my computer, locate it from my computer, click it, then BAM, Restricted.

Don't get me wrong, im not trying to 'bypass' something here, i am the only account active and i am an administrator. I think this could of been from a virus because, well i have a huge history of viruses and all the malacious stuff. I have done some GOOD GOOGLING, all though its almost 1 am over here so im not the most focused person.

Any help\response is greatly appreciated!Maybe it wasn't your floppy to begin with and the documents were and are protected?maybe. but i just tried a few. all have the same effect, tried with and without the lock switch.All that the lock switch is for is for write protection.  It prevents you from writing to a protected floppy.

If these disks are yours and the drive itself isn't bad, it could be as simple as taking ownership of the files.hm, i think something might has happened to the drive, im no genius when it comes to hardware and all that, so im not going to make any big 'its probably blah'. but i think it might be a screw up in my registry restricting me, but that ends because i cannot format a floppy either. SHOWS disk error for any disk i use.

well heres the error anyway

[attachment deleted by admin]That sounds more like restrictions than a bad drive.

Anyway, I just found out I'm an uncle, gotta go, have fun, k bye.  congratulations!

For unknown  cause the POWER SUPPLY had short or something and u can smell smoke .
When i opened it u can see the burn  ,its model ATX-300GU  which has P4ATX 12VX1 connector .
I have an old power supply from an old PC but it doesn't have  the P4ATX 12VX1 connector .

would that make any different if i replace it , because when i did the power runs but all lights are steady and the monitor is not turn on !
Could that connector be the issue or it's not important connector ?
Second , could that short have burn the HDD too? " the PC was off when the smoke and the smell from the power supply happend ".
i just don't want to buy new one if the one that i have could work .

Thanks.

I hate to tell you this, but you need hands on trouble shooting at this point.  If your PSU went out so badly that things were smoking it could've damaged the motherboard or some daughtercards.Could that happen to the MOBO even if the PC wasn't running?

Pentium 4 require the extra connector  for the processor....if you SMELLED burnt ELECTRONICS, good chance it's the PSU....where do you see the burn marks...on the supply or the MB?....to be certain swap in a known good power supply, thats the cheapest way to go, considering the burnt odor.

" If your PC is a newer Pentium 4 or Athlon 64 system, you'll have more than one connector running from the power supply to the motherboard. Both of the newer CPUs usually require an additional 12V header, a 4 PIN connector arranged as a square 2x2. High end motherboards like the ASUS with PCI Express can also use the 4x1 drive connectors to supply additional power to video cards by way of the motherboard."


http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_power.htmIf your power supply is smoking, time for a new one

Code: [Select]You would be surprised what kind of market it can use.
Indeed. Even today a 3.8 GHz P4 is not exactly a slouch. One of my machines is a 3 GHz P4 (Prescott core) and I use it for things like video encoding. I never ever play games, so maybe I do not represent a bleeding edge hardware user.

We RECENTLY purchased a LAPTOP at a liquidation sale, no instructions.  The monitor is RATHER dim when running on battery.  We tried a new battery, no change.  When plugged in, it is nice and bright.  Any IDEAS?

Thanks!If I remember correctly, that should be adjustable somewhere under power options.I found the Power option.  It was on Max Battery.  I changed it to Portable/Laptop as the only other possible choice that made sense and no difference.  Is there something I'm missing?No, no, I'm talking about Control Panel>Power settings.
I'll have to check my laptop.
In Vista, I go Start>Control Panel>Power options>Adjust the display brightness, and I have two settings, one for "On battery", one for "Plugged in".
I'm  not sure, how it is in XP,  but I found this: http://www.ehow.com/how_5057563_adjust-screen-brightness-windows-xp.htmlYes, it's under Control Power, Power Options, and the choices are:

Home/Office desk
Portable/Laptop
Presentation
Always on
Minimal power management
Maximum battery

As I say, it's on maximum battery, and portable/laptop didn't change anything.

Thanks for any help.

Your laptop should also have an adjustment by using keyboard keys.
On my Compaq it's Fn +F7/F8THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  I researched the Function key on my Gateway, tried various keys that other brands used, and finally found the Fn+up and down arrows!  I now notice (duh) that the up and down arrows have a "sun" on them (more duh).  As you can tell, this is my FIRST laptop.

Your answer indeed helped and I am thrilled!  Thanks so much!! Glad to see you happy  Indeed, happy is good.

So, I bought a new computer recently (iBuyPower brand) and the keyboard that came with it has a "Turbo" button.  Just looked up some information on it, and got pretty much the same THING that CH's DICTIONARY has.

A button found on earlier (386 and 486) PC COMPUTERS that would increase or decrease the performance of the computer. This button was needed for backwards compatibility in older programs and games that were written for a specific speed of computer. When faster computers were released, because the programs were written for a slower speed of computer, it would cause the program to run extremely fast, often making them unusable. Using the turbo button a user could slow the computer down allowing them to use these programs.

Today, this button is no LONGER found on computers and for users who would still like to run these older programs we suggest using a software solution such as Mo'Slo, which will trick a program and/or the computer into thinking it's slower than it really is.

One guy SAID the turbo key, in conjunction with F# keys, adjusted the typing rate of his keyboard.  Another said that the turbo button had to be pressed along with the power/sleep buttons on his keyboard, to prevent accidental shutdowns.

I haven't noticed it "do" anything, other than cut my right-shift button in half.  Any thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BklC1TUFS8What you read is correct, it's a fairly useless option now.

What is the point of the link that you present?