Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in .

My friend has an "ancient" desktop computer probably way before Microsoft had an OS. He is moving and remembers that to make sure nothing gets MOVED or ruined internally he had to "park" the computer. He has totally forgotten how to do this. I am not really sure what make or model computer it is.

Thanks,
PeterQuote from: wildwood on January 03, 2009, 01:34:52 PM

I am not really sure what make or model computer it is.

I have a Dell Dimension 8100 running XP with SP3. I want to do a clean install.
I changed the bios boot sequence to only boot from the CD drive, but it still boots from the HDD.
The CD drive and the CD itself are known good.
I have read similar issues, but have never found a resolution.2 Questions...
When you MADE the changes in Setup did you press F10 to "save changes and exit " ? ?
Is this an official Windows CD ? ?

If yes to both than it should work...Also, when booting from CD, do you see "Press any key to boot from CD" message?On my PC, when in bios, F10 does not do anything. I have to use esc to save and exit.

I did FIX my problem by turning on the "USB Emulation" in the "Integrated DEVICES" selection in bios. I have perfromed a clean install.
Wonder how that got turned off...I imagine that it's been that way since the PC was new. It came with a USB keyboard and mouse. I am not smart enough or dumb enough to change that on my own....at least not INTENTIONALLY.

Another Squall? Quote from: Trizle1 on January 02, 2009, 12:14:46 AM

Hellwhore BC prog, you dont have to know the CMOS setup b4 you know what to do,let an error msg be your guide. Get ittt....

Ah, SATA.

You may need to slipstream the motherboard SATA drivers into your Windows XP installation SOURCE and burn a new CD. Use nLite for this purpose:

http://www.nliteos.com/guide/part1.html

Hellwhore BC prog

Another Squall?

********* BC prog, you dont have to know the CMOS setup b4 you know what to do,let an error msg be your guide. Get ittt....

It seems this user still needs the question answered, and none of this is helping.

Ah, SATA.

You may need to slipstream the motherboard SATA drivers into your Windows XP installation source and burn a new CD. Use nLite for this purpose:

http://www.nliteos.com/guide/part1.html

i have...
mobo- ASUS m2n32-sli deluxe
cpu- AMD 64 X2 4800+
RAM- 4gb corsair xms2 dhx
GPU- XFX 8600GT XXX Ed

i'm fine for storage space- just upgraded that
btw, i'm currently running dual screen with vista ULTIMATE 64 bit and my primary 22" monitor supports HDMI

i don't have a big budget so i would like the most effective upgrade for the best value
so what should i upgrade?
thanksThis IA a hard question without at least a hint of what your budget is.keeping it below £100 would be nice (about $145)Another question I'd like to ask, is what do you want to upgrade for/what benefits do you want to see?
Also, what PSU do you have?
From you listing your budget in £, I'd guess you're in England - correct?yeah i'm in england
i have a corsair 620W HX modular psu, so it should be able to cope with an upgrade
my vista system check, not that i believe a thing it says because it says my computer is mainly 5.9/6, tells me that my processor is weakest

i reckon i'd either upgrade CPU or GPU... any ideas?

i also have a spare m2n32-sli deluxe mobo hanging around and a slower processor, but one of the two broke (or maybe both) so if i changed the CPU i could check what one is working and do some tests but that's not high priorityIf you use the pc for any gaming, I would definitely replace the video card. Even if you don't do much gaming, running dual screen, it still may not be a bad idea? Not sure your budget would allow for much of an upgrade though.Cards like the Nvidia 8800GS/9600GSO or Radeon 4670/3850 will fit in that budget. A 9800GT will also scrape in at just over that, 8800GTS 320MB is also available. That's if you want a graphics upgrade, as that is the weakest part of your system now but if you're not much of a gamer, it's not really worth it.
Alternatively, a faster Athlon X2, the 6000+, could be a good upgrade, or a Phenom X3 CPU.
I agree that those are the two areas that would benefit from an upgrade.
The Vista experience score is out of date, it was supposed to get regular updates to take into account newer components but it never has, to my knowledge, so a lot of things will score highly because they were good, compared to other hardware when Vista was released, if that makes sense.i do game quite a lot and my 8600GT can run COD4 on fairly high settings...
would games benefit much from a processor upgrade?
also, i was looking at graphics cards and ATI have more cards with HDMI support than nVidia?
i found a decent processor at £75- PhenomX3 8450
the cheapest decent HDMI graphics card seems to be MSI GeForce 9600GT- its £99, but i'm not sure whether it's just not stated on some descriptions- i'll need to do more research into that.
it's also only £90 for an 8800GTS
i would also prefer nvidia to ati because i've only ever used nvidia cards and i've found them reliable, but i would change if it's better value

EDIT: I'm using www.dabs.com for prices etc. but i found a MSI 9600GT for £88Games would benefit more from a graphics card upgrade than a CPU upgrade, but both would help. However, if COD4 and the other games you play don't take advantage of multiple cores, then that CPU will actually perform slower than your current one.
Not sure about the HDMI interfaces, that will need more research.
If all these cards do in fact support HDMI, and it;s just not stated on some, ehre are my recommendations, from cheapest and slowest to most expensive and highest performance.
http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=596W
http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=5DR2
http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=5BSKchecked up on the 9600GT and it would only support it with an adaptor- which is no use because that defeats the point of it.
looks like ATI are the best choice...

OO, just checked on the MSI Radeon 4670, it also doesn't have HDMI.
it seems like £100 just buys into the HDMI range

now i've just been on http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/122868.html
it says that dvi and hdmi are exactly the same apart from HDMI taking audio, which i don't need

seems like i'll be fine with any DVI output now- that could save money
what do you think of http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=58J5?

i think if i decide on the best graphics card and processor then i can choose what one would be best

i also found http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=52VF
The 9600GSO and 8800GTS 320 are close in performance.
That specific 9600GSO is slightly overclocked, which means it will be slightly faster than a normal 9600GSO, but also more expensive.
The 4670 is also faster.XFX do chare alot for their overclocking, http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=5DDX is the non overclocked version.
there's quite a big difference in clock speeds (and price) but i think that the non-XXX edition is better suited to my processor and wouldn't be overkill
it appears that they managed to get it from 580-680 and from 1.8 (from the specs) but everywhere else says 1.4-1.9GHz

so... 9600GSO- normal or XXX? (if not XXX i could get an Inno3D one for even cheaper)
or amd 6000+

www.ebuyer.com seems cheaper for everything- strangely...The 9600GSO is very overclockable, if you want to go into that. I'm not saying XFX's overclocking is useless, just that it can usually be done by anybody else, but your mileage may vary as always. I saw the Inno3D card, was going to link to it when I saw the faster 4670 for a similar price.
Ebuyer is another good site, I found their delivery to be more expensive than dabs though so just check up on that before you buy.ebuyer are offering free delivery so it's okay
i need to make the tricky decision of graphics or CPU...

thanks for all your help and happy new year
You're welcome, enjoy your upgrade and let us know how it works out for you.
I'd say a graphics upgrade will be better for you than a CPU upgrade, but of course ideally both would be nice

Hi Could someone please give me some advice. I have a 8gb sandisk cruzer which is great apart from it contains U3 software which I do not want. Does ANYONE know how i can GET rid of it. My wife tried a format but it remained. I really do not need or want this software on my drive. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Regards
ChrisStraight from their website:
http://u3.com/support/default.aspx#CQ3Silly me, that simple hey. Ok thanks for your help appreciate it.

ChrisAnytime. i personally don't see why you need to delete it, it's not big and you can disable it (as i've done)It's garbage and i've seen it cause issues...it's the first thing i do when someone gives me a u3 stick as i don't buy them myself...I once purchased a U3 drive from school. The first thing I did on it was remove U3.
IMO it's a pointless application that slows down the drive, and the computer.
What ever happened to plug and play? Now it's plug, wait for it to install and then play.

There was one time I unplugged my friends U3 device and I SET the computer to stand by.
About 20 minutes later at home, I took out my laptop to find it hadn't gone to stand by. It had a BSOD, and the laptop was severely overheating.the way it adds it's "U3 System" as a CD-ROM drive is nothing short of annoying... It's ONE drive. it should be shown as ONE drive.On top of that PortableApps has EVERYTHING you could need to run on a thumb drive...no u3 needed at all...
Did i mention it's garbage yet ? ?

They will be re-created over time...not to worry.I have tried all the suggestions here and my DVD drive still won't burn DVDs. It will play DVDs and play and burn CDs. I have tried different software and discs, I also get this error

Sense: 03 ASC: 0C ASCQ: 00 (Command 2A)
-------------------------------------------------------
Px.dll: 4.10.28.500
PxAFS.DLL: 4.10.28.500
pxdrv.dll: 1.2.31.0
PxMas.dll: 4.10.28.500
PxSFS.DLL: 4.10.28.500
PxWave.dll: 4.10.28.500
pxwma.dll: 1.0.0.3

I had gotten this error before and was never able to find help for it, I downloaded a fix for it but still got the error. Some burners use different lasers to burn and read.
Sounds like the DVD burn laser is shot.
Best wat to DIAGNOSE this is to swap the drive into another machine and burn a DVD...if it does the same thing you need a new burner.Quote from: patio on January 11, 2009, 04:22:00 AM

Some burners use different lasers to burn and read.
Sounds like the DVD burn laser is shot.
Best wat to diagnose this is to swap the drive into another machine and burn a DVD...if it does the same thing you need a new burner.

It burns CDs just fine, wouldn't it use the same laser to burn CDs & DVDs?

Did you find an answer to this problem? I am having the same issue. This is a virtually new DVD Burner and it used to burn DVDs find even just using the Windows system no external burning program then all of a sudden it would just revert to being recognized as a CD drive after adding new files to burn. When I start the computer its recognized as a DVD ROM Drive F then it just changes to CD.... Tried all the suggested fixes and still nothing.

I recently removed some nasty Trojans and malware and hoped that might fix it but there were other deep settings which needed to be fixed after removing the malware so perhaps there are yet still further deep issues to be corrected ? It'd be nice to use my new burner again:(

Quote from: ArdRi on January 17, 2009, 07:17:57 PM

Did you find an answer to this problem? I am having the same issue. This is a virtually new DVD Burner and it used to burn DVDs find even just using the Windows system no external burning program then all of a sudden it would just revert to being recognized as a CD drive after adding new files to burn. When I start the computer its recognized as a DVD ROM Drive F then it just changes to CD.... Tried all the suggested fixes and still nothing.

I recently removed some nasty Trojans and malware and hoped that might fix it but there were other deep settings which needed to be fixed after removing the malware so perhaps there are yet still further deep issues to be corrected ? It'd be nice to use my new burner again:(

Are you using any external burning program? If not- XP doesn't support DVD drives on it's own (not sure how it worked for you before...)

I recommend IMGburn myself- see if you can burn a DVD with it.

I have a emachine t1842 running windows xp 512 of ram. It was running normal then when I HIT the button

to turn it on there was a clicking noise and a rumbling noise no screen came up no blue screen of death

nothing. The screen DIDNT EVEN seem like it was registering. So I OPENED it up took everything out and put it

all back in I turned it on and screen pops up it says Bio's shadowed a bunch of specs poped up on the screen

hit F1 to continue so I did that and the operating system CLICK on I shut down the computer. I turned it on

alittle later and I noticed a smell coming from the fan kinda like smoke so I was thinking maybe the processor

was the problem. So I'm looking at the processor now and the top of it looks like it was glued witch I heard

of heatsinking so I didnt think that was it. The back of the motherboard tho had this streak at the bottom

this white film from where the pins of the processor across the motherboad. Anyone have an idea on what

might have happened or what the problem might be? Can you double check to make sure the smell isn't coming from the PSU?

What happened before the problem?eMachines are notorious for cheap underpowered PSU's...
Replace the PSU with a new one of the same or greater wattage and you may get lucky that it didn't take the MBoard out with it.
Pay attention and take your time connecting everything and you should do fine...

I am trying to troubleshoot a friend's computer (I built it for him a couple years ago). His two DVD drives have disappeared from My Computer. The last time he used one of the drives was to load a file import utility for Outlook from the Windows XP CD about a week ago (it is running Service PACK 2). This is the FIRST time SINCE then that he has needed to use one of his DVD drives.

Now, when you look at DEVICE Manager, it does not show there is anything under the "CVC/CD-ROM drives" heading. However, under the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, there are two entries for Primary IDE Channel and two for Secondary IDE Channel (I presume because both can support two drives). All four of these entries show a yellow circle with a black exclamation MARK.

I'm not sure what to try to resolve this without screwing things up any more than they are now. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.
Try this.
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.

Checking to see if anyone here knows of a tool or means by which to Dial out using a Voice modem then after a time delay of 10 seconds play a wave audio file.

This is not for telemarketing purposes!

This is for a hobby project I am working on in which I am looking for a way to simply send a Wave or other Audio file in audio form over a telephone line after a call has been initiated by a Voice Modem.

I have a Voice Modem with TAPI support and havent found any google hits on a software to make this happen other than buying couple hundred dollar software packages that telemarketers use etc. For the FACT that I am not making any money on this, it doesnt justify spending that kind of money. I just think it would be cool if I could make it work.

Closest hit I found was a sample tool to play text as audio so the program can read out a text file in electronic voice form over a Voice call, but its a compiled EXE with no source to dig into it and see where I might be ABLE to port over a wave input to the audio output o fthe voice modem.

Hoping someone may have played with Voice Modems before to point the way to making this work. Many links suggesting that a wave file can be played over a Voice Modem, but no examples of how to make it work.

ThanksI had an old voice modem that SHIPPED with SuperVoice software...tons of features ALTHOUGH i don't know if it will fit your needs...
Here Ya Go...Thanks for the info...will check this out

What's the deal with the power SUPPLY connections that are labled case fan only? THey seem to make my PC unhappy and it crashed a couple of times, so I started using one of the reqular connectors.

Also what's the deal with the motherboard case fan connectors? They are small and 3 pin while all my case fan connectors are big and 4 pin. Are they good to use if I bought adapters?

I have an Antec P182 case and things seemed to be running hot even though I have a Tunic 120MM CPU heatsink and 3 120mm case fans.

How many cases fans are the right amount and where should I put them for the best performance?I don't know what you mean by these power supply connections, labelled case fan only - I've never encountered one.
Fans usually use EITHER a 3 pin motherboard connector, to monitor the speed, or a 4 pin Molex, from the PSU.
You could possibly get adapters, but the only ones I've seen change a fan with a 3 pin to use a Molex connector.
You say things are running hot - how how is hot? Also, what are your other specs?
How are your fans laid out now, and what fans are they?Well the ANtec P!*@ is a weird case with the PSU at the bottom, a fan blowing into the PSU, a blowhole, and an exaust fan. All of which are 120mm. At the momemnt I'm just using the ones that came with the case.

I left the sides of the case off till I'm sure about the temperature. Under load the CPU gets to 60C and the Hard drive gets to 50C, then I stopped doing things because I was worried.
The rest of my specs are at the bottom.correction click on my specs to see what I haveThe only way to really test it is with all fans operating and the case closed...
I have the same CPU and with a SIDE panel off it goes from 39c at idle to about 44c so the airflow test can only be checked with the case closed.

Remember how everyone said those stock cooing fans suck ? ?
That's what i'm running. I pulled out a Thermaltake and got better results with the stock fan...Well I'll let you know, but it probably won't be today. Thanks

I have an HP Media Machine and recently installed an additional hard-drive. My Music has SKIPS or slight hesitations in it like it is encountering slight delays. I updated all drivers I COULD find from HP and it still 'skips'. There is no extra BAY for adding the hard-drive that I put in so now I'm wondering if the power supply may be barely adequate & if the extra hard drive may be drawing down & causing the problem ?? Any Ideas ??Are these MP3 files on your drive? What else are you trying to do while listening to music?It's probably as simple as trying to do too much at one time. You may not be able to surf the 'net and listen to music and do other stuff at the same time. It is unlikely that adding a drive to the system overloads the power supply.I would SAY 300 watts is fine. that's the quick answer. I'm trying to find the site that lets you evaluate hardware.

Hello, it's my second time to ask a help from this valuable website, I'm a teacher from Philippines who teach secondary school students. And I'm working now for the grades of the students. Now my problem is that when I booted my PC to work from my files... then the message shown:

Verifying Pool Data...
Disk Boot Failure, Please insert system disk and press enter

but surprisingly when i try to detect my HDD in the BIOS set-up it was DETECTED in the primary MASTER... so that's it, that's my problem.

SPECS:
128 RAM PQI
on board video card
VIA MOBO
hard disk is MAXTOR with 20 GB only (just for document files)

I highly appreciate for the people who can help me...

(Malapit na ang releasing sa grades, huhuhuhu)Welcome Back!

Quote

but surprisingly when i try to detect my HDD in the BIOS set-up it was DETECTED in the primary master... so that's it, that's my problem.

Have you jumper set it to slave, or plug it in secondary IDE channel using seperate IDE cable? Please check hd configuration and verify that it is being properly detected in the BIOS......

If it can be detected in another computer, BACKUP your files as soon as possible, your hard drive IS probably failing......

Dudes... huhuhu... when I try to slave my hard disk in other computer it doesn't show it's drive in my "My Computer"

but when before that it really detected in the BIOS and when it show in device manager that hard disk is there an detected...

I have been having trouble the past couple of WEEKS gettting the computer to power up. Usually if I turn it off in the back or unplug it for 30 seconds (so that everything powers down), it will start up on the second try. Not this morning. It trys to power up, but 2 to five seconds into the power up, it loses power. It isn' t the plug in, I have tried another outlet. Any ideas?2 things i would start off with, Power supply or heat related.We need more information, Please LOOK here.I have a custom built computer running XP. I haven't done any upgrades,etc in the last several months. I think it is my power supply. I will try replacing it.Do you always have to shut the machine from behind?

What happens when you try to just shut it down like normal?

Can you give us a run down of your hardware? and antivirus software?
It runs fine once I get it to stay on and shuts down normaly. I have been shutting it off in the back only the last few weeks after I push the power button and it doesn't start. I shut off the computer in the back and wait 30 seconds, then I turn the SWITCH back on and push the power button. I powers right up - until yesterday... I have smelt a faint smell of something like hot plastic. I run norton. The computer is AMD 1700+, 512 ram ,120gig HD , 4xDVD+-R, NVIVIA GFTIZO. I am about to crack it open and see what my power supply is. What should I replace it with and where do I buy it?Quote from: mommaj on September 10, 2008, 09:42:45 AM

I am about to crack it open and see what my power supply is. What should I replace it with and where do I buy it?

My laptop has to feed info via a second monitor to individuals possibly 100+ feet away. (Outdoor event) I have read enough to be dangerous. I have seen CAT5, S-Video with an amplifer, etc. Can someone help?

Thanks!you could use wireless options: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_e?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=wireless+VGA&x=0&y=0

FBThanks FB. My concern would be interference with other wireless equipment. We have mics and cameras running on wireless feeds. Will this cause problems with those?

Thanks!most of those devices use 2.4Ghz that is an ISM frequency: Quote

Individual countries' use of the bands designated in these sections may differ due to variations in national radio regulations. Because communication devices using the ISM bands must tolerate any interference from ISM equipment, these bands are typically given over to uses intended for unlicensed operation, since unlicensed operation typically needs to be tolerant of interference from other devices anyway. In the UNITED States of AMERICA, ISM uses of the ISM bands are governed by Part 18 of the FCC RULES, while Part 15 Subpart B contains the rules for unlicensed communication devices, even those that use the ISM frequencies.

I have a Elite group K7s5a pro motherboard, 512mb ram, 120 gig HD. I don't know much about my video card. It says PNY technologies... Since I am having to REPLACE the power supply, I started wondering if there was more that I should consider.
Mostly I use my computer for surfing, quick books & digital photography.First question you need to ask yourself is what type of gain are you hoping to get out of upgrading your existing PC?

Are you TRYING to play a new game that has higher minimum requirements?

Is the computer just slow overall?

An ECS K7S5A only supports Athlon XP processors and DDR1 RAM.

You won't find Athlon XP processors brand new anymore.

DDR1 RAM is still available, but is currently being phased out. It also costs twice as much as DDR2 RAM (you can get 4 GB of DDR2 for under $100--you can get 2 GB at most of DDR1 RAM for that price). In fact, in a year or two, DDR3 RAM will probably go down in price, phasing out DDR2!

So...if you just need your PC to work and that's it, switch out the power supply and call it done. If you really need something faster, then don't waste your money (even on the power supply). It's time for a new computer.Thanks for the practical advice. It gives me some things to think about.

The computer is running a LITTLE SLOWER than it use to. I don't do much gaming, but I do use it to edit and save. I am considering storing my digital photos on an external hard drive.

I have a DELL PC, about five years old. My sister said it froze one day, and she restarted it and since then it has not turned on.
When I press the power button the lights light up on the computer and the keyboard, but it starts BEEPING. It beeps for a little while and then it just sits.
The monitor doesn't turn on while connected to the computer, but it will turn on when it's not connected.
I'm WILLING to supply whatever information is needed to solve this problem. I am a college student and I have an important essay saved only on that computer, so I would like to avoid restoring/rebuilding it.
Thanks!
Quote from: marsonkincey on November 15, 2009, 04:16:46 PM

...The monitor doesn't turn on while connected to the computer, but it will turn on when it's not connected...

Hello everyone,
I want to transfer our old video 8 tapes to dvd and I need guidance as to how to accomplish this. We have an old dusty Sony camcorder: Sony handycam vision video Hi 8 ccd-TRV67 NTSC. I have the RoxioEasy Media Creator 8 software on our Dell 4700 computer. Is it possbile to somehow transfer the Hi video 8 tapes onto the computer using the CURRENT software and camcorder? I really need step by step instructions if this is possible.
Thank you 1. Try what this link says. It looks good, has screenshots.

But I'm sorry though, it uses DVD Santa software not the Roxio creator you have.



2. Another option is to transfer the video to a VHS and then use the VHS and transfer to computer via a capture card.

3. Wondering if you have some kind of connector cables coming with your video camera? Maybe you can hook to your computer and get the tape's stuff out of it.More information that may be helpful.
A capture card is a thing that takes the output of a VHS or a Vidkeo camera and lets you view and record in on your computer.

Some new Video Graphics cards, VGA, have options to get input from and external device3, like a web cam or anything that has the standard NTSC video.
Here is a picture of two old ones I have :


Hey, can somebody tell me how to reduce the size of the picture?
Thanks Geek & 2x3i5x.
I also FOUND a gadget by Sony (Sony DVDirect VERD MC3) that does transfers direct (I think there are other models as well). But, I'm not sure if they work well; haven't seen any reviews. I like the idea of using the camcorder & Santa software, unfortunately, my camcorder is too old and doesn't have the connections for a firewire or usb cable.
Thanks again.You handy-cam will work. They all have some way to output video and audio directly.
Quote from: Geek-9pm on November 12, 2009, 10:17:26 AM

You handy-cam will work. They all have some way to output video and audio directly.

Hey, can somebody tell me how to reduce the size of the picture?

...What does having onboard analog video output mean Computer_Commando?

I have been borrowing my Aunts old computer for the past month or so, and this morning I turned it on to find it WOULD not boot because, apparently, the HDD does not exist.
I tried booting from the XP disc to reinstall it but the same issue occurred.

I have no idea how this could have happened in the 7 hours between shutting it down last night and turning it on this morning.

Its a very old prebuilt computer from Packard Bell, from 2000-2001.

Specs are as follows:
Intel CELERON 2.0Ghz CPU
256MB RAM (DDR)
40GB HDD
SiS650 32MB Shared Graphics

I have Avira Antivir installed and scanned regularly, nothing was detected, and I havn't noticed anything strange.
I opened it up and checked to make sure the HDD had not come loose somehow; It hadnt.

I'm out of ideas, and don't understand how it could have been working normally last night, and somehow have this problem 7 hours later.

If you require any additional information I will attempt to provide it.
Thanks in advance, Jim.It's kinda like a light bulb, it can burn out at any time. It's the power cycling that usually does it in.

Do you know how, or are you able to ENTER Setup (aka: BIOS, CMOS)? It's DEL, F1, F2 or some other key when you first power on. See if the HDD is detected in the BIOS.I just checked.. Can't see it in the BIOS either. :/

Any ideas?

Thanks, JimProbably the hard drive is dead, it is 9 years old. Can you HEAR and/or feel it spinning?I'm not sure.. I dont think so, but I'm not positive.

I can hear a slight general whirr from inside but I dont know if thats the hard drive spinning or not.If you don't see it in the BIOS, then something is wrong: either power connector is loose or IDE flat ribbon cable is loose, sometimes hard to tell just by looking. Unplug and replug to be sure. Obviously power down and remove cord from wall or switch psu off if it has a power switch. If still no go, then drive is dead.Alright cheers.
I'm gonna have breakfast and I'll do that afterwards.What error are you getting at boot?Quote from: Computer_Commando on November 14, 2009, 05:37:05 PM

It's kinda like a light bulb, it can burn out at any time. It's the power cycling that usually does it in.

Do you know how, or are you able to enter Setup (aka: BIOS, CMOS)? It's DEL, F1, F2 or some other key when you first power on. See if the HDD is detected in the BIOS.

I tried partitioning my hard drive, but it only lets me put 220 MB.
It's says," Size of available SHRINK space can be restricted if snapshots or PAGE files are enabled on the volume."
I googled how to REMOVE snapshots and page files and did what it told me, but I'm still having problems partitioning over 220 MB.
I'm using Vista 32 bit.
Thanks for your help.You might want to provide more information - specifically about the drive itself (size, free space, current partitions, ETC)

when i get to the advanced options screeen, no MATTER what i choose the computer wont boot. safe MODE, last KNOWN or anything. safe mode will list about 30 lines of info but enter does nothing. any ideas on what to do next. i am a total beginnerProvide exact details of what is going on with your system. What happened between the last time the system worked properly and the first time it did not (new hw, SW, virus, error, etc)? What TYPE of system is it? What OS? Everything you can think of that is related to the current situation.

I have a PANASONIC PV L559 Palmcorder (bought n 1999) that I want to hook up to my Laptop (Acer TM #2480-2196). I would like to view thru the laptop then find a good editing PROGRAM. The wires/cables that I got with the laptop will not let me hook-up. I may need adapters?? Can I hook this up?? If so, what ADAPTER or wires will I need/ Thanks in ADVANCE.

I have an altec 4 SPEAKER system with WOOFER total of 5 . What SOUND card should I GET to make this system really sing? - you might figure out how much money you can spend on a sound card. Then go look a good card... newegg.com is a nice site to look for sound cards and other COMPUTER stuff.

I JUST BOUGHT A NEW COMPUTER 3 DAYS AGO THAT HAS WINDOWS 7 AND NO PARALLEL PORTS TO CONNECT MY HP LASERJET 4100N, SO I BOUGHT A PARALLEL TO USB CABLE. I HAVE ALL OF THE SOFTWARE FROM THE CABLE AND PRINTER SAVED ON THE HARDDRIVE BUT IT STILL DOESNT SEEM TO WORK. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT I AM DOING INCORRECTLY

THANKS

MAGFirstly welcome to CH.
Secondly please don't shout at us. It will not get you better or faster support.

Have you downloaded the UPDATED software for that printer?
You can find it here, and you will need to select either 32 bit or 64 bit to match your OS.A LaserJet 4100N has a network connector, get a router and connect it and the computer to the router.Have you installed the driver correctly? If so is the printer plugged in correctly?
have you tried calling the manufacturer of your printer? Is it working with other OS`s?QUOTE from: Quantos on November 13, 2009, 02:10:15 PM

Secondly please don't shout at us. It will not get you better or faster support.

...I think I'd go this route: Rosewill 2 port Parallel (SPP/PS2/EPP/ECP) Universal PCI card Model RC-304 - Retail . This would add a Parallel port to your computer....

Why go that route when it's a network ready printer?

I cannot get my computer to start-up. I have tried replacing the battery and AC ADAPTER. These are the results:

With old battery & AC Adapter - LIGHTNING ICON flashes blue three times but will not power laptop

With new battery & old AC Adapter - Start-up until battery fails; then same result, lightning icon flashes blue three times, no
start-up

With new battery & new AC Adapter - results as above

With old battery & new AC Adapter - same results

With no battery - old and new AC Adapter - nothing


Is this compter shot or is there a FIX or repair to HELP?Probably not something you can fix yourself. Contact these guys. That sounds like hardware failure. It could be the internal power socket. Does the light flash on the adapter?Neither adapter has a light, however the adapters do work with compatible equipment for the adapters (camcorder).

I've tried three different SETS of speakers and everytime, my LEFT speaker will not work. Also, I've plugged my headphones into the speakers and the left HEADPHONE doesn't work either.

I've checked all the volume controls and everything with that appears to be fine. Also, when I click the volume control on my desktop and check the volume, it beeps from my TOWER. And, I just unplugged the speakers a little from my computer and the left one started WORKING, but not the right. When I plugged them fully in again, the left one stopped working once again.

I'd really like to find out how to fix this.Are you using onboard sound or an add-on sound card? Seems like you may have a faulty speaker cable port/jack. If that's the problem, a new sound card is the solution.did you check on the realtek software?

check the balance between left and right speaker. left speaker might just muted

Hello, I have a friend who has asked for help in upgrading his graphics for a budgeted price of 50.00 or less

Right now his windows 7 score is 1

he tried running dxdiag.exe but said it wasn't found so he only gave me the info on his pc from the properties section

OS windows 7 ultimate 32 bit
intel celeron cpu 2.53g

ram 2gb

He couldn't find his motherboard model but he was able to determine his slot is pci-e

About him: He's not a gamer. He browses the internet and checks email. He's looking to enhance his visual EXPERIENCE with windows 7

so far I've considered:
XFX GeForce 9400Gt 512ddr2
Asus Radeon HD 4350 512mb ddr2

Any thoughts or video CARD recommendations?
Quote

He browses the internet and checks email.

Hey i'm buying a new system (FINALLY) and I'm having trouble DECIDING which one.
Here they are...

System number 1
Specifications
Processor Intel® Core™ i5 Processor 750
Motherboard Intel P55 Chipset
Graphics AMD ATI Radeon HD4890 / 1G of GDDR5 memory
Memory 2x2G 1600MHz DDR3 gaming memory
Hard Drive 500GB 7200RPM SATA
Optical Drive 22x DVD+/-RW
Chassis Velocity IW-C583T Mid Tower
Power Supply 500W Power Supply (3x18A on 12V)
Operating System Windows 7 HOME Premium 64bit


System number 2
Specifications
Processor Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 920
Motherboard Intel X58 Chipset (x16, or x8 + x8)
Graphics NVIDIA GTX260 SC with 896MB memory
Memory 3x2G 1600MHz DDR3 gaming memory
Hard Drive 500GB 7200RPM SATA
Optical Drive 22x DVD+/-RW
Chassis ANTEC Nine Hundred Ultimate Gamer Case
Power Supply 850W Power Supply
Operating System Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit


Obv I save some money on the first one and I get a really capable machine. But i'm thinking in a year and half or two years am I going to wish I spent a little more and got the better system, faster CPU and better graphics card???

Is it worth it spend that much more on the processor? The socket for the i5 is actaully NEWER, so does that mean it will be more upgradable? which one will likely be more upgradeable??? ...because I could spend the extra money on a second video card instead.

Just wondering what the more knowledgeable ppl think about it, thanks in advance

Hi there, As a very lovely Polish young lady at work USED to put it “Canna you ‘elp me!!!”

Just registered to try and salvage my daughters PC - if only to retrieve some of the data.

PC is around 2001 (read this on the memory test screen)

Brief HISTORY: - Computer has been generally "slow at everything" for a year or two i.e. slow to boot, slow to load I.E, just slow,slow,slow. (the James May of PC's.

Earlier this year it would not boot up, so got my nephew to look at it and he got it fired up and got it to repair itself – by getting it to run a program to repair the registry as far as I know, anyway the PC ran for several hours using a copy of something that was loaded onto it when first loaded with the O.S (windows XP)

Well, as D wanted it back we did not do any other work to it, as you might expect from a neglected Pc, it did not get much better, still very slow and all that.

Now it will not “boot up fully” or left to it’s self “not at all”!!!!

Symptoms

Press start button

Screen appears – American megatrends – Amibios © 2001

AV41P005 P4X333-8235 Intel ( r ) Celeron ( r ) CPU. 2.4o GHz

Checking NVram. Update OK

394944 kb OK - this counting usually freezes, at various random values – unless I choose to skip memory test or enter Setup.

If I hit escape to skip memory test – it runs on through a couple of screens listing various drives etc then to a black screen with a white bar runs across the bottom. It then loads the windows XP logo screen and the bar in the middle shows the loading process. This loading often freezes and will not continue.
When it does complete loading the User log on screen appears, so I enter the password and hit enter and it usually just sits there “saying” loading you personal setting and goes no further. If I wait too long to enter the user I.D the keyboard will not work.

On one occasion it did load the desk top but I COULD not do any thing with it.

Several times on boot up I got a “Secondary master drive – atapi incompatable” warning.

So I have unplugged the DVD drive and no longer get the warning (although I accept that this may have been an erroneous warning anyway).

Please could you advise if there is a way to get the beast running long enough to reclaim some of the data and/or work on the PC to make it healthier again?

I do realize that the HHD or other may be terminally sick.

Thanks in advance

Steve and for “M”

PS. in case it is important - the broadband modem has just been removed to fir into another PC for now

Slave Drive Info

For swapping the drive into a working desktop machine to retrieve your important info...
NOTE: The drive you are swapping does NOT need to be able to boot into Windows as the other machine will handle that...Quote from: moonrakermagpie on November 07, 2009, 03:25:02 PM

...Checking NVram. Update OK
394944 kb OK - this counting usually freezes, at various random values – unless I choose to skip memory test or enter Setup...

OK three then!!! If I end up slaveing to another PC do I need to worry about any viruses or the like that may be on the sickly HHD.

You had better test the memory modules

Since your computer won't boot, get this:
http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

Let MemTest run...2 hours is good.
It will appear to hang from time to time for the long tests...
There are 8 tests altogether and you need the results from all of them.

Just wanted to know what:
"WASD Gaming Cluster with Anti-Ghosting Technology"
on a keyboard meant.
My guess.
They want to sell you something you do not need. Quote from: Geek-9pm on November 13, 2009, 06:28:51 PM

My guess.
They want to sell you something you do not need.

Can you at least look something up before you respond like that.
Here is a write up on it by the manufacturer.

Delete all your drivers and try the ones Windows Update provides. 9/10 times they've got the right goods.NEVER use drivers from Windows Update. Always OBTAIN drivers from the OEM websites.Driver needs driver to drive driver. Does that mean the chauffeur needs a taxi?

Quote from: Lyniaer on DECEMBER 01, 2009, 01:06:36 AM

Delete all your drivers ...

NEVER use drivers from Windows Update. Always obtain drivers from the OEM websites.

Let me rephrase that. Delete the drivers for the "Graphics Card". Windows will load default graphics settings which will look like crap with the 300x600 resolution and 16 colors. THEN let windows update do the drivers.

The 'reason' I suggest windows update is because when it comes to graphics cards, guessing your exact version and model (especially on a laptop) can be a pain.

A few days AGO I noticed my monitor was taking longer than NORMAL to come online and display the desktop. From Power-Off mode, to Power-On There is normally no more than a few seconds. Now it takes near a full minute, and First the gateway logo sticks in the middle for 20 seconds, then the DVI connection for 20 before it goes away.

Nothing else SEEMS wrong, images are crisp, no GHOSTING so Im confused as to how I correct this.

Can someone help me? Coffee was spilled on the keyboard of the Sony VAIO PCV RS410. Nothing worked after this happened. Replaced the keyboard, computer acted crazy,nothing worked right. Did the restore, most things worked as before, except everything is extremely slow. Internet (dialup) much slower than before. replaced the modem, that didn't help. I will be grateful if someone can help me.

PS This is a desk top. The spilled coffee was a teaspoon full, it only touched the keyboard. Just my thoughts but - how much coffee? Slurp or cup full?

While keyboards do not like liquids the question might be - how much LIQUID might have gotten beyond and under keyboard.?

Keyboards themselves can be cleaned or replaced but after that - sometimes all bets are off - so seems you may have to inspect deeper.

Sounds like your problems persisting could be in effect hardware oriented. Might try, chkdsk /r [startrun]Quote from: xavier on September 07, 2008, 06:55:48 PM

Might try, chkdsk /r [startrun]

I keep telling kids around here:
DON'T EAT, AND DRINK WHILE ON COMPUTER, but.....

I do, and I've never had a mishap

Quote from: xavier on September 07, 2008, 06:55:48 PM

Might try, chkdsk /r [startrun]

the VAIO, is a laptop, I believe-

Yes, asked for more coffee....

Quote

I do, and I've never had a mishap

There is ALWAYS first time...LOL

The other alternative you have which i don't believe has been mentioned here is to upgrade to a new HDD.

The procedure then is simple...you hook up the new drive as a slave...use the HDD manuf. utilities to "Clone" the old drive to the new one...

Then unhook the old drive...set the new one as slave and you're done.
All your data and apps will be intact...but you'll have alot more breathing room...

Ok yesterday afternoon i went to my PC and opened IE (yes i know ppl say its bad but i like it) anyway, it automatically went to full screen mode and when i click a link it opens in a new window for everything INCLUDING when i click on a new EMAIL in hotmail etc.

This however is not my major problem. My keyboard will not ALLOW me to type. I opened google to do a search and when i type a letter in the search box it automatically deletes the letter and i cannot type more than one. My mouse also is acting strangely instead of when using the scroll wheel the page moving up and down, it is instead zooming in and out making the font larger and smaller etc.

I am using a PS/2 keyboard which i replaced and tried with another keyboard and still does the same thing. I am using a USB Reaper Mouse.

Running Windows XP Home Edition SP3.

(I am posting this from a different PC of course as mine wont let me type)
Also i did try using the On Screen Keyboard and it does the same thing.
This is the first time i have ever posted on help forums so if more info is needed just let me know, as i am sitting here hoping to not have to take it to the shop and pay for something which i hope is a small problem.


Also last night i ran Avast AV Scan, Ad Aware Scan, SPybot S&Destroy and this morning oi ran Malware scans and nothing has shown up on any of them.

Thanks in advance



Edited to add

Also i didnt add this in the OP but when i click a link from my favourites, IE will open the link but then automatically returns to my homepage within seconds of opening the link.

I have done a system restore which did nothiung to change my problems, i have also uninstalled the drivers drom the device manager and also hasnt helped. The mouse is now however not zooming in and out, after reinstalling it.Also when i click My documents or my computer it SEEMS to be open My Destop window and not the intended items.

Taking it to the shop anyways

Hello all, great SITE!
I hope i am posting this in the right place but i need some help with speakers for a laptop. Is is possible to buy speakers with a lot of bass for my house that will plug in and play all the files from my laptop? I have seen the adds for bose speakers and such but i dont know if it is what i want. What i need is a speaker that will plug in my laptop and ROCK! Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.......shaneForgot to add that i'm sure i will need powered speakers but powered or not is fine...thanks again...shaneThe SOUND you get from your speakers is based on the sound chip/card installed on your computer.

So...if you have a crappy sound chip/card...you'll hear crap from the speakers. The speakers don't play the music...it depends on the quality of the files and what's behind the scenes. This also includes what you used to CREATE the audio files (optical drive) and the type of music file it is...e.g., mp3 as opposed to .wav.

So...before you go INVEST a lot of money in speakers...we need to know a little bit more about the sound chip on your laptop.I have no idea what i have All i know is when watching a movie or playing music it sucks..lol. I will find out what i have tonight and post it. Thanks for the reply....shaneAre you just looking for a better pair of speakers? (more or less)you can buy any kind of speaker as long as your laptop have an audio card because if your laptop do not have audio card, your speaker is useless..I dont have a clue as to what my audio card is nor do i have a clue as to how to find out. I was wanting some loud maybe surround sound speakers for this laptop. I have my desktop hooked to my stereo and it works great. I might have to take it to someone to find out what i got? Thanks for the replys.
P.S. This site is great! I sat up reading for a while last night and learned a whole lot! Gonna do it again tonight! Thanks again.....shaneShane,

Go into your Device Manger through Control Panel/System. Click the "+" sign next to "Sound..." and you should see what your laptop has as far as a sound chip goes.

If you're looking to find a nice setup as far as speakers go, surround sound included, you'll have to know if your chip supports it...or it's a waste.

If you have an audio program installed, you can find out there as well, by opening that program and seeing what the default hardware is on your laptop for playback/recording.

Also, within that program, you should be able to note in the speaker testing aspect of the program, whether or not it has a test for surround sound speakers...as well as a SUB woofer.

Along with this info...and a budget...I'm sure someone will be able to make a better recommendation to you, other than..."yeah...these are great...you should try these!"Saviour,
When i follow your directions, this is what comes up: "IDT High DefInition Audio CODEC". Is that correct?Tell ya what...

Post the manufacturer and model number of your laptop for us, okay? We'll go from there. Also, what operating system is installed on the laptop?

I am thinking of buying a blue ray player/burner but they are expensive so i wanted to check.Blue ray simply holds more data. That's all.
Regular DVD holds 4,7GB, and here it's a comparison between HD DVD, and blue ray:

I would recomend bluray if you watch lots of movies on you computer.Personally, I would stick with DVD for a few reasons:
1) Its considerably cheaper, not to MENTION the discs are cheaper.
2) More people have DVD than BlueRay... if you need to distribute a disc, others will have a better chance of being able to use it.
3) If you are looking into getting one for movies, its pointless if you DONT have a really good TV. If your TV isnt high quality, the video playback wont be either, no matter what device you are using.
4) Its expensive! ESPECIALLY for a good fast one! Go with technology thats ALREADY ESTABLISHED and cheap.

If you have the money to spend, and if you think that distribution wont be a problem whatsoever, and if its being used for video and you have a good high definition TV, then go with BlueRay...
If DVD's will still work out for you, why not go with them? They work fine, and if you need to backup large files, you can always spread them across multiple discs.

But, either way, a company is going to make money somewhere...

I have a Compaq laptop. Recently it stopped working correctly. When you boot it up all it does is tries to boot and recycles and continually goes through that process. The furthest it gets is it goes to a screen that says WINDOWS was shut down incorrectly and how do you want to start Windows. You get 4 options. I have tried all 4 and it still just tries to reboot.
I have tried starting it with the XP operating system disk. It gets past the loading files portion then says " Setup didn't find any hard-disk drives installed in your computer. Make sure any hard disk drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk related hardware configuration is correct. This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied DIAGNOSTIC or setup program. Setup cannot continue. To quit setup, press F3."
I have run the diagnostics from the bios and it says the Quick Test, The Comprehensive test and The S.M.A.R.T. TESTS have all passed but nothing different happens.
Is there anyone who could guide me in the right direction in resolving this ISSUE. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank YouYou probably need the sata drivers for the xp cd to see the hd.could you explain what sata drivers are and where would I get them?The SATA drivers will be on the Driver CD that shipped with the laptop...
Very early on in the XP setup process there will be a message at the bottom of the screen: "Press F6 to install additional drivers"...
At hat point press F6 and insert the laptop driver CD...XP will find them automatically and then continue the Setup process...I didn't buy this laptop new and it came with no drivers CD. Any other suggestions where I might find the sata driversDo a Google search for sata drivers for your Compaq model. You'll also need to look for a chipset driver (which is the first driver you will install after the OS is installed).Alkan and others. I went into the system configuration and disabled the native SATA support and XP booted right up. Just happened upon this advise while looking for SATA drivers on the HP website. I want to thank you for your wonderful advise and work with this like this for awhile to see what happens.I do have another problem with this computer that I would take the advise of you folks. The key board quit working for some reason. The touch mouse works, but the keyboard is totally unresponsive.Tell the person you bought it from that you want a refund

the Razers MEGALODON: http://www2.razerzone.com/Megalodon/

I recently purchased a Lap top HP G60-442OM Notebook PC. Unfortunately it does not have a firewire port! I want to download digital videos from my Canon ZR60 camcorder. I BOUGHT a usb 4 pin firewire and I still can not download.

I looked for drivers & software for the camera but could not FIND any. I'm running Vista and will be installing Windows 7 very shortly.

ANYBODY have any suggestions?You can USUALLY find a firewire card that you can install into a pcmcia express card slot on your laptop.

Well I don't remember now exactly, but I'm sure the big chunk of unallocated space wasn't there! And even afterward, wouldn't that have shown up in Disk Management or Partition Master, etc?I know that everything was peachy until the very last step when it mentioned Diskpart for WinXP... went straight downhill from there.

Finally got the pic! I've been messing with Disk 2 (the 320) so there it is. I have to step out and will be back in about 20. Hope to continue this when I return!


[Saving space, attachment deleted by admin]You figured out how to post an image.
Disk 2 is a 320GB? It's not an "As Is" Clone of Disk 1 and I have no idea where the remaining space has gone.

Quote from: Sprezza on November 13, 2009, 07:58:22 AM

Following this guide: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2345356,00.asp

... I USED the free trial of Acronis' Migrate Easy 7.0. Yes, before cloning, the full 320GB was recognized by XP. I wasn't so worried since the last part of the guide said the partition COULD simply be extended. Tricky tricky, the guide also says (in other words) that it's much easier in Vista and complicated to nearly impossible for XP.

1. At first, it was an exact copy and it worked too when I swapped drives.
2. But since then, I've been deleting/creating partitions, and so on. So you see what I mean now?
3. I'll try WD's version, but do you think the 320 will suddenly appear?

1. If you can get back to there, that's you goal.

One hiccup...

It worked, but... the 270 was still missing. If I didn't care that spent $$ for all that space in the first place, then I would have continued using the cloned 50.

Ok, I'll try WD's tool and post what happens. Here goes...!

...Ok, I'll try WD's tool and post what happens. Here goes...!...

I have a difficult time believing a 2 year old laptop only has a 60GB HDD.

After reading the Guide in the download, I'm sure what the function is.

...
1. But why does it matter what the existing hard drive's capacity is?
2. The IT Director at my office is looking at it today, but I don't think he has any other suggestions rather than what I've see on this forum.
3. Is there a glimmer of hope?...

Look what I found; Add support for hard drives over 137GB.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R121517&SystemID=INSPIRONI6400/E1505&servicetag=&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=10216&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=2&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=25&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&fileid=212557
After reading the Guide in the download, I'm sure what the function is.

I was online with my computer last night and dropped my mouse off my desk... all of the sudden my computer turned off and my mouse stopped working (light went off). When I try to turn on my computer now, it beeps 3 times and nothing happens after that... the monitor isn't registering anything.. but has power.

Any ideas what can be wrong or how to fix it?Follow the cable to the mouse back behine your computer and check to be sure it is plugged all the way in. Also check to be sure your key board is plugged all the way in and than try to boot your computer.

Not knowing what BIOS you have 3 beeps normally means memory. This doesnt make sence in a way , just dropping a mouse shouldnt cause this kind of pblm.Was you mouse hooked up to a usb port?Clear cmos for starters.Yeah, it was really odd. Though my computer has been having a few minor issues, but nothing like that. It was just out of the blue.

The mouse and keyboard are both hooked into the computer. The keyboard lights are on, the mouse isn't. The mouse is through USB and the keyboard is through (WHATEVER its called.. the circle port). My monitor power is on and plugged up as well, just nothing is getting it from the cpu. The power comes on for the CPU and the cdrom drive opens and closes.. its just not booting/showing anything.you have another mouse you can swap out with?

The mouse may have been damaged when it fell

Would that keep the cpu from booting on though?Like i said clear your c MOS. If you do not know how [remove the battery and leave out for appx 20min. Make sure the power is dis connected. If you have the mother board booklet it will show you how to clear cmos?I don't have a booklet. I bought this from a friend about 5 months ago. I don't much much the specifics except it's a Gateway, 250gig HD, 2gig of ram i believe.If you are UNSURE on how to? i would take it to a tech.since the mouse is connected to the ps/2 plug, it could have pulled the motherboard out of place; i did the same thing with my keyboard and it pulled the motherboard from one of the the power supplies, but it was a very old computer.

We had a power outage last night - Tree fell on a wire down the street - power went on and off four or five times in in just a few seconds. After power came back, PC does nothing - no lights, sounds, fans - nothing.

I checked the basics - I have 120 volts to the unit.

I suspected the power supply got zapped. I opened the case and the green led that is normally on on the motherboard was out. I got a NEW 500 watt power supply (Antec EA-500D) and installed it. When I plugged it in, green light came back on on the motherboard - figured I would be all SET.

Nope. Still does nothing.

Is it possible the new power supply is defective? Is there any way to test it?

Also, the new power supply has a 24 pin atx connector - my board has a 20 pin connector. I followed the instructions with the power supply - basically abandoned the seperate 4 pin portion. Any chance there is a compatability problem?

My PC is an e-machines, maybe 4 or 5 years old (From reading around the site I KNOW you guys have these). I have already changed the power supply once before, and it's got a newer motherboard (an ASUS X-Series installed by a guy at a local shop).

Anything else I can try before I bring it to the shop again?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

MikeThe power surge could have taken the board out. Invest in a surge protector .Do you mean a whole-house style surge protector, or one dedicated to the computer? I have a power strip style surge protector for the computer - it didn't trip. All other equip on the surge protector (printer, modem, router) are ok. Do you think I need a better one?If your surge protector was working @ the time of the power outage i cant see why your pc developed this PBLM. Hope we can get help on this issue from others reading this PBLM.ya sounds like you fried your boardThanks to those who replied. I'm beyond what I can do with this - I think I have to bring it to a shop. I have a Staples with a PC repair service near me that I'm tempted to try. Anybody have any experience with them?

I also have an independent guy a couple of towns away who I have used before and has always done good work for me.

Any thoughts?

Thanks Again,

MIKE SThere are multiple potential causes of failure after power surges. You addressed the most likely, the PSU. Could also be hard drive or motherboard.

I would take the system to the person I had the most confidence in.

BTW, I would invest in a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) (this has nothing to do with the power supply inside the computer ) instead of a surge protector. APC is probably the leading manufacturer - your Staples will most likely have them. A UPS maintains power to the computer and monitor during a power outage for a short period of time allowing you to close programs and shut down normally. The amount of time is variable depending on the power CONSUMPTION of the computer and monitor and the size of the UPS. Usually, 15 minutes is plenty. There is also provision for automatic, unattended shutdown.

Best of luck!

I have a bottom half of a sony viao laptop model VGN-A230B PCG-8R9L. I need the top half. LCD with plastic FRAM(Bezel) complete top part. My question is: Does sony have any other model top halves that will work on my current model? If they do could ANYONE please tell me what MODELS are COMPATABLE with mine.
thanks.You may have to CONTACT Sony for this one......

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/select-system.pl?PRODTYPE=1,24,26,66,9,70,5,72

Go to Device Manager.

Are there any Yellow Exclamation Marks or Question Marks?From experience, sometimes you need another SOFTWARE to play DVD. there are times that media player cannot read the audio of the movie. Quote from: esther on September 05, 2008, 06:49:29 AM

From experience, sometimes you need another software to play DVD. there are times that media player cannot read the audio of the movie.

Hey.
There is SOMETHING wrong whit my keyboard, if I don't know how it became that way, but when i wanna a "-sign, it makes a C. And ¤ makes G. & makes H. ) makes K. ? makes M.. And i can't make a big u, it makes a B..

It i REALLY wierd, please HELP me (: - Tanks.

Sound like your NUM lock button is on. See if you can locate your NUM lock key, press it, and see what happens.My NUMLOCK isn't on.. then the u would have been 4..
But THANKS for trying to help. (:How long ago did this start?
Did you try another keyboard?

My CPU is running at 100%, pulled up TASK manager and it is showing SEARCH INDEXING AT 99% .
WHATS UP AND HOW DO I FIX IT?http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/indexing.mspx

Here is some reading for you.....

Your machine is doing a self search and making a LIST so later if you are looking for something and do a search the machine can find it faster.

It is safe to shut it off.

Thank you I didn't KNOW if it would be safe to shut off or not.
If i turn it off should i turn it back on before bed to run tonight to catch up?

Ok turned off search indexer off but than the System Idle Process, system went to 99% is that RIGHT?

Quote from: curtisb184 on December 02, 2009, 12:20:31 PM

...Ok turned off search indexer off but than the System Idle Process, system went to 99% is that right?

I just inherited a machine that is running an Asus a8ns2 SLI Deluxe board with an AMD Athlon 64x2.

It will boot up to the bios setup screen.

However beyond that is more than it is capable of.

Typically when started it will show the ASUS logo for about 30-45 seconds before proceeding to the check screen. I know normally that should only show for a few seconds.

If I don't enter into bios it will take another 1-3 minutes to boot to windows. It will either load the XP screen and crash there, or, it will give the Blue Screen of Death and crash at that point. I have only ever got it booted to the OS once, and it was in safe mode. However once booted to that point it behaved perfectly well.

ACCESSING BIOS, however, is fine. All settings save and change as expected, and it accesses fairly quickly, unlike Windows.

The Harddrive is fine, the OS on there a fresh install. All the ram is viable (3Gb).

I don't know if I should bet on the processor being bad though, or the motherboard. I'm HOPING someone can give me a better idea which direction to go in with it. (I will say that I suspect that heat was a factor in what is going on, as when I pulled the heatsink off the processor during my troubleshooting, I found that whoever had installed it (it's a Scythe Ninja heatsink, one of the low end models) hadn't actually removed the protective blue plastic from the bottom of the heatsink. At least they put the thermal paste on. -_-)/bumpWas XP installed to that drive on this machine ? ?
Did you re-do the thermal paste ? ?

Thermal Paste Guide

If XP was installed on another machine then moved to this one you will at least have to do a repair install to get it to boot...I installed XP on a new harddrive FOR this machine ON this machine, and I have also swapped out another harddrive that has a fresh XP install on it that works just fine on it's home machine, and I get the same results regardless. Slow booting and eventual crashing. To be HONEST it was actually the drive I swapped from another machine that allowed me to boot to safe mode the one time I got it that far.

And yes, of course I replaced the paste... after I removed the blue plastic, of course. I'm very surprised it hadn't melted all over the place./bump pull the ram and post the part numbers from each chip

when your at it pull all the ram but one chip and try to boot. trade out each chip and reboot. post results.....


I have tested the ram before and it's all good. It all recognizes and tests ok and allows the SYSTEM to boot up, whether i have all 3gbs installed or i do them one by one--but only in the half-defective way that it boots.

I'm not at home right now to test it again, but I will do so when I get there if you really think its necessary to do one more time.Remova all but 1 stick of RAM and do a few cold boots...

Then Do This...

Done properly all your data and apps will be intact.

After everything is running re-introduce the RAM 1 stick at a time with a few cold boots in between each...Quote from: moonbeamdanser on November 17, 2009, 10:38:59 AM

...
1. Typically when started it will show the ASUS logo for about 30-45 seconds before proceeding to the check screen. I know normally that should only show for a few seconds.
2. If I don't enter into bios it will take another 1-3 minutes to boot to windows. It will either load the XP screen and crash there, or, it will give the Blue Screen of Death and crash at that point. I have only ever got it booted to the OS once, and it was in safe mode. However once booted to that point it behaved perfectly well.
3. Accessing BIOS, however, is fine. All settings save and change as expected, and it accesses fairly quickly, unlike Windows.
4. The Harddrive is fine, the OS on there a fresh install. All the ram is viable (3Gb).
5. I don't know if I should bet on the processor being bad though, or the motherboard.
6. (I will say that I suspect that heat was a factor in what is going on, as when I pulled the heatsink off the processor during my troubleshooting, I found that whoever had installed it (it's a Scythe Ninja heatsink, one of the low end models) hadn't actually removed the protective blue plastic from the bottom of the heatsink. At least they put the thermal paste on...

i built my own computer

asus striker extreme 6801
2gb ddr2 6400 ram (going to get 4 more)
2tb western digital internal hard drives
intel 3.0ghz duo DUAL core
600w power supply
ati all in wonder graphics card

so i put EVERYTHING together INSTALLED windows and got my computer working then it froze up when i was downloading THINGS i think its because of the ram so i shut down the computer by long pressing the power button then when i turned it on again it gave me an error to put in the motherboard disk i did and it gave me a partition drive error so i just left the computer off for a couple of days and my father accidently spilled some SODA onto it i checked everything seems to be working most of the soda was near the power supply and intel chip area, now when i turn on the computer i dont get any error except the computer turns off on its own i dot think its the intel chip overheating but the fan is on correctly and i would get an error when i enter bios. the computer turns off in around 15 seconds and if i turn it back on immediatly after it turns off the time decreases.. any help guysi fixed it turns on the processor was overheating im reinstalling windows to try and fix the other problem
Nice self-help Quote from: Broni on September 07, 2008, 08:58:06 PM

Nice self-help

Can you confirm that the computer is shutting down due to the temperatures?

What happens if you put an external housefan next to the computer to lower the temperatures?