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I am looking to an an external HD and found 2 models of the same HD...one with both Firewire and USB2 and another UNIT ...exactly the same but with only USB2 for $40 less. Is Firewire faster than USB2?

THANK you!Firewire supports a transfer rate 400-1000 Mbps

USB2 supports a transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps

To need to check the HD specs to see the actual rates they can transfer data as the above are only the potential rates.



Firewire (as in the older Firewire400 standard) is a bit slower than USB2 *in specs* but tends to transfer as fast if not a tad faster than USB2.  Whilst USB2 is theoreticlally CAPABLE of more, it tends to 'burst' up to the higher rate rather than maintaining a steadier throughput like Firewire, and thus tends to be (slightly) slower in practice.

Firewire800 though blows USB2 out of the water.  It's quite a new standard that is available only on top-end hardware (I don't know of any brand name computer that comes with Firewire800 as standard apart from Apple's G5).  With Firewire800 you're much more likely to be limited by the speed of the HDD as Mektek has suggested - you'll need a MIGHTY fast HDD to saturate Firewire800 with data.

Given your choice is more than likely between Firewire400 and USB2, and that their SPEEDS are really very close in practice, I'd be more concerned about compatility and price.  Given USB2 is FAR more common than Firewire (apart from on 1-3 yr old Apple computers), you're probably more likely to be using USB2 - particularly when you take that HDD over to a friend's place (if that is your intention).  Also given the price, I'd be buying the USB2 version unless you have other factors in play.

Many times I have removed a CDR or a floppy disk dr from device manager in order to GET the driver to reinstall. What I wish to find out is, if I can do the same with the controller for the floppy DRIVE?
Thanks in advance
BThe big question here is WHY? Without the floppy drive controller, you can't use a floppy. It does not need any special drivers and is usually controlled from the bios.The controller will be built into your motherboard.  You should have no problems removing it (Windows XP does not grey out the uninstall icon when i select the controller), and it should be refound and reinstall on reboot.

But, as 2k said, why?  With the more modern versions of Windows, you can update the drivers without uninstalling.  Why would you want to uninstall then reinstall the same drivers, UNLESS it's not FUNCTIONING for some reason?

When I plugged in my mp3 player thru the usb port it shows up in My Computer as D drive Removable, the only problem is that my DVD drive is also D drive so after I unplugged my mp3 my Dvd drive wasn't there anymore and anything I put in the drive wouldn't load. I went to device manager to check on it, but there was a X on my Dvd drive and then when I click properties it says "This device is disabled. (Code 22) Click Enable Device to enable this device." Then when I click enable it says windows was not able to enable the device. I need help plz!! but just wondering how do I change the drive letter of my dvd drive so this won't happen again. Thanks  See if changing the drive letter helps.

Right click on My Computer -> Manage -> Storage -> Disk management. Right click on the DVD drive in question and select 'Assign new Stationletter and path'

Translated from a localized version, might be inaccurate.maybe windows disabled your  dvd drive...have a look in the device manager/hardwareHmm nope I went to my computer manage thing and my drive doesn't show up there! Also I tried the device manager thing too to enable it but it fails to enable. What should i do now!! does it  show up in explorer?and it maybe that you need to FIND the drive and right-click>properties>dvd region and set it if it isn't set...What do U mean by explorer? I tried to set the dvd region but the tab isnt there since there's an X on my dvd drive icon. options f8 key on boot keep tapping it and chose last good config...or remove the dvd drive from the device manager and re-boot windows will find it again...explorer or i should have said windows explorer...is for example the  my computer icon clicking it shows your floppy drive local drive drive cdrom etc..is your dvd icon in there gone...or the dvd drive will not play anything?what may have happened is windows is now looking for your mp3 player...and  not your dvd drive an irq problem...Thanks A lot I uninstalled the drive and it found the drive! Ur the best thanks again for the help! But the only question i got left is how do i change the drive letter so that this won't happen again? thanksNevermind I figured out how to change the drive letter but thankS!

i built new computer for college about two months ago, it has ASUS sk8n mobo, amd fx-53 processor, 1 gb ram.  it was very fast, i just moved in, and it has slowed down.  im running xp pro and suse linux, and both are affected.  the entire os, just seems to lag.  battlefield veitnam is unplayeable because of this system lag.  i have run spybot, ad-aware, scaned for virius, and nothing came up.  what could cause this? and how do i fix it?  thanks for any help!does it have sp 2 installed on it?no it doesn't, but linux also seems slow too.many things like overheating./ someone or something trying to access you pc like kazza etc ?/ trojans> TRY this >http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/   also scan the net for a progam called free ramxp...it may help...or  a diagnostic program>http://www.belarc.com/Download.html   to check that is not an hardware problem...or check the events log control panel /admin tools / error log..i ran stinger, nothing came up, belarc advisor, nothing seemed out of place, and freeram i really cant notice a big difference, leaving the computer on for a while it does heat up, close to 60 c, but even when i just turn it on, its 40-50c which is whats its noramally at.  i booted into linux and its not bad, but windows is slow, espically when starting a program, i tried battlefield again, its still unplayable.  not sure what else to do battlefield veitnam  are you using  cdrom or net [play? how much ram have you got..and does dxdiag in the run box report anything...or try this>http://www.systweak.com/   the m$oft version is power tools?im just using cd on solo play, with a gb of ram.  thats not the only APP that lags, just one i know that uses up the system, and i used to ne able to play finewhat graphics card are you using? have you tried re-booting keeping the f8 KEY and run the disk in safe mode...what  the results...i know the graphics may be affected but does it run? the comments on this game are>http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=252166   and the  patch to stop you pc lagging>http://www.eagames.com/official/battlefield/vietnam/us/editorial.jsp?src=community_update_15Please Read This First - Viruses & Spyware

I suggest you install the programs recommended to see if they can remove anything that's slowing your system down.

Run these scanners and defragment your harddrive on a regular basis.

Computer Cleaning Information

What kind of processor is installed?
Dust may be your problem, if you run at 40 degrees for a while and it suddenly builds up to 60 degrees celcius, it may be overheating. If the system is idle, that is.  

Note that when the computer has been turned off for a while it is, logically, cooler..i downloaded those programs and updated some DRIVERS, and now it seems to be working fine.  i guess im ok, but ill keep an eye on it.  thanks

what is the best fan placement for optimal cooling of a TOWER. If anyone has a pic or discription please email it to me

Thankshttp://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product_class_include&files=case_fan.htmlUsually, you can only mount a certain amount of fans in a case on specific spots.. It may be best if you install as many fans as your MAINBOARD supports. If you donot mind the noise, ofcourse.

Keep in mind that you require a good AIRFLOW inside the PC to have fans do their work properly. No obstructing cables or cards should be PRESENT. A good cooling solution may differ per tower and environment..

What video & sound card can you recomend me for a 4-year-old Compaq pc with a 500 MHz amd k6 PROCESSOR??

Oh yeah, and cheap! what do you need it for GAMING? i FOUND this cheap>http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=1474565827&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=55029Yes, for GAMES and some lite 3d modeling.

I got a Western Digital HD 80 gb. I connected it to my friend's pcmcia usb 2.0, but something went wrong with the DRIVE and it MESSED up my Hard drive. Now, I cannot access my HD on my laptop, it says that my hard drive need to be formatted in order to read it. Its FILE system is RAW, INSTEAD of NTFS. ANYBODY can help me? plsss because I got a lot of important data on my external hard drive. THX!!!!!http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/dskinv.html

when i turn the pc on, it beeps 2x and the message 'primary hard disk drive 1 not found' comes up.  ive tried hitting f2 and messing with the setup utility but i don't know what i'm doing.  i put in a bootup disk and hit f1, but the a:\> comes up and i don't know any dos.  as you can tell, i'm lost here - please help!  thanks - bradsounds like dell? have you played with the ide cables?or it just happened...how old is this pc ...why you ask..the cmos BATTERY may have gone flat..yeah, it's a dell; no - haven't tried messing with the ide cables; the pc's about 4 YEARS old, but it's been left on for long stretches of time...........thanks for the replyno problem..try changing the cmos battery ...some last only  three years ? this KEEPS the bios alive?Computer CMOS INFORMATION

May be useful.

Ok, I'm new to this forum so bare with me. It happened last night as I turned on my comp, it's been 3 weeks since I turned it on because I was away. Anyway, EVERYTHING is fine... I check email, chat on aim blah blah.. then I plug my usb cable from my mp3 player into the back.

Then all of a sudden... just as I plug the usb in, the comp shuts off!

I tried to turn it back on it won't work.. I tried everything spent the whole night TRYING to solve the problem but no go. How could this be? Talk about aggravation, at first I thought it was the power supply so I WENT out a bought a new one, when I put in the new power supply still won't work.. so I'm like OK... this is freaking crazy. Maybe it's the motherboard... I spent another 75$ and bought a cheap asus motherboard and rebuilt everything... Using the new MOTHER board and the new power supply, the cd rom gets power and so does my 2 HD's but the cpu fan does not... nor does my video card.

Also the new motherboard has no built in video jack.. so I have to use my video card - will this cause problems?

Does anyone have a clue of what's wrong, I'm pretty new to this stuff so any help would be appreciated! What steps should I take to diagnose this problem.. and fix it? $175 dollars later I have nothing but parts.... any suggestions would be appreciated. TIA.

*One side note, when I plugged in the new power supply and turned it on for the first time I smelled some plastic burning.. it's a 430 watt supply maybe it's too much?
did the new motherboard come with a floppy disk and did you load it?...have you checked all the wiring?you have not mention ram sticks..did you put them back in?i dont like this plastic smell? is you psu correctly adjusted for the voltage?what is your cpu?  ...does it have the paste on it? some do some dont...is the new motherboard any good?this may help you>http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/The new motherboard did not come with floppy only a CD.  It's not a very good motherboard since it doesn't even have a built in videocard.  It cost me 75$, I bought it because I was desperate to get my comp back online... didn't want to spend a lot of money.

I have checked all the wiring yes... my psu is set for 115V for north america standards.  

I have one RAM stick in - a 512 ddr stick.

I have a AMD 1800 cpu, with paste and sink and fan.

When I turn my comp on, I get nothing on the screen... the cpu fan and video card does not get power.... however... I believe the CD rom and HD's do... since I can hear it.  

Is a 430 watt psu too much for my setup..?  Sorry for stupid questions..  newbie here.  Any help would be appreciated... I'm really stuck in a bind... need the comp for school.The wattage of the Power Supply (PSU) just shows how mch power draw it can handle. You shouldn't be able to burn anything out. Your PSU at 430 Should allow you to add more components. It shouldn't fail unless the PSU was defective from the beginning.That's what I figured... I started to worry a little bit since when I first turned it on using the new PSU... I smelled a little burning of plastic... which I know isn't right.Having a built in videocard does not mean that it isn't a good mainboard.

Having a more powerful Power Supply Unit than your system need doesn't matteer, it adds to the stability should you decide to install more power demanding parts.

How PC Power Supplies Work

Burning plastic can't be good. Did you check to see if all the plugs are connected properly? Remove hardware before booting to eliminate faulty hardware that may be CAUSING your problem.

Did you  take the proper precautions before even touching the hardware?

MY FRIENDS LAPTOP (DELL) IS SHUT DOWN, HIS BROTHER INLAW BORROWED IT AND TOOK IT TO IRAQ. FROM THAT TIME ON THERE WERE NO OUTLET TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. SO WHEN HE GOT BACK TO HAWAII HE GAVE IT BACK TO DELBERT. NOW DELBERT WAS CONCERN FOR HIS LAPTOP SO HE HAD IT SERVICE AT CLEAR IMAGE. WHEN DELBERT CAME BACK FROM THE SERVICE, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD DELBERT THAT THEY NEED TO FIX THE HARDWARE AND IT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, SO NOW HE THINKS HE HAD BEEN CHEATED BY THE MANAGER THAT THEY BROKE IT. HIS FRIEND IS NOT A CERTIFIED PC REPAIR SO HE HAD HIM CHECK IT, FOR A BOUT 2 MONTHS OR SO HE GOT HIS LAPTOP BACK FROM HIS FRIEND, SO NOW HE NEEDS AN OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE TO DOWNLOAD IT INTO HIS LAPTOP
SO THAT IT WILL START WORKING AGAIN. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? ANYWAY DO YOU KNOW ANY DOWNLOADABLE SOFTWARE FOR AN OPERATING SYSTEM IN THE MARKET THAT YOU CAN PURCHSE?http://www.theosfiles.com/Well, you could download Red Hat LINUX http://www.redhat.com/, SUSE Linux http://www.suse.com/us/, etc., and have a complete O/S.  You can't download any version of Windows for free, but you can pay for it at any retail outlet.

My computer quit working, lights came on but the monitor stated it had no connection. I thought it was the graphic card, it seems it is my 258KB DDR-DIMM.
I tried this DIMM in another comperted and that computer had the same result. I tried a 128KB DDR-DIMM in the 1st computer and the system starts but checks the MEMORY and just sits there?
These sticks are both PC2100 - why won't the 128KB WORK with the fist computer?
Can I mix a 128KB and a 258KB or do the need to match?Seems like a vendor needs to get his license revoked.. KB RAM sticks?

Did you recently install the RAM? Did you take the proper precautions before installing the RAM? Is the RAM compatible with your mainboard?


They came with the computer and originally worked. Then one day it just stopped. I pulled the PC21000 DDR-DIMMS out and put then in another computer that had the same type - they caused that computer to die - so I think they are bad - what could cause the RAM to stop working?Did you overclock your RAM?

When you installed the RAM sticks into the other PC, did you take the time to rid your hands of static electricity? That's QUITE the evildoer. Or did you forget to turn off power completely? As in unplugging the PC from the power socket.Yes, the compter had already stopped working before I TOOK them out.
The stick was a 256MB DDR-266MHz-CL2.5 PC2100U-25330.
I put a 128MB DDR PC2100 from a working computer in the non-working computer. That computer started but stopped before loading Windows, while reading the memory. I gave it the three finger salute and it just reboots and stopps at the same point. The 128MB stick does not state if it is 266MHz.
I put the 256MB in the (2nd) computer and that computer did not start - so it looks like somthing killed the 256 stick - I think I'll just go out and get a new 256 stick and try it. Strange, I have never had a RAM stick go bad.
Can you mix same type sticks- ie a 256 and a 128?You should be able to have different sizes in Megabytes when it comes to RAM sticks. Just donot mix DDR-RAM  with SD-RAM.


 Purchased new DIMMS and the computer is working fine - JUTS a bad set.

I just got a new 128mb stick of sdram, and I am wondering if there is anything that i need to do before installing it. Any info WOULD be greatcan your motherboard take it? is it the same as your old one?...if the questions asked are true...switch of the  pc from the MAINS...* CAUTION IS NEEDED  HERE*>touch the case unscew the case and with a clean cloth or rubber gloves place the RAM stick in the bank next to the old one..and  re-screw the case BACK on and power up the pc.. if you are unsure and dont feel confident in doing this....get SOMEONE that is...

• See if your mainboard supports the RAM
  
• Make sure the RAM is identical to the other RAM installed (Size does not matter in this case..)
  
• Completely unpower your PC, disconnect from power socket
  
• Remove static electricity from your hands
  
• Install the RAM carefully.
  

1)Do I need a DVI cable instead of an analog cable to hook up my 17" LCD monitor?
The monitor came with an analog cable, but I just read online the monitor's graphics may appear better with the DVI cable.
2)Is the LCD monitor digital or analog?

Thanks!
Cherie (still trying to get rid of the fuzzy text)Cherie1235......Try setting your display resolution smaller ......that should clear up the fuzzy text....

let us know

dl65  Hi dl65,
Thanks for the reply. I've already tried setting my monitor to it's normal resolution of 1280x1024, but the text and everything else (although clear) was too small for me. It drove me crazy trying to read LOTS of text at 6pt. and many websites I went to looked messed up as well at that resolution.
Im trying to get my text as clear as I can at 1024x768.  The LCD monitor on display at Circuit City where I bought mine from was set to 1024x768 and their text looked much clearer than mine.
I've heard that using a DVI cable may clear up the fuzziness, and was wondering if this is true, if anyone has tried this. Right now my monitor is hooked up with a analog cable (it came with the monitor).

~Cherie
Cherie1235.....THATS odd......have you tried clicking on view and changing your text size to something larger than what its set at now ?
Do you have all the latest drivers installed for your new monitor ?
You might also check your vid drivers ......there may be another one that works better with the LCD display.
The FACT that the monitor comes with an analog cable suggests that it should work just fine.

let us know
dl65  I have found on six computers at our company the performance difference from using dvi cables instead of analogue is not noticeable - Both work with LCD.

If you are going to try changing cables check your graphics card has a DVI output first - not all of them do.You can make text look sharper by enabling the Truetype fonts.

(Windows XP)

Right click on your Desktop, properties, visualisation, effects and then select Truetype from the second drop down bar

RAPTOR,  Yes, you are correct in that selecting the ClearType (on WindowsXP-Home)makes the fonts clearer. I have already done that a few days ago and it did make the text clearer that it was, but still not nearly as clear as the model monitor at the store.  :-/

MEKTEK, thanks for letting me know that the DVI cable makes no difference on the LCDs that you tried. I wont waste my money getting one.

dl65,  changing the text size to larger only made the text in the blue title bars larger, not any place else like in mail, or text on a website. The text was prefectly clear at 1280x1024 (monitor's recommended resolution), but extremely small to be reading and messed up the text columns of most websites.

I purchsaed a new video card 2 days ago thinking that my old one may not be up-to-date with the new technology of the LCD monitor, hence the fuzzy text. Installed it, made no difference. Im assuming (I know, never assume ) that the drivers that came with the new card and monitor are the correct ones for those particular items. (?) Maybe I should install them one more time?

I may take a trip BACK to Circuit City today and see what properties they have their monitor set at that makes the text look so clear.  Im not giving up until I solve this problem.  

~Cherie
www.PortraitsOfAnimals.comDid you install the latest drivers for both the monitor and videocard?

I suggest you refer to both videocard and monitor manual.Hi Raptor,
Yes, I've loaded the drivers that came with the montior and new video card.  :-/COULD it be that their monitors were placed in a darker environment and thus, looked sharper? You have to keep in mind the ambient light and lightfall in the room when you place a monitor.Hi Raptor ( do you work with raptors by any chance?),
I wish it was the lighting..my computer is in a room with low lighting. Thanks for your continued effort in helping me solve this problem. Didnt get back to Circuit City yet like I wanted to...been busy drawing portraits...hopefully will get there this weekend.
Enjoy your weekend!

~Cherie (with the fuzzy text)
www.PortraitsOfAnimals.comNo connections to other Raptors here, I'm affraid.

What kind of videocard is installed?I just installed a Princeton 19" LCD, and with the analog cable, it's as sharp as a tack!  I would like to have a digital card one day, but I'm not in the mood to spend any money on something that works great the way it is.

I don't know what monitor you have, but if you don't set it to it's native resolution, it will be pretty poor, mine is "tack sharp" at 1280x1024, the native resolution.  However, it works at a lot of other resolutions, but the video quality sucks.

Hi There,

If I was installing Win98SE on a brand new PC, how would I best configure the drives e.g. if I installed Win98SE on primary partition c:\ then put programs on d:\ extended partition and personal data and files on e:\, would this mean that in the future if Win98 got corrupted, I'd only need to format/fdisk c:\ and reinstall Win98, thus not losing any data on d: and e: .. is this how it works?

I ASSUME any Windown updates would automatically SAVE ONTO the c:\ installation? MAYBE better to save the updates into d:\ because if you need to format c:\ in the future, you'd lose all the windows updates applied to it, and would have to download again.

Thanks for any advice / clarification.

P. If you INSTALL your operating system on one partition, you will have only have to format that partition. Updates are automatically installed and are not saved.

You can safely format your C: disks should things go corrupt, however, if you install programs on your other disks they may no longer work after formatting due to them having ties to Windows files. Simply reinstall these programs.

I have this old compaq Presario from 4 years ago that crashed after getting many Blue Screens. It went caput so I bought a Dell that works fine. I STUFFED this old computer away in the garage and decided to look at it again and maybe try ti fix the problem instead of scrapping it.
The hardrive is a Quantum BIG foot, don't laugh.   I'm looking at the machine right now and EVERYTHING is on but the monitor shows: "PXE-E00 Not enough free base memory. Because this system is so old I'm afraid to start unscrewing anything on the inside of the machine. Everything is hard to get to. So basically my question is, if it will not start DUE to lack of free base memory (the first 64mb on the memory stick?) Will buying and installing an addtional stick of memory help? I just want to wipe the thing clean and use it as an extra storage machine. But since it will not boot, I cannot wipe it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  what happens in safe mode f5/f8 key....the message you are receiving is not related to ram? sometime in its life this pc was used as a SERVER...go into the bios and alter the boot sequence to boot from cdrom and load the install disk or boot from floppy ...www.bootdisk.com has a load of boot disks..

I have tested this computer with my mother-in-laws hard-drive and it works.  When I put the hard drive that is supposed to be in there, half way through the post it says "remove disks or other media, press enter to restart".  There are no problems with the A: drive and there is nothing in the D: drive.  Please somebody help me because I am broke and haven't had a computer in a long time.Is there data stored on the harddrive?

If it is a new harddrive, you have to format before installing the Operating System.

Also make certain the harddrive is properly configured - Both jumpers and BIOS.I made SURE that the jumpers were correct because when I put the jumper on the slave position, the post would stall for atleast 5 minutes and nothing would happen.  I got the computer from my friend and I have used it before with this hard drive in it.  I checked the power going to all of the drives and they are above 6v DC.  Are there any other suggestions?  PLEASE!!!!!try using master instead of slave..It should only be SET to slave if there is another harddisk present which you would like to use as master.by PLACE the hard drive which has problems as a master it may prove that the IDE cable has had it?It is on the primary and this harddrive has always been on the computer.  I figured out the ide1 slot didn't work so I am using the ide2 slot now.  I also have used a different cable and it doesn't work.Are you certain it is the slot that is not WORKING and not the BIOS being improperly configured?

i added a flat screen MONITOR with speakers and i cant GET sound from itDid you REFER to the manual to see if there is a troubleshooting section?

What operating system are you using? Did you confifgure Windows properly? Did you properly connect the speakers?

More INFORMATION is REQUIRED.

Putting together a new computer and WOULD really appreciate help with my CD/DVD drive decision.

I am putting together a dual drive and, not having done a LOT of burning before am not sure what the BETTER option would be:

A. 48X CD-RW and 16X DVD+RW/R
-or-
B. 16X DVD Rom and 16X DVD+RW/R

On the one hand I can see the advantage of the second (B.) choice (16X DVD ROM) as it can read both CDs and DVDs at speeds of 48X and 16X respectively...and with second drive already a burner, not a big deal...this would allow direct burning (right?).

On the other hand, the 48X CD-RW can burn at a rate of 32X as opposed to the second drive's (16X DVD+RW/R's) CD burn speed of 24X...so a little faster when burning CDs (yes or is this negligible?).

What am I missing here...which route would you recommend? (Price is basically the same for both combinations).

Thank you very MUCH...your help is very much appreciated!Is the DVD-ROM player capable of reading CD-ROM disks?

I suggest you install both CD-ROM and DVD-ROM players.. Your operating system CONSIST most likely of a CD-ROM. Not to mention that there are still many applications that require a CD-ROM player.

My old 17" CRT's monitor image was crisp and clear. I decide to upgrade to a 17" LDC monitor. I checked out a monitor in the store, liked the image it displayed and bought it. When I hooked it up to my computer at home, the image shown on the monitor is fuzzier and not as crisp as it's display in the store was. I returned it and bought a different brand name. Hooked this new one up to my computer, and the results are STILL the same, the text images arent as clear and crisp as it showed in the store, and isnt as clear as my old CRT monitor.
I even went as far as upgrading my video card thinking that it's old technology couldnt produce a clear image on the monitor. That didnt even help, the image still shows up fuzzy.  I'm at my wit's end trying to figure out why these monitors arent showing clear images when hooked up to my computer.
Any ideas???  Thanks in advance!

~Cherie
LCD HelpThanks, I looked at the LCD Help page, but didnt see anything helpful regarding my problem.

~Cheriehave you tried the adjustments on the menu...contrast ..brightness....also have you adjusted the refresh rate...in the control panel/>display icon CLICK it..settings />advanced tab ..click it..monitor....you will have to use trial and error here some like 75mhz some like 65 mhz..or there is the performance tab as well ...which has a slider for graphics problems....Hi Merlin_2,
Yes, I've played around with all of the settings you mentioned except the performance tab with the graphics slider...where is that located? I have a LiquidVideo 17" LCD monitor.

Thanks,
~Cherie
www.PortraitsOfAnimals.comin the control panel/>display icon click it..settings />advanced tab ..performance tab click it ..you will see the slider ...also you can try this if you wish type dxdiag in the run box it might help you?....off topic i bet you have got a picture of a lancashire healer?I BELIEVE what Merlin is refering to may differ per videocard.

For example, ATI cards have that tab but it is called 3D.

It allows you to set the Anti-aliasing, maximum resolution and more for Direct3D and OpenGL (If the card supports either of them). Which is more commonly used for games, it does not show a significant impact on my (CRT) monitor when I adjust the slider...

Unless, ofcourse, Merlin is referring to another slider?To Merlin: No, I haven't heard of a Lancashire Healer, so you have one? I have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

To Raptor: Yes, I have the OpenGL and Direct 3D settings. I messed around with them and also found that they did nothing to clear up fuzzy text.

I found out that the 17" LCD monitors should be set at 1280x1024 resolution.  I changed mine to that resolutoin and the text shrunk down real small, but it was clear, and the graphics looked like crap.
When I changed it back to my usual 1024x768, the text went back to normal size, but appeared fuzzy again.

I called up Circuit City where I bought my monitor and asked them what they set their resolution at.  The guy told me they set them all to the lower 1024x768...but why their text is still clearer than mine?...that's the big question of the day...  :-/

~Cherie
www.PortraitsOfAnimals.comI believe I have a solution for your problem:

Right click on your Desktop, properties, visualization, effects, second drop down bar and select TRUETYPE. This is a much sharper fonts than the standard one Windows USES..Raptor, thank you for the advise. Yes, you are correct in that selecting the ClearType (on WindowsXP-Home)makes the fonts clearer. I have already done that a few days AGO and it did make the text clearer that it was, but still not nearly as clear as the model monitor at the store.  :-/
there are several options >1024X768 true colour/high colour/256 colours  try them all...to see if it helps?some monitor come with a drivers floppy disk? did you load it?Hi Merlin,
I've loaded the drivers that came with the monitor and new video card right from the beginning. I also looked at the different color options. Perhaps I just haven't gotten the right combination of all the options. Didnt think it would be this hard getting clear type..sheesh!

I work in a SCHOOL and in Win 2000 when a student tries to use a USB FLASH drive it says "not authorized to use".  Does anybody KNOW how to fix this?Allow user accounts to connect removable DEVICES.  Change the PERMISSION with Policy Editor,

hi i have a question..... how do i get a large file (napster with over five hundred songs) from windows 98 to my new windows XP when all i have is the windows 98 hard DRIVE>? i took the windows 98 hard drive and hooked it up to my new computer(xp) and the napster is still there but i can figure out how i would get the napster on my windows xp could someone help mePost only once NEXT time.. Rather than THRICE

when I right click on a folder, I get an ERROR message saying the computer has performed an illegal operation, and it must restart. After I restart, I can right click on a FILE or folder a few TIMES, then get the same error message again.  Any ideas WOULD be appreciated.what message is DISPLAYED..

i just upgraded from a 400 cpu to a 550 cpu. my computer is a dell optiplex gx-1. after 20 seconds of being turned on, it shuts off. when i turn it back on, it says EITHER THERMAL overload or fan faliure. but the fan is still spinng when it shuts off. any ideas? Your CPU may not be compatible with your Mainboard. Refer to your mainboard guide to check.

my motherboard supports up to a 600mhz cpu. is there different types of pentium 550s? how can you check to SEE if i got a bad cpu?http://www.lavalys.com/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en&pageid=1  and this trialware>http://www.cpuidle.de/downloads.phpAre you too lazy to look this up for yourself?

Dell specs say it is compatible if manufactured after 04/19/1999:  http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ban%5Fgx1/specs.htm

Did you change CPU speed jumper?
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ban%5Fgx1/jumpers.htm

Any 1 KNOW what one beep for like 6 seconds means with the PHOENIX biosMost LIKELY that you neglected to use the search MACHINE. Here is an article you should have read:

COMPUTER POST / Beep codes

I have trouble dragging THINGS. For EXAMPLE, when dragging the SCROLLBAR down, it will forget that I am clicking and simply stop. I then have to click it again and continue scrolling.  It does this often. I run Windows 98 on a FAIRLY old computer but I have never had this problem before.Perhaps the mouse needs to be REPLACED. Either try cleaning it or install a different mouse to see if the problem persists.

Is it possible to INSTALL both in same system under Win xp? The R+RW drive also has the CDR+RW and the other is just a dvd that reads both the cd and dvd. Windows XP DISABLED one of them.You should be able to re-enable the ROM station by right clicking on My COMPUTER, Manage and then Device Manager.

Is there an explanation mark or QUESTION mark in FRONT of the device?

We RECENTLY bought a computer at a garage sale, and had the drivers updated by a local computer outfit.  This computer is only MEANT for GAMES for our kids so they'll stay off our computer.  Our problem is that the MOUSE works fine on the desktop, start menu, etc, until a game is played on the cd drive.  Then the mouse is inaccurate, meaning to activate an ICON on one of the games, you have to aim it about 3 inches to the right, and hope you guessed right.  I've done all that I know to do on the control panel.  Any ideas where to start?  Thanks!See if installing mouse driver helps.

I have a USB 2.0 printer and I want to SHARE it with two computers.  How can I do this? install the printer...then GO into control panel (this MAY vary penind what you have as far as operating system).  find that printers icon.  right click.  go to 'sharing...' and then select the sharing option.  now go over to the other computer and click 'add new printer.'  select the network and then in the next screen select that printer...boom-batta-bang you have a shared printer... I meant, what hardware do I need to connect the printer to two PCs.oohh, just plug the printer into one of the two computers.  then, make sure the two computers are on a network with each other.  to do this you will need a hub and some RJ-45 cable.  then just do what i said earlier

OR

you can buy a printer hub.  im not sure how this works.  but basically it puts the printer on the network by making a USB conection into a RJ-45 conection.  then goes into the back of a hub.  but you would have to do some reading for that Quote

you can buy a printer hub.  im not sure how this works.  but basically it puts the printer on the network by making a USB conection into a RJ-45 conection.  then goes into the back of a hub.  but you would have to do some reading for that

I had lost my cd & dvd drives earlier. Quote

I have  a SONY computer. The dvd & cd drives were WORKING fine now they can not be found. They don't show up in the explorer.   They have power to them both.  Any suggestions?

Here's the deal.  My nephew asked me to PUT together his new computer. Nothing fancy, 1.6ghz duron, 128mb of memory a 40 gig hd and a 52x cdrom.  I put everything together and and it seems to be slow to boot.  First it checks for the IDE dirves which TAKES about 2 minutes, then it checks dmi verify data......
Then it says: boot from cd:
Ive check the bios and the settings are good.  Ive checked the cables and every thing is good.  I placed the xp pro disk in the cdrom and windows started up and LOADED, but after the computer reboots.  I get the same boot from cd: message.  Does any one have suggestions as to what I could be doing wrong? Is it a hardware prob?  Any help or tips would be great.You should set IDE 0 or 1 as the first boot device. It will boot faster and not check for the CD unless the harddrive fails to boot.I tried the following and I still get the same message followed by boot disk failure, insert sys disk and press enter.  Could the hd be bad?Did you format the harddrive before attempting to install Windows?WINXP loves loads of ram...is your ides cables the wrong way round.........red stripe towards the power plug...Yes, I did format the hd before installing windows.  As for the cables, I'll recheck it.do you have your ribbon connectors set right.  The primary ribbon cable must go to the boot drive. the boot drive must be the master on that conection.Here's where I stand now.  Ive reset the Bios.  The boot drive is on IDE1 of the mainboard.  the cdrom is on IDE2. In the bios, boot sequence is hdd-1 , then cdrom. Ive checked the ribbon cables and they are seated well and connections are good.  I reformatted the hd and inserted win xp pro disk. windows loads up but when the computer reboots, I get .  I ve only put 2 computers together in the past and I have never encountered this sort of problem.  Im at a stand still on this....plz helpIs it a legal copy of Windows XP?maybe the hard drive is on its way out>
run the APPROPRIATE disk diagnostic program
www.fujitsu.com
http://www.storage.ibm.com/hdd/support/download.htm
www.maxtor.com
www.seagate.com
www.wdc.com/service/ftp/drives.html
www.westerndigital.com
Thanks for the help.  Well I got everything working.  All I did was put the jumpers on the hd and cdrom to cable select instead of master. Seem to fix all my woes.  Thanks for the help fellas!!

Hi, i am hoping someone can help me...
I hope i have posted this in the write section!

UPON attempting to open a Word document, i receive the error message "System is dangerously low in resources... do you want to close this PROGRAMME?" so i abandon opening the document, and the system freezes.
The memory says i still have 17 GB left!

I can run WMP fine, but not documents!

So i tried to run DEFRAG, only for it to continuously restart and then about 40% through, tell me to run ScanDisk.
So i did, only for it to continuously display the "...has had to restart 10 TIMES, please close programmes..." message, even when i can find no other programmes to close!!

Please help!

Thank you.

KatTo successfully run Scandisk and Defrag on the boot pertition on my Win98SE box, I first run EndItAll to kill the extra processes, then run Scandisk and Defrag. This happens on all Win9x boxes, Scandisk and Defrag need exclusive ACCESS to the boot partition on the HD to succeed. Every time something else writes to the disk, Scandisk and Defrag restart...

For your Resources, I would have to start with seeing your Autoexec and Config files (if any). What version of MSOffice are you running? I do well with Office 97, the later versions are a little bloated for Win98. What resident utilities are you running (like your antivirus, firewall, and adware killer)?http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=307814Thanks both of you!

I will try the instructions in that article, and *fingers crossed* my problem will be solved!

Thanks again!

I recently installed a NEW Power Supply Unit. A 420 Watt Dual Fan Chieftec.

However, I have a Trust multiple wall socket with an on/off switch. If I keep it on, but turn my computer off, there will be no CMOS checksum error, but if I turn off the wall socket when my computer is turned off, there is a chance of a CMOS checksum error occuring

What could this indicate? According to this[/url  article it can indicate a faulty or bad BIOS battery. However, the battery is barely less than a year old. I cannot seem to remove the battery, I once had to reset my BIOS and the battery would only be lifted up a few milimetres. This was enough to make it reset, but I couldn't peel it out.It concerns a Gigabyte 7N400 Pro mainboard. Revision 1.0Well, what you're describing is indeed the classic symptom of a bad battery.  You may have bent the battery holder where it's not making good contact.  To remove the battery, it's only necessary to pry the contact up a bit and just push the battery out the open SIDE of the clip.I will look into doing so, then.

What if the battery decides to fail WHILST the computer is turned on?MAYBE you need to flash the bios....and may not be the battery?Both Backup BIOS and main BIOS are F14, which is the latest BIOS version for my mainboard.

I currently have a MOTHERBOARD that doesn't support ECC RAM, and am going to upgrade it to this: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=240311.  My current RAM (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80098-2) is non-ECC, but since the motherboard I'm going to purchase is, would the RAM I have now be unusable (i.e., would I have to purchase ECC RAM for it)?  Thanks in advance!Wes Barron.....If I understand your QUESTION ......you currently have a pc with a stick of Kingston 512 mb PC3200 ,  DDR400 ...184 pin unbuffered , non ecc Ram....
The NEW ASUS P4C800E -  motherboard according to the detailed specs will support up to 4gb TOTAL ram.....
184 pin DDR  PC3200 unbuffered and either ECC or non ECC Ram...... So based on what you say and what I read in the detailed board specs you can use the ram you have.
If you have anymore QUESTIONS , don't hesitate to ask.
Hope this helps
dl65

Have Adaptec SCSI card with Compaq SDT-9000 tape drive.DDS-3(DAT). Does anyone have a clue how to access DOS commands to the tape drive? WIN2000 does not have DOS option at  boot. Have Veritas software for tape backlup but want to use direct commands. Program has limitations.I think you're out of luck, you're too far from the bare metal in 2K.    What specifically are you trying to do?If Win2K(NT5) can recognise the tape drive at all, you may be able to use one of the software packages that mounts the tape drive as a slow 'removable' drive much like a floppy, and use utilities like PowerArchiver, WinZip, or some of the open-source community stuff like GZip and the utilities designed to emulate UNIX TAR (Tape ARchive) on Windows. WinNT (3.5, 4, 5/2K, 5.1/XP) doesn't have real DOS command line, only that lame 'emulated' junk.Had command problems with Veritas(BackupMyPC) esp. in the GUI mode. Had to ununstall program and reinstall.Also had to TWEAK BIOS setting for the Adaptec SCSI card.,using Adaptec's Ctrl+A at boot to access it. Works FINE now. Considering buying the tape drive software for backups. Can fit 12/24 GB of DATA on one tape. Thanks.

I would like to install a newer motherboard with USB 2.0 in an older case with front USB 1.1 ports. Will this give me any problems?UNIVERSAL Serial Bus Information and Trouble ShootingIf you mount a new MB with USB2 hardware and OS (Linux or Win2K/XP), then connect the front ports to an MB USB2 connection, the front ports will be USB2. Win98SE (without SPECIAL driver) PROVIDED USB1.1, and Win98 1st and Win95 OSR2 provided USB1.0.You will need to install the USB 2.0 DRIVERS for Windows 98 of any flavor to recognize the USB 2.0 ports.

I have a Quantum LCT 10 3.5" Fireball hard drive that the system can't map.... as of TODAY. The "auto" option give lost boot sector and other margional ERROR messages.

I am trying to find out the heads, cyl,..... spect. so I can put it in to give it one last TRY before sending it to that big computer grave yard in the SKY. I couldn't find it in any of the quantum tables, I'm kind of lost.

Signed
  Getting dressed for a funeral
       GregYou can find the info on the MAXTOR website.

Perform a search or go to the archive pages.

http://www.maxtor.com/_files/maxtor/en_us/documentation/quantum_specifications/fireball_lct10_specifications.pdf

Succes !

Hi, I got a problem with my mouse. I got a new motherboard (it is a ASUS P4V8X-X) recently cause my old one broke down.
Right now when I start my computer, I see a line saying something not detected (Don't know what that thing not detected is) and when windows starts my keyboard is working, but the mouse won't work at all. My mouse is an IntelliMouse 1.1A Serial Compatible. I'm sure that it is plugged in completely, but is just not seem to work.

Can anyone please help me with this problem ASAP?
THANK you very much!http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=327808Using serial port?

Maybe a pin bented/broke LOSING connection?

Just a thought...Is the mouse serial port enabled in BIOS?

Are the pins in the serial mouse PLUG straight?

Try connecting a PS2 mouse or PS2 adaptor for serial mice to your existing mouse, and enabling the PS2/IRQ12 mouse port in BIOS.

If you have an adaptor for that mouse to a USB port, or another USB mouse, try disabling the IRQ12 function in BIOS and enabling the USB Legacy function with the USB mouse connected. If that works, the PS2 mouse connector or serial port on the MB might be bad.

I'm having a problem with my work computer (with the following: 256 mb RAM, amd duron 900 mhz, loaded w/ xp).  At any given time, and the variables seem to have no effect on this whatsoever, the system hangs and refuses to respond.  AMD has given me no help, and the local PC repair shops don't know what's going on.  If anyone could help, that would be much appreciated.Press ctrl, alt and del.  Click on the process tab and see if any processes are using a lot of cpu %.I assume you have taken the necessary actions;

Scanning for viruses, trojans and spyware?

What are your temperature settings at? Perhaps you have to thoroughly clean your fans and heatsinks.what does the events log say or use  dr watson to set up a log-file?more than likely temp problem....as raptor has stated^I have same problem wth basically same configuration. Not that I've yet solved it but hare is what I tried...
System allways freezes in new games. Sometmes when I start 3 or more programs. When I play old games like Diablo 2, Bettlefeld or even Neverwinter Nights it's OK. But new games hang it in a blink. Hanging itself happens at random moments.  FIRST suspected memory. I've run Memcheck on it whole night and memory is OK. I changed Video Card and same thing happens STILL. I cleaned Processor's cooler and fan with no result (except that I increased it's rpm rate from 5200 to 5450) But it has to do something with temperature cause when I turn it on first time during the day I have something like hour or so but after it freezes once, it happens allmost right after I lounch any newer GAME. Old ones are still playable though. So if it is temperature how comes that I can stll play old games. maybe it's the XP? I might try switching to some older OS....Older games are less resource demanding. Newer games have better graphics, and thus, cause the processor to become more stressed then when you'd run a game like Diablo 2.

It could also be that you need to (better) maintain your computer. I suggest you run defrag, adaware scanner and other types of programs that are designed to maintain your computer at a regular basis.

Also see to it that the inside of the computer case is well maintained and no dust obstructing airflow.Hmm...I don't think that it might be spyware or any such thing. I have Kaspersky Antvirus, Kaspersky Antihacker, Pest Patrol and O&O Defrag wich I run weekly or after some deinstalation. I was CONTEMPLATING today more about it and only thing that can be is Proc or motherboard. It is Chaintech crap afterall...you have not mention how much ram have you got? and the graphics card make...?one of the best ways to run winxp is to use fat32....imhoNolan K....If you are running any programs like photoshop or any cad applications you may be pushing the Duron Processor to the limit.....or over time the pc has become all clogged up with all sorts of stuff. Remember a pc keeps everything. If you regularly run utilities like Ad-Aware and Spybot in addition to your anti virus and the interior of the pc has been cleaned out....( all the dust blown out) and the harddrive(s) have been regularly defragged.......then perhaps its time to consider doing a format of the machine to get it running smoothly again.  Have you kept up with all the XP upates ?
Hope this is some help.
dl65  
VLADA.....If you regularly run games with your Duron.....you can expect lock ups......Todays games have so much going on at one time that the Duron simply hasn't the power to run them properly. If games are your thing you should consider building or buying a differant pc.   A P4 ....3.0 or 3.2 or a AMD 64 will do a much better job . Remember todays games demand lots of RAM and a good vid card .
I do not think Win XP is your problem......its your hardware.
Hope this helps you .

dl65  

I'd suggest an Intel so that you are not bothered with lock-ups caused by heat.

Hi,
I am an average PC user, I don't game, I will be doing some lite video work nothing elaborate, transferring video to PC and burning dvd's, and I will be working with some digital photographs. My question is I am building a new computer utilizing a P4 2.8 Prescott CPU and I want to know how much difference if any I would notice building on a 848 platform versus a 865 or 875 chipset platform. How much improvement would I notice with the dual channel versus single channel memory board. Should I install 512 or 1024 memory? Would I be better off with a nVidia or ATI video card? Would the ATI 9600 AIW or the nVidia FX5200 suffice? All recommendations will be appreciated.  Final question, I was considering using an old ATX case with USB  1.1 ports on the front, the new board will have USB 2.0, will this work in this case?
Thanks!You won't notice any significant difference between the single channel vs. dual channel memory IMO.  I have both types in different systems, and the overall feel is identical.  I'd start with 512mb of memory, I really doubt you'll need more unless you do some serious photo editing on very large files.  I'm sure the more inexpensive video boards you mention will be more than sufficient.

Your case should work, though the connections to the USB on the front panel may or may not connect or work properly, hard to know unless I saw the case.  I'd make sure you have a quality power supply for the new machine, 400 watts or more.  I like the Antec supplies, but there are others that get good reviews.  Check over at http://www.tomshardware.com for a good review of P/S brands.

Also, the hard disk will be a significant part of the performance equation, so I'd consider at a minimum a 7200 RPM drive with the 8mb cache.  If you want to step up, perhaps the WD SATA Raptor 10K RPM drive.all seems ok ...till you load winxp....load win2k [pro]Or find out for yourself and donot listen to Merlin's more than unfit prejuidice against Windows XP.Raptor,
I sure wish you would voice your opinion on my hardware I am considering and help me out.
Thanks,
LarryDual channel memory is nice to have, but I donot think you will gain much benefit from it or even notice it at all.

You will require two indentical RAM sticks and a motherboard that supports them. If you buy a motherboard that supports Dual Channel technology you may as well use it.

512mb DDR RAM is more than enough, unless you do decide to play games. In which you may want to have installed 1024MB DDR RAM. Speeds up loading times.

An ATI or an Nvidia card depends entirely on what you like best. I find ATI cards to be of very good quality. But perhaps, if you are not going to do anything that requires 3D graphics it is best to obtain a motherboard that has a (DECENT) onboard videocard this is probably cheaper and easier to maintain.

As for your USB question, here are a few articles related to USB:

USB

Universal Serial Bus Information and Troubleshooting

If you want information on the different chipsets, I suggest you ask Intel technical Support for a comparisment chart.
Try it... 512MB RAM is probably plenty, if you have a dual channel CAPABLE board use 2 256MB sticks for best results. If you need more, the breakpoint seems to be 768MB, and a couple of 128s are cheaper than ANOTHER pair of 256s. If your MB uses single channel, start with a 512 and add a 256 if necessary.

For a video card, an AGP card (either NVidia or ATI) will OUTPERFORM an embedded, especially if you will be using it with a frame grabber or genlock card to capture streaming video from NTSC or PAL tape and VCD players.

For an OS, start with either XP or 2K, whichever you prefer. If it dumps out, it's still good enough to download a Linux distro that will work...

Most front panel USB ports will work OK as whatever the MB and OS supports on the MB or card connector they are wired to. If they are connected to an MB USB2 connector and run with WinXP or latest Linux, they should be USB2...

Im not even sure if this is possible but can you somehow convert old HOME videogame CONSOLES LIKE sega dreamcast to PART of your computer to give it a LITTLE more ooomph?

If you can or have please show me

i currently have and AMD-K6/233mhz processor and i am planning to make an upgrade. will i be able to upgrade my processor to AMD athlon 64???Only if your mainboard supports 64BIT technology. If it does not, the processor will most LIKELY not function.

Refer to your guide to SEE what your mainboard is compatible of using.Not even close!  You're looking SEVERAL generations of processor ahead, you'll need a new MB, and new RAM at a minimum.

When shutting down windows 98 instead of the display TELLING me "It is now safe to shut Down" I just get coloured vertical lines in orange and black.
Don't understand as It was working ok before it was shut down minutes earlier.how much ram have you got?THANKS for your response.
The computer is for a friend and she has 64MB on the m/b and only 2mb on the video card.
I am going to get her to check if the card may have come loose, but if not then I don't SEE why it should shut down without any problems 8 or 10 times then just refuse to display the shutdown info properly. Surely if there is a memory issue the problem would occur from the start?.
maybe the pc in question  NEEDS a clean the issue run a DIAGNOSTIC program like sisoft or aida32 it may tell you more or this >http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp i would suggest if the mobo allows it to increase your ram to 128mb....for win9x..and to test the graphics to type dxdiag in the run box

HI I just installed win xp PRO on my pc and the cd rw is gone.Its not even in the boot menu.Iv'e tried going into my computer and detecting it with no luck.I have also gone into the regestry and deleted the appropriate lines associated with removing cd burning software and also tried the microsoft solution.I haven't moved the cd drive or dvd drive around or unplugged them recently NORE have I moved the JUMPERS everything seems to be in ORDER. please help!!!! Does it show up in DEVICE Manager?  If so, what error code is associated with it?scroll three-quarters down this webpage>http://aumha.org/regfiles.php  for a patch for your reg called cdgone?

I've hooked my pentium 2 450mhz. COMPUTER running windows XP into a TV monitor using the SVHS input. I also purchased a VERTO MX4000 PCI video card as this card was inexpensive and has an SVHS output as well as SVGA  However I'm not having good luck in getting a sharp looking video display. words are hard to read as they are fuzzy and there is either black or white RINGING around the edges of the letters.
Can someone please guide me as to what will make this combo work?
I am trying to get the tv monitor to perform double duty
as I don't have room for 2 monitors.
Thanks, Eddel Quote

...words are hard to read as they are fuzzy and there is either black or white ringing around the edges of the letters...

This is not quite HARDWARE related. Do post in the appropriate section next time.

If you have uninstalled Windows XP, you most likely formatted your harddisk. In which case you have nothing to worry about Kazaa lite files.

If you have not formatted your harddisk, but only reinstalled Windows XP I suggest a program such as Regseeker or Advanced System Optimizer V2 to clean your registry and REMOVE redundant files.

In order to prevent your problem from occuring, I point you to the Viruses & Spyware section to read the PLEASE Read This First - Viruses & Spyware sticky to gain more KNOWLEDGE concerning security.

http://www.spysweeper.com/how-to-uninstall-kazaa.html

I have a ViewSonic Graphics Series G773 Monitor that is about 18 months old.  I am using Windows xp

About two months ago I turned on the computer and the resolution on switched to 800x600 and a 4 color screen.  I could not change it in any way.  I found not problems that I could fix.  The drivers all said every thing was fine.  So I just restarted it and everything was fine.  My resolution was back to normal and I had all my colors back.

On Friday night it happaned again only now I now matter how many times I restart it it doesn't go back except when I go into safe mode.  When safe mode comes on it gives me perfect color and resolution.  Nothing I do however seems to help when I start it normally.  I assume the monitor itself is ok becuase it works so well in safe mode.

I have an updated Norton 2004 that has not picked up any virus so I guess that is not the cause.  Now what happens when I am on the computer for very long particularly if I am trying to change settings is that I get several vertical lines on my screen which makes it very hard to read or see anything.  Also When I close boxes that have been open on the screen there is still a faint or sometimes strong imprint of the box on the screen.  

Even now as I type my ability to read what I am typing is failing due to the lack of clarity and detail of the type.  As I mentioned my beliefe is that the monitor is working fine since it does so well in safe mode.

In closing I want to aplogive if I have placed this post in the wrong place.  If someone can help me I would be very greatful.  I am now begining to wish the computers had never been invented.

Please Help!Joe Tuttle.....Well I would probably check the monitor on another system and in normal mode just to be 100% sure it is ok . Then I would uninstall your vid card and all its drivers .....In FACT I would remove the vid card and reseat it ......just to be sure .....the reboot and let XP detect new hardware and install the drivers.
The other thing that comes to mind is .....going back several months , do you recall UPDATING any vid drivers?
One other thing you could try is ......given you are certain your are virus and trojan free .....USE the system restore feature in XP and restore back to a date that you know your system was working ok.
I am a little curious as to why you have to change your display settings when you have been on for a long time .
let us know how you make out.

dl65  Thanks for the reply I will remove the video card and put it back in to see what that will do.

I have not done anything to the video card to change it.  I am not really sure which one is the video card.  I have two cards in I guess one is the sound card.  Is there anything I should look for or will one of them have something on it to let me know it is the video card?

I will check back tomorrow and give it a try sometime during the day.

I am not sure what you mean by this

"I am a little curious as to why you have to change your display settings when you have been on for a long time ."

Do you mean after I have used the computer for several months or after I have been on for several minutes/hours.  Maybe I explained it incorrectly.  

I can not change the display settings at all.  They automatically change and won't go back to the ORIGINAL settings.

Let me know if you can point me to which card to pull out and put back.Joe Tuttle.....The vid card is the card which your monitor is plugged into.  Re changing your settings......do you mean that you go into the control panel .....select display
then click on the settings tab .....and then for example change the screen size.....then click "apply" and then "ok " that it doesnt change ?
What settings does the monitor default to ?

let us know

dl65  That is exactly what I mean.  When I go into my display settings I can not alter or change either the colors.  4 or the resolution 800x600.

I will switch it out sometime in the afternoon today.

ThanksIf you cannot select different video modes, I suggest you install drivers if you have not yet done so.http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q307960&ID=KB;EN-US;Q307960Thank you very much.  It appears to be all better now.  I uninstalled the drivers and then restarted the computer per its directions.  It noticed the card and reinstalled it.  At least that is as good as I can gather.  My screen is now clear and all is well except for two other things.

One I no longer show that my monitor is a Viewsonic G773.  It says I have a default monitor.  In my attempt to reinstall the Viewsonic monitor I have failed.  I go to my control panel and click on add new hardware but I can not find an option to install a new monitor.  When it searches it comes up empty.  I guess maybe I can uninstall the default monitor.  But I will wait to hear back from someone on that.

Secondly it appears that 3 notepad files were placed on my desktop while this has been occuring.  I will post the beginning of the first message.

An unexpected exception has been detected in NATIVE code outside the VM.
Unexpected Signal : EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION (0xc0000005) occurred at PC=0x71FD2C3
Function=Java_sun_java2d_loops_MaskFill_MaskFill+0x8B93
Library=C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_04\bin\awt.dll

I assume that this is related to my problem but do not know.  Should I be concerned or simply delete these three messages from my desktop?

Thanks again.
Joethese messages do not relate to your monitor...but browsers..have you got two of them ... read more here>http://www.virtualmachine.tk/