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I just built a new computer. Every time I turn it on it goes straight to the memory test and when its finished (about 20 minutes later) its starts it over and will CONTINUALLY do it over. After it FINISH the first time it says pass test complete, o errors, press escape to continue. When i press escape it restarts the computer and it goes right back to the memory test. If there is any way to stop this PLEASE help me.

Mobo is a Biostar TP43
RAM is G-Skill DDR2 1066
CPU is Intel Core 2 Dou 3.0 ghz
Graphics Card is Nvidia 8800 GT
HDD is Western Digital SATA 500gb
Check the BIOS for options.I got it fixed thanks for the help.Through BIOS?
Can you give more details?I forgot that when I was going through BIOS I turned on the Memory test so every time I turned on the computer it would continually do the memtest so i went into the BIOS and turn the setting off and now its fixed but it has a new problem now.

The DVD Drive is not recognized by the computer.Not listed in Windows Explorer, or DEVICE Manager, or...?When the computer starts up gets PAST the BIOS and then stops and says-
Error No CD-ROM drive found please check power or cable
Error IDE CD-ROM device driver not installed

If I'm right i think that means i need the driver disk which i don't have so is there any way to fix this?Optical drives don't need any extra drivers in Windows NT, and up.
Check cables inside.I checked the cables the only thing is i don't know if it is plugged in backwards or not.
Here is the DVD drive model if it helps at all Sony CD-DVD RW DW-D22A-B2Normally, you can't plug power, and data cables in any wrong way. Both leads are shaped in a way, which allows only certain way to plug them in.
Try different data cable.I tried a different IDE cable and the DVD drive still doesn't work. It gets power because I can open and close it but its not detected in the BIOS.It's detected in BIOS through data cable, not power cable.
Is it new drive?ITs not detected in BIOS through data cable. But it gets power to the DVD drive.
The DVD drive is about 4 years old so I think the best option is to replace it.I agree...

I have a Dell Latitude D620.

Because I travel so much, I don't use the OEM power brick, I have a Kensington Universal ADAPTOR (great for cars, planes, etc.).

Well, beginning last night, it no longer charges the machine when it's plugged in. It has to be HELD in place with a little upward pressure (i.e., putting a soda bottle cap underneath the MALE end).

An original Dell power brick works just fine.

So... something has changed that makes a loosey connection with the non-OEM, but the OEM is A-OK. Any thoughts on a) what might have happened, b) can it be permanently fixed?

(The soda bottle cap trick works when I'm sitting at a desk, but it means I can't charge it when the computer's in my briefcase, or on a plane or car, etc....)

I've also noticed the block seems to be warmer than usual...?

Could this be location-specific, or am I doing something very, very bad?These adapters will get warm...and that's normal...

However, it's better to use an adapter provided by the manufacturer...rather than a universal one. Any attempts you MAKE to fix it will only result in a temporary fix...the problem will still persist.

If I were you...and the adapter is not that old, I'd contact the manufacturer for a warranty replacement...or contact the manufacturer for the correct adapter you need.

In the middle of a Skype call, my ability to be heard suddenly stopped (I could still hear the other party just fine).
- I changed headsets, got the same result; tested both headsets on another computer, both tested fine.
- Switched mic input jacks (tried all 3 sets available, with both headsets), got same result.
- Installed newest DRIVERS, same result.
- Bought and installed new sound card with appropriate newest drivers, same result.

Skype sees my sound card but does not register any input signal; same with voice functions in other programs.

What's left to try? Would you suspect a problem with the motherboard, and if so, is there a good way to test that before I invest in a new one?

My system:

Gateway, Pentium 4 3.40 GHz
4 GB RAM
Intel BTX 915G (South Lake 2) 800 MHz Motherboard
Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Gamer sound card
Win XP SP2

Let me know if you need any more particulars, and thanks in advance for the help Have you tried another microphone.......unless the headset has a microphone?Yes, both headsets have microphones. Right Click the Volume Icon near the System CLOCK and go to Open Volume Control.
Go to Options --> Properties and select the Output in the drop-down menu.
Hit ok.
Make sure all the sliders are at full and make sure there are no ticks in the check boxes.
See if you can hear anything.

If not, post back.Done, with the exception that it was the recording function (input) I NEEDED to select -- the output is fine, it's input from mic that's not registering -- and the microphone checkbox was ticked because it's the input device. Still no input sound registering.

With respect, I'm pd sure this is not a settings problem. All settings diagnostics were done before I replaced the sound card. Same with other software and HARDWARE diagnostics as described in original message.Wait, sorry!!

I meant select the Input device from the Drop Down Menu.

I have a problem getting a DELL to start windows.

Dell Dimension 4600i
1.5 gig RAM
Pentium 4
Hard drive 10 gig SEAGATE U series
Win 2000 (Pre loaded from another computer)
Service Tag 7XKZ91S

This Dell hasnt had a Drive in it since Ive had it. Ihave tried other drives in it and the result is the same.
It posts and initialies asking for F2 = Setup
F12 = Boot Menu
After entering F12 the computer loads windows (the Logo appears) and then a blue screen with STOP Inaccessable boot device (as in the photo)
Can someone please advise me how I can get this drive (or any drive) to get PAST this screen.

[recovering disk space -- ATTACHMENT deleted by admin]This is unclear.
You say:
Quote

This Dell hasnt had a Drive in it since Ive had it.

Hi EVERYONE, I have a dell dimension 4700. I have a problem with the CD rom drive. Whenever, i put my disk in the cd rom drive, it seems that runs, since there is a green light that appears when i put the CD in. There is no icon in the MY COMPUTER area STATING that there is a CD. I don't know what could be the problem. My brother suggested that I put the power thingy in the Select part instead of the slave part. But, i'm not sure if i did put it in the select part. Since, the dell desktop is sooooo hard to unscrew everything.Have the drive ever worked? Windows version?What CD are you PUTTING in?

Have you tried both CD's and DVD's

Also, have you tried different BRANDS of CD's?Well, the problem was fixed. Apparently, my brother found out what's wrong. It turns out in the BIOS that the cd/rom drive wasn't enabled, because i think my friend tweaked with it while he was fixing my hard drive. So, it's all good now. Thank you for guiding me to whatever the possible problem would be. Heh, ok then. Congrats. Cool

Hi, when i on my computer, there is power to the CPU as the CPU lights are on and the cd drawer can open and close. But the monitor SAYS that there is no input signal...tried with other monitors too but still the same problem. I've sent it to a repair shop but the guy said its WORKING fine. So i thought it might have something to do with the power outlet but when i tried with other power outlets, the problem still occurs. Sometimes its working fine though.

Please help! Thanks Unplug the computer. Can you check to make sure the Video Card is put in properly.
You might want to unplug it, and then replug it.

What were you doing before this problem? (downloads, installs,ect....)
Any error messages?
Any beeps from the computer?i've tried unplugging and plugging already but it still doesnt WORK. how do u check if the video card is put in properly?

i did not install or download anything recently but the problem has been ongoing for quite a while so can't remember what i did back then

no beep sounds or error messagesQuote

I've sent it to a repair shop but the guy said its working fine.

I've sent it to a repair shop but the guy said its working fine

But the monitor says that there is no input signal...tried with other monitors too but still the same problem.

Can someone help me understand why my CD Player is not recognized by the computer?
This is a Dell Dimension 4600i
1 Gig Ram
Win 98SE
service tag 7xkz91s

Ive entered the bios many times and tried to set this computer up and recognize different HDD's
I have the computer recognizing the fujitsu 13 GIG HDD IDE with WIN 98SE and operating satisfactorily.

(A NEW TOPIC LATER) The new SATA Drive, 500 GIG is not recognized. However when I run a diagnostic the SATA drive was found tested and passed. I havent rebooted it yet so, no known result. I really need the CD Player working to progress.

The A: drive works fine. It tested a floppy with photo's on it and they came up on SCREEN.
The CD Player however does not. When I try to open the CD Player from the start menu Im told there is no Player installed and cannot continue.
I have tried a second CD Player and the result is the same, not installed. (I have others to try if someone thinks it required.)
WHY IS IT SO?
What can I do next please?Hello its me bud. With all the problems you have been posting [do you think] it is time to make some upgraded?Build your own system.Hahaha THIS IS THE UPGRADE!!!
What do you expect when you get a computer for free. They got rid of it for a reason themselves.

However to my understanding (and I have no reason to doubt it) the computer was working in an office and they took the hard drive for their new computer. I think they took the Cd Player too and put this one in it.

Once I got the bios working, and discovered the computer actually worked I bought a new SATA drive. The sales ppl talked me into that. Maybe I should just change it for an IDE. Then the drama began.
The rest was a learning curve. Computers have been the bain of my life so Ive never learned about the INSIDES. So far Ive found it really challenging, exciting in a way that I have learned so much. So thank you one and all for your guidance and assistance.

So back to CD Player any suggestions?What do you mean by "When I try to open the CD Player from the start menu "?when you click on Start, All Programs, Accessories,Entertainment CD Playerso you are trying to access your cd drive thru a cd player program. Does the actual drive itself work? If you go to "My Computer" does it show the drive there? Can you open it by PUSHING the button the front? If so what happens when you put a cd in the drive and close it?Thank you mroilfield, yes I have tried to put a cd in the drive the door opens and closes the light flickers but the motor does not spin.
When I go into my computer there is no cd player.
When I start up the computer from off, the computer goes through the post sequence and the light comes on, on the cd player front panel, but no spinning or whirring noises.

Its one THING to work on a computer, but to understand whats happening and what the different screens that come up are a totally different thing.
This may be relevant
At start up after win screen finishes and the icons appear for my comp, recycle bin, network connections etc etc...
the computer has some of these windows. They say each time,
New hardware found PCI Serial Bus Serial bus ... A device driver is a software program that makes a hardware device work. Click next and search for the driver from the windows data base on your drive and in any other location. Click oK
At one time or other it asks for me to put the Win98 CD in the drive to locate the file.

Now how am I going to do that when the *censored* thing doesnt go???

When I go into device manager there are a series of yellow marks down the list of PCI things.

Hi,

I just moved my PC a few hours ago, and am getting a BSOD after Windows loads - during the initial loading of applications, etc.

Here is the error code I get:
0x0000008E(0xC0000005,0x806354DF,0xB845F988,0x00000000)

Any ideas? I'm currently running memtest.

Thanks for the help in advance & God Bless

-SurajQuote

0x0000008E: KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
(Click to consult the online MSDN article.)
A kernel mode program generated an exception which the error handler didn’t catch. These are nearly always hardware compatibility issues (which sometimes means a driver issue

Quote

0x0000008E: KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
(Click to consult the online MSDN article.)
A kernel mode program generated an exception which the error handler didn’t catch. These are nearly always hardware compatibility issues (which sometimes means a driver issue

Since you recently moved the PC i would suggest powering down and unplugging all power sources.
Then remove a side panel and carefully check all cable connections.
Then re-seat both the RAM modules and any add on cards such as sound and video.

Leave the cover off for know and re-connect power and re-boot....

Yep - any drivers for PCI cards in particular - which would include of course AGP graphics.

Just thinking tho - moving a PC usually only involves temp removal and then replacement of connection cables - and I'll assume all those are checked and everything is back to ''as was'' - but somewhere here is something different it seems.

I wonder what your total sequence was re the move and any driver updates etc ....... I'd try and back track if possible and try to spot anything that might have changed ... I doubt anyone is as good as me at overlooking what might finally seem obvious but - I know it helps to think very laterally!

I recently ran into couple problems with my computer.
Problem 1 - my motherboard gave up the ghost. So I bought a new one, replaced it. Computer WORKED fine a few times, that I started getting a message that the hard drive was inoperable (problem 2).
So I purchased a new HDD. It's 320 GB SATA hard drive from Western Digital WD Caviar SE16 model 3200KS. I ran the software that was supplied with the drive and formatted the disk with partitions less that 137 GB. I also made it to be a boot device.
But when I tried to install Win XP I kept getting a message that there is no a drive for Win to be installed on.
BIOS shows that Master and Slaver drives are not detected. The user window however shows the drive and it's on COM4.
What am I doing wrong? How do I turn the drive into the Master?

Please help.
Respectfully,
CGis the drive recognised in your bios?are you using more than 1 md? set bios to boot from cdThank you for replying.
No BIOS does not SEEM to see it as a Master, it only SEES it as a bootable drive in the option where I can set boot sequenceIs your drive jumpered correctly? Drives TYPICALLY have diagrams to show you how to do it.

Did you try resetting the CMOS by taking out the battery for about 10 minutes and then putting it back?First off if this is a clean install remove any other HDD's until the install is finished successfully...
Second, very early on in the XP setup process you will see a prompt at the bottom of the screen stating " Press F6 to install RAID/SATA drivers" ....
At this point press F6 and have your MBoard driver CD handy as it has the SATA drivers included...

Good Luck.Quote from: CBMatt on August 15, 2008, 11:01:52 PM

Is your drive jumpered correctly? Drives typically have diagrams to show you how to do it.

Did you try resetting the CMOS by taking out the battery for about 10 minutes and then putting it back?

First off if this is a clean install remove any other HDD's until the install is finished successfully...
Second, very early on in the XP setup process you will see a prompt at the bottom of the screen stating " Press F6 to install RAID/SATA drivers" ....
At this point press F6 and have your MBoard driver CD handy as it has the SATA drivers included...

Good Luck.

Been told that i should use a heat conductor to help carry the heat away from the processor. The room is cool and the computer hasn't been on that long at a time. What should i use to bind the fan to the processor and where do i find it?

1. Arctic Silver 3

2. Shin Etsu G751

3. Silicone Paste

4. Nanotherm Blue II

5. Nanotherm Silver XTC

6. Nanotherm PCM+

7. Silver GreaseStaples or any other computer/office store should have some or Newegg.comGot this stuff called "heat sink compound" from radio shake. The sales person there told me "to scrape" the old compund off of heat sink and the processor. i know that chemically it's best not to mix products or even to use the same compund on uncleaned surfaces. When i asked him what to use to "scarpe" the surfaces he recommended a single edge razor blade. i'm leary of recommnedations that do not COME from here. So before i apply the new stuff maybe someone can tell me the best way to prepare the surfaces.You should use a thermal compound cleaner for the best results, I have some Articlean and it's great, dissolves the stuff straight away.
Alternatively, use rubbing alcohol and lint free cloth or paper, get some alcohol on the cloth and then rub the CPU and heat sink gently until it comes off. Be careful not to bend any pins on the CPU, and make sure the surfaces are dry when you come to apply the compound. Apply it in a thin, even layer with a credit card or similar - there should be instructions with the compound.
Hope this helps.Thanks....will give it a try later today.So i followed instructions from Calum and from the tube. Got both surfaces nice and clean and put a thin coat on both parts and screwed it down. Everything seemed to GO okay but i realize that i can not see the surface and how well it is connected i have no idea.

If heat is the enemy aren't there a few things that can be done to help the designer along?
i purchased a strange little computer fan at a garage sale for .50 It has two fan over a heat sink. Until i took mine off for the second time i had no idea how much DIFFERENCE there was in size. But i was thinkinking of hooking the new fan up to the case.

In another thread i read that it does make a difference which way the fan faces. So if i can find a place to plug the fan in and get the wire to reach from the case is there a good/bad place to place these things?
About the case: can i run the PC with case side off?Ideally you want a fan at the front sucking air in, and then probably another at the back blowing air out.
Then your PSU will probably blow out too, providing more airflow.
You can run a PC with the side off, but I wouldn't recommend it as it can make the airflow worse, as well as meaning more dust and other debris can enter the PC.
Hope this helps, and sorry for the late reply.1) Like a lot of these computer topics, there is no firm consensus about which way the CPU fan should blow - towards the processor or away. My opinion is that the fan should blow towards the processor, and, I think, this is the way most stock heatsink/cooling fans are set up. The reality seems to be that there isn't much cooling difference between blowing towards the processor and away from it.

2) If you just have one case fan, I would suggest that it be placed in the rear of the system blowing out; two case fans: one in front blowing in, one at rear blowing out. I would avoid any side fans because: a) most systems don't need more than one or two fans and b) side fans can disrupt airflow inside the case and ACTUALLY cause certain areas to become warmer.

3) Quote from: Kryptonite on August 25, 2008, 05:59:56 AM

So i followed instructions from Calum and from the tube. Got both surfaces nice and clean and put a thin coat on both parts and screwed it down. Everything seemed to go okay but i realize that i can not see the surface and how well it is connected i have no idea.

Unless you are having overheating problems (or just want to tinker!), I would not use the garage sale fans.

my DESKTOP is hooked up to embarq dsl. It was working fine until a sudden storm Friday KNOCKED out our power. Now in the device MANAGER it says my "via II rhine ethernet adapter could not load" I can get on the internet on my laptop wirelessly. Is the adapter not loading something in my computer or the modem/router COMBO? the phone company came out and checked our lines and it's okay. I tried re- formatting my computer to see if a driver would load; but it says it can't start. Thanks You may have burned it out somehow, can't tell yet.

I SUGGEST going to your Computer Manufacturers website, look for your computer model, and download the right driver for the device.Can you connect, if you hardwire computer to the modem/router?

Hello all. I have a question about my Compaq n610. One morning I went to start my computer and everything fired up fine, but when I went to use my pointer it sticks to one side of my screen and won't allow my to scroll around. It moves up and down but no side to side. Now this is doing it off my touchpad and the buttom in the keyboard. So I thought the touchpad is hooped so I went out and purchased a mouse. After I plugged it in and the WIZARD installed it the mouse does the same thing........I'm about to tear my face off !!!!!!!I know what you mean.

I have a very old Dell Inspiron sitting next to me and, when I turn it on, the mouse sometimes keeps moving to the side of the screen.

To stop this, I just press the mouse-knob in the keyboard in the other direction (very forecfully).
Try that and see what happens.Thanks CARBON Dudeoxide for the idea but besides ripping off the keyboard or having it fly across the room via that little button that didn't work.
Is there an option to disable your touchpad and keyboard mouse?
?
I have an option to disable my touchpad in Control Panel --> Mouse

What Operating System are you using?xp
Try my suggestion, see if you can disable the touch-pad. (use the external mouse after you disable it)but when I go into control panel it doesn't have that option. It allows for me to cancel mouse but says nothing about touchpadHave you tried re-installing your touchpad drivers ? ?I was just about to ask him what he was doing before the problem, however I would try reinstalling the drivers too.I went into bios and disabled both touch pad and mouse pointer between G H B and then started with my mouse and it now works. So I GUESS I can go BACK and trouble shoot from there to figure out where my hardware problem is at. Thank you so much for all your help...... if there are any more suggestions then I'm totally open to any thing.Glad that you got your problem solved; but, please, what does this mean? Thanks!
Quote from: hvac.guy on August 31, 2008, 09:27:07 AM

I went into bios and disabled both touch pad and mouse pointer between G H B

AAAAaaaggggghhhhh!!! I have a 200 GIG external drive USB connected to my computer.
Brand new. I have just downloaded 14 movies I WANTED to watch, to it.
We had an irregular power fluctuation at the house and the computer shut down and rebooted twice or three times.
When it all settled down the external drive was not in the control panel so I exited all programs and safely removed the ext drive with windows safely remove HARDWARE icon. The drive showed up there but not the subdirectory.
After it was safe, I swithed it off let it cool down then reinserted the usb cable and turned the power switch on.
Control panel sees it but when I click on the icon, it comes up with: G: is unaccessable the file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

My computer is
AMD Athalon 1500
1 Gig ram
20 Gig C: drive, 80 Gig, D: 200 Gig external
Win Xp service pack 2
Can I get this back to original condition and readable... and how?Well first I would check to see if the external drive can work on another computer.
This will let both you and I know whether it is a problem with your computer or the drive itself.Thanks, I connected it to a computer with Win98 SE. It does not show up in control panel.
I tried different ways of starting it.Power off but connected to USB, USB not connected power off then on then off then on. so on.
No Joy at all.I presume you mean My Computer?

Has the drive worked on the Windows 98 before?Yes my computer sorry late here. No carbon, This is the first time Ive used this other computer. Should I try the dell then?
When I took it off the AMD I used safely remove device and it found the drive AND the subdirectory, which it didnt find b4. I THOUGHT it might have been an improvement, but it wasnt.
Ill set up another computer and see if it works in any of them then.The external drive doesnt register in any of the other computers.
I tried it in the AMD (its original) and it still has the problem unreadable.In the AMD right click My Computer and select Manage then Disk Management...
Right click the drive and select properties and report back what it says.
If it says RAW it was un-plugged prematurely and your data is most likely gone...Thanks patio. Yes it says RAW, the external shows as zero bytes. So bye bye to all those movies then.
The power fluctuation we had at the house is most likely the cause of that then.
probably some twit hitting a power pole nearby.
Patio is the external fried then or can it be made USEABLE again.Bed time for now I'll try again tommorrow Thank you everyone for your input and help.
If the 200 gig external is fried I might source the receipt and try to get a refund or exchange.
Goodnight from Australia.If you cannot format the drive, I would return it and get it replaced.Thanks Carbon, I tried to format the external drive. It went all the way through it and then finished with cant complete or similar so I tried it again and the same result. Cant format drive.
The little green bar guide went all the way to the end and stopped at the very end.

Im going to take it back Monday.

My problem with that though is, I had/have sensitive material on the drive passwords in particular. So Im really hoping the formatting was a success in that regard.
There were 14 movies AVERAGE 900 kb each and some other stuff totalling about 11 Gig of 200 leaving 189Gig empty.
So the formatting, I would think would have erased the beginning of the drive, where all the data would have been.Unless they have the proper tools, I don't think they can do much with the drive.

If you want, you can change your passwords or whatever you had on the drive but I wouldn't worry. The drive is in RAW format and you have tried formatting numerous times.

Carbon, patio thanks for the help. Ive formatted the external drive multiple times now and finally it has successfully completed. I switched the drive off and let it sit for a while then rebooted it and is recognized with system volume information. and a file.
The drive does however only have 189 GIG available but hey it works again.
Once again Many thanksQuote

The drive does however only have 189 GIG available but hey it works again.

Greetings,
I purchased a new combo mobo to update a very old machine. The mobo can be found here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135091
I have installed the board and the RAM. The processor and heatsink came installed. When I power on the machine, I get a flash of the LIGHTS above the ethernet port and I get about one rotation of the fan above the heatsink and that is it. It is like nothing happens next. I am using the same power supply that worked just yesterday. I am unsure what could be causing the issue. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Quote from: bj527 on August 30, 2008, 09:40:20 PM

I am using the same power supply that worked just yesterday.

I have an Original DPT PM3754U2 SCSI Controller..
PCI and with an expansion of TWO SCSI ports with 128MB
of memory (On SCSI Controller)..

I was thinking about selling this ALONG with 3 SCSI Hardrives,
(roughly 9.1 GB each), Two SCSI connector/cables, 3 LVD terminators.
I am unsure how much to sell this for. Hmm.

It's in perfect SHAPE.. no bad resistors/transistors etc.
If you guys have any suggestions of how much I should sell
this for.. (Or rather how much this is all worth) I would greatly
appreciate it.

I did look on google, I found one that did not have
the expansion of two SCSI ports: It costs $900. I also
found one with the expansion of two SCSI ports, and that
was roughly $1100.

So please tell me what you'd think about me
selling this package.. (DESCRIBED in first and third pgrph)
Thanks.

just finished setting up my new logitech x540 speakers and after testing it out i noticed that the sound is coming from all speakers except the CENTRE speaker.

Can anyone help me out?

my sound card is the sb live! e800

any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks I don't know much about the x540 speakers but I figured I'll give some advice.

First, I would check the wiring. Make sure everything is plugged in properly.

How are these speakers plugged into the computer?

Are these new speakers?Make sure the software settings reflect the amount of speakers you are using, as well as the sound scheme itself (5.1, etc.)Carbon -> I have checked the connections and it is plugged in just as ive SAID, with the three color coded plugs on the subwoofer plugged into the corresponding COLOUR coded plugs on my sound card in the back of my computer

Aegis-> What do you mean by software settings? Ive gone into control panel and set sound to 5.1 but my center speaker still isnt working. is that what you are alluding to?Is it set to "Matrix" mode ? ?If i set it to 'matrix' mode that is when I can hear soujnd out of the centre speaker otherwise noThen that's how it needs to be set...no.

matrix mode is for 5.1 sound on a 2.1 audio card. Its USED when you hook up your speakers to video games or tv. My card is 5.1 so what im trying to do is get the maximum out of my sound.

If you insist...well im just tr4ying to get the best sound possible, isnt it supposed to work WITHOUT matrix mode or am i wrong?

Hi. Everytime I open a pc case nothing goes SMOOTH. I have encountered a PROBLEM doing what I thought would be a simple task. I need to replace a damaged HARD drive, to remove the drive I have to take off the heatsink and fan. I undid the clips and gently pulled up and away came the heatsink with the processor stuck hard to the bottom. I cannot get the processor from the heatsink its stuck hard I have applied reasonable pressure but it stays. I don't think I can put anymore pressure on it because I think it will damage the cpu. Anyone else had this problem and any hints or tips on how to remove.
Regards
ChrisWait, you're removing the Hard Drive right?Yes the hard drive. To slide out the drive i needed to remove the heatsink and fan to let the drive out. It is quite compact you see. ThanksI don't understand how the hard drive could be on top of the processor?

Although I have to go now for a bit, can you give us a picture if possible?No it isn't on top its at the side when i slide out the hard drive it hits the fan.Do you have a digital camera? If so, pictures would be very helpful here.

And ONE more thing. Just to clarify

This is a Hard Drive


This is a Processor (CPU)
ok perhaps i need to explain myself better sorry. I need to remove a hard drive I cannot pull it out of the case as it hits the heatsink and fan. I removed the heatsink and fan and was able to slide the hard drive out. Now as i pulled out the heatsink and fan the cpu came attached to the bottom of the heatsink and its stuck so well i cannot remove it. I need to remove it so i can HOUSE it back in to the motherboard socket. The short and long of it really is how do i get the cpu off the bottom of the heatsink with out applying to much pressure ensuring i don't damage the cpu

ThanksThe bond is easier to break when the HS + CPU assembly is warm.

1. Lay the cpu+heatsink on a piece of wood on a table and warm the heatsink with a hair dryer. For more gentle heat leave the assembly under a reading lamp for an hour or so. Once the heatsink has got warm, the thermal compound will soften and you should be able to (avoiding bending/damaging the pins) twist the cpu left and right to break the seal, without applying a lifting force.

If no luck, encourage separation by...

2. having warmed as above, use a toothpick to make a drop of isopropyl alcohol (toxic, flammable) go into the gap between cpu and heatsink. Introduce some thin fishing line or dental floss between the cpu and heatsink, then with a back and forth sawing motion, adding drops of isopropyl, make it cut through the softened heatsink compound until the cpu can be twisted to completely release it.

Clean off the old compound with isopropyl and the edge of an old credit card and use a good material such as Arctic Silver 5 when you reassemble, to avoid the problem in the future. Don't use too much, a blob the size of an uncooked grain of rice should do.




Also depending on the CPU there are plastic covers for most to protect the pins from getting bent while doing this...
Any repair shop should have some lying around and probably won't even charge for them.Thank you, thats seems like some good information and i will try it.

Regards
Chris

I am having a problem. Both my DVD burner, which I replaced a year or two ago, and my DVD-ROM, which also was replaced but with a used one, skip when I play DVDs or CD's. I have already uninstalled the drivers/drives to no avail. I have XP, 1GB RAM, AMD 3400 Processor, and have replaced several components in this HP desktop. I do not have any other machine to swap it with and it seems kind of strange that I need to replace my burner AND my dvd-rom both at the same time for the same symptoms. PLEASE help me. Thank you.Can you try other DVDs to make sure it isn't a problem with the DVD?What does it show in device mgr?If you dis able the drive and re start windows {windows} should recognise the drive. What os are you running?It works the same whether I use a store bought CD or DVD and I have tried different ones. It also does the same thing with CD-ROM software when I use those. I have Windows XP Media Center EDITION. I must add that I replaced the DVD-ROM for this reason. I got a used one for cheap and it worked maybe 3 months before it started doing the same thing. The burner just started doing this. What is going on?Using a used one i can see that could be your pblm. Other than that i think your luck with the drives you are using are not of good quality.IM guessing you use them often?Have you tried a laser lens cleaner?Can you burn OK? If so, lens cleaner may help.
Also...

Go to Device Manager, click a "+" sign next to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
You'll see two items:
- ATA Channel0 (or Primary Channel)
- ATA Channel1 (or Secondary Channel)
Right click on each of them, and click Uninstal. Confirm.
Restart Windows. They'll be automatically reinstalled.Re,OAD the software..... to play disksQuote from: merlin on August 27, 2008, 05:28:00 PM

Re,oad the software.....<ie cyberlink etc> to play disks

It SUCKS. You may need to go to the store.I will tomorrow PROBABLY thanks.. I'll be back if it doesn't work!Be back in any case. Good, or bad Sounds like a possible driver issue (ALTHOUGH it would be CONVENIENT, these don't always SHOW up in the Device Manager), but I'll let you post back with your results before I start making speculations.

hi! i have a usb gamepad and i have vista ultimate x64 FIRST when i connected it appeared under human interface CONTROLLER in the device manager. After a few days i connected it again this time the computer does not RECOGNIZES it. it is not shown under usb not recognizable or under hid. i dont what happened. The controller is getting power because its analog led is on. Any ideas?If this is a recent problem, you might want to try a System Restore (located in the Start Menu).

Otherwise, I would re-install the Gamepad.

What is the gamepad may I ask?sorry i dont have any system restore before the problem before. How could i install it it does not have any driver. It just appeared automatically under Human interface Devices.
Its the one which is used to play games.My first suggestion would be to go to Device Manager and look for any Yellow Exclamation Marks or Question Marks.

You can get to Device Manager by going to Control Panel and clicking on System.
Then choose the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager.Quote from: Carbon Dudeoxide on August 18, 2008, 09:18:57 PM

My first suggestion would be to go to Device Manager and look for any Yellow Exclamation Marks or Question Marks.

You can get to Device Manager by going to Control Panel and clicking on System.
Then choose the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager.

help me plzz Is this homework?

QUOTE

the processor speed can be support

Is this homework?

Quote

the processor speed can be support

What does that even mean?

He sleeps on a golf course.

Is that REALLY possible to make network BARRIERS using a microprocessor tool kit.....What do you MEAN by "network barrier?"

I can unplug the ETHERNET cable from my MODEM -- that's a great network barrier!

Are you trying to create a physical "firewall"?

ive installed a new mobo ATX but can't get it to run at all I don't know if ive installed the front panel plugs correctly It calles for PWR/SLP plug on the header which i don't have, didn't need with the old mobo.

first of all - any help would be very appreciated - this problem has caused me lots of problems over many months now
The main problem is that im not even sure what the problem is.

2 years ago i BUILT my own computer as follows:

Asus P5B mobo
intel CORE 2 duo 6600
1 GB corsair ram
Nvidia Geforce 7900 GTO

having worked perfectly for almost 2 years (with one major problem with the PSU blowing out rather spectacularly with blue flames....) the system seems to be failing on me. I first noticed the computer slowing down and seemed quite sluggish especially when movies were playing. I then bought assassins creed and got a whole host of graphical problems which MADE it unplayable. I tried every possible fix known to man - including driver updates, virus/spyware checking and dusting the insides. I then reverted back to a few old games, namely dungeon keeper 2 and hitman. When playing these i again have terrible graphical problems - even with just the start menus. Dungeon keeper 2 is almost playable but freezes every few seconds for about 5-10 seconds. My computer cant even cope with the hitman menu for some reason. Ive since then tried playing a friends version of sins of a solar empire - a newish game which is more suited to xp but without the huge DEMANDS of assassins creed. It stops and freezes right at the start when the opening videos COME on. Then up comes the blue screen of death saying nv_4 disp....something about an infinite loop. Now this error message has come up many times in the last 3 months and usually when videos or games are playing.
Can anyone help? is there a utility to test my graphics card to see if its faulty?
Any help appreciated

Hey,

I'm studying CompTIA A+ at the minute. In my course notes, it states that older systems only used IRQ's 0 - 8 but newer systems can USE up to 15 IRQ's. I'm confused as my laptop has listed up to IRQ 190 in System Information. Were these notes taken from a text BOOK? If so, how old is it? This isn't exactly something I know a lot about, but unless I'm mistaken, the ACPI in Windows 2000 and XP allows up to 24 IRQ's. Vista allows up to 190. And although I'm not quite sure how, I've read that you can get up to 255, but I'm sure that MANY wouldn't be necessary.Interesting question ...... I have wondered this and well remember the hassles of trying way back to find a ''spare IRQ ..... with 9 never seeming enough!!!

I am aware we have more now but not sufficiently up on it to know the real skinny. With all we have and use tho nowadays, sure a need for PLENTY more interrupts.

Someone here probably will I am hoping.Between ACPI and HAL (no, not the HAL-9000) the Hardware Abstraction Layer, I don't believe the operating systems manage devices directly by IRQ (Interrupt Request). I can't really add more than that, though I suspect the IRQ's are now "virtual."


Some info HERE and HERE.

I am sorry, NO it does not work with IE.What doesn't work?Quote from: Calum on August 31, 2008, 11:15:08 AM

Quote from: Calum on August 31, 2008, 08:18:43 AM

The browser is Firefox, from a previous post, and the OS, I would GUESS, is Windows XP.
larbec7, does sound from websites work with Internet Explorer?
And as xavier asked, is it just one site that has issues, or more than one site?
It sounds like a problem with FLASH player, TRY downloading and installing it again from here and see if the problem persists.

I could really use some help here......I have an 80 GB HARD drive that has failed. I replaced it with a new 160 GB hard drive....problem is, I wasn't able to GET all my files off the BAD hard drive. Last night I was able to slave the bad hard drive to another hard drive. I was able to see all my files and go into each of them. They are all still there......what I NEED help with is, how can I get my files off the bad hard drive and put them on the new hard drive? I know a bit about computers but this one is really bugging me!If you can access them, you should be able to just open 2 windows (1 to each hard drive) and drag them over. From what you posted that sounds like it should work.Hook it up as a slave in your machine.
There are jumpers between the IDE connector and the power connector.
The jumper diagram should be on top of the 80G drive.
Make sure all power is removed before working inside the case.

Cable it as shown:
II=================================II==========II
MBoard Slave (80G) Master (160G )

Use Windows Explorer to copy move the DATA you need.
Programs will not copy and run properly...they will have to be re-installed.

My mobo has 8 SATA connectors and 1 IDE connector. I connected my hard drive to the IDE and added a Promise Ultra ATA 100 which is a IDE to PCI connector card to connect my cd drives to. The problem is that when booting my computer it will hang while it DETECTS my cd drives and I have to reset the computer 2-3 times just to get it to work and go into windows, I have to do this all the TIME and its driving me crazy. However, after it boots to windows EVERYTHING works fine like it's supposed to.

It's a custom built computer

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R mobo
2 Gb Corsair RAM
Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz HT
250GB HDD
2 hp dvd writers
nVidia Geforce 7300GT 512Mb PCI-e


What is going one here?Allow me to display my ignorance, which may be BLINDING!

It's been a long time since I've used a PCI based IDE controller card. Does the BIOS allow for primary / secondary IDE channels? Might there be a conflict between the IDE devices?

Try to squint through the glare... Which Promise card ? ?
Have you installed the drivers for it ? ?
It may be best to use the onboard IDE for the optical drives until you get this sorted...
Im not too sure about the card, all I know is that its a
Promise Ultra 100 ATA IDE Controller Card.

I think windows installed drivers for it. The drives work fine after going into windows.

The reason I'm not using onboard IDE is because there is only 1 and I have my hard drive connected to it. Then I have my 2 cd drives connected through the IDE controller card.The Windows drivers may not be sufficient to run the card...DLoad and install the correct drivers from Here.

If the performance is still unsatisfactory let us know.

Hi, i need to buy a dvd DRIVE and and a new BATTERY for my E System 4413 Laptop, any ideas where i can get the BEST price? UK SITES only plz

Recently my video codecs went a LITTLE haywire and I had to download and reinstall a WHOLE new pack. I did this with the k-lite mega codec pack, and now all my avis and mpegs are working again. However, I noticed that now when I try to play dvds on my computer, the picture has this strange quality where any onscreen movement is jumpy, almost like its vibrating. It's incredibly distracting and actually GIVES me a headache if i watch it too long. Im assuming that it's related to the codecs reinstallation, because I previously had no problems with watching dvds. I'm running a windows xp media center computer with an ATI Radeon x300/x550x/x1050 video card. any advice would be much appreciated.No actual answer but - am curious as to how files might play in different players. I hate Win media Player but do use AlShow, VLC and Media Player Classic - these suit almost all jobs - oh and even Irfanview too sometimes.

Reason I bring this up is - I shoot some vids on a model RC plane and finish up with a big AVI file. I usually use AlShow by default but was finding the image content either 'sticking' on first frame or playing a bit and then image freeze - with sound continuing.

I thought this was a dud file but then tried it in media Player Classic and with relief it played OK - and so was importable into my vid editing software.

So - this is a roundabout way of WONDERING how many players you may have tried, in case your default one is giving a problem, when another might be OK.I've tried Windows Media Player, Media Player Classic, Interactual, and powerdvd. I was surprised when Media Player Classic still had the jumpy picture, because it usually works for everything.Quote

I was surprised when Media Player Classic still had the jumpy picture, because it usually works for everything.

I just bought a new power supply and video CARD (evga 8800 gtx). After INSTALLING them whenever i try to start it up all of the fans and lights come on but there's no post and it just beeps. Since i just spent over 500 bucks on new parts, i'm very anxious to get this resolved!!Welcome to the CH forums.

Please README and also advise which bios is used (manufacturer) and the beep code (two shorts one long or constant single short beep etc...)

motherboad: ecs elitegroup nforce6m-a with Award BIOS

it is a constant short beepingCheck to see if your memory sticks are properly seated.

They may have come LOOSE when you were working INSIDE with the video card and power supply.thanks for the recommendation but i figured it out. I had to reset my cmos and bios by pulling out the battery and letting it sit for 10 min. i really do appreciate the idea, thanksSee there...you didn't need us...LOL!

Glad you got it working...

Heya, I've had a few BSOD's and i need the dmp files reading

http://warez-united.net/minidumps/

they are the DUMP files, my rig is

Intel q6600 @ 3.6ghz [PASSED a 24hour test in PRIME]
4gb crucial balstics 1066mhz ram
BFG 8800GT OC2 powering two moninters [22 /17]
Asus p5k-wifi mobo
680W hiper psu
ask if you need ANYTHING else.

I get a funny fealing its VIDEO card.

I only get the BSOD's in media centerWelcome to the CH forums.

Here is just one from this lot..

Good luck

Hey

We've just had a nice UPGRADE which appears to be running sweet but when we try to run games, such as Civ 4, the computer crashes and restarts. We've tried the following - reinstalling the card and updating DRIVERS to latest drivers; re-installing the game, changing resolution to the card's preferred res and nothing has WORKED. We also updated the board and went to 2gig of RAM.

Is there any change we need to make to the BIOS when a vid card goes from 64mb to 512mb? It's a new motherboard too so I presume not... but are there any selections in the BIOS we can try to alter to get it going? Whats that buffer setting?

Also how do we even know for sure it IS the new vid card? Is there a system scan we can perform to MAYBE find and correct any errors?

would really APPRECIATE any help!!

chad

Everything appears to be fine except it doesn't seem to be communicating with the PC. A raging family member threw down the PC a while back and now we have this problem. Tried reinstallling the PRINTER and replacing the USB cord. Still nothing. DOn't have a lot of money to get someone out to the HOUSE or the patience to do this over the phone with someone.Did you TRY another usb port? Was it the printer that was dropped? LOOK in device manager and do you see any !!!yellow marks NEXT to a device?

My Dell Vostro came with a RealTek sound card that does not work. (The volume for line in has no control) I am trying to transfer some cassettes and LPs onto my computer. I sort of accidently bought an M-Audio FastTrack on Ebay, but now that I look at the DESCRIPTION, I don't think that is what I really needed. Can someone recommend a sound card or something, whatever it is I NEED to make a nice computer file out of my cassettes and LPs? Should I just turn around and sell the FastTrack THING? It doesn't come with any software anyway. Thanks for any help, I am very confused. I am using Windows XP.The FastTrack seems like it would work, but it's also overkill IMHO.
It might be WORTH reselling it and buying an internal sound card.
Almost any card would work if you just want to RECORD through line-in.

Welcome to the forums.

Here is a link to Crucial system scanner for memory

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

Hi, I am currently USING WINDOWS XP and have an audigy SE 7.1 soundcard. I got the pc from a friend.
and dont have the CD for it, I did however download the driver from the internet and it has been working fine for the past few days.
Today however, my sound has randomly stopped working and I dont think my pc now has the software for the card because
it detects the soundcard as it comes up with PCI found but it dosent work. I have checked all the plugs leading into it and they are fine.
If I go onto sounds and audio devices its all greyed out. I TRIED to reinstall the driver but it comes up with an error message
saying "setup is unable to detect the supported product on your system". The only thing I can think of is that I used tune up utilites 2008
to stop a few programs from starting when TURN on my pc allthough I dont think I touched anything to do with sound
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.Un install the device & start over

Hi guys, I'm new and no computer guru. Anyway, hope you can help. I just bought an older alienware desktop. Its got a p4 2.0 gig processor, 512 meg of ram, and a GeForce 3 Ti 500 video card. I need to upgrade the video card which I think is an AGP. I looked at upgrading the memory previous to the card, but it won't take ddr2 mem, takes something else (can't REMEMBER) OH it needs pc800 memory, which is REALLY expensive. Anyway, I've looked at video cards on ebay and find a bunch that are very affordable, but I'm not sure which to buy. I see cards that are AGP, but have ddr2 memory etc..on them. Will any AGP slot video card work or do I have to have ONE that works for pc800? I dont' know what to look for whatsoever, so please help, thanksya it will work i asked a question like this a while back. the memory is on the gpu not the motherboard so yeah. edit: make sure your power supply can take the new card too.as butterflap stated, the type of memory on the video card is independent of the motherboard and therefore will not be an issue.

you will need to find out if your AGP port, assuming you have an AGP port as you seemed UNCERTAIN, is either a 4X or an 8X.

ok, so the memory on the video card, ddr2 or whatever, don't matter. How do I tell if it is 4x or 8x?One other bit of advice...buyer beware. eBay is a great place to shop but remember "you get what you pay for"

ALAN <><

Hi,
I use a Dell Inspiron 6400 which runs on Win Vista Untimate. I have not made any recent software or hardware additions. In the past WEEK, whenever I left it in hibernation mode, I would return to find it either off or it would refuse to POWER up unless I switch it off then on again. So most of the time I would rather put it off when I'm leaving it for a while than put it into hibernation.

Today, it wont power up at all. The power LED will come on and the num lock, caps lock and other LEDs will flash as if it is about to power up but thats where it ends. The power LED however REMAINS on. I have tried several times but nothing works.

I took out the battery and power and allowed it to rest for 10 mins but still nothing happened.

Can someone point me in the right direction please.

Percy.When you press the power button, is there anything on the screen?
Any beeps?Nothing at all on the screen. No beep when I power it on. There is only a very faint beep when I press the power botton again to switch it offIf that faint beep has been there since you GOT the COMPUTER, that's fine.

Try unplugging everything and then replugging it immediately.
Also, I would try removing the RAM and trying each stick at a time.

Just finished assembling my own pc and went with vista x64 and 4gig of ram, had constant problems with BSoD spouting memory ERROR codes,
with re-starts the computer worked but was anoying, anyway... my point being that using windows UPDATE and INSTALLING all the updates SOLVED my problem, ALTHOUGH this seems obvious have you got all the vista updates?

I am currently looking for a new gaming computer, with a very small budget of $500. A friend of mine reccommended this computer:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4016612&csid=ITD&body=QA#tabs I would like to get your imput on this computer, as well as any reccommendations over this one.

The specs: Specifications

Form Factor: microATX
Processor Speed: E2200 / 2.20GHz
Memory Size: 2 x 1024MB
Capacity (GB): 160
GPU/VPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT
Form Factor: ATX Mid-Tower
Processor Interface: Socket 775
Memory Speed: 800MHz PC6400
Processor Interface: Socket 775
RAMDAC: Dual 400 MHz
Interface: Serial ATA-300


Compatible Motherboards: ATX
Micro ATX
Processors Supported: Intel PENTIUM 4 LGA775
Intel Pentium D 8xx
Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Pentium D 9xx, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Celeron D 4XX
Processor Class: Pentium Dual Core
Memory CAS Latency: 4-4-4-15
Fill Rate per Second: 8.64 Billion pixels
Memory Type: Dual Channel DDR2
Processor Core: Allendale
Spindle Speed (RPM): 7200
Side Panel Type: Vented
Front Side Bus: 1333MHz
Cache Size: 1MB
Buffer Memory: 8MB
Pins: 240
Bus Speed: 800MHz
Power Supply: 450 Watt


Additional Technologies: Enhanced Halt State
Dual-Core
Enhanced Intel Speedstep
Intel® EM64T
Execute Disable Bit
Intel® Thermal Monitor 2


Additional Features: DirectX 10
OpenGL 2.0
SLI Ready
HDTV Ready
RoHS Compliant
Average Seek (msec): <8.9
Average Latency (msec): 4.2
Material: STEEL
Architecture: 65 nm
Track-to-Track Seek Time (typical read, ms): 2.0
Wattage: 65W
Full Stroke Seek Time (normal seek): 21.0
Core Stepping: M0
Maximum Resolution: 2560 x 1600 (Digital)
Fan: Not Included
Maximum External Transfer Rate (Mbits/sec): 300
Data Transfer Rate on Serial ATA: Up to 3000 Mb/sec
Northbridge: NVIDIA nForce 630i
Video Memory: 256MB
External 5.25" Drive Bays: 4
Southbridge: NVIDIA GeForce 7100
Memory Type: GDDR3
Bytes Per Sector: 512
Core Clock: 620 MHz
External 3.5" Drive Bays: 1
Memory Interface: 128-bit
INTERNAL 3.5" Drive Bays: 5
Memory Clock: 1600 MHz
Shader Clock: 1355 MHz
Expansion Slots: 7
Stream Processors: 32
Memory Bandwidth: 22.4GB/sec.
Number of Slots: 2
Interface Type: PCI Express
Front USB Ports: 2
Number of Pins: 240-Pin
Interface Speed: x16
Maximum Memory Supported: 4GB
Connector(s): Dual DVI (Dual Link)
HDTV/S-Video

Front Audio Ports: 2
Memory Supported: 800MHz DDR2
Multiple Monitors Support: Yes
Temperature, Operating (°C): 5 to 55
Channels: 8 Channels
Temperature, Nonoperating (°C): -40 to 65
Shock, Operating: 2 msec (Gs): 65
Shock, Nonoperating: 2 msec (Gs): 350
120mm Fan Ports: 2
120mm Fans Included: None
Video Chipset: Integrated VGA Engine in Chipset


Type: OEM
Dimensions: 1.028" x 5.787" x 4.0"
Supported Devices: 2
Hard Drive TYPES: ATA/100
USB Version: 2.0
USB Data Transfer Rates: 480Mbps
LAN Type: 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit
Port Type: RJ-45
PCI Slots: 2
PCI Express X1 Slots: 1
PCI Express X16 Slots: 1
PS/2 Keyboard Connectors: 1
PS/2 Mouse Connectors: 1
USB Ports: 10
USB Rear Panel Ports: 4
USB Onboard Headers: 3 - (expandable to 6 USB ports)
LAN Ports: 1
Audio Out Jacks: 2
LINE In Jacks: 1
Microphone Jacks: 1
Center Audio Jacks: 1
Subwoofer Audio Out Jacks: 1
IDE Headers: 1
FDD Headers: 1
Serial ATA Headers: 4
ATX Power Connectors: 1 24-Pin Connector
PC Power Connectors: 1 - 8 Pin
Fan Connectors: 2 x Chassis
1 x CPU
S/PDIF Connectors: 1 - Coaxial
HDMI Ports: 1
VGA Ports: 1
Length: 9.600 in. (24.5 cm)
Width: 9.600 in. (24.5 cm)

Welcome to the forum.
What kind of games do you plan on playing?
Do you already have a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and operating system?
And what's your computer knowledge like, would you be able to build a computer yourself?Thanks! My computer knowledge is rather small, but i am in the process of learning. My friend knows a LOT more than I do, and he often advises me. He has customized computers for a few other friends, and he has offered to help me. As for gaming, I plan on playing some more graphically advanced games than I do now. Currently i have a GeForce 7400 and am able to play most games at a low setting. I'm not planning on playing Crisis on high settings, but I would like to play World in Conflict and Company of Heroes at higher settings. I would like to play Mass Effect as well. I do not have a keyboard yet, and could use a better monitor, but i have a mouse and OS. Whilst that computer isn't great by today's standards, it would give you a good performance increase over that 7400.
I don't think you'll get any better for the price.
However, you might be better upgrading your build - can you tell us the rest of your specs?The Processor is 2.2 ghz, and I can't tell the power supply. This may not be the greatest machine available, but im just looking for something better than what i have now. My current build is a laptop, so upgrading is near impossible. This would be my first real desktop. As for the 8600 video card, i will probably end up buying an 8800 to replace it.Oh, it's a laptop . . . I should've guessed from the video card.
You're right, you can always upgrade the card later on.
By all means then, go for that deal.
Let us know.

we have a computer with a 775 socket, and I was looking at processors, what is the big difference between the celeron p4, the intel p4, the pentium D, other than the speed,would it be advisable to replace with a faster fsb like 800, or try to keep the same, (500) thanksa faster fsb is always desirable, just ensure that your motherboard supports whatever speed you go for,
as for celeron, as far as im aware these are the BUDGET CHIPS as during manufacture they dont shall we say "live up to expectations"
so not all of the PROCESSING capacity is usable, SUPPOSE it really depends on what your gonna use it for and how much your willing to pay.

I came across RegCure website, you download their free scan and it cleans up your Windows Registery and FINDS other errors. I downloaded it and scanned for errors, it found many - but however for Regcure to fix the errors, you need to REGISTER and a pay a fee, $39.90. Is that true? And if it is true why do they call it free scan. Yeah! Free scan, but pay b4 fix..

You could try CCleaner instead...These are what's commonly known as rogue or even more brutal "scumware" apps as they post a bunch of false positives on what's wrong with your machine only to ask for money to clean them out...
Some will actually cause problems with your day to day computer usage.

I do not see a current listing of the application RegCure on the source listing so i am not SAYING they belong in this category at all...

But what i will suggest is that you check in regularly in our Virus and Spyware section to check on things like this...especially before you install them and HOPEFULLY before you spend hard earned money that's not neccessary. There are plenty of fine protection apps out there that we recommend because they have created a sense of trust in their product over the YEARS and are known to be reliable apps.

In short check first.

my lap top screen shows horizontal lines sometimes. kind of like static, but uniform. When I move the screen either back or forth, they go away. But they come back. Someone told me my screen was going to crap out on me. I have an HP Pavilion dv 8000, with an NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600.What do you MEAN by "When I move the screen either back or forth"?Quote

my lap top screen shows horizontal lines sometimes. kind of like static, but uniform.

he picked the monitor up and slammed it on the table

Quote

he picked the monitor up and slammed it on the table

CRT?

or if I kind of grab one cornewr and fold it down a bit then back up it goes away.

my lap top screen shows horizontal lines sometimes. kind of like static, but uniform. When I move the screen either back or forth, they go away. But they come back. Someone told me my screen was going to crap out on me. I have an HP Pavilion dv 8000, with an NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600.

I tried the Vista upgrade DVD and STILL GOT nothing. I did come across a diagnostic test in the boot MENU and am testing computer. The mouse works there and I received a IDE device failed error. You're getting SOMEWHERE...Thanks for your help Broniwell u can still use ur mouse as the keyboard by using the onscreen keyboard. but when u were trying ur keyboard did u plug it in after the computer booted up?Try using a differnt IDE drive. Just to see if this isn't causeing any problems.What test was it, and what is EXACT error?

I have an old PC I've set up as a server for the home network, and it's being awkward by refusing to boot from anything but the hard drive. I've tried changing boot devices in the BIOS, and CONFIRMED that the changes stick, but even so it reports the hard drive not detected (unless I have one in) and stops.

Can anyone suggest a fix? Ubuntu's dmidecode gives me the following info:

Quote

BIOS Information
Vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
Version: F2
Release Date: 05/30/2003
Address: 0xE0000
Runtime Size: 128 kB
ROM Size: 256 kB
Characteristics:
PCI is SUPPORTED
PNP is supported
APM is supported
BIOS is upgradeable
BIOS shadowing is allowed
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable boot is supported
BIOS ROM is socketed
EDD is supported
5.25"/360 KB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
5.25"/1.2 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
3.5"/720 KB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
3.5"/2.88 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
Print screen service is supported (int 5H)
8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
Serial services are supported (int 14h)
Printer services are supported (int 17h)
CGA/mono video services are supported (int 10h)
ACPI is supported
USB legacy is supported
AGP is supported
LS-120 boot is supported
ATAPI Zip drive boot is supported
Function key-initiated network boot is supported

Base Board Information
Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Product Name: GA-8SG800P
Version: 1.x
Serial Number:

Figure out what components you will have in the system and look here: http://www.extreme.outervision.com/powercalc.jsp. This will give you an idea for the total size (watts) of the PSU - if you buy a good brand (Antec, OCZ, PC Power, etc.) In addition, because of the power consumption of your video card (up to 105 watts; ≈9 amps), you need a PSU with a least 30 amps on the 12 volt rail.

Sorry to mislead you - total amps on all 12 volt rails. And, that's just a minimum. 50% more would not be out of the question depending on your total hardware.

Take a look here for ideas: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=58&name=Power-Supplies

my question is i have another hard drive which i would like to use for more space because the one i have doesn't have alot

the other hard drive wont start up with the one i have in anyone know how to get it to work

its a sata drive by the wayAre Both Drives SATA? Is it the original that stops working when you install the new one, or the new one that won't work?Is the drive recognised ?QUOTE from: hmar on September 02, 2008, 03:02:20 PM

Are Both Drives SATA?

Had some computer components and decided to put together a working computer. Motherboard battery was dead so lost all CMOS. Cleared CMOS. Computer starts when I turn on when I plug in but wont boot or POST. Soft start button on case won't re-boot or shut off. Can't access BIOS at start. What do I need to do? Can't use FLOPPY or CD until I can access BIOS. Help!Are you using a USB or PS/2 keyboard ?It's a ps2 keyboard. The problem is there are no drivers loaded. The HDD is bare and I lost the CMOS when the battery went dead on the motherboard.Replace the CMOS battery....re-boot.Actually I replaced the battery a while ago. That wasn't the problem. I finally figured it out. The new power supply was set to 230 watts instead of 115 by default. I guess you can't assume anything. Now it boots fine but my older ASUS CUBX motherboard doesn't recognize my new 320 GB HDD. I have the updated BIOS but it's on CD and I only have the floppy working. I see I can get an upgraded ATA Controller Card but everyone says you can't boot from it. Anyone had any experience with this?You could be limited by your OPERATING system.

Which one are you using ?I'm using Win98se right now. I have XP Pro that I was going to upgrade to once I got the HDD capacity issue figured out. Do you think if I upgrade the BIOS that will do it or am I limited to HDD size by the OS?I think an install of XP rather than an upgrade from Windows 98
should help you.

See how much hard drive space is ALLOCATED by XP if you boot with
the disk,format,and install.

Remember you should backup IMPORTANT files and programs.

We rarely recommend BIOS upgrades unless they are very important.
If your BIOS upgrade goes wrong...Bye Bye Motherboard.
I'm really proud of myself. I Flashed the BIOS as per the MOBO book and installed the latest Beta. It than recognized 48 bit LBA and the drive showed up as Ultra DMA mode 5 in Device Mgr. Than I upgraded to XP Pro with a new install and converted to NTFS and the HDD showed up in Disk Mgmnt as an active partition of the original 8.4 GB with an unformated 290GB partition. It's odd that I seem to have lost 20GB from the advertised 320 GB but everything seems to be working smooth now. But now I going to re format and partition so I have 100GB for the OS and programs and the rest for files. Thanks Actual HDD sizes:



Courtesy of Western Digital.Thanks Patio, for the info. I should have known that. Should have done my math, but YEP! it's exactly what it should be..You're Welcome...
And Welcome to CH !