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I have a Lenovo T60p laptop computer and until recently the charger was working just fine and then just stopped working. I had used the charger one morning and it worked, then when I was getting it from my bag to use it again I dropped it (maybe 3 or 4 feet) and then it wouldn't work. I can't imagine why dropping it such a short distance would 'break' it, but it worked before that and wouldn't work after.

Also, curiosly, if I strike it or drop it while it's plugged in to the wall and computer, the computer light will briefly light up, showing that the charger works. But it will only work for less than a second. If I repeteadly hit it (e.g. against my leg) I can get it to work as long as I keep hitting it over and over again. Clearly this isn't the solution I want.

My question is - can I fix it? What happened to it? Do I just need a new charger? It's frustrating that I might have to purchase a new charger just because I dropped it when taking it out of my bag.

All help is appreciated.

Charger info:
AC Adapter 90W 20V
You dropped it, it broke. Buy a new one and move on.http://www.power-battery.org/product.php?ref=115979-3364&from=base

Wow Computer_Commando, you really know how to give advice.

Thanks SpoilerQuote from: ArmandoC on December 21, 2009, 12:38:34 PM

Wow Computer_Commando, you really know how to give advice.

Thanks Spoiler

I can't imagine why dropping it such a short distance would 'break' it, but it worked before that and wouldn't work after.

I am wanting a new system, when I say system, I'm not sure about laptop, all in one or desktop. I am wanting it for web browsing, downloading, MUSIC, and basic gaming (games such as Zoo Tycoon, Rollercoaster Tycoon etc). My budget is £1500.

I have thought about laptop so I could use the blu-ray and plug into a new HD TV and I also have portability with it which isn't a biggy but is always good, but internal memory with a laptop is a minor issue but not a biggy. I use a 500GB hardrive at the moment. I have looked at the Alienware M15x with hard-drive, OPTICAL disc and battery upgrades and this came close to £2k and I couldn't quite JUSTIFY. Thing that caught me with the Alienware is how sweet it looks, I am spending big money and I want it to look remotely unique rather than run of the mill average looking lappy. With the laptop when it wasn't on the go, was going to just plug it into the mains with no battery and have it hooked up to TV (not sure how HDMI or VGR) when I am using the blu-ray drive.

Desktop would be ideal, I would have it hooked up the HD tv (30/40") permenantly if no issues arise due to this and maybe have it on the wall. If this was the case I would want an attractive looking case considering I am spending good money.

All in one would of been ideal providing it had blu-ray and plenty of mega access and most monitors come 25" monitors.

Do you guys gave any advice for me if possible. Kind regards, JoshIt seems to be the prevailing belief that laptops are generally less suited for "gaming" processes than desktops. As you seem to not have the aspect of portability high on your list this need not be the basis of your decision. However portability is usually the primary reason for the acquisition of a laptop. Seems to me unless others present contrary arguments your planned uses would be best served with a desktop. Not being familiar with today's currency exchange rates even so that £1500 sounds like a FAIR chunk of change and ought to get you something well up the rungs of a PC,whereas by default laptops are higher in price out of the gate. For what it's worth,truenorth

Hi, so having redecorated my room, I've had to move my computer. I've connected it all back up but the mouse won't work cause the software NEEDS installing. I put the disk in but I can't finish the installation cause I need to click ok and I need the mouse to do this cause my keyboard hasn't worked in forever. Any ideas? Thanx and Merry Christmas Any mouse should be able to perform all key functions with or without software drivers (the OS provides a basic driver). And why does moving the computer require you to reinstall the mouse software? And of course pressing ENTER would work.No keyboard and no mouse? He has bigger PROBLEMS than TRYING to install mouse software.My keyboard isn't working so I can't press enter with that and the arrow doesn't respond to the mouse. When I moved my computer I had to unplug everything and now the mouse doesn't work (it's not the mouse that came with the computer). When I FIRST bought the mouse I didn't need to install the software but I just can't get it to work. Help! Again, simply plugging in a mouse and keyboard is all that is needed for them to work. If they are not working something else is at play. I don't know what you did, but it was more than just move the computer.Quote from: Allan on December 21, 2009, 11:45:54 AM

Again, simply plugging in a mouse and keyboard is all that is needed for them to work. If they are not working something else is at play. I don't know what you did, but it was more than just move the computer.

when i held down SHIFT key more than seconds a message appeared. i don"t remembere how i answered it> now my keyboard is screwed up. the number keys on the number pad do not respond. the numbers on the keyboard appear as their "capital"
i WANT to restore the keyboard to factory direct settings < but i don"t know what that is
would love help>

using microsoft xp home
microsoft ergonomic keyboard FOUR thousand

thankshttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/932875
The LINK also has links to similar issues.

Sorry, I missed that

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
MAKE sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create BOOTABLE floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso TYPE, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to DISC" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

I was on my laptop (Asus X53Z RH61)(Windows 7) when out of NOWHERE the screen went black and then refreshed and everything from the desktop to the ICONS were large and stretched out. I then looked up everything and came across answers as to how to change the resolution, which didn't help, and updating the graphics driver, also didn't help. I then read about doing a system restore and when I did it everything went back to NORMAL. Then about 10 minutes later while I wasn't touching anything, it went black again and changed to stretched out! I wasn't even touching it! Someone please help me. I've looked up and tried everything I can figure out to do.It sounds like the graphics processor died.

When you were doing the system restore, was the laptop unusually/very hot?

When did you buy the laptop?About two years ago. And yes it does get pretty hot but it wasn't really hot at the TIME. Can you try hooking up an external monitor?

Hello , i am unable to restore my Dell Optiplex 960 in any way after replacing the HDD. I can get to the Dell screen and F12 to start off a Win7 disc but the HDD is not seen as a usable partition although it has been formatted as simple disc . It has run from external HDD in the past ( i have been playing around to learn as i am an apple user MOSTLY and usually can get my way around problems but this has me stumped....probably something easy i have missed.....
BTW the old HDD is not useable.

HELP!?
L.Not exactly clear how you are trying to restore...the restore partition would be on the dead HDD.
You can contact Dell and order recovery DVD's for a minimal charge + shipping....

Windows will not run on an external without a sledgehammer and 2 days of monkeying with it...this is by design.Hello and thank you for prompt reply!

I do have the 2nd recovery disc and will search for the 1st but i think its more to do with the HDD not being seen as a partition that can be used by the Windows INSTALLATION disc so i will seek out another Win PC and format it again to see if thats the trouble , it is a brand new WD Caviar Black 1TB and does show on apple machine as a useable disc so it is fine....

I must be doing some things right as i got Win7 to work via external HDD on this Dell! Pity i cant figure out the easy stuff then.........

THANKS.

L.GOT IT !
I formatted in Disk Manager on a smaller partition an did the long slow format then W7 installed just fine....
Some time later i found the recovery discs as well , Murphy's LAW......
Now to get that Lenovo laptop sorted , it has the same issue , have to re-install the system on new HDD , ahh the fun we create for ourselves!

Thanks for the help!

L.

CPU: Intel i 7 860 @ 2.80GHz
Mother board: Biostar TH55XE
Memory : Corsair DDR3 1600MHz 4GB x 4
Graphic card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 ti
Operating system: windows 7

am having major problem with my cpu heat, idle is around 60c, and can goes up to 99c when playing games. Just cleaned the fan and EVERYTHING and nothing changed. Thermal looks like dry out.

plan to buy a Phanteks PH TC14PE heatsink. does it fit in my mother board? will it decrease the temp? is there SOMETHING wrong with the cpu?Quote

Thermal looks like dry out.

This is the problem, if you clean off the dry thermal compound and apply new, this should solve it. No new heatsink should be needed unless the one you have is inadequate to keep it cool with proper bonding of CPU face and Heatsink bottom.

I suggest Arctic Silver, although there are better ones out there. I haven't had any problems with Arctic Silver, but the cheap white stuff that comes in a small packet with heatsinks that dont have it already applied is junk and drys up quickly. I lost a UT99 server because of the cheap white thermal compound.

I have a Dell M4300 with dock and I would like to run 2 external displays and the laptop display.

Currently using external USB VGA device for the 2nd external display. I would like to know if I can run 1st Ex. display off the dock VGA PORT and 2nd Ex. display off the dock DVI-D Port?

If no, is it better to have external USB DVI-D device? My current USB VGA device is old and the resolution is poor on 21" display so I am thinking of upgrading.The refresh rate/quality of USB VGA devices are just about always poor.

They work ok for PRESENTATIONS showing a powerpoint slide etc, some may be cloudy while others sharper as was the case between 2 brands of devices we tried out, but are not for gaming or watching movies on etc if thats your intent for the multiple displays. I believe that this is due to the communication bottleneck of trying to run graphics on USB. It seems as the higher resolution makes quality even worse for refresh time etc so, it has to be a lag caused by communication latency.

Laptops with multiple displays for gaming etc dont work out so WELL most of the time even if just using a 2nd display connected to the available VGA port, if you want gaming on 3 displays you will want to go with a desktop computer with 2 video cards configured for 3 displays.

The last time I played around with a USB Video adapter, I tried to run a youtube video through it and it was lagging between video and audio response, and some videos would black screen and you would only get sound. And the integrated video of the laptop ran it all fine on the laptop display. Last place I worked at had some users NEEDED to show presentations with laptops that didnt have the VGA out port to attach a projector to, so we used this easy and cheap solution vs replacing a large quantity of laptops. It worked ok for that purpose, but nothing like videos or gaming.Thanks
The External VGA (USB2VGA) I have works as you describe. Graphically OK for work environment. A little cloudy but useable.

Will an external DVI (Startech USB2DVIPRO) work better? Quote from: DaveLembke on March 28, 2013, 12:12:52 PM

\
Laptops with multiple displays for gaming etc dont work out so well most of the time even if just using a 2nd display connected to the available VGA port, if you want gaming on 3 displays you will want to go with a desktop computer with 2 video cards configured for 3 displays.

Thanks
The External VGA (USB2VGA) I have works as you describe. Graphically OK for work environment. A little cloudy but useable.

Will an external DVI (Startech USB2DVIPRO) work better?

Hello. I have looked all over the internet trying to get a solution to my computer issue. It's been way too long and I really need help with it because the problem is going from bad to worse. Well, the problem started when I had a corrupted external drive, but I bought Liveboot to fix that problem. Now the problem is worse and I think I made a mistake when I first started out with the external hard drive problem. I accidentally unplugged the USB while the computer was scanning my drive and that's how it became corrupted. I tried to fix the problem by setting my external drive as active. I think that may have been the reason I started seeing errors on my computer, like missing mbr. Now I can't even get to my desktop because the computer does not recognized my hard drive. The Liveboot cd gets me to their desktop, where I can run fixmbr., but it cannot find my hard drive. I've turned my computer off and plugged out my hard drive and then plugged it back in and started the computer. I've went into bios and set the hard disk as the primary boot. I don't know what else to do! How can I detect my hard drive in Bios, should it say "hard drive" in the boot to list, or something else? Also, should I set my hard drive to master in bios? I really don't want to touch anything else that I'm unsure about. Please, someone help me! Thank you in advance!First you have to give details about your system. What you describe is not typical of most PERSONAL computers running Windows.
What OS?
Desktop? Laptop?
New? Old?
Have you every replaced the CMOS cell?


I have a phoenix computer, fairly new, like 3 years old. It's a desktop. And no, I have never replaced a CMOS cell.Look for dust and loose connections. Change the CMOS cell.
What type of Hard drive is in the Desktop?
What kind of external hard drive?
A few Hard drives sold a few years ago had some issues. But nowadays they do not have five-year warranties. It might be that your hard driven is still inside the old warranty policy. No sure about that. What make and MODEL is it?
Both Western Digital and Seagate have free DOS based diagnostics available.
Third party programs to repair hard drives and software based, they do not really get deep into the hardware. If a hard drive has major hardware issues, you use if as a doorstop.
Quote from: Lexx on August 05, 2012, 04:54:56 PM

I have a phoenix computer, fairly new, like 3 years old. It's a desktop. And no, I have never replaced a CMOS cell.

I know this is kinda late, but I really do thank you Jason! I have the original disc and I had to reinstall windows xp, only to run into another problem. Now, windows xp is asking me for a password that I never set. I can't access the desktop unless I put the password and there is no way to undo it.

HDMI Output is black and WHITE since I have updated my graphics card. VGA cable works normal. Could you HELP me correct this please.Did you have HDMI working prior to this video card upgrade? If not you might have something set wrong. If it was working prior to video card upgrade, then its likely an issue with the card or driver.

Have you installed the latest drivers for the new card? If so, SWAP HDMI cable if possible to eliminate a bad cable.

LASTLY you may have a bad card that works for everything but HDMI communications and may have to RETURN it for a RMA replacement under warranty.

Hello recently i built a computer and it was working amazing but the case was a little old and grimy. I recently bought a case here is the link http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=6912C&cpc=RESX.
So i moved everything over and when i go to start up the computer it will not start the only thing it will do is light up the front led light for maybe .0001 of a second just enough to get a flash out and then nothing. It was working on my old case so its not the PSU right? need some help plz =D
-TutandhamDid you remember to use the MBoard standoffs when assembling the new beast ? ?Yea i forgot about that but new problem it will start up but wont do any thing then i noticed i didn't plug in the atx 12v plug from the power SUPPLY so i TURN it off and plug it in and try and start it up but it wont it will do what i was saying earlier so i think i might need a bigger power supply but that makes no sense why it worked on the other case so I'm boggled any ideas?Are you saying you forgot to put in the standoffs and then turned on the power?Yea but the computer will start up with out the 12v atx 6 pong cord thing but if i plug that in then it works You need a new hobby...and you haven't answered the QUESTIONS...
Their important.I have the problem with my Lap top USB port, when I plug the USB Port, it never detects but when I apply the force to do that it detects, How can I get rid of this problem.QUOTE from: dvdreplication on October 26, 2009, 12:03:57 AM

How can I get rid of this problem.

i haven't yet found any answer about the problem related to my USB port? If some one could give me some suggestion?

Hello recently i built a computer and it was working amazing but the case was a little old and grimy. I recently bought a case here is the link http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=6912C&cpc=RESX.
So i moved everything over and when i go to start up the computer it will not start the only thing it will do is light up the front led light for maybe .0001 of a second just enough to get a flash out and then nothing. It was working on my old case so its not the PSU right? need some help plz =D
-Tutandham

I'm just wondering if this will work. I have a webcam that I WOULD LIKE to use as a security camera. It has a USB plug. If I connect it to a zhome modem that I got for INTERNET service and no longer use and that to a wireless modem, can I transmit to my laptop?No.Thanks for the REPLY. I assume the problem, in layman's terms, is that neither the webcam nor the modem are processors and that a processor is REQUIRED to send any information?Absolutely correct...
The webcams Data has to be translated...
A modem only transmits data...it cannot interpret it.

I was turning on my computer, quickly following i get a 'usb INTERFACE is plugged in, please unplug to continue computer will shut down in 5 secs' error MESSAGE.

It continued to shut down over and over, so i unplugged everything but the stuff necessary to run a computer (mouse,keyboard, monitor,power) and the message finally disappeared.only now its stuck on the HP logo page. and i cant go in to check anything because now the keyboard wont work. it is getting power because it flashes twice. So I'm getting frustrated because i have tried three different KEYBOARDS, both regular and usb.Scan for VIRUSES!i would but i cant get out of the hp logo page in the FIRST place

'm sick and tired of my 5 year old Dell Inspiron 5150 PMSing all the time.
I've had it with the crashes, random errors, and general sluggishness.


I am looking to get a new PC, but don't know much about what I need nor what I should I get.

When I bought an HDTV, I knew the specs and brand to go for.
I knew the things which were important were:
1) Size (40 or better screen)
2) Resolution (1080p)
3) HzRate (120)
4) Brand (Sony, Samsung, or LG)


I'd like it if I could know what specs are important and what they should be for a PC.
Also, which brands are best.

My basic use of a PC is for internet browsing and doing work on MS Office.
I hate Dell and will not give them money.
Mac not only is too expensive, it had a different OS which I do not feel like getting accustomed to and it does not run well with GIS, a software I might (hopefully I won't) use.


If you can tell me which specs to get for these uses and which brands/models work best....I would most appreciate it.
Thanks! Hi Bluecountry. Do you have any idea what kind of budget you have for this? It'd help in making the best recommendations for you.

As for monitors, I'd stay away from Sony. Heard too much negative about them and that they're all name and little quality compared to some other brands. I've had an LG for about a year now and it's been great. I had an Acer monitor for 5 years before this one. I don't know much about Samsung ones though.things youl ook for in a computer are:

processor: often shown as Ghz, these can be single, double, triple or quad core processors;
generally the more cores you have to a processor the better a computer will multi task(using more then one programme). the two main MANUFACTURES of processors are Intel and AMD

RAM(Random access memory): this also contributes to how well a computer can multi task but plays more of a role in it. will often be shown in Gbs (4 gigabytes of ram)

Graphics card: these are needed to play most computer games, better cards provide better performance in game, it would be advised that you get a computer with a graphics card if you are going to use a 40 inch screen. the specs for a graphics card will often be shown as MBs eg. 512mbs. the two main manufacturers of graphics cards are nvidia or ATI.

OS: usually windows or Mac, but there are also other OS platforms(Linux)

Hard drive: how much data a computer can store, the average hard drive space for a desktop computer TODAY is anywhere between 500gbs and 1000gb(1tb)

optical drives: dvd player, cd player, blu-ray player etc

expandability: this depends on your motherboard, if you want a computer to use and upgrade over a longer period of time; then a good motherboard is essential. a better motherboard could mean anything from more slots for RAM or another graphics card slot(sli crossfire)

post back if you want to know anything moreThanks guys.
To answer and ask a few more questions


1) Budget is 500-750....though I can higher if needed but prefer this range.

2) For my uses, what do I need in each of the specs.
Example: For an HDTV I knew I need a resolution of 1080p. For my uses on a computer as described, what specs do I need:

a. Processor
b. RAM
c. Hard Drive
d. Graphics Card
e. Expendability
f. Brand?
g. OS I already know will be windows 7
h. optical drives will have CD/DVD and might have Blu-Ray

I do like to have many web browsers open and often have microsoft office open too.
I might start playing PC games again, don't know.
The big thing is web browsing and MS office, multitasking those.


3) How can I find out what my current PC's specs are, and possibly if they are the problem?look on the dell website but off hand, as i used to have a dell 5000 i could tell you they are likely to be:
3.0ghz single core processor
1gb of RAM
128mb video ati card
320gbs hard drive

wat i have is:

2.4ghz quad core processor
4gbs of RAM
512mb nvidia geforce 9800GTX+
160gbs hard drive
1000gbs hard drive
antec 900 gaming case

my system can be brought piece by piece or factory made if you go to the right place.
i get excelent performance from the newest games, i average around 60fps on highest settings

for your budget im not sure if you can get this as i payed £600 for this and a few spare parts and if your talking dollars then this will be out your price range

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883108233
here is a verygood computer however it doesnt come with windows 7 and doesnt have a graphics card, but is a very capable computer if you dont need modern gaming power and at a price well withing your range

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229124
this computer is fairly similar to the other one it has a graphics card but has less RAM, this computer also only has vista so an upgrade to windows 7 would be needed

Hmmm....I am a little confused.
First....I want a laptop.


I notice when I use my PC....when it is updating viruses it is SO SLOW.
It also is VERY slow with Youtube...and since day one it has been noisey with the fan running.


I think these are my specs...I went to my computer...right clicked...then properties.
These seem, particularly the GHZ...WAY too high given the dreadful performance.


Mobile (R) Intel (R) Pentium
4 CPU

3.06 GHz

512 MB RAM

I don't know if I have a video card.


I am looking for a very easy guideline I can use.
For my purposes...to have easy web browsing, youtube watching, and no interruptions with virus updates, what do I need?
What specific specs?


How about this?
Does this fit my needs...is it too much...or just enough?
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644570896&parentCategoryId=16154#specificationsI suggest this one: http://www.staples.com/Asus-U80A-RSTML05-Laptop/product_831633?cmArea=FEATURED:SC3:CG71:DP4118ah sorry you DIDNT say you wanted a laptop, so i got abit confused.
that sony laptop you showed is a very good laptop, it has blu-ray, 3.06ghz dual core processor, 500gb hard drive, 8gbs of ram, a good graphics card, a decent battery life, webcam and microphone, big 16" screen with high resolution settings and 1 year warrenty.

its an outstanding laptop for what you to do. but for $809 + service charges its a very hefty price

the other laptop is lower in price but its a pretty standard laptop without a decent graphics card, blu-ray player, microphone etc. the specs are worse and you dont get as much free software with it.

if you REALLY wanted a good laptop that will more then satisfy your needs then the sony Vaio is an unpassable option, it looks like a very good laptop.

but if your looking to save abit of money in the process and get a decent enough upgrade, go for the other one.ah, after looking at those specs on the sony website in awe, i just found out that the price at the top is the lowest price for a FW series laptop that you can get, and that laptop that is shown there is the best, and most expensive, FW series laptop you can get. so if you were to buy that specific laptop then it would cost you $1999.99.

the specs for the $809 laptop are as follows:

t6600 processor working at 2.2ghz
250gbs hard drive working at 7200RPM
windows 7 home
3gbs RAM
512mb graphics card
no additional software (except microsoft works)

and all for $809

seeing this i would definatly reccomend the other laptop from staplesTo be honest, I'd steer away from a Sony. Everyone I've known that's owned a Sony laptop has had nothing but complaints about it. Seems you're paying for a name and not quality when it comes to their laptops.

In my opinion, steer away from anything Sony, Acer, SVOA, or Samsung. I've seen more of these go through my shop than anything.

MSI is still kind of new to the laptop market, and I don't know much about them. Most of the reviews I've read about them (both professional and user reviews) have been good. However, I still have mixed feelings about them since I know a lot of people who have had issues with their computer components like motherboards.

ASUS is quite good. I've had two of them, both still in use. One I use personally and the other I gave to a friend and he's still using it (4 years old now).

Toshiba, while sometimes pricey, is also quite good. My first laptop years ago was a Toshiba. Dropped many times (oops) and had 4 drinks spilled on it (oops again). Lasted me for 6 years before the screen finally gave out. My girlfriend also has a Toshiba U100 which she loves. A tough little machine that is. She's had it for almost 4 years with no issues caused from it being a Toshiba.

HP isn't bad for the price. Not top of the line, but not bottom rung either. Currently, the laptop I use the most is an HP and I'm quite happy with it. It's about a year old now and I've had no issues with it. HP also acquired Compaq years ago, but I don't know if they've actually improved Compaq's line.

I would agree with quaxo. I've had really godd luck with Toshibas. I have had four of them since 1991 and had zero problems. I can't say that for the others I have had ( Dell, HP, Sony) except for an Acer that I used for about a year. It was basic, but worked pretty well.

When I plug in ANY mobile HDD into my USB port, the system could not detect its existence. The power LED of the mobile HDD is lit. The system does not prompt me for new hardware detection, neither could I find it in My Computer.

Is there any system or hardware setting I should check?Do other usb devices work properly?Yes, all other USB devices are working fine including a MOUSE, a keyboard, a printer, a PDA cradle....

I have four ports on board, and I have tried with all four of them, but none of them works for the mobile HDD....Connect one of the drives and wait a moment. Then open Disk Management. Does it show there?Does the drive work on other machines ? ?
Is it brand new ? ?Quote from: patio on December 14, 2009, 09:36:35 AM

Is it brand new ? ?

Okay. Everyone's terminology is different. External hd's use AC power and I couldn't be certain what you were describing.

a) The drive has a double USB "A" connection (like the middle screenshot you provided). One of the connections is for data and the other is for power. If only one is plugged in, then the drive won't be detected at all.
I've tried to plug in both connectors but it doesn't work either.
FYI, the owners use the mobile HDD with their laptops and only one connector is needed to be connected for it to work.

b) The drive has a single USB "A" connection that is for both power and data (like the first and last screenshots). However, these types of drives/enclosures will only work in a USB 2.0 port. If you're plugging it into a USB port that doesn't support 2.0, the drive won't be detected.
All three mobile HDD I've tried have double USB "A" connectors and I've tried all three with single and double connection, but no difference i.e. not working.

c) Certain brand-name PCs may have lower-powered USB ports that don't support the full 500 mA...
My system is custom built and not branded. How can I check the current supply of the USB port?

d) The drive inside the enclosure is not fully connected to its IDE/SATA interface.
The mobile HDDs work just fine with the owners' laptops.

e) The drive is kaput...
SAA.

f) The enclosure is kaput...
SAA.

g) Both e and f.
SAA.

I am buying a new case and it has a 250 MM Fan on the side and i was wondering how the RPM's and air flow work. The 120 MM fan i currently have is a 2000 RPM fan and moves air rapidly, Where the 250 MM is a 820 RPM and will not move as air as rapid? So does the size make up for the loss of RPM or how does that work?

any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.HERE


give special attention to "CFM"



edit: if you're still confused, google something like "computer fan cfm"http://www.xoxide.com/enermax-phoenix-neo-case.html


above is a link to my new PC case. i am looking for advice on how to set up the fans. there will be 2 120mm fans and a 250 mm fan. i understand positive and negitive CFM's now but am not sure on how to configure the fan set up. since the 250 mm is larger and moves more air

the 250 mm fan moves 109CFM
the 2x 120mm fans move 69 CFM eachHow you set up your fans depends on what type of flow system you want to use ie postive or negative

If you want a negative flow setup, then the CFM going out of the case has to be greater than the CFM going into the case. If you want a positive flow system, then the intake cfm has to be more and the exhaust fan displaces, which will force any air not displaced by the exhaust fan out of cracks and holes in the case.

Quote

the 250 mm fan moves 109CFM
the 2x 120mm fans move 69 CFM each

hello ..

i have upgraded my video card from Nvidia 8600GT to ATI 5770 two days ago .. and am having a PROBLEM with PC not booting after I turn it off for a while..The pc would boot again once I replug the monitor cable..The card works fine on games and doesnt seem to have any issues with windwos xp sp3 that am using.. I didnt have this issue befor with the 8600GT

by the way, When the PC boots after replugging, a dos msg appears saying : 'overclocking failed'?? , press F1 to load default values

I didnt overclock ANYTHING on my system so i have no clue why this is happening??

but Am guessing that my mobo ( which is more than one year old) must have its BIOS updated since the 5770 wasn't released until later this year..Do you guys agree? or am guessing wrong?

The power supply am using is Technoware 550W..

Motherbrd : ASUSTeK P5K SE Intel P35.
Processor : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6550 @ 2.33GHz.
Graphics : ATI 5770 1GB
Memory : kingmax Semiconductor 2 GB DDR2-SDRAM PC5300 .
Storage : 2 x WDC SATA-II 80 GB.

Did you remember to use the hold down screw when installing the new card ? ?
Sounds like the card is loose.

Stay away from flashing the BIOS...the vid card drivers should handle the proper operation of the card.dont think it has to do with the card being loose..because now the system is booting again when I press Ctrl+Alt+Del ??

I won't mess with BIOS for either the card or mobo..but why is this happening?? after leaving the system turned off for like two hours..the system powers up but no signal stays on standby..I have to press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart it then it would work...One of my questions remains unanswered...yea sorry patio..

The retailer who sold me the card fixed it in its place and i dont WANT to mess with that..You can at least see if the hold down screw on the top tab towards the back of the machine is in place and TIGHT...Quote from: patio on December 10, 2009, 05:39:41 PM

You can at least see if the hold down screw on the top tab towards the back of the machine is in place and tight...

Hi- I am a newbie. This forum has been a life saver for me several times. I have a curious problem with my epson R230 for the 4th time.
I use a CISS. I would be printing fine for a month or so then suddenly it starts printing blank pages. I have tried several cycles of head cleaning and squirting rubbing alcohol through the noozles with a syringe. Thinking that its a software problem, I disconnected the usb cable and did a test page print by holding down off/on & cancel button thing but it still goes through the motion of printing- printer starts up does a self priming, takes in paper & printer carriage moves back & forth but prints nothing.
This is the fourth printer in seven months. Three printers are just sitting looking all SHINY & new but useless.What can be the problem? someone please help. My pc is an intel core 2 quad @ 2.84 Ghz. 2 gb ram XP service pack 3
meren, By the sounds of things this is a "new" printer. If so i strongly advise using your warranty. First i would recommend phoning Epson if it is still under warranty and seek their free tech support. If you don't get pretty fast resolution i would use their warranty to return it to them. I have had and still have many Epson products. If you are fortunate enough to have your problems arise when the warranty is still in force then i have found them to be excellent. Don't forget the possible existence of an extended warranty if you happened to have purchased it with a credit card. Then if the warranty if in the extended stage it will be provided by the insurance of the particular credit card. If this option is not available then tell us and other possible solutions may be forthcoming. good luck,truenorthQuote

This is the fourth printer in seven months.

as far as I know epson does not make ciss or do they?

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum

I was lately thinking of creating my first custom PC. I have looked around the net for some good quality deals. I have a list of parts, prices ect. All I need now is a PSU. PROBLEM is, I have no idea about choosing one. I know how to connects them, install them ect. , I just don't know which to GET. How do I determine the amount of volts the PSU I want is? I have heard stories of PCs burning up when the voltage is too low, but does anything happen when it's too high? I can post a list of parts if you like

Hope you can help, MT.Travel to PCPower and COOLING for more info than you'll ever need for selecting a quality PSU based on your needs...
Don't be overwhelmed...take your time and browse thru the info.I'm still UNSURE, MAYBE you could help me out by choosing? I live in the UK. Which parts actually use the power? HDD, CPU, fans, Optical drive, is that about it? If I gave you the parts list can you recommend me one? Thanks.









































Power Supply Calculator

Hello i bought i new Intel Pentium 4 2.4ghz 478 socket and a new heat sink and FAN. I installed them last night turned the computer on and nothing happens i can see the fan COME on but nothing is on the screen. What's the make/model of the computer?

Why did you install another cpu? Was there an apparent problem with your system before that? If so, can you describe the problem?


Did you disconnect any cables (are all cables in place?)

Did you add a LAYER of thermal grease to the cpu, before placing the heatsink on top?Its a systemex celeron 2.0 ghz system with windows xp. The motherboard is foxconn model # 651m03-g-6l and yes i put themel grease on before putting the heat sink on. The reason why i was changing it is because the fan stop on the heat sink stop working and burn out the cpu Can you see anything on the screen at all? Can you see the bios screen after the power button is first pressed?




I get nothing at allI do not have a answer but could it be the CPU got hot enough to damage the motherboard as well?Next thing I would try is checking the "J3" jumper on the motherboard next to the cpu socket... If the jumper pins are not connected together, then find a jumper pin to short the two pins together, and try booting again. If the pins ARE connected together, then remove the jumper, and try booting. Opening or closing this connection allows for implementation of different versions of the Pentium 4...



If this doesn't WORK, power off the computer and unplug it from the wall.

Open up the computer and touch the chasis, or some piece of unpainted metal to discharge static.. Remove the cmos battery for about 30 seconds and reinstall it. This board allows for overclocking and when your other cpu FAILED, the old bios settings were kept and the so the board may be stuck at a speed unstable for the new cpu....Removing the battery will restore the bios settings to default

Power your computer back on and see if it boots this time. It may take you straight to the cmos setup interface where you'll have to re-enter the time/date and you'll have to reset other settings as needed..

Hi my friend has a TAILOR MADE 'DJ' laptop that has Dual 250gb HDDs, he wants to know if he can UPGRADE these to any larger size. Are there any factors LIKE type of harddrive, motherboard etc. that he'll have to consider.

Thanks,

Laurence. He can use any drive as LONG as it's physically compatible.

Hi there...
can anyone please help me with my problem on this computer as this is not booting properly...
from POST screen it indicates that we need to UPDATE BIOS SETTINGS TO UNLEASH ITS FULL POWER...
i can also see a message: UNKNOWN CPU...

motherboard: ASUS
Processor: 2.56mhz, Intel Core 2 Duo
HDD: Western Digital 80GB
RAM: 1GB

Please give me any idea to fix this problem. Thanks so much!!!
try using your recovery disk that should have come with your PC

use start-up repairHold off on the suggestion above for now.

Did the system ever work properly? If so, what happened between the last time it booted correctly and the first time it did not (new hw, sw, virus, error, etc)?yes, it was working well before when it suddenly began to be like what it is now...
i've also tried to set the BIOS SETTINGS but nothing happened...
same problem exists...

thanks so much for the replies...And does it boot after you see that message?

Run a full AV scan. If you can't get into the OS then use a boot time AV. That message you are getting about "unleashing its full power" is not a normal system message.Have you tried to load BIOS defaults after you changed the motherboard?
With the new motherboard did you received a new Processor as well?
My opinion is that you need to set the BIOS setting in accordance with your new motherboard.

The message that you posted it MIGHT be caused by unappropriated BIOS settings.

Cheers.i appreciate all your opinions and suggestions guys...
thanks so much!!!

prior of reading these messages, i had tried reformatting the hard drive...
at first it worked well...but as i go along with the process, the system is hanging, then when i REBOOT it,
it's not opening anymore, unless i will try opening it several times...

i'm really having hard time with this PC...please help me... You should have TOLD us all that in the first post.

Exactly how did you try to reformat (please tell us EXACTLY what you did)?i reformatted the HDD with windows XP professional and it now can able to proceed to its oerating system...
the only problem now is that, i'm having trouble everytime i'm opening it...
it's not powering up easily...
i need to restart it several times before it WORKS...Did you re-install all your drivers including the MBoard chipset drivers ? ?yes, i have installed all drivers that are needed...
i have observed that even without HDD the same post occurs.

i'm thinking that it might be one of the hardwares that are attached on the motherboard is the problem or maybe the motherboard itself. it's just that, i can't determine which of those is. what do you guys think?

you know the green LIGHT thats always next to the red light that shows that power is on and the red one is to show that its booting well the green light wont turn on and the signal wont be sent to the monitorYep.

Don't forget to mention the YELLOW one...Im serious I really need help my cpu turns on but the monitor is not receiving the signal from the cpu it wont recognize that the cpu is on.What patio is saying is that the only place red and green lights are STANDARDIZED is on traffic signals. Not all computers have the same lights so we don't know what lights you're talking about. Forget about the lights - just tell us exactly what happens when you start the system. Also tell us what happened between the last time the system started properly and the first time it did not (new HW, sw, virus, error, etc).i was fixing the sound with the program alteck 3d sound when the speakers went off and the screen turned black, therefore I rebooted the system and the cpu wont send the signal to the monitor that the cpu is on.


Quote from: lebranx on December 14, 2009, 03:46:25 PM

i was fixing the sound with the program alteck 3d sound

I don't know what that means


when the speakers went off and the screen turned black, therefore I rebooted the system

How did you reboot?

and the cpu wont send the signal to the monitor that the cpu is on

One last time - EXACTLY what happens when you try to boot?

My mom's pc is only about 8 months old and just quit on her the other day. She was using it when it suddenly switched off. She tried turning it back on and nothing. I checked it out and noticed the little light at the back of the case is on, but when you press the power button nothing happens. I'm thinking perhaps it's the power supply, which would be a fairly easy, inexpensive fix. If the power supply is bad, is this the typical behavior? If not, what are some other things it could be? If it's 8 months old, don't touch it, if you don't want to void the warranty.
Call manufacturer.I was thinking that, but I bought it for her online from Cyberpower pc. There is a limited warranty, but I don't want to have to deal with the hassle and expense of shipping the whole pc back to them when it's (hopefully) just the psu. Also, with it being the holiday season, I have a feeling it might take longer to get it back than she's willing to wait. I am emailing them though, to see if maybe they will just send a new psu (longshot).If it's under warranty, you shouldn't be paying for shipping.
CONTACTING them first is a good idea though.
I'd call them instead of emailing them.I shouldn't be, but the main issue at the moment is my mother's IRRITATION that her computer isn't working, and she wants it fixed now


With that in mind, I'm going to have to pick up a new psu today to see if I can fix it. I've DONE various work on computers, replacing cards and drives, etc, but never a psu. Are they fairly universal (with the exception of voltage ratings, of course)?

Also, before I get too ahead of myself, is there any way to check that the psu is the problem ahead of time? A friend suggested the mobo may be bad, but is there any way to rule one out over the other?roccenstein, Broni has given you excellent advice and if nothing else BEFORE you do anything you should call the vendor or the manufacturer and see what kind of reception you get again BEFORE you start pulling the unit apart and changing things which will undoubtedly end any possible satisfaction under the warranty. With all due respect a bit of patience may be in order here.truenorthThanks for all the advice guys. While you were right about contacting the company, you underestimated my mother's impatience. I ended up buying a 450 watt psu from Amazon for $20, which got here in two days. Turns out the psu was the problem after all, and while we may have been able to get it fixed for free from the manufacturer, I didn't have to hassle with shipping it back to them, and in my opinion $20 is a small price to pay.Sometimes there are alternatives that work.This appears to be one of them.However i wouldn't want to bet on positive results in the future on that computer if another fault occurs and a warranty is ASKED for given a non manufactured part having been installed in it. truenorthYou should always order 2 20 dollar PSU's...they don't last long.Quote

You should always order 2 20 dollar PSU's

You should always order 2 20 dollar PSU's...they don't last long.

I am about to attempt to install a second used hard drive, this drive uses an Ide cable the master uses sata. The ide cable i have runs one of the cd roms i have. How can i install this hd a SLAVE with the master using sata, also this drive has XP installed on it so i do not want it to boot from it, i really just need to get some pictures and things off it then format and use as slave.



Found out i can use drive with the ide cable but still do not know if it needs to be set to master or slave due to the cd rom being on the same cable



Thanks Bunafireman825Slave if you don't want it to boot.

MB==========================Master=========Slave.The master uses sata cable do i still Slave?I would...but it may not matter...SATA doesn't have a concept of Slave and master. Each SATA connection on a motherboard connects to one device; there is no sharing between two devices of the SATA connection.

Boot order generally goes from lower to higher numbered slots.Installed drive using ide drive jumper to slave then to CDROM. Used boot MENU to set sata drive a primary boot, everything works well.


Thanks Bunafireman825The used hd has a partition for system recovery on it how do i go about making it work for this computer now.

Thanks Bunafireman825Quote from: bunafireman825 on December 14, 2009, 07:54:53 PM

The used hd has a partition for system recovery on it how do i go about making it work for this computer now.

My Panasonic Let's NOTE CF-W5KW8AXR laptop' SCREEN intermittently goes very very dark. I can just barely see the icons enough to properly shutdown or restart.

It has been doing this for a couple of days. At this very minute, the screen light has returned. It has been coming and going regularly for a couple of days. We spoke to the Panasonic service center and they said that the problem is either (1) the LCG or (2) the inverter board. The former being over $700 to repair while the latter as much as $350.

Again, it comes and goes and the screen is just barely visible with a bit of hard work / squinting.

What must it be? It is my 2nd laptop to do this. The other is a Toshiba Tecra with exactly the same symptoms.

Those can't be US dollars?
I converted Japanese yen into USD. So, yes, that is approx. in USD.Those are high prices. Here in Britain, One would expect to pay one third to one half of those prices for a typical laptop. Possibly your laptop is special in some way? It is not a model sold in Europe. HOWEVER, unless a laptop is almost new, the cost of a MAJOR repair can be GREATER than its value. Even for a cheap brand like Dell. I agree that the inverter board may be involved, or else the backlight. I am a little surprised if the LCD has to be replaced completely, unless the backlight is integral and cannot be replaced separately. Maybe a new computer would be a better investment.

How important is the portable aspect? You could buy an external LCD monitor for much less than $700.

I've finally bought the new CPU [C2D E7500] and GPU [NV GTS 250] for my system and I am PLANNING to install the new components soon.

However, I was reading on various reputable computer tech websites that replacing the CPU may warrant a Windows reactivation or reinstallation or so (as apparently the activation key includes a unique identifier of the CPU).

Would it be possible to change the CPU from a Pentium D 805 to my new Core 2 Duo E7500 without having to reinstall Windows? I've already checked that the new CPU is compatible with my GIGABYTE motherboard.

When I changed a previous PC's cpu from a Duron to an Athlon XP in 2002 I didn't have to reinstall Windows. If, after installing the new CPU, Windows asks for revalidation all you would have to do is call Microsoft and get a new code.

Link

I've used this method with success...

Although not going from a single to Dual-Core though...

If it does not work: Repair Install of XPThankyou for your replies;

Both the CPU's are dual core, but different architecture - (Pentium >> Core 2).

I shall see how it goes in the following few days.Back up all your data just in case. Then, if it doesnt work after the switch, then I would say to reinstall. Sure, you can, but don't use the old CPU cooler if you have a stock cooler.maybr you want to make an image of your hd in case you need to REVERT back to previous state and by having the disk handy, you'll not need to reinstall from nothing.Quote from: 2x3i5x on December 09, 2009, 01:28:16 PM

maybr you want to make an image of your hd in case you need to revert back to previous state and by having the disk handy, you'll not need to reinstall from nothing.

Hi, I have taken the HDD from our old "dead" PC, both are on XP home.
It seems to be working okay, I can see the contents etc.

The old computer had many games on it...will these be able to be played on the new PC as if they were still in the old PC.

When I look in My computer - I can see the TWO folders that were there before

ONE named Shared documents..........one named Brian's documents

Under here is - hard disk drives

local disk (c:) - this is in fact the "new" slave HDD (40gb with 25gb used)

and

local disk (I:) - this is the existing HDD DRIVE (160gb with 27gb used)

Will I be able to work within the slave HDD as if it was the "only" drive when I want to?

Under here is

devices with removable storage

removeable disk (d:) - no longer CONNECTED
removeable disk (E:) - no longer connected
removeable disk (F:) - no longer connected
removeable disk (J:) - no longer connected

As I do not need to use these any more - should I delete the icons - if I do - where from -- what will be the effect of doing so?

When I click on (C:) (the slave HDD) I can see folders

05c20c485e.............
b02bb490.................
bb4de077..................
config.Msi
d22130f9b.................
ddad134cff...............
Delux
MPS
Windows
file SNPT 513-media

I may wish to put this HDD back in the old PC at some stage......if I drag and drop the above folders into a (keeping them from view folder...so as they are not easily accessed by users....will they still work when put back into the old PC)

There is obviously the program files folder....is there a way to access these programs in the new PC.

Cheers

Steve




Quote from: moonrakermagpie on December 14, 2009, 12:23:37 PM

...Under here is - hard disk drives
local disk (c:) - this is in fact the "new" slave HDD (40gb with 25gb used)
and
local disk (I:) - this is the existing HDD drive (160gb with 27gb used)
...

From what you have stated, it appears that it booted from the "new" slave HDD. You need to determine exactly which hard drive this computer has booted from before you move or delete anything. Why would you want to "dual boot", when both are WinXP? Change boot order in the BIOS to boot from the 160.

1. I pulled the jumper from the "old" HDD (no jumpers)
2. it is at the end of the ribbon cable
3. how can it boot from the slave...

1. Why? WD no jumper is Master, no Slave present. Seagate no jumper is Slave.
2. If no jumper is Cable Select and cable is 80-conductor, it will be the Master.
3. Change boot order in BIOS.

Master doesn't have to be the boot drive. Slaves can boot, too. Change boot order.

1. Why? WD no jumper is Master, no Slave present. Seagate no jumper is Slave.
2. If no jumper is Cable Select and cable is 80-conductor, it will be the Master.
3. Change boot order in BIOS.

Master doesn't have to be the boot drive. Slaves can boot, too. Change boot order.

The old HDD is a maxtor 6E040L0 and is listed in the boot menu as 1st slave.

>HDD Group
- 1st master: HDS722616VLAT80
- 1st Slave: Maxtor 6E040L0

1. Does this mean it is booting from the 1st master.
2. ANOTHER problem...I think the antivirus is seeing the .exe files in the "old" now slave (C:) drive as viruses...is this common
3. I pulled the jumper 'cause it said on the back...no jumpers = slave...

1. It's usually on the Boot menu page and the top one would be the 1st one. I don't understand why boot drive is not C-Drive and your 1st post indicated it was booting from the Maxtor.

>>WEll...when I first booted up after fitting the slave...yes the (C:) was on the left hand side of the screen the (I:) on the right. I could see that what was labeled (C:) was the maxtor from the old PC from the files it contained.

>>from the boot menu listing...does it mean that the maxtor is the slave and not being booted from?
2. It shouldn't, no, not common.

>>with the maxtor disconnected...the PC av is now flashing up warning about .exe on the existing (I:) HHD what could be the reason for this starting??
3. Disconnect Maxtor and relabel drive under properties, so you can figure out which drive is which when both are connected.

>> I could tell which was which by the contents... (C:) was maxtor....(I:) original

Many thanks

It's 3am so going to beddy by's

Hi guys, i'm having somekinda PROBLEM.
So I had three short beeps but i'm not sure from where I had like first three short beeps, and than about 30 mins later i had another three short beeps during Windows session, after beeps nothing changes computer doesn't reboot, no change in visual or performance EXPERIENCE. Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool didn't find anything. It's my first encounter with this thing (It's not really a problem, but i want to know, maybe i need to do something, maybe it warns me about something).
I bought my computer about year ago.
I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium OEM
If you need any specs please respond.Have you checked into your CPU temp? Most systems will BEEP to warn you that they are running hot and the beeping stops when the temp drops below the alert value. I'd run speedfan on the system and watch the temp of the system during the beep process. speedfan allows for you to set it in a graph mode so you can start it, minimize it in graph mode and do whatever with system that causes it to beep, then when it beeps, stop what you are doing and go back to the graph of speedfan and look at temps and more importantly the CPU temp maximum recorded. You might find that it peaks at a high value when the beeping happens and then cools.

The only other 3 times I have seen systems that beep randomly was one system with a keyboard that would randomly MALFUNCTION and act as if a key was held down and make that noise, as well as an old Pentium 4 system that I worked on that had leaking and swolen capacitors around the CPU in which the system would randomly make beeping noises, and also a common location for beeps is a battery backup that has a battery that is ready to fail or a short dip in power in which the battery backup goes through its beeping process to alert that it is having to power the computer through a dip in power or power outage.The computer i'm talking about is Laptop manufactured by Samsung and my processor is Intel Code i5 (2.40 ghz.) So i don't think it could be processor.
But it's going to be hard to check temp. when it beeps, because it's only like three fast beeps and that's it (Today I only had two times of these beeps) and usually when something is hot inside my computer vent goes crazy (When i'm playing games, and when i stop playing vent runs silently again and it vents out cool air).
Maybe it's nothing, but as i said i will try to keep my eye on it.
GPU: 46 (Green Tick)
HD0: 35 (Blue Arrow Down)
Temp1: 52 (Fire Icon)
Temp2: 30 (Blue Arrow Down)
Core0: 51 (Fire Icon)
Core1: 53 (Fire Icon)

Temperature of these devices changes all the time (One second it's 46 for GPU another second it's 49 and few seconds later it's 44).
Computer's fan vents only cool air out, and it spins silently.
As i said already computer's fan only goes crazy when i'm playing games, and when i stop it goes silent again...

*Sorry there is not such processor like Intel Code , mine is Intel CORE i5 (2.40 ghz.)Probably a low battery signal warning...

Pentium 4 2.8 GHZ. I find it strange that it even boots at all. USUALLY when there is a problem with the BIOS recognizing a CPU, it will either work or it won't. Do you think it's possible it's miss reading the speed? Check CPUZ for the speed. It is a P4, which is fairly old, so I think the BIOS image is likely a floppy image. If you don't have access to a floppy (don't blame you), you can add a floppy image to a CD ISO if that type of image is not provided. I use UltraISO for this, but many programs also support it (PowerISO also). In the menu somewhere, you should be able to find "Load boot file" or something similar. Do that, select your image that you DOWNLOADED, and then burn the CD. Remember boot order in BIOS!CPUZ confirms the clock speed is the same as Windows system information: CPU 3.8 clock speed 2.79. I am not sure how to follow the second part of your post. Thanks for your contribution. Quote from: Salamander on April 09, 2013, 02:25:41 PM

Pentium 4 2.8 GHZ.

CPUZ confirms the clock speed is the same as Windows system information: CPU 3.8 clock speed 2.79. I am not sure how to follow the second part of your post. Thanks for your contribution.

Ok this is what is written on the old processor.

Intel (looks like) h o
Pentium ( R in circle) 4
2.93 GHZ/1M/533/0YA
SL85V MALAY
L512A592

What do you think? SOL?

Could well be, but remember this is the old CPU that was fitted by the manufacturers Fujitsu Siemens and worked quite happily from when I bought the machine from new in about 2005 and was still working till I decided to be really clever and upgrade it.

I have a Seagate Replica 250gb external Hard Drive, and all the sudden a strange problem has arose. I keep my Itunes library on the Seagate so my computer hard drive wont fill up completely, and it has always worked fine for the six months I've used it for this. Anyway all the sudden today when I plugged my Seagate Replica into the USB Interface port to LOAD some more music into my library, it wouldn't connect and when it finally did it said drive E (the seagate hard drive) needed to be formatted to work with my computer. This is strange because it's worked fine for months and now all the sudden it gives me this message. The biggest problem HOWEVER regarding this issue is that in order to re format my seagate replica is that everything on it has to be erased, which includes school documents as well as my music. Does anyone know why this problem would suddenly occur, or have any suggestions? I appreciate any help I can get.

ThanksAbsolutely not!
Do not, for any reason, format that drive. This is a false message that Windows gives when something is wrong with the USB interface for a mass storage device.
I is difficult from here to know exactly what happened. But this is a problem that other people have reported many times over and over.
There just is something about the USB system and external drives that just does not seem to work right.
Is this on a laptop? If so, go find a friend that has a desktop PC and figure out some way to hook the external drive into the desktop. But do not use the USB adapter. Instead, find some way to hook that drive directly into the desktop. Most likely the drive is perfectly all right and all your data is still there. By the way, is this thing still under warranty? If so, you NEED to contact the manufacturer of the enclosure. Was this an all-in-one enclosure? I mean to say was the device and the drive purchased as a single unit from a vendor? Is it as Seagate product? I mean is the entire package got a Seagate brand on it? Seagate is very good about standing behind their products. But that may not be the case for enclosures that are made and packaged by others.








Quote from: Geek-9pm on December 17, 2009, 04:05:09 PM

...I mean is the entire package got a Seagate brand on it? ...

I have an IBM Think Centre 814815U computer running XP Home Edition with a 230 watt power supply. I just bought a GeForce 6200 512mb VIDEO card for it and read on the box that I need a 300 watt power supply to run it. WOULD it cause problems that would harm the card or the computer if I tried to run it? Or would it cause the graphics card or other computer systems stress or not to perform at optimum levels? I DONT care if the power supply burns out, I'll just put a big one back in. Three things could happen.

1. The video card does not perform properly. It may need 300W at full power, but may use less at idle. May lock up the computer when you try to run GPU-intensive applications.

2. The PSU draws power AWAY from other critical COMPONENTS to try and power the video card, damaging parts or causing erratic system behavior.

3. The system overdraws power from the PSU, and burns it out.

Time to upgrade!Thx man, I'm glad I asked now

Hi from a noob

I have a noisy graphics card fan. My pc is about 18 months old, so I assume something on it is wearing out. I've taken out the whole graphics card and blown off all the dust, it is nice and clean now but still noisy. When I look at it while the side is off I can see it is probably not turning round as fast as it should. If I touch it with the rubber end of a PENCIL, the noise STOPS (and, of course, so does the fan!)

The graphics card is an Nvidia Geforce 8600 GTS.

Can anyone tell me if I probably need to replace the fan? If so, how do I find one that is compatible? Would a Zalman VF900 CU be ok? Would it be straightforward to take off the old one and replace it with a new (is it just a question of unscrewing one and screwing the NEXT on)?

Should I try using some oil first ? And, if so, what sort?

Also, in the meantime, is it ok to keep running my computer or will that damage my graphics card?

I really am not very savvy with computers, so please explain any ANSWERS in simple terms!
Thankyou.With the card out of the machine carefully remove the fan...2/4 screws.
Then bring it with you to a PC STORE to match up a replacement.
I've rescued dozens of vid cards this way.

NOTE: Make sure if the receptacle is 3 prong to replace it with the same...Just wondering...When you cleaned off the dust, did you hold the fan still?

Many fans end up broken because users accidentally get their fans up over 3000+ RPM, which stuffs the bearings in them, and causes them to sound even worse.

Happened to me a few times

I have a Dell Inspiron 1720 laptop running Vista and a cordless logitech wave keyboard. I use an external monitor and I want to keep my usb ports powered during sleep so that I can use my keyboard to wake my computer from sleep without having to open and close the laptop lid everytime. Is there a way to do this? THANKS!Quote from: bills742 on December 15, 2009, 05:36:09 PM

I have a Dell Inspiron 1720 laptop running Vista and a cordless logitech wave keyboard. I use an external monitor and I want to keep my usb ports powered during sleep so that I can use my keyboard to wake my computer from sleep without having to open and close the laptop lid everytime. Is there a way to do this? Thanks!

Check the settings in power options. You can create a custom setting that does not power off usb.

usually on a desktop there is a jumper that allows you to control the +5VSB voltage to the PS/2 Ports and the USB ports, however, as this is a laptop, the setting may be in the BIOS, or Sykes suggestion may work.

To access your BIOS, look for a message as the laptop is booting, like press F2 to enter setup, or similar. it may be Del (delete) F10, F9...different manufacturers have different keys, under anything relates to power /power management may lie your answer.

Something like USB power in sleep or something else similar.

Goodluck!

EDIT: I was right, you need to change a BIOS setting, I found it out on this page here http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19272402.aspx

So you just need to open the BIOS and change the Wake from USB setting under power management.

Thanks Kurtiskain, this worked!

Does that carry over into sleep mode though? I was under the impression that only applied to while the computer was on, but idle for a certain amount of time.

I just built this computer, so I'm quite mad that something is already messing up with it. I'll be in the middle of a game when suddenly this weird random beeping will come out of my headset, my mouse will start lagging like crazy, I can't click, and my keyboard doesn't respond to anything. I have to restart for it to stop happening.

Just tonight, it seemed to happen really badly, to the point where I turned my computer back on, and it turned itself back off. I turned it on again, and it said overclocking failed (I never tried to?). My first thought was a heating issue, but I don't see anything GETTING too hot in Hardware Monitor.

I recreated the beeps in Audacity as best I could from memory. It's close enough to get an idea of what I hear: http://ge.tt/7w6kRvd/v/0 (they continue until I restart)

Hardware Monitor while idle (I have chrome, League of Legends [only pvp.net], RaidCall, and HW Monitor open. Actual Multiple Monitors and VMWare were in the background): http://oi45.tinypic.com/35ldog5.jpg

Hardware Monitor while the same things are open, but also playing LoL in-game (usually when the beeps and freezing starts): http://oi49.tinypic.com/2h7ic5h.jpg

My PC: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21661325 (everything except the SSD and graphics cards since I haven't bought them yet).

On thing I want to add is that I was dual-screening using he onboard video. I'm since switched to single monitor just in case that might have been the issue.


Crossposted on Tom's Hardware: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1651181/random-beeping-mouse-lags-keyboard-response.htmlTemperatures look fine.

One thing comes to mind - The Newegg list shows you have 2x4GB STICKS of RAM.
Are those sticks on the same colored slots in the motherboard? (i.e. blue and blue or black and black).
If you have one stick on the black slot and one on the blue, it might be the source of these errors.

One more question, do you have all the appropriate drivers installed for your System? Did you install them manually or did you let Windows auto-detect?Almost forgot;

Quote from: Bkid on April 12, 2013, 11:53:39 PM

On thing I want to add is that I was dual-screening using he onboard video. I'm since switched to single monitor just in case that might have been the issue.

Hello, Im new to this so HI

RIGHT first off is the problem with my webcams, on my laptop and desktop
i use wiresless to conenct my laptop
but the problems come when i try and use it on Msn

it sends the invitation, i can see myself, but before it conencts it says
"The WEBCAM session has ended"

here below is taken from a CONVERSATION where it happens


You have invited ' ·#·$14гacнιeeemclean·$#8000FF♥·$0 to START viewing webcam. Please wait for a response or Cancel (Alt+Q) the pending invitation.

' ·#·$14гacнιeeemclean·$#8000FF♥·$0 has accepted your invitation to start viewing webcam.

The webcam session has ended


this happens on my desktop and laptop

any ideass? thanks in adavance

I use Windows XP.

I have no sound at all on my computer. Cannot even call the sound test service on skype as there is no ringing tone.



All settings are in order but even if I try to play a cd no sound comes out.

I am at a loss and have been wracking my 74-year-old brain for the last three hours IN VAIN----ending up with a splitting headache!Does anyone else use this PC ? ?
Sounds silly but check all the obvious things 1st...
Volume on speakers turned up ?
Speaker jack connected firmly ?
Are there any Yellow ?'s in Device Manager ?

Also i believe Skyp has it's own volume control along with the Windows one in Control Panel...so check them both...Thks for prompt reply. I am the only person using this computer, no one else.

All the points you mentioned have been checked and are ok.

Any other suggestions plse?All devices showing up in device manager properly ? ?
As i don't use Skype i can't REALLY advise on the issue...other than re-installing it...

Someone else may be along shortly.If it was WORKING before have you tried to go back and reset the computer to a previous date when it was working. SOMETIMES funny things happen without any rhyme or reason.After a lot of further trial and error, I discovered that the cable connected to the speakers had come off loose (disconnected). You see, my computer is in a small corner of our spare bedroom in a tiny maisonette and therefore my CABLES are not always easy to reach as one has to stoop down to the floor and, more or less, work blindly to check the cables in a hard-to-reach corner.

Thks again for your help, particularly yr patience with me.

GUZEPPI from the Middle Sea.Quote from: Guzeppi on APRIL 13, 2013, 04:19:29 AM

I discovered that the cable connected to the speakers had come off loose (disconnected)

I have a Sony Vaio, older computer, operating Windows XP, After utilizing a borrowed flash drive the other day all USB ports stopped working, those on the front and rear. I have usually connect printer, camera, ipod, etc. When attempting, there is no response. I uninstalled all usb connections and rebooted, however all external connections do not work. Is this problem fixable, any ideas??? When reinstalling I used printer disc and it says all drivers are ALREADY installed. 1. Let's try a hardware reset of the USB circuit. The theory is if you remove "all" power from the circuit, it should then recognize power on and perform hardware reset of its circuit (and firmware?) to an initialized state (Hey, I read this in a blog once. It's simple, easy, and worth a shot).
a. Shutdown the operating system gracefully.
b. Power off the computer
c. Turn off power supply switch on back if there is one.
d. UNPLUG the power cord to computer.
e. Push the power button on computer to bleed off any residual charge (hold it in for ten seconds or so).
f. Unplug all the external USB connections (except keyboard and possibly mouse).
g. Plug power cord back in.
h. Turn on power switch on back for power supply if there is one.
i. Push power button for computer system startup.
j. After operating system settles down, plug in a known working USB device (not the unlucky borrowed USB flash drive).

2. Let me know if this works... Or if there's any recognition at all from the computer that there's been a disturbance on the USB bus...I did as you said with no luck. It did not recognize my printer, or Ipod. Any other suggestions? I've considered wiping system out and starting over however I have 3 years of PICTURES of my kids saved on the computer and don't want to loose them. I am grateful for any help or suggestions you may have to offer. Thanks in advance.Quote from: Bri1608 on December 16, 2009, 06:57:15 PM

I did as you said with no luck. It did not recognize my printer, or Ipod. Any other suggestions? I've considered wiping system out and starting over however I have 3 years of pictures of my kids saved on the computer and don't want to loose them. I am grateful for any help or suggestions you may have to offer. Thanks in advance.

If you where given the choice between these two RAM modules:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147%201052129233%201052315794%201052438355%204017&StoreType=-1&CompareItemList=N82E16820231281%2cN82E16820231282&bop=And

which would you choose?

The SPECS are exactly the same; word for word. Is one better than the other? Or are they the same RAM modules with different Heat spreaders.

If there is a difference, is it enough to justify the extra $15?

NNJZ
(FORMERLY known as Image)The only difference seems to be that one is the Trident SERIES and one is the Ripjaws series. I'm not familiar with this brand of memory. This MIGHT shed some light: http://www.gskill.com/products.php?c1=1&c2=3&c3=31Quote from: Image on DECEMBER 17, 2009, 08:39:33 AM

If there is a difference, is it enough to justify the extra $15?

NNJZ
(Formerly known as Image)

I just purchased a microphone headset that has two jacks on the end, the guy said to plug them in the back of the COMPUTER. I have six inputs back there, I see the symbol of a mic, but I don't know what the other symbols mean. I ALSO have speakers on my desk, one speaker has volume, bass, treble control, and two inputs, shows symbol of headphones and Aux. Can I just plug my two jacks into the inputs on the speakers? I also have a webcam with a mic in it, do i have to turn my webcam mic off while USING these headphones? Not sure where to plug these two headphone jacks into, or what to do with the mic on my webcam. I have a Dell Inspiron 530, below is a link thats shows the back of my computer. Once on web page click the upper top left of picture "View Images" to see back of computer. Can ANYONE help me? Thanks........ There isn't a link below. Never mind. It is not needed. Look in your Dell user guide to identify microphone and headphone sockets. Or search Google Images for pictures of microphone and headphone sockets to see what color they are and what the symbols look like.

OK I'll do that for you. Microphone is USUALLY pink and headphones / center speakers usually green.



One of the jack plugs will be for the microphone, so plug that one into the mcirophone socket and the other will be for the headphones, so plug that one into the headphone socket. Look in headset instructions to identify which is which. I expect the microphone plug will only have one band (mono) but the headphone plug will have two (stereo). In any case you can tell by trial and error which is which. Yes you probably should disable your webcam microphone.



It looks like you have a microphone and headphone jack on the front of your computer. That's where you should plug the new headphone/mic into, not into the back.

If you have a standard USB camera/mic it uses the USB connection for both audio and video.

When you plug in the headphones to the front of your computer it should automatically disconnect your external speakers.

You will probably need to mute your web cam mic when using the headset.

Hello,
I am Getting a New PC and an selling the old one. I have a single HDD with 2 partitions on it C: and E:. all the SOFTWARE and unmovable files are on the C: but it is only 42GB. where my E: is 180 GB with all my games and mis stuff on it. I have a program to modify and delete partitions. my question is, can i completely remove the E: partition and the make the C: the entire HDD with out harming my PC? my goal is to make it like new.To be on the safe side i would create an image file of both partitions 1ST...

There are partition apps out there that say they can move/resize partitions with no data loss but personally i would never take that chance...i just need the c: partition and want to completely remove everything on the E: . can i create a image file of just the C: drive. if there is data loss would it effect the c: since i am increasing the size by 180GB. I'm not very familiar with creating image files so...To add to patio's post, the answer to your question is yes, in theory there should be no problem USING a program like easeus partition manager do do what you want. But as patio said, when PERFORMING ANY drive level function you should first create an image to which you can recover should worse come to worst.

EDIT - we posted at the same time. Yes, you can just create an image of C: regardless of any difference in free space or total drive size before or after repartitioning.i think thats what ill do and i do actually have the partition program you mentioned (Easeus). how do i create a image file of the HDD?http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/backupandimage.shtml#imaging

Macrium is an excellent free utility. If you want the best and are willing to pay, get Acronis True Image. You should be using imaging software on a regular basis anyway.Thank you for your help. ill be sure to post if i have any troubles. =)

I'm trying to install a pair of new ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics cards into my ASUS P5W DH Deluxe motherboard, but when I install them, the computer won't boot. No BIOS: nothing but whirring fans that won't quit or slow down.

I tried using just one of the cards, WITHOUT the CrossFireX system, but that changed nothing.
I had to put my old (malfunctioning) cards back in just to turn the computer on.

Does anybody have any idea what's wrong or how to fix this?Install 1 at a time...load the drivers and re-boot.
Then follow the instructions from the board manuf. on setting up a crossfire setup...I can't install either one if the computer won't START.Remove both of them and start over...1) What's the WATTAGE of the power supply you're using? 2 x 4890s in Crossfire is going to require some juice...

2) Do you have the six-pin PCI-e connectors from your power supply plugged into both cards?I managed to resolve the issue.

It TURNS out that each card has two 6-pin PCI-e connector ports, and each requires power from both at the same time, meaning I needed four PCI-e 6-pin power connectors for both cards.

My power supply only has one cord that splits into a pair of the plugs, which was fine for my old cards, but only half of what the new cards needed. Luckily, the new cards each came with a pair of 4x1-pin to 3x2-pin (PCI-e) adapters, and I was able to use this to fill in the missing power requirements. Booted right up after that.

Surprisingly, there is absolutely no hint in the installation instructions that each card requires a pair of power cords. I guess the manufacturer just assumed I would automatically know that they doubled the necessary connectors to the new cards. I was expecting the new cards to be LIKE all the other cards I've played with...

Meh. PICNIC and cheap instructions. Thanks for the effort everyone. Hey Hunter484 - How's performance with these cards in crossfire configuration with the Asus P5W MB? I'm thinking of doing the same soon. Cheers, Chris.

Hi, I have an external card reader which when I plug in to the computer shows up as drive (Q:) and is not accessible. I understand drive Q is something created by Microsoft office. I've tried going into drive management and re allocating it a different letter however it doesn't show up in there. The card reader works fine on other computers. Its a mesh computer, windows 7, AVg anti virus. any help greatly appreciated. ThanksIt may be driver related, even though most modern readers do not require special driver installations.

Its very odd that it wants to map this to Q: unless you have many other drives before it from C: to P:

Quote

I understand drive Q is something created by Microsoft office

The card reader works fine on other computers

reader says its compatible with windows 7 32 + 64 bit as well.

will an ATI HD 4650 1GB ddr2 video card play GAMES like gta iv, nfs shift, assasins creed, COD4, and all those games at a respectable resolution on a 23-24 inch monitor? the computer has a 2.8 Ghz Phenom ii 925 quad core processor with a 4000 MHz FSB and 8 GB of DDR2 memoryHave you check the website of the above games and their minimum requirements?I think you will have no problem. A 23-24" monitor will have a resolution of 1920*1080 to 1920*1200.
I have a 23" monitor at 1920*1200.
Also enable AA.Quote

Also enable AA

I'm guessing you are talking about Anti-Aliasing although a drinking problem can also affect perceived resolution.

I bought an EXTERNAL case for a 2.5 hard drive.It plugs in with a USB connection. Disk management SHOWS the drive isn't initialized. When I right click and click to initialize it ASK me if I want MBR OR GUI. I leave it on MBR click yes. I get an error telling me incorrect function. I have WINDOWS 7 Home premium 64 bitWhat was on the hard drive?

Have you tried it in another COMPUTER?It was brand newTry it in another computer.

Try another usb cable.

Try to install the drive internally, if you can.

If those fail, take the drive back.

So im upgrading my pc and wanted to know if it would be worth it to spend the extra cash on going for the i7 ddr3 setup or going with a amd 64x4 and keeping my 4 gigs of ddr2 800 ram? I already have to buy a new mobo cause mines only pci express 1.0 and Ill be getting the hd 5770. So would it really make that much of a difference to stick to ddr2 and an amd 64x4?

This is what I have now from what I remember off hand.

amd 64x2 5400
gskill 4gig (4x1gig) 800 ram
geforce 8600 gt 512 mb
corsair 520 PSU 3.3v, 12v I think
Gigabyte mobo SLI. I dont remember the model of mobo, but it only has pci express 1.0 which Ive heard would slow me down a bit and Im not sure if the hd 5770 would work on it and if it does how much would that slow me down?This is my (somewhat biased) opinion.

The CORE i7 has a fair bit more of a 'will be out dated in less time' factor.
As far as I am aware, Intel is still winning the CPU war, pumping out models that perform faster than AMD's equivalents by a long shot.

Of course, if price as an issue, AMD is GENERALLY CHEAPER, and slightly more bang for buck, but when comparing that CPU to a Core i7, i don't think there would be much of a competition.

AMD these days are not friends with the gamers as far as I know too. The Athlons and Durons used to be loved worldwide by gamers, then they slipped in the market.Just to add an opinion to the MIX, I use an AMD Phenom II X4 965 with 6GB OCZ DDR3 RAM and a 1 GB ATI Radeon HD 5750 graphics card. I have absolutely no problem doing any every-day task. The only games I've played (so far) have required at least 128MB dedicated (with 256MB recommended) graphics memory and I've had no problem setting every video option to either "high" or "ultra" without any drawbacks.I recommend the i7 DDR3 set since it is the most powerful desktop platform I know of.

Hi I've got a canon pixma mg6250 and whenever I print photos onto 4X6 canon photo paper there is always some of the image cut off the top, meaning I only get half of people's heads! Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong please? You have to tell the printer what size your are using.
Likewise, the photo edit software needles to know the size. There must be a print preview option where you can see what the output should look like before your print.

If the photo editor and the printer rate working together, you should only need to set the size in one place.

Wait! By chance did you mean you print directly from the printer?
In that case, you have to set the paper size in the printer.

Paper Sources to Load Paper - PIXMA MG6250
Quote

REFERENCE
When printing, select the correct page size and media type. If you select the wrong page size or media type, the machine may feed paper from the wrong paper source or may not print with the proper print quality.
For details on how to load paper in each paper source, see below.
-> Refer to [ Loading Plain Paper in the Cassette ] within this webpage.
-> Refer to [ Loading Photo Paper in the Rear Tray ] within this webpage.
-> [ Loading Envelopes in the Rear Tray ]

Hi, Firstly please let me say I'm sorry if a similar questions has been posted, I've had a quick look but I"m a mum 2 3 small KIDS and I just can't fit in reading everything before I post. My Bad, I'm sorry. My Dell Desktop (Dimension 521, approx 3.5 years old) starting loosing battery a few months back. We moved and I left it off for 2 months. When I switched it back on it worked fine. Then the other day it just died and wouldn't boot up. The fan sounded very sad. I spoke to someone and purchase a battery and fitted it myself (clever little old me). When I switched it back on the fan sounded great (Wahoo) but it just wont' speak to the monitor. When I unplug the monitor it flashes up it's test drive, so I'm thinking it's fine. As soon as i plug it back in the screen goes blank and the light to indicate it's on goes orange rather than it's usually HAPPY yellow colour. I'm thinking that either something is up with my motherboard (not that I really understand what this means -but I've heard it happens and it bad) or I need to reload something.
Can anyone give me any advise? This is my kids computer just used for preschool games etc. Don't want to spend a lot on it - especially if I can fix it myself. Many Many Thanks for any help


Caok well... theres some stpes u could try.


first off. that light indicates ur monitor is in sleep mode. in other words, its not getting any signal at all or its getting a singal telling it ur computer is in sleep mode and it should be too.


so to see which is the probalem. 1. plug it into another computer and see what happens. does it work? if so, the monitor is NOT the problem and its WORKING just fine.

if nothing happens, the ur monitor is to blame. woo-hoo! easy fix!


if its the monitor, take a look at the tiny pins at the end of the cord. (the tiny metal things in the plug) and see if any are missing or bent. if any are bent, then take a falt head srew driver and CAREFULLY bend them back to were they should be. plug it back in and it should work.

if any are missing, then ur monitor wont get a signal and will need a new one. good news? thats what the salvation army is for. u could get one for $3 there.



now... if the monitor works in another computer, then its ur computer thats the problem. in which case, once again there could be many things wrong.


so....


is the computer seeming to work? is the power lights, hard drive lights, and fan on? if u have speakers, does the windows login sound play (assuming u dont need a password)?


if yes, then its the card. the video card.

now.. if thats the case, look at the port u plug the monitor into on the computer and see if anything is in the holes. if there is, try to get it out. if theres not, then......


either ur card is shot and u need a new one or.... its not properly connected (loose).


soo... open up ur computer and make sure the card is succurly seated (pushed all the way down) in the slott.

if ur card is attached already to ur motherboard and not in a slott skip that step.


if it still isnt working then ur card is bad. simply but a new video card, try ebay, and install it.




now.... lets assume u answered no to when i asked "is ur computer seeming to work?".

then something is preventing ur computer from booting. which could be a whole other issue.

soo.... if u have another monitor, plug it in and see if that works. if soo. see where i stops working (the computer)

does it give an error? does it go through the self test (post) when u turn it on? is windows causing an error?


WITHOUT knowing if it loads windows or stops before loading windows, this is where the hep would end and ud have to let us know which it is.





sorry this is so long, but i wanted to give u all the steps u could try to see whats causing this to happen. and sorry if i spelled wrong, i type fast and dont look at my screen and i never spell check.



hope that helps.Check your monitor with another PC, if not,You should replace the CR2032 CMOS battery.
See:
http://www.pchardwaretutor.com/tutor/?p=107 Replace the Battery
http://www.pchardwaretutor.com/tutor/?p=103 Open your PC